Author's Note: Happy birthday to Durarara's resident diva idol, Hijiribe Ruri! It's a shame that she got brainwashed into a man hating cult. (We will be visiting that later.) I figured that we could pay another visit to the Yamato-Yukio comedy hour. I Googled "kodoku" a while back and got more of an idea of a reveal that will be coming here or in Ghosts of Wonderland. We are finally moving forward in this side story. We shall see where it goes in the main story this season. There are three more birthdays left before this side story is done. Next up is Anri's birthday. I already got started on the story, but I just need to refocus on what I am doing. For now, enjoy this latest piece.

Graveyard Hunt

"Why do you hate me so much?" Yamato asked. He held an umbrella over his head as the sleet fell. He was standing in front of a tall iron gate.

"Hate has nothing to do with this," Yukio said in his head. "Just do this one thing and you will be free." Yamato rolled his eyes.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked. The self-proclaimed leader didn't answer. Yamato frowned. Of course he was!

"Whatever," the tadpole muttered. Might as well try to get this over with. Yamato opened the gate. The sign over his head looked like it had seen better days. The brown of the grass and the dead trees didn't make anything look better. Why did he have to come here? Yamato clicked his tongue. What was the point? Why couldn't he do it himself?

"You need something more productive to do." He'd say something like that. This wasn't his problem. Okay, maybe it was. But still.

Yamato began his walk down the path. It's quiet out here. Too quiet. The tadpole's eyes shifted left and right. Not this again. Yamato puffed up his cheeks.

"I'm not in the mood today!" he shouted. "So please… fuck off!" Yamato didn't stop looking around. This was getting old.

What am I looking for again?

Can you feel it?

Feel what?

I don't know. Do you feel anything dark and spooky?

Seriously? That's what they were going by? Whatever.

Yamato looked further down the path. How long was it? This graveyard couldn't be that big. Nature had mostly taken over it. The vines, overgrown grass, and weeds made everything look bigger. Yamato walked past a dirty headstone. He looked at it out of the corner of his eye and sneered. Dead vines surrounded the grave. It would be worse in the summer.

The tadpole looked up among the dead trees.

"I know you are there," he said. "I do not want to play this game." Yamato kept his ears trained around him. A low hum drew his attention down the path. He wished he had brought his crossbow with him. However, this didn't feel threatening. Almost like…

Yamato began to run down the path. He could feel something getting close. The tadpole tried to make out the exact energy he was feeling. Yamato hadn't told the other tadpoles, but he had felt it before. He closed his eyes and took a sniff. There was that earthy dirt scent again.

"Wait a second…" Yamato said. "I know what this is." The tadpole picked up his pace.

Yo, Yukio!

Yeah.

I think I found something. Yamato ran along the bend of the curve. Something else caught his ear as he ran faster. He didn't dare to turn his head. That smell alone triggered a memory from a past loop. The tadpole laughed to himself.

"They really did try this again!" he said. With that, there was only one place to look. It should still be there if he was right. Maybe they could've wised up and hid it better? He doubted it.

Yamato finally came up to what looked like a small shrine on a hill of snow. The energy was so strong here that he about choked. The tadpole took a step back and gagged. Yep. This was it. There it was. Yamato shook his head.

"They didn't even try," he said. He did the easy part. Now to try and dig it up. The tadpole took in a deep breath. Okay, here goes. He took a breath and walked up to the grave. The air seemed to resist against his body. Cuts sank into his face and neck. Still, that didn't stop him. He was going to end this right now.

Yamato dug through the snow mixed with the wet dirt. He should've brought a trowel. He could teleport back and get it. There was no time to think about it. Yamato had to get this done. The boy gritted his teeth as he dug faster.

"Come on! Come on! Come on and show yourself, you bastard!" he hissed. Yamato began to dig faster. If he could still feel pain, this would've stopped him. Instead, he had the motive to keep digging. How far down was it this time?

His fingertips brushed against glass. The heat of the surface drew his attention downward.

"Ha! Found it, you bastards!" the tadpole shouted. He reached into the hole and pulled a small jar glowing a deep orange light. There were so many bug corpses inside. The supposed winner was floating around in the juices. Yamato shook his head.

"Son of a bitch!" he said. How many of them were still left? Yamato raised the jar above his head.

Wait!

The tadpole frowned as he froze. What is it now? Why should I? I just need to break and it all ends!

We need to break them all together.

You've got to be shitting me!

We've got no choice in this case.

Yamato huffed as he lowered the jar. "Fine. I'm coming back to you right now." He turned and walked back down the path with the cursed jar tucked under his arm. Strangely enough, the sinister energy that had been following him around became lighter. The tadpole smirked to himself. It was just as he thought.

This wasn't the first time that a tadpole found a cursed jar hidden somewhere.