Chapter 22: Reach Out to the Truth

December 3, 2015
Time of Day: Night
Weather: Foggy
Place: Destiny Islands Municipal Hospital

"I'm scared… Big Bro… Daddy…"

Usagi slowly closes her eyes. The monitor beeps every so often. One after the next, as if a truck was backing up on the street, alerting anyone nearby. Then just out of nowhere, it's only a long flat piercing sound, penetrating my ears.

Zack bursts in through the door. With a short of breath, he hobbles his way to my side with the help of a crutch. As tears roll down my cheeks, the doctors silently unhooks Usagi from the life support machine. Zack stares at his deceased daughter, a mortified look on pale face. He backs away and covers his mouth while tears run down his cheeks.

"My little girl…" Zack mumbles. "He did this…"

I wipe the tears from my eyes. "Zack?" As he slowly walks away, the mortified look on his face starts to change. I follow him through the door, and my friends are waiting for the two of us. The room has a depressed and pessimistic atmosphere; everyone is doing their share of crying.

"How could have this have happened?" Kairi cries into her knees. Next to her, Xion is attempting to hide her tears using her hat, albeit unsuccessfully.

"She can't be…" Yuffie cries into Namine's arms. Roxas and Donald remain silent as they avert their gaze from me.

"Dammit!" Riku punches the wall.

"Guys…" I mumble. Everyone looks towards me, a temporary pause in their grieving. "Zack is headed toward Eraqus' room."

"What do you mean?" Roxas chokes.

"Dunno… It just seemed like he was after he saw Usagi."

"Let go of me!" Zack yells as guards attempt to restrain him. "I need to talk to Eraqus!"

"Z-Zack! Please calm down!" an officer says.

"Why?! Why did Usagi have to die?!" Zack cries out. "Give me back my daughter!" Zack pushes through the guards, only to topple onto the floor.

"Zack, you're hurting yourself!" Terra rushes to his side and tries to pick him up, but Zack uses his hands the drag himself to the door.

"Why is that bastard still alive when Usagi is dead?!" Zack takes a couple more steps forward, and falls over again. "She's… She's all I have…"

"Quick, someone get him into his room!" Terra orders the guards. They pick him up, and slowly take him away.

"I'd rather just kill this guy myself after what he's done!" Zack says as he's taken away by the guards

"Hey… Do you really think he would've gone through with it?" Namine asks.

"His only daughter is dead," Riku deadpans. "Doing something like that wouldn't have surprised anyone."

"First he killed Larxene, now Usagi? How could anyone do such a thing?" Roxas asks.

"Why is he the one who gets to go on living?!" Xion asks. A loud crash resonates from the other side of the door.

I bust open the door, and Eraqus is on the floor. The window is open, letting the cool night air blow the curtains away. Moonlight illuminates the room with a cold blue glow.

"You tried to use the window?" Yuffie asks, anger rising in her voice.

"You have your life, and now you want your freedom too?!" I ask him.

"It's your fault Usagi is dead!" Kairi says.

"I-I just…" As Eraqus mumbles, a yellow light appears to the right of us. On the wall is a mirror, and in its reflection is Eraqus.

The Midnight Reflection? But why?

"I failed to save her," Mirror Eraqus says. "It's because you got in my way."

"Why is even this showing up?" Roxas asks. "We already beat his Heartless!"

"The law can't touch me, anyway."

"Is that what you're really thinking? Huh?!" Riku asks.

"N-No!" Eraqus backs up. "I just…"

"To hell with the law! No one will ever forgive you for what you did!" I berate.

"If the law can't touch you, then we'll just have to punish you ourselves," Roxas threatens.

"Wait, Roxas! What are you saying?" Yuffie asks.

"Do whatever you want. You hate me, don't you?" Eraqus in the mirror has a condescending smile on his face. "I could care less either way. Living or dying makes no difference to me. But you can't. You won't." As the reflection laughs, I clench my fists. "After that, I'll just continue to save people. After all, it's my mission!" The yellow glow of the mirror fades away, and the moonlight becomes the only source of illumination in the room.

