Chapter Text
Looking up with eyes filled with wonder, the youngest Moriarty smiled. The others followed her gaze, but there was nothing to be seen- yet. Grey clouds were crowded overhead, and the heavy rain that had been tormenting them since the morning had stopped.
“A falling star?” Amamiya asked, her brows furrowed in scepticism.
Unable to contain himself, Garcia burst out: “No way! Are ya saying an asteroid is gonna hit and that’s the end for us?!”
Alice didn’t bother with a reply.
“Hey!”
Kissaki menacingly pulled at their sword.
“M-My bad!” Garcia immediately apologized.
Kissaki turned back to Alice, who still hadn’t moved. “Alice,” they said, voice distorted and gravelly, “It’s time to escape.”
“Escape?!” Garcia was shocked. “From the beginning you were planning to run away and leave us behind no matter who won, eh?!” Zaion said, words dripping with contempt.
“Why don’t you guys escape too? You may be able to make it back just in time.” The girl said, not turning around.
?!
“Make it out in time? What do you mean?” Amamiya asked.
“The unmanned ship that you used when you came to this island has arrived at the port…” Alice paused. “And it’ll leave soon.”
Zaion interrupted, her eyes frantically jumping from corner to corner. “But what’s the point?! If an asteroid hits Earth, it’d kill all living things, right?!”
“Well,” Ron started, “It depends on the size of the asteroid…. But in the first place I can’t believe it’s a real asteroid….”
Biting her lip nervously, Gojazu muttered. “The prophecy about the island being destroyed really came true….”
Amamiya looked at her in shock- she had completely forgotten that the Church head had predicted this. “…Wha-“
“Anyways!” Toto yelled, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Let’s get out of here! All we can do right now is what we can!”
Immediately, Garcia took off. “We can’t stay here!” were his last words before he disappeared into the forest. Zaion followed him, leaving behind everyone else.
“Kissaki.”
The guard stood beside Alice, still as a statue.
“You can go ahead and escape. I’m relieving you from your duty as the Moriarty’s guard.”
They said nothing, staring down at Moriarty. Then, without a word, Kissaki took off, walking into the dense greenry, and soon they were gone.
“Alice, aren’t you going to flee too?” Ron asked.
The wind picked up, and her hood fell off. “I don’t care anymore.”
Looking up once more, something caught Amamiya’s eye. “What’s that?” At her words, everyone else craned their necks upwards. “Something’s glowing….” Zapata said, eyes wide with fear. The sky sparkled.
“Awesome. The ancestor’s calculations hit the mark.” Alice smiled.
A streak of blinding light tore its way through the clouds and landed just beyond the clock chairs, on top of a small hill. A resonating “BOOM” echoed, and the shockwave scattered across the island.
Various exclamations began pouring out, and Eliott deciphered the true nature of the falling star.
“That wasn’t an asteroid...” Another heavenward sparkle cut him off. “Here it comes! Everyone duck!”
The next star crashed right amidst them, sending everyone flying backwards. Multiple areas were hit, and the sounds overlapped. Ears ringing and vision hazy, Toto pushed himself up, coughing.
“Is everyone alright?!” Kamonohashi rushed over towards them. It wasn’t until he had made it two steps before Winter rushed over to where Amamiya laid. She wasn’t moving.
“Amamiya!”
Ankle aching, Isshiki limped as fast as he could over. Was she-? “Senpai!” Winter was checking her pulse, and he leaned down to see check the other’s breathing. “She’s still breathing! Just unconscious!” Winter reported. Her tight grip on the woman slightly loosened as she exhaled in relief.
Phew-
A crunch of gravel had Toto and Ron whipping their heads around. Alice, still unscathed, was walking away into the forest. If she didn’t get off the island, she was sure to die.
“Alice!” Kamonohashi called out, a jagged edge to his tone. Despite all she had done, they couldn’t let her just die. “Where are you going?!”
His words seemed to have an effect; for a moment, she stopped and looked back, her watercolour eyes shining. The moment passed, and they hardened back to the cruel visage of the killer that they knew. “Ron… You’ve won. Anything else you want?”
