Chapter Six
A Mission Gone Wrong
Authors Note: I'm deeply sorry for the long wait. I've been really busy with a lot of things and also lost some motivation to finish this. HOWEVER, I recently re-read this entire fanfiction and dubbed it worthy of finishing, especially with all the good reviews it has gotten. Again, I'm really sorry for the super duper insanely long wait. Rejoice; the tale of madness and love is back on!
I woke up this morning feeling content. I really wish it had stayed that way, but once I remembered the events of the past day, my heart sunk in my chest and I laid there in my bed feeling scared and distressed. Despite my emotions, I got up from my bed and dressed in my clothes, opening the door to the hallway.
As I walked past Blade's room, I noticed that his door was slightly ajar. That was odd for Blade. He usually made sure that his door was closed because he didn't like people messing with his stuff. Curiosity overpowering my senses, I gently pushed open the black door.
It was very dark in Blade's room; the lights were off and the curtains drawn. Clothes were scattered everywhere, along with various papers (mostly mangled homework assignments) and food wrappers. If Kid saw the state of this room... I thought, laughing silently to myself at the image of the reaper falling to his knees and going insane at the ghastly sight of Blade's room.
Suddenly I realized that there was a single, blue glow coming from the corner of the room. I turned to face the dull light and recognized the computer that Kid gave to him to use for homework. Of course, Blade has been using it for other things, taking into account that he really hates homework, but what was on the screen came as a surprise.
Aside from the computer, Blade went out and bought himself one of those tablet things that you hook up to a computer to draw with, because he surprisingly likes to draw. He's been using it quite a bit lately, and I guess what I saw at the moment was what he has been working on.
It was a picture of Blade, but with white hair and pale caramel eyes. He seemed spectral in appearance, and the way his eyes glinted with cold malice caused me to shiver right down to the bone. I slowly back out of the room, making a conjecture that that was probably Life City Blade.
Life City.
It sounded so strange to say even in my own head. I rubbed my forehead with my wrist and let out a small, pained sigh.
"Something wrong?" Blade asked out of nowhere.
I whipped around to see him calmly walking to his door and shutting it quietly. Dammit, now I'd done it.
"No! …. well... yes. I mean... this whole situation. Life City and all that..." I replied, trying to sound casual despite the fact that I had invaded Blade's privacy.
Blade's eyes darkened, "Don't mention that damn city."
My eyes widened and my lips parted slightly in surprise. I'd never seen Blade like this before. He is usually so cheerful and annoying and mischievous. He rarely ever looks as intimidating and scary as he did right now.
"Blade..." I said quietly, pain probably being reflected in my eyes.
Blade looked as if he had suddenly realized he had snapped at me and looked down at the floor, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Just... stay out of my room..." and he left me to go get breakfast.
I just kind of stared after him. I shouldn't have been so rude to him, I mean, I'm sure he's just having a hard time accepting what happened yesterday. I mean God, how the hell can someone just get over seeing that disgusting mangled flesh of the servant boy, or the maniacal stares of those crazy freaks from Life City? I know I haven't.
Shaking slightly, I proceeded to the dining hall, trying to work out the connections between Life City, the little witch, and the trilobite shadows. The mystery of the madness should be, of course, pretty obvious to figure out. I mean, a giant city full of madness infused psychopaths? Clearly that was where the madness has been emanating from all along, causing kishins in Death City to become stronger and harder to kill. But how in Lord Death's name was the witch involved?
"...uru? Kukuru?"
I heard my name being called and I looked up to see Kid staring down at me, a slight look of amusement on his face.
I blushed a little, thinking about the night before, and quickly said, "Eh, uh, yes, what was that again?"
He smiled and said, "I was asking if you were fine with just cereal or something. We need to report to Lord Death's room ASAP."
"Oh, uh, yeah, that's fine..." I answered, still trying to calm myself down, "Sorry, I was just thinking."
"You're a pretty deep thinker to not hear Kid and Patty saying your name nearly five hundred times," Liz exaggerated, smiling smugly.
I laughed, but despite all the jokes and light-hearted conversations, there was an atmosphere of gloom and nervousness, because we all knew what was lurking just outside the manor's protective gates. We had all guessed that kishins from Life City had made their way into Death City overnight and were waiting to attack anyone who ventures outside of their houses. Luckily, we were prepared.
