Black Star's POV

Tsubaki seemed to be spacing out, so I stopped running and shook her. "Hey, Tsubaki. Are you okay?" she snapped out of her trance and faced me. "Huh? Oh, yes. I'm fine, Black Star." She smiled.

"Good, I wouldn't want you zoning out when we are fighting or something. Now come on; let's go!" But before I could take off running, she grabbed my shoulder and stopped smiling.

I was surprised at this; she never usually did this. This must be why she was so spaced out earlier; she's thinking about her brother. I knew that she sometimes felt bad about killing her brother; I mean, I know that they were family and everything, but he was a bad guy.

I don't resent Lord Death for killing the Star clan; they were weak and let themselves get caught up with more power than they could handle, and that's that.

But Tsubaki chooses to see it like it's her fault her brother became a kishin egg; something with her emotions. She doesn't really talk about her brother, but I can catch a hint. I mean, obviously I can; I am the guy who's going to surpass God someday.

A single tear ran down Tsubaki's cheek as I turned around and faced her. Her hand slipped from my shoulder. I folded my arms across my chest, looking at her, though she refused to look at me.

"Tsubaki, stop blaming yourself. It isn't your fault that your brother turned out that way." I think that she was slipping slowly; ever since her brother's death, she's been less cheery about everything. I don't really understand it, since she's the only family I've really had.

I tried to wipe away the tear from her cheek, but she pushed my hand away and ran off. I sighed. How am I supposed to help her if she just keeps quiet all the time? I started walking to Soul's house.

This is going to be a long night; for both myself and Tsubaki.

Maka's POV

I sat on the couch. I didn't know what to think, but there was something wrong with Soul. I just knew it. Then again, could it just be me? Could I be imagining things? I'm not exactly in the best shape myself. Could the kishin be taunting my head without me noticing?

I buried my head into my knees. I inhaled deeply, letting it out as if it was my last breath. I'd almost forgotten about the kishin. How was I going to defeat him?

Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door. I got up slowly to open it, and Soul came out of his bedroom. "Who is it?" he asked me. I turned to him, annoyed. "How am I supposed to know?" I snapped back. He looked surprised, but didn't say anything.

I opened the door. I groaned. "I guess it's for you, Soul." And as I walked away, Black Star grabbed my shoulder. "I need to find Tsubaki. She's run away. I thought that you guys could help me." He looked worried; an expression I'd never seen on him. I nodded.

Then I ran to my room to get dressed, shoving Soul on my way. "Hey! What's your problem, Maka?" he yelled, but I paid no mind. "What's wrong with her?" Black Star asked. I shut the door, getting my clothes on.

Soul's POV

"What's wrong with her?" Black Star asked, then a door was shut. I shrugged. "She's been like that since this morning."

I was worried about Maka, honestly; Professor Stein had said that if she got too stressed out, the kishin would try to take advantage of that weakness. She could pass out and then things would get really bad.

I know she was worried about me, but this might be taking it a bit too far. She's risking our resonance by being like this. But then again, who was I to blame her? She had a good reason to be worried. I only had one more day until the black blood took me.

In a word, I was scared.

Maka came out, and we left the apartment. We checked all over town, and when we did find her, it was shocking.

Tsubaki's POV

"It's all your fault, Tsubaki. You made me like this. And how do you repay me? By killing me! This is the kind of person you are; a selfish person pretending to be strong. You and I both know you are just a scentless flower. Don't pretend to be what you are not."

I was on my knees inside the enchanted sword. Masamune approached me in a flash and whispered in my ear. "You're a horrible person, Tsubaki." I turned away, letting the tears fall.

"That's not true. Stop this, brother. Please." I looked up to him, fearfully. "Stop? You want me to stop?" He held the sword up to my face as I felt the blade pierce my cheek, wincing.

"You know what I always wanted? I never wanted to be this, what I am now. No, I wanted everyone in our family to stop acting as if they were my slaves. Especially you, Tsubaki. But you let me down."

