Wednesday, November 5th, 2014 – 00:00
The Other World

The shadows they had faced so far that night were familiar and provided little threat.

Standing in the heart of a cul-de-sac protruding from Springfield Road in central Bishopmill the five persona users took the temporary lull in battle to recover. Tonight's target, Julia Little, was inside one of the many 3 bedroom houses which dotted this exclusive area. They weren't sure which one, but it didn't matter. Iain was scanning constantly for shadow movement, making it impossible for anything to slip past them.

Nearly fifty minutes had passed since the start of the other world and Yuuki was exhausted. The effects of last night's altercation were still prevalent. She subconsciously released a yawn.

"Tired sis?" asked Daigo.

"No," replied Yuuki instinctively.

"Iain said he couldn't find where the next person lives, so we'll get a breather."

"That isn't something to be grateful for Daigo."

Yuuki watched her brother slump his shoulders. She felt bad for criticising him, especially for thinking the same way she had done in the past, but he needed to understand how important their missions were. Rebecca approached the squabbling siblings and patted Daigo on the shoulder.

"You won't get a rest tomorrow," she stated confidently, "its Guy Fox night!"

"What's a 'Guy Fox'?"

"Who is the correct question," interjected Iain, "Guido Fox was part of an assassination attempt on King James the 6th of Scotland, 1st of England in 1605. The so called 'gunpowder plot' was designed to restore Catholicism to England, or at the very least to prevent the escalating systemic persecution of Catholics prevalent at that time, through the use of explosives to destroy parliament while in session. The assassination attempt failed however the event is commemorated each year with firework displays."

"That's right," chirped Rebecca, "it's also called bonfire night because Guy Fox was burned at the stake."

"That is incorrect. It's a popular assumption however during the era in question execution from public burning was reserved for crimes against the church and for women convicted of treason. Guido Fox was hung, drawn and quartered."

"Cool," added Daigo.

Yuuki worried about her brother. What normal person would consider someone else being hanged and sliced open as 'cool'? The conversation was cut short when a group of shadows came into view.

They were three Maya's, each with a different mask. Behind them however was a creature Yuuki had never seen before. It was covered in yellow and brown fur, was less than half a meter in length and possessed vicious teeth and sharp claws. She heard Iain calling out to her describing their opponents.

"The wildcat uses electricity and is poisonous; it's only vulnerable to ice."

Yuuki nodded to show she understood. She decided to assign one target to each of her colleagues.

"Senga, take the cat, Daigo, blue mask and Becky, green."

She heard a cry of 'sure sis' from her brother and silence from her two friends. The quartet rushed towards the oncoming shadows and engaged them directly.

Yuuki charged the weakest opponent, the grey masked shadow. These creatures had little offensive strength, making them easy to defeat. They still needed to be destroyed as they were more than capable of killing a stationary target. Grey Maya's were weak against physical attacks and thus Yuuki summoned Monkey. Immediately she noticed her enemy moving neither forwards nor back. It was hesitating. Realising this was her opportunity she ordered her persona forward. Monkey did so by leaping high into the air and crashing down on the helpless shadow. This contact alone wasn't enough to defeat her enemy but a follow up strike proved successful. Yuuki glanced towards her colleagues to see who she should help first.

Daigo was matched against a blue masked Maya. These creatures couldn't withstand fire, making him perfect for this battle. He summoned his persona Raiju, a flame coated wolf which floated in the air. When the shadow saw this it started attacking with blocks of ice. Daigo skipped past them. When he was close he decided to fight back, incinerating the Maya. The creature started to wane and fail before crumbling lifelessly into the ground.

The last Maya was Rebecca's opponent. It carried a green mask which revealed its mastery of wind and susceptibility to electricity. She evoked Whaitiri. The persona was different from before. It was wearing a blindfold to shield its eyes, its clothing was less revealing and its female form showed signs of aging which had been previously absent. Its power however was even greater than before. Charging an attack caused its entire body to glow brightly until it was eventually released in one focused effort. The shadow had no chance of surviving and was destroyed instantly.

