Persona 4

by The Celestial Sky Dragon

{This is an experimental fic so don't judge me to harshly} Alexander Winchester didn't know what to expect when he missed his train stop. Now finding himself in Inaba, right after the mysterious murders were solved he is going to learn about the dense fog that had once covered the small town. However, just because a mystery was solved doesn't mean another one can't take it's place

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to my first chapter of this experimental Persona 4 fanfiction. I hadn't considered doing a story for this series, due to the fact that it had been years since I had played the game, back in the good old Playstation 2 days, but recently, I picked up Persona 4 Golden on my Vita and watched the anime, and decided to try to write something for this series. Bare with me, as this is all experimental of course. The main character this time around will be named Alexander Winchester, and he is an American exchange student coming into the small town of Inaba. This takes place a month after Yu Narukami leaves Inaba after his year long stay. It's gonna be mostly original, I suppose...this time around there isn't going to be a Fool Arcana since that belongs to Yu, Alex has been given the Moon Arcana, so there won't be social links, other than with the Investigation Team. As for his Persona, I had a hard time deciding, and still am, his persona won't be decided until chapter two, as I am looking through the ones in the Moon Arcana, though I am most likely sticking with Seth as his persona, cuz dragons are cool.

But anyway, don't hate on me as this is the first Persona fic I am writing, let me know how I did and what I can change if anything. As for the pairing for this story, I'm stuck between Yukiko and Rise, haven't decided yet, but if you have any ideas, I am always open to hearing them, no flames though.

And Now, I bring you...chapter 1 of Persona 4...

Bold Italics: English

Italics: Inner Thoughts/Velvet Room Conversations.

Persona 4

Chapter 1

It all started with a wrong train stop

My vision was hazy when I opened my eyes. I wasn't able to see anything for a few tense seconds. My vision slowly started to clear, and I found myself in a rather peculiar room. I looked around me, seeing nothing but blue velvet. I saw large parlor windows around the back side of this mysterious room, with a weird hazy mass right past the glass. Even staring at it, it had a calming yet curious feel to it. Looking down, I saw a rack filled with expensive looking wines and champagne, along with several fancy drinking glasses. On the right side of the room was a leather couch, with thick buttons on it, forming square like sections on it, it looked rather cushiony, and no one was sitting on it. In front of me was a rather large glass table, which was a light blue in color, and seemed to glow with an energy I couldn't exactly understand. Above the table was a beautiful glass chandelier, which was also glowing a light blue in color. To me, it seemed as if I were sitting in a ballroom, the fanciest one I had ever been in apparently. We were in the center of the room, but it was large enough to fit hundreds of people inside it. The blue drapes next to the windows stretched high above me, from the floor straight to the ceiling.

Behind the table, sat a short portly man. He had pale colored skin, and gray hair, which had thinned to the sides of his head, leaving the top fully bald. He had thick brows, knitted together, his large eyes focused solely on me. He had a large angled nose, making it look almost like the beak of a bird, surely that served to attract attention, whether good or bad, I didn't knock. He was wearing a dark blue suit, which seemed to match the rest of the room. He was wearing a white shirt underneath, the collar folded over the bright blue tie he was wearing. He wore matching slacks, which were raised slightly to reveal his black socks. He wore black oxford shoes, barely visible from behind the table. His hands were resting under his chin, barely hiding a smirk.

Beside him sat a rather alluring young woman, with long curled hair, which fell past her shoulders, resting at her mid back. She was wearing a bright blue business suit, with bright golden buttons on it. The arms had thick black crossing lines, forming a sort of checkered pattern. She wore a short skirt, which reached down to her knees. She wore a thin panty hose, light purple in color, with a fishnet design. Her outfit was completed with a bright blue pair of heels, which were rather thin, and I wondered how exactly she could stand on them. She was holding a tome in her hands, the cover of which I couldn't see from where I sat.

I noticed that I couldn't exactly move from my spot, as if I were glued in place. I could move my head slightly, allowing me to gaze around the room, but that was it. I couldn't exactly move my arms or my legs, almost as if they didn't even exist in this plane of existence.

The man, finally content with staring, finally moved, allowing me to fully gaze at his form. I hadn't ever seen someone like him, only in stories and movies, never in real life. Then again, this didn't seem like real life to me.

