Setton: I'm back! Though I don't know for how long. Taking three studios next semester, which will literally eat up my entire day. Not to mention I have to take care of my mom and drive her to and from the clinic. In any case, enjoy the new chapter!

Innocent Sin

"…Didn't I tell you not to cry anymore?"

"Stupid sempai! You're so stupid, stupid, STUPID!"

"Hey don't be like that. C'mon…give me a smile."

"…"

"Yeah, just like that…"

"…Sempai?"

"…"

"Sempai…?" Hamuko mumbled, her eyes fluttering open. She was met with a green ceiling. There was no one around her yet she could have sworn she heard Shinjiro talking to her. Was she just dreaming it all?

Hamuko carefully sat up and rubbed at her temples. "So many questions…" she thought before she felt a draft of cool air. To her right was an exit, where the floor elongated outwards to meet the side of another tower. It was a bridge – a hazardous one – with no suspensions, pillars, or buttresses. There was nothing to keep it from falling except for Tartarus' strange sense of physics. She had two choices – walk deeper into the labyrinth or trapeze towards the next area.

She frowned as she tapped the receiver attached to the collar of her uniform. There was not even an ounce of static coming off of the small communicator. Was it broken? Or maybe she was too high up… She did not remember breaking it. Perhaps she was too high off the ground and could not catch Mitsuru's frequency. The theory sounded plausible – so what about the others? Did they have the same problem as well? She at least hoped they were together. There was no telling how powerful the Shadows were on this floor, much less the next.

Underneath the blast of the howling winds, Hamuko could have sworn she heard the dragging of chains.

She paused and wondered if she misheard.

…

No it was definitely there.

Hamuko got up onto her feet and looked down the hall that led deeper into the tower. "Hello…?" she called out hesitantly, "Is anyone there?"

The rattling got closer.

Hamuko laughed nervously. "Is that you Pharos? C'mon, this isn't funny…" Her Personas brushed against the edges of her mind – restless and disturbed. Their concerns did not faze her; she had grown used to their erratic behaviors by now. What did unnerve her was the awakening of Thanatos. Usually he did not pay much attention to the clamor of her fellow Personas. Not unless there was a threat on her life. The fact reminded her all too well of Thanatos' reaction to Akihiko and Polydeuces.

She reached inwardly to press a steady hand against Thanatos' helmet, hoping redirect his attention to her and make him lose interest. Thanatos made his irritation known by pushing her mental-self away. Her efforts were futile.

He was wide-awake now.

Hamuko turned her attention back to the halls with a frown as she felt him peer through her eyes.

"Go back to sleep," Hamuko told him. He ignored her of course and proceeded to watch the halls before her.

The rattling soon became a loud banging – as if the chains were hitting walls. Hamuko tensed as a large ghostly figure rounded the corner and came within sight. The stench of copper and gunpowder swept through the halls, causing her to recoil and cover her nose. She took in the sight of the creature, taking note of the bloodied bandages that wrapped its head, leaving only a glowing eye to peer back at her. It was cloaked in a long coat where the ends flapped about – revealing that it was missing a large portion of its body. Gripped within both of its hands was a pair of long-barrel revolvers.

Hamuko was given little time to gather her wits before Thanatos snapped. There was a sharp crack that tore through her mind, causing her to cry out as Thanatos attempted to force himself out once more. There was no warning and Hamuko could not prepare herself for the backlash from his forceful expulsion.

Thanatos projected himself forward upon materializing, and he brought his weapon down upon the Reaper. A flare of red lines danced across the ground and tore the floor tiles as Thanatos proceeded to send an Akasha Art at the Shadow. The Reaper howled as it was thrown back into the wall, but it quickly recovered and aimed its revolvers in the direction of Death. Sparks erupted from the barrels of the gun, and Thanatos staggered back as the projectiles tore through his coat and pierced his form. Black spewed from his wounds, and Thanatos hissed as he took shelter behind the coffins that circled his form.

"Pixie!" Hamuko called out, only to wince when a gunshot rang out and she could only watch as her familiar was torn to pieces above her. The creature, whatever it was, was eyeing her. She glared back defiantly before she reached for another one of her Personas. "Eurydice!" she shouted, throwing her hands up. The golden-coated Persona appeared – only able to offer Hamuko a comforting glance before bullets tore through Eurydice's metal frame.

