Sketchy Madness has asked for a chapter with "Some angst maybe? C'mon, we all need Kid crying at some point. Please?"

You asked for it

72) A Strong Soul

Kid was walking down the streets of Death City, scanning the area to make sure that everything was fine before he went in for the night. Liz and Patty were hanging from his hips, both done with the night as well. He passed by a couple holding hands and he couldn't prevent a small smile from playing across his lips. Maybe he would visit Black-Star real quick before going home, but he soon changed his mind when he realized he wouldn't be able to go home till the morning if he went to Black-Star's place, plus he would have to deal with Liz and Patty there as well.

Kid watched a little boy holding a woman's hand, pointing at everything and laughing in pure joy. Kid wondered if he would ever bother with children. Obviously he wouldn't be able to have an actual offspring with a woman, being with Black-Star and all, maybe he'll pull what his father did and use a piece of his soul to make another shinigami or maybe he'll adopt a child that needs a good home. Kid rolled his eyes, what was he thinking? He's only sixteen, he didn't need to worry about children at this age. He should worry more about getting his two weapons into Death Scythes and making sure that Death City was safe from kishins.

"Help!" A young girl's voice cried. Kid tossed his thoughts aside and quickly looked for the source of the voice. A young girl was running away from a man, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I got it!" Kid called and ran over, pushing past citizens that didn't know any better. Kid scooped up the little girl and pulled Patty out, pointing it at the man with one hand while the other held the crying girl. "I am only giving you one warning to leave before I take you out." Kid placed his finger on the trigger.

"Give me the girl!" The man screeched and launched himself at Kid. Kid stepped back and slammed his elbow into the man's face, he swung his arm around and smashed the butt of Patty into the back of the man's head as well, knocking him out.

"Close your eyes and cover your ears." Kid ordered the little girl and when she did, he shot a round into the man's head.

"Is...is the bad man gone?" The girl asked, her eyes still closed and hands over her ears. Kid put Patty back and removed one of the girl's hands.

"Yes, you're safe." Kid said gently. "Where's your parents?"

"They're gone." The little girl started crying again.

"Gone?"

"That man took them away." The girl pointed to the body that was now evaporating.

"I'm sorry little one. Let's take you to my father and figure out what to do.

Kid stood outside of the orphanage, remembering the conversation with his father the other day. Lord Death had decided to keep the little girl, Kiara, at the orphanage until a new home could be found. The rest of the gang was at school at the moment and Kid was supposed to be as well, but he could not get the little girl out of his mind. Kid looked at the stuffed teddy bear in his hand and wondered why he was visiting this child. He had saved countless of children before, so why care so much about this one? Kid looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to him before entering the building.

"May I help you?" A young woman asked, holding a clipboard in her hands. "Wait a moment, are you Death the Kid?"

"Yes ma'am. I'm here to see a girl named Kiara." Kid stated.

"I'm not supposed to just let anyone see the kids, but you're an exception." The woman lead Kid to the back of the building and opened a door, showing little Kiara sitting in a bed watching two other girls play with dolls. "She's a little shy." The woman said. "She doesn't really play with the others. Lisa, Emily, come with me please." The woman had the little girls leave the room with her. "Fifteen minutes then you'll have to leave. Can't risk losing my job."

"I understand." Kid said as they left him and Kiara alone.

"I know you." Kiara said. "You're Death the Kid and you saved me from the bad man."

"Yes, I did." Kid went over to the bed and sat down with Kiara.

"Are you here to adopt me?" Kiara asked. "I don't like it here, I don't like the others and they don't like me."

"I'm only sixteen, Kiara. I can't adopt you." Kid said with a slight laugh.

"Emily says no one would want to adopt a freak like me." Kiara hugged her knees.

"You're not a freak." Kid said.

"Yes I am, I see things that the others don't." Kiara squeezed her knees tighter. "I see these little orbs in everyone and I can see who they are because of them."

