Ayame

It wasn't long after Yuma's withdrawal from True Cross that Ayame began to see the end of the road. With nothing to focus himself on, he began to slow down. He spent a lot of time sleeping or reading books in his room, barely leaving his house, even for little things. Once his friends returned from Kyoto (apparently after defeating a giant kraken, which would sound incredibly farfetched to someone who didn't know these kids), they began to make a few social calls. He was always at his happiest when they came over, and Ayame saw glimpses of the Yuma Tsukioka she had come to know. But the summer was coming to an end, and that meant the students of True Cross Academy were returning to school.

"I knew this would be hard," Ayame heard Yuma say into the phone the night before school returned. "I just didn't realise how hard."

"I wish you were coming back," the voice on the other end said mournfully. Ayame recognised the voice as belonging to Rin Okumura. "I'm really gonna miss you in Cram School."

When he hung up, Ayame went into his room and sat on the end of his bed. For the longest moment, neither of them spoke. Then he buried his face into her shoulder and cried.

Suzuka stood on the footpath dressed in her True Cross Academy uniform, packed bags beside her. Yuma was on the steps in front of the house, Ayame by his side, watching their father's car pull up. Ayame watched as Tsukioka-san packed the bags into the trunk with his daughter. They were speaking, but Ayame couldn't hear the words. Then, Suzuka approached her older brother, pulling him into her embrace. "Nii-chan," she said softly. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't be," said Yuma. "Just study hard and have fun."

"I'll try."

Their father had come up behind her, and leaned to kiss Yuma on the head. His hand was on Suzuka's shoulder. He said nothing at all, but Ayame knew it was time for them to leave. They had to get Suzuka's things back to the dorm before her classes started, and Tsukioka-san had to go straight to work after dropping her off.

From the front seat of the car, Su waved to Yuma. Ayame's hands went to his shoulders, letting him know she was there. Yuma was waving to his sister, and Ayame could feel the tension behind it. He wanted more than anything to be in that car, headed to True Cross Academy for another semester. But this had been his choice, and one he knew ultimately was the right one for him. Ayame, as much as it pained her to see him feeling this way, respected what he had done for himself here. She needed him to know that, but she didn't say it in as many words.

Ayame felt a tear come to her eye as the car disappeared from their view. Only when they could no longer see or hear it did Yuma finally let himself cry again.

Konekomaru

That summer had changed everything. That much was obvious.

From the intensive training, to finding out that Okumura was the son of Satan, of all things, to fighting krakens and rogue exorcists and the Impure King… Konekomaru could see the changes those things made in everyone. He had never thought being friends with Rin Okumura was an option for him, but it turned out being the Son of Satan didn't stop him from being a pretty likeable guy. Bon had patched things up with his father, and didn't seem anymore to be hiding the parts of himself that were like him. Moriyama had grown so much in confidence since reconnecting with her familiar. Shima was still himself, but Konekomaru was beginning to see more and more that he was wasting his potential. And Kamiki… he had thought she was opening up a little more, but that seemed to grind to a halt when she lost Yuma.

Yuma. His absence was felt. Nobody spoke about it, but when Konekomaru ran into Okumura after class, with Shima and Bon, there had been a moment of realisation between them. Of course, that had been interrupted by Rin opening a very tacky letter from Sir Pheles announcing that his order of execution had been suspended. Konekomaru had thought to text Yuma about it, but they'd been side tracked when one of Okumura's classmates had run down the hall screaming, pursued by a demon.

Okumura, of course, had gone into helper mode. That wasn't unusual for him. What was unusual was that Cram School had been cancelled. Again.

Konekomaru hoped nothing too serious had happened. But he also saw the opportunity.

"Guys," he said. "Since we have the afternoon off, we should go and see Yuma."

Noriko

Izumo refused to come with them to the Tsukiokas. It wasn't surprising to Noriko, given her friend's behaviour. When she returned from her exorcist mission in Kyoto, she had simply said 'Yuma and I broke up'. She didn't say why, and she never mentioned his name again. It was Shiemi who had told her the full story.

