A/N: Special Thanks to DualSelf for reviewing this Chapter.

Discliamer: I do not own Persona. I own Charles Waldo.

Chapter 1
"Welcome to Inaba"
April 11, 2011

Yasoinaba Region, Japan

The train was driving through the Japanese Countryside. It was empty save for 2 passengers. One was a boy in a gray turtleneck jacket, matching the color of his eyes and hair. He was currently sleeping. The other boy was wide awake. He had wavy brown hair and grayish-blue eyes. His maroon polo shirt and black slacks practically screamed he was American.

He had stretched and stood up to walk around after sitting for some time. Taking care not to wake his fellow passenger, he walked around in the train car.

This countryside is beautiful. It reminds me of Utah. He smiled to himself, a great adventure awaits.

And then the melancholy set in for a second before he cast it off. This was a new start. He should be happy.

He checked his cell phone. There was a curt message. "Yasoinaba Train Station, 16:00." Just like you thought, Dad, he hasn't changed a bit, Charles thought,

He decided to sit back down. They had passed through a tunnel and somehow that startled his silver-headed companion awake. He calmed down and ignored the brown-haired boy, as was his wont since he had boarded in Kyoto. In fact, it was as if he didn't even know the brown-haired boy was there. "A whole year", he sighed, looking out the window with restrained melancholy.

Geez, he's not happy. Could it be he had a falling out with his parents, and the sentence was one-year exile? Messy divorce? Step-parent wanting him out of the way? Meh, I don't think so. It's more of something he's used to, but it's not the "what" that's bothering him, but rather the "how long." I think it's more a "both parents are working overseas on business" thing.

"What's wrong with a year?" he asked his silver companion, giving a warm smile. The silver-haired boy was surprised that the American could speak Japanese and annoyed that he was intruding on a clearly private time. He relented, after a sigh, because he could sense the American was kind. "It's because my parents will be in the States, while I'll be out in the wilderness, taking me away from my friends and school. Again."

We have a winner. Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding! The brunette thought. Aloud he said. "Your parents business uproots you much?"

His silverette companion looked at him with annoyance, "Not that it's any business of yours," he replied curtly.

"I apologize if I overstepped my bounds." The brown-haired boy replied with a hand up in token defense and a smile.

The silver-haired boy sighed. "Sorry. I'm just on edge because I'll be living with my uncle who I haven't seen in years…"

"I can see how awkward that could be."

The silverette continued after sadly smiling."…but I also have to share a room with a transfer student who I've heard is a pain-in-the-ass fish-out-of-water type."

For a moment the brunette's face fell…And then he said, "Oh…I see."

"Attention, passengers," the PA announcer said. "We are now arriving at Yasoinaba Station. Please exit to the right if you wish to disembark."

"This looks like my stop," The silver-haired boy said.

"Our stop," the brown-haired boy replied with a smile.

"Why are you in Inaba?" The silver-haired boy asked with both eyebrows raised.

"Foreign exchange," was the simple reply.

"So you'll be…" The silver-haired boy said, starting to make a connection.

"At Yasogami High, Second Year," The brunette said as he got his luggage.

The two disembarked. The silver-haired boy looked around at the layout and said, "There's nothing here." He was looking at a note he had, that the brunette recognized as the same message on his cell phone. He didn't indicate any response to that.

The Cherry Blossom leaves were falling as was their wont in April. Suddenly a strong wind happened to blow the paper out of the silverette's hand. It happened to blow to a girl who was standing a few feet away. She was wearing a white sleeveless top with a tie, black fingerless gloves, red-and-black skirt, white-and-black striped stockings, and black boots. She also wore a red choker with what appeared to be a gold padlock on it.

But what both boys noticed about her was that she had silky black hair and pure emerald green eyes.

"You dropped this," she said as she picked the paper off her left boot leg and gave it to the silver-haired boy. Her Japanese was even better than the brown-haired boy's.

"Arigato," The silverette said to her.

"Whatever," she said, sounding disinterested. "I just picked it up…" Then she looked at the brown haired boy. "Which he could have done just as well as I did…"

"Things happened so fast, Miss…?" He asked.

She just walked away.

"She wants me…" The brunette said.

"I don't think so…" The silverette said.

"Yeah, you're right…Number 7…" The brown-haired boy said with a sigh.

Instead of questioning what "Number 7" meant, the silver-haired boy said, "Narukami Yu," and offered his hand. "Charles Waldo," the other replied taking Yu's hand and shaking, before adding with a smirk, "pain-in-the-ass fish-out-of-water, at your service."

Yu was not one to bulge his eyeballs, but again he was surprised. "You're…?"

