Within a few seconds, he opened his eyes to find his surroundings had changed. They were outside! Like, really outside, and not just a random part of the world outside, they were in Tokyo! Izaya gasped lightly as he stepped forward, in fact, they were in Ikebukuro! He'd recognise the city, memory loss or not. Actually, his memory…. It was coming back to him, just like the woman said.

"I figured this might help clear the rest of your foggy memories, with a few minor exceptions."

Izaya acknowledged her statement, but he didn't reply, he walked up to the railing of the rooftop they were on. "This place…."

The woman stepped beside him, following his gaze to the ground below. "Recognisable?"

Izaya nodded. "I brought a high-school girl here once."

She grinned and nudged him. "Aren't we the lucky one."

Izaya looked at her and then realized what she was getting at, he rolled his eyes. "Not like that, I was twenty-two at the time. I – I tricked her into thinking that I wanted to commit suicide with her, I had her kidnapped to make her realise that she didn't actually want to die, and then I had her rescued."

"Hmmm, I don't think it is any different to what I did to you, to make you realise you didn't want to end up in hell."

Izaya shook his head. "I don't think it's quite the same. I just wanted to see the look on her face when I made her realise that she didn't want to die. All I did was manipulate her into a false situation." Izaya chuckled then. "Is this supposed to prepare me for atonement? Am I to make amends with all the people I've wronged?"

The woman laughed. "I can see why you would think so, and it would make sense too. However, that'll take a hell of a long time, and quite frankly I really don't have the patience."

Izaya snorted. "You're a guardian angel and you don't have patience?"

"Oh I have patience, just not the kind to deal with yours."

Izaya raised an eyebrow. "I'm not even going to pretend to understand what that means."

She grinned at that. "Probably for the best, you'll soon see. Anyway, you're not too far off, because in order to repent and gain your wings, making amends is a crucial part of it. I think visiting every person you've wronged sounds too much like, 'the ghosts of Christmas past' to me, you're hardly a scrooge."

"I'm just going to ignore that very odd reference. Also, why is it that whenever you speak of those I've wronged, do you make it sound like I tormented an entire city. I'm not that bad, I'm hardly a villain."

She chuckled at the pout that crept on his face, she fricking loved this guy, she hadn't met someone like him in ages! "If you say so. Now, back to my point, it'll be too easy to focus on them as a whole, because quite frankly, some of them really aren't that bad, and they'll get over it, or they should."

Izaya was surprised by her statement, he was quite sure that wasn't what a guardian angel should say. "So how am I supposed to make amends?"

"By protecting a specific individual, someone whom you caused the most suffering. This person is a constant in your life, and it is with this person that you will find redemption."

Izaya placed his hands in his pockets, he already knew who she was talking about. "He's extremely stubborn, I hardly think he's going to believe me, nor will he accept anything I say as the truth."

She looked at him for a moment, staring intently into his eyes, making him feel slightly uneasy. Then she chuckled. "It's not Masaomi," she said, causing Izaya to gape at her.

"How did you-"

"Please, you're like an open book to me now, I'm your angel Izaya, I could read your thoughts if I truly wanted to."

Izaya grimaced. "That's very disturbing."

She laughed. "Relax, I don't do it all the time, just when I need to, I respect my people's privacy."

Izaya half grinned at her. "Well forgive me, I really don't believe you."

"In any case, it's not Masaomi, good guess though, you really messed with him."

Izaya frowned and his eyes averted from her, then he sighed as a thought came to him. "If you knew all this, then why did you have me explain about what happened here?"

She smiled. "To see if there was any regret in your story."

Izaya snorted. "There wasn't."

"Maybe not in words, but it was in your tone, and that's good enough, means we're on the right track at least."

Izaya couldn't help but frown at her in annoyance, how very clever of her. Now he knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of manipulation, because he was sure that's just what she did. "I have some questions that I need to ask, in order for me to fully understand the situation."

"Shoot. I'll answer them if I can."

"I'm dead, right?"

"You are."

"Am I a ghost?"

"Sort of."

"How can you be sort of a ghost?"

