NorthernMage here with chapter 3 of Ghost of the Gallows! Quickly, a review:

Miiv12: Thanks! It means a lot.

Now, I'm sure you're all pushing to read the chapter, so here you go! The third and final chapter of Ghost of the Gallows!

Patty: NorthernMage and Pokelolmc don't own Soul Eater!

It had been three months since the kishin Asura had been defeated. Kid, Liz and Patty were planning to start collecting souls again soon, as they had had to help with rebuilding Death City. The trio knew a lot about each other now, and they had few secrets between them.

That is, except the whole fact that Kid was a ghost, which Kid had tactfully kept quiet from them. Liz was completely and utterly terrified of monsters, and from what he could tell, ghosts were right in the middle of that category. They were resonating quite well, but it was obvious that if Liz found out, she would probably run in the opposite direction screaming, and possibly never come back. This would of course mean Kid couldn't fight for symmetry reasons.

'Hey Kid?' Patty asked.

'Yes, Patty?' Kid asked, rubbing his eyes. He had been up for hours longer than his weapons, having gone and wandered into the library early that morning. Kid had come across a book talking about the legend of the Ghost of the Gallows, his legend, and had decided to read it. He had eventually stopped reading to head back to his room, which had resulted in him running into his giraffe-obsessed weapon.

'I'm boooooored! Can Liz and I go into the backyard?'

'Sure.' Kid mumbled. 'I just need some sleep.' With Death City Legends: The Ghost of the Gallows under his arm, he went to his room.

'BIG SIS! LET'S GO AND PLAY!' yelled Patty. A few minutes later, Liz appeared,

'What's up with him?' Liz wondered as she walked over to Patty, having passed Kid in the hallway. 'Kid looked pretty tired.'

'Maybe he couldn't sleep, big sis!' Patty said, eyes wide as she thought. 'We should go cheer him up!'

'No, I think Kid might want some time alone right now.' Liz said, directing her sister into the backyard.

Giggling, Patty drew in the dirt, making a creature that looked somewhat like a giraffe. 'Ha ha ha! Come look at this!' Sighing, Liz moved from where she was gazing into a small fishpond checking her reflection.

'What is it?' she asked.

'It's a giraffe!' Patty said proudly. 'See, I put spots on it and everything! It's really dirty though.' she said. Smiling, she scooped up some water from the pond in her fingers, cupped it into a bowl shape, and dumped it all over her picture. 'It's all clean now!' she giggled.

'Patty, you just washed it away.'

'What? I'M GONNA BREAK YOUR NECK FOR THAT, GIRAFFE!' Patty yelled at the now blank expanse of dirt. Sighing, Liz started smoothing over the dirt, getting it ready for the next "masterpiece" her sister would make. As she did so, however, the water had seeped into to the dirt, which made it collapse into a small hole just beneath the ground. One simple brush of Liz's hand was all that was needed to reveal a skull emblem on a wooden crate.

'Huh? What's this?'

Kid slammed the book shut, shaking with anger. The last few sentences echoed through his mind. "There have been many rumours that the associate of Lord Death was the kishin, and Lord Death himself was the one to deal the final blow."

'How dare they!' Kid hissed, hands curled into fists. The idea that my own father killed me?! And they likened me to the kishin! He took a few deep breaths. They're just rumours, but still. Tears poured down his face. How could they suggest...that my own father... As he cried, it dissolved into choking sobs. ...killed me? He closed his eyes, and slowly the sobbing died down. 'They don't know anything.' Kid said to himself. He kept repeating it to himself as he slipped into bed and fell asleep.

'They know nothing about me.'

'What do you think this is, Patty?' The two sisters had completely uncovered the box. It was long, about the size that would fit a teenage boy, and had Lord Death's skull on it, but apart from that, it was an average crate. Kneeling down on each side, they worked to uncover it, sliding their fingers just under the lid and pulling up. Just as they were about to pull the lid off, Liz froze. 'Patty, are you sure we want to do this? I mean, there could be anything in here.'

'It'll be fine! It can't be that bad!' With that, the Thompson sisters pulled the lid off the box, and looked at the box's contents.

It was the body of Death the Kid. They stared in horror at it for a few seconds. His body was severely injured, and there was a hole in his chest, near his heart. He was badly bruised, and many scrapes were visible as well. More than that, there was the distinct feeling it wasn't him, just a body. It felt peacefully empty, if creepy. Patty was horrified beyond words, while Liz...

