Hey all, I have a new chapter! It's not everything I hoped for but hopefully the next one will be more fun. Thanks for the comments! They mean a lot to me.


After they had settled back into the manor Asura had been reluctant to leave, even with Kid or the weapon sisters. Any offer of going out with them was politely declined with a quick glance out the nearest available window. The older god's reclusive nature was somewhat expected, but it still bothered Kid to see his brother shutting himself away so soon. It took everything he had to suppress a sigh as he stood outside his brother's room, raising one hand to knock on the door.

The first time he didn't get a response, so he tried again. Another moment passed and Kid was ready to knock again when he heard Asura call out a muffled, "Come in!". He hesitated briefly before he pushed it open and stepped in, letting it click shut behind him. Asura's room was dark. He had every light except the one beside his bed turned off and the heavy drapes pulled shut over the windows. Even so, Kid could clearly see that he had already filled the shelves with his belongings. They were unorganized and scattered around every available surface. It which bothered him a lot, but he tried to refrain from rushing over to fix it like he wanted to. The desktop was in a similar state, with books and papers scattered across the top.

Instead he focused on Asura, who was huddled in a pile of blankets on his bed with a book in his hands. He glanced up at Kid for a moment before closing his book and curling up tighter. When Kid didn't move, he waved the younger boy over. "...Kid... It's early. C-can I help you with something?" He asked quietly once Kid had settled on the bed.

"I was just coming to see if you want to hang out with us after class today? You... Haven't left the manor since we came back here." Kid stated, smiling as he tacked on a teasing, "Hell, you barely leave your room! You should come out with us!"

"O-oh..." Asura murmured quietly, quickly averting his eyes with a guilty look. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to bother you." It was half true, he did feel like he was intruding even though it was his home too. It just felt like it belonged to Kid and his weapons more now, and they seemed to have a routine that he didn't want to disturb. It was a bit upsetting to feel so out of place at home but he wasn't about to bother them with his own pointless feelings. They might feel guilty, and he would rather not make them feel bad for something they couldn't help.

But on the other hand, he also didn't feel safe leaving his room. Every time he passed a window that wasn't covered, he would see the stranger standing just outside their property. They weren't trespassing so he doubted that the new security would do anything about it. He wasn't even sure if they knew about it. It was safer to simply hide away from both problems in his room as far as he was concerned.

Kid offered his brother a small smile as he responded, "You aren't. We like it when you come out and spend time with us. Liz is just worried about making you panic or something. Hell, even Patty's trying not to frighten you. Normally she's all over the place." Silence settled over them for a moment as Asura stared down at his book. Hearing that did make him feel a bit guilty for hiding from them. Did they really like him being there? Were they really just trying to make sure he was comfortable? He doubted Kid would lie to him about this.

"...okay... " Taking a deep breath, Asura continued. "O-okay. I'll go with you." the moment those words left his mouth, Kid seemed to brighten. He sat up straighter, smiling broader than he did before. It made Asura happy to know his brother wanted to spend time with him that much, and he figured he could handle being outside for a little while. He would make sure he could handle it.

"That's great! I'll let the others know! I should go get ready for class, but just so you know, there's breakfast downstairs. We'll come back to get you after class!" The younger reaper stated as he stood up again. He took a couple steps towards the door before freezing mid step and snapping his fingers. "And before I forget! There will be someone new there. Maka helped the demon swordsman who was with Medusa and now they're a student at school. So they'll be there too. I thought I'd let you know now so you wouldn't be freaked out later."

With a nod, Asura said, "I... I understand. I hope it will be okay, you're sure they're safe to be around?" He already knew it wouldn't be easy to trust this person, but they weren't dead yet so Shinigami must have thought they were somewhat redeemable. Asura could only hope so, he wouldn't want to risk his or Kid's safety if their father was wrong. Kid seemed to want to believe it himself, so Asura decided it was wise to keep his doubts to himself.

Kid responded with a confident nod, placing his hands on his hips as he said, "Maka trusts them, so I will too. Besides, we've spoken some and Crona seems nice enough."

