Exhausted, gasping for air, and drenched in sweat, Ikko held up his hand. "Enough—enough… I can't…"
He wheezed, slumping against the nearest park wall. Tsukune relented, unclenching his fists. Logically, he knew that this would be easy for a vampire, but it galled Ikko all the same to see him do little more than roll his shoulder at the end of the exercise. The barrier, now stretched all the way up to his neck, shattered with a resounding crack that only he could hear. His mind throbbed, wobbling dangerously with strain.
"That was incredible, Ikko!" he called, jogging over to him.
"You…" Ikko retched. He'd never pushed it so far before, and before breakfast! Forget Moka and her monstrous intent; Tsukune was the real psychopath, with his charming smile and relentless optimism. "That sucked."
"Maybe right now, but you're already past your arm. We'll have that barrier covering you properly in no time."
"We're not stopping!?"
"Well, we are on a bit of a schedule…" he laughed, scratching his head, "We can take a break if you need it."
"A break? I need breakfast! I haven't eaten!"
As they bickered—or rather, as Ikko complained and Tsukune laughed—neither of them noticed Moka approach, phone in hand. "If we're eating," she announced, "We're getting it to go."
"Eh?" Tsukune looked her way, leaving Ikko to slump and continue to catch his breath. "Why? What's happened?"
"That was Gin. Looks like we're getting started a little earlier than planned."
"Is that so?"
"What's going on?" Ikko tried to stand to no avail. His legs slipped out from underneath him, refusing to let him rise. "Is there a problem?"
"I guess we'll find out. Should we head back to the inn?"
Moka disagreed. "Let's head to the youth centre. Haiji's on his way there already. Besides…"
"Besides…?"
She levelled a sympathetic smile Ikko's way. "There's good food on the way."
"Thank god…"
"How is it, every time we split up for more than a couple of hours, you end up looking like crap?"
"Nih to shee yoh tooh, Eshko," Ikko mumbled, his mouth thick with a breakfast burrito.
"Gross."
"Shorree," he swallowed, "Actually, I'm not. This is the first meal I've had all day."
The pair hovered by the wall of a large sports hall, watching on as Gin, Haiji, Moka and Tsukune all spoke urgently into their phones.
"Do you know what's going on?" Ikko asked.
"Missing kid," Etsuko frowned.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah—Su's with the mom right now."
"And he… they—they're monsters?"
Etsuko looked across. "Would it matter if they weren't?"
Ikko tipped his head. "No, I guess not."
"We'll deal with anyone who needs help," she continued, "That's Morioka's policy, and it should be yours, too. We're here to build bridges between humans and monsters, remember?"
"Alright, alright. Point made. Why aren't we out searching?"
"D'you want to go out combing that city inch by inch?" Etsuko chastised. "Let's see what everyone else has to say, first."
Thusly told off, Ikko focussed on what remained of his breakfast until they were called over. "Alright, we're live," shouted Tsukune, "Come here, you two."
They arrived at a loose circle of three smartphones, each with a call open. "Alright," Gin began, "Who've we got?"
"Koko here—and I've got Fangfang, Lingling, and Yukari."
"Mizore, with Kurumu and Ruby."
"Kia here—San and Mrs. Kawamoto are with me."
"That's everyone," Tsukune confirmed, "We're at the youth centre with Haiji, Moka, Ikko, Yanase, and you've heard Gin. Su's with our contact."
"I'll go get her," said Moka, marching off.
"We've got a missing child reported," Gin explained, watching her leave, "Name's Haruhiko Yashiki, he's thirteen. Kid's wet, cold, hungry, and in a lot of trouble if we don't move fast."
"How long has he been missing?" asked Ruby.
"Let's call it twenty-four hours. He was supposed to be at a friend's but never arrived. Hasn't answered his phone, either."
"He was out in the storm?" Koko asked, incredulous.
Gin replied, "His friend only lives down the road, or so Miss Yashiki says. Either way, we've got our work cut out for us."
Moka entered the hall with Su just behind, her arm around a short woman made shorter by how she hunched over. Her hair bedraggled and still drying from what must have been a night out searching, she clutched a phone tight in white-knuckled hands.