"Yuma-kun made the same choice you made, Paku-san," said Moriyama. The cheer had left her voice, replaced with solemnity. "He's not coming back to Cram School. Actually, he's not even coming back to regular school."

Noriko felt for him. It had probably been such a had decision for him to make. But Moriyama explained, it was because he was so sick now. He couldn't keep up anymore. It was sad, but it was understandable.

It had been a while since Noriko had seen Yuma. She wasn't really sure what to say to him. Would it hurt him if she mentioned Izumo? If she talked about him leaving Cram School?

Shiemi was quick to introduce Noriko to Ayame, Yuma's live-in nurse. She was a kindly woman, who offered the group tea and snacks. Apparently, she had known to expect them, since Miwa-kun had called ahead to check that Yuma was in a state to receive guests.

Yuma hugged Noriko when he reached her, and she could feel how fragile he had become. It saddened her greatly. Yuma had never been the strongest in the group – it was his mind that had become of most value, but she had no memory of him being this weak.

"I can't stay too long," Rin Okumura was explaining. "I'm having dinner with Mephisto tonight."

"Give him my regards," Yuma said. "Oh, and Konekomaru told me about the formal stay of execution. Looks like you'll be keeping your promise after all."

Rin shook his head. "I wish you wouldn't keep bringing it up."

"I do it so you won't be reckless. Not that it works."

Noriko leaned over to Shiemi. "What's this promise?"

It was Miwa who answered. "Apparently, they had this pact about Okumura outliving Tsukioka. Which, under the circumstances…"

"It seemed appropriate at the time," said Yuma chipperly. "Come on, then. Let's eat."

Yuma chose the seat next to Noriko, and as he leaned forward to collect his tea cup, he murmured to her in a low voice the question she had been dreading. "How is Izumo?"

Noriko didn't want to tell him the full truth. That Izumo was angry and heartbroken, that she refused to talk about him, or even mention his name. What she said instead was 'she's alright'.

Yuma nodded, and Noriko was not sure if he could tell she was lying. But he simply leaned back in his chair, looked at her with those kind eyes and said "Take care of her, Noriko. She's strong, but you're the one she's always depended on."

Noriko gave him the smallest of smiles and said, "I'll try."

Shiemi

They were called back to cram school late in the evening. It was a practical assignment, with the Exwire class being tasked with investigating the rumoured Seven Wonders of True Cross Academy. Yuki-chan was straight back into teacher mode, of course. It almost felt normal, but it was still strange not having Yuma there with them.

When they had left his house, he had been in reasonably high spirits, though Shiemi had seen the sadness in his eyes when he and Paku had briefly exchanged words about Izumo. Shiemi saw no signs from Izumo herself of anything outside of her usual self. But from what Paku said on the way back to school, she was hurting, and deeply so. Shiemi wanted to help her, but she knew intuitively she couldn't. Not even a Doctor-Class could fix a broken heart.

The first Wonder was a white wedding kimono which wanders around in the middle of the night. Supposedly it was a ghost of a bride still wearing her wedding attire, who only targets men. Since Shiemi and Izumo's involvement would likely make the ghost leave, they had to leave the mission to the boys. Suguro had taken over the mission planning, and had decided the arias would take the lead on the attack. Takara, to no-one's surprise, was refusing to participate.

Shiemi wondered if she should take the opportunity to talk to Izumo. But, then, with Yuki-chan and Takara-kun there it might be a little awkward.

As it turned out, Izumo likely wouldn't have been receptive to it anyway. She was watching the boys as their plan to exorcise the ghost – who was surprisingly not a bride in her wedding gown, but a man with the heart of a woman who had forced himself to act like a boy and now in death wore a woman's wedding gown. It wasn't hard to see why he only targeted boys. He proclaimed he wanted to find 'Mr Right', and he would kiss every boy until he found his soulmate.