"Okay," Asura murmured. "Okay, okay, okay. I trust you." Despite how uneasy he felt at the idea, he still offered up a small smile. There was no need to tell Kid that he would keep an eye on the demon swordsman, it was only a safety precaution after all. "A-and Kid? I...I can meet you there...there is no need to come all the way back here for me... "

Kid took a moment to process that before he asked, "Are you sure? It's not a problem for us you know." He watched Asura nod slowly, his hesitance obvious about leaving on his own. "...if you're sure. Just... If you decide you don't want to go, you don't have too." The younger reaper stated, wanting to be sure his brother knew it wasn't mandatory that he show up. Once he got another small nod Kid walked up to him, carefully reaching out to hug him and only stopping when the older boy shied away.

Before Asura had the chance to apologize, Kid stepped back, "Sorry... I um..." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll see you at the park later." With a quick wave, the younger boy turned and left, letting the door click shut behind him. Once alone, Asura slumped forward and rubbed at his eyes. He was glad Kid hadn't noticed the bags forming under his from a lack of sleep, it was a good thing he hadn't turned on any more lights than the one beside him.

Asura sat in silence for a few moments, waiting until he could no longer sense Kid or his weapons near the manor before he slowly got up out of the bed. The first thing he did was peer out the window to the streets below. For the first time since he'd seen the stalker, they weren't hanging around at the edge of the property. In fact, he couldn't see them at all. That only set him more on edge though. If he couldn't see his stalker, he couldn't keep an eye on them.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Asura let the curtain fall back into place. He would try not to over think it. They could have simply changed spots today, or maybe left to avoid being caught by Kid when he left. There was no need to worry about what they were doing or where they went. Picking up his book from earlier, the god left the room.


Time passed slowly, dragging out his exploration of the manor. Sure, he had already been shown everything, but it was good to be sure he actually remembered his way around. Thankfully the floor plan hadn't seemed to change very much. It was just the new arrangement of the rooms and the new things he'd see, there was certainly more than there had been in the past.

It was easy for Asura to get lost in thought as he walked, and he was sure he would have missed his meet up with Kid and his friends if he hadn't walked by one of the many clocks as it chimed three times. It was a good thing nobody was home to see him leap away from it with a startled shriek. If there was one thing he hated about all this modern stuff, it was the all the noise everything made. He took a moment to calm down, waiting until the shaking had mostly subsided before checking the time.

Once he thought he would be fine, he went to his room. He grabbed the headband and hoodie Liz gave him and pulled a few books off the shelf to read while he was out at the park. Finally he was ready to go, halfway through opening the door before he remembered the stranger. He closed it again slowly and peered out the nearest window, eyes scanning for the tall figure. Even though the god couldn't see them he knew they had to be out there somewhere. He tried to tell himself it was nothing and opened the door.

Asura paused for a moment, holding the door wide open as he debated if he could really do it. He tried to get the thoughts of everything going wrong from his head and stepped outside. The second he did, he could feel his anxiety spike now that his stalker was watching him again. It hurt, his chest feeling tight and making it hard to breathe. He tried to relax only to find he couldn't. Instead he settled for burying his face in his scarfs and pulling up the hood of his jacket. With one last wary glance around himself, Asura slowly trudged down the path to the main road.

He himself didn't know the way to the park exactly, if he was being honest. He could still sense Kid though, and was able to find his way with little issue. In a few minutes, Asura found himself hovering around the edge of the same basketball court they had been to the other day. Kid and the others had already started a game and he felt wrong interrupting. He cast a quick glance behind him, quickly spotting his stalker farther away. Which was fine by him. If he couldn't make them go away, then he would have to settle for as much distance as possible.

Taking a seat at one of the benches and opening a book, Asura made sure to keep an eye on both his stalker and the kids in front of him. Even if he didn't think there was much he could do, he still wouldn't let anything happen to them while he was there. He was the oldest, and the strongest no doubt, it should be his responsibility to protect everyone if the stalker decided to do something.

For a while, Asura sat quietly. It didn't seem like anyone had noticed him yet. He wasn't sure how long had passed before he sensed Kid approaching him. "Asura!" He heard the younger boy call him. Looking up Asura could see him walking up to him, dressed in more casual clothes than usual. "You made it!" Kid's smile faltered and his brow furrowed as he drew closer, his whole expression changing to one of concern and confusion. One of his hands came up halfway like he wanted to reach out, only to stop and fall back. Instead he put a half hearted smile on his face and added, "I'm glad. Are... are you okay?"