"Welcome dear guest, to the Velvet Room. This room exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Only those who have formed a contract may enter this room. And while normally that would be so, it seems you've come here due to a different reason. It seems fate has something quite interesting in store for you. Now then, why don't you introduce yourself?" the man said, looking directly at me. I don't know why I felt so nervous all of a sudden, it was a basic question, the man wanted to know my name and yet, it felt like the most nerve wracking thing I had ever been asked. I took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"My name...my name is Alexander Winchester." I reply, my voice sounding smooth and calm. It betrayed my nerves at least..and I was surprised to have answered so clearly.

"Ah, I see, a fine name indeed. My name is Igor, and it is very nice to meet you! Now then, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" he asked. The center of the table glowed a bit, and I noticed a deck of cards formed in front of him, out of thin air. Looking closely, I noticed the stained glass design on the back. Tarot cards...I wasn't one to pay much attention to fortune telling, but I did find it rather fascinating. I had never gotten a reading in my life though, but I did know how it worked.

"Do you believe in fortune telling?" he asked. The question hung in the air for a second, as he wove his hand over the cards, magically separating them into different stacks.

"Um well, I haven't exactly had my fortune read to me before, but I do find tarot readings very interesting. I know about the 22 major arcana and there are 56 minor arcana, separated into four suits. Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles." I said honestly. Like I said before, I found the subject quite interesting, so I had done research on it in the past. The woman gave a quite chuckle, most likely amused with my answer. It seemed Igor was impressed as well with my answer.

"Very good, not many that come here are knowledgeable on matters such as these. It is a breath of fresh air to see a young man with knowledge on this subject. Now then, let us begin. Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different, life follows the same principle doesn't it?" he asked, chuckling a bit when I gave him a nod. He was about to reach for the cards before him when he turned to me, a smile on his face.

"Would you like to pick the card? I don't always do this, but your knowledge on this matter has piqued my interest." he said firmly. As if it had been there the entire time, I felt my arm quickly reach for the cards in front of the man. My hand rested on the one he was about to select, and I flipped it over, revealing the Tower Arcana.

"Upright Tower...that card means that a great catastrophe is about to happen." I mutter dryly.

"Very good, it seems something is going to happen. The card that follows it, if you would." Igor said, allowing me to select the next card. My breath hitched a bit when I was greeted with one of the most feared cards in the deck.

"The Death Arcana. I can tell by your reaction that you were not expecting this card...do you understand it's meaning?" Igor asked curiously. I gave him a curt nod.

"It means that there is going to be a significant change, something will end, before something new can begin. Where ever it is I'm going, something has ended, and my arrival will be a new beginning." I said firmly. The man didn't say anything, and gestured for me to take a final card. I was aware that most fortunes were between two to five cards, but usually only two cards were read, depending on the person doing the reading. After that last card, I was sort of nervous about what card I would pick next. Instead of just waiting, I just grabbed another card, the Moon Arcana.

This card was odd to me, I felt something resonate with me when I selected that card in particular, like something inside of me had just woken up. I didn't understand it, it was a weird presence that was there, as if it had been there my entire life and yet only now was it being noticed. I shook it off, and thought a little about what the card meant.

"The Moon Arcana, a card that has an air of mystery around it. It's a card of illusion, fear and insecurity. The place I will be heading too will have a mystery surrounding it, one that was thought solved. My own insecurities and fears will interfere with it." I said simply. Igor nodded, leaning back on his seat.

"It seems a great catastrophe will occur at your destination, and this catastrophe will not only change you, but it will change those around you as well, something has ended, and your arrival will be the beginning of something new. This new mystery will bring about your insecurities, but you will indeed overcome them, with help from those around you. That is what I see within these cards." Igor said firmly, summarizing the fortune I had just gotten. I was a bit unsure, but it seemed as if he had done this before, so I took his word for it.

"You will return here after forming a contract, it also seems as if the next year will be a turning point in your destiny, and if this mystery goes unsolved, your future maybe forever lost. My duty is to provide all of our guests with assistance so that does not happen." he said firmly, making his cards disappear. He looked to his right, nodding firmly to the woman next to him.

"It seems I have neglected to introduce my assistant. This is Margaret, she like myself is a resident of this room."

"My name is Margaret, my job is to accompany you throughout this journey. It is a pleasure to meet you, Alexander." the woman said, giving me a polite bow., I blushed a bit, looking at the far side of the room.

"N-Nice to meet you too Miss Margaret. Please no need to be so formal, Alex will be just fine. The same goes to you Mister Igor, I would like you to call me Alex for short." I said nervously.