The ruby-eyed student took one look at the Reaper just in time to see it hold pointing its weapon in her direction, clearly agitated by her attempts in calling reinforcements. Hamuko yelped and she ducked just in time to hear the ping of a bullet as it ricocheted off the walls. She brushed her bangs away in a hurry, peering through her fingers to see Thanatos' engaging the Reaper once more. The muscles in his arms contracted as he attempted to redirect the Reaper's weapons away from her.

"We can't stay here," Hamuko thought as she looked at the only exit behind her. Thanatos seemed disgruntled, almost offended by the appearance of the creature before them. Whatever the problem was, she was not going to stay here to nurse his ego. They could not afford it. Hamuko could already feel her mind straining in its attempts to keep her awake and steady.

So when Thanatos would not listen to words, Hamuko used actions against him.

She ran.

She pumped her legs as hard as she could as she sprinted down the hall and out towards the suspending bridge outside. The cold night air hit her hard and she had little time to process how dangerous it was for her to be running among the skyscrapers. It would be a long and messy drop if she were to fall. There were no platforms in sight. Stakes below reached up to her with waiting arms, glistening red in the green moonlight.

Thanatos was not happy – if his snarls were anything to go by.

Hamuko looked over her shoulder and yelped when she caught sight of Thanatos charging down the runway after her. She ran faster, thinking Thanatos would only pull her back into the fray. She barely reached the second tower before Thanatos' shadow fell over her. Her breath was knocked out of her when she felt the large arms of Thanatos wrapping around her middle. His embrace did not come without a price and he squeezed her against him, driving all the oxygen out of her body. Death growled out a warning before he loosened his grip and allowed her to inhale. She would hate to see what else he had in mind should she try running off again, so she simply went limp in his grasp, allowing him to do what he willed. To her relief Thanatos did not return for the Reaper, and he proceeded to charge at the entrance to the second tower.

With one hand brought out before him, Thanatos literally crashed through the closed door, tearing it from the walls and sending it skidding across the ground. Of course Tartarus was never without its surprises. Flying projectiles slowed to a stop in the air before reversing their flight. The broken door melded back together; flying past the two as it settled itself back into its original spot as if the two had never tore it down in the first place.

It was as if time had reversed itself.

Hamuko only gave the repaired wall one look of disbelief before she whipped her head around at the sound of laughter.

"You said you were hungry right? C'mon I'll treat ya."

"I know this place…" Hamuko muttered as Thanatos gently set her down before him. His time was up and he gave no struggle as his form dissipated behind her. The throbbing in her eyes returned full force, indicating that she needed to rest. Hamuko ignored the signs and stepped forward, nearly falling flat on her face when her shoes caught the cracks of the sidewalk. Thankfully she caught herself, her palms hitting the ground hard as she stared at the traditional sleeves that cloaked her arms.

A…kimono?

Hamuko stood straight up realizing that she was indeed wearing a kimono and not her school uniform. From the bright colors and the sound of nearby laughter, Hamuko guessed she was attending a festival of sort. Was it another test? Another bizarre room that Tartarus frequently flung at her and her friends? Why was she the only one experiencing the most of it?

The ruby-eyed girl frowned before stepping forward, only shiver as her right foot met the cold planes of the sidewalk. She looked down to see the problem, taking note of the sandal's strap that had broken off during her unexpected fall.

"You alright?"

Hamuko's head whipped around at the familiar baritone voice. "Shinjiro-sempai!" She brightened upon seeing him – her cheerfulness was soon replaced by confusion when she caught sight of his coat.

The very coat he could not wear because he specifically gave it to her.

Shinjiro raised a brow at her warm display but nonetheless walked over to her. "Take a seat over there," he told her as he reached down to pluck the broken sandal. She did as she was told, awkwardly hopping over to the shrine's borders and proceeded to sit on the wall.

"I take my eyes off you one moment and your already breaking things," Shinjiro joked as he came over, bending down so he could slip the shoe under her foot. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out a handkerchief and proceeded to tie a knot around the broken ends of the sandal. She watched him, slightly put off by his reaction. This was not right; their meeting should have been less than casual.