Asura offered him a small smile and a nod. He didn't really know what to say to Kid so instead he kept quiet. He was so stupid, of course now Kid could see how he looked, it was much brighter outside than in his room. Now the younger boy could see the dark bags under his eyes and the paler than natural color of his skin. A moment passed before Kid spoke up again. "Come on. You have to meet Crona." Kid stated, waving to the pink-haired kid hiding behind Maka.

The older boy simply nodded, setting his book down and pulling his hoodie tighter around himself as he followed Kid. Once they were closer Maka stepped to the side so they could see Crona. Kid was the first person to speak. "Alright, so this is the person I told you about." Both Asura and Crona stood silently. As it drew on, Asura began to sink into his scarves and pinned his gaze to the ground. Crona slouched more and slowly began to inch towards Maka.

It wasn't until Kid elbowed him in the side that Asura managed to speak. "U-um... I'm A-asura... K-kid's brother..." He paused for a moment, eyeing the pink haired person cautiously. The same wary look met him. "I-it's nice to... to meet you..."

With a small nod, Crona quietly echoed his greeting. "I'm Crona... it's... it's nice to meet you too..." the two sunk into an awkward silence for a minute, simply watching the other with suspicion. It made Asura afraid he had messed up somehow. He couldn't figure out how, but it would only make sense. Sinking further into his scarves, Asura tried his best to speak again.

"W-well, I'll be over there..." Asura murmured quickly, turning to the bench with his things on it and waving in that direction. "If... If you need me, let me know..." Crona nodded slightly, a nervous smile on his face. The kids seemed nice, he decided. Very shy and unsure and maybe a little confused, but without the influence of madness they seemed like any normal kid.

That was when Ragnarok appeared, popping out of from Crona's back so suddenly that Asura had no time to suppress the startled shriek that slipped out. He jumped behind Kid immediately and crouched so he was somewhat hidden, only slightly aware of his own actions as he clutched at the younger reaper's shirt. Kid had stiffened at the sudden movement, but the only thing Asura could focus on was the constant repeat of "what the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck" and the part of him screaming to "hide, hide, hide".

The demon sword cackled, before grinding his fists into Crona's head despite the other's protests. "Holy fuck was that painful to watch! This guy might be more awkward than you!" Asura felt his face heating up in embarrassment, quickly adjusting his scarves to hide the rising blush.

Kid turned slightly, letting out an awkward laugh as he faced his brother. "Sorry about that Asura... I think I forgot to mention Ragnarok. Are you okay?" Asura nodded absentmindedly and stood up again. He really wasn't alright, his heart beating too fast, his breathing shaky, and the urge to flee still screaming at him to "go, get away, run". Instead he tried his best to force his breathing to seem normal again. There was no need to worry Kid right now... But he still shot a way glance back at Ragnarok as Mama scolded the demon sword.

"I'm... fine... I'm fine. Just s-surprised. I'm. ..sorry if I worried you." He responded, voice barely above a whisper. Kid only bit his lip, a skeptical look crossing his face as he seemed to think. After a long moment, Kid nodded. "Well! I'm... I'll be over there... On the bench. .. So if...if you need me..." It took a moment to realize he was rambling,, but once he did his voice got softer and softer until he trailed off and awkwardly shuffled away.

He had barely made it back to the bench before he could sense another, thankfully familiar, presence around. But the thought of others watching him reminded him of his stalker, and he glanced around himself cautiously. Once he spotted the figure farther away, he let out a sigh of relief. It must have been because of the approaching Death Scythe, Spirit was his name. The red haired man had no hesitation as he walked straight up to Asura, drawing both Kid and Maka's attention immediately. It made the older god anxious enough to try to hide his face completely behind his scarves and pull his hoodie closer to himself.

Upon seeing Asura's obvious distress, Kid hurried over. He was glad Spirit had noticed and decided to wait to say anything. It would give him time to reach them. And Kid succeeded, immediately asking what was wrong only to get denial of anything being wrong at all and a forced smile. He couldn't help but frown at that, a part of him upset at Asura for lying to him so obviously. But instead of voicing his concerns, he watched Asura face Spirit and quietly ask, "Can... can I help you?"

Spirit nodded and said, "Yeah. Lord Death wants to see you." As soon as he said that, Asura tensed and began to fidget with his scarves.

