Scar Tissue VII

Kensuke Hiraga sat on a chair watching his one of his best friends Minato Arisato as he lay on his bed in the Iwatodai University Dorm. Currently, Minato had his eyes squeezed shut and his hands covering his face as another memory pain spiked through his brain. Kensuke had tried to help, he'd taken Minato his father, the famous neurosurgeon, but even Katsuya Hiraga wasn't able to help beyond prescribing the most potent non-narcotic painkillers his colleagues could recommend.

Slowly, after ten minutes Minato lowered his hands from his face and relaxed. Kensuke could feel some of the tension in his body lift watching his friend recover from the pain he'd been experiencing. "So, did you remember anything?"

Minato paused before giving his answer, he had indeed remembered something, but it was nothing like his previous memories. It was night, and he was strapped to a cross, a girl, the same girl that had kissed him was pointing her hand… a gun at him. He could see some of his other friends also bound to nearby crosses, Mitsuru was there as was Fuuka, Yukari, Junpei, and Akihiko. There were even two other men he didn't recognise, they were both in suits, the man with dark hair and an eyepatch was in a dark suit while the other man with light brown hair and glasses was in a tan suit. He also had a gun. He spoke, but unlike the images, the words had faded away.

"I… it's something to do with Mitsuru, but it's hazy. I'm sure it's nothing important." Minato assured Kensuke.

Kensuke frowned, with or without amnesia Minato Arisato was a terrible liar. It was one of his more appealing features, but it also made him easy to read. Kensuke decided not to push the issue for the moment, knowing that it was critical that Minato trusted him. With so many of his friends lying, or at least hiding the full truth he needed someone to trust.

"So if Mitsuru is lying to us about what happened to you, how do we find the truth?"

Minato swung his legs around to sit on the bed facing Kensuke; he pondered the question for a minute before responding, "We need more help."

Kensuke nodded, "I guess we could ask Yukari-san…"

Minato's mind flashed back to the memory and shook his head, "No, that's a bad idea."

Kensuke blinked, "Why?"

"It, it just is ok," Minato replied evasively.

"Oh-kay, hey, what about Chihiro?"

"Better, let's go." Minato agreed as the two boys walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, Yukari and Mitsuru were in Mitsuru's room, Yukari was working on an essay while Mitsuru having already completed the assigned work was surfing the internet. Unfortunately, this wasn't for fun; she was searching for information about Minato's new friend Maki. Yukari looked up from her work frowning, Mitsuru had been tapping away at her laptop for over an hour and looked even more frustrated than when she started. It was a clear sign that her investigation wasn't getting her anywhere. Yukari got up and walked over to the couch Mitsuru was sitting on and took the laptop from her grasp placing it on a nearby sideboard sitting down beside Mitsuru.

"I know you're worried, but we have to trust him. You know what Minato is like, he doesn't make bad decisions when it comes to friends." Yukari said trying to reassure her friend/lover.

Mitsuru smiled brushing some hair behind Yukari's ear, "Minato's not the one I'm worried about. I feel as though I've met that woman before. I just can't place where."

Yukari smiled taking Mitsuru's hand in hers before speaking, "Well then we'll just have to find out together, right?" Yukari asked kissing the inside of Mitsuru's hand gently.

"Right." Mitsuru agreed to smile at the loving treatment she was receiving from her girlfriend.

Meanwhile, Maki Nakajima looked up from the research she had on Minato Arisato hearing her e-mail notification ping. Checking her e-mails, Maki found that someone had searched Maki Tenjoin. Maki smiled, "Well, that didn't take long." She whispered to herself.

She suspected it might be Mitsuru Kirijo, but she checked the IP address to confirm her suspicions. Maki smiled, loving being right. Even chatting to Minato had rattled the red-head. Maki leant back in her chair with a smug expression on her face wondered how crazy it would make Mitsuru if they were suddenly under the same roof.

Chihiro frowned chewing both on the information she'd been given by Minato and the burger he and Kensuke had bought her as they sat in Big Bang Burger. The two boys were watching her expectantly waiting for her to answer. Chihiro swallowed and smiled, "Of course I'll help. I'd never say no to Minato-san."

Minato blushed as Kensuke covered his face with his hand afraid to inquire just what she was implying. Chihiro chose to ignore them leaning forward taking a sip of her drink before speaking, "So what's the plan?"

The two boys lent forward as Kensuke spoke, "Well, you did say you woke up in a hospital Minato, maybe we should start there. I could use my Father's connections to find out which hospital you were admitted to and we could see whether the timeline matches what Mitsuru has told us."

"And if it doesn't?" Chihiro asked.

"We keep digging until we figure out why she's been lying to Minato," Kensuke replied.

Meanwhile at that moment sitting several booths away from the three were Akihiko Sanada and Junpei Iori. They exchanged worried glances as they strained to overhear their friend's clandestine meeting. The two slipped out of Big Bang Burger before they were noticed walking out and onto the Midnight Bridge. Akihiko stared down the road just able to pick out the spot they'd beaten the 12th Demon. Even after over three years that night still gave him chills. Junpei came up beside him and rested his arms on the railing.

"We should tell Mitsuru-Senpai," Junpei said.

Akihiko shook his head, "No, not yet. We knew this was a possibility, even if we didn't say aloud. Of course, Minato wants to know what happened to him. I would. Whether we should let him is a different matter entirely."

"That would be a complicated conversation." Junpei opined.

"Yes, it would."

What none of the five realised was they were being watched by a platinum blonde haired woman with yellow eyes dressed in blue. She observed concerned over the health of the man she loved. Watching him through the window of Big Bang Burger made her yearn to be with him. She still remembered fondly their special day together, the one where she'd given herself to him entirely. All she wanted was to be with him, but she knew she could not.

Walking deeper into the alley from which she'd been spying on them, Elizabeth knew she had to finish the task she'd given herself and fulfil the promise she'd made to him and herself. Elizabeth knew she was running out of time and eventually, the truth would come out. She worried what would happen next.

The next day Mitsuru was sitting at the dining room table. She'd taken a moment out of her studies to make herself some tea. She's chosen to come down to the dining room for a change of scenery. A light knock on the front door interrupted Mitsuru before she could take her first sip of the tea. Sighing she rose from the table and opened the front door.

"Yes, can I help you?" Mitsuru asked frowning.

"Hi, I'm Maki, Minato's friend, is he here?"

To Be Continued…

A/N: Another short one, sorry. I will try and make the next chapter a bit longer. Still formulating plans for other stories in the Persona, Fairy Tail, and Evangelion worlds. I'm also debating whether to wait until this is finished before publishing something new. Not sure yet.