We all finished up a small breakfast together and stood facing the door.
"Here's the plan," Kid began, "we're flying straight to the academy on Beelzebub. There will be no time to stop and fight every kishin we see, especially with their increased power levels. Our best chance is to make a run for the academy."
"What about kishins that can fly?" I asked, remembering the cat kishin we had killed a while back.
"We're just going to have to fly as fast as we can. I'll shoot at them if they get too close, but just in case we are attacked by multiple kishins, have Blade transform into his staff form so you can shoot your soul wavelengths too." Kid instructed me.
Blade nodded and transformed into his staff form, my clothes shimmering into my battle clothes as he did so. Liz and Patty transformed too and Kid held them in the unusual way he had. He summoned Beelzebub and stepped onto it. I stepped on too, facing Kid with Blade as a staff in my right hand.
Suddenly I realized something and asked, "Uh, Kid, how will I keep from falling while holding Blade?"
"Hang on with your left arm and I'll do the rest. Don't worry," Kid said, probably noticing that I was getting nervous, "I won't let you fall."
Staring at his reassuring golden gaze, I knew he was right. He would keep me safe like he always did.
"Okay," I said smiling, "let's go."
Kid gave me this handsome side smile and I blushed, looking away. I nearly forgot to hold on to him, but when he opened the door of the mansion I moved my arm under his right arm and clutched his shoulder from behind. He nudged me a little closer to him with one of his arms, causing me to push my head against his chest. My face felt hot like it had the night before, but why? What was this weird feeling I got whenever stuff like this happened between Kid and I? I never felt this way around Blade... It just makes me so confused!
I shut my eyes in frustration but quickly opened them again as we took off through the doors of the mansion and towards the academy.
Right off the bat, we had a ton of ground kishins taking off after us and some on the rooftops tried to jump up at us before we were high enough above them so that they couldn't. Kid shifted Beelzebub so that he could open fire on them while still maintaining our course for the academy.
A few moments later, a flying kishin that looked like some mangled corpse started closing in on the other side of where Kid was firing so I took the opportunity to fire soul wavelengths from Blade at it. It kind of hurt to fire the wavelengths, and I suddenly realized why and how stupid I had been for not realizing this before. I still had a broken soul, so naturally, trying to fire wavelengths from it would hurt a ton.
But I didn't stop firing, not until the kishin abandoned us, deeming us unworthy of its attention and pain.
However, just as it disappeared from sight, another one rushed at us, but since we had risen far above the rooftops by now, Kid whipped Beelzebub around and open fired at the other kishin. I nearly lost my grip and fell, but Kid swiftly pulled his right arm around me while still firing the pistol he had in that hand, his tight grip and expert recovery of his balance on the flying skateboard saving me from more broken bones. I covered Kid's back as more kishins followed us to the academy, but each shot felt like a blow to the chest. By the time we reached the academy gates, my chest was burning with pain, becoming so unbearable that when we dismounted Beelzebub and made a dash for the doors, kishins hot on our tail, I stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Kukuru!" Blade shouted in weapon form. He immediately transformed into his shield form, covering me as I tried to get up.
"Blade, you know what we have to do..." I said weakly, tears welling in my eyes. Electricity like pain coursed through my body, so much so that even I was freaked out by what I had just suggested.
"No!" Blade shouted as the kishins approached, "we can't..."
"Let's go..." I began, bracing myself for the torturous damage that my actions would inflict upon me," Soul-"
I never finished. Kid grabbed me up from the ground and carried me into the academy, Blade transforming into human again and following after us, shutting the doors just in time so that me were safe and the kishins were locked out. Kid put me down and I sank to my hands and knees.
"Kukuru, what the hell were you thinking?" Kid nearly shouted at me.
Blade looked me. He was breathing hard and visibly shaking. His eyes were wild with fear, and a little bit of anger too.
I can't believe what I almost did to myself, and to Blade as well. A soul resonance, especially with the state my soul was already in, would have been catastrophic.
"I... I don't..." I tried to answer, tears streaming down my cheeks. I ducked my head and clenched my fists.