The boys were not doing well. That much was obvious. Firstly, Rin kept trying to attack the ghost with his sword and flames, which wasn't the effective way to exorcise a ghost. Secondly, Shima-kun messed up his sutra, which threw off the other two arias. In the end it became a cycle of the ghost chasing the guys around trying to kiss them and Rin trying to play distraction with his attacks while they could recite.

Shiemi remembered the little ghost she had played with at the theme park. A lonely little boy who just wanted a friend. She had sent him to heaven by helping him resolve his regret. A kiss from a man? On the surface that seemed to be it. A man, seeing the woman he feels he is, and finding that woman desirable. The boys were reluctant, naturally, but it seemed to be the most obvious solution.

In the end it was Takara-kun who came in with the surprising save, summoning a doll dressed for marriage who sweet talked the ghost and immediately proposed marriage to 'her'. It was then that Shiemi saw it. It wasn't just about a kiss. After all those years of hiding, the ghost simply wanted to be seen. Seen as the woman he felt he was, a desirable woman that a man would want to marry.

"He wanted to be loved," she said. "Loved as a woman. That was his regret."

Her eyes drifted to Izumo, and though her face was hardened, there was something in her eyes akin to the same kind of regret.

"Yuma would have seen that," she muttered bitterly. "He's smarter than all of you."

Izumo

Because the Third Wonder – the ghost Mayuko-san – only appeared to women, it was up to Izumo and Moriyama to take the lead on this mission. Which meant that Izumo would be doing all the fighting. She knew she couldn't rely too heavily on Moriyama. She was good for healing and defence, but she wasn't a fighter. Besides, this would be a good way to pay Moriyama back for what happened in Kyoto. If she could save Moriyama, she wouldn't feel indebted to her anymore.

Izumo hated owing people anything. She refused to even acknowledge that she'd needed Moriyama to rescue her. As soon as she admitted that, she would definitely feel honour-bound to pay back that debt in some way.

But she did save me. That's the truth of it.

Paku had confronted her about it. "Why do you hate Moriyama so much? She would never do anything to hurt you, Izumo-chan."

No-one ever does. But they hurt me nonetheless.

"I don't need a reason to dislike her!" Izumo had snapped. "I don't want to get any closer to anyone else, except you!"

I did that once, and look where it got me?

Her heart ached, and ever part of her was screaming. She had made a decision after Kyoto. Nothing and no-one would ever come between her and her goal again, and she would never let herself get close to anyone else. Paku was the only person she could trust. She didn't need anyone else. Not Shiemi Moriyama, nor those idiot boys who had made such fools of themselves last night that they needed Takara of all people to come to their aid. And she most certainly didn't need him.

Izumo hardened herself before heading to the meeting spot. She was determined to pay Moriyama back on this mission so she could put her whole experience of Kyoto behind her. That was, if she could get Uke and Mike to cooperate.

The evil ghost was powerful, more powerful than she had expected it to be, and her familiars were uncooperative. She wished he were here, yelling out to her from the sidelines, reminding her to be strong. All she had now was Shiemi Moriyama.

The spectre attacked, and it was Moriyama's familiar who fended her off. Dammit, Izumo thought. She couldn't have this girl saving her life again. She couldn't let herself be more indebted than she already was. Yet, her own familiars were doing nothing for her. Moriyama had a solution for that too, growing rice plants from her Greenman familiar to provide to the self-absorbed Uke and Mike. Before Izumo had a chance to say anything about it, the ghost attacked again, this time seizing Moriyama.

No! It was her opportunity to save Moriyama, but she wasn't thinking about repayment anymore, or whether or not she liked or disliked the girl. All she saw was the need to help.

That's right. I'm going to be an Exorcist. This isn't about my feelings. It's not about her. It's about my goal, and what I'm going to do to achieve it.

