Congrats on saving Miku! You all did a great job.
"Well? Why is a raven like a writing desk?" Defoko tapped the knife against a struggling Miku's cheek, causing her to whimper.
"Because Poe wrote on both," Ia said, eyes hard.
Defoko laughed. "What if that's not the answer I wanted?" She drew the knife down Miku's cheek, opening a thin red line. Miku screamed and tried to struggle out of her grasp.
"It counts!" Ia said. "You need to play fair, don't you? Or something bad will happen."
Something that might have been fear flashed across Defoko's features. "Ugh, fine. What belongs to me, but is used more by other people?"
"Your name," Ia said.
Defoko's face twisted. "What has a mouth, but never eats."
"A river," Ia said, "And the fourth one is a beehive, and the fifth one is nothing! You've lost, fair and square, so leave us alone!"
Defoko shouted angrily and threw her knife. For a moment, it looked like she threw it at Ia, but when it hit the glass, it shattered the mirror instead. As the glass fell to the floor, it revealed a hole in the wall behind the frame. Miku was kneeling there, clutching at her ruined cheek with one hand and sobbing.
"Miku!" Rin rushed over, carefully picking her way through the glass. She reached out a hand through the remains of the mirror's frame. "Miku, it's okay. You're safe."
The teal-haired girl took her hand and pulled herself out of the hole before falling into Rin's arms, crying frantically.
"I thought I was going to go insane," she said in between sobs. "It was – I was surrounded by mirrors, in a room made of them, but none of them reflected just me. Some of them reflected – that girl, Defoko. Some of them showed both of us, and she was cutting me with a knife – oh, God –" Her hands ran across her face, smearing the blood from the small cut on her cheek all over, and she whimpered.
"It's alright," Rin cooed softly.
"It's just a small cut," Luka reassured her, bending down and wiping the blood off of her face with a sleeve. "Your face is fine."
"There was one mirror that showed you guys," Miku said in a shaking voice. Her wild eyes finally landed on Ia. "It showed you. Answering all of the riddles."
"Yeah … Um, I did?" Ia looked down at her feet.
There was silence for a long moment. Luka took off her bloodstained jacket and let Miku hold the sleeve to her cheek like a bandage. Finally, Miku broke the silence. "Why?"
"Well, I'm just good at riddles," Ia said, "I like them. I think they're –"
"No," Miku interrupted in a trembling voice. "I mean … Why did you help me? I didn't deserve it, I was … I was awful to you."
Ia blinked, surprised. "… You didn't deserve to die, Miku. I wasn't going to let that happen."
"… I'm sorry," Miku whispered quietly.
Ia walked over hesitantly. "I forgive you," she said. Miku gently disengaged herself from Rin's arms, wrapping Ia in a shaking hug instead. Ia patted her back gently.
"We need to keep going," Meiko said.
"Why?" Len crossed his arms over his chest. "Can't we just … stay here? Wait for the next game to come?"
Meiko shrugged. "I don't know," she said. It shocked everyone a bit to hear her admit that. "But the idea makes me nervous."
"Meiko's right," Gakupo said. "I'd rather keep walking."
"Do you want to try downstairs?" Gumi asked. "There's a few rooms that we didn't look at, I think."
"Alright," Meiko said. "I guess we have nothing to lose."
The group followed, one by one. Miku held Luka's jacket to her cheek with one hand and clung to the girl's hand with the other, as if afraid she'd be snatched away again without an anchor.
At the back of the line, Gumi leaned back to mumble to Ia. "Hey … Do, you, um …"
"Yes?" Ia asked.
"Do you … know all those riddles … Because of Eternal Fates?"
Ia's eyes widened. "You've read that?"
"Yeah, I … I follow your blog, and like your fics a lot." Gumi blushed. "I recognized you on the first day you came, from the selfies you've posted, but … I was too scared to approach you."
"I wish you would have," Ia sighed. "Things have been … scary, since moving. I've never been really popular, or anything, but … Well, you know."
Gumi winced. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I just … Most of my friends don't even know I read fanfic. It's, um … embarrassing."
Ia cocked her head to the side. "Why?"
Gumi's face got even redder. "I don't know. A lot of things embarrass me."
Ia gave her a kind smile. "Well, you don't have to be embarrassed around me. And … Well, you're talking to me now! That's the important thing."
Gumi gave her a hesitant smile in return, nodding.
The group made their way down the rickety stairs, Meiko leading the way. She choose a door at random and opened it. It revealed an elegant sitting room, with wide windows showing a starry night sky. A beautiful grand piano stood in one corner.
The group entered curiously. Len walked over to the piano and played a quick scale. "It's still in tune," he said, surprised.
Rin walked over, one hand resting gently against the piano's lid. "Would you play something, Len?" she asked. "I think I'd rather listen to that then –"
The piano lid shot open, and a pale hand emerged, grabbing Rin's wrist.
"Rin!" Len dashed from the piano bench, rushing to save his sister. But by the time he got there, she had already been pulled inside the piano. He desperately tugged on the lid, but it wouldn't open.
"Oh, that's enough of that," an irritable voice snapped. "You know better, don't you?"
Everyone looked around for the source of the voice. After a moment, they saw it. A spectral girl slowly flickered into existence on the piano bench. She had blonde hair a bit shorter than Rin's own, and yellow eyes. Her face was instantly familiar.
"You're Anon," Meiko said.
"Yes, you've already met my disgusting sister, haven't you?" Anon gave a bitter little grimace. "I got killed for her, and how does she repay me? By admitting to some sick obsession and forcing me into an eternity of playing this stupid game."
"We don't care!" Miku shouted, voice rough and nearly hysterical. "Tell us how to get Rin back!"
Anon rolled her eyes. "I'm getting to it, Jesus. Why bother, anyways? She's probably better off in here." She rapped her knuckles against the lid of the piano. "It's not like you guys are doing her any favors. She's like me – just in it to help someone else." She looked up, giving Len an accusing look.
"So please, don't kill her," Len said quietly.
Anon gave a sharp laugh. "Why not? You're all going to die, you know. At least I'd make it quick."
"We're not," Gakupo said in a low, dangerous voice. "We're going to win this."
"Sure," Anon said derisively. "That's what they all say. But, alright, let's get this over with. I'm going to play bits of three songs. Guess two right, she lives. Guess all of them right, and I don't hurt a hair on her pretty little head. You ready?"
"Yes," Meiko said.
"Alright," Anon said, placing her slim fingers on the piano. "First one …"
Ok! This next puzzle can be found on youtube, just ad this to the end of the url: watch?v=gR3at5loD_M
If you can't find it, try searching "BigMouth12349" and finding my channel through there! It's the most recently uploaded one, haha. Be sure to comment you answers by September 7 :) Good luck!
- Jillian Maria