"Whatever we want, huh?" Xion asks. "You know, this must be a luxurious suite. Most hospital wards wouldn't have things like a TV, sofa… Or a mirror."

"Xion, what do you mean?" Kairi asks.

"Why, with something like this in the room, Eraqus could escape at any time. Although once he enters, he may find that there's no way out." Xion glares at Eraqus with cold eyes.

"N-No!" Eraqus backs up into the wall, knocking over a glass next to his bed.

"You can't be serious!" Namine says.

"We can't just do that!" Yuffie says.

"So you're just gonna turn your back, and walk away?" Roxas asks angrily.

"That's not it either! What's gotten into you guys!"

"N-No! That's not how it is!" Eraqus cries out. "It's a misunderstanding!"

I pick up Eraqus by his shirt, and drag him towards the mirror. He tries to squirm out of his hospital gown, but I grab one of his arms. "How the hell can you call my cousin's death a misunderstanding?!"

"Sora think about this!" Kairi calls out.

"What exactly is there to think about, dammit!" I snap, causing her to take a step back.

"P-Please! Please, n-no!"

"How very unbecoming," Xion hisses.

"Wait!" Yuffie cries out. She and the girls try to move in, but Xion, Riku, and Roxas block their way.

"If any of you want no part in this, just leave the room," Roxas says.

"S-Stop it! I just wanted to save her! That way she wouldn't get killed!" Eraqus' cries and movements become more and more desperate as I get closer to the mirror. "I didn't mean for her to die!"

"Shut up!" I try to push Eraqus in, but he uses his arms to stop me. As I shove his body closer to falling in, I look up at my reflection. My eyes…

They're yellow. Same as everyone else's in the room. The collective yellow glow in their irises are all telling me the same thing:

Do it. Get revenge. Kill him.

I throw Eraqus onto the ground. I look back at my reflection, and my eyes return to blue. I let out a yell of frustration, and I punch the wall. Eraqus shrieks and crawls away from me.

"You're seriously just gonna let him go, Sora?" Riku asks. "How can you do something like that after all he's done?!"

"This is our only chance," Xion says. "At this rate, the culprit won't be incarcerated. Then he'll go serving his twisted version of justice."

"We have to put an end to this ourselves!" Roxas says.

"That'd make us no different than him!" I retort. "We have… We have to find the truth."

Roxas grabs me by the shoulders. "Isn't this the truth?! It's the reality right in front of you!"

"No… Something's off here. It's like we're missing something."

"Oh come on!" Riku says. "What in the hell are we missing, exactly?"

"Calm down, dammit!" Everyone takes a step back. "It may sound counterproductive, but we need to calm down and think rationally about all of this. Xion, you out of all people should know that one thing seems off right now."

Xion sighs. "I may have just realized that we've heard almost nothing from Eraqus' perspective."

"How can we possibly understand someone who says killing people is the same as saving them?" Roxas asks.

"Roxas, we all know why you're acting like this right now," Yuffie says. "But we've accomplished so much together. If we do the wrong thing now, it'll all go to waste."

Roxas lets out a sigh. "Fine. You win. We'll think about this as much as we need to."

"If we leave any unanswered questions behind, we'd just be lying to ourselves," I tell everyone.

"To tell the truth, there's something that has been bothering me lately," Xion says. "Ironically, it's one of the most important parts of a case."

"And that is?" I ask.

"What exactly is his motive? What was his driving reason for doing all of this?"

"Didn't he want to 'save' them, or something?" Yuffie asks.

"That jackass is sick in the head," Riku says.

"After the first murder, the police called in Eraqus for questioning," Xion says. "No matter what they looked at, they found nothing suspicious."

"Maybe he was able to lie his way out," Roxas says. "Or maybe he started out with a normal motive, and then got a taste for killing after the first time."