Still, Moriyama did save my life. She at least deserves my thanks, if not my respect.

Still, all those guys have been trying hard to be nice to me. Maybe I should at least make an effort with them.

Still, I do love him…

Ryuji

The Second Wonder. A possessed statue of Chairman Mephisto Pheles. Theoretically easy, according to Okumura-sensei, yet not once during these Seven Wonders tasks had anything gone according to plan. They needed to work together, as a team. So, naturally, his comment about not losing to the girls, which he had thought might be motivational to the other boys, did not go over well. In hindsight, it was kind of stupid, dividing the group that way. Ryuji wasn't sure why he had jumped straight into competition mode. Maybe he just didn't like it when Kamiki called him names and implied he was stupid. At least her boyfriend – no, ex -boyfriend – had never treated him that way, despite being one of the smartest people he knew. Yuma had seen the value in everyone, no matter what their individual weaknesses. Ryuji missed that about him. He also missed Yuma's ability to think on the fly and make plans, like on the train to Kyoto.

In the end, the statue had been easy to dispatch, but it had been done without a clear plan. They had done everything on the fly, like always, and it had mostly been dependent on Okumura-kun's abilities. Same with the wonder after that…

When would that guy learn? They were a team! He couldn't keep doing everything on his own!

And more to the point, we can't keep using him as a crutch. Not if we want to get stronger.

Konekomaru was getting to him too. Ryuji could see he was growing frustrated, but he never seemed willing to tell anyone how he felt until it had bottled up so much, he couldn't contain it. It wasn't until they were confronting the final wonder – which turned out to be a shapeshifter demon – that, finally, Konekomaru spoke his piece.

Ryuji relied too much on chants and sutras. And apparently, he was trying to hard to unify everyone. It was a shock when it came out of Konekomaru's mouth, but it was true. He was an aria, but this team was more than just arias. Kamiki and Moriyama were talented tamers, Rin had that sword and his flames, and Yuma… wait, they didn't have him anymore… He had been a dragoon, but was also training to be a doctor as Moriyama was. Ryuji had talked about being a dragoon as well as an aria, but he felt like he hadn't fired a weapon in ages. Koneko is right. I am so reliant on my chants now. He used to go to the shooting range all the time, and always he would see Yuma there with the sniper rifle, working harder than anyone else. He had been so determined to improve his marksmanship. What was Ryuji doing with himself?

Then there was Shima. He'd been so focussed on being like Ryuji and Konekomaru that he had set himself on becoming an aria, but everyone could see it wasn't right for him. And tonight, while Konekomaru was at his most candid, he said as much. In fact, he had something to say about everyone.

It was clear what needed to happen now. Konekomaru Miwa, who had observed everyone, knew everyone's strengths and their weaknesses and had a pretty good knowledge of types of demons, needed to take up the mantle of team strategist. With him planning their strategies, they would finally be a proper team, one that wouldn't get themselves immediately killed as they faced even stronger opponents.

"You were right about me," Ryuji said to him later. "Actually, you were right about everyone. You're good at keeping an eye on your surroundings, so you'd make a great adviser." He hesitated when another thought came to his mind, but it didn't escape Konekomaru, and the smaller boy raised his eyebrow in question.

"Bon?" he said. "What is it?"

Ryuji waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing," he said. "I was just thinking how Tsukioka would have been proud of us tonight."

Konekomaru nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "He would have."

Suzuka

Yukio sat down at the table opposite her, placing a chocolate milkshake in front of her. It had been the first time they'd been able to talk properly in a while. He had been so busy with exorcist business that there had been precious little time for anything or anyone else. He expressed feeling guilty about it. Su told him not to worry about it.

"There's still so many things I don't understand," he admitted. He was upfront about the fact that he couldn't tell her anything. There were things – secret things – that he had been contracted against speaking of to anyone. "I wish I could talk to you about them," he said. "More than anything. It seems like everyone around me has an agenda. It's hard to know who to trust anymore, and what people have planned for me… ah, I'm sorry."

