A/N: changed the title from Trilogic Heart to Anthem of Atonement due to changed ideas and concept. More author's note below for clarification.

Music Atonement: Tête à tête

Main Point 1: Strange Ears

JC felt a nagging feeling in the back of her head—reminding her of something that she had forgotten. A pesky feeling that doesn't help her remember what was the thing she had forgot.

Standing in front of station's transparent door, she blinked and pondered. Should she go back to her home, searching for what was forgotten that she potentially won't remember or just say 'eh, whatever' and enter the station, ignoring the nagging of her mind?

Hmm…

Eh.

She should go back. If it's nagging her that much, it must be something important.

With this decision in mind, she turned around to her destination with silent steps as a force of habit.

But not before—

—a strange ears caught her attention.

Surprised what she just saw in her peripheral vision, she promptly turned her head back at the door, just in time to see the door automatically opened. She stood frozen at the stairs as a tiny person(?) emerged from the door, walked passed to her without a single glance and left the station. She blinked and inwardly hummed. That was an awfully familiar cloak…

Seeing the tiny person(?) disappeared in the corner, she shrugged in nonchalance at the strange not-really-an-encounter and began to walk to her home.

After a few minutes of walk, she opened the door of her home and closed it behind her. Walking around in the space which she considered 'home', she rummage her—admittedly—a rather small collection of her things she owned, looking over it one-by-one.

Skateboard? Nah.

Ancient coins? Eh, not really important.

Worn-out wallet? Oh hell, she forgot she had spare munny hidden just in case.

Staff? Outdated. She can't really use it anymore anyway.

So on and so forth as she analyzed every object separately.

Putting back her things back in the chest, she stood up from her position and stretched. As expected, she can't remember the thing she had forgotten despite the effort of going back to her abode. Indifferent at the realization, she locked her 'home' behind her and left the key someplace that only she can remember.

A bit confused what was the nagging of her mind about, she silently walked back to the station so that she can finally leave the town.

The Twilight Town…

In her opinion, the town wasn't a bad place. It was calm and peaceful. The sun was beautiful despite the position of the sky was constant—never moving, never faltering. But, despite the pretty colors, it's rather dull town.

If it wasn't the residents living in it.

In her observation, it was the people living within is what Twilight Town the Twilight Town. The Struggle Matches, Seifer's Gang and Hayner's Gang… well, it wouldn't have become a town if there's no people residing in it.

Despite the good things she observed, bad things is the most glaring one. At least, to her personally.

People—older people constantly talk behind her back for a rather strange reason. The reason for it is probably just a source of entertainment or they just have no life combining with lots of freedom to gossip, becoming the talk of the town coincidentally.

A killer, murderer, psychopath… truly, the gossiper must have the most creative mind of all time.

But they are not wrong either. Before she was rudely dropped in this town without warning, in her former world, she is—was, for lack of better word, a "killer".

But a "murderer"…? I guess that was right too, she can't deny that.

Psychopath? Oh man, does the gossiper have other ideas than this? It's giving her a worse image than she already had.

Well… whatever the intention of the gossiper—whether it was to drive her away from the town or they are just bored, she's leaving this town. It became toxic for her to stay here, even if Hayner, Pence and Olette lessened it a bit but still, toxic place is toxic. She made a choice to leave and travel whenever and wherever she may end up to.

Arriving in front of the station, she stopped in her tracks as she saw the familiar silhouette of the three kids in the other of the glass door and other three…kids? They don't look like kids, they look like… animals?

Even though confused, she entered the station, reaching her wallet to pay for her ticket.

"JC!"

Predictably, Hayner, Olette and Pence exclaimed in surprise when they saw her.

"Heya, kiddos." She greeted with the two finger salute to them before she turned at the counter. "One ticket, please."

"Hey, I thought you already left!" Pence look astounded.

"Yeah, I thought so, too… Wait, don't tell me you decided to stay?!" Hayner seemed to be pleased at the idea.

"Yes, yes, please stay! And also, help us with our homework, pleeeeaaassse?" Olette begged.

She gave them a blank look. "Do it yourself, you three gremlins. Seriously, I told you already since the start of your summer vacation to do your homework immediately so that you won't encounter problems just like you're facing today."