"As you wish. There is a lot that will be discussed in our next meeting. Until next time, farewell..."

As if by an unknown force, I was made to leave the plush velvet room, once again returning to my unconsciousness.

Xxx

(April 10th 2012)

A young man stirred out of his short nap, looking around in confusion. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, noticing the train car he was in was just about empty. He let out a muffled yawn as his vision refocused. Looking outside the window, he saw lush green trees and light colored flower petals flying past him at high speed, as the train made it's way along the tracks.

He shook his head a bit, his long black hair falling into his eyes. He brushed it aside, fixing his beanie which had shifted during his nap. He was wearing a light black sweatshirt, with thin leather arms and black cuffs. It had a baggy hood, which was black in color and a bit faded with age. The front of the sweater didn't have any significant designs on it, other than the zippers which kept the pockets closed. He was wearing a pair of black slim straight jeans, held in place with a purple and green seat belt, which had the name of his favorite band written on it in bold letters, the buckle of the belt featured a white skull on it. He was wearing a pair of worn sneakers, black converse, the top parts being a bit scuffed. He wore bright pink shoe laces, which popped out more than anything else he was wearing. Around his neck was a pair of bright green Beats headphones around his neck, with a thin cord running through his sweater into his Iphone 4S which was resting inside his sweater pocket. He had shut his music off when the train was still filled, as to not bother the other travelers, but now that the train was nearly empty, he turned his music back on, though he kept it down low. He stretched a bit, leaning back in his seat.

This young man was named Alexander Winchester, and he was a foreign exchange student. For one school year, he would be studying in the nation of Japan. He had been one of six students from the sophomore class to be selected for the journey. Three others from his class were lucky enough to win the same contest he had. Those with honors and high honors in their school were allowed to apply for the exchange student program, however this year had been a little different. The names of all the students had been placed in large drums and spun before a name was selected. It just so happened that his name was picked, so he had gotten his spot due to pure luck. He still didn't know how he had won, but it seemed fate had plans in store for him.

He was a young man of seventeen, with average grades across the board. He was from a normal high school, with normal students, but he didn't have a normal life.

From a young age, he had been separated from his mother, due to a divorce that his parents had. He had been living with his father since, and he had remarried countless times, only to divorce a couple years after. He had at least six different mothers in the last seven years, all of them in varying degrees of character. Some were nice, others were indifferent, and others were completely horrible with him. He had long since stopped caring about them. There was one nice woman that he barely remembered in his life, but he had liked her the most out of all the ones his father had married. She had treated him like her own son right from the beginning, and even had a daughter of her own.

His own mother was too busy with her own life to care about him, so she had never been there for him, so the presence of this woman was something that he very much appreciated in his life.

Growing up without parents wasn't off putting, in fact it taught him about responsibilities. His father didn't care to teach him anything, so he learned it himself, thus his intellect was quite high, and his curiosity was something that he very much loved about himself. He would always ask questions, always sought out the correct answer, and always wanted to know the truth. It was also what drove him to his love of literature. Sherlock Holmes was one of his favorite series, but he also loved reading fantasy novels. He had actually written things in the past, but never found enough courage to publish them.

That's why when he was told he had won this trip, he had jumped at the chance to go. The process had been hell, and getting a visa from the American and Japanese Embassy had been hell, but here he was, on a train to Sagamihara, where he would be spending his next year. He wasn't able to find a family willing to take him, so he would be staying in a local temple, where other students from the local high school stayed together. So long as he helped around the temple and kept it clean, he could stay for as long as he wanted.

Learning Japanese wasn't as difficult as one would think. If you were invested in something, you would be able to learn it. Thankfully, he had started to learn the language when he was twelve, and he was fully fluent in it, and could understand it without question. Reading and writing it though, that was something he still struggled with. When he had started learning it, he glossed over the most important parts of learning a language, so he hadn't started reading and writing it until the previous year. He was able to understand most of the hiragana used daily, so he figured it wouldn't be an issue.

"Last stop, Yasoinaba station. Please gather all personal belongings and get ready for departure. Last stop, Yasoinaba station."

Alex looked up at the speakers, his brows furrowed a bit. He stood up and grabbed his black suitcase, along with his backpack and skateboard. He dug his hand in his pocket, pulling out his ticket. It had the name of the train line he had taken written on it, he had gotten on it back in Tokyo where he had landed along with the other exchange students. Somewhere along the way, he had gotten lost, but he had quickly been pointed toward a train station where he could catch a train to Sagamihara. The name Yasoinaba wasn't written on the ticket. He looked to his right, seeing the only other person in the train, an elderly woman.