Suzuka reached for his hand. "Don't be," she said. "I can see you've been under tremendous pressure, Yukio. You don't need to feel like you can't express that, even if there are things you have to keep to yourself."

Yukio sighed. "I don't deserve you, Su. You and Yuma have been…" his voice trailed and he squeezed her hand. "How is he?"

"He's… I'm not going to say he's 'good', because he isn't, but he's managing. He misses school, though. He misses you."

"I need to see him. Soon. It's just, with everything that's happening, all these strange instances and being back and forth from the Vatican for meetings, it's been hard to get there."

So much pressure on someone so young, Su thought ruefully. Is this what the life of an Exorcist is like?

"Yukio," said Su gently. "I appreciate you making time for me."

"I will always find time for you, Suzuka." Yukio smiled at her. "You are… so important to me right now. You're the only person in my life that isn't caught up in it all – demons, the Order, my brother…" He sighed. "With you, I can pretend I'm normal for a while."

But, you're not normal. You never have been. You are a warrior who fights monsters. You are a protector who cares for his brother. You are a teacher who has to act as a mentor for people your own age. You will never be normal. Su wanted to say all of that, but she held her tongue. If she was the closest to normality that he would ever get, then she wanted to be that for him. Reminding him of all the ways he wasn't like everyone else wasn't the way to go.

Yukio's phone buzzed in his hand. He looked at it briefly before letting out a regretful sigh. "I have to go," he said. There was bitterness in his voice when he said that. He was loathe to leave that place, to leave her.

Su smiled encouragingly at him. "Do your best," she said. "And don't worry. Any time you want to meet with me, I'll make it happen. Any time."

"Thank you."

"And Yukio?"

He had already stood up to leave. "Mm?"

Su grinned at him as she pushed up her glasses. "Thanks for the milkshake."

Renzo

The school festival. Renzo had completely forgotten about it until now. And aside from Okumura-kun, who was complaining endlessly about not being able to go to the festival dance without a female partner, none of his other friends seemed even remotely willing to participate.

He had been hoping to ask Izumo to go to the dance with him. But she had flat-out said she wasn't willing to participate. Her mind was on the Exorcist Qualification Exam, which was still three months away! She was going on about how they needed to make up for lost classes and practice harder to pass the exam on the first try, and far be it for Bon to agree with her on anything, but on this?

Damn, they were all frustrating. "You're all wasting your life," he said. "The school festival for a first-year student only happens once. The exam takes place once a year. What is so wrong with enjoying ones life to the fullest, huh? Nothing!"

"Shima…" Konekomaru murmured.

"Now is the only time we can have all the fun we want. We don't want to have any regrets!"

"That's right!" Okumura-kun said. He was the only one making any sense right now. Exams? They could study for exams later. They needed dates for this dance and they needed them now.

It was easier said than done. Renzo had been behind the curve, and now just about every one of his female friends was going with someone else. Even Paku-san had been invited by a third-year and accepted his invitation. The only other female student he could think of was…

"Tsukioka-san!" he burst out in the middle of one of his hopeless states.

"What was that?" Rin asked. He was focussed now, too, now that Shiemi Moriyama had officially become a student at the Academy. He had his heart set on asking her now.

"Suzuka Tsukioka," Renzo repeated. "Yuma's sister. She's a first-year student, right? Maybe she'll want to go with me."

"Hah!" Izumo called out. "Good luck with that!"

Renzo glared at her. If you'd just go with me this wouldn't be happening, he wanted to say. But he kept quiet. With everything he knew was going on with Izumo, it was hardly the right time. But then, when was it ever?

"I'm so sorry, Shima-kun," said Suzuka. "I've already put my name down as a staff member. I don't feel like I can go back on that now, so I won't be going to the dance. I really am sorry."

