Madness [ Claire Sequel ]

Prologue

Kira's POV

I watched from a dark corner in the back of the building as the crowd grew larger. The air smelled of alcohol, puke, sweat, and perfume. It wasn't exactly an attractive smell, but I would be leaving soon enough.

An image blinked in the back of my mind, but I shook it away before it became clear.

That had been happening a lot lately, and the images have always been of the past, with Death, Soul, Ryuu, Crona, Black Star, Tsubaki, Maka, Liz and Patty, Ragnorok, and my father, Stein. It was complete torture, but I never could stop it.

Justin and Giriko sat side by side at the counter of the bar, drinking themselves away. I scoffed at their obviously drunk condition. I took this opportunity and stepped out the back door, smiling as the crisp, cold air entered my lungs.

I started forward from the alley, and didn't look back.

****

Death the Kid's POV

I glared at the maps, looking at the circles in anger and malice. All of these circles were places Kira wasn't, and seeing how many places we'd checked and failed pissed me off. I could've thrown the maps to the floor and burned them.

Soul sighed across the room. "You know, Kid," He started, "It would be so much easier if we all just gave up on her." I looked up at him and glared coldly. I knew Black Star and Ryuu were reacting the same way. "I said that would be easier, not that we should." He scoffed. "We're all too deeply in love to let her go this easy."

The others grunted in agreement; none of us even bothered to start up an argument about who would get Kira when we found her.

If we found her, I should correct myself.

I sighed in frustration, sitting down roughly. "How could she just disappear like this? I know it's been two years, but seriously! There isn't one bit of evidence!" Black Star said, speaking the words I wanted to scream.

"It is difficult," I agreed, "but I love her. I won't ever give up on her. Never. I will find her, and I will never let her go."

Ryuu scoffed. "You said that once before." He mumbled.

A familiar bell rang, and Black Star and Soul helped the weak Ryuu stand. "Time for you to eat!" Black Star said, sending a cautious glance in my direction.

****

Soul's POV

I walked with Black Star into the kitchen. Ryuu had gotten so depressed, he'd forget when he needed to eat. So we set up a timer and fed him every time the timer rang.

No one else will do it, so we have to.

My mind wouldn't leave Kira. I kept trying to picture what she looked like now. Was she taller? Was she fuller? Did she have more curves? Was she skinnier? Was she stronger? Often times, I'd wind up with a headache due to my trying to imagine the correct Kira.

Ryuu ate quietly, and Black Star and I watched him absentmindedly. We were all thinking about Kira, so none of us were paying attention to anything in particular.

We wished we could focus on anything but Kira.

After Maka and Kira defeated Asura and Kira disappeared, everything went downhill. Lord Death was so badly injured that Kid had to take his dad's place. I'm sure running an academy full of Weapons and Meisters is pretty difficult, but none of us ever said anything to him.

I'm sure Kira's gone insane due to Madness. The scene of Asura's death was investigated, and it was said that someone ate his soul. No doubt it was Kira.