A/N: I don't really know if this has occurred to you, but I will just say that Iris's mind does think in riddles. I just translate them automatically for you (italics). Or rather, I'm too lazy to copy down what she's really thinking, since then I'd have to come up with riddles. :D Plus, if I made it all riddles, it would be a lot less dramatic and sad. BTW, if you haven't guessed, this story is all about being dramatic and sad. If you don't like that, try rereading the first one. :) Also, Near's the enemy here, at least for now.

Iris blinked. Tears sprang to her eyes without her even knowing. Her breath quickened. She sat there, immobile, dying on the inside. No, no, NOT AFTER EVERYTHING! She took a deep, shaky breath.

Dr. Harriet, whose eyes were red as well, put her arms around her. "Oh dear Iris. How much I wish I was lying."

Hearing this made Iris cry harder. DAMN KIRA! Damn brother's occupation! Damn Watari for making L into a detective! DAMN THE WORLD FOR DOING THIS TO ME!

She sobbed for an hour, though it didn't seem it. All of her worries were extinguished, in the worst way possible: they became true. There was nothing for her to do. There was no point in living. Iris shook her head. NO! I can't go down that path again. I won't, for Matt, Mello, and Lily's sake. I won't for L's sake, if he were here. I won't die, not just yet. Not until after I have done my part, lived my life. I promise, right here and now, I won't kill myself, ever.

…

How she sorely regretted that promise. There is nothing pleasant to tell of the hideous, delirious years after L's death. Iris was a robot, not feeling anything, not doing anything important, just carrying out her daily work. Her riddles became more convoluted than ever, and she spoke much less, because she couldn't and didn't want to. Now, even Lily had to take a while to solve them when they came, and if it were not for the fact that everyone knew it wouldn't help, they would've put her in solitude again.

Lily, Iris, and Matt tried to console each other, but it was hard, as they were all equally depressed. Lily was depressed because of L, of course, but also because it was hard for her to see her brother and best friend be depressed. Matt's relationship with L was not quite as good as Iris's, but his strain was affected more by Mello. That bastard picked up and left Wammy's House, and everyone there who cared for him, and focused solely on besting Near and killing Kira. No one knew what he was doing, but Matt knew it wasn't likely to be very legal.

They hired another doctor for Iris, but she was cold, so they quickly fired her. After a few tries, they just gave it up. No one could step in now, after so much had happened, and try to begin to understand, not to mention help, Iris. It was impossible, even for the most kind-hearted of doctors, and those were sometimes hard to find and reluctant to leave their hometown.

Most of the time, Iris cried herself to sleep at night. Everything changed. Mello's a criminal, Matt's a zombie, Lily's frantic, and L… he's not here to console her. He's not there to make it right. He is so important to the world, but his real importance is to comfort the heart of a scared, lost, tongue-tangled genius. Really, a group of geniuses. And, not to mention, there's someone pretending to be L.

When Iris heard that, she almost vomited. How could anyone pretend to be L? How could anyone even hope of matching him? HOW COULD SOMEONE BE SO PRETENTIOUS AS TO THINK THEY COULD PASS AS HER BROTHER?

There was nothing in any of their lives. No one was happy. Wammy's House had a dark cloak drawn over it, mourning the loss of their founder and their idol in one blow. And then, Mello called.

"Hey, Matt?" Lily knocked on the door. "I was wondering if… oh SHIT!"

There was nothing for Iris and Lily other than a note, promising to return, but Mello had asked for his help, so Matt was gone. Just like Mello. He ran out without a goodbye. After all, who would want to stay in this hell of a place? A place where everywhere you looked, you cringed with memories. Good memories. Memories that can never be repeated. Memories that made you cry with want of better times.

And so they didn't have anything to do but to get on Starcraft and hope. Hope that, somehow, Matt would get on. He didn't. He was busy hacking, probably. They tried to find him by hacking, but he guarded his location very closely. And if Matt is careful about something, Lily didn't want to try too hard, because she knew Matt wanted to keep her safe. Plus, if she killed all of his firewalls by finding him, then other people could find him too, which was bad. Without his comfort, the days grew bleaker. No news was presented, or given to them. They knew nothing of Kira other than the fact that he utterly ruined their lives.

Iris stopped speaking. She would write a bit, but she refused to speak. She could speak, a little, but she chose not to. There was no point. She was a corpse walking around and pretending to be cheerful for the one person who had not deserted her: Lily. But Lily was just as depressed as she was. They were both zombies, and couldn't be reawakened.

Finally, the last straw came, in the form of what used to be a little, annoying prick to Mello, and to the rest of the students, the former Number 1, otherwise known as Near. He was called N these days, but to Iris and Lily he would always be Near. How many times had they heard Mello rant about him, calling him by that name, after all?

His N appeared on L's screen, making Iris grit her teeth. No one deserved that screen. Not even Mello. It should be sacred, left alone, untouched, and another one should be put up for other, lesser people. His voice was monotonous as usual. At least L had emotion when talking to the students! Near said, "I am pleased to tell you that we have caught Kira. Well, actually, he died, but that is unimportant. I must also inform you that, in the process of catching Kira, the former students Matt and Mello have passed away. I am obliged to tell you that they happened to be criminals at the time, but were working with me, as the "bad guys", to bring the case to a close. Good day." The screen shut off.

Iris felt tears jump to her eyes again. How… how can he be so stoic, uncaring? How can he say such world-ending words with such ease? HOW CAN HE WISH US A GOOD DAY?

She jumped up. The rest of the students were milling around, saying it was a shame Number 2 and 3 were gone. Others said, no, Number 2 was mean and Number 3 backed him up. They deserve what they got. Tears streaming down her face, she yelled, her voice breaking, at the screen which used to bring hope, light, greetings, news updates, etc. that L would deliver to them. Everyone was staring at the girl who never speaks, who's always quiet and careful. She was friends with them?

Iris squeezed her eyes shut and screamed. She screamed herself hoarse, not caring what others thought, simply screaming. Dr. Harriet rushed forward, trying to console her, trying to help her, but it was worthless. Nothing could help. Nothing would help. And she couldn't escape it due to her rash promise.