I disappeared there for a bit, didn't I? Actually, I've had this chapter written for quite a while now; just never got a chance to actually post it. Also, I've done more reading than anything else...too busy reading fan fiction. But, I'm back! It's inevitable. I'm completely changing the plot now, giving it a huge twist. I'm kind of disappointing that I couldn't do my initial idea, but things took a turn. Also, I kind of lost the enthusiasm on this story simply because I don't think anybody is actually reading this. However, because of my own pride I'm still posting. I must finish this!

*Note: The story is going to dive into the manga plot, as in I'm going to write as if it's part of the manga...if you haven't read it, you probably wont understand much. It's happening around the time when the Noah of greed is still alive, and they are diving into the book to save Kid (but of course, Kid isn't kidnapped here).

Anyways, Enjoy! :)

Lord Death's POV


I stood in front of my mirror, watching the events of the world unfold. I didn't like the direction things were taking. To those of an untrained eye, it may seem as if Shibushen had the world in the palms of our little hands. The reality, however, is that the world is held in the palms of the Kishin, whose location we were unaware of.

It's so…frustrating…

Before my thoughts could wander further, I sensed a soul approaching the Death Room. It was no doubt Kid. I simply stood awaiting his entrance. Soon, I could hear his footsteps nearing the platform. I continued to face the mirror.

"Father."

I twirled around at his voice.

"Heya, Kiddo! What's up! No 'hello' for your dad? You're always so serious, loosen up! And those stripes are looking as cute as ever!"

He sweat dropped. Maybe I overdid it a little?

"I have brought you the scrolls you asked for. Now if you will excuse – "

"Kid. Stay here for a bit, will you?"

"…"

He walked up to hand me the scrolls and, ignoring my orders, turned on his heel and began to leave.

"Kid!"

He sighed. I really was worried about him. I haven't seen him smile in so long. Like, really smile. Not since things got as bad as they were. He was working so hard...Kid really was going to be an amazing reaper.

"Yes, Father?"

I looked him up and down. Kid looked worn out and tired. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was rough and all over the place, surprisingly.

"You've grown so much! You are going to grow up to be an excellent reaper!"

He smiled slightly. "Thank you."

"Anyways, I'd like to notify you that Spartoi will be entering the book of Eibon soon. I want you to be prepared, and make sure Cloud is as well. He will be joining you."

He frowned again.

"Yeah, about that."

I cocked my head to the side. "Yes~?"

"There's another one. His name is Vincent, and it seems he and Cloud are a little…uncooperative."

I lifted my head in surprise. Things were getting out of hand, fast.

"And where might this other one have come from~?"

"Uh, the treasure room."

Out of all places…

"And how might he have gotten in there?"

"I am unaware of that, Father."

We stared at each other in silence for a bit.

"Carry on!"

He looked at me like I was crazy.

"Shouldn't we be doing something about it?"

"I trust in you to do what's right, Kiddo. I can't do everything forever. You are the next Shinigami, you know."

"…Yes, Father."

He left soon after. I turned back to my mirror. If something didn't happen soon, the world was going to fall…things really were getting out of hand. I just needed to put faith in Spartoi to succeed in destroying Noah…

I sighed. Might as well do what I can.

"Spirit!" I called to the red head that was just entering.

"Yes, Lord Death?"

"Assemble Stein, Marie, Sid, and Nygus please. We're going to hammer down Noah's main lair."

"Roger!" he called back, and hurried to carry the order.

I simply faced my mirror, awaiting what was to come.

Maka's POV

"Let's try again, Soul!"

"Are you sure, Maka?"

"Come on, Soul!"

I felt his hand on my back once more as I concentrated on the souls of everyone in the world. We were trying to pinpoint the Kishin's location, as well as Crona's.

Well…mostly Crona's.

Crona…

I concentrated long and hard, the wind gently blowing my hair around as we stood on the balcony in the academy.

I will search the whole world…

I could hear Soul's music as we searched the world together. But something was off…

"Soul…do you feel that?"

"Maka, you're the one with the soul perception."

"But still…"

Wait a minute.

My eyes widened as I realized something. That soul…that fluctuating, out of place soul…something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

"Cloud!"

Soul jumped behind me.

"What was that for, Maka!?"

"...Oh, sorry." I hadn't realized that I'd yanked his soul in my shock.

"What was that about clouds?"

"No, Cloud! Soul, we got to hurry! Something is wrong!"

I ran back inside, grabbing Soul's shirt as I did. He was being dragged behind me while I ran down the stairs. What I felt wasn't right. Cloud's soul was in trouble. It was being consumed by the madness, and he was going mad. Whoever was with him was in for some trouble…I continued to run in the direction he was in. Gallows Manor loomed in my view.

"There!"

I hadn't realized Soul transformed until I raised my hand to find him in there. Must have been to avoid being dragged.

"You're too hasty. We can't take him!" Soul's metallic voice pierced through the air.

"We have to do something!"

"I don't know what you felt, Maka, but this is stupid. Aren't Kid, Liz and Patty there?"

"Soul, what I felt…I can't explain it. But it's dangerous."

"…Man."

I continued to run until I approached the doors of Kid's house. I heard his voice behind me.

"Maka!"

"Kid, are you feeling that?"

"Yes, but…"

"What?"

"Nothing. Let's get inside."

I heard Liz's scream pierce the air, and some glass breaking.

When Kid finally opened the door, we gasped as our eyes lay on the sight before us.

Kid's POV

What was going on!?