"Miss Yashiki," Tsukune called, letting those on the phone know she'd arrived. He extended a hand to her when she drew close enough. "I'm Tsukune Aono, a friend of Gin's. We're here to help you find your son."
Miss Yashiki mumbled thanks, her voice hoarse, and she clasped his hand. Su let her go and found her a chair to rest in. "We were just about to start discussing our plans," Tsukune continued, turning back to the group, "Ideas?"
"A hematomantic tracking spell is my primary recommendation," said Yukari, "Had we a shikigami, we could modify it to home in on his approximate location."
"What's that?" Miss Yashiki asked, looking up from her phone.
"Ruby here," she answered, "It's a spell that uses a small sample of blood. Ordinarily we'd use the target's, but blood relatives can be used to locate each other with the right adjustments."
"That won't work," she stammered, "Haruhiko and I aren't related by blood."
"Adopted?"
She nodded, confirming it. Ikko folded his arms, listening.
Haiji spoke next. "Let's get the word out. Do you have a photo we can use?"
She fumbled with her phone, pulling up a photo of her hugging a young boy in a school uniform. Ikko tried to get a good look. The pair looked nothing alike, but they both looked happy. Auburn hair, hazel eyes, and already taller than her even at his young age.
"Could you send that to me?" asked Haiji, sharing his number, "Marin?"
"On it," Marin responded. Shuffling on her end of the line told them she was heading off.
"We'll get missing persons posters up and I'll circulate the photo to each of you. I'll call on some of the club kids to help spread the word. Now that the weather's cleared, we should be able to search unimpeded."
Ikko closed his arms tighter, looking down at the floor. A question no-one seemed to want to ask hovered on the tip of his tongue, and for Miss Yashiki's sake he held it back as best he could.
"There are other things we can try besides outreach," Ruby added in, as the plan to print posters and distribute them started to gain traction, "Miss Yashiki, would it be alright if a handful of us met at your home?"
"Why?"
"There may be something we can use besides blood that can guide us to Haruhiko. A place that is lived in is a place we can examine. With your permission, of course."
"Yes—yes, of course. Anything you need."
"Thank you. Ikko, Yukari, Mizore, if you'd be so kind?"
"Me?" Ikko broke from his thoughts.
"You have the shikigami that we'd need."
"O-oh, yeah. Okay."
"I'll come too," Su announced.
"Good plan," Tsukune replied. "Let's get… Koko, Fangfang, Lingling. You three come here and keep the lines open so we can get a hold of anyone quickly. Moka, Gin, Haiji, Etsuko and I will handle outreach around the centre. San, Kia, Marin, Kurumu, I don't know how many vacationers are going to be looking for a missing child, but it doesn't hurt to capitalise on the crowds. See what you can find."
"You got it."
The group mobilized with amazing rapidity. Before he could be wrapped up in the trip to the Yashiki household, Ikko latched onto the question he wanted to ask and strode up to Tsukune and Moka. Gin, nearby, caught the urgency in his eyes. "Can I ask something?"
Moka watched him, frowning. He looked nervously back to Miss Yashiki, still in earshot. "This way."
They moved surreptitiously closer to the corner of the hall. Tsukune broke off to help Haiji and Etsuko. Left with Moka and Gin, Ikko folded his arms. "You two have been doing this a bit longer than me," he began, "So I might be wildly off the mark, but…"
"What?"
"A-are we sure he's missing?"
Gin's expression darkened. "Go on?"
"Well, he was due at a friend's just down the road, in the heart of a massive storm. He goes missing and isn't answering his phone. It seems unlikely that he'd get lost if it's so close, right? It's not just me thinking that?"
Moka lowered her voice. "You're suggesting he ran away?"
"Maybe. Or… maybe—"
"Someone else found him." Gin finished.
Ikko nodded.
Moka exhaled sharply through her nose. "Storm's a good cover for a predator… It's not outside the realm of possibility, but there's nothing we can do to substantiate that."
"Maybe not directly," Ikko ventured, "Do monster communities outside of Yokai operate things like Notable lists?"
"How do you know about those?" Moka arched an eyebrow.
"Ruby and Mizore," he said, stopping short of adding his direct experience to that list.