"That doesn't make you a freak. You're special." Kid sat the stuffed teddy on Kiara's knees. "You have a gift that not many people can use at your age."

"I'm special?" Kiara released her knees and grabbed the teddy.

"Yes, you're going to a very important person to Death City when you get older and you're going to prove the others wrong." Kid smiled.

"I don't want to be alone. My parents are gone and..." Kiara hugged the bear and started crying.

"You won't be alone, I promise. I'll visit you everyday, how does that sound?" Kid offered, setting a hand of Kiara's shoulder.

"You'll really do that?" Kiara asked, tears still running down her cheeks. Kid sat there for a second, why was he doing this? He didn't know this girl, all he knew was that she was a meister who can see souls. Maybe it was the whole, feeling different, thing that got to him. Kid was always different than the other kids, he avoided them since his hair was weird and he was a shinigami while the others were just people. He was getting too emotionally attached to this little girl and he knew that he couldn't stop himself.

"Yes. I'll be back tomorrow." Kid got up.

"Bye Uncle Kiddo." Kiara waved to Kid as he left. Kid smiled and tried his best not to look back, knowing he would stay longer if he did.

Weeks went by and Kid kept his promise and visited Kiara everyday right after school. He struggled to keep it a secret from the others, not needing them to know about him being an orphan's 'uncle'. Liz had a strong suspicion, but let it go when she noticed that Kid was happier than usual and was handling Patty better as well. She did start to wonder what was with all of the candy he was buying and she just assumed he was giving it to Black-Star as bribes or something like that, she didn't want to get into too deep of a thought about that.

Kid walked down the street for what seemed like the the hundredth time and it didn't bother him at all. He popped a Jolly Rancher into his mouth and sucked on it while he neared the orphanage. He let out a gasp of shock and ended up swallowing the candy, coughing a little.

"Uncle Kiddo!" Kiara cried, being carried away from the building by a large man, a woman walking beside him. "I don't wanna go!"

"Hey, wait!" Kid called and ran over to the couple. "Where are you going with her?"

"We adopted Kiara. It's none of your concern now." The man stated and put Kiara in the car.

"But..." Kid's voice trailed off, knowing that the man was right.

"Uncle Kiddo." Kiara put a hand to the window, her voice muffled.

"I'm sorry Kiara. I hope you'll be happy." Kid looked away as the couple got in the car. "I'm sorry." He added when the car's engine roared 's eyes popped open when he saw the teddy bear he had given Kiara, laying on the ground. "Wait! Wait!" Kid called, grabbing the bear and running after the car. "Wait!"

Kid slowed down and stopped running eventually, realizing he couldn't catch up to a car on foot. Kid held his arm out a skateboard appeared out of it, he quickly hopped on it and followed the car in the air. Kid gripped the teddy bear tightly as the wind rushed past his face, he knew that Kiara needed the bear to car eventually stopped in front of a small house and Kiara silently followed the couple out of the car and towards the house. She was still crying as she looked at her empty hands, showing that she knew she had dropped her bear.

"Uncle Kid!" Kiara cried as Kid landed on the yard.

"You dropped Sir Rosey." Kid handed Kiara the stuffed bear.

"We're going to have to wash this thing." The woman said, snatching the bear away from Kiara.

"Sir Rosey is fine. Kiara keeps good care of him." Kid stated and took the bear back, putting it into Kiara's arms again.

"I'm her mother, I'll decide what's fine." The woman took the bear away again.

"I am the son of Lord Death and I don't care if you're her adoptive mother. I've been there for her for weeks, I saved her life after her birth parents were murdered."

"Good for you. Now get off my property." The man snapped. "You have no right to be here." Kid opened his mouth to say something, but found himself silent. He couldn't argue with these people anymore, he wasn't going to get anywhere with this. Kiara has her bear and she'll get it back after it's washed. Kiara has a proper family now and she'll be happy and that's all that matters.