"Okay, allow me to explain some rules to you, maybe that will help you understand, though they're more like guidelines." She watched him nod and then continued. "I'm not allowed to tell you how you died; I'm not allowed to tell you who you are to protect. To make amends, you will become they're guardian angel, just like I am yours. Oh and just to clarify, I'll know if you're pretending by the way," she grinned at him when he hunched slightly, because she knew that plan had just crossed his mind, but she couldn't help but laugh at his guilty face. "Also, they have to forgive you too."

Izaya pulled a face, it sounded like he was doomed, who the hell was going to forgive him? Especially if it was going to help him.

"I have faith in you! So don't give me that look of defeat already."

Izaya huffed. "Firstly, stop reading my mind, it's creepy. Secondly, do I at least get a hint of this person? Also, since you've quite literally invaded my privacy, the least you can do is tell me your name."

A loud laugh escaped her before she replied, "My name is Aya Yoshimura. You can call me Aya, since I, 'invaded your privacy' and all," Izaya rolled his eyes. "As for the hint, the only thing I can tell you that might help, the person you will be guarding is the only one who can see you."

Izaya gave her a blank stare, what she said wasn't at all helpful, that could quite possibly be anyone! "Thank you for that oh so helpful hint," he said with a slight grin, "just don't tell me I have a time limit."

Aya huffed a laugh. "No time limit, you're dead, dead don't care for the time."

Obviously, but did she have to be so blunt about it?

"You can even take a few days to get your thoughts together, get some perspective, maybe there are a few close to you that you might like to see again before you go."

Izaya chuckled. "I hardly doubt that. I will take your advice though and clear my thoughts for a while."

Aya nodded with a smile, she then lay her hand on his shoulder. "Good luck."

"Wait. I know you can't tell me how I died, but – what if I remember myself later on, will that be considered a rule break?"

Aya shook her head. "Don't worry, a lot of people remember their deaths eventually. Just remember, even if you do, you can't do anything. I should have mentioned this before Izaya, no one can see you, or hear you but – you have the abilities to interact with them physically. So please, please be careful, because if you harm anyone intentionally, however small, there really will be nothing I can do to help you then."

Izaya didn't know how to feel about this new information, his task was getting more and more difficult every time she spoke. His expression remained passive, and he tried his best to keep his thoughts clear when he asked, "Just so I'm clear, because we both know I really don't want to end up in hell, what counts as harmful?"

Aya gave him a thoughtful frown, she could tell he was trying to hide his thoughts from her, but he underestimated her ability. Aya stepped close to him and flicked him on the forehead, Izaya pouted and rubbed the spot she had assaulted. "If you so much as flick a person, that counts."

Izaya raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? That's harsh."

Aya looked at him, the amusement gone from her eyes. "I'm serious Izaya, this is one rule you must not break."

Izaya nodded, he could tell she meant that. "You said that the only one that can see me is the one I'm supposed to protect, can they themselves interact physically with me?"

"No, only you."

"This whole protection part, if I'm not allowed to harm anyone, how am I supposed to help them?"

Aya chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "You're a clever kid Izaya, you'll figure that out pretty quickly. I have a lot of confidence in you."

Izaya sighed inwardly. At least one of us does.

"Just follow the rule with extreme caution and you will be fine. Oh, one more thing?"

Izaya grinned. "Just one more?"

She huffed in annoyance and then said, "No funny business either, that means no form of intimacy, it's not a rule, it's more for my benefit. I have to watch over you carefully, and I would rather not see that."

Izaya blushed profusely, what kind of person did she think he was!? "I'm very sure you don't need to worry about that…"

Aya chuckled at his embarrassment toward her statement. "It happens."

Embarrassment forgotten, Izaya grinned at her. "Lucky for you that I hold no desires of attraction to an individual human, I love all humans, and that is purely platonic."

"Just putting it out there. Okay, do you have any more questions, or do you feel ready?"

Izaya took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm ready."