"…Your new roommate? Yeah, but I don't mind being called that. Getting a place WAS a pain in the ass. I couldn't get with a sponsor family, due to a delay with the Consulate at the Japanese Embassy approving student visas. As an apology for the delay, they tried getting me in a dorm in Okina…City I think it's called. But then my dad remembered a guy he worked with several years ago and liked the cut of his jib and wanted to cash in a favor, so here I am."

"Still, my apologies," Yu said, for some reason feeling embarrassed.

"Don't sweat it. I'm a nice guy when you get down to it," Charles replied with a smile.

"Hey! Over here!" A voice said behind them. They both looked at a man with a Charcoal-gray dress shirt, loose red tie, and brown slacks. He was with a little girl. She looked 5 or 6, had her hair in pigtails, and wore a turtleneck shirt with a pink coverall dress. Turtlenecks are in season it seems, Charles thought.

The man introduced himself to Yu. "I'm Dojima Ryotaro; I haven't seen you since you were in diapers. I'm your mother's younger brother and that pretty well covers it."

"Pleased to meet you," Yu said. Charles just smiled.

"This is your cousin, my daughter Nanako," Dojima said, introducing the girl.

"'Lo" she said nervously before Yu could introduce himself. "Forgive Nanako, She's a little shy around strangers," Dojima said before he received a smack on his legs from her. "Ow! Nanako!" he said with a laugh. Charles laughed too.

"And you must be Charles." Dojima said in perfect English.

"That I am, sir. Konichiwa," Charles replied.

Dojima laughed and asked "is your family well?"

"Hai, Domo Arigato for asking." Charles then turned to Nanako. "Greetings…I'm Charles…"

Nanako looked tentative around Charles too…but she said, "Hello," A little more relaxed.

"Are both you boys ready?" Dojima asked, smiling because Nanako seemed to be warming up a little.

"Yes, sir." They said in unison.

Dojima laughed again. "Don't be so formal, you two."

They put their luggage in the back of the vehicle and then they got in the back. "I know it'll be hard for both of you to be here for the next year, but I think you both will like Inaba," Dojima said.

"I like it already, it reminds me of Taylorsville," Charles replied, while Yu absent-mindedly looked out his window at a picture of a girl named "Risette." Dojima chuckled at Charles's excitement.

The radio had a news report playing. "What's this about?" Charles asked.

"You haven't heard…? It's practically been all over TV and radio today," Dojima said.

"Sorry," Charles replied. "I've been so nervous about making it here…that I was so focused on the news back home.

Dojima chuckled. "I was the same way when I was in your neck of the woods," He then said seriously, "A Council Secretary named Nametame Taro was having an affair with a TV announcer named Yamano Mayumi. His wife, an Enka Ballad singer named Hiiragi Misuzu, found out about it and broke it to the media." Dojima said.

"Ah! Arigato..." Charles said. Unlike America, this has real news value. But still…why would someone be so stupid to cheat on their wife with a TV announcer? The wife's famous. The announcer's famous. And a Council Secretary isn't exactly flying under the radar. Maybe the Singer fell out of love with her husband.

"Dad, I have to go." Nanako said, fidgeting.

"I didn't think I was that boring," Charles said.

Nanako just turned around to give Charles a dirty look.

"I'm kidding!" He said.

Dojima sighed though, and pulled into a gas station called "Moel." Nanako started running to the restroom. A gas station attendant came up to them and Dojima asked him, "Where's the restroom?"

"Over there…" Speaking to Nanako the attendant said, "you know where left is, it's the direction you don't hold your chopsticks…"

"I know! Jeez!" Nanako said, running towards the restroom.

"Nanako, will you be okay by yourself?" Dojima asked.

"Yes!" she called back.

"Don't fall in," Charles said, mostly to himself in English. She reminds me of Alex when she was that age…until last week. Charles shook his head.

"I guess I can have a smoke," Dojima said to the boys, "Why don't you two get out and take a look around." Yu mentally shrugged and got out of the car. Charles decided to as well.

"So are you taking a trip?" The Attendant asked Dojima.

"No, we're just getting back picking up these two. They'll be staying for the next year…"

"Well…There's not much to do here. You'll either be studying or hanging out…Working Part-time jobs even…" The attendant said.

"I'm gonna go get a lay of the land…If you don't mind," Charles said. He bowed politely to the attendant.

Charles walked down the street a bit and saw the girl with black hair again. "So we meet again," Charles said with a smile.

"Huh?" The girl said. "I don't remember seeing you before."

Charles was confused, but decided to just say, "At the train station…" trying to remind her.

"Whatever," she replied. She looked lost in some way and for a moment was looking at the Gas Station Attendant for some reason.