"We don't," Gin chewed his lip, "Centralizing that kinda info is dangerous without proper precautions. The Huangs, though… I'll stick around and ask them to cast a quiet net. Maybe they know someone who knows someone."
"As for the other possibility," Moka fixed Ikko with a searching look, "Can we rely on you to check that?"
"How?"
"You're going to his home," she explained, "Use that opportunity—but discreetly, Ikko. Miss Yashiki's been through enough already. We don't want to lose her trust by casting premature suspicions, understand?"
"A-alright. I think I can do that."
"Ikko!" Su called, "We're leaving!"
"I'll text you anything we find," Gin said, patting Ikko on the shoulder, "Nice call, kid."
"Hardly nice," Ikko murmured, "Suggesting he might be… y'know."
"It's a question that needed asking," Moka assured, "But we have to hope that it's not true. Let's hold to that until we know for sure."
"Right."
Miss Yashiki lived in an apartment complex not far from the youth centre. Su, Ikko and she arrived at the same time as a taxi pulled up. Mizore, Ruby and Yukari alighted, the latter of the group clutching her broad-rimmed witch's hat as it struggled to escape the roof of the vehicle. They made introductions and then headed straight up to Miss Yashiki's home.
"Come on in," said Miss Yashiki, pushing into the apartment, "It's a bit of a squeeze. I don't think I've ever had so many guests at once…"
"We'll manage." Ruby smiled kindly.
"Did I interrupt your holidays?" she replied, noting the beachwear that she and Mizore wore.
"Oh, no, not at all. We're just dressed for the weather."
"I'm sorry—I'll make some tea."
"I'll take care of that," Su insisted, "You sit yourself down, Miss Yashiki. You've done plenty already. Let us handle things from here."
"O-okay. It's straight through."
They began to disperse through the apartment. Ikko took stock of the rooms. Studio kitchen, two bedrooms, small lounge, bathroom… just about enough for a single mother and her son. Photos of the pair at different events littered the apartment. School plays, theme parks, tourist destinations. Smiles in each and every one.
His gut churned. Ikko folded his arms, staying silent for the moment.
Ruby spoke. "We'll need some kind of personal item. Do you mind if we start looking for something we can use?"
"Of course. He's—his room is the first in."
Ruby and Yukari filtered away. Ikko looked to Mizore, lingering in the corner of the room, unsure of where to put herself. He smiled when she saw him looking. "M-miss Yashiki?" he said, sitting down on the couch opposite her.
"Yes?"
"My name's Ikko. Ikko Akada."
"It's nice to meet you, Ikko."
"And you. I, uh… whilst they look around, would it be okay if I asked some questions?"
"About?"
"You and your son."
Her hands curled tighter about her phone. She hadn't let it go, not once.
"Please, don't misunderstand," Ikko hastened to add, "It's just… if he's gone missing, maybe there's somewhere familiar he might wait things out. Maybe he went to another friend's house, or maybe there's a detail that could help us find him quicker."
Trembling, she nodded.
Ikko took a breath, steeling himself for the question that came next. "You… said you and your son aren't related."
"That's right."
"If I might ask… what species are you two?"
Miss Yashiki tensed. "I'm a rusalka. He… Haruhiko is a human."
"He's human?" Mizore repeated, stepping away from the corner.
Her head quaked in what Ikko presumed was a nod.
"Does he know about you?"
"I don't keep any secrets from my son," she replied, "He's known about my nature since the day I adopted him."
Ikko pursed his lips, thoughtful. "Does he have much contact with monsters outside of you?"
She shook her head. "I work two jobs, so we don't have a lot of time for friends. I try and encourage him at school, but he's a quiet boy. Keeps to himself."
"Then, this friend of his?"
"Someone he plays games with," Miss Yashiki said, "They've been playing for a little while now."
"And is he…"
"Human."
As far as she knew, Ikko thought. He tried something else. "Where does he like to hang out?"
"Here, at home," she replied, "Like I said, he's a quiet boy. If he's not playing games here, he's playing games with his friend. They go shopping every so often, but that's it."
