Greetings, my mostly silent reviewers. I, catsvrsdogscatswin/Jay, have come up with a brilliant idea. So, for my sequel/prequel, what if DK had a romantic interest in a grenade-launcher-esque female weapon? I think it's a good idea…he'd be so funny when he's got puppy-love…Anyway, back to the important things. I missed to bus today 'cause I slept in, and then I had to throw on my clothes, yank out the extra weight in my backpack (there had been a bring in book assignment at school), then dial my mom at her work and break the news and then run all over our neighborhood to find somebody that's actually HOME to drive me over to the high school. Yeah, no breakfast. I barely had time to brush my hair! XO And…yeah. I did make it on time though. :3 Achievement! ANYWAY…here's the next chapter for ya. I'm naming them again! (World so Cold AMV)

3rd Person POV:

B.J, Excalibur, Sid, and Azusa stood and stared at the compressed ball of Asura's wavelength. "What is it?" Sid asked, and Azusa frowned. "A barrier the Kishin created. We think it's similar to the Death Room or the selective shielding on Witch Villages, impenetrable from the outside." He sighed. "I see." B.J shifted nervously. "The spread of the Madness hasn't even slowed down. I don't know what more we can try to do. We made Death City move and got the alliance of Nightstalker and we still couldn't beat the Kishin." He said wearily, and Excalibur spoke up. "FOOLS! What do you use your eyes for, decoration?!" B.J blinked indignantly. "There's still a slight hope." Azusa said firmly, and Sid half-turned. "What are you talking about?" She gave him a stern look. "Three meisters and a Nightstalker made it inside. Death the Kid's there, with Blackstar and Maka Albarn. They all have their weapons with them, and Kage made it in too. The battle's not over, we've still got a chance."

"I…*cough*…agree with the scary lady." A voice said weakly behind them, and they all turned to see Akuma leaning against the mirror, grinning tiredly with one hand pressed to his side. DK's eye was glinting with mischief and slight concern, and Akuma himself looked bone tired. Then they saw the gaping wound in their side. Bloodstained cotton was unsteadily wrapped around Akuma's middle, but it wasn't helping very much. "Akuma!" Blair squealed, hoping up from her spot by Spirit and hugging him frantically as he weakly waved her off. "I'm… *cough* just fine Blair. I just *cough* got pwned by a tree stump." Everyone stared at him, and he gave the room an annoyed glance. "Madness wavelength caught us by…*cough* surprise and we got… *cough* blasted out of the sky and… *cough* impaled ourselves on a… *cough* tree stump." He muttered, sinking to the ground and holding his side as red flecked the ground.

"Kid?" Sid asked in concern, and he gave them all a weak grin. "Kinda funny… *cough* huh? We've whooped monsters… *cough* and demons… and Kishins and… *cough* Nightstalker, but one itty bitty… *cough* tree stump manages to do us in." he mumbled, slumping against the buxom witch as she squealed nervously and dragged him over to Death Scythe and the Reaper. "Maka and the others are in there?" Sid muttered nervously, casting the pulsing red-black ball an anxious glance. "Victory still isn't very likely, but if Maka can use the Genie Hunter move and Kage can use her Song Resonance to support the others, then maybe." He turned back to the hole, seemingly convinced. "Yes, you're right. If they can harness enough power at the right time, they might be able to defeat the Kishin." B.J sighed. "That doesn't change anything for us up here." Sid turned to him. "Huh?" B.J elaborated. "All we can do is stand here and watch." He said firmly, and they all gulped.

Kage's POV:

"This is Halloween, this is Halloween, pumpkins scream in the dead of night!" I sang, bouncing from one shadow to another as Asura half-heartedly batted the others' attacks away. His main focus was on me, but flickering from existence to shadow and appearing and disappearing around the battlefield as I was, he was having a hard time of tracking me. Soul's piano playing was melding nicely with the song, and I whipped out a shadow to rake down Asura's arm before once again melting –literally- into the shadows. Blackstar jumped in an attempt to slice his head, but he ducked away, coming into Kid's line of fire as he ignited the Death Cannon. The gigantic Kishin stumbled back as Maka came down from the air, almost taking his eyes before he raised a negligent hand to block her. The way he's fighting, he's not committing himself fully. I thought absently as I flashed out of the shadows again, the real world hot and bright against my skin as I fired a Shade Shot spell at him before fading away again. He's toying with us. I snarled, landing on all fours as the shadows whipped around me like a tornado. "This is Halloween, everybody make a scene, trick or treat till the neighbor's gonna die of fright!"