"Fine. Just take good care of Kiara, okay? She's a very special girl and she'll need all the support she can get." Kid turned around and started walking away. He jumped on top of his skateboard and started to float away.

"Don't go!" Kiara cried. "Uncle Kid! Kid!" Kid looked over his shoulder, knowing he shouldn't have.

"Kiara!" Kid screamed when the girl ran into the street and a loud truck horn blasted. "No!"

"Oh my God!" The woman screeched. Kiara's small body was thrown several feet by the impact of the truck, she laid on the street with blood slowly leaking out of the top of her head.

"Kiara!" Kid flew back down and landed next to the broken girl. "Kiara, Kiara say something." Kid pleaded, kneeling on the ground. Kiara let out a soft squeak of pain and set a hand on Kid's arm. "Kiara." Kid felt tears start to form in his eyes. He scooped Kiara into his arms, ignoring the blood that was covering him now. "I'm so sorry Kiara. I'm so sorry."

"K-Kiddo." Kiara gasped for air, holding Sir Rosey to her chest.

"It's going to be okay Kiara, it's going to be okay." Kid brushed some hair out of Kiara's face. "You're a strong girl and you're going to be big in this world."

"I...love you..." Kiara said softly before her head plopped back, her whole body now limp.

"Kiara...Kiara!" Kid cried. "Kiara no! Please! Please, God no!" Kid started sobbing and he hugged the girl. "Kiara!"

Kid didn't care who saw him as he hugged the girl in the middle of the street, sirens wailing almost as loud as he was. He refused to move while officers talked to the weeping parents. Kid kept saying Kiara's name as time went on and an officer was crouching down in front of him. Kid couldn't hear the man as he asked for the child, saying she needed to be taken care of. Kid only heard his own sobs and the lifeless body in his arms, he tried to feel a pulse, he tried to hear a heartbeat. But there was nothing. The body no longer held the soul of the little girl he truly cared for. Kid knew the body wouldn't evaporate since her death wasn't cause by magic, a meister or a weapon. She was simply killed by a truck, she was killed because he couldn't let her go. It was all his fault.

"Kiddo..." A soft voice said beside him. "Kiddo...you have to let her go...Kiddo..."

"No." Kid said weakly.

"You can't just stay here forever." A hand started rubbing Kid's back.

"Why not? I don't deserve to move." Kid said. "It's all my fault. I killed her...I'm nothing more than a murderer." Kid was surprised he still had tears to continue falling.

"It was an accident Kiddo, it was no one's fault."

"Then her death meant nothing." Kid said harshly. "She was a strong and special girl. She deserved better."

"Please, just get up."

"I can't." Kid ignored the soft kiss on his temple, but did allow himself to be held against Black-Star's chest.

"Let her go. You have to move on for Death City...for me." Black-Star said. "She deserves a proper funeral and to have her body put to rest." Kid loosed his grip and watched numbly as the officer took Kiara's body away from him.

"Black-Star...I..." Kid curled up and continued crying, hugging Black-Star's arm.

"It's okay, real men can cry too." Black-Star said softly.

x~x~x

Kid walked through the gate of the cemetery, flowers in one hand and Black-Star's hand in the other. Kid released Black-Star's hand when he reached a special grave and he knelt in front of it.

"Happy birthday, Kiara." Kid said and placed the flowers in front of the tombstone, next to Sir Rosey. Kid picked up the bear and brushed off some dirt from it and gently put it back. "I miss you." He added, his voice cracking a little.

"Need help getting back up?" Black-Star asked.

"No. I can do it myself." Kid slowly crawled back to his feet. "I'll see you tomorrow Kiara, I promise." Kid walked back to Black-Star and took the boy's hand, resting his head on his shoulder. The two boys left the cemetery together, not seeing the soft image of a young girl sitting on the tombstone.

"Bye Uncle Kiddo." The girl said before vanishing into thin air.