"It's alright Asura, I'm sure he just wants to check up on you." Kid stated in the most reassuring tone he could use. "I'll be with you so it will be fine!" The older Reaper looked up at Kid, smiling a small but real smile. Slowly he nodded in agreement and stood up to gather his books.

Spirit interrupted them though, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry Kid, your father asked to speak to Asura alone. You should stay here. " Kid immediately tried to protest, only to be shot down. "You should stay here anyway. Spend some time with Crona and Make before they go on their trial mission tomorrow. I don't know what Death wants to talk about, but if it's important, I'm sure you'll find out." The brother's exchanged helpless looks for a brief moment, Asura obviously not wanting to go alone and Kid stuck between staying with his friends or going with his brother.

It dawned on Asura that he would be making Kid choose between him and his friends. It was quickly becoming apparent that Kid's anxiety was starting to affect him again. The younger boy repeatedly straitening his pristine clothes, eyes looking everywhere but at Asura or Spirit. "S-stay here." Asura squeaked out quietly. Kid's head snapped up to look at him so fast that Asura thought he may have hurt himself. The look of shock was a bit off putting, did Kid think he would demand the younger boy come along? Quickly Asura added, "You should spend time with your friends before they have to leave. I promise I'll let you know what father wanted when I get home."

"Okay..." Kid said slowly, brow furrowed and a frown on his face as he slowly stepped back. "I'll be sure to ask so you don't forget." Asura nodded, he could accept that. He raised a hand slowly to wave and was shocked to see not just Kid, but the others return it as well. With a small smile, he gathered his books and started toward the castle.

As he left the area, he checked around him for his stalker. For a heart-stopping moment they hovered around the park, gaze fixed on the same place that Kid and the others were probably playing. As soon as he saw them start after him though, relief mixed with the usual terror.


Asura hesitated outside of the Death room. Kid had said it was probably nothing, but he still felt the anxiety welling up inside. What if something was wrong? What if Death decided he was not worth the risk of protecting? What if Death had found out about his stalker? Surely he would be in trouble for not telling his father about that?

Even if Death didn't know, should he tell him? Maybe Death could do something about it... Or maybe he wouldn't believe him. Maybe Death wouldn't believe him though, and he would think Asura was being paranoid. He may even think that it was because of the madness. The last thing Asura wanted was for Death to think he might become a kishin again.

He wasn't sure he could do this anymore. Talking to his father seemed far too frightening when he considered everything that could happen. Would Death buy it if he feigned illness? ...Probably not, and even if he tried, he may be in trouble for lying to avoid Death. Maybe he could just run. Come up with an excuse later.

Before he had the chance to decide, the door to the Death Room opened. Death smiled at Asura , ignoring the horrified look on his son's face. He could always ask the younger god later what he was thinking about that had him looking so spooked. Stepping to the side enough for Asura to walk past, Death said, "Are you going to come in or just stand there?" It took a few more seconds for Asura to respond, but once he realized he was the one being addressed he ducked his head and hurried past.

Death watched him for a moment before following after him, confused by how jumpy the younger god was. He seemed more anxious than usual and Death couldn't help but wonder what had happened to cause it. Maybe he'd be able to pry the reason from Asura during their talk. "Go ahead and sit Asura." Death said, waving at the couch he had summoned before Asura's arrival. Asura sat down on the edge of the couch, hands gripping the cushion hard enough to turn his knuckles white. That was definitely a little concerning.

"Asura, is something wrong? You're awfully tense." The older god asked as he took a seat beside his son. His only response was a hesitant nod, which Death thought didn't seem genuine.

"...fine. I'm fine." The younger reaper stated, putting on the most convincing smile he could muster. He quickly realized that Death didn't seem to buy it and looked anywhere else as he added, "Your... Your weapon... Spirit I mean... He said you wanted to see me? Or talk to me?"

Death nodded, "Yes, I did. First I wanted to ask how you were doing. Kid told me you hadn't been leaving your room much. He sounded pretty worried when he told me. Is everything alright?" He watched Asura's expression shift to a guilty one as the younger reaper focused on one ground in front of him.

It took him a while to answer, but once he did he said, "I'm sorry... I didn't want to get in their way."

"What do you mean?" Death prodded, confused by the statement. Asura hesitated though, choosing to stay silent as he began picking at his clothes. He knew Asura was never one to talk openly about anything really, but especially not about his own feelings or emotions. "Asura?"

