Cats in Boxes
Like Footprints in the Sand
"And when we meet again... we should remember how we're feeling right now...
That no matter what may happen, we will never look back..." - Mitsuru Kirijo
She opens her eyes and she's on a train.
And of all things she expected to wake up to... this wasn't it. She doesn't remember why she feels this way; her thoughts are jumbled and hazy and she just woke up after all. But there are a few things that immediately do come to mind.
A cloudy daytime sky.
A gentle breeze.
A warm lap...
Ah. That's right.
She's dead.
And a train was too mundane to represent the barrier housing her soul, the barrier holding off the embodiment of death from the sadness and death wish of humanity. She figured it would look abstract, with a pitch black background or maybe an all encompassing white background, like in the movies. Not only that, she expected to be here alone. Or, at the very least, with Nyx and maybe, just maybe, Ryoji. But, lo and behold, there's an unfamiliar boy wearing her school's uniform. He's listening to his mp3 player and gazing out the window right across from her.
"So who are you supposed to be?"
"Huh?"
He peels his eyes away from the windows, takes off his headphones and gazes at her quizzically.
"Sorry, what was that again?"
Hamuko meets his eyes for the first time and finds herself instantly drawn to them. There was something about him... something unearthly from normal people so it would make sense why he's on this side of the seal with her. But he isn't Nyx; she gives off an aura of eternity, of absolute indiscrimination that wasn't present in the boy. Nor did he have a bright yellow scarf around his neck or that sense of wistful resignation. But their eyes were the same shade of blue, oddly enough. And his voice just now...
"Is that you Ryoji?"
"...? I think you're mistaking me for someone else. My name is Minato."
"Oh, uhm... sorry."
"It's okay."
"It's just... you both sound so similar."
"Is that so?"
Minato puts his headphones back on and returns to gazing listlessly out the window. He never did give her an explanation as to why he's here or exactly what he is, but he doesn't seem like he's out to end the world so she leaves him alone. Hamuko goes back to contemplating why being in what she assumes is the afterlife feels no different from being alive.
"Attention passengers. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by the delay. The next stop is Iwotodai."
Iwotodai of all places. Maybe... maybe this world was just a mental construct she unconsciously made to mirror her home? And maybe the boy she talked to was just a composite of people that she knew in her lifetime. All of this created to cope with having to spend eternity as a seal. It would explain the sense of déjà vu she got from talking to Minato. Sure, the train is moving to who knows where, despite not actually existing anywhere in the real world. But so did the ascending elevator that she knew as the Velvet Room, and that (seemed) like it had some sort of metaphorical connection to her mind.
The train slowed to a stop as soon as she thought that. Perhaps it sensed that she was aware that it wasn't real... but she isn't upset about being here. Whatever it is. The world she and her friends protected... that spring sunlight was warm and there was a future there for all of them. Yes... there are no regrets.
She and Minato are the only passengers to get off at this stop. He pulls out a sheet of paper which Hamuko assumes is a map. And she's gazing at the signs and all the electronic names of places flitting across them.
So now what?
What should she do from here?
She is spared from having to make a decision, for all the electronics start shutting down in a manner not so unfamiliar to her. Even the music blaring from Minato's headphones are silenced despite running on batteries. The insides of her heart are emptying to make room for dread.
No... no, no, it can't be...
Yet.
Yet there they are, the signs all around them. The lights went out and everything is tinged with that sinister shade of green. Whatever notions Hamuko had of this world are immediately thrown out the window. The Dark Hour is the last thing she'd ever want to experience again. So there's no way this world could be a product of wish fulfillment. But if she's sealed Nyx, if she's dead and this is supposed to be the afterlife, then why...? Her thoughts are interrupted by Minato's attempt to get her attention.
"Uhm..."
"Call me Hamuko."
"Alright then. Hamuko-san... since we go to the same school, I don't suppose you know the way to my dorm? I can get there on my own, but I figured I'd get there sooner with help. It's already getting late and..."
She glances down at the paper that he hands her, eyes hardening at the sight of the symbol for S.E.E.S. printed in the middle.
