It occurred to Kid, that not all the material he had gathered on witches had been confiscated by his father. In the back corner of the library, the books they already had checked should still be there. He searched through the shelves for The Fall of Salem which he shelved ages ago during one of his OCD tangents. After dusting off the cover, he flipped to the page that talked about DWMA's involvement in Salem.

Witches used to follow Gaia's rule to cherish the gift of life and do no harm. The sudden death of Eirene, the allotter of life, left the judgement of souls unknown. Instead of appointing a new Fate, the Sekaigami allowed Lord Death to seize the position as an act of goodwill.

Those with magic related to necromancy and divination soon found themselves on Lord Death's list of lives that had cheated death. Faith in the Fates dwindled as witches fled from an army of ferrymen.

Salem was left defenseless against Death City's attack.

"I thought I'd find you here." Maka said. Kid looked up in surprise. "We need to talk."

"Oh, O.K." He closed the book. "What's going on?" She slide into the seat before him.

"Black Star's found Chrona." Maka sighed. "Well, I mean, he saw Chrona. He said that she's responsible for the murders."

"WHAT!?" Kid shouted. A librarian peeked around the shelf to shush him before disappearing back behind the row of books. "Sorry." He turned to Maka. "That can't be right. I mean this is Chrona after all. She would never hurt anyone, at least not of her own accord." Kid tried to calm himself. He had just seen her today; sure she was nervous, but she was always nervous.

"That's what I thought too." Maka said. "She'd never do something like that on her own. I think Medusa's behind this." If someone was extorting her why wouldn't she tell him? Maybe she was about to before the clown attacked, or she was being threatened. "She's cast some spell on her to make her forget us or something like that; whatever it is, it can't be good. I'm just worried about her."

"Me too." He had to talk to her! Somewhere private, but how? If he could just arrange a meeting between them, somewhere on one else would go. That would involve finding her first.

"I think that's what Shinigami-sama wants to talk to us about-" Kid hummed in agreement, his mind elsewhere. "Kid, did you hear me?"

"Hunh?"

"Shinigami-sama wants to talk to us."

"Oh; yes, yes." He stood. "I'll get caught up on it later." He packed his bag and begun to leave.

"What do you mean later?" Maka swiveled around in her chair as he hurried toward the exit.

"Sorry Maka, something's come up." Kid said. "Tell my father you couldn't find me and left a message."

"Kid!" Maka watched in shock as her friend practically ran away. He seemed rather panicked, maybe something had really come up. "Probably went to go make his bed... yeah." If it was just his OCD, she didn't want to get yelled at again. Still, something wasn't sitting well with her. He didn't leave the book he was reading behind.


Chrona had done it, another enemy had fallen to their knees, a full grown man. The maroon blood painted the hem of her dress. With Ragnarok satiated, it was time to rest. It should have been easy to go home, the streets were empty save for one boy. She tried to stay to one side, yet still he managed to run into her.

"What was that for?" Chrona stuttered. She didn't want to get into another fight, her body was screaming for rest.

"I should have watched where I was going, sorry." He stooped to pick something up from the dirt. "And I made you drop your necklace too."

"But I don't-"

"Surely it must be yours." He offered the piece to her again. It was a simple silver locket. On the surface an ankh was engraved. She shook her head again and accidentally made eye contact. Gold. His eyes were gold. "Well no one else is here to claim it, it must be yours." He grabbed her hand and placed the locket within her grasp.

"But I-" He was gone before she could object. It was the boy form the sarcophagus. Granted, he was covered well enough for the cold weather that she couldn't see her face, but it had to be him. After he left she popped open the thin locket where a piece of paper was hidden.

She was a demon miester; a crippled soul tainted by madness. She didn't understand kindness. She didn't know who he was, or how hard it was to approach her with his message when she was decorated in someone else's blood, but a hope hid in the shadows of her heard.

Meet me in the Sarcophagus, tomorrow, at sunset.

Because maybe, just maybe; he wanted to be tainted too.


That evening, the main hall of Shibusen was packed with guests from around the world. The life from the party was overstimulating Maka. Never before had being under watchful eye make her feel claustrophobic. No amount of night air or quiet could quell her growing sense of dread.

"Maka, chill out." Soul said from the door way of the balcony. "You're starting to make me nervous." Maka paused her pacing to glance at the clock tower. It had only been five minutes, surely there was still time.