Cloud was insane. There was no doubt about that. His face was blank as he wielded his sword. The strangest part was…he was arguing with himself. Mumbling; I couldn't decipher anything. On occasion, he would grab at his head. Broken glass lay everywhere; from mirrors, dishes or windows, I couldn't tell. Possibly all three. My eyes shifted around the room, desperately looking for Liz and Patty. Wait a minute…where was Vincent? I looked at Cloud. He had that ribbon on. Wasn't that supposed to numb the madness?

"It's the ribbon! It's amplifying the madness!" I heard Maka screech beside me.

WHAT!?

"KID!" I heard two voices yell.

"Liz? Patty?" My head darted in their direction. They were huddled in the corner, Patty wielding Liz, firing wildly.

I held my hands out, and they both transformed.

"Damn it, Cloud, what's gotten into you!?" I heard Soul yell.

"Vincent! Liz, Patty, where's Vincent?" I yelled as well.

"Who?"

I mentally smacked myself. Things were getting way out of hand.

"Maka, I got this. Go call Father, Sid, Death-Scythe, Stein, somebody," I ordered her. We needed one of them to handle him. None of us had attacked yet, but Cloud was getting out of hand, breaking everything in sight. I suddenly got very angry as I realized what he was doing.

Symmetry…my perfect symmetry!

"You…"

"Oh no, he's done it now!"

"You…"

"Kyahahah!"

"YOU BASTARD"

I started firing at him, but to no avail. I cringed in hopelessness as I realized what he was about to do.

"Barrier"

This is very bad. He is simply much too powerful, I thought, as the mystical green enveloped him. But he seemed to have used it unconsciously. Suddenly, Cloud collapsed to the floor, grabbing at his head.

"mmmhmphmm…."

"What was that?" I called.

"Nonononononononononono….."

My eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Clou – "

"SHUT UP!" He bellowed, suddenly getting up and glaring at me with a crazed look in his eyes.

"Kid, leave him alone, he – "Liz began, but was cut off by Stein, who ran in with Maka trailing behind him, wielding Soul.

"Get out of the way," he ordered. I looked closely at his hands. He was holding something that looked like a needle.

It was at this moment that Cloud fell back to the ground, grabbing his head and mumbling again. As Stein approached him, he shot back up again, stumbling as he did so. Cloud tried to jump out of the way as Stein lunged for him. Cloud may be fast, but because of his state Stein was faster. Stein grabbed Cloud's arm and jammed the needle into it before pulling back. Almost immediately, Cloud fell to the floor, unconscious.

Right after Stein pulled back, I ran up to Cloud and grabbed his other arm or, more specifically, the ribbon, and yanked it off. Cloud visibly relaxed.

"So it was the ribbon…" I mumbled.

Stein looked curious, and leaned over my shoulder to peek at Cloud. His glasses were tainted pink momentarily as Liz and Patty transformed back. Maka and Soul came over as well.

"So, are we just going to stare at him or what..?" asked Soul.

"Tell me exactly what happened, Liz, Patty," Stein asked, ignoring Soul.

So they told him. Apparently they arrived home, just like any other day, until something red whooshed past them and out the door. When they turned around, there was no one there so they brushed it off. That is, until they heard someone yell upstairs and something clanging. Patty had transformed, just in case, and they called out for Cloud. Suddenly, he had stormed down the stairs wielding his sword and grabbing at his chest, yelling something they couldn't understand.

"The rest is a blur, but we ended up where you guys saw us," Liz finished.

"…Interesting. Now Kid, tell me everything you know." Stein looked at me expectantly.

"Professor Stein, I suggest we discuss this after Cloud is held somewhere safe, just in case he wakes up," Maka stepped forward and kneeled down, prying the sword from Cloud's hands, "and this should go, too."

She stood up, awkwardly holding the sword in her hands.

"It's heavy!"

"Please, you're just a weakling, Maka. Let me try!" Soul held his hands out expectantly, and Maka hesitated before placing the sword in his awaiting hands.

"See, it's – OW!" Soul yanked his hands out from under the sword, which had fallen on top of his hands because of its weight.

"You guys, this isn't the time to be fooling around!" I yelled.

"Kid is right, we – "

"This is the time to be fixing this mess! Oh, symmetry, ruined." My eyes darted around the room, trying to make sense of the horrible, disgusting mess that lay before me.

"Liz, Patty! Let's get to work!" I ordered, immediately beginning to move things around. How could I leave things how they were? This was disgusting. How was I supposed to help fix the mess we were in when I couldn't even fix the mess in my own house?

"Ahahahah, there he goes again!" Patty shrieked. Cloud stirred beneath her.

"Um, Kid? You guys might not want to be so loud…" Maka started, hesitant.

"How am I supposed to focus when my house looks like this?" I asked, exasperated. I grabbed the broom and started sweeping until the broom hit something big. I looked down to see Cloud.

"Cloud, move, will y – "I stopped when I realized something.

"Oh. We might want to get him out of here, right?" I turned to Professor Stein.

"I was waiting for you to say that." He hoisted Cloud over his shoulder and motioned for Maka to grab his sword.

"Um, okay!" she complied, managing to carry it rather awkwardly, Soul grabbing the other end to help her carry it. They left soon after. I turned back to the mess that was our house.

"Well, we got a lot of work to do!"

I really hope you enjoyed that. I feel like I'm a little too serious in the plot...ah, well. Reviews are HUGELY appreciated and really make my day, no matter what you say. They also make me update much faster. I hope some Final Fantasy VII fans are still out there in the Soul Eater universe! See you next time.