"If that were the case, his motive for killing Yamano would be even more inexplicable," Xion continues.

"Maybe his wife was getting suspicious, and she got in the way," Kairi adds.

"But Eraqus and his wife were separated at the time of the first murder. Even his wife knew about Yamano beforehand," Xion says.

"Plus, they said in the news that Eraqus was shocked to hear about Ms. Yamano's death," I add. "So at this point, we still have no convincing motive for Eraqus to kill Mayumi Yamano."

"Her name was written in his journal, though," Xion says.

"Dammit! Why does everything have to be so confusing?" Roxas asks. "Donald, don't just stand there and say noth- Where's Donald?"

"Wasn't he just with us a while ago?" Namine asks.

"Did he go back to my house early?" Roxas asks. "I probably shouldn't call the house at this time, so I'll make sure to tell you guys in the morning, I guess."

Where could Donald be right now? Come to think of it, I don't think he was there when we confronted Eraqus. Knowing him, he probably would have sided with the girls on not throwing Eraqus into the other world. Unless he wouldn't want him back in the Mirror World.

When I open the door to leave, a cold air blows into our faces. Compared to the regular weather on the Islands, it's practically freezing out. It's chilling in more ways than one, and the eerie fog doesn't help. Who knows, it could probably snow at any moment.

Snow…

"Hey, let's call it a day," I tell everyone. "I'll be okay, so… Thanks. Roxas, let us know if you find Donald, okay?"

"Got it. Well, see you tomorrow." Roxas and the rest walk away, each in their own direction. I'm now alone, left to my own devices.

"If it ever snows, I want to make a snowman with you!" Usagi's voice rings in my head.

My eyes tear up again. "Usagi…" I cover my face with my hand, trying to hold back the tears. Out of nowhere, arms wrap around my body. I move my hand from my face, and Kairi's red hair is the first thing I see.

My body melts in the warmth of her embrace. I wrap my arms around hers, fully giving into her gentle squeeze. As I close my eyes, the busy streets and its turbulence fade into a faint resonance, hardly relevant.

I rest my head on her shoulder, and tears stream out of my eyes.

December 4, 2015
Time of Day: Afternoon
Weather: Foggy
Place: Destiny Islands Municipal Hospital

"I got to thinking last night," Namine says. "If he saves people by killing them, hasn't he technically failed?"

"There's one other thing," Xion says. "The Eraqus that appeared on the Midnight Reflection said that he failed to save Usagi."

"Do you think he really was trying to save the victims by putting them in the mirror?" Yuffie asks.

"Then what about Ms. Yamano and Larxene?" Roxas asks. "He still threw them in. Or was someone else involved with that?"

Someone else… "The warning letter. I think I know what's been bothering me," I tell everyone. "Those letters I received. The first one said not to save people, and the second saying that someone would get hurt. Isn't that kind of odd?"

"How so?" Riku asks.

"Would someone who thinks he's saving people write stuff like 'don't rescue' or 'kill' in their warning letters?" Xion asks. "Could someone else have written the note?"

"Other than the incident with Pence, we were all convinced there was only one culprit," I add. "If anything, someone dying in Eraqus' case would be the equivalent of him failing to 'save' that person."

"Warning letters? What are you talking about?" Eraqus asks. His voice is shaky, probably traumatized from what happened last night. I came alone, as having everyone in the room might cause him to panic.

"So it really wasn't you…" I say. "Listen, I've come here to find out your side of the story. Please tell us everything you can."

"You're willing to listen to my story?"

"We're the only ones who can fully understand what you have to say."

Eraqus looks down. "Back in April… After the scandal, I hadn't been able to reach Mayumi at all. One night when I was drowning myself in alcohol, one of my mirrors started to glow. I had saw her running away from… Something. I couldn't tell what it was. All I knew is that in the reflection, she reached for me. When I went to reach for her, my hand went through the mirror!"