She was quite short, being around five foot two in height, with long white hair tied into a bun with thin chop sticks. She was wearing a light pink shirt, with a thin jacket over it. She was wearing a long white skirt, which reached down to her ankles, she also wore a pair of brown shoes. In her hands was a bag filled with groceries, along with a small metal cart, filled with a few other things. She had been looking out the window, a small smile on her face.

"Excuse me ma'am...what station are we stopping at again?" he said, catching her attention. She turned to him, giving him a bright smile.

"We'll be stopping at the Yasoinaba station, in the quaint little town of Inaba. Is it your first visit?" she asked.

"This has to be a mistake...I was supposed to get off in Sagamihara." he said, looking at his ticket.

"Oh dear, the stop for Sagamihara was over an hour ago. You were asleep when we stopped there." she said.

"Are you serious? Oh man...those guys are gonna kill me." he said, looking at the ceiling of the train. It's whistle blew loudly, signaling it's approach into the station. The old woman grabbed her cart tightly, and when the train pulled to a stop, she quickly headed toward the exit. Alex grabbed his things, slinging his backpack across his shoulders, and grabbing his skateboard by it's trucks. He walked toward the exit, hopping down onto the platform. He looked around, briefly spotting the conductor, he nodded to himself and grabbed his attention.

"Excuse me sir, I was supposed to get off in Sagamihara...is there a possible way I could go back?" he asked curiously.

"Sorry kiddo, you'd have to take another train bound for Tokyo. For a city as small as Inaba, trains from big cities like that don't come in so often. The next train to Sagamihara would be in six days, I'm afraid."

"Six...six days? You don't understand, I'm meeting with some friends from school, we're all exchange students and we needed to meet with the owner of the temple we'll be staying at...I can't afford to miss my first day of school."

"I'm so sorry son, I wish there was something I could do, but it's out of my hands. Perhaps you can take a bus there instead? It isn't that far from here. If you would excuse me." the man said, ducking back into the train. Alex watched as it slowly pulled out of the station, leaving him in the small town of Inaba. Looking around, he saw that it was virtually empty, with no one in sight. He rubbed his eyes shaking himself a bit. He was more alert now, but that didn't serve him any purpose, seeing as he had missed his stop already. He wondered why exactly it was he had even fallen asleep, he had gotten a full nights sleep, and had slept even longer on the flight from California. Then again, spending more time in the Embassy was tiring, so he figured that was why. He walked out of the station, pulling his suitcase down a small stairwell to the outside parking lot. It was rather small, consisting of just the building where one purchased their tickets and the single train platform. There was a single road in front of him, most likely leading into the small town. He could see a large mountain in the distance, and he admitted to himself that it looked extremely beautiful, especially since the top was still capped with snow. He looked around and found an empty bench where he sat down. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed his password into it, unlocking it. Just as he was about to dial a number, his phone started ringing, he unplugged the headphone jack from it, and took the call, placing the phone at his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey man, how's Japan? See any hot ladies yet?"

Alex sighed audibly. He hadn't looked at the number and had just taken the call at random. The caller happened to be one of his friends from school, a young man who would be transferring to his new high school at the end of the month, since he would be paying for his own expenses on his exchange trip.

"No man, I haven't seen any hot babes. I fuckin missed my stop and now I'm in some backwater town, Inaba or something."

"Sucks to be you. It hasn't been easy on my end either, I've been speaking to foreign people all freaking day, but I got my visa on the approval list, so I should be there within the month, and if not, in early May." the young man said, making Alex nod in confirmation.

"That's good I suppose. Man, I'm stuck in this little shithole for six days until I can get to Sagamihara. I only have enough travelers checks and spare money to get me through the first month, I couldn't get my credit cards approved in time, and my bastard father didn't want to give me any money, considering he makes plenty of it." Alex said, his tone sounding irritated. He had been speaking in English, a few people that had walked by had looked at him curiously, but not for more than a few seconds at a time. It was odd to see a foreigner, but they weren't the type to just outright stare at him.

"Speaking of the bastard, I heard he was gonna file for divorce with Michelle. It's a shame...she made excellent cookies."