Shinjiro pulled back after tying the knot and proceeded to stuff his hands into his pockets. There was a curve to his spine – one that she had not noticed before – and his appearance was less than attractive. He relatively had the same attributes but he looked…older, more worn out and there were notable bags under his eyes. His looks alone were enough to convince her that she was still in Tartarus – experiencing something. Was it an illusion or something that the Shadows have thought of? It irritated her, knowing that she hardly had a basic understanding of this place, much less its inhabitants.

"What's with that face?" Shinjiro barked out a laugh.

Hamuko dropped her pout. "Nothing!" she chirped. Fine, if the Shadows wanted to play - bring it on!

Her sempai stared at her skeptically before he replied, "Then go find the others. You're just wasting time sitting here with me." At the end of his sentence he fell into fitful coughs. It was not the type of cough one would hear when someone was trying to clear his or her throat. Instead it sounded sicklier, untamed as it reverberated from his throat.

She could not help but wince at the hoarseness and did not question him. He was insistent in sending her off with that glare of his, and she followed his advice by running up the steps of Naganaki shrine to obtain more answers. The crowd that met her at the top of the stairs did not surprise her. There were people everywhere; some dress in kimonos and others in casual or uniform. Hamuko spotted a few familiar faces belonging to her classmates and did not get far before a ball of barking fur barreled into her legs. She reached down carefully to pull the animal away from her and realized that it was simply a small dog. There was a collar attached to him along with the written address of the Dorm scrawled across the metal tag.

"How strange…" she thought. She did not remember the dorm taking in a dog. Hamuko gave the tag another look, taking in the name "Koromaru" before she proceeded to browse the stands. The dog followed her obediently, keeping space between it and her heels. The shiba did not run off, merely followed her as it continued its vigorous tail wagging. It was not long before she came across Junpei and his friend Kenji. The two greeted her, exchanging idle chat but nothing so significant to warrant her much attention.

"Where's Minato?" she asked. In fact, where was Ryoji?

Junpei and Kenji blinked simultaneously before regarding each other with confusion.

"Who…?" Junpei asked, scratching his head.

She stared at him in disbelief. "You know…Minato? Arisato Minato?" She reminded him. "He sits next to you in class?"

"Uh…did you eat too much sugar today Hamu-tan?" Junpei laughed. "There's no one in our class named Minato, or at least not that I know of… And you sit next to me remember?"

A lie. One she was sure to prove but kept to herself.

Hamuko left the boys to own devices and proceeded to skim the crowds for someone she would be able to depend on for answers. A flash of red hair and a familiar feminine laugh directed her attention to the source. She spotted Mitsuru before the others, smiling rather colloquially at Yukari and two other girls. Hamuko recognized the green haired girl to be Fuuka, the very classmate that everyone had traverse Tartarus to find. Despite the paleness of skin, Fuuka was laughing merrily – her cheeks pink with a healthy glow.

"Alive and well…" Hamuko observed the girl. That was not right. No one should be able to waltz around Tartarus for hours without a single scratch on his or her person. Whatever this was, she doubted the Shadows had a hand in it.

She was neither dead nor dumb.

Hamuko did not approach the others, merely watched them until her eyes were drawn towards the blond female who was speaking to Yukari. She looked foreign and had the prettiest blue eyes. The stranger looked back at her, aware of the stare, and perked up at the sight of Hamuko. The blond smiled at her, chuffed.

Thanatos hissed a warning and Hamuko found her vision of the girls blurring as she caught sight of the dark figure standing behind them.

The Reaper stared her down and she felt a rising panic as it raised its weapons. Hamuko fled at the sound of the gunshot and pushed everyone out of her way. She ignored the shouts and the angry curses that were thrown at her as she ran for her life. No one was running as bullets hailed across the asphalt and there was only a sense of confusion as everyone shot her concerned and perplexed looks. The only one who seemed to be panicking was the barking dog at her heels.

The straps of her broken sandal came undone, and Hamuko proceeded to discard her shoes after nearly tripping down the stairs. The streets were cold and became even colder when she reached the bottom of the steps where Shinjiro was waiting. His head snapped up and looked very much surprised by her sudden appearance. He got up quickly upon the sight of Koromaru, the dog who was anxiously barking by Hamuko's bare feet.