"I said I would protect you..." Kid said, looking down at me, the fiery tone leaving his voice.
I looked up at him again. He had knelt beside me. Blade was still standing, but his back was to me.
"I remember..." I answered shamefully, tears still pouring from my eyes, "I shouldn't have tried to..."
Instead of more scolding words, I was enveloped in the warmth of a hug.
"Please, don't try to do that to yourself again..." Kid said quietly, catching me off guard.
Gently and slowly moving my arms, I returned the hug, "I... I'm sorry... Kid..."
Blade turned to look at us, trying to act as though nothing had happened, as he usually does, but I could see right through him. I knew he had been crying.
Kid and I parted, and I suddenly realized that the pain in my chest was gone.
What the hell... I thought as I stood up and Blade walked over to me. What the hell...
"Ow!" I shrieked, "What the hell?!"
Blade had flicked me in between the eyes.
"Dumbass... don't do that shit again." Blade looked down at my pitiful self who was glaring up at him.
Kid took the opportunity to remove Liz and Patty from his pockets and they transformed back into their human forms.
"Let's not waste anymore time," Kid said, his back to Blade and I, "come on."
He began nonchalantly walking towards the Death Room, Liz and Patty following him, Patty chatting up a storm and about clouds and their relationship to ants. Blade began following them too, giving me a sideways glance with a smirk on his face. I followed shortly.
He was a good actor, I'll give him that.
Small white clouds lazily traversed the vast blue skies of the Death Room filled with oddly placed windows. Seemingly endless sand dunes stretched far beyond the boundaries of the room littered with black graves shaped like thin crosses that stuck out at odd angles from the dunes. The massive doors and tall, elegant mirror found on the center platform of the room gave the Death Room an odd atmosphere, almost as if it was made for giants.
Waiting in this strange room was Kid, Patty, Liz, Maka, Soul, Crona, Ragnarok, Lord Death and I. Black Star and Tsubaki were taking longer than expected to arrive and everyone was getting a little fidgety. Surely the great assassin hadn't been bested by the kishins? Or maybe it was something worse that had gotten to him... but we were trying not to think about that.
Finally, the doors to the Death Room opened, and everyone prepared to greet Black Star and Tsubaki, but the people who came through the doors actually ended up being Stein and Spirit. Confused and even more worried than before, everyone looked to Lord Death for an answer.
"Well, well, it seems as though we have a bit of a problem on our hands," Lord Death said, pointing out the obvious and turning towards his mirror.
The mirror filled up with a blinding white light as Lord Death gazed into it, "Many students and their weapons have gone missing this morning, but Black Star and Tsubaki are one of our strongest pairs. You do realize what this means?"
"Of course, Lord Death." Maka replied.
"Wait," Spirit began turning his attention to Lord Death, "you're sending my Maka out to find Black Star and Tsubaki when there are tons of kishins out? And who could possibly be locked up in Life City?!"
"Spirit, what Lord Death is doing is for the best," Stein replied, shifting his gaze from Maka, who was steaming with annoyance at her father, "they're all part of their resonance team, with the exception of Crona, Ragnarok, Blade and Kukuru, however their combined powers will be useful anyway. Maka should be able to sense Black Star and Tsubaki's souls, and on top of that the teachers and staff need to stay here at the DWMA to protect the remaining students that we possess at all costs and clear out the kishins from Death City."
Spirit furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the floor but didn't say anything. He clenched his fists tightly as well.
My eyes widened as it suddenly dawned on me that I would be going on this expedition too, despite being significantly weaker than the rest of the people going. Blade must've noticed it at the same moment that I did since he gave me a sideways glance, eyes flashing with a mixture of determination and worry. I wish I wasn't such a burden for people. People like Kid and Blade are always worrying about me, and not without good reason, but I hated being so weak and scared all the time. Maybe this mission would be a chance for a change. Maybe...
I gave Blade a small smile and he gave me a look of surprise. All the strength drained from my limbs at the thought of entering Life City to find Black Star, but I closed my eyes and willed myself to stand tall. Nothing was going to keep me from going with them and proving that maybe I'm not as weak and spineless as I thought.