"I suppose...me and Michelle didn't get along well...hey man what time is it over there? It's around noon here."

"It's close to midnight over on my end bro. Maybe I should let you go, I just wanted to see if you made it there fine. It sucks that you got out at the wrong stop, but make the most of it. Who knows? You might actually like that place."

"I doubt it." He muttered in Japanese, making his friend laugh. After a quick farewell, he hung up the phone, ending the call. He frowned at the screen. It was late in America, and he knew if he called his father, he would be angry. He decided against it, and instead decided on looking for a place to stay. He quickly typed in his search bar available places to stay in Inaba, and the first one that came up was a placed called the Amagi Inn, an traditional Japanese style Hotel, with 24 hour open air baths. He wanted to jump at the chance, but with his lack of funds, he couldn't stay there for more than a few days. He frowned, looking at the sky.

"Jeez, what an odd turn of events. First that weird dream, and now this stupid mistake...this is gonna look bad on my permanent record." he muttered, not wanting to think about his perfect attendance. He scrolled through his contacts for a few seconds, not knowing exactly what to do. He finally stopped at one he found familiar, one that belonged to one of his step mother's, a woman named Billerica. Out of the many women his father had married, she had been one that had stuck out, especially due to her odd name. She had told him to call her Erica for short, but he insisted on calling her by her full name just because it sounded cool, now though he had taken to calling her by her chosen nickname. He figured it was because he mellowed out with age. His thumb hovered over the name before finally clicking it. He held the phone to his ear, counting the rings before the woman picked up.

"Hello, Alex how good of you to call..it's been awhile." the woman said cheerfully, making him smile a bit. No matter the situation, Erica's voice always seemed to calm him down. Even when he was a kid, she would always sing to him and read him stories. She was one of the reasons he had taken to literature.

"Yes it has. I hope I'm not bothering you...I'm sort of facing a dilemma right now."

"Is that good for nothing father of yours being an ass again?" she asked, making him chuckle.

"No, for once he isn't. It's just...remember how I told you I won that raffle and got that trip to Japan?"

"I remember, you were really excited for it. Was that today? Oh...technically it would be yesterday since you are here in Japan."

"Yup, that's right. My trip was today and now I'm...wait what the hell do you mean 'Here in Japan?' You're here?" He asked, his voice sounding erratic and confused. She giggled, and he heard her setting something down, it sounded like it had been something heavy, and he heard the sound of a string being pulled, most likely a guitar.

"Didn't I tell you? I moved to Japan quite awhile ago, to start a music business. I have my own music store in a small town called Inaba, though now that Junes opened up here, I've been getting less customers. Die hard fans of music still come here, and Ayumi loves all the instruments."

What were the odds of that? It's as if the cards had been aligned in his favor. Hearing that the person he saw as a mother figure lived in the town he was currently at, it was a blessing for him. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he was grinning now, and was extremely happy.

"Erica, you won't believe this, but I'm in Inaba too. I was supposed to get off at the Sagamihara station but ended up sleeping through my stop. The conductor said the next train is in six days, would you please do me a solid and let me stay with you? Just for the week...I'll pitch in for groceries and gas and whatever else you need."

"You're here? Don't move, I'll go pick you up right now! Don't even worry about food or anything, you are welcome to stay with me and the girls for as long as you want!"

With that she hung up the phone, making Alex look at the blinking numbers oddly. He shrugged and leaned back into the bench. His day may have started poorly, but at least it was turning out better than before. And now he would be spending a week with his step mom, which was better than what he was hoping for. He stared at his phone screen for a few seconds, brows knitting a bit in curiosity.

"She said girls, plural? Since when did Erica have a second daughter?" he muttered quietly to himself. He shrugged, shoving his phone in his pocket. He shrugged his backpack off and grabbed his skateboard, quickly hopping onto it. He crouched down a bit, before popping the board, doing a perfect Ollie, the board slammed hard onto the pavement, the sound echoing through the empty lot.

"Ow, that was a little harder than I wanted to land." he muttered to himself. He pushed himself forward, doing a kickflip over a crack in the ground. He was at least glad he could still do some basic tricks on his board, it had been three months since he had touched it back home. He looked around the area for a few seconds, familiarizing himself a bit.