Maka jumped back, slicing at his arm and jumping up to try for his head again as he scuttled backwards. "Let's go!" she shouted, aiming and missing for his face once again as I shot forward, the shadows trailing in my wake. Tsubaki clanged against the Kishin's armor-like skin as Blackstar joined in, slicing across his shoulder and landing with the others as I smashed into him. "Shadow take, shadow steal, shadow make, shadow real! Elemental Darkness!" I shouted, and the blackness beneath every object peeled away, scouring his body like a tornado, burning him like a flame, crushing him like rocks, and smashing into him like a tsunami. "It's our town, everybody scream!" He swiped the attack away as I was blown backward into the other's zone, crouching without any harm to my body. "His skin is as hard as armor!" Blackstar shouted when it was revealed to have done nothing. "Our attacks are working though. Let's keep it coming." Kid said reassuringly, and I took a deep breath. "You ready to go Maka? Keep us covered Kage." He said, and I nodded.

They all charged, Blackstar swiping up to hit Asura's leg as Maka swung down, Soul grinding into his chest as Kid skidded around, lifting Liz and Patty to fire at Asura's back, knocking him away. I lifted my hand and made a swiping motion at him, and the shadows reared like a wave, crunching into his chest to further knock him off balance. "Damn, you sure this is working?" Blackstar asked as they halted for a moment as well, and I slipped behind them as Kid nodded. "Yes, I'm positive. Just look around you." He said, and I cautiously felt out with my senses, keeping an eye on Asura. He's right, there isn't so much Madness anymore around here…but that could be anything. "Up there!" Blackstar said excitedly, and Kid nodded. "The barrier he set up is starting to weaken. That's proof we're doing something." He said, and Liz nodded. "It does look a bit thinner." Patty appeared on her gun as well. "That's good right?" The smoke around Asura began to clear as I narrowed my eyes. "We're Resonating well together, Kage's helped a lot. If we keep this up, we can beat him." He said, and I gritted my teeth around another wave of fear. "In this town of Halloween…"

Maka jumped up in a flash of movement to attack his shoulder as Blackstar went for his knees again, Kid jumping up to hit the crouching Kishin on the shoulder with a Death Cannon. I sliced at him constantly with tiny, razorblade shadows, humming the song as I ran alongside the meisters. "Keep going, let's pick up the tempo!" Kid shouted, and Blackstar snorted. "Hey musickers, are you even listening?" Soul growled. "Quit your whining of course I'm listening!" I jumped; landing on Asura's back and sending a pillar of shadows straight through his gut, letting it propel me into the air. "I am the one hiding under your bed; teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red! Just shut up and let me concentrate in all this damn Madness!" I shouted, landing and running with them as sweat dripped down my back. Maka jumped up with a couple of forward swipes at the same time Blackstar came in low, shadows –not mine- wrapping around Asura and holding him still as Kid raised his guns. "Fire Death Cannon!"

"I am the one hiding under your stairs, fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair!" I snarled as he fired, sending some more of the Shade Shot spell to distract Asura as the blast hit him. "HAAAAAAAAAAA!" Maka shouted, charging at the Kishin while he was still blind and disoriented as my heart jumped. C'mon Maka, hit him and hit him hard! I can only do one repetition of the song and the power keeps draining away if I'm only humming! I thought at her encouragingly "GENIE HUNT-" She cut off at the same time Soul's piano playing cut off with a harsh jang of keys crumpling in midair and falling to the ground as Soul tumbled from her hands, landing on the ground with a dull clatter. The others twitched as she sat up. "Soul!" He had transformed, lying on the ground without movement, still and seemingly dead. I could feel his wavelength draining away. I twitched as well, hearing something from the music room Soul played from within his soul. This is the end of the line Soul. You've played your last tune. It's my world now. "SOOOOOUUULLL!"