"Your objective is simple. Search Death City for Black*Star and Tsubaki, and if you can't find them, proceed to look for them from within Life City. Be extremely cautious. We don't need more students going missing." Stein instructed.
We all nodded and were dismissed by Lord Death.
Once we exited the Death Room, Liz asked Maka, "So what's the plan?"
"I think we should split up to cover more ground but not into individual pairs. If Black*Star and Tsubaki were captured fighting by themselves then I don't think we should go anywhere without at least one other weapon-meister pair." Maka reasoned out loud as we made our way towards the entrance to the DWMA.
"I'll go with Blade and Kukuru, then." Kid replied, opening the heavy doors to the outside.
Maka nodded and turned to Crons, smiling, "That means you're with me."
Crona returned a sheepish smile and set off with Maka and Soul. I watched after them as they headed off, Blade joining me at my side.
"So, where do we start, Kid?" I asked, turning to face him, trying to ignore Life City in the background.
Kid looked around a moment and turned to me, "We'll go in the opposite direction they're going and sweep up and down the streets. If all goes smoothly we'll be able to meet up with them halfway around the city."
"Sounds good." Liz added, stretching her arms and turning into her weapon form along with Patty.
Blade transformed into his hooked sword form and my clothes shimmered into my battle clothes. I walked side by side with Kid down the steps and we began our search in the streets, occasionally asking around. Surprisingly, there weren't as many kishin as we had encountered earlier that morning.
"Seems like the instructors are doing a good job clearing out the city." Kid remarked as we finished our inquiry with an elderly woman.
"I guess so." I replied, swiveling my head to get a good long look at the roads and houses surrounding us. It was a good way to distract myself from my fear.
Silence reigned our little party for some time until Kid nonchalantly asked, "So what's up with your clothes changing every time you wield Blade?"
"Honestly I have no idea," I reply, smiley slightly and shrugging my shoulders, "it's kind of weird huh?"
"Pshhh, my ability makes you look way better than you normally do so I'd stuff it if I were you." Blade replied.
I gave him the angriest look I could, "I beg your pardon?"
His reflection flashed in his weapon form, a stupid smirk on his face.
"Why you-"
Suddenly, a large explosion shook the ground and I nearly dropped Blade. Kid whipped his head in the direction of the explosion and looked back at me. I nodded and he grabbed my hand and began running at full throttle towards the explosion. I tried my best to keep up, but I felt like my breath wasn't getting into my lungs and my face felt hot again. That does it. After we get back to Death City, I'm going to ask Stein, Nygus, Blade, Kid, SOMEONE what's wrong with me. Maybe it's just my whacked out soul, I dunno.
Eventually, we turned a corner where we bumped into Crona, Ragnarok, Soul and Maka fending off against some sort of kishin. Or was she a witch? I honestly couldn't tell. She seemed to possess elements of both. She was flying up in the sky, sort of propped up by these tanish bandages. She wore a dark purple hood that obstructed her face and matching sort of a leotard like gymnasts might wear. She also wore white socks that came up to her upper calves and bandages were wrapped around her arms and legs, knife scabbards also strapped around her thighs and upper arms. She wore jet black pointed boots that came up to a little past her knees and black, wrist high gloves. She seemed to resemble a witch. Maybe she was?
I looked over at Maka who was breathing hard, blood dripping down the side of her face. I cast my worried glance at Kid but he still just stared at the floating lady in an ominous way, his expression dark.
"Kid, Kukuru, watch out!" Maka screamed. Before I knew what was happening, the bandages of the witch-kishin sped quick as lightning towards the both of us. Kid pushed me to the ground, willing himself to fall with me. The bandages didn't scratch me at all, but two of them cut across Kid's back. I hit the ground hard, dropping Blade a foot or two from where I fell. Kid landed on his hands and knees over me. I could feel something drip down on me and realized it was his blood. I looked up at him over my right shoulder, chest tight with fear. Kid was grimacing from the pain but slowly got up on his feet and I quickly grabbed Blade off the ground and stood up again. The witch-kishin was engaged in battle with Crona and Ragnarok, Maka quickly joining.
To my surprise, Kid ran forward, firing his soul wavelengths at the witch-kishin. At first, I could only just stand there until Blade yelled, "Hey! Kukuru! Let's go help them."