The only one of Yuuki's colleagues who had yet to win was Senga. She was engaging the wildcat. The two were dancing around each other with Senga unable to land a clean blow and the shadow unable to strike her with electricity. This was when a purple gas started to fill the air. It was coming from the wildcat and spreading out in a thick plume. The moment it made contact with Senga she fell to the ground, grabbing her throat.

"Senga!" shouted Daigo.

He ran towards her, attacking the shadow with fire as he moved. The creature was mobile and avoided his attempt. It retaliated with lightning, hitting the young persona user. Daigo appeared to shrug it off as he squatted next to Senga. He helped move her away.

"The shadow uses poison," stated Iain, "its effects will, in all likelihood, end with the other world. Rebecca's ability to assist recovery should provide temporarily relief for Agnes. Yuuki, you should not have such concerns."

Yuuki called forth Damballa, her ice persona. Its snakelike form coiled around itself before scattering a thousand shards of ice in every direction. Some hit, causing the wildcat to step backwards. This kind of approach wasn't good enough, Yuuki silently told herself, since it lacked the power of a concentrated attack. She needed to move closer.

As she approached the shadow released purple gas. Yuuki raised her hand to cover her mouth as the wave of poison swept over. She expected the same nausea her friend was suffering from but instead felt fine. The gas had passed without effect. Not wasting time to consider what happened Yuuki unleashed a powerful point-blank attack against the wildcat. It dissipated into nothing, ending the battle.

Yuuki glanced towards Senga and saw she had returned to her feet. It was a relief. She didn't look well however that was to be expected. The other world only had a minute or so remaining meaning she should recover shortly.

"That was weird, how come the poison thingy didn't make you ill?" asked Becky.

"I'm not sure," answered Yuuki honestly, "maybe I was lucky."

"Damballa happens to be very resistant to poison," interjected Iain, "it has become progressively so recently. It was unlikely to be affected by such an effort."

"My personas are changing?" asked Yuuki.

"Precisely, although most of the alterations are subtle."

Was this what Igor had talked about during her last visit to the Velvet Room? The other world came to an end and the five members of ASH returned to their respective homes.

aaa

Wednesday, November 5th, 2014 – 21:01
Green Park
Near Lossie Wynd

All around her held their collective breaths as they watched another pyrotechnic soar into the heavens and exceed nature's glow of starlight. Sparkles of gold, silver and green appeared in palm shaped explosions which bloomed over the land, supported by a menagerie of bangs, crackles and whistles.

The first visages of winter revealed themselves through icicles on the firm well trodden grass. Despite wearing a red tartan scarf over her favourite yellow coat, Yuuki couldn't escape the bitterness. She wasn't used to this weather, she mused. The people gathered near her had dressed warmly too, some holding flasks in their glove covered hands.

It was 'Guy Fawkes' night and the five members of the Afterschool Shadow Hunters were gathered on Green Park to watch the firework celebrations. It was a nice change of pace from their recent battles. There would be no rescue tonight as the sixth target of the shadows, Chris Muller, couldn't be found. This gave everyone a chance to rest.

"Are you cold Yuuki?"

The voice belonged to Iain, who was wrapped up underneath an unfashionable navy balaclava.

"Sure she is," replied Becky, "she looks like Rudolf the red nosed reindeer!"

"Isn't it a little early for Christmas references?" interrupted Senga incredulously.

"There's only 50 days to go!"

Senga merely sighed and mumbled under her breath.

The crowd present to watch the official fireworks display was a few thousand in number, making this the largest event in Bishopmill. To take advantage of this a gathering of temporary stalls had been put in place surrounding the four meter tall bonfire. They were selling hotdogs, burgers, soggy pies and hot drinks at premium prices. Yuuki skipped the ill looking pies.

Dramatic orchestral music started bellowing from strategically placed loudspeakers with explosions timed to match each beat. Waterfall shell fireworks illuminated the sky until a barrage of crisscrossing Roman Candles from a cake brought the display to an end. A cheer came from most of the people present; showing their appreciation before excited chatter filled the air.