"I can't help it Soul!" Maka sighed. "You're sure Kid's coming to the party? He's a little late..." He was always late. It was a shame she couldn't count on him. "If he doesn't get here soon I don't know what I'll do."

"Maka, what's this about?" Soul pealed away from the doorframe to join her. "You've been acting strange ever since you got home last night." Maka froze up like a deer in headlights.

"What, nothing!" It could still be nothing if Kid would just show up. There was only so much she could do on her own. "It's nothing, forget I ever said anything." At the very least, she wanted to keep this last bit of normalcy. Maka thought about her meeting with Lord Death.

"Maka! I'm so glad you could make it." Lord Death chuckled. "Where's Kiddo?"

"I-" She faltered. "I couldn't find him in time. I'll be sure to pass the message along for you." The shinigami slumped.

"That's too bad I was hoping to tell you both at the same time." He straightened and adopted a formal air. "As you might have heard, I will be hosting a party at the school. Moral had been really low lately with the Kishen running amuck, we're hoping this will give people something to look forward to. It's important you both be there for it."

"You've found the location of the Kishen?" That certainly would be cause of celebration.

"...no. Not yet anyway." His voice was laden with fatigue. "I want to bring people's minds to the future, to bring hope back to this situation. Your mother agrees now would be best not to wait any longer." She could almost swear he was smiling behind his mask. "I plan to announce the engagement at the party; I just didn't want you to be too surprised." Maka nodded numbly. "Just let Kiddo know what's going on. Oh, and remember, it's a supposed to be a surprise!"

"Just promise me that you won't treat me differently after this is all over." Maka whispered to Soul.

"I promise." He didn't want to push the subject; if he did, she'd just clam up further. For someone who insisted on helping others, she was slow to reach out for it. She thought it made her look stronger if she didn't. So he let it drop. She'd tell him what was wrong when she was ready.


Kid stared at his cup blankly. The thick coat of denial had fallen off him and realization set in. Chrona had killed someone. He had seen the blood, the body, her eyes- He shook his head; it didn't matter how helpless she looked, she was a criminal. She was perfectly in control of her actions. She decided to kill those people.

She might be waiting of him.

He glanced at the sky line, the sun's laughter light and drowsy. It was hard to have fun at these kinds of parties knowing they were just to sway public opinion. Instead of pretending everything was okay they could be out there helping people. Supposedly, it was really important he attend this charade.

"Kid?" He startled at the sound of Tsubaki's voice. "Kid, are you feeling alright? You seem a little out of it." It was true. From the moment he arrived at the party he had tuned out the mindless chatter and jazz in favor of his own thoughts.

"No, I'm fine." He assured. "You wanted to asked me something?" He had taken to standing near the exit in his indecision. The chances of someone running into him by accident were slim.

"Oh, I was just wondering if you've seen Black Star." She sighed. "He ran off as soon as we arrived." Kid shook his head.

"Surprisingly no." He offered her a reassuring smile. "But that means he hasn't left yet. He must be somewhere inside."

"I hope you're right." She nodded to him. "I'm going to check the buffet again."

The sun was beginning to set, if he didn't leave soon, he'd be late. The thought of Chrona alone in the dark made his stomach lurch. That is, if she went at all. If she did go and he wasn't there, then he would have betrayed what little trust she had left. It wasn't her fault that his father had planned this thing without asking him.

No one would fault him for checking if she came though, right? After all, it was sort of a test of her humanity. If she didn't arrive, then clearly she wouldn't be in control of her actions and or was beyond help. But if she did show up, then she was in control of her actions and needed to be questioned further. So obviously he had to go, otherwise he'd never know. He'd leave to judge her soul; not to avoid the stuffy party or to feed the seed of distrust that had planted itself in his heart.

Or at least, that's what he told himself.


"-I guess he couldn't handle my godly presence." Black Star chuckled. "I only wish I had a camera, so I could show you his face." He did his best to mimic the disgusted shock he had seen on his previous opponent, then laughed. Maka stifled her own laughter. As soon as she and Soul came back inside, Black Star had dragged them towards the buffet. "It's good to see you smile again."

"What?" Perhaps she hadn't been as good at masking her emotions as she thought. Though, for a second, she'd forgotten why all of them had been gathered here.