He didn't know why, but the quaintness of this small town was really getting to him. He was just to the hustle and bustle of the big city, seeing a place as dead as this was a bit weird to him. He could sneak around this entire place and no one would spot him, then again since it was a small town, everyone knew each other, so he would stick out like a sore thumb. He took a deep breath, shivering a bit. He rode down to the street and looked both ways, not seeing a single car in sight. He did however catch a light lingering fog. He looked at the sky, and saw a small trace of clouds, leading away from the small town.

"It must rain a lot here, especially if there's still a bit of fog hanging around." he muttered to himself. He turned around, skating back to where he had left his stuff. It wasn't long before a silver car pulled into the lot, making him get off his board. As soon as it stopped, one of the back doors flew open, and out came a young girl.

She was around fourteen years of age, with long blackish purple hair. It was straight and fell down to her mid back, her long bangs were pulled back and held in place with white barrettes. She was wearing a long sleeved pink shirt, with a wide collar, showing off a bit of her shoulders. It had three stripes on the top half, and was decorated with bright yellow musical notes on the bottom of it. She was wearing a short blue pleated skirt, which reached down to her knees. She wore knee length black socks and pink high top sneakers. Her violet eyes were filled with joy as she bounded for him.

"Big brother!" she cried, jumping into his arms. He almost fell back, but he was able to stay grounded. He looked at the girl awkward, his head tilted in confusion.

"Ayumi?" he asked quietly. She looked at him, giving him a nod.

"It's been so long big brother, look at how tall you got! When momma told me you we're in Inaba, I almost raced here on my own." she said firmly. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her smaller body.

Ayumi had at one point been his little sister. Of course she was Erica's daughter from a previous marriage, Ayumi's father ended up getting arrested for several crimes, before Ayumi had been able to walk, so he hadn't seen his daughter in literally fourteen years. When Erica had married his father, she asked him to play with her daughter, since she was two years younger than him, he took it upon himself to play with her whenever he had the time. He and Ayumi usually went to the local park and play on the swings, and would have make believe adventures, where he would play the prince and she would play the princess that was trapped in a tower, and he had to rescue her. It was a bit weird for the other kids, since the little girl had been an avid tree climber, and usually hung at the taller parts of the trees, before tasking Alex to come rescue her. He had broken his wrist once during one of those pretend rescues, and that had been the end of that. He was actually looking forward to doing something like that again.

"You've grown a lot too. You used to be really tiny, and now look at you, almost as tall as me." Alex said, pulling out of the hug the girl had given him. She giggled as he ruffled her hair.

"You know, she would have ended up running all the way here if I hadn't stopped her. I'm so glad you're here Alex."

He looked up, seeing his step mother Erica. She in many ways resembled her daughter Ayumi. She had the same bright colored eyes as her, and the same soft features. Her hair was far longer and a darker tone of violet, which seemed to shine in the sunlight. She was wearing a black sleeveless shirt, which was a bit low cut, exposing a bit of her cleavage. She was wearing a pair of jeans, which were a faded blue color, and wore a leather belt around her waist. She wore a pair of leather cowboy boots, which had a slight heel to them, and had a horse stitched to the sides of it. He noticed she was wearing a thin gold necklace around her neck, with a small silver coin as a charm, though he didn't see anything special about it, other than a weird cross. Even then, she hadn't changed much from the woman he had once called mom. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her.

"Hi Erica, it's been so long. I missed you and Ayumi both." he said.

"I miss you too kiddo. As soon as I knew you were here, I had to come pick you up...if you want I can even give you a ride over to Sagamihara. It isn't that far from here, and it's actually been awhile since I went there for anything."

"No no, don't bother...I'll just wait for the next train. I don't want you wasting gas on a trip like that. You're already providing me a place to stay, I can't ask something like that from you" he said firmly, bowing a bit in embarrassment.

"Momma, she isn't coming out of the car." Ayumi said, looking back at the silver Sedan. Erica sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"You know how she is around new people dear, just go and keep her company while I talk to your big brother." she said. Ayumi nodded and ran back to her mother's car, throwing the back door open and climbing inside.

"Who else is with you Erica?" he asked curiously, grabbing his backpack. Erica sighed and looked up at the sky, most likely lost in thought. She remained silent for a few seconds, licking her lips before finally deciding to speak.

"I have another daughter. Her name is Mitsuhide...she's...your half sister." she said firmly. Alex's pursed his lips a bit, letting the information sink in, before his eyes went wide.

"Half...sister? How old is she?" he asked.

"She's eleven years old."