"Yeah, I know where that is... come on, I'll take you there myself."
"Thanks, Hamuko-san..."
He's surprised that she's going as far as escorting him, but he's relieved at the same time.
"No problem. I was going to go there myself."
Hamuko isn't sure which would be more depressing: being surprised to see that, outside the station, there are bloodstained streets and a sickly yellow moon... or that right now she isn't surprised. Part of her suspects it's because she has grown accustomed to this otherworldly side of the night. However, the fact that Minato is active during the dark hour and appearing unfazed by it all does come as a shock. There's not an evoker in sight on his person and he doesn't ask her why she isn't a coffin. Hamuko assumes this means he's oblivious to what's really going on, so she gets a little worried and starts to glance at all the corners around her for any shadows (which would be so much easier if Fuuka was here...). If Minato noticed, or if he cared, he never voiced it. They'll continue walking side by side without saying much to each other and the trip will be fairly uneventful.
"Here we go."
And the dorm looks the same as ever.
"... aren't you going in, Hamuko-san?"
"Oh, I will in just a minute. I just need to check something."
"Okay..."
Hamuko waits until he's inside (the people who live there are more than capable of protecting him after all). Then, she searches her pockets and pulls out a key, runs it across her skin until she sees a droplet of blood leaking out.
Dead people shouldn't be bleeding.
She gazes up at the moon and the dark hour is still here.
And the pain is searing her skin is real.
The possibility of this place being a dream is ruled out.
Did something happen to the seal? Did it fail?
Maybe the others will have an idea about what's going on. With that in mind, she opens the door just in time to overhear bits of a conversation.
"He's a transfer student," and she recognizes it to be Mitsuru's voice. "It was a last minute decision to assign him here. He'll eventually be moved to a room in the boys' dorm."
"...Is it okay for him to be here?"
"I guess we'll see... This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."
Wait... Yukari is still a junior?
And why is Mitsuru still wearing her Gekkoukan uniform if she's a college student now? Why is no one freaking out about the fact that they've all just experienced the Dark Hour again a few minutes ago? The sound of the door closing behind her draws attention from the other three.
"We have another transfer student?"
Hamuko is taken aback by the question. It is Yukari of all people is asking this, and it hurts.
"... I don't know who she is."
Hurts just as much as Mitsuru's answer. Forgetting the dark hour, and everything that they've fought and suffered through together as a team... that was something she could endure for a whole month until graduation day. But forgetting the bonds forged, forgetting her existence completely...?
'Hey, want to buy some friendship rings? I'll buy yours and you buy mine.'
'Heh, I feel like I've got a younger sister right now.'
'Everyone seems to have forgotten, but I remember... That day, we...'
"I'm Hamuko," is what she settles on.
"Hamuko... hmm. Well, to be truthful, I wasn't informed that we'd be having two students coming in."
She doesn't miss the inquisitive glance that Minato sends her way. She's the one who brought him here after all, so how could that be possible? There's confusion running rampant in Yukari's eyes and in Mitsuru's, perhaps even a hint of suspicion in the latter's case. And maybe her heart has gone numb from experiencing the Dark Hour again and from the complete lack of recognition from the people she knew as her closest friends, but she can't find it in herself to cry.
"That's... I... it seems me coming here was a mistake."
"Hold on, don't panic. You've probably been re-assigned late and I just haven't read the memo yet. I'll go check the computer right now."
It's doubtful, Hamuko thinks unhappily to herself.
"Well," Yukari says in an attempt to break the awkward silence. "Even if there's been a mistake, it's getting late and it's too dangerous for a girl to be out on the streets by herself right now. Why don't you just stay here for the night?"
"... okay."
It's not like she has anywhere else to go.
"Alright. I'm Yukari Takeba, the other girl just now is Mitsuru Kirijo, and he's Minato Arisato."
"I know... we've met."
"Yeah, we were on the same train."
That's not what she meant, but she supposed she was also referring to Minato with that statement...
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah... really. Nice to meet you all."
"Same."