"What–" Shinjiro began, but Hamuko only shot him a parting look before she darted off and ignored the calls behind her.

She was right about earlier. What she saw and experienced was not the real thing. Sense directed her towards the Dorm, and Hamuko entered the building to find herself back in her uniform. The kimono was nowhere in sight and her shoes returned. Instead of the homely atmosphere of the lounge, Hamuko found herself lost in a labyrinth of green hallways.

Hamuko reached out and trailed her fingers along the walls as she walked on. "Here, I play as Theseus," she murmured as her heart thrummed.

"And I, Ariadne…"

Hamuko whipped around, only to let out a relieved sigh at the sight of Pharos.

He smiled at her before cocking his head. "…Or rather, is it the other way around?"

"Pharos!" she snapped, her hands automatically coming to her hips. The little phantom flinched and ducked his head as he regarded her with wide-eyes and confusion. That did not stop her from marching over to him and pinching his cheeks between her fingers. "You little brat!" she told him while forcing his lips into a grin. "I can't believe you left me all alone! I was freaking out ever since I woke up!"

"I zot you zidn't need me," he replied and rubbed his cheeks after Hamuko released him.

"I sometimes wonder about you," Hamuko told him while rubbing her forehead. "Your knowledge about everything…its rather concerning."

Pharos frowned. "I can't explain how I know these things, I just do. …Is that wrong?"

"No Pharos." Harmuko sighed as she dropped to her knees and brought him into a hug. "I'm just worried about what it all means." She felt him hug back and she asked, "How about we make use of that head of yours right now. What was that thing back there?"

"That Shadow?" he confirmed, to which she nodded. "It is called The Reaper. All I know is that it's a Shadow that falls under the Death Arcana and seems to take particular interest in you. The moment you were separated from the others, it went after you."

Hamuko pulled back from Pharos and sniffed. "Hope I don't see it anytime soon."

Pharos offered her a small smile. "Tartarus is ever changing. If you keep moving, it will have a harder time reaching you."

"Which reminds me, we need to keep moving." Hamuko said as she got up and took a hold of Pharos' hand. "Do you know where the Minato and the others are?" The little boy nodded before he proceeded to lead her down the hallway. She paid special interest to the Shadows that they passed by. It was rather strange and a little frightening at how the Shadows would run off after catching sight of Pharos, who seemed rather ignorant to their reactions. His concerns seemed to fall on her rather than the hazards around him. Why did he stick with her in the first place? She had always wondered. He would most likely reply with a shrug had she asked him.

She decided to avoid the thought and focus on what happened prior to their meeting. "When I entered that last room, what did I just see?"

Pharos looked over his shoulder. "A memory."

"Are you serious?" Hamuko asked in disbelief. "That looked nothing like a memory. I would know for sure if I ever went to a festival with the others."

"But you did." He was insistent despite the troubled look on his face. "I mean – you did once. I know you did…" It was almost as if he was second guessing himself, and he went quiet.

Figuring the question would only bring on more confusion, Hamuko decided to change the topic. "What do you know about Tartarus?" she asked. "What is Tartarus?"

Pharos perked up at the question, elated that he would be able to answer something he knew. "Tartarus is a gateway into the Shadows' world. It is a place that is not affected by law or time. It is also the edifice for something important, something that affects you and me." He did not expand as to why it was important, and she figured that was the best she was going to get.

"How do we get rid of it?" Hamuko essentially asked.

Pharos answered, "It's too soon to tell."

6/9/07

Last night seemed almost a blur. So many things had happened and Hamuko was too exhausted to even recall. Minato was in a similar case. They all were. There was some good news on the other hand. They managed to stop not only two of those strange Shadows but also saved the missing girl – Fuuka – along long the way. Her return of course brought in a mass of new rumors to Gekkoukan, ones that S.E.E.S could not help but roll their eyes at.

"How is she?" Hamuko asked Minato during their lunch break. Junpei was unable to join them. He had been called into the office earlier about his recent test scores and loafing around in class.

Minato answered, "Akihiko-sempai said that Yamagishi-san was admitted into ICU per Mitsuru's request."