Then Charles had heard 2 voices, both girls. "Yukiko, c'mon!" A brown-haired girl wearing a green jacket, a slip shirt, covering a green striped shirt, covering a blue shirt, with a green skirt and green boots said to a girl with black hair a red head band, a dark red dress, a red scarf as a choker, and black boots.

The black-haired girl replied to her friend in green, "All right, Chie…" The brown-haired girl was walking a dog that had an odor emanating from it, but seemed polite.

"What the hell is a "Chee-ay?" Charles asked.When he looked back at the girl he was speaking to before and took to be middle school-aged…she was gone. "…the hell?" He asked

He then looked back to the 2 teenaged girls. "Yukiko" was smiling, but it seemed to be a polite, restrained smile. "Chee-ay," on the other hand, appeared to be projecting boundless energy. The black-haired one is very attractive, though her friend in green isn't hard on the eyes either. He thought. He decided to leave before they saw him staring.

"And so, Yukiko, I heard a rumor our homeroom teacher tomorrow may be King Moron himself. I hope not though, I would prefer to have Sofue or Kondo." Chie said. "Um, Yukiko are you OK?"

Yukiko had felt something was odd and then saw something, or rather, SOMEONE walking away.

"Chie! That boy over there!" Yukiko said. "Do you see him?"

Chie saw a brown-haired boy walking the other way. "Who? That guy walking away?"

"Yes, him!" Yukiko said. "I swear that he was looking at us, or more to the point, at ME!"

"You'll probably never see him again, and besides, what's the harm? Isn't looking free?"

"Well, what if I do see him again?"

"Then 'Here comes a new Challenger'" Chie said, referring to the "Amagi Challenge" where guys tried to be Yukiko's boyfriend.

"Chie…I'm not interested in a boyfriend," Yukiko said, scolding.

"Yukiko, he's probably not even your type anyway, so don't worry about it."

Chie's right. I'll never find my "prince," Yukiko thought before deciding to focus on the conversation about school.

Or at least try to…because when she had seen the boy…there was SOMETHING familiar about him…

"So anyway, we do have part-time work if either of you are interested…" The attendant said as Charles came back.

"I'll think about it…Keep my options open," Charles said.

"I'll consider it…" Yu said.

"I certainly hope so," The attendant said, and then offered his hand out to Yu.

Yu gamely shook it after a moment of consideration.

"Anyway…I have to get back to work…Enjoy your new town…" The attendant said.

"Where the hell's my handshake?!" Charles said.

"You probably didn't earn it because you left there is such a thing as suffering through…" Yu said before he started to get dizzy and shaky on his feet.

"Yu!" Charles said with concern.

"Are you OK?" Nanako, who returned from the bathroom said.

"Just a little dizzy," Yu replied. "I'm fine otherwise,"

Dojima looked concerned. "I'm not surprised. It's been a long trip."

"Mine was longer, but I think it's getting to me, too," Charles repressed a yawn as he said this.

"Let's get you two home, then."

They got back into the car and along the way passed the 2 girls and the dog. Charles didn't notice them.

Amagi Yukiko certainly noticed him.

Dojima Residence

The car pulled in to a house at the end of a street. As they went in, Dojima said, "I know it's not what you expected, but it's your home for the next year. What's mine is yours."

"Domo," Charles said.

"I'm just sorry we couldn't put you 2 in separate rooms."

"I've roomed with my brother before, this is no different," Charles said.

"You've been gracious enough to take us in, Uncle. Sharing with Charles is no problem." Dojima laughed at that.

There was food spread out on the table. It was prepackaged with a logo that said "Junes" on it. "I'm sorry if you were expecting more, but I really don't know how to cook," Dojima said, with a 2 parts per million amount of sheepishness.

"No worries," Charles said with a smile.

Dojima's cell began to ring. "Yes, Dojima here." A pause. "Really? When?" Another pause. All right, I'll be there as soon as I can." Dojima ended the call and said, "Looks like I made the right choice to skip the booze."

More like "real life" made the choice for you, Charles thought.

"I'll be home late," Dojima said. He opened the door. "Nanako, it's raining, did you bring in the laundry?"

"Yes, Dad," Nanako said. "Thanks, Nanako." Dojima closed the door and left.

Nanako looked a little downcast.

"Your dad's a detective, right?" Yu asked.

"Uh-huh, he works for the Inaba Police Department. But he's gone a lot."

"But I bet when he's at work you're a good girl?" Charles said.

"Uh-huh, I can cook breakfast and clean," Nanako said feeling proud Charles called her a "good girl." Looking at the TV, she said, "Oh, it's Junes!"

There was a commercial for Junes, showing that it was "Customer Appreciation Day" at Junes every day.