"That was great," said Rebecca, "I know some people from school who are going to set off a couple of rockets later. We should look out for it. Oh, sparklers!"

Becky rushed towards one of the temporary stands and bought a number of long thin sticks. She proceeded to hand them out. When Yuuki received hers she noticed it was metal and paused for a moment. Is this a senko hanabi? While pondering, she witnessed Rebecca's face alter.

"It's Al, Al's here!"

Yuuki turned around and saw Alistair Miller, a 6th year student at Bishopmill Academy, standing in the crowd behind her. He was dressed in a tight fitting t-shirt, revealing his impressive physique. He approached the group with a wave.

"Who's that guy?" interjected Daigo.

"You don't know? YOU DON'T KNOW?" yelled Becky, presumably hoping that repeating the question would somehow make a difference, "he goes to the same school as us," she quickly shifted her attention as Alistair came within earshot, "hi Al!"

"Erm, yeah, hi," his eyes focused on Yuuki, "konbanwa, it's good to see you again."

"I didn't know you were here Alistair," chirpily replied Yuuki, "having fun?"

"It reminds me of the festivals in Japan, except without the yukata's."

"Yeah," agreed Yuuki, "it's like I'm back home again. But it's too cold for a yukata."

The pair laughed for a moment. Yuuki's smile faded however when she thought she saw malice in Becky's eyes. When she looked again it wasn't there, making her wonder if she was seeing things.

Alistair stayed with the group for a little while, chatting about anything, until he was asked to join another which was passing. He smiled warmly as he left, making Yuuki believe he was happy. Strangely however she thought both Rebecca and Iain were discontent. Neither of them looked at her for any length of time, making her consider if she had done something to upset them. Once again she dismissed this as her imagination. At 11pm Yuuki returned home with her brother Daigo, alongside fond memories of her day.

aaa

Thursday, November 6th, 2014 – 14:45
Classroom E12

The announcement that Bishopmill Academy would be hosting a culture festival altered the schedule for many subjects.

The St Andrew's day celebrations were expected to be the same as previous years, meaning very little involvement was due from the students, but since this had changed everyone needed to contribute. The staff did not appreciate this and decided to punish the 5th and 6th year students the most.

Each of the artistically themed subjects had to produce a performance for the festival and Yuuki's drama class was no exception. Miss Richardson, the stern to her, kind to everyone else teacher, spoke firmly to her pupils as she handed out thick wades of paper. This quickly revealed itself to be a script.

I may be an optometrist (but I only have eyes for you)

The title didn't fill her with confidence.

"Hashimoto, pay attention."

Yuuki looked up, trying her best not to glare at her teacher.

"We don't have much time to practice this, so we'll be holding rehearsals after school. The male lead will be Terrance Clyde, the female lead will be Sarah Hutchings, the assistant will be…"

Miss Richardson continued for some time reading out everyone's name one after another…everyone, except hers. She raised her hand and waited for her teacher to acknowledge her.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I have two jobs for you," answered Miss Richardson, her voice more self assured than usual, "you are to act as cover if anyone else is unavailable, and to make up the numbers in any other scene."

I'm the spare, forlornly thought Yuuki. After a bout of melancholy at being excluded Yuuki realised this wasn't so bad. She wouldn't need to learn any lines or stay after school for rehearsals. Trying hard to ensure her satisfaction wasn't revealed Yuuki remained silent. The rest of the lesson passed with her teacher explaining the characters and the setting for the story.

It surprised her how excited everyone else was. They were in small groups, chatting constantly, talking ever more loudly to hear themselves over the next band. In the middle of it all was Terry who, regardless of the volume, could always be heard. When the bell rang and the class was dismissed he approached her, a broad smile transfixed onto his face.

"Congratulations Terrance," said Yuuki.

