Dark Side of Wonderland

Yorokobi

Halo Fifteen: Yorokobi:

"So, Honoka-san?" Shinra asked. She didn't look up from the picture she was coloring on the coffee table.

"Hm?" she asked.

"What did you mean when was the last time we saw Izaya?" the doctor asked.

"Just as I said," she said. "When was the last time we saw Izaya in person?" Shinra took a moment to think. He started to say something but paused.

"It was when he said that someone was trying to kill him," the doctor said at last.

"How long ago was that?" the life tadpole asked. Shinra paused.

"After Halloween?" he asked. He didn't sound sure about that. He tried to think hard about the question.

"But I have been in contact with him," the doctor insisted. He remembered all of the texts and emails he got from his old friend. The more he thought about it the more he noticed that something didn't add up.

"Did his texts sound like him?" Honoka asked. She had a blue crayon in her hand this time.

"No..." Shinra said. The doctor paused for a moment.

"What are you saying?" he asked. This time, Honoka was staring at him. She had a serious look on her face. It didn't take much for him to see what she was getting at.

"Are you saying...?" Shinra began to ask. The doctor's stomach turned. Honoka went back to coloring her picture.

He told all of this to Celty. Shinra spelled out his theory to her. She too started to remember all of the texts and emails that she got from "Izaya". The dullahan also noticed how off they sounded.

"Do I sound crazy?" Shinra asked. He sounded like a child who was worried about getting in trouble with his parent.

"[Why would anyone pretend that Izaya was still alive?]" Celty wrote on her PDA. Shinra stared at her dumbfounded. He didn't have an answer.

Ruri has been missing since the thirteenth of November. She wasn't kidnapped by stalkers or obsessed fans. It was just two women in their forties. They just talked to her and she followed them off somewhere. Since then she's been missing. The fans had theories. Saburo looked so worried. Kadota couldn't remember a day when the driver wasn't in tears over his missing goddess. The man cried like his lover died. He couldn't stop watching that video where Ruri walked off with those two women.

"Devil women," he muttered at his screen. "Give her back!"

"Are you okay?" Erika asked.

"No!" Saburo wailed. He wiped away his tears. He hit play again on his phone. The video started over again, making him break down weeping. Erika and Walker just looked at each other. Kadota just let him cry it out. Maybe it was time to get him some help?

"Ruri! Where did you go?!" the driver whimpered. "Who took you?" The man sniffled. He wasn't the only one.

Some of the Awakusu had their own questions. Shiki frowned at the video on the TV screen. He had his attention on the women talking to the idol in the footage. Particularly, he noticed their clothes. Though the footage was grainy, he could tell they had on robes of some sort. If he hadn't known any better, he would've said they were members of the Ten no Shin'en.

And then December happened.

Celty turned on the TV on the morning of December 16. She flipped through the channels when a familiar face caught her attention. At first, Celty didn't know what she was looking at. That woman on the screen. Where had she seen her before?