She reacted.

'AHHHHHHHH!' she screamed, her hands shakily touching the body. 'OUR MEISTER'S DEAD?!'

'Sis,' Patty whispered, 'he's wearing really different clothes.' Liz pressed her hands to her mouth, trying to stop herself from screaming. The body was wearing a completely different set of clothes. Liz let loose another scream, terrified. They stared in shock for a few moments, then heard the back door to the mansion opening.

'Liz? Patty?' It was Kid, and he sounded worried. 'What's wrong? Your screaming woke me up.' Liz looked from Kid to his body, and with a single nod from Patty was holding her sister in gun form. She pointed her at Kid, who stared. 'Liz, what-'

'I don't know who the hell you are, but we just found someone who looks exactly like you right here, who's dead. Now, you had better start goddamn explaining yourself!'

After a few seconds, Kid began to speak. 'Liz, Patty, we need to talk about this inside, calmly. Just come inside and I'll explain.' He looked uncomfortable.

Keeping her eyes firmly on her meister, Liz nodded, and followed him into the house, keeping Patty aimed firmly at Kid's back the entire time. They sat down, and Patty transformed into her human form. 'Explain.' Liz demanded.

Kid sighed. Where am I supposed to start? he wondered. 'I was killed in 1813 by a group of witches.' he said.

'WHAT? YOU'RE A GHOST?' Liz screamed.

'Yes. We've been partners for months though. You know I-' Liz got up and started backing away. She was breathing frantically, her chest visibly rising up and down. Kid moved to calm her, but saw the complete and utter terror in her eyes. 'Elizabeth,' Kid said softly, 'I'm not going to hurt you. I just need you to listen, okay?' He reached out his hand. Liz didn't take it, but followed him back to the table.

'Ever since I died, I was trapped in Gallows Mansion. My father, who had been living here at the time of my death, moved out. I didn't talk to anyone for 200 years, and wandered around the mansion. Six months ago, some Academy students came to take a test of fear at this mansion. Have you heard of a legend called the Ghost of the Gallows?' Liz and Patty nodded.

'It was a story about a friend of Lord Death dying, and haunting his house!' Patty said excitedly.

'Well, that legend is about me. It drew the Academy students here, and they saw me and released my bond to the mansion, which involved burying the body you found. They then took me to see my father, who gave me a second chance at living.'

'What...what happens if you die again? Or are you immortal now?'

'If I die again, I won't be a ghost unable to interact with the world, I'll actually die. I can't come back a second time.' Kid said quietly.

'Prove it.' Liz said.

Kid blinked. 'Prove it?'

'Yeah. For all we know, you just made all that stuff up.' Kid sighed, and stood. He then closed his eyes, and as Liz and Patty watched, he began to turn translucent.

'Try whatever you want to prove it.' he told them. 'I can't be touched in this form.' While Liz headed out of the room, Patty giggled and started sticking body parts into Kid. By the time Liz returned, Patty had completely moved into Kid, and kept sticking her head out of his body.

'It's kinda cold in here sis!' she told her sister happily. 'This is so cool!'

'Patty, get out of Kid. I want to try something.' Liz replied, her hand holding something behind her back.

'Okay sis!' Patty gleefully moved out of Kid, and the moment she was clear, Liz pulled her hand out from behind her back, and stuck the item in it into Kid's chest. Luckily, it didn't touch him.

It happened to be a kitchen knife.

After a few seconds, Liz waved it around a little, the knife still in Kid. 'Happy now?' Kid asked. Liz nodded quickly, and put the knife down on the table as Kid returned to his solid form.

'So, you really are a ghost.' Liz said shakily.

'Yes.'

'From the nineteenth century.'

'That is correct.'

'Do you...bleed? Or are you invincible to any injuries?' Liz asked. Kid walked up to the knife, and pressed a finger against the blade. Upon removing it, the sisters saw a small cut on it, and a single droplet of blood.

'Yes, I can bleed and die. You've seen me hurt before. I can't get sick, however. That is because I am a grim reaper. My body rejects any toxin that is given to me.' A small smile appeared on Kid's face. 'Just think of it as I being a reaper with the ability to become translucent and untouchable, which is extremely trying to use.' As he talked, the way he spoke changed to a more formal way of speaking. It was now that Patty chose to ask an unrelated question.

'Hey Kid, why were you screaming in your sleep a few days ago?' Instantly, the sisters knew they'd touched a nerve. Kid's face closed up, and he was silent for a few seconds.