"It's only natural they picked me," replied Terry smugly, "this show needs someone with sex appeal. It's a shame you're not opposite me, especially if you wore that kimono again."

Yuuki didn't want to think about that. She brushed off the comment and smiled.

"Have you ever done anything like this before?"

"Of course, but this'll be the first time Bonnie has seen me on stage."

"Bonnie?" asked Yuuki.

"My girlfriend, oh yeah you've not met her yet. She goes to Oakland High. Now she would be a great lead."

"Does she act?"

"We do some 'role-playing' if you know what I mean."

Terry was winking at her repeatedly. Yuuki assumed he was saying something rude but once again ignored it. The two walked towards the school gate together before saying their goodbyes.

When Yuuki returned home she placed the play on her computer desk. Out of curiosity she started to read.

aaa

Friday, November 7th, 2014 – 13:52
Hermes Street

So far Benjamin Anderson, Angus McDonald, Hugh Mullholland, Dorothy Alexander, Julia Little, Chris Muller and Christopher Johnston had been attacked by the shadows. Tonight it would be the turn of John Butler followed by Anne Goldstein, Julian Evens, Andrew Renton, Neil Chapman and Eddie Starling. In less than a week the central shadow would come after James Keir.

Yuuki walked home from school slowly, her mind perpetually returning to the other world. Last night's rescue had proceeded without incident, which was probably the result of them having rested. With school finished for the weekend she should have been able to relax, however the shadows tended to dominate her thoughts during her few idle moments.

As she walked down the street she noticed a blue schoolbag swamp a grey uniform up ahead. She immediately recognised who this was. Jogging lightly Yuuki approached him from behind and called when less than 10 feet away.

"Hi Gavin," she shouted enthusiastically.

He turned slowly, his face appearing panicked. Gavin was fidgeting endlessly and after an initial glance refused to make eye contact with her. She knew why.

"Hello, erm, Yuuki, I'msorryIcan'ttalkrightnow, bye."

"Wait Gavin…"

She watched as he retreated into his house and closed the door. Yuuki had hoped he wouldn't be feeling awkward about last time. They had been in her room when he confessed to her. It was unexpected and Yuuki didn't react as quickly as Gavin had wanted, making him run away. The whole thing had been a mess. It saddened her, since she wanted to be friends with him.

"Ah it's rare to see you Yuuki."

It was a woman's voice but she didn't immediately recognise who it belonged to. Turning to face its source she saw an older lady with greying hair and the same emerald eyes as her nephew Gavin. Yuuki bowed.

"Hello Miss McDonald."

"Yuuki you're practically a grown woman, call me Elaine."

She nodded. Elaine was dressed in a brown shall. Her breath was slightly laboured and her cheeks had reddened, suggesting she had gone for a walk or done some other exercise.

"I'm glad I bumped into you, I have a little favour to ask."

"Sure," replied Yuuki instinctively.

"You see, it's Gavin."

When she heard those words Yuuki's heart started to beat faster.

"He's been depressed lately. He isn't the most energetic boy but all the life seems to have drained from him. All he does is go to his room. I know boys do that sort of thing when they're his age but it isn't healthy."

Yuuki didn't want to speculate as to what Elaine was referring to.

"I was hoping you could talk to him. I think he's more likely to say what's wrong to someone his own age. Besides he seemed to like you, although he's so shy you'd probably never tell."

That last comment made Yuuki cringe. She knew he liked her and that that was the problem.

"Next time I see him I'll try."

"I'm relieved," said Elaine, "he's always been the 'sensitive' type, but I've never seen him like this before. He looks heartbroken. He just has to learn that it's something everyone has to go through at some stage in their life. Oh, but I'm not expecting miracles from you. I just hope that a pretty girl talking to him will cheer him up!"

Pretty? Without allowing for any further conversation Elaine rushed into her house, clearly pleased that she was going to talk to her nephew. Yuuki however wasn't so happy. What was she going to say to him? How was she going to get him to talk to her? It was something she needed to think about.

aaa

There was one hour remaining before midnight, meaning it was time for her to leave. John Butler lived in Ianstown, a coastal community to the North East of Bishopmill. Daigo was already on his bike and raring to go. Yuuki went to collect hers from the rear of the house.