…

For the first few hours, Izaya remained on the roof after Aya had left, he needed time to himself. The thought of being dead caught up to him and he couldn't help but feel saddened by that. Who wouldn't? and that was not thought in a way that would inflate his ego, anyone would be saddened by their own death. The cold hard truth though, was that no one would be saddened by his death. That's right, he wouldn't be missed at all, he didn't know why that bothered him, it had never done so before. Then again, he never thought about it, because he had always told himself that he didn't care if everyone hated him, he would still love them. Izaya even lied to himself, just to make himself feel better, to stop him from admitting the truth. The truth was that he wanted people to like him, he just didn't understand why they didn't.

If they could like someone like Shizuo, who was full of violence and destruction, why couldn't they accept him for who he was? Had he himself caused this? Izaya expected it was the case, he was so focused on keeping everything away from his fragile heart, that he had let his obsession for humans take over entirely. If he avoided it all, then nothing could hurt him. Aya was right though, he was just lonely, which would explain that representation of his soul from before. He wanted friends, but at the same time he wanted to avoid everything, how screwed up was that.

Izaya leaned against the railing of the roof, glancing down at the bloodied spot on the ground. He was dead. Every time he thought about it, the more depressed he felt. It was a strange notion though, he felt like he was breathing as he let out a sigh, but yet he had no pulse. It was something he would have to get used to, and since there was no time limit, he had plenty of it to do so. Izaya started to wonder about what he could do, could he walk through walls, and how would he travel from place to place? He was willing to bet that he couldn't fly or anything, because technically he didn't have his wings yet. Was that how it worked? Izaya didn't mind if he had to travel the normal way, he probably preferred it.

Looking back down at the ground below, another thought crossed his mind, if he jumped, would he even be able to die, since technically he was already dead. His fingers twitched with anticipation, he was almost tempted to try it, but what if he could die? If something happened to him now and he hadn't completed his tasks, then would he just be sent below?

Izaya stepped back from the edge, the decision was made not to try it. So he didn't have a time limit, but it wasn't as though he could stay up here and mope forever. Well, he could, but for the type of person he was, he knew he'd get bored very quickly. It was time to see some humans, and the thought that he could wonder around with them without them seeing him, made him giddy with excitement. Perhaps he could even take the time to figure out how he died before he started looking for the person he was supposed to protect.

…..

Izaya skipped through the city, laughing to himself as he realised people really couldn't see him. It was weird, because he shouldn't be this happy over that fact, but he was incredibly amused. He jumped and swung around a lamppost, still laughing and then he stopped beside a café. A thought occurred to him then, he wasn't doing anything unusual, because he would have acted this way even when they could see him. He glanced over at the round tables that were setup outside under the awning. Several people occupied the seats, either looking at their phones, or reading the newspaper – mostly the elder generation – or simply sitting there enjoying their lunch, or possibly breakfast. Izaya then realised he didn't actually know what time it was, he didn't have any of his phones, so he was going to have to rely on objects around him.

Walking in between the tables, he crouched low and raised his hand up under a newspaper. With a slight grin, he slapped it upwards, he did this to a younger woman, because if he did it to an elder and they went and died from a heart attack, he would probably fail his task. He wanted to have a little fun, but he wasn't that stupid. The woman gasped and stood up from her chair quickly, the shock on her face and those around her was enough to cause Izaya to laugh loudly. They looked at the scene in confusion, the woman picked up her newspaper and shook it, as though something was going to fall out of it. Izaya grinned, still laughing, that was way too comical. He realised that he could indeed have some fun, as long as he thought about the rules very carefully before he did so. For example, if he kicked out a chair before someone sat on it, that would intentionally cause them harm, however little.

However –

Izaya chuckled as he grabbed the back of an empty chair, if he lifted up the chair without anyone in harms way, it would essentially be harmless. The people that occupied the seats all stood up with a yelp and began to freak out, thus causing them to scatter and run off. Izaya didn't expect everyone to react that way, though that always amused him greatly when they did the unexpected, but it also annoyed him too. Izaya shrugged as he sat on one of the now empty tables, he was just a barrel of contradictions wasn't he.