"I just... I don't want to bother them. Kid I mean. And Liz. And Patty." The younger reaper stated, voice just barely above a whisper as he added, "I didn't mean to make Kid worry. I just thought he would get tired of being around me like..." There was a pause as Asura seemed to think, eyes flickering to his father for a brief moment before falling back to the floor. Death found himself wondering who Asura had been about to name before he paused, but shook his head as Asura tacked on a quiet, "I'm sorry."

"You should talk to Kid about that then. He would understand." He said, watching Asura tense at the suggestion. He waited a moment for Asura to respond, but when he didn't, Death continued. "Kid also mentioned that he thinks you've been having nightmares. Said he wakes up in the middle of the night for no reason sometimes and he can sense your fear. You don't answer when he calls you or knocks." He watched Asura's expression change to a guilty but horrified one and couldn't help but feel a bit of guilt himself.

But still, Death had been worried when Kid came to him with his concerns. He suspected that Kid's sudden restlessness was linked to his worry for Asura. Kid may even be more attentive to changes in Asura because of their status as fragments of his own soul. It wouldn't be good for either of them if this kept up. Kid had certainly been more tired lately and Asura... Asura wasn't looking too good himself. Asura was too pale and thin, and the bags under his eyes were a clear sign of his lack of proper sleep.

"That's not new father." Asura spoke with a tone of finality, making it clear he wasn't planning on talking about his nightmares at all. "I will apologize for keeping Kid up though. I hope it doesn't happen again. Now, what else was there to talk about?"

"Right, well..." Death hesitated, part of him not liking Asura's dismissal of his and Kid's concerns and part of him knowing better than to press for more information. "It's about Vajra." He resisted the urge to flinch as Asura spun to face him so fast that Death worried he had given himself whiplash. Asura's red eyes were wide in shock and his mouth hung open just a bit.

It took him a moment to find his voice, but finally he managed a shaky, "W-wha... What about v-vajra...?" Had Death found out about his stalker? Was it really Vajra following him around? He wasn't sure he could handle finding out, the anxiety setting in and forming a tight ball in his chest. Death gently set a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch at the touch.

"It's alright. We still don't know where he is, and I'm sorry we haven't finished this yet. But we might need your help soon." Death stated in the most calm and even tone he could. He waited for a moment for Asura to respond with a shaky nod before he continued. "There are some precautions we need to take and some things we need to keep out of Vajra's hands. I am not sure if he will really go after them or not, but he most likely knows they're out there by now."

"I... I see... But why do you need me?" Asura asked quietly.

"Because you are by far our strongest person. And as frightened of Vajra as you are now, you still are leagues ahead of him in raw power. You'll be fine if you come to a fight." As soon as he noticed Asura's terrified expression, he quickly added, "I doubt it will come to that, but just as a precaution, I would like you to go and help once we start things."

Asura hardly looked convinced, but he still nodded. "I suppose it's better than having nothing to do... Just... Please let me know ahead of time if possible?" He received a nod from the older god.

"Of course. In fact, there might've something soon. We're just getting things ready. Would you like me to tell you?" Asura nodded slowly, earning a smile from Death that made him strangely happy. In fact, Death seemed ecstatic to tell him, so he figured he could wait to mention his stalker for a little while longer. They weren't doing anything anyway.

...

It was dark by the time Asura arrived home, scanning the area around the manor to be sure he wasn't followed further than the road at the edge of the manor. Once he was certain he was safe, he let the door click shut behind him and started towards the stairs. He made it about halfway up them before he hears Kid calling him. "Asura! You're home!" the younger boy exclaimed as he approached. "We just had dinner, but we left you a plate. Do you want to grab it and come watch a movie with us?"

Asura thought for a moment before nodding. "I'm going to put my books away first. I'll be down in a few minutes," he stated, watching Kid's face light up. "What movie is it?"

"Those supernatural comics you like have a movie adaption that Liz found. I told her you might like it so we've been waiting for you to come home." Kid responded, rambling just a bit towards the end and adding a teasing, "Hurry up though, Patty's getting a bit restless." Asura returned the smile Kid sent his way and nodded again, watching his brother as he left the room again. At least he could try to enjoy these little things before they had to worry about more pressing issues.