As she did she spotted Gavin in the next garden placing garbage into a bin with unnecessary care. Yuuki decided to confront him now.

"Gavin," she said softly.

He looked at her before quickly diverting his gaze.

"Talk to me."

"Sorry, I'vegotthingsIneedtodonow."

"Please?"

Gavin paused. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out. His eyes darted fleetingly at hers again.

"Sorry."

He walked slowly back to his house, his shoulders slumped and his movements ungraceful. Yuuki realised that Elaine had been serious. It pained her to see Gavin like this and knew she had to do something. She had to try and make everything the way it was before.

"Thou hast enhanced a bond. From hence forth the Lovers Arcana shall bless thee."

Hearing the 'social link' told her she was on the right path to fixing things between herself and Gavin. With renewed hope Yuuki concentrated on the other world.

aaa

Saturday, November 8th, 2014 – 00:00
Ianstown

The five members of the Afterschool Shadow Hunters stood on Cluny Lane and gazed at the sea not far from them. They instantly recognised when the other world arrived by the sudden disappearance of the salty breeze. All eyes turned towards a ragged looking Iain, who was still breathing heavily from the long cycle up the Gordon Road.

"No shadows (pant) are present yet."

Yuuki placed her hand on his shoulder and checked that he was okay. He simply nodded.

Ianstown was an old-fashioned coastal town less then 10 miles away from Bishopmill. Most of the buildings were of stone construction and no larger than two stories high. There were weird and wonderful designs mixed with the ordinary. Some homes had rounded turrets in the corners and others battlements along the roofs. In one section near Bruce Avenue there were no gardens, giving a cosy or claustrophobic feel to the place. Although it was sizable Ianstown had few other disguising features beyond the beech area, which contained most of the local businesses and wouldn't be fully operating again until next spring.

Tonight's task was simple, protect John Butler. Yuuki allowed Senga to take the lead towards his home. His address was further along Cluny Lane, away from the rest of the town. It took a while but eventually the persona users came across a luxury house. It was a mansion. Perfect white walls, recently painted, were surrounded by a seemingly endless garden of flowers, hedges and decorations. On the top level was a glass dome with a panoramic view of the surrounding area and a small boat was stationed near the back, just barely in view from Yuuki's position.

"Is this the place?" asked Daigo incredulously.

"Yes," stated Senga, "the shadows will be coming here."

"Cool."

As the group were about to head inside Yuuki received a question from her younger brother.

"What were you talking to that Gavin guy about?"

Immediately she froze. Why did he have to ask in front of her friends?

"Gavin!" exclaimed Becky, "hmm, so its Iain, Gavin and that guy at the concert, you're a bit of a girl aren't you?"

"DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA!" protested Yuuki, unsure as to what point she should correct first, "Gavin is my next door neighbour, that's all!"

"That was a strong denial," stated Rebecca in a mischievous voice, "although I can understand you being reluctant to admit it with Iain here."

"NEITHER OF THOSE THINGS ARE LIKE THAT!"

Believing this to be a debate she couldn't win Yuuki focused on tonight's mission. She would have words with her dear younger brother. He would soon understand the meaning of the word discretion.

aaa

Saturday, November 8th, 2014 – 14:12
Walsh Residence

Today's meeting was hosted in Rebecca's room.

They would have met tomorrow however Becky had something planned for then. Three of the five members of ASH were sitting on the bed or on chairs, trying to figure out what they should be doing next, while the host and Daigo were on the floor next to Iain's holdall playing video games. The noise they were making was distracting however Yuuki remained silent. It was only a matter of time before Senga interrupted their fun anyway.