'Um...well...the witches killed me in my bed, and, uh, sometimes...I have...nightmares, that they came back...and that...I'm dying...again.' he said awkwardly, pausing every few words.

'Kid...' Liz didn't know what to say. 'So, you've been back for how long?'

'12 months.'

'Does...does it hurt?' Kid stared at Patty.

'Dying?' Liz and Patty nodded. Kid's eyes met theirs for a second. 'Yes, it does.'

Liz and Patty couldn't understand what they were seeing. Their meister had been murdered 200 years ago in his bed, and had been all alone as a ghost locked in the mansion until a year ago. 'I had to learn a lot when I could exit the mansion.' Kid admitted, faking a lighthearted voice. Liz and Patty could tell it was a sore topic for him, and that was why the Ghost of the Gallows found himself being hugged by his weapons.

'Kid, it's okay not to want to talk about it.' Liz assured him.

'Yeah! It's no big deal if you don't want to!' Patty said happily.

Kid was frozen for a moment, but after a few moments, closed his eyes and let the tears flow.

'Thank you. Thank you for understanding.' Kid had found two girls who knew what it was like to be scared, to be facing death, which they saw many times on the streets.

That shared experience connected them beyond anything else.

There was one little thing that needed to be cleared up though.

The next day, with Death City Legends: The Ghost of the Gallows neatly tucked under his arm, Kid went to see his father. He wanted to know more about his legend, and anyway, he wanted to make sure the fully grown grim reaper had recovered from Asura's attack. As he walked up the hallway that led to the Death Room, a certain death scythe was going to meet his boss.

'Oh, hi Kid. I wasn't expecting to see you here.' Spirit said as they walked.

'Hello Death Scythe. Are your injuries from Asura all healed?'

'Good as new! I can finally get back to Chupa Cabra's now. I wasn't healed enough to leave the house for the last few months. Huh? What's that?' Spirit had seen the book under Kid's arm.

'The book? It's just a collection of old stories I found. Some of them seemed interesting, so I wanted to ask my father if any of them could be more than stories.'

'There's a legend associated with Gallows Mansion, you know. The legend of the Ghost of the Gallows.' Don't react, don't react, Kid thought frantically.

'Oh really?'

'Yeah! It's about Asura and Lord Death.' What?

'I don't think I've ever heard that story. Mind telling me?'

'Sure. So, Asura was living with Lord Death peacefully. Then, one night, Lord Death found out Asura was a kishin, and killed him in his bed that night. Ever since, his ghost was supposedly haunting Gallows Mansion. It was a legend that started up a few hundred years ago in the 1800s.' Spirit explained, then realised Kid had stopped. 'Kid, what's wrong?' Kid glared at Spirit, anger raging in his eyes.

'That legend is about me you imbecile!' Kid roared. 'I was the one killed in my bed! Witches came and killed me! I was the one trapped inside Gallows Mansion for 200 years! Maka, Soul, Black Star and Tsubaki released my bond to the house in their early days at the Academy!' Spirit stared in shock.

'Kid...I...' Spirit didn't know what to think. Kid wasn't only a grim reaper, he was a ghost too. Still glaring at him, Kid slowly turned translucent.

'See? I'm stuck as a ghost, and if I die again I'm not coming back!' Still in his ghost form, Kid wiped his eyes where tears had started to form and stormed off to the Death Room. Spirit was left standing in the hallway.

'Poor kid.' he said quietly.

As Kid entered the Death Room, he walked over to his father, who was watching his mirror. 'Hello father.'

'Hi Kid! How are you?'

'I'm fine. But I recently came across a rumour, and I was wondering if you knew anything about it.'

'Okay!'

'People are saying...that my legend...is actually about a kishin being killed by you in his bed.'

'Kid, you know that witches killed you, and that I did everything I could to stop them. They don't know anything about you.'

'Yes. It still hurts though, knowing that people think a kishin haunts Gallows Mansion when in fact it was me, stuck on the earth as a ghost.'

'You're a ghost?' a voice asked. 'Can I dissect him Lord Death?' Both reapers turned to see Stein, who had slipped in unnoticed during their chat. 'What? I'll be careful!' he said in reply to the looks of shock from them.

'Kid, move out of the way.' Lord Death muttered. Kid moved aside, and Lord Death walked up to Stein.

'REAPER CHOP!'

See you next time in another fanfic!