"Then soon after, she was found dead, wasn't she?" I ask.

He nods his head. "At first I thought the Midnight Reflection was an urban legend, but curiosity got the best of me. I kept on watching, and then I saw that Larxene Konishi girl. I tried to warn her to be careful, but she didn't take me seriously. She appeared in the Reflection soon after, and was found dead the next day. I couldn't save her…"

So that's where his weird mantra of "saving" people came from.

"It was mortifying seeing her dead… That's when I made up my mind that I could hide the next person somewhere not even the killer could find her. I thought that whatever was inside the mirror, it'd be better than being slaughtered by a serial killer! Once things calmed down, I'd just pull the person out."

"And when you decided to do that, Namine was the first person you threw into the other world."

"Yes… I thought my job as a deliveryman would be the perfect cover for my mission. I called the police, but no one would believe me. I thought I was the only one who could help them. When I went after that little girl, and entered the mirror myself… For the first time, I had doubts about myself." Eraqus shakes his head. "I never knew that you couldn't even leave that place on your own!"

I sigh. "You really thought you were saving people, didn't you?"

"I secretly believed myself to be a hero…"

"I guess from your point of view, you really believed you were preventing their deaths when they came back alive."

"I'm… such a joke. Will you ever forgive me?"

"How could I after all the hell you put us through?" I ask. "You kidnapped people, and put them somewhere you didn't even know was dangerous. If it weren't for us, people would've actually died. But…"

"But what?" Eraqus has a worried look on his face.

"I'll forgive, but I sure as hell won't forget. Neither will any of my friends."

He breaks eye contact with me. "Thank you for listening to this crazy madman."

"Trust me, I still think I'm the crazy one for not throwing you in." I turn around and walk out the door, closing it behind me.

Is it even right to forgive this guy? It's like I said, people would have died because of him. Maybe if he didn't see the Midnight Reflection, then maybe everyone would have had more normal lives… But if he didn't, then I wouldn't have met or gotten close to my friends.

Should I be thankful for that? Would that make me a shallow person?

Time of Day: ?
Weather: Foggy
Place: The Velvet Room

How'd I end up here? Wasn't I just in the hospital?

"Do not be alarmed," Igor says. "The moment you leave this place, you'll be back to where you were. The same time, the same place."

"Okayyy…" Magic is confusing.

"Now then, your journey has taken you quite a distance thus far," Igor continues. "Why don't we take a moment to look back on your journey?" Arcana cards appear in mid-air, floating over Igor's table. The cards gather together and form a circle. Each card rotates slowly in a warm blue light.

"Each one of these cards represents one of your bonds," Margaret says. "It seems you have gathered many friends who are willing to tread the same path as you through this dense fog. The bond you share with your friends have blessed you with the Judgement Arcana."

A single card appears over Margaret's book. It slowly descends, and when it lands on the book, it shatters into ethereal blue shards. She opens her compendium, and a picture of my friends and I confronting Eraqus are on one page, the card itself on the other.

"I envy you, for you have forged so many bonds in such a short time." Margaret smiles. Another card appears next to her. "You've obtained the Empress Arcana as well. It seems we have a bond connecting us as well."

"Until we know which direction to go, the car will be parked for a while," Igor says. "It can be worth your while to take the time to stop and reflect.

Time of Day: Afternoon
Weather: Foggy
Place: Destiny Islands Municipal Hospital

As Igor says, I'm back in the hallway I was before entering the Velvet Room.

"Sora!" Roxas comes running down the hall. He has a large grin on his face, and he's slightly out of breath.

"Yeah, what is it?" I ask. "And why do you look so tired?"

"Usagi is alive!"

"She's WHAT?!" I feel a grin form on my face. I rush past Roxas, and run through the hospital corridors. The building walls blurred past me as I felt a surge of adrenaline. The steady thump of my footsteps echoed in my ears and I felt a bead of sweat roll down my forehead. The only thing stopping me from reaching Usagi's room is… Nothing!

