Wow, thanks for the nice reviews and story watch, guys. This really brightens up my day. owo Oh and to answer someone's review, Minako is a member from SEES and a persona-user. The reason Shinjiro doesn't fully remember her will be revealed in the upcoming chapters. ;3

A few warnings: (Yes, I put those before every chapter to avoid issues)

-There will be spoilers for all games! You've been warned.
-The Main characters from each game in this fanfic are called Minato Arisato (P3:FES), Minako Arisato (P3P) and Souji Seta (P4)
-There'll be some cursing. (Anyone that played any persona games knows that some characters on it curse quite a bit.) as well as some heavy subjects.
-Main Pairings in this fanfic: MinatoxYukari, ShinjiroxMinako, SoujixYukiko, KanjixNaoto, AkihikoxMitsuru, YosukexChie.
-Hinted Pairings(in later chapters): JunpeixChidori. (Hinted because Chidori doesn't appear much on this story) KenxNanako (Ya know those little girl's crushes on older boys? It'll be along those lines) FuukaxKeisuke (Other than Minato and Junpei, Fuuka only displayed some sort of close relationship with Keisuke the club president. I found it kinda cute.) TeddiexRise (Just for giggles. They are afterall the two hyperactive cuties of the team X3)

Have fun ya guys.

Persona series and all its characters (c) Atlus

Chapter 2: The Velvet Room Siblings.

By the time Souji woke up the next day, Minato and Shinjiro were already awake, chatting at the living room. "Morning, Aniki, Shinjiro-san," he yawned.

"Morning, Souji-kun." Minato greeted. Shinjiro gave him a silent nod. "How's your arm?"

"Better." Souji started rubbing it. "I just changed the bandages."

Minato nodded. "Good."

"Hey, you guys hungry?" Souji asked. "I'll make us some breakfast."

Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. "With your arm like that? Aren't you pushing yourself a little too hard?"

"It's no trouble. I mean…truth be told I never tried cooking with only one arm…"

"In that case, better not take chances." Shinjiro stood up. "Just tell me where the ingredients are and I'll do the rest."

"Eh? No, seriously, I can handle it." Souji protested, surprised at the offer.

"How do you expect that arm of yours to heal if you keep putting strain on it?" Shinjiro crossed his arms with a serious expression as he stared at the silverette. "If you don't eat healthily and rest enough, you'll get sick you know."

Minato chuckled, knowing it was useless to get into an argument with Shinjiro right now. "It's okay, Souji-kun. Shinjiro-senpai may not look it, but he is a great cook."

Having heard that, Souji gave up and told Shinjiro where to find everything. Shinjiro pulled up his sleeves. "Right, I'll get to work."

While he was cooking, Minato and Souji started chatting. "So… You're attending Gekkoukan now?"

"Yeah. But I'll be transferred to a school in Inaba after summer vacation. I don't really have a reason to stay here." Souji suddenly remembered something. "Oh, crap! I almost forgot! I'm supposed to go to school and get some papers my uncle asked for my transfer. I'm sorry, Aniki, but would it be too troublesome if you and Shinjiro-san come with after our visit to the Velvet Room?"

Minato couldn't help the grin from appearing on his lips. "That'd be nice. In fact, Senpai and I were gonna ask you about checking out Gekkoukan. Remember I told you that my friends and I studied there? I'm sure they all graduated by now… but at least we might be able to find out how they've been doing."

"Actually, I heard a couple of rumors saying that a few former students planned to hold a meeting at the school gates today. Maybe someone you guys know will be there?"

"It's worth investigating..." Minato decided, looking out the window. "I miss them…"

"They probably miss you too, and Shinjiro-san as well…" Souji pointed out. "I mean… I hadn't seen my friends from Inaba in months and I miss them like hell. Even though they know you died, it doesn't stop them from missing you."

"I guess so…" Minato closed his eyes. His thoughts drifted to a particular girl. 'Yukari… Will you forgive me for leaving you?'

"Hey, Minato." Shinjiro's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Breakfast's ready. Set the table while you're at it, will ya?"

"Oh, sure…".

As the three Persona-users were quietly having breakfast, each one was lost in their own thoughts. Minato's floated between Yukari and the mystery of his return. Shinjiro's was about the girl he saw in his last dream. Souji's were about his parents and his friends in Inaba.

Once they had finished eating, they immediately headed out to Paulownia Mall. As they arrived at the fountain, Souji stopped.

"What is it?" Minato asked.

"I don't mean any disrespect, but… you do know that very few people can even see the door that leads to the Velvet Room, right?" Souji looked at Shinjiro. "I'm not sure if Shinjiro-san can enter."

Minato sighed and rubbed his head."Oh yeah… I forgot that part…"

"We won't know until we try," Shinjiro shrugged. "Where is this door?"

"It's in the alley beside the police station." Minato replied. "Let's go."

They were about to enter the alley when a police officer stopped them. "Excuse me." His attention was entirely on Souji. "Souji? Souji Seta?"

Souji's heart began to pump faster, an automatic response whenever his uncle used that cop tone on him, until he recalled who the police officer was. "Oh, you're the officer who contacted my Uncle Dojima after the incident… Officer Kurosawa, right?"

Minato and Shinjiro were caught off guard at their exchange, while the policeman nodded. "That's right. I see you're recovering fine." He noticed Souji's two companions and gave them a small smile. "Ah, Aragaki and Arisato..."