He drew a blank. The conclusion he was trying to drive at didn't hold up under how little she told him, and Moka's warning rang clear in his mind. Digging any deeper seemed like a bad idea, and yet…
"Does he have his own computer?" Mizore asked.
"It's in his room."
"Would you mind if we looked?"
She shook her head, saying no more. Mizore touched Ikko lightly on the shoulder, suggesting they move as Su returned with tea.
Haruhiko's room could well have been Ikko's. Only the gorgeous summer sun pouring in from the window told him that he wasn't at his dorm at Yokai. A single, unmade bed. A simple desk stacked with laptop, monitor, and games console. Bare wardrobe. Few books.
"We're just about ready," Ruby said as the pair shuffled in, clutching a few strands of hair, "Ikko, can I borrow White?"
He held out his wrist, tapping the shikigami on the eye so that she woke up. She hopped onto Ruby's arm as she and Yukari passed, leaving them to the room.
Ikko wandered in. Mizore held by the door, pushing it closed. He caught the first gasps of Miss Yashiki sobbing as she did so. "You okay?" she whispered.
"No," Ikko replied, fidgeting, "No, but this kid's even less okay than I am. Me freaking out isn't going to fix that."
"We can freak out together later," she assured, "For now, let me ask; why all the questions?"
He relayed the theories he'd shared with Gin and Moka. Mizore listened with a grim expression, her eyes hardening. "The girls have locating him well in hand," she eventually said, when he finished, "Let's see what we can find out about him before we start searching."
Ikko took a seat at the desk, opening up the laptop. Wiggling the mouse brought up the login screen; a keystroke was enough to unlock it. "Trusts his mom," he murmured.
"Hm?"
"No password."
"Wow."
"He's a kid."
"I guess, but wow."
Feeling slimy for doing so, Ikko did his best to compartmentalize and opened up Haruhiko's internet history. He bounced off the usual suspects, for his social media and forums turned out to be more stringently protected than the window in.
"Couple've comics," Mizore murmured behind him, "Nothing under the bed."
"He's a fan of Under Moonlight," Ikko narrated his journey through his searches, "When he's not gaming, looks like he's researching monsters."
"You think?"
"If my mom was a monster and I wasn't, I'd be curious too."
He picked a page at random and loaded it up. Articles about goings on in the world of monsters, guarded by deliberately vague and euphemistic language aplenty, filled the next few minutes. If he didn't know better, he mused, he'd dismiss the writers as crazy along with everyone else.
"You think she encouraged this?" she asked, opening the wardrobe.
"Maybe," he replied, "It'd be a good way to bond, I guess. He's dipping his toes into a world much weirder than any human kid's."
He clicked back to Haruhiko's search history, and was about to dismiss everything as normal—or as normal as a kid in his situation could be—when something caught his eye. A thumbnail ever so slightly different to Under Moonlight's, with a red moon hiding behind the clouds as opposed to a silver one. "Hey, Mizore."
"Hm?"
"Does Under Moonlight have a sister site?"
"No. Why?"
He clicked. The webpage that loaded gave him enough of a shock that he made an involuntary gasp. "Mizore."
"Nothing over here."
"No—no, Mizore. Mizore, c'mere."
"What is it?" She stood, and leaned over Ikko's shoulder to take a look at the page he'd loaded. "Oh… oh my god."
His mouse hovered over a photo neither wanted to see. A body—a human body—with something hunched over it. Gore dripped from the fangs of a distended jaw.
Mizore covered her mouth. "What is this?"
"It was just on his browser. I didn't think…" Ikko scrolled up to the top of the page.
A bolt of pain shot through his shoulder. Mizore's nails bit into flesh. "Ah, agh—watch it!"
She ignored him. She jolted for the door, and called for Ruby and Yukari.
Ikko searched the page for whatever could have startled her so much, finding the only discrepancy to be the content of the site and the title decorating it.
"Fairy Tale…?"
A/N: I remember the last time I got this deep into a Rosa-Vam fic, Season II hadn't quite wrapped up. Now that it has, I have a lot of things to play with.
It does mean there's a lot of characters, though, and it's tough to fit them all into the limelight. I'm sorry if your favourites aren't quite nudging in!
I hope you enjoyed chapter 34!