I nodded and ran towards the fight. The witch-kishin was flinging bandages this way and that, and even engaging in hand to hand combat at the same time. In an instant, bandages fly through the air towards me but I fend them off with Blade. However, more kept coming so I kept slashing and hacking at them. I saw Crona up ahead attempt to land a hit on the witch-kishin but she dodged all of his attacks,and in an instant ducked under his sword and slammed her palm into his chest, a dark energy engulfing Crona and sending him flying backwards, slamming directly into a wall. Maka performed Soul Resonance and swung the Witch Hunter at the attacker, who swiftly turned and clasped both sides of Soul's scythe form with her gloved hands and tossed it aside, engaging in hand to hand with Maka. Kid and I exchanged glances and I cut through the rest of the bandages and headed straight for the witch-kishin, my stomach lurching with fear. I swing right at the back of her head, but, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, she dodged it and kicked me square in the stomach without so much as a glance at me. I cringed backwards but started forward again despite the pain and yelled at the top of my lungs as I approach, this time ready for this strange lady's eyes-in-the-back-of-her-head technique. I swung with Blade but at the slightest move of the witch-kishin's limbs towards me, Blade transforms into the spiked shield and I press my shoulder into it, ducking my head behind the protective metal. I felt the collision of the witch-kishin's leg on the spikes of Blade's shield form and allow myself a small smirk. I use all my body force to twist the shield, hoping to take the lady with me but she just pulls her leg off the spikes like it was nothing and somehow I end up smashing into a wall next to where Crona had moments before.
I temporarily closed my eyes in pain and opened them just in time to see more bandages and what appeared to be dark magic throttling towards me. I tossed myself to the side, holding Blade in a way to protect my exposed side, but the bandages still manage to pierce my ankles and the tops of my shoulders. I dropped Blade yet again. Screaming in pain, I felt myself being lifted up by the bandages, simultaneously feeling them rip through my flesh. Bandages coil around my wrists, waist and neck, tightening like a constrictor snake as I choke, trying to move my arms to free my neck of the bandages. However, the bandages on my wrists and ankles pull my arms and legs away from my body, I close my eyes in fear and open them again when the bandages force me to look skyward.
Is this the end?
In an instant, the bandages loosen and I feel myself falling.
I guess it is...
But surprise! I didn't die. Kid zoomed under me and caught me like he had back in the mineshaft outside Las Vegas.
He carefully dropped me on my feet on Beelzebub, and I shook like crazy. That was horrifying... but exhilarating... but terrifying... but really awesome...
But really really painful.
I clutched my shoulder, carefully holding onto Kid's arm with my free hand, the hand on my shoulder warm and sticky with my blood.
"We need to get Blade..." I managed to say, closing my left eye tightly after feeling blood drip down onto my eyebrow.
"No problem. We just have to get out of here and find Black*Star and Tsubaki." Kid replied, lowering Beelzebub swiftly to the ground, allowing me to retrieve Blade as his shield form.
"Kukuru, are you okay?!" Blade asked me, extremely concerned.
"Are we just going to leave Maka and Crona to fight that insane woman?!" I blurted out, completely ignoring Blade.
Kid furrowed his eyebrows as he took off away from the battle, "Do you know what she is, Kukuru?"
"I was thinking maybe a witch or something?" I asked, confused.
Kid shook his head, "She's a Kishin."
"She doesn't really look much like one. Shouldn't she be easier to kill? Even with all the madness from Life City?" I asked as he swerved the skateboard sharply, forcing me to grasp onto him tightly and unexpectedly fall onto his chest again. I blushed and the irritation rises like fire in my stomach.
Kid looked down at me a moment, lips slightly parted and a strange look on his face that I couldn't quite decipher but he closed his mouth and looked up again and answered my question, "She's no ordinary kishin egg. She's a full blooded, powerful breed of Kishin like the one Black*Star, Maka, our weapons and I all faced off against. No doubt she fits into this crazy picture somehow. If only I knew how..."