Her answer took him aback- before he could properly formulate a response, Alice had already turned her back and made her way amidst the trees. “I want to be alone.”
“Wait- Alice-!“ Ron tried to run after her.
“RON!”
Bits of rocks flew everywhere, and dust arose once more. The ground beneath was almost gone, the stone floor cracking open to reveal… a sort of inky dark hole beneath? Lifting his head with a groan, Ron looked around- only to see his father lying down beside him, his breathing laboured.
“Dad!” Eliot was bleeding, his head cracked open from the impact. But atleast he was alive.
Blue eyes rolled in and out of focus as he tried to look at his son. “Run…Ron..” Eliot lost consciousness, his head tipping back. “Dammit!” Kamonohashi swore, his hands slightly shaking from the adrenaline. If this kept up-
“RON!”
Toto’s familiar voice jolted him out of his imminent thoughts. He turned back to find the brunet waving at him. “Toto! What-?”
The latter interrupted him. “Carry your father!” Then directing his words at the other pair, “Winter, you carry Amamiya-senpai and go to the port!”
Pulling up Amamiya, Winter beat Ron to the obvious: “What about you, Isshiki?!”
Toto pointed into the forest. “I’ll bring Alice back!”
What? “That’s reckless!” Ron shouted back. You’ll die if you go in there!
“We don’t have time! Hurry up!” Toto was just about to turn around and go in when-
“Toto wait!!” Ron was grasping at straws, anything, anything to stop him from killing himself like the stupid idiot that he was-
Isshiki paused. Then he looked at Ron, and for a second the world seemed to freeze. He had accepted his fate. And in that moment, Ron knew- Toto would much rather die trying to save a murderer than leave anyone behind. Even if he died in her stead, he’d be content. He’s willing to give up his life, like the self-sacrificial bastard that he was.
Even if he mouthed the words “I’ll be fine”, even if he gave Ron a reassuring smile, he knew.
Before Kamonohashi could say anything more, another star struck the space between them, and as soon as the dust cleared, he was frantically searching for the brunet. Off in the distance, Toto waved back to show he was fine, and limped into the forest.
The smell of smoke permeated the air. Trees were on fire and the grass was blackened underneath Toto’s shoes. Tiny pieces of rocks went scattering as he hurriedly tried to find Alice, and within a few minutes he found her, slowly walking forward through a clearing as she looked up at the sky.
“Alice!”
She didn’t respond. Toto finally got close enough to her to grab her shoulder and shake her out of her trance. “ I said wait!” He was slightly panting, having pushed his body nearly to its limit. The injured leg throbbed in response, but he ignored it.
“ Why did you come here?” Alice’s eyes were glassy, devoid of life as she looked at him. The sight caused goosebumps to erupt along Toto’s skin- what kind of events do you have to go through to look like that? Especially for someone as young as her? A pang of sympathy shot through his chest.
“ We’ll escape together!” Toto was about to say more when Alice cut him off. “That’s enough, sensei. You were right.”
“Huh?”
She looked away, gaze distant. “I can’t make anyone happy. I never have.”
Silence. Toto thought of saying something when it suddenly clicked to him. “You can’t say that. I’m sure… I’m sure you made your mother very happy when you were born.”
Alice’s eyes widened for the fraction of a second, as she took in his words. Rummaging through her memories, she found the one she was looking for- her mother’s face, as she looked down at Alice in her cradle. The bright smile she wore and in that moment, Alice believed Isshiki’s words.
“Mother…” A tear made its way down her face.
Her dear mother, who she loved more than anyone in the world. How much she suffered, trapped in a miserable marriage. Oh mother dearest…
“What would your mother think if you were to waste your life?”
Wiping away her tears, Alice asked him in a shaky voice, “Why are you trying to help me? So you can force me to live and pay for my sins?
“Huh?” Toto looked shocked. “I wouldn’t act with that in mind.”
Alice giggled, some resemblance of her former self returning. “Teehee, I know. You really are a pure idiot~”
“What?!”