"It's been eleven and a half years since you and my dad...oh my god...does he know?" he asked curiously, earning a head-shake from the woman.

"I didn't want to tell him. He wouldn't have cared anyway, he would have tried to take custody of her and I would have fought tooth and nail to stop that from happening. In the end, he would have just given me some money for her to use when she was older, besides I don't want her to ever meet that bastard." she said firmly. Alex nodded, looking at the ground. He felt a bit guilty, it hadn't been long since he had spoken to her, but he had never known he had a half sister. A sibling he had never met in his entire life, let alone spoken too. He spoke to Ayumi countless times, but he hadn't even heard about Mitsuhide. He looked at the woman, looking right into her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me about her Erica? I wouldn't have minded at all if I kept the secret. It would have been better for my father to not know about her, but at least I should have been told."

"I wanted to tell you sweetheart, but Mitsuhide decided against it. Ayumi has told her countless stories about all the games you two played as kids, but she never made an effort to ask about how you were doing. I asked her to talk to you a couple times in the past, but she just told me she wanted to be left alone. Not growing up without a father is tough for a girl her age. She's rather quiet, but she's very smart, and has the highest grades in her class. Even if she's sitting by herself minding her own business, she will learn a great deal about people. She's a very intuitive little girl." Erica said, glancing back at the car, where her two daughters were most likely speaking. Alex sighed, grabbing his skateboard off the ground.

"I suppose if she didn't want to know me, than that's fine. But now that I do know about her, I'll try my hardest to get to know her. I'll become her friend before being her brother."

"That would be wonderful Alex...I would love it if you were to make my little girl socialize more."

"Momma, Mitsu wants to talk to Alex! It took me forever but I convinced her!" Ayumi cried out, suddenly appearing next to the two. Erica smiled brightly, taking a hold of Alex's suitcase.

"I'll put this in the trunk. I'll take that backpack too sweetie, and your skateboard. Take all the time you need to introduce yourselves." she said, taking his luggage. As Erica was placing his things in the trunk of the car, the back door opened and out came a young girl.

She looked vastly different to Ayumi, while the violet haired girl was more energetic and exciteable, this girl seemed quieter and reserved. Her could tell just by the look on her face that she didn't enjoy being in large crowds or talking to a lot of people.

She had the soft features of her mother, her ivory colored skin, which was slightly pale from being inside all the time. She had long black hair, resembling the same color as their father. She had bright crimson eyes, matching those of his father, he could see her judging look, that piercing gaze of uncertainty as she looked him over. She wore a white ribbon, which was tied into bows at the sides of her head, her bangs fell over her eyes, slightly shielding them from the light. She was wearing a long sleeved black shirt, which was a little too big for her, as it was covering her small hands entirely. She was wearing a pair of black jean shorts, with some black leggings underneath it, which were rolled up a bit, revealing part of her legs. She was wearing a pair of black shoes, the laces tied firmly and stuffed inside. She just stood there, looking at Alex as if he were a bug, a bug that needed to be squashed quickly. He didn't move from his spot, his gaze turning into a bit of a glare as her ruby eyes scanned him over. Finally, Ayumi had enough and walked over to where her sister stood, taking her hand.

"Come on Mitsu, just standing there isn't gonna solve anything!" she said, pulling her along.

"Sister please...don't tug so hard." Mitsuhide said quietly. Her voice was soft, yet firm. Another thing she had gotten from their father it seemed. He didn't know why, but Alex hated the resemblance his half sister shared with the man. He didn't deserve to be the father of someone like her. At that moment, he had decided to be a part of this girl's life, no matter the cost. Ayumi pushed the girl in front of herself, much to her displeasure, Mitsuhide now stood in front of her half brother. She sighed audibly, placing her hands behind her back.

"It seems by some turn of events, we have been brought together. I cannot comprehend it myself, but I will try my best to become acquainted with you, brother. As such, I shall introduce myself...My name is Mitsuhide Tohsaka...it's an honor to meet you." she said firmly. She sounded a bit stiff and way to formal. If what his step mother had said about her being quiet meant anything, he figured she read a lot of books and was probably way past her reading level. He admired that in her, but her way of speaking would take a bit of time to get used too.

"It's great to meet you too sis...you have a peculiar way of speaking...do you read a lot?" he asked.

"Whenever I am not busy with school work, or entertaining my elder sister, I am reading. I have read many great works of literature...recently I finished reading Moby Dick by Herman Melville. It is actually the second time I have read it." she said.

