So, I've had this idea since about episode 9, but I deliberately saved it for when the anime ended so it could be as canon as possible. And oh, that ending. I have yet to fully recover.

This is basically a monologue of a girl having a conversation with her three friends, so it may look a bit choppy, but that's because of the give-and-take of a conversation. In any case, I'm sure you'd all be able to use your imagination to imagine the other girls. As it happens, I've actually given the speaker in this story a name and basic details on appearance and background. I'll leave those at the end of this story, or this note will become too long.

Enjoy the story!

Hey, hey, did you know? Did you know that that girl came to this school, was in this class in her second year? She might have even sat here. What do you mean; you don't know who I'm talking about? The one who was held hostage by those terrorists who wreaked havoc when we were barely born! Don't your parents talk abo-yeah, Sphinx. Those guys. See, Hoshiko knows what I'm talking about.

Her name was Lisa Mishima. They didn't actually reveal that, right at the beginning. I mean, they did mention a girl was rescued at the scene of the deaths, but most of the hype was about what Sphinx had tried to do, why they did it. Oh, and that detective guy. He was like, their crusader. He didn't approve of terrorism, but he was even more disapproving of what had pushed them to child experiments and all that... In any case, I'm not talking about the detective; I'm talking about Mishima.

They found out her name eventually, the media did. It's not like that was too surprising for that to happen. The media raked through EVERYTHING, literally. No, truly. It was big. Yeah, exactly, same here-my dad kept all the newspaper articles from the time, and my mum recorded all the TV coverage. So yeah, like I said, they found her out. According to one article I read, the last thing Twelve-that's Sphinx Number 2, by the way-said was that she was just a hostage, and then he asked them to protect her. So the initial belief was that for some reason they'd kidnapped her.

Good question, Sachi-Chan. They did realise-afterwards. She'd been absent from school-here-for a few weeks by the time it was discovered, and the school hadn't done anything. She was kinda forgettable, you see. They released a picture, and she's had short dark hair at the time. Short like Aya-Chan's rather than short like mine, but she was more doll-like in face. Sorry, but it's true. But at the same time, she was the type to fade into the background. Quiet, sweet. And, according to some, very much bullied. Very lonely. Makes you feel sorry for her. Well, you're just cruel, Aya-Chan.

So, how did someone like her get involved with Sphinx, is the big question. They considered her a hostage at first. But when they interviewed her, she didn't say anything. About anything. She seemed to be in utter shock for the longest time, according to the reports. Traumatised into silence. But it continued, for ages. The only one she really talked to was that detective, and even that was after ages and ages of being mute. Yes, you numpty, I did mention him, but only in the context of Mishima. And according to him, she seemed anxious that Sphinx weren't vilified, and she grieved for them. In addition to that, there's what the paramedics and back-up policemen who arrived to the scene saw. Want to take a guess? Fine, fine, fine! I'll just tell you guys. Apparently, when they got there, both Sphinxes were lying on the ground. Twelve with a hole in his chest, Nine just lying there. And Mishima was sitting there, next to them, Twelve's head in her lap, and one of her hands resting on Nine's shoulder. Apparently, she had been listening to music before the detective arrived, and then when everything spiralled out of control, she was frozen to the spot, only able to watch. I think the phone call or whatever the detective did to get back-up prompted her to move. And once she was near them, getting her away was a job, for she was hysterical, but in a silent way.

Oh, and hold on, let me find something. I found it when researching all this stuff. I think my dad's sympathy for Mishima rubbed off on me when he first talked about her, so of course I had to look her up. Pfft. Anyway, here we go. Watch this.

Yes, that's Lisa Mishima there. Yes, that's the Tokyo Government Building. The first place Sphinx attacked. And that guy's Twelve. I told you already, that's what Sphinx Number 2 was called. Nine was Sphinx Number 1! They didn't have proper names, idiot. They weren't given any; they were brought up in that god-awful place. I still can't believe you've never heard any of this mentioned, anywhere. Hmm? Oh, yeah, it was mentioned in that article. I remember that.

So yeah, you saw that, right? Some guy recorded it on his cellphone, thought nothing of it until everything went crazy then came forward with the video. I know, right? Anyway, I think that puts a different spin on it, don't you?