Kid furrowed his eyebrows again and appeared to be thinking hard so I took it upon myself to be on the look out for Black*Star and Tsubaki. I felt very light, like the kind of light you feel like when you have massive amounts of adrenaline pumping through your veins and can't sit still, more or less stand still. A chill goes down my spine as I think about what a dire situation the DWMA and all its students are in right now. A Kishin, a witch, an army of trilobite kishin eggs and an entire city jam packed with kishin psychopaths all ready to pounce at a moments notice. This was not looking good.
Later, we find ourselves heading to Life City, having found no trace of Black*Star or Tsubaki. We had alerted Stein, Spirit and Lord Death of the Kishin and Stein and Spirit had been sent to help Maka and Crona. Hopefully with his help, they could take her down.
The small traces of courage I had drained out of me as we approached the city gates of Life City, mere feet from the gates of Death City. We crossed above the walls and found the other side to be eerily empty. I found myself clutching Kid's arms tightly.
He looked down at me, his features soft and calming, "Don't worry. Remember, you're stronger than you think."
"I guess..." I replied, "I just... we're both injured and I''m freaked out by this place and everything that's going on..."
Everyone was silent for a few seconds, just the wind the only audible sound dominating out ears.
I felt Kid take in a breath and I looked up at him, waiting for him to speak, but he kind of let the breath go again. I raised an eyebrow at him.
He somewhat hesitantly started to speak, "Listen, Kukuru. Anything can happen now... and, just in case... I... need to tell you-"
Pain engulfed my entire body and I felt myself falling off of Beelzebub towards the concrete streets of the cursed city, Blade still strapped to my back in his shield form. I try landing on my feet and then dropping to my knees and rolling to keep the impact from causing too much damage but it still hurts like hell. Blinded by tears of pain, I quickly rub my eyes with my left wrist, clutching Blade as a shield in my other. I tried to take a step forward but a wave of electricity like pain shoots up my legs and I moan in agony, but manage to stay upright.
Once my vision cleared, my chest tenses up again and I want to scream. Life City Blade is holding Kid up by a sword emanating from his forearm, which was lodged right in Kid's gut. Blood dripped from the wound and Kid's mouth, Liz and Patty screaming for their meister.
Life City Blade tosses Kid's limp body aside, and tears well up in my eyes.
No. Nononono. I'm not just going to stand here and watch this happen.
"Blade, transform into your staff form." I ordered him, unflinching at the approaching ghost like double of Blade.
"But Kukuru-"
"Just DO IT!" I shrieked, my body trembling furiously and my mind going eighty miles an hour.
Blade transformed and I hold the cold metal staff in my right palm. I outstretched my arm and slam the staff bottom into the pavement. It broke just as my heart did at the sight of Kid being stabbed by that ruthless killer. I'll make him pay. I'll make them all pay.
"Let's go," I began, Blade not even daring to stop me, "Soul Resonance."
A dark aura engulfed my frame as my skin turns pale white and my clothes become black as night, along with my hair and my eyes. Black tears stream down my cheeks, and I grip Blade's staff form with both hand, aiming the orb end of the staff directly at Life City Blade.
"Weeping Soul!" I screamed, my voice sounding like a thousand voices mixed into one.
The orb on the end of Blade's staff form glows cyan blue and then propels a massive soul wavelength beam, landing a direct hit on Life City Blade. He flew backward and landed hard on the ground, cyan energy coursing across his body, his frame twitching this way and that.
My appearance returns to normal and I fall to my knees, extremely dizzy but I forced myself onto my feet and ran to Kid, who was surrounded by Liz and Patty, both incredibly worried, Liz with tears falling down her face.
"Come on! We have to get him back to Doctor Stein, and quickly before anyone of our other doubles show up!" I exclaimed.
Liz and I do our best to try and carry Kid between us while Patty tries tp get him to wake up. Fear grips my insides and I feel like I might throw up as Kid's blood seeps through his suit onto my hand that's supporting his stomach. Blade watches our backs as we make our way towards the gate.
This is bad. This is really really really bad, I think to myself.
Suddenly, Life City Liz and Patty appeared behind us just as I looked over my shoulder. Patty looked like some freakishly happy clown and Liz looked like a clown as well but a sad one with long, spindly, sharp fingers. Both had chains around their necks and were advancing on us. I knew we wouldn't make it out of the city, and the Soul Resonance I had taken the risk of pulling off was beginning to take its toll on me, my legs becoming weaker and weaker with every step.