"ICU? Was it that bad?"

"I think it's more of a safety measure," Minato explained as he picked at his food. "Yamagishi-san was in Tartarus longer than any of us have. Plus, you've seen what happened to that Moriyama girl. Who knows if any Shadows have gotten ahold of Yamagishi-san's mind?"

Hamuko groaned. "I really hope not. The last thing we need is a Shadow living in our dorm."

"…So, did you find out anything out?" Minato gave her a meaningful look.

She told him about what happened to her during their separation, partially because she needed information. Minato was the ideal person to ask when she considered his Wildcard status. He had privileges and access to things that a mundane human like Yukari and Junpei did not. Unfortunately, Minato did not have the answers she sought and was just as stumped as she was. That was until he suggested her to ask Igor.

So she did…or at least tried to. The Velvet Room was empty, and Hamuko went for the next best thing.

"Memories…?" Theodore's expression turned sour and he looked towards his sisters for advice. Hamuko would note the cynical grins on their faces before Elizabeth and Margaret proceeded to ignore their own little brother. He sighed at them out of exasperation, his vexation showing clearly on his face.

As the two sisters left to attend approaching customers, Theodore turned back to Hamuko with a defeated look. "I can't say that I know much about what you have seen," he told her before noticing the narrowing of her eyes. "W-What's with that face?"

Hamuko dropped the look and gave a deep sigh. "I'm sorry; I'm just a little frustrated. Whenever something comes up, I can never get the answers until sometime later."

"Then perhaps waiting is the best option," Theodore advised.

"Only time will tell, huh…" Hamuko muttered as she proceeded to run her fingers through her hair, fixing her pins as she thought about Theodore's answer. Did she have any choice but to wait it out? Pharos had the strangest case of amnesia, Minato was in the dark as she was, and Theodore had no information regarding her "memory" encounter. Maybe she should give up on her investigation and focus on S.E.E.S main objective – the destruction of Tartarus and removal of Shadows.

Finalizing her decision, Hamuko bid Theodore farewell before she left for the exit.

"Just a moment Hamuko-sama!" Theodore called, and Hamuko felt him grab her wrist. He quickly grew flustered upon realizing that he had addressed her by her respective title once more. It was an old habit that he seemed to have trouble breaking. "M-My apologies, but I would like to make a request," he said in response to her expectant look.

"Sure, what's the request?" the bemused girl asked.

"Another date if you will," Theodore asked, looking quite pleased as he released her. "I'm rather curious about what goes on within a club. …Why are you laughing?"

"Sorry," Hamuko's apologized despite her obvious mirth. "It's just that I can't see you as someone who would go to a club. Maybe it's because of how you're dressed."

Theodore picked at his sleeves consciously. "I assume this state of dress is discouraged?"

"Well…not exactly, but it is certainly not something anyone would wear," Hamuko explained as she rocked back and forth onto her heels. "People who go to clubs are more casually dressed. T-shirts and jeans would be the typical attire." Maybe even less, but she was not going to tell him that.

"I see," Theodore murmured as he dropped his hand. "Then will you mind helping me find something suitable to wear?"

"I don't mind at all," Hamuko answered with a bright smile, which only grew wider when Theodore offered his hand to her.

"Theo," called Margaret.

Hamuko took Theodore's hand as the two turned to look up at the older sibling. The blond woman was leaning on the counter, her eyes regarding the two sternly before she addressed Theodore.

"Don't forget," Margaret reminded.

Hamuko watched Theodore's face, wondering if she was eavesdropping on something personal as Theodore's expression morphed into something more predatory. He looked irritated, as if he had heard the same words spoken to him over and over again.

Theodore's hand tightened over Hamuko's and he coolly replied with, "Goodbye Margaret," before he led Hamuko out of the door.

"What could she mean…?" Hamuko wondered.

…

…

The women could not stop staring.

"Is something wrong?" Theodore asked as Hamuko proceeded to count the number of eyes that were on the both of them.