Yeah, they did attend here too. Only for like a day, only to get access to the Tokyo Government Building. They used assumed names, obviously. Yes, that's right. And of course, school did nothing when they failed to return the next day. At least that's changed now. These days, we're all much better at making sure nobody falls through the cracks, my mum likes to say. It's true, I reckon. And that would include people like Mishima. Even now, she hasn't really said much about her experiences. A few years back a newspaper did one of those 'it's been a decade since…' and managed to get her to say a few words about it. Yep, that's the one, Hoshiko! But no more than that. The general assumption is trauma, and I don't doubt that somehow that plays into it. But she wasn't their hostage. Infact, in a way, she was their salvation. That's what I reckon.

Stockholm syndrome? Good point, Aya-Chan. My mum might actually agree with you on that one, she likes to speculate about this lots. You might have noticed I picked that up, too. But did you see that? Look, I'll play it again. Make sure you lo-Pay attention , dammit!

See? See what I mean? Hmmm. I don't know. It is true that there isn't much to be found about her, but that's fair enough, isn't it? She's only a very, very small part of everything that happened. Yeah. Oh? Was it called the Athena Project? I don't actually remember those details. Oh, come on, Sachi-Chan, Hoshiko! Don't you agree that Lisa Mishima's more interesting?

Yes yes , that's exactly it! A mystery, of sorts. And a story. A story that none of us really know, and could actually tell us more about Sphinx than anyone ever could. Star-crossed lovers? I like that phrase. I wonder if that's how it was. Do you think Mishima-san fell in love with one of them? Love is blind, they say. Or perhaps she could see all too well, but followed anyway .Well of course I don't know, Aya-Chan! That's why I'm speculating, wondering. Duh.

As in, I'm wondering how they met the first time. I'm wondering about the exact events that led to that cellphone video I showed you. What it was that made her run to them a few days later. How she felt about each of them. What memories she has of them, how they spent their time together. Did she cook for them, talk to them, listen to them? Which one of them loved her the most? Would things have been different if they'd never met? Actually, scratch that last question. I think that'd be obvious to everyone. But yeah. You get the idea, I'm sure...yes, exactly. That's exactly what I meant.

The thing about Lisa Mishima is…she was a girl the same age as we were now. That's kind of interesting. We could all tell ourselves we'd never get involved in something like that. But we don't know, do we? Given the right situation, we could, we might. And of course they were terrorists and scared Tokyo more than it's ever been scared before. But I'm also sure that they were people too, and who else to confirm this but Mishima-san herself?

Hah. You guys know me too well. Of course I'm going to try!It might be impossible-hell; she could've changed her name by now, although I doubt it. In any case, I can try, right? I won't lose anything from doing so. And I do want to know the truth behind the reports, behind what everyone knows already. I want to know the people, the living, breathing people who loved and laughed and feared and cried. And no, Aya-Chan, I don't intend on selling the information anywhere. Don't you think some secrets are better confined to the people who are better equipped to understanding them? It might be arrogant to say so, but I feel like I get says nothing because there isn't anyone to really listen, to get it. Some secrets aren't necessarily secrets. They're just things held close to the heart because nobody else is capable of handling them. But I'm blabbering. So anyway, I intend to try-maybe after school, today? It's never too early to try. You guys could come with me, if you want.

So, about our narrator here:

Name-Sanae Mitsuaki.

Age-self explanatory from reading the story.

Appearance-wavy dark brown hair that just about brushes her shoulders. Her eyes are bi-coloured(half hazel, half darker brown), split down the middle. Not really noticeable unless in certain lights, due to similarity of the shades. Tall for her age, has an athletic build despite not actually taking part in any sports. Tends to wear tights rather than socks with her uniform, whatever the weather.

Background/Personality-her father is a philosopher, her mother is a bereavement counsellor. Both parents are smart people who think a lot, and this has rubbed off on Sanae. She doesn't just think about and question things though-she cross-checks, investigates, interrogates, dissects, looks at them under different lights whatever until she has formed her own opinion-and often, that opinion is one that nobody's ever considered. Even with the simplest things she tends not to accept them at face value. this can make her quite mother was pregnant with her during the Sphinx's attacks, and she was born a few months after the final one, and she's always been curious about the things that happened during that time. She's a bit of a romantic, and loves to write. She is considered too inquisitive for her own good, but she is no tattle-tale, so if things are told to her in confidence, she can keep it. Also, she's very persistent. Once she's set her mind to something, don't try to stop her.

So, there you have it. I'm intending to do an epilogue-style fic for this fandom eventually, but when I do, what would you guys think about a small section of it devoted to Sanae trying to find Lisa?Feel free to leave comments about that in the review.

Thanks for reading!