Izaya turned his head as a man who appeared to be the owner, stepped out of the café with a very confused look on his face. From his point of view, it probably looked like they had just vanished, leaving their unfinished food and beverages behind. "You're probably wondering where all your customers have gone," Izaya said as he stood up with a stretch. "sorry, that was way too tempting." He then couldn't help but step next to the owner and place his hand over the man's shoulder. The owner jumped and spun around, looking for whoever had touched him, before he ran inside the café, slammed the door shut and flipped the open sign to closed. Izaya blinked, he couldn't help but think the man's reaction was just a slight bit dramatic. The raven chuckled to himself as he left the café, he became giddy again, the café incident gave him an idea. While he couldn't spread rumours and create situations like he used to, he could still use his own situation to do so. Effectively, the rumours that were bound to spread, were going to be about him without them even knowing it.

For several hours, Izaya ran around Ikebukuro picking up random objects, or just touching people's things. Some screamed, some were too scared to move, but mostly – as he expected – they filmed it all.

Izaya learned to adapt to what he could and couldn't do very quickly, he played by the rules but also figured out their loopholes. He took the time to note the time of day and the date; and before he began to spread his own rumours, he took the time to see if there was anything he'd missed in his absence. There was no news about his death yet, it was understandable he supposed; depending on how he died, that might affect how the reports were displayed.

Izaya smirked when he caught a conversation between three high school girls. He leaned against the fountain they were sitting on; a role of his eyes was made though when he recognised them as none other then the three bullies from over a year ago. They really were empty headed idiots.

"I heard it was the café that was haunted, that the ghost of the previous owner was the cause," he heard the middle one talk first as she typed on her phone.

"Well I heard that it's the headless riders head, ya know, the ghost of it's head. It's now haunting Ikebukuro, looking for the body or something."

Izaya laughed, well, that certainly was a very peculiar rumour. He walked away from them and found himself near the intersection that led into Toshima. Izaya frowned, because he suddenly became very familiar with a building opposite him. He crossed into the city and walked the distance, he stared up at the short structure, tilting his head in thought. He was almost certain he had been here before, what was it about this place that felt so familiar? He glanced at the door, he guessed now was the time to test his theory about walking through walls and doors. Izaya lifted his hand up and his palm lay flat on the door, with a frown he tried to concentrate to see if he could think his way through – maybe.

A small laugh beside him almost startled him, he glanced to his right and huffed when Aya appeared beside him. "You didn't think I'd make it that easy for you, did you?" Was she serious? Izaya stared at her with a questioning look, she smiled. "I understand you a little better each time; it really is fun to mess with people."

Izaya then glared at her. "Are you saying that I really can't walk through solid matter?"

Aya shrugged. "Well, perhaps you could have, but that wouldn't be much fun now, would it."

Izaya clicked his tongue and shoved his hands in his pockets. "So you did this on purpose?"

Aya laughed. "Oh come on, you've just spent at least five hours scaring the hell out of people. Did you know that as we speak, people are referring you to, 'the ghost of Ikebukuro?' Izaya smirked, yes, he did know that, then his eyes widened in realisation.

"Are you telling me that this is some kind of disciplinary act?" was she seriously punishing him for what he did? He followed the damn rules, wasn't he allowed to have any fun? He was dead after all.

Aya smirked. "I maybe your guardian angel, but I can't help feel bad for the people that you're scaring, while you technically get away with it."

Izaya huffed and then hunched his shoulders. "It was harmless intent."

Aya nodded with a smile and nudged him. "I know you're probably feeling a little detached, so just try and keep your playful behaviour to a minimum."

Izaya rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Though I do admire your quick thinking in regard to sticking by the rules, not everyone finds the loopholes, then again, not everyone receives the same rules." Izaya cringed then, he didn't want to know what happened to those who didn't, he probably didn't need to ask. Aya looked at the door and then back at Izaya. "You can still open the doors the old-fashioned way," she chuckled at his annoyed expression, "you can even kick them down or break in through the window. She gasped when she realised her slip up and shoved him lightly. "Please try and refrain from doing that, just because it's rude."

Izaya huffed a laugh, but he nodded in understanding. It didn't really bother him that he couldn't zip through things, because it would be less of a reminder that he was dead. Izaya turned to say something to her but she had already gone again. It was slightly annoying that she could just turn up whenever she felt like it. With a sigh, he opened the door to the building, memories of this place soon came back to him.

"I remember now, I was on a job…."