Hamuko shrugged off the question before she continued to help him find something to wear. There was a small pile of clothing placed nearby, all the same hue, which revealed Theodore's penchant for blue. While the color may be flattering on him, Hamuko's eyes were growing rather weary at the sight of it due to her weekly visits into the Velvet Room. So she picked a few long sleeved sweaters – black and sleek. The color may be overrated, but it went well with everything. She also threw a few slacks onto the pile, refusing to pick up a single pair of jeans because she was unused to seeing him wearing something so 21st century.

She later ushered him into the changing rooms while she stood guard outside – her hands on her hips as her eyes dared any woman to come closer. Only a few younger women dared to approach and stand behind some racks as they peered promiscuously over at the changing rooms. Hamuko had to roll her eyes before she took a seat nearby and waited for Theodore's exit.

There was a tap on her shoulder and Hamuko rolled her head back in order to see who it was.

"Minato?" Hamuko blinked in surprise, finding her classmate to be dressed in his casual white and blue T-shirt and fitting blue jeans. Slung around his neck was his ever-familiar earphones and mp3 player. She never really saw him out of uniform, so this was a first. "What are you doing here?"

The blue haired teen merely shrugged before he took a bite out of his vanilla ice cream. "I have nothing to do," he commented as he moved around her seat in order to sit next to her. "I saw you sitting here when I was coming out from the café." He motioned to the clear plane windows that allowed customers to gaze in and out as they window-shopped around the area. "What about you? What are you doing here?"

"Theo requested to go to a club, so I'm here to help him shop for clothes," Hamuko said.

Minato looked at her as if the mere thought of it was a bad idea. "You're sure you want to do that?"

"Do what…? Shop for clothes?"

"No, I mean bringing him to a club." Minato grimaced. "I brought Elizabeth once, and she practically danced right outside the closed Escapade."

Hamuko could not help herself and fell into a round of laughter.

He looked at her with partial annoyance. "Elizabeth seems determined to embarrass me in every 'date' I take her on. It's like she has a personal vendetta against me."

"Don't say that." Hamuko swatted his arm. "She's only teasing. Elizabeth is really nice actually."

"I guess…" Minato muttered as he finished off his cone, looking down onto the ground in contemplation. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

He mulled over his thoughts for a moment before inquiring. "Does it ever seem like they're hiding something from you? There are times where I catch Elizabeth just staring at me with this guilty look in her eyes. Then when she notices me looking, she plays it off like nothing happened."

"Sounds similar to…Theodore," Hamuko said. "He acts just like that and never answers me whenever I ask."

"I have a feeling they are doing this to protect us," he told her, "but its rather concerning."

She knew the feeling all too well.

There was the sound of a turning knob and Theodore walked out of the dressing room while fixing the cuffs on his wrists, smoothing out the folds. Even in a loosened up black shirt, buttons meticulously done and all, Theodore was a sight for eyes. The black gave him a dangerous yet enigmatic feel, contrasting greatly with his white hair and bright yellow eyes. He was foreign, mysterious, and all so powerful. He turned heads for sure but cared little for the number of eyes that preyed on his every move.

Theodore approached Hamuko and asked, "Will this do?"

She beamed. "Of course! I swear – you could have been a model if you weren't Igor's assistant."

"I'm not going to reduce the prices of the compendium if that's what you're hoping," Theodore remarked with a serene smile.

Hamuko's cheeks immediately puffed and she shot him a look of faux displeasure.

The avatar of power chuckled before his eyes turned to regard Minato, and he grew tense. Theodore's lips thinned into a frown and his stare became sharp. "Greetings, Minato-sama," he said curtly.

Minato regarded the assistant pensively and reflexively returned his hands into his pockets. "Same to you," he replied, though it sounded reluctant.

Hamuko looked back and forth between them, wondering what brought on the blatant hostility the two had for one another. Minato had never mentioned Theodore once whenever Minato visited Elizabeth. The same could be said for Theodore, who initially mentioned his dislike of the blue-haired Wildcard but never spoke much of it thereafter.

She sighed before she told Minato, "Why don't you head back to the dorm first? I'll follow in a bit once I get Theo situated with everything."

Minato took one look at her before his eyes turned towards the menacing stare of the crowd. At the sound of emerging gossip, he shook his head and looked at her in the eyes. "Go ahead and finish up. I'll wait for you."