"Oh, nothing." The ninja said. "I was just thinking, maybe I should change my outfit, to better hide my presence." He fibbed. "Something dark and traditional maybe." Maka shook her head.

"I don't think that would help."

"Even an invisibility cloak couldn't hide you." Soul jested with a sagely nod.

"I suppose you're right-" Black Star choked as his partner grabbed him from behind.

"There you are!" Tsubaki pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "Where have you been?"

"Tsubaki-" He slapped her forearm, slowly turning purple as she spoke.

"I've been looking all over for you for the last hour."

"Tsubaki, I can't breathe!" Black Star insisted. The chain scythe let go, her face flushed. "It's O.K." He patted her shoulder. "I just have that effect on people."

"Wait, did you say an hour?" Maka looked up at the clock and gasped. It was almost eight. "Oh, no. Has anyone seen Kid?" She tossed her half eaten food in the trash.

"He was near the fountain a few minutes ago." Tsubaki answered. "Why?"

"I have to talk to him." She stumbled out of her chair toward the main doors.

"Maka?!"

"I'll explain later; I promise." She said over her shoulder. "I just need to find him before it's too late."

"Too late for what?" Black Star called after her, but she was long gone. He looked to Soul for answers.

"Don't look at me, I don't know what goes on in her head half the time." Soul sighed. "And that's on a good day."

Maka weaved through the crowd and prayed for a glimpse of white stripes. The future she had planned was slipping through her fingers.

"I have an important announcement to make, everyone!" Lord Death declared and the party grew silent. "A toast, to my son and his future bride!" A spotlight beamed on her as she grabbed the door handle. The door slammed shut in front of her as she turned towards the room full of happy faces. Her friends looked at her with dawning horror. They'd have so many questions and she wouldn't be able to answer them. "Come on up you crazy kids!"

But Kid was nowhere to be found.


"It's not worth it." Chrona muttered to herself. "You're on thin ice as it is now that the clown's rejected you. If Medusa finds out you're not on another mission, you'll be in trouble." She paced back and forth along the broken asphalt of the city. "But, why would someone want to talk to me?" And in the Sarcophagus of all places? Sure, the barrier kept out seeing eye magic, but he couldn't know that. "It's a trap." She jolted at the thought. "He just wants you to sit here and get eaten by clowns." Chrona frowned. "But he had two chances to kill me and he didn't take them."

How long was too long to wait before she should just give up? Getting in trouble over nothing seemed so much worse than getting in trouble for disobeying though. The dirt stirred under her feet and she turned to see the shinigami land gracefully amongst the rubble.

"You came." He looked surprised and yet, lost. She nodded and took a seat on one of the chunks of concrete. She didn't know how to deal with secret meetings and the like. Were both of them supposed to be this anxious?

"Y-you wanted to see me?" Kid nodded, his heart beat a mile a minute. "..why?" He remained silent, searching within for a proper answer. "You don't even know me." Madness trickled from her body in thin thorn covered tendrils. "You defeated the clown that attacked me, why?" Everyone has a reason for pretending to be nice, to make her owe them something.

"I...don't know." Kid sighed. He shouldn't be here. He had acted rashly on emotion again and again it forced him into a corner.

"That's a lie." She muttered. She was having deja vu, just like when Medusa had found her. "I suppose I'm useful to you now as well?"

"I just want to help you!" Control, he needed control before things got out of hand. Before her had to admit what he deeply feared was happening. But when she looked at him with those same eyes he had seen so long ago, he felt lost.

"No one can help me." She was the same, the same girl who helped him find Iroha and the same girl that was reaching out for him now. It didn't matter what she remembered and what she didn't; she was Chrona. "Medusa said that's cheating."

"It's my fault she found you." The longer he stood before her, the deeper it became ingrained into his skull. "I just want you to be safe. Is that so wrong?"

"None of what you're saying makes sense." She was fragile, trapped between what she couldn't remember and what now laid before her. He held her again, her tears dotted his pressed shirt. Here in the moonlight, he could pretend that everything was just like it was. He could feel himself relax into the embrace. Her gaze peaked out from behind his shoulder to the starlit sky. "I should probably go, Medusa will be mad if I'm gone much longer." He didn't let go. "I need to leave." She pushed against him, not wanting to look him in the eye. "Let me go." His grip loosened just enough to look her in the eyes once more and when he spoke, his voice was as soft as her's.

"Only if you promise to meet me here again tomorrow night."