"Nice to meet you too, Hamuko-san. ...Just Hamuko? No last name?"
"Just Hamuko," she affirms.
She's lying of course, but it doesn't really matter. No one seems to know who she is and that alone makes it seem like she doesn't really exist. She's not sure if she can handle having her dormmates referring to her only by last name. To be any more formal to each other than they already were. Sure, it might raise some issues in the future. But Aigis transferred to Gekkoukan High without a last name and the only concerns she raised were of how to ask her out and what to do if she accepted someone else's confession. It should be okay if she does the same.
The others seemed to understand that it was a sensitive subject. They wrongly assume it's a family-related problem, a similar skeleton they all have in their closets, so they don't elaborate on it any further out of consideration. Instead, Yukari takes it upon herself to lead the new students to their rooms. Minato's is right at the end of the hall, directly one floor below her's (well, what would have her room if she was registered here), and it's eerie.
"So, any questions?"
"Does that kid live here too?"
Both girls look up at the boy startled, albeit for different reasons.
"Huh? ...What kid? What are you talking about? C'mon, it's not funny."
One thinks he's implying there's a ghost (which is absolutely absurd). But the other is getting this massive sense of déjà vu. First he's a student transferring to the same school; the same grade as Yukari. Then there's his room which is situated parallel to hers. And now... he's mentioning a boy whom she is dead sure is Pharos too? There are too many similarities piling up for this to be merely coincidence. The urge to discuss it with him is gnawing at her insides, but Yukari's here and Minato looks very tired right now.
Later... she'll ask him about it later.
"Um... can I ask you both something? On your way to the station, was everything okay?"
"What do you mean?" Minato asks.
"You know what I-"
The girl glances at Hamuko for confirmation, but the other girl decides that it's best to feign ignorance for now. It wouldn't be good to complicate things before she could get a firm grasp of her current situation.
"Never mind. It seems you two are alright. Well, let's get you to your room Hamuko-san."
The room assignment ends up the same this time, and for that she's grateful. The small assurance of stability was comforting in this world that didn't make any sense to her.
"I know this question seems a little stupid, but I need to make sure... was there anything else you brought with you?"
"No."
As Yukari suspected, the only things she owns in this world are what's on her person. Hamuko reaches into her pocket to feel for her cellphone and notes that her cellphone strap is still there. She looks at Yukari and takes solace in the fact that she hasn't lost her mind. All that's left is to figure out what is going on, though there's already a guess she has that's nagging at the back of her head...
"I see... then your stuff is probably back at the dorm you're supposed to be in."
"I guess so."
It doesn't reassure her in the slightest, but Hamuko appreciates the gesture nonetheless.
"Thanks."
"Well, this is where I turn in so... good night."
"Night."
When the door is clicked shut, Hamuko rushes over to her calendar.
April, 2009.
She turns on her cellphone on and the date on the top of the screen April 7, 2009. She flips through her inbox and the most recent message on her cellphone is from March 4, 2010.
She isn't dead.
The Dark Hour is still here in this world. Yet Mitsuru and Yukari don't know her.
This could be time travel...
Except her name is not registered with the dorm. And then there was that anomaly with blue hair and blue eyes named Minato. Whom may have been in her world, but whom she was absolutely sure had never lived in her dorm.
Hamuko brings her hand to her face and the ring Ryoji gave her is glistening in the moonlight. She still has the headphones Fuuka made for her. Yukari's strap is still on her cellphone. And Mitsuru's motorcycle key, Ken's house key, are still in her pockets along with the several other items she has received from people. That she has all them means the bonds she formed were not her imagination.
That year she experienced had happened. Nyx was defeated that time for sure.
She peers through the blinds of her window and gazes solemnly at a moon growing full, but is not quite there yet.
"What do you think is going on Ryoji?"
Notes:
The items Hamuko would not have on her person would be things that can't fit in her pockets like Junpei's pig key holder, Akinari's notebook, or Akihiko's stuffed rabbit. And in case you were wondering, the message on Hamuko's cellphone is the recording that she received from Saori.