The three flinched at her words.

"Well… you did…"

"Anyway, what are you three doing here?" JC crossed her arms.

"Oh, right!" Hayner walked toward to the spiky brunette boy. "This is Sora, Donald and Goofy. We came here to see them off."

"You came to them to see them off, not me?"

"Well, yeah! If it wasn't so sudden that you're gonna leave the town and just leave us!"

She paused. Well, he was right at that.

"Hayner, stop that!" Olette tried to calm him down. "He was just upset, JC. We were supposed to give you something but you suddenly dropped the bomb and told us that you were leaving so…"

She raised an eyebrow. "Give me something?"

"Hey…" an unfamiliar voice interrupted them. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble but the train is about to leave…"

"Sorry. I'm mostly the cause of this ruckus." JC said to the boy. "My name is JC. Nice to meet you, Sora, Donald and Goofy."

"Pleased—"she jolted in surprise in Donald's voice."—to meet you, JC."

"It is nice to meet you too, JC." Goody gave her a smile.

She nodded. "Likewise."

"JC…?" Sora tilted his head. "Is that an acronym or something?"

She sighed. "JC for Joyous Cheetah."

"Joyous Cheetah…? Wow! That's really a cool name!"

She gave Sora an incredulous look, even though she tried to hide it. A cool name…? What is up with kids these days? Hayner had the same reaction too.

The bell rang echoed in the station. As by reminder, she remembered Olette's words.

"Oh, right. Olette, you said you wanted to give me something. What is it?"

"Right!" She forcibly grabbed the boy who now stood in front of JC. "Hayner won the pseudo-Struggle Match few days ago!"

She gave him an impressed look. "Really? Why wasn't I informed about this, Hayner?"

"Because I wanted to surprise you…" he mumbled.

"Why?" Why would he go as far to surprise her? It's not like her birthday or something.

Hayner reached something in his pocket. She patiently waited for him as he rummaged in his pocket. He reached for her hand as he put something in her palm. It was necklace with a blue jewel pendant on it.

"Oh." She raised her palm to take a closer look. "Thanks."

"JC!" Pence yelled at her in the distance near the train. "The train is about to leave!"

She blinked. It took her a second to wonder how they were able to leave them without her noticing at all before she realized that she was left alone with Hayner as the others already went ahead at the train, probably seeing the strange trio off.

"Okay!" She hollered back. She turned her attention to the boy and pat him on the head. "Be good, Hanger."

"It's Hayner!"

She just waved at him in response as she dashed to the train.

"Good bye, JC!" Olette and Pence waved at her in farewell.

"See ya later, Omelette and Fence!"

"It's Olette!" "It's Pence!"

She gave them a thumbs-up before the train door closed in front of her.

"JC…?" Sora approached her with a strange look. "I know this sounds weird but… have I met you before?"

She shrugged. "Nope."

"Okay…"

Not really, she's half-lying. She did met a person who had a familiar face like him. Then again, people tend to have the same faces so it's possible that it's just a coincidence.

But still, hmm… what was his name again…?

Oh, that's right.

Roxas.

Hayner, Pence, Olette. The three young adult who managed to befriend JC. The trio was aware of the rumors regarding her identity but the three of them felt like it was just a lip service. Claiming it as a wonder, Pence declared to go to the "Dark Witch" as the trio went to the place where she supposedly lived outside the town. To their surprise, the "Dark Witch" was just an ordinary lady with strange hobby, killing those creepy dark creatures. To them, it was not uncommon to know about those creatures, they were aware of its existence and its danger. But, the fact they were protected by this strange lady, they confused why she was demonized. Acknowledging her acts of protecting the city, they decided to become friends with the lady who never attempt to push them away. This was the start of their strange friendship.

File Discussion – Anthem of Atonement.

A/N: whew, what a chapter.

Regarding about the title change… yeah, it's related to the concept change so I turned it into Anthem of Atonement (this is a redemption story, after all). Anthem, so meaning music. See what I wrote above, Music Atonement? It is actually a soundtrack. It came from Mahoutsukai no Yoru/Witch of the Holy Night.

Satisfied with the chapter or nah? Please let me know and leave a review!

Edited (6/19/19): removed some words that didn't fit the context. not much difference.