Asura sat up, laughing menacingly as Kid and Blackstar gaped. "That's impossible, no way!" Blackstar stammered as Kid gulped. "He's still as good as new. There's no sign of a single injury." He whispered as I stepped forward a pace. "This is Halloween, this is Halloween! Halloween, Halloween! Halloween, Halloween!" I sang, clenching my fingers around the newly formed blades of my shadow-swords and putting as much encouragement and motivation into the words as possible to help push my friends back into the mood to fight. "Soul! Soul! Wake up!" Maka sobbed, shaking him frantically. "What's going on? What happened, why's he just lying there?" Blackstar growled, and Kid looked too. "I don't understand what's wrong with him either. Maybe-" Asura's booming voice cut him off. "Your friend bit off more than he could chew."

"He what?!" Kid snapped, and Asura suddenly vanished. "What the- Where did he go?" Kid murmured, and a clinging mist rose about us, strange and distorted figures of Madness twisting up around the meisters and myself. "He did whatever he had to in order to push all your powers to their maximum potential, which increased the burden on himself. Hehe, this has been a long time coming indeed." Maka looked up. "Because of the Black Blood he has in his body?" Asura cackled again, and the figures shifted and writhed as I let the swords vanish, pressing both of my hands to my forehead as my mind nearly split from the pounding headache of Madness. "Every power comes with a price, the Nightstalker their humanity and in this case, his sanity. But he wasn't willing to give that up, he wanted both, if he had just given in everything would have been much different."

I moaned softly, backing away from the voice as I kneaded my skull, stumbling a little as the pain intensified. "If he'd done that, he would have known a life without Fear. Although, I think you all will live without her shortly. Look at how weak she is." He purred, and I whimpered as the Madness pressed in more. "KAGE! What are you doing to her!?" Kid snarled, and Asura chuckled. "Doing? I'm not doing anything young Reaper; this is merely her payment for power." Maka's brow furrowed. "Payment for power?" Asura laughed wildly, and I detected traces of old bitterness there. "The Great Old One of Fear and her brother cannot harbor the emotion of Madness within them. Not without giving up all that they are and all that they have. "Fear and Rage cannot exist in Madness" after all. The pressure of my insanity is grating at her sense of self, her sanity is being fought over by her very essence." Blackstar narrowed his eyes. "So what you're saying is, she can't be affected by the Madness without destroying herself."

"-And the Insanity is pressuring her to give in." Kid finished, growling the words as Asura chuckled. "Indeed. The Evans boy refused, and chose instead to pointlessly destroy himself." He laughed again, and Blackstar gritted his teeth. "Shut up jackass, you don't know what you're talking about!" he shouted, and Kid glanced at him. "Quiet! He's trying to provoke us; we can't afford to get caught up in that." He warned, and Blackstar snorted. "Why should I care? This is my show; he can say anything he wants to me. ONE WAY OR ANOTHER HE'S STILL GONNA DIE TODAY!" he roared, launching himself at the nearest figure and blasting the entire area with his Soul Force attack. The pressure instantly disappeared as I gave a gasp of relief; Asura coming back into focus as Kid merely gaped. "No way, he did that using only his wavelength?!" Liz gasped, and Kid nodded dumbly. "I shouldn't be surprised, it is Blackstar." He muttered, and I sucked in a deep breath, flicking my swords out of the shadows once more.

He paused for a moment, and I nodded. "Kid, we gotta keep going." Patty told him, and I started humming louder. "In this town, we call home, everyone hail to the Pumpkin Soul!" I sang as he fired them both, darting through the shadows to hit Asura with a sideways Soul Smash. Blackstar came for his legs again, being warded off by a titanic hand as he leaped and bounced, running up the Kishin's shoulder to slice at his face, shoved away like a pesky bug once more by that hand as Kid fired rapidly. I could feel both of them. Their shadows were interwebbed with mine. He's not even flinching. We have to gain some ground before the Kishin decides to strike back at us. Kid thought, lowering his guns as the smoke cleared to reveal Asura once more, unharmed. Or we're going to lose… The Kishin laughed as I stopped by Kid, panting hard as sweat trickled down my back, sticking my clothing to my body as I twitched some more shadows from the ground. Damn, this Madness shield not only keeps us in, but all the heat from the explosions as well. I thought, tugging on my jacket to loosen the collar.

