Dark Side of Wonderland

Ruri

Halo Four: Ruri:

She's been trying to keep a low profile and lead a normal life. It's already the first day at Russia Sushi and already things are going tits up. It was just a box of napkins. Dennis sent her down to get a box of napkins. She got them but there they managed to find her in a supply closet. She ended up in a weird place and they tracked her down. Why couldn't they leave her alone?

She shut her eyes and shook her head.

"Why can't they just leave me alone?" she asked herself. But then, she froze when she felt a jolting shock run down her spine.

What was is now?

The door slid open.

"It's you," a man with short black hair said in the doorway. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as she recognized him.

"Yukio?" she asked. Memories of that place filled her head. She didn't want to ever think about that hell again. Yukio walked over to the booth she was sitting in.

"You're Takahara Ruri, aren't you?" he asked. She could've just lied. She could say that he had her confused with someone else. Pretend that she didn't know what he was talking about.

She lowered her head.

"Yes," Ruri said in a quiet voice.

"I knew it," Yukio said. "We've been looking for you and the others." Ruri's mind was back in that room with the white walls. The faint smells of bleach made her want to vomit."

"What do you want?" Ruri asked. Yukio took her by the hand.

"We want to help you," he said.

"I don't think you can," she said. Ruri lifted her head.

"Are you even real?" she asked. Yukio gave her a confused look.

"Of course I am," he said. He paused for a moment.

"Did someone mess with your head?" he asked. Ruri shifted her eyes away from him.

"Have you noticed anything different?" he asked. She pressed her lips together.

"Like what?" she asked. Those hands came in closer to her. They wouldn't let her sleep. Her body was there, but her mind became hazy.

"Hey! Hey!" someone shouted at her. "Stay with me! Hey! Hey!" Ruri quickly lifted her head. Yukio had a concerned look on his face.

"Please leave me alone," she whispered.

"I can't," Yukio said. "Things are going to get worse. It's better if we all stick together. Here." He reached into pocket and pulled out a pen. The tadpole wrote down his number on a napkin.

"Call me when you're ready," he said. The tadpole stood up and walked out of the restaurant.

"See ya," he said. And then he was gone. Ruri was left sitting there in the booth with a stunned look on her face. She slowly reached for the napkin and picked it up. Maybe... Just maybe...

Meanwhile, Kenma, Wez, and Sojiro were adjusting to their new arrangements. Kenma would just sit in the corner of Celty and Shinra's apartment and draw.

"That's cool-looking," Nami said as she looked over his shoulder. He glanced up at her, frowning.

"Oh, sorry," she said. Kenma went back to his drawing.

"What are you drawing?" Nami asked.

"Deer," he said without looking up.

"Oh," she said. "Do you like drawing animals?"