Hamuko noticed the whispers and gave a nod of her head. "Un!" She then took Theodore's gloved hand in hers before steering him back to the dressing room to retrieve the rest of the clothes they wished to purchase. Minato followed after them like a shadow, and Theodore had a look of understanding on his face.

She could not help but smile.

"–wrong with the cameras?"

Hamuko really did not mean to pry. It was more or less an accident. She wanted to inform Mitsuru about her inability to join for any training in Tartarus for tonight, due to Theodore's request. While the redhead may not be her mother, Hamuko figured it would be sensible to tell the S.E.E.S. president just in case anything happened or any Shadows roamed about. She doubted that leaving a message would go well with her sempai, so she chalked up the nerve to speak to the upperclassman herself.

Her courage was shot down when she overheard Akihiko's mention of cameras. A moment of panic struck her, and she hoped that Mitsuru had not found out about her field trip to Minato's room.

That was the least of her worries.

Hamuko pulled the door open just slightly enough to peak in onto he two figures inspecting the large console before them. Akihiko was slumped over the controls with one arm holding him up as he peered intently onto the screen.

Mitsuru sighed. "I've checked the systems at least twice a day and there is nothing wrong with it. I don't understand." She shook her head with a frown. "There are days where it would work perfectly. Then there are nights where there are just gaps within the timeframe." The redhead fiddled with a few buttons before she pulled up a video log. "Here, watch this."

Hamuko did her best to crane her head to the side, angling her face so that her eyes could catch the images on the screen. To Hamuko's surprise, it was a video of her reading a book under a lamplight. She could not exactly see the date of when the video was taken, but Hamuko knew it was moments before the arrival of the Dark Hour. The video continued playing before the screen suddenly went black. Akihiko did not make a noise as he straightened and crossed his arms in thought.

"It's still going," Mitsuru informed him and the room fell into silence once more.

About ten minutes passed before the screen flared back to life and Hamuko found herself watching the sleeping form of her figure.

"Take a look at the time," Mitsuru said as she motioned to the timestamp changing in the corner.

"The camera was still on the whole ten minutes," Akihiko muttered as his brows furrowed in confusion. "I don't get it. We didn't see anything blocking the camera and we know that it's not a malfunction. So how…"

"Pharos, that's how." Hamuko realized.

Mitsuru cut in. "It isn't just her room either. While hers are the most frequent, these 'blanks' have been appearing in both the lounge area and Arisato's bedroom."

Hamuko perked up. Minato's bedroom…? Then that would mean…

She pulled away from the door, not sure what to feel about the information she had just been given.

Girls outside of Gekkoukan were just as scary as those who were.

Theodore surely did not appreciate their efforts to –in his words- woo him either. There was one thing about physical contact; manageable distance between strangers was tolerated – while outright throwing oneself at an avatar of power would guarantee a Megidoroan to the face. Theodore was fortunate enough to have sense not to despite how much Hamuko wished it. Instead, he took a rather discrete way of handling things.

With her arms wrapped around his, it was rather hard to miss the oppressive aura that came from him. The feeling came about instantly, like a flick of a switch, and Hamuko looked at Theodore in surprise. His eyes were narrowed and shined under the lights of Paulownia Mall. Thankfully his stare was not for her and he regarded the women – who were plastered to his sides – with chilling contempt. The cattish women quickly skittering away like roaches as their coy teasing was replaced by apparent fear and distrust. No one dared to come closer and they left an open path for Hamuko and Theodore to enter without furthermore interruptions.

When they entered under the streaming lights and stage-smoke, Hamuko could not help but think that there was something familiar about the way Theodore changed. It reminded her very much of Minato during a battle, where he would switch between one Persona to another.

Then it hit her.

"D-Did you just use one of my Personas?" Hamuko gapped at her escort.

Theodore's mood defaulted instantly at her inquiry. His chest rumbled as he chuckled. "My apologies but it was the only way I knew how to dissuade them."

"Maybe something that didn't involve so much Death," she quipped; astonished at the fact that Theodore managed to use her Persona – not a copy like Minato's – but her own Persona. "Are you a Wildcard too?"