He continued to fire rapidly as Blackstar skidded to a stop beside us. "Please Soul…please come back." Maka whispered behind us, and Blackstar sighed. "What are you doing!" he snapped as her head whipped up. "Go get Soul!" Kid looked behind him as well. "Maka, you're the only one who can save him now, it's all up to you. We need Kage to synchronize wavelengths." He said, and I nodded. "Hurry up and bring that idiot back!" Blackstar said impatiently, and I gave her a weak smile. "C'mon Maka. A partner is nothing without a weapon." I whispered, still humming under my breath as I tried to prolong the song. "Kid, Blackstar, Kage…are you sure?" she asked, and Kid gave her a warm smile. "Do what you need to. I promise, we'll find a way to keep the Kishin back." he said, and Blackstar grinned. "What are you talking about? By the time she's back it'll be all over. It's just too bad for you Maka, unfortunately looks like your gonna miss the chance to watch my best show yet." He said proudly, and I took a moment's breath. "You got this kid. Cursed meet, cursed part, dead we meet again. I'll see you on whatever side of this hellhole we end up in." I said, brandishing my swords and twirling them a few times to get the laughed. "Foolish children, you can't save him!"

He was interrupted by a Death Cannon from Kid to his leering face. "Stop talking! This decision doesn't concern you even in the slightest!" he snarled as Blackstar clenched Tsubaki tighter. "You should shut up and start getting ready to fight me!" Blackstar shouted, charging towards him and leaping to attack as Kid kept firing rapidly. "In this town, don't we love it now, everybody's waiting for the next surprise!" I sang as I flicked out of the shadow realm, just above Asura's back as I delivered a Soul Force to rival Jack at his most pissed. Kid continued his fire as Blackstar clashed and clanged Tsubaki against the Kishin, me providing a steady income of extra power and Soul Force attacks. He yawned. He had the gall to yawn. A lazy finger flicked Blackstar all the way across the battlefield, and Kid paused in his assault. "Are you okay-" He was cut off by a huge pipe, also flicked from Asura's finger, which sent him flying. "I'm…so…bored." He complained, gently pushing his hands against the ground as he faced me. "Although, it is ironic. So many years, so much time, and still you are the last one in the battle to stand and fight me." He said, and I winced as memory drifted across my eyes. No, need to concentr- A large chunk, maybe a boulder, of concrete smashed into me, cutting off my thoughts and pinning my legs under it as I bit back a scream of pain and shock. "It is rather similar. First one to fight, last one to fall, and second one to die." He chuckled, and my head impacted the dry, hot concrete of the ruined castle floor as my mind slipped away, caught between past and present, Kishin and Nightstalker.

It's not MUCH of a cliffhanger, right? Right…guys…oh shut up. *goes and hides in emo corner* I worked hard for you! I waited until I finished this to have dinner! (Which, as I am writing now, is 8;48 USA Minnesota time) And I didn't have breakfast this morning! SO YOU BETTER BE DAMN HAPPY WITH THIS! *pants heavily for a few moments* Sorry, I am suffering from lack of food and it makes me cranky. I just realized something, nobody commented on the fact I had Akuma/DK left out of the fight. I bet you all (in the beginning) thought they were going to have a sweet family whoop-Kishin moment, but…I guess not. Poor, poor Akuma, killed by a tree stump. Or is he…next chapter, next weekend. If I keep to my current schedule, I have three more chapters to release before the bonus one on October the 31st. Cause c'mon people, how boss would this be to end then? Huh? So I'll probably write all the chapters I want out over the next weekend, then publish them as needed. ('Cause if I've got like six, then I'll publish twice weekly n' suchlike) Well then…Review, Request, Rcomment, Auf Wedersien! I'm off to FINNALY GOING FREAKING EAT!