Last night the five persona users were faced with two new enemies during their rescue, a black and a white Rook. Chess pieces were becoming more common. Both were physically strong making Iain's presence unnecessary. Whenever Yuuki glanced in his direction she saw resignation in his face. It was too subtle for most people to notice, but she was finding it easier to recognise such things. He didn't seem to hold himself in much regard when it came to battle. Yuuki wasn't sure why that concerned her.

Another thing preying on her conscious was her social links. She had managed to slightly bridge the gap between herself and Gavin however more work was required. This reminded her of Haruka, her pen-pal in Japan. Over a week had passed since her e-mail saying they were no longer friends and despite her pleas Yuuki had still to receive a reply. She would try again tonight when she got home. A voice disturbed her from her disjointed thoughts, bringing her back to the present.

"So, the central shadow will come after one of the Keir's," stated Becky as she continued to bash the buttons on her controller.

"You've heard about them too?" asked Daigo.

"Sure I have! I grew up here you know. The Keir's are really dangerous people although I heard James is a pussycat."

"It doesn't matter who it is," interrupted Senga, killing the conversation.

No-one said anything for a while and the only noise made was from the first person shooter game her younger brother and Becky were playing. Yuuki felt distracted. Too many things were happening in her life, drawing her attention.

"There are five more operations remaining before the central shadow is due to make its appearance," said Iain over the sounds coming from the television, "as we cannot determine who is creating these shadows we must focus our attention on preventing further homicides whilst preparing for the expected central shadow."

"Why is the central shadow important again?"

"Ah, I'll explain Daigo, a figure appeared to your sister, Rebecca and Agnes stating that the final shadow in a sequence creates the others, and if it is successful in its efforts then the other world will merge with this plane of reality."

"End of the world," answered Senga.

"Precisely."

"Hmm, I bet whoever told you that is probably the killer," commented Daigo, still playing his game against Becky.

"She said she doesn't control that world," countered Yuuki.

"She isn't likely to say 'I'm the one doing it'. You shouldn't be so trusting sis."

Yuuki pouted.

"And kids should be quiet when 'grown ups' are talking."

"Geez, you don't need to get snippy about it."

"Now, now," interrupted Rebecca, "play nice you two, or I'll call your mother and say you aren't getting along."

"I doubt she'd care."

Once Yuuki mumbled these words she saw Senga's eyes shut and her eyebrows twitch angrily. She decided to stop arguing. Iain stood up and opened the grey rucksack he had brought with him. Yuuki was curious as to what he had inside and she wasn't alone.

"What have you got there Iain?" asked Rebecca, pausing the game.

"Weapons for yourself and Daigo. I based them on your relative strengths and weaknesses."

"Ooohh, what have you got me?"

He produced a long, thin whip which had been carefully wound into a tight circle.

"It's a bull whip," stated Iain calmly, "its advantages include its light weight, small size and fast velocity which can exceed the speed of sound. Drawbacks include its delayed reaction and small target area. Accuracy should come with experience and its 3 meter length should make control easier at the cost of range."

Becky took the whip from Iain and griped its leather handle. A smile crept onto her face.

"I feel like Simon Belmont!"

"What about me?" asked Daigo impatiently, "what did you bring me?"

Iain reached into his bag once again. This time he pulled out two objects, each roughly 7 inches in size and sealed within a scabbard. He handed them to Daigo who proceeded to free them from their confines.

"Cool a dagger!"

"No, no, absolutely not, no way, no!" screamed Yuuki as she took both knives away from her brother. "You are not running around with these types of things."

"But sis-"

Yuuki turned her back on Daigo and glared at Iain, the one who gave him the weapons.

"And you, what do you think you're doing?"

"Ah, it does appear to be an unusual selection, please allow me to explain. Daigo's persona Raiju lacks physical strength however it does possess great agility. This allows him to avoid attacks entirely, making any additional weight a disadvantage. Possessing two Dirks allows for multiple close range attacks with minimal compromise-"

"YOU'RE GIVING KNIFES TO A MINOR!"

"Hmm, the moral and ethical implications do worthy consideration."

Yuuki despaired. Sometimes Iain could really be an idiot.