"But I still don't get it," Alice said, once again serious. "Why are you doing this? I'm a murderer. You don't have anything to gain from this. If anything, I'm better off dead. I will be sentenced to death if the World Detective Alliance gets a hold of me. So, why? Why risk your life for a killer?"
She had hit the nail right on the head. Why did he run after her? She took so many lives, without remorse. All for a twisted sense of love and vengeance. It was only right she died, correct?
“Because you’re still young. You made terrible choices and took people’s lives, all based on a delusion and you’ll serve your sentence. It’ll be unfair to not give you a second chance now that the truth has come to light.” His voice was surprisingly steady despite the chaos around them. “No one deserves to be left behind. You have so much to live for.”
She looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. “You really think someone like me deserves a second chance?”
“I do. Even now, you let go of your bodyguard because you wanted them to survive, right? And your animals- that proves that deep within, you still care. I think that is worth living for.” Toto looked at her straight in the eyes. “You can still be more than a murderer, Alice.”
Are you truly going to keep on lying to her?
She looked at him for a few seconds, not quite sure what to make of his words. “Can I make a revision? The answer to the riddle, ‘The opposite of a detective.”
Taken aback by her answer, Toto dumbly nodded. “S-sure, go ahead..?”
“At first, the answer was Ron who couldn’t be a detective even if he wanted to. But he turned out to be a way better detective than expected. So, the answer is the opposing person.” Alice locked her gaze on Isshiki. “Ron’s partner who has what he doesn’t and makes up for it…It’s you, Isshiki Totomaru.”
The latter stared at her, unable to come up with a reply. What an unexpected answer…
Down by the port, inside the yacht, Gojazu stirred awake. “Ugh..” Zapata was sitting by her side and immediately was checking the Head. “Are you awake, Gojazu-sama?” Sitting up, her head spun. “W..What happened?”
“We managed to make it to the ship and were able to escape!” Zapata exclaimed in relief. “What about the others?” Gojazu asked.
“I don’t know if everyone is safe… But Isshiki-san isn’t here yet..”
Over in the other part of the ship, the unconscious Amamiya and Eliot were laid down. Kamonohashi crouched down along with Winter. “I leave the rest to you.” He got up, knees creaking in protest. Ron really needed to lay down, lest he overexert his body and pull a muscle. But he couldn’t rest now.
“Where are you going?!” Winter asked him, surprised that the other was willing to go back in what was essentially a fiery landscape. If he went in, there was no guarantee he was making it out.
“I’m gonna look for Toto.” He was about to leave when- “Wait, Kamonohashi! I’m going to look for Alice too!” Winter winced as she got up, clutching the wound in her abdomen. Kamonohashi eyed her critically. “Don’t worry. Toto would never leave her. Besides,” he pointed at the wound, “you’re bleeding. You’ll just be a burden.”
Looking down, she noticed at Kamonohashi was right- the stain was getting larger and larger. “The island is hell. You have little chance of making it back alive.”
“That’s exactly why,” Ron turned around and ran off, “I can’t leave my partner in there for a second.” He jumped out of the boat and was running the down the pier as Winter called after him to no avail.
“Hey look!” Garcia yelled, looking up. “This time, there’s so many of them!”
Zaion shrieked. “The stars are falling!”
Multiple pinpricks of light illuminated the sky, just beyond the grey cloud. Back on the island, Alice and Toto were making their way back when they looked up. All of the stars were headed their way.
Blue eyes widened in horror as the falling asteroids crashed into the island, all at once, striking multiple places.
“What a pity…” Zapata leaned against Gojazu, both of their eyes closed, unable to look at what was most likely Toto’s final resting place.
The stars fell, and they kept on falling, determined to turn the island into nothing but a barren wasteland. The groaning of wood as the trees fell, the crack as the cottages broke and the snap of the stone chairs filled the air with a haunting melody of ruin. Alongside the note of the asteroids falling, the bright orange fire consumed all, leaving nothing but ashes in its trail.
From the distance, Spitz, Kei and Knight looked on, half in horror, and half in disbelief.
The Time Island had now become a scene straight out of hell, and the only thing that repeated in Ron’s mind as he stared at the devastated land, was that Toto was still in there.
Toto was still in there.
Toto was still-