I burst through the door, and Zack watches over his daughter with a weak smile. Connected to Usagi's arm are tubes leading to an IV bag. Other wires on her body connect to a heart rate machine.

There's a pulse… It's slow, but thank god it's not flatline!

I walk over to Zack, and he faces me. Tears well up in his eyes, and he lets out tears of joy and relief.

December 5, 2015
Time of Day: Afternoon
Weather: Foggy
Place: Dojima Residence

"This fog really won't quit," Kairi says. You'd think Usagi reviving would've called for some decent weather at least."

"I honestly could care less about the fog right now," I tell her. "What's important is that Usagi came back to life! I still don't even know how that's possible."

"There is this medical phenomenon called the Lazarus Effect," Xion says. "One case of this occurred when a highschool girl overdosed on contraband. Thirty four hours after being proclaimed dead, she was found snoring in the the morgue."

"Something like that seriously happened?" Roxas asks.

"Yes. Modern science has no clear grasp on how this occurs, though. I guess Usagi was just lucky." Xion sighs. "But back to our original topic. Has anyone found any evidence the police has missed?"

"Sorry, I couldn't find anything," Riku says.

"It's been six months since the police stopped looking for any evidence," Yuffie says. "Wouldn't it only make sense that looking for overlooked facts be difficult?"

"That's true," Namine adds. "Even the old women of the town who gossip all the time don't seem to know anything. It's almost as if they could care less about they could care less about the murders that happened all that time ago."

"I'm going out to get some fresh air." Xion gets up from her chair, and walks out the front door.

"Damn, looks like Xion is stumped too," Riku says.

"I think I need some air to think as well." I get up from my seat and head towards the door. "I'll be back inside in a bit." I walk out the door, and Xion leans on the outside wall. Her head is down, and her hand is on her chin. "Y'know, you really do pull off the whole 'Sherlock Holmes' look without flaw."

Xion grins. "If I had a wood pipe and an assistant, I'd look even more the part. It's just become a habit I can't seem to break."

"Who knows, maybe this cold air will get my deductive muscles flexing," I grin. "It probably means I'd have to be Watson though, since we've all called you Sherlock."

Xion looks up at me. "Then you better get to work, Doctor. Someone who meets all the criteria to be the culprit has to be somewhere in town."

"Easier said than done..." Literally anyone in this town could be at fault here. There still must be something that we overlooked. It's urgent that we get over the roadblock that's facing us. The clues we need must already be in our hands. Maybe I should go over everything we know one more time, just to make sure.

Number one, the culprit must have some sort of connection with both Larxene Konishi and Mayumi Yamano.

Number two, the culprit has knowledge of the Mirror World, and what we do there.

Number three, not only do they have knowledge of that, but the culprit also knows what Eraqus was doing and stood back to watch.

And number four, it has to be someone who could approach my house without raising any eyebrows.

Now that I think about it, there were almost no witnesses. Both warning letters seem to have been delivered directly to my house, but no one saw anyone suspicious. No one unusual was seen around Larxene or Ms. Yamano, either… Ironically, the police apparently sent out an unusually high number of cops to perform the investigation.

There has to be someone in Destiny Islands who fits all of the facts… God, this is going to be hard.

If I look at our circumstances however, the thought of one person in particular seems to be resonating in the back of my head. I can't tell if it's me being desperate for an answer, or a gut feeling telling me that he's the one. Maybe I should just let it go. I'm probably just nervous, that's all.

Or am I?

"Hey Xion, let's go back inside… I think I may have someone in mind."

Yes I ended the chapter on a cliffhanger, and yes I feel horrible about doing so. But if I didn't then there'd be no tension in my story. The culprit behind the murders will be revealed next chapter!

And because I haven't done it in a while, thank you to the people who have followed and/or favorited the story recently. I really appreciate it.

See you next chapter!