"Huh. A Sears or Mall of America with a Wal-Mart Philosophy," Charles said.

"You Americans pigeonhole EVERYTHING," Yu said in English to Charles's surprise with a smirk.

Charles looked incredulous at Yu. "Cheater."

Yu shrugged. "You never asked."

"Every day's great at your Junes!" The jingle played. "Every day's great at your Junes!" Nanako repeated, waving her hand and arm like a metronome. Charles smiled.

And then Charles was surprised when Yu sang it too. "Every day's great at your Junes!"

Nanako gasped and brightened at that. They then looked to Charles expectantly.

Thanks a lot, Yu, Charles thought. "Every day's great at your Junes!" He wasn't good as Yu…but Nanako had clapped as if Charles had just sung the aria to Don Giovanni perfectly.

After eating dinner and spending time watching TV with Nanako, the boys put Nanako to bed. They then went to their room. Charles unpacked his books, his PS3 and HD-Monitor, his sleeping bag, as Yu got the futon, his games and Blu-rays, and finally, his clothes. Yu had already unpacked his items earlier after Dinner.

"So, is the floor good for you?" Yu asked.

Charles started looking like a surprised girl. "Yu-chan! Already! And just on our first date? Please be gentle."

Yu just stared at Charles "Excuse me?"

Charles sighed. "I was just kidding. Look, I feel bad that you're here not by your choice and my being here is probably making it worse for you."

"You're fine, I'm just a little tense because I've never had to share a room outside of a vacation or school trip before," Yu reassured him.

"Yes, but I don't want to make enemies. Can we please just start again?"

Yu didn't think that was necessary, given that there were things Yu knew that Charles didn't. But he saw in Charles's eyes a need, a longing, for acceptance. Yu decided to take Charles's hand. "Narukami Yu, pleased to meet you," He said with a smile that would be small for most, but actually wide for him.

"Charles Waldo." He smiled warmly at Yu

….

"And I'll be using my sleeping bag on the couch," He finished.

Somewhere, Somewhen

She had had this dream before.

Ever since she was a little girl she had, on occasion, dreamed this dream. However, the dream was only vivid the first time, though she was too young to understand anything that took place. But now the dream was as clear as crystal.

She was in a hallway. She heard behind a door crying and a gentle, slightly deep voice.

"Sh-she hates m-me. My fr-friends won't speak to m-m-m-me. I didn't do anything wr-wr-wrong. But they wo-won't believe me. I tried to-to be honor-honorable," The voice said, shaking.

Why is there crying? What has happened here? Yukiko thought. She looked out the window and saw snow, which was impossible for April. It would not snow again until November or December.

She felt something in her hand. She looked down and saw what she was holding. "A protection charm?" It was one she had seen from Tatsuhime Shrine. But why am I holding it? She thought.

"I should have known it-it-it was too good to-to-to be true," the voice said in English. She had learned English, not only because her father wanted her to, but because she had thought because of this dream, she would be rescued from inheriting her family's inn by a Westerner. A "prince," if you will.

What surprised her was that she always knew in her heart the voice. She knew it like her very own.

"I'm worthless," The voice said.

"NO!" Yukiko says and opens the door. She felt like her mind's eye was there, but the rest of her mind and her body were in the actual moment of the dream. She saw who it was who was crying…

IT WAS THE BOY FROM THIS AFTERNOON!

"Yu-Yuki?" he says looking at her.

She looked at him and said, "Charles-chan." What? "You are not worthless, do you hear me? You still have one friend. One friend who still loves you and still needs you."

Yukiko didn't know why she said these things as she didn't know him.

But she sat down and wrapped her arms around him and gently kissed him on the lips. Once their lips parted, he started sobbing very loudly, releasing his pain and sadness. "I love you, Amagi Yukiko," he said before sobbing loudly again.

"I love you, Charles Waldo. More than anything in this world, I love you. I will always love you." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I will never abandon you again. I will ALWAYS protect you."

"Please don't leave me," he cried. He was in so much pain.

"I'm not. Shhh. It's OK, I'm here. Just let it out. I'm here for YOU now," she said.

She then looked at herself in a mirror and saw that her reflection was saying something, but she couldn't hear the words.

It was at this point she woke up. She was in the inn. Chie was in a futon a few feet away from Yukiko, asleep. Yukiko remembered. They always had a slumber party before the first day of a new school year and it was Yukiko's turn to host.

Yukiko lay back down. She never told anyone that she had this dream, not even Chie. But this was the first time that she knew what the reflection was mouthing to her.

"You'll understand when the time comes."

She wondered what crime this "Charles Waldo" could have been accused of to leave him feeling abandoned.

…

The rest of that night she never received an answer.