"No, it's totally okay," Renzo said. No matter how much rejection sucked, he couldn't bring himself to feel mad about it. Not with Suzuka-chan. "I should have asked sooner." I shouldn't have asked twenty other girls before I got to her. If anyone deserves to have fun and enjoy their youth, it's her. She had always been so responsible, looking after her brother. Did she ever have fun?

Rin didn't have any luck with Moriyama, either. He was a lot more depressed about it than Renzo was about Tsukioka. After all, Moriyama was the girl he really liked.

In the end, Shima and Bon became staff volunteers too, along with Okumura-sensei, who had turned down so many invitations to the dance it made Shima sick. Must be nice to be so popular, yet Yukio Okumura didn't seem to relish in any of that attention. Word was he had turned down Moriyama too, which probably explained why Rin was especially cut up about her. She turned him down to ask his brother. That's rough…

Renzo saw Suzuka again on the night, wearing the staff attire. She hadn't been lying about being on the volunteer list, not that Renzo hadn't believed her. She looked a little abashed when she saw him. "I'm sorry you didn't manage to find a date," she said with sincerity.

"Nah, it's okay. This way I can still listen to the bands and stuff."

Suzuka nodded gently. "I wish Nii-chan could have been here," she said.

Renzo immediately thought of Izumo. An image came to his head of them dancing together, Yuma and Izumo. He hadn't been happy when they first got together, but she had always seemed so much happier when she was with him.

"Me too," he said, and to his surprise, he meant it.

Rin

Rin found Shiemi in the crowd at the festival, selling her flowers. She had been delivering flowers for her shop, dressed in her kimono rather than her new school uniform. He regretted that he had never actually plucked up the courage to ask her, that he had no nerve even when he found out Yukio had turned her down. The idiot. If she likes him, then…

Then, he saw it. The opportunity.

"Dance with me, Shiemi," he said.

Her face turned red. "Eh…" Before she could say no, he took her hand. Then, he had an idea. She had wanted to ask Yukio, and she had said it was because she was worried about him. I'm worried about him too. Where is that idiot brother of mine?

He pulled Shiemi through the crowd until they saw Yukio, monitoring the crowd with a serious look on his face. "Yukio!" he called out. He could tell he and Shiemi were both thinking the same thing. "Please dance with us," they said together.

"I'm working," Yukio protested. "Please, if this is some kind of joke–"

"It's not," said Rin. They pulled him into the blank space in the crowd, not letting go of his hands as they spun round and round until Rin saw a clear smile form on his brother's face. It was the first time he had seen Yukio smile in a long time. Then, behind him, he heard someone giggle. Suzuka was walking past, also dressed in the attire of the event staff. Shiemi looked at Rin, and he looked at her. Again, they were thinking the same thing.

"Su-chan!" Shiemi called. "Come here."

Suzuka shook her head. Rin could definitely see her resemblance to her brother. They had that similar half-smile. She turned to walk away from them with a final shrug towards a helpless Yukio.

"Oh, no you don't!" Rin said. He let go of Shiemi and Yukio and raced over to Suzuka. "One dance. Please."

"Rin, I'm working," she said.

But Rin knew exactly what to say as he pulled her over to the group. "What would Yuma say?"

They both knew the answer to that. He would tell her to have fun, to go for it.

Rin and Shiemi exchanged a glance, then spun the bewildered Suzuka straight towards Yukio. Rin had been hoping for a dance with just him and Shiemi, but right now, he wasn't thinking about that, but about Yukio and Suzuka. His brother pulled the girl into his arms, and said something like "they're not going to let up until we dance."

That's right, Rin thought, I'm not.

Rin pulled Shiemi into his arms for a dance, but his eyes were still on Yukio. "Mission accomplished," he said to Shiemi.

She placed her head against his shoulder. "Thank you, Rin," she said. "He really needs this, I think."

"After everything she's been through," Rin said, feeling a surge of joy as he saw Suzuka's face break into a wide grin. "So does she."