Oh God...
"Looks like somebody could use a little help from the biggest man who will ever live! YAHOO!" I heard a familiar voice shout behind me.
I couldn't help but smile as I turned my head to see Black*Star fending off the Life City weapons with Tsubaki as a black Japanese sword.
"Quick, this is our chance!" Liz barked. Our group quickened our pace and made it past the gates of Life City and back into Death City, Black*Star and Tsubaki following while still keeping Life City Liz and Patty at bay. Maybe I'd actually survive this.
I found myself sitting next to the infirmary bed. It was my turn to worry about Kid's condition. After entering Death City and making it back to the DWMA, I had passed out again for some time, but lucky for me it wasn't anything crazy like a week or a few days or even just one day. Only a couple hours. Strange.
What was also strange was that Stein told me that no new tears had formed in my soul, despite using Soul Resonance and firing the huge wavelength at Life City Blade. After I woke up, I found Kid still out cold so I sat next to him, and well, here I still am.
I hold his hand gently while waiting for him to wake up, his stomach stitched and bandaged earlier by Stein. My whole frame trembles as I recount the day's events. Insanity... not even Lord Death's son could handle so many powerful Kishin in one day. Not even I could. Nor could anyone else.
"You sure love him, don't you?" Blade asked from our of nowhere, making me jump.
"W-what?" I replied, completely flustered. Love...?
Blade gives me a look, "Oh come on Cookie. You blush all the time around him, you like spending time with him, you think he's handsome, you defend him with anything and everything on the battle field after it looked like he almost died, and right now you're holding his hand. Don't tell me that's not love."
I feel the heat rising in my face gain and my chest flutters. I feel dizzy. Am I sick? Or am I really in love with Kid?
"I-I-" I begin but the words don't come that easily. My mind is completely scrambled.
Blade flashed a smile at me, "It's okay. I mean, from the sound of it, I think he was going to tell you that he loved you too. Back before the other me almost killed him, I mean."
I feel like I'm going to explode or throw up or maybe both, I don't know. Everything seems to make sense but also doesn't at the same time. My head is spinning and I can't control my tongue.
Blade just smiles, and before I can try to clear my head and say something back to him, Maka, Soul, Crona, Ragnarok, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Liz and Patty all charge in the room.
"When did Stein finish operating on him? I didn't hear about this!" Liz exclaimed, standing opposite me on the other side of Kid.
Patty giggled, "Kid looks so funny sleeping."
"Hey Kukuru, how's he doing?" Maka asks, my mind still in a fog.
"Erm, eh, what? Oh, uh, good, I think. At least, that's what Stein, um, says." I reply, trying but failing to focus.
She looks at me curiously but everyone else starts talking about where Black*STar and Tsubaki were.
"Well, we got captured by Blade's evil version but we managed to esca-" Tsubaki began but Black*Star interjected.
"BEAT THE LIVING SHIT OUTTA THEM AND WHOOP THEIR SORRY ASSES INTO NEXT YEAR! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" And he just started laughing manically for a while/.
Tsubaki smiled apologetically and added, "We actually just managed to trick him so we could escape and then came after the evil versions of Liz and Patty so Black*Star could seek revenge."
"Oh." Soul says simply, staring at Black*Star.
Kid began to stir and opened his eyes. He met my gaze and I breathed a sigh of relief. He squeezed my hand and I felt my breath be taken away. I wondered if what Blade had said about him going to tell me he loved me was true or not.
I blushed as I realized there were other people in the room and slowly withdrew my hands from Kid's hand. He smiled knowingly and turned to talk with everyone else, recounting what had happened after leaving the fight with the Kishin. Maka also told of how Stein arrived in time to fend off the Ksishin and take them back to the DWMA for the time being. She also reported seeing a witch that she described to be like the witch that Kid and I saw at Vegas and in our memories together. This troubles me deeply. So the witch, the Kishin, the trilobite kishins and Life City are for sure all connected now? Wonderful.
Everything is so confusing! This whole maddening situation and my feelings and Kid's feelings. What am I going to do? All I can do is brace for whatever else tomorrow is going to throw at me.