"H-Hello, Kurosawa-san…" Minato greeted, looking a bit uncomfortable. 'Oh crap, how are we gonna explain that we're alive after being considered dead for over two years?'

"So you finally woke up from your coma and Aragaki is done with his rehabilitation?" Officer Kurosawa asked.

Now that confused not only Minato and Shinjiro, but Souji as well. Thinking fast, Minato looked at his friends and mouthed 'play along'. Both nodded. "Yeah… I woke up yesterday and by a stroke of luck I met with Shinjiro-senpai and Souji-kun as we were all released from the hospital. Souji-kun is an old friend of mine."

"I see…" Officer Kurosawa said. "Then I guess your uncle won't need to worry about you until you go head back to Inaba. I've known these two young men for a while so I'll assure him that you are with good companions."

"My uncle has contacted you?" Souji asked.

"Just a few hours ago. He wanted details regarding the car accident. Unfortunately the investigation uncovered nothing so far…"

"Oh…" Souji frowned, eyes darkening. "I see. Thanks for the help though."

Officer Kurosawa nodded curtly and returned to the police station.

The atmosphere was tense. "Okay… Anyone mind telling me what the hell that was all about?" Shinjiro asked, keeping his voice low so only Minato could hear.

"Your guess is as good as mine…" Minato replied, concern growing in his voice. "Souji-kun…"

"Let's go," Souji said and walked towards the alley, without turning around.

"Something's up," Shinjiro confirmed.

"I know, Senpai." Minato sighed. "C'mon, he doesn't seem to be ready to talk about it."

Silently agreeing, Shinjiro nodded and followed the Wild Cards into the alley. He was surprised to see a blue glowing door there. "Okay…I don't remember ever seeing that here…"

"If you can see the door, then that means you can enter the Velvet Room," Souji said, readying his Velvet Key. "Aniki?"

"Time to get some answers." Minato said, raising his own key.

The blue door began to glow brighter and brighter. Not knowing what to expect, Shinjiro could only brace himself. Minato and Souji's hearts were pounding, wondering just how much the once familiar and soothing room had changed.

The Velvet Room was entirely different from what the two of them remembered. The room was, of course, covered in blue. Wall to wall, floor to ceiling; it was all blue. Various shades of mysterious blue. It wasn't an elevator or a limousine, just a cubic room. To their right, a small stage lined with velvet, decorated with nothing more than a grand piano and an antique standing microphone. A crystal chandelier hung at the center of the ceiling. Glowing geometric patterns decorated the edges of the wall where it met the ceiling.

Focusing their attention to the center of the room, the three noticed a big blue table with a wide black couch suitable for three, and across the table sitting in a regal chair was none other than Igor, who had a grin as big as his nose on his face, as always.

Four people stood on either side of Igor, two on his left and two on his right. The first one they noticed was a female who had short, bob-cut white hair and yellow eyes wearing a blue dress and a hat similar to an elevator attendant; the second was also female, slightly taller than the first one with long, blondish-white hair and yellow eyes, also wearing a blue dress like that of a secretary; the third one was a male, taller than both females, with neat, short white hair and yellow eyes. His blue clothes also reassembled that of an elevator attendant.

However, it was the fourth one that attracted Shinjiro and Minato's attention the most. A female, with black hair, pale skin and red eyes. Her body was entirely black, save for her right arm which was white, and she adorned a strange red and gold visor-like thing on her head, the patterns matching the strange metallic skirt around her waist. She wielded a strange, rod-like weapon.

"Welcome to- or rather...welcome back to the Velvet Room, my dear young men." Igor greeted in his enigmatic fashion. "It has so far been unprecedented for a previous guest to return to the Velvet Room once their challenge has been met, and they have fulfilled their contract, let alone two wielders of the Wild Card ability meet, but it would seem that Fate is not yet done with you, and your friend here as well." He motioned a gnarly, gloved hand to Shinjiro.

"That much we're already aware of…" Souji said, not expecting a straight answer from Igor.

"Ah! Forgive my manners. Allow me to introduce my three assistants: Elizabeth, Margaret and Theodore." Igor motioned to the blue-clad trio. "Like myself, they are residents of this Velvet Room."

Elizabeth and Margaret smiled at Minato and Souji respectively. The two returned their smiles as well. However it was Theodore who spoke first. "My name is Theodore. It's an honor to meet the two men that had accomplished so many brave deeds and my sisters have become so fond of."

"Your sisters?!" Minato and Souji said in unison. Shinjiro only stared at them, confused.

"Please excuse my brother." Margaret said in a crisp warning tone, clearly aiming at Theodore, who seemed to flinch at that. Despite the seriousness in her voice, there was a small hint of mischievousness as well. "He can be quite blunt sometimes."

"He is easily excited, which causes him to run off his mouth sometimes," Elizabeth giggled. "However, I can understand his excitement regarding this encounter."

"Now I remember…" Souji said suddenly. "When Margaret and I battled, she told me about her sister whom had left the Velvet Room looking for a way to release the soul of a blue haired boy that became a seal to protect mankind from destruction. Back then, I had no idea she was talking about you, Aniki."

Minato looked at Elizabeth with surprise, who in turn nodded. "But if the Great Seal was broken, shouldn't I be dead? My soul broken to pieces?"

"Not necessarily. The Seal wasn't broken, but something slipped through it, causing something to change and your soul to be released, which allowed it