"You...you read Moby Dick, twice?" he asked, taken aback. The girl nodded, a slight blush tinging her cheeks. He looked at Ayumi who just shrugged at him.

"Is it truly that hard to believe? My school teacher says the same thing whenever I tell her that I've read the book. She said I shouldn't be reading that level of material this early in life...but in my opinion, I should be able to freely choose what I read." she said firmly. Alex couldn't help but chuckle at that. It had been the same for him when he had taken an interest in literature. Many of his middle school teachers didn't think he was ready for that level of literature, saying that he wouldn't understand the themes the authors had written about, and yet he did his school project on the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and got the highest grade in the class. Of course that also made him a target for being bullied, since apparently being smart was frowned upon in normal school life. He shook his head, kneeling in front of the girl, he placed his hands on her shoulders, looking firmly into her eyes.

"Listen, if anyone ever tells you that you shouldn't read something because you can't understand it, or starts making fun of you for being smart, remember that it doesn't matter what others think. If you are happy with how you do things, than that's what should matter. It's good to seek advice from those older than you, but when that advice goes against what's in your best interest, it's best to disregard it. You and I are a lot alike Mitsuhide, and I hope we can get along as brother and sister." he said firmly. She gave him a nod, looking at the ground, cheeks tinged a bit red.

"Alright guys, it's about time we take Alex home. Surely he's tired from all of the traveling he's done." Erica said, grabbing their attention. Alex rose to his feet, shoving his hands in his sweatshirt pockets.

"I am a little tired, but I slept on the train ride here, that's the reason I missed my stop." he said with a sheepish grin.

"Well then, you must be at least hungry. Come on, I'll make you something when we get home, and you can take a look around the store. You were really into music as a kid, so you'll definitely love it there." she said, a smile on her face. He nodded, following the three back to her car.

"I call shotgun!" Ayumi cried loudly.

"You always get shotgun sister...perhaps you should let Alexander take it this time, as he will be our guest." Mitsuhide said, a bit firmly. Ayumi huffed, puffing her cheeks a bit.

"Alright fiiine, but only this time. Next time, I get shotgun!" she said, ducking into the back seat.

"Mitsuhide, if you would like, you can call me Alex...I don't like when people use my full name, makes me sound older." he said. The girl nodded, giving him a neutral expression as she climbed into the car next to her sister. He sighed, looking at the sky.

"Well, it's progress. I thought she was gonna hate me, but she's actually different than what I was expecting." He muttered to himself in English. Alex climbed into the passenger seat, just as his step mother turned the car on. She took a quick peek back before pulling out of the station.

"Big brother, since you are going to be staying with us for a few days, do you wanna play Prince Charming again? I've gotten better at climbing trees!" Ayumi said, earning an eye roll from her sister.

"I would love too, but I haven't climbed a tree in years. I also have a lot of things I have to do. Is there a high school in this town?" he asked curiously, looking at his mother, who gave him a nod.

"Yasoinaba Highschool, at the top of the Samegawa Flood Plain. It's a school that's modeled after the American school system, with four years, but it follows Japan's school calendar...are you interested in studying here?" Erica asked, her voice filled with excitement.

"I mean...I'm already here, all I would have to do is call the rest of the group, tell them I'll be matriculating myself in Yasoinaba High and that'll be that. Besides, I want to spend more than six days with my adorable little sisters." he said, glancing at the back. Ayumi was grinning while Mitsuhide seemed indifferent, though he could tell that she was at least looking forward to it.

"That's great, would you like me to swing by the school so we can get that sorted out? I mean school starts tomorrow. You'll be placed in a good homeroom, now that King Moron is dead." she said.

"Mother, I wouldn't show excitement over a deceased man. After all that very well could have been you." Mitsuhide said firmly.

"Please, we all know Morooka was a freaking ass wipe! He yelled at me for no reason, it's my first year in high school and he just thinks it's funny to hit on me, then I made it onto his shit list for calling him out on it. I'm glad he's dead!" Ayumi snapped, crossing her arms.

"Do I even wanna know?" Alex asked.

"I'll explain later, let's just focus on getting you ready for school, okay?" Erica asked, earning a nod from him. Alex smiled inwardly...it may not have been what he envisioned, but perhaps his friend was right about being Inaba. Who would have known that he was about to be thrown into a life changing adventure, a journey of both growth and experience, that all started with him sleeping through his train stop.