He answered, "Something of that sort yes. Though my powers are somewhat limited to the bonds I have with the denizens of the Velvet Rooms. As your personal assistant, I have access to your compendium and within it – your masks." His lips were pulled up into what seemed to be a smug smile. "If you'd indulge me, I'd like to teach you a skill that you may find useful on your journey."

She agreed heartily before the two made their way up to the second floor and locate a small corner to sit in. Hamuko bounced her full weight on the seats, giggling as she clambered over to the side of the wall in order to give Theodore some space to sit down. They were at the end of the room, just overhead the stage and band set below them. Here they would be able to talk in private and watch the whole room should they wished.

Hamuko watched curiously as Theodore proceeded to remove one of his gloves before offering his hand to her. She took his hand with one of her own and was rather surprised by the heat of his skin.

Crack!

She perked up at the change of atmosphere. Theodore held his smile as she attempted to figure out what he had set before her.

A hint of mischievousness but filled with good intentions.

"Pixie…?" Hamuko questioned him.

Theodore praised her, "Very good".

Another change washed over them and Hamuko was surprised to find herself mirroring Theodore's every blink and twitch. A subtle calm fell over her – familiar and with a bit of melancholy. The longing for companionship tugged at her heart, and Hamuko answered with "Eurydice".

He nodded to her before changing Personas once more. She struggled this time to pinpoint which Persona he had drawn up.

"Abbadon," he told her, "none of your own actually".

"Yours then…?" She breathed as the negative presence slowly faded back into the recesses of his mind. The power she felt was…incredible. To think that it was just sample of what he was truly capable of. In essence she was glad that he was not her enemy, she could not imagine facing something so strong at this point in time.

She winced without meaning to and Theodore's expression melted into one of concern. "I see," he muttered. "Accept my sincerest apologies. I did not mean to tempt Death so soon." Another change rippled over him and Hamuko felt the familiar presence of her Loa within the room.

Thanatos only seemed to grow angrier.

"How strange," Theodore said as he defaulted. "Normally Personas within the same Arcana find comfort amongst one another. Death is growing rather irritable."

"You mean Thanatos?" Hamuko asked before she released his hands and rubbed her head. "He's been like that all day. I think it's because of what happened in Tartarus last night. We fought some sort of weird Shadow…though it did not look like one. I really don't know what it is, but I forced Thanatos to run away. As you can tell he's not too happy."

"…You've encountered The Reaper." Theodore's eyes narrowed. "It is a Shadow that falls under the Death Arcana. For it to attack so blatantly, it must have been eager to get rid of Death."

Hamuko spoke up. "…So you're saying that thing was trying to undermine Thanatos?" Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Undermine what exactly…? What's so special about my Persona that it warrants a stalker? Why do you keep calling him Death? I know my Persona falls under the Death Arcana but you keep referring to him as if he's–"

Her eyes shut tightly as pain ripped through her skull. A blossoming numbness followed after and Hamuko could not recall her confusion as arms rose up to meet her. Dizziness snatched away coherency and she did not realize she passed out before the world went dark.

"...one reason I should not kill you."

"Orpheus…?" She was mistaken. Orpheus did not have a mane of blue hair or pale skin. He was as contrasted as night and day and sounded sweeter than harmony. His voice brought tears – not anger.

Is it worth the wait?

"…taught her and…o…exerted herself."

"I…don't…ou."

"I'm not…ere…trouble."

All this killing time?

The world moved and Hamuko felt herself being shifted from one arms to another. Minato was just above her now. She was still too weak to fully open her eyes. Images were blurred out, but she did not miss the scornful look on Minato's face. Theodore had moved away from her sight and she could only hear his voice as he spoke to her classmate.

"What happened?" Minato questioned.

"Yes, what?" She agreed as her mind went back to her date with Theodore. She accepted his request and they had indeed gone to the club, just like he wanted. He taught her something – a skill to improve her Social Links. Then after that there was…nothing. She could not remember what they had done afterwards. Had she fallen asleep?

Are you strong enough to stand, protecting both your heart and mine?

There was the sound of shoes clicking against the pavement. The noise only got quieter as Theodore moved away.

Minato's grip tightened.

I'm so heavy.

"Nothing happened."

So heavy in your arms.

Setton: By the way I heard about the purge. If this story ever gets taken off, I will find another site to post it up on. Hopefully that won't happen.