Koko Ni Aru Himitsu

So the same thing happens…

Again, and again…

And again.

4 June, 2020

My name is Rouge the Bat. It's not often I get to play detective for the Guardian Units of Nations, but I suppose it's only fair to tell you that I love doing it. Mostly because I get paid in millions of dollars worth of jewels, but that has more to do with my personality, and not with this situation.

Early this morning, I was contacted by my superior, who wishes to remain unnamed and whose wishes will be honored. My superior informed me of my new mission: To discover the cause and culprit of the mass homicide yesterday afternoon in the square at Soleana, a little nothing village somewhere up north.

From what I understand, they are a monarchy, ruled by nameless generations of Seedrians. The immediate to the throne, Princess Cosmo of Soleana, was killed tragically in the blast. The corpses have been sealed off for police examination. Though I'd like to take a look, I know better than to let my curiosity get the best of me.

I am currently riding on a train to the central station close to Soleana, where I will be escorted the rest of the way into the city by the sole survivor of this incident, a Mr. Sonic the Hedgehog, who's hometown is unknown. I hate being escorted by anyone anywhere, but I hope to gather insight from Sonic for my boss' interests, and to satisfy my selfish curiosity.

The train will arrive at seven PM standard time. Until it does arrive, I will be drinking my tea here and going over the evidence of the case.

The whole city of Soleana, approximately 2000 people, are presumed dead, and possibly many more who were in town to see the local Festival of the Sun Goddess—the Hikari No Megami Festival. I'll let the police take care of the body count for now.

Mr. Sonic, the sole survivor, apparently lost his friends in the tragedy. I don't wish to provoke wounds in him, but for my own sake, I must know the truth!

Seven O'clock PM, 4 June, 2020

Sonic the Hedgehog greeted me at the station. He is a blue hedgehog in his late teens, very thin and very sickly looking, although this is probably due to the recent tragedy. He offers his arm to me and assures me we "aren't even a mile's walk" from Soleana, or the restaurant my superior agreed to sponsor us at. He asks me pleasantly how my trip was, but his smiles are like bittersweet chocolate, and his eyes show evidence of tears.

When we arrive at the restaurant, Sonic slips us to a booth in the back and we are served immediately by a blushing waitress. Since everyone in Soleana is dead, this is probably a chain restaurant, with outsiders to this land working in it. I'm told not many buildings were damaged too badly by the blast that killed everyone. I suspect a bombing as soon as I learn this from my superior, who thinks it nice to have a letter delivered to me by my waitress.

"What's the note say, Rouge?" He's not smiling anymore, and he looks as if he's about to throw up. He's ordered a drink I don't recognize—something alcoholic, I think—probably a Soleana specialty.

I haven't bothered to tell him I go by "Ms. Rouge" while I'm working. He's allowed me the familiarity, so I will mirror his heartfelt expression. For now. I clear my throat, almost nervously. "My superior thought it pleasant to tell me how everyone died."

"Hmph. I'm beginning to wonder if he isn't all smoke and mirrors."

I'm horrified and embarrassed by his joke. "I saw him this morning, I'll have you know! Smoke and mirrors, indeed!"

Our drinks are brought and he chuckles over his hot chocolate—I recognize the smell now, though it is tinted with vintage bernkastel. "Relax, Rouge. I was only kidding. Personally, I think it an insult to my character. You could've asked me yourself." He looks at me darkly over his cup. "That's why you're here, isn't it?" His voice doesn't seem his own in that moment, which throws me off my horse for a second.

I cough, regaining my balance. "Unfortunately, Mr. Sonic, I have indeed come to talk of tragedies."

"Even if you intend for me to call you 'miss,' I insist you continue to call me 'Sonic,' and 'Sonic' only. I'm not even eighteen, and the honorific makes me uncomfortable."

"Very well, Sonic. Shall we talk after dinner?'

"We shall talk during, of course, Ms. Rouge. I don't eat." He leans back in the booth, smiling like a vampire, his legs crossing under the table. I can feel the tip of his sneaker brush my leg by accident as he moves.

"You don't eat, eh?" I thought he'd looked sick! I thought for a moment about the possibility of vampirism existing in him…or if he had the capacity to kill all those people. "Is this a new hobby?"