He kicked me across the water, and I got up on my knees, coughing. Come on, Tsubaki. You can do this. Don't listen to him. He's wrong.

"I'm going to enjoy eating your soul. It will be like final closure for me. You'll be the last one for me to kill." I looked up in confusion. "What?" I asked. No…he couldn't have…He began laughing.

"Have you gotten any letters from our family lately?" No. No, no, no, no no. He can't have! He wouldn't be able to do something like that! I sobbed even harder.

"They were my first targets. I enjoyed watching them scream and beg for me not to kill them as I ate their souls. And let me tell you," he leaned close to me and smirked. "they were so delicious."

Black Star's POV

"Tsubaki!" I screamed as I found her on the steps of the school, unconscious. Her face had the markings of the enchanted sword. We all ran towards her, our concerns only growing as we got closer.

"Oh, god." Maka dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands. Soul sat near Tsubaki and just stared at her in surprise. "How is this possible? Has this happened before?" he said.

"Her brother," Maka suddenly said. "Could this be him?" Could it be possible that her guilt for her brother had brought his soul out? I was so confused. "I don't know." I finally said and sat right near Tsubaki. Shit! I should have talked to her about this! Then maybe this wouldn't have happened! Damn it!

"All we can do right now is wait. I can't help her right now." I said. "You better come back, Tsubaki. Otherwise I will find a way to kill that stupid brother of yours for good."

Tsubaki's POV

"How could you have killed our family?" I asked my brother. He's supposed to be dead; I killed him! What's going on?! He began laughing, as if I was stupid.

"You know why, Tsubaki." I got up and summoned my sword. I can't hold back…it's not my fault. He killed our family.

"Don't even try to fight me again. We both know who is going to win. You're too weak to even keep me dead. You're nothing compared to me. This time, I'm going to be the strong one. I will win this time."

I dropped to my knees, considering his words. "You killed our family, Masamune," I said coldly. "That's unforgiveable. You didn't have to take your anger at me on them. They did nothing wrong. It wasn't me who did that; it was you! And this time I will kill you!"

I let my hair drop from its band. It surrounded my arms and covered my face. I couldn't let my guilt get to me this time. I got up and began running for him as he threw shadows at me. "Even I can't feel bad for you anymore, brother." I whispered under my breath.

I barely avoided the shadows as a few of them scraped my skin. I stopped crying. I couldn't be weak anymore. This time, he had no excuse. It ends, right now. "You know it as well as I; you'll always blame yourself. That's just who you are."

The dark sword appeared in his hand. I stood up straight and stopped running. The shadows ran through my leg, and I groaned in pain as more came and ran through my stomach.

They picked up my nearly limp body and brought it to him. My knife slipped from my hand. I looked up at his face, but it didn't look like it did before. This was my brother. My real brother.

His face held a hint of shame, but it was mostly covered in anger and revenge. "You're wrong. You don't know me. You never did. And you will die, no matter if it's by my hand or another's." I croaked out.

I suddenly felt intense pain as he ran the sword through my chest. "It doesn't matter; I have no wish to live other than to make sure you die. Good bye, sister." The room suddenly began melting, and the last thing I saw was my brother smiling as he evaporated into the air. Then everything went black as I returned to my body.

Black Star's POV

"Black Star, look! The marks have gone!" Soul shouted. I picked her shoulders up and laid her on my lap. Her eyes flew open. "I…I lost, Black Star." She said as some blood poured out of her mouth.

My eyes widened. Tsubaki…lost? That's not possible! Suddenly, wounds began appearing; at least two on her stomach, one in her chest on the other side of her heart, and one on her leg. She began bleeding like crazy.

Her eyes went from devastated to excruciating pain. "Tsubaki? No…hang on, we'll get you help! Don't you give up, damn it! You can't…I need you! Come on, damn it!" I picked her up, and the others were very silent.

She was already having spasms. Stein had told us that when spasms like that happen, the person was minutes away from death. Stein! I ran as fast as I could towards his office.