His smile is gone, and his mouth forms a near-perfect line. Anything this mortal cannot be so precise! I watch his look turn into a glare as he narrows his eyes at me. "New it is. Abandon your ideas of vampirism and homicide! Face real tragedy as you see it before you! I dare you, 'Miss' Rouge, to stare tragedy in the face!"

He is no longer the Sonic that picked me up at the station. Whoever this is-demon, god, or alternate entity—this is not he. And how did he know what I was thinking?

"Very well. We'll talk over dinner." I keep my calm, and I watch his return. He sips guardedly at his drink.

"Mutual respect, Ms. Rouge. Ever heard of it?"

Seven-ten PM, 4 June, 2020

I look up from my overly-decorative pasta dish, only to find him watching—no, studying—me, as if I was a specimen in a lab.

"Does it taste good?" His voice is innocent, and his eyes are hungry. Who knows how many hours this poor soul has gone without food?

"Yes." I watch him back. He doesn't move from his relaxed position against the booth, holding his spiked hot chocolate cup in hand.

"If you don't mind me asking, can you describe the taste?"

"It's wheat pasta, which always tastes grainy to me."

"Mmm, but I like it, though. And the sauce? I smell sauce."

"It just tomato sauce with cheese." I shake my head slowly. He hasn't moved. "I answered your questions. Allow me to ask my own."

"Of course. Please go ahead."

"Can you confirm there was a bomb in Soleana on the day in question?"

"No."

I sighed. "There was evidence of a bomb…"

"It wasn't a bomb," Sonic responded. "It was a person."

"A person?"

"Pardon, I can be specific." He cleared his throat. "Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform."

"Shadow was a bomb?"

"No. He is—was—a living weapon."

"And?"

"He performed an internal Chaos Blast. It tore him apart, like a bomb, from the inside. However, he lost control of his power somehow and killed everyone." His voice is flat, emotionless, as are his eyes, glazed over as if he is blind.

"That explains how it looked like a bomb."

"Yes."

"And the deaths of so many."

"Yes."

"Do you know why?"

"No."

I sighed. "On the day in question, June 3, there was a body found floating in the canal, drowned. It was incorrectly tested and 'found' to be you. News hounds ate it up before it could be corrected. I can't tell you that was the reason Shadow killed everyone-"

"He didn't mean it, honest!"

"—but nonetheless, I need you to confirm this story. Heard of it?"

"I…I had heard about the fake story, yes."

"Do you think this has any connection whatsoever to the deaths?"

"No."

"Did Shadow…" I paused. He waited with inhuman serenity. "Did Shadow…love you?"

I watched him swallow. "I…I don't know."

"Do you think it's a possibility?"

Sonic stood up. "I feel ill. I can't see you anymore tonight. Check, please."

"My supervisor is sponsoring this." I stood up, too. "I'd like to meet you tomorrow, in a field outside of Soleana."

"I know it."

"Good. Will you meet me there?"

He turned around and stared me straight in the face. In a voice so quiet that I had to strain to hear it, he replied: "You will meet me there. But I cannot promise I'll be alive when you get there." Then, he was gone with the wind, and I was armed only with what he had told me.

5 June, 2020

"This is no good! No good at all!" Sonic cried to the sun in the middle of the field. "Damn you, bastard son-of-a-god, show yourself! How many times will you kill me in this field?"

"Many more times, you idiot." The voice which had haunted the boy's worse nightmares materialized out of this air. "But I'll let Iblis stay cold in your body for a while until that detective finds your corpse." Sonic's eyes widened, and the voice giggled. "What fun that will be! It ends her life as well!"

"No! Don't! You-" But Sonic was dead before he could finish, and his killer had gone. Sonic hadn't seen his face.

Again.

Afternoon, 5 June, 2020

"Sonic!" I rushed over to the body, turned it over with my gloves. A horrid vertical gash in his chest, right over the heart, erupted blood. The cut traveled through the chest plate and into his back, just to the left of his back quills. Both ends were bleeding yet, even though he was long dead, his body cold as ice.

I stood, furiously wiping tears from my eyes.

My last informant was dead. And now, the world was over.

Here lies a secret, I'll tell you where to look.

Shh, don't tell! It's only for us two.

I'll tell you where I've hid the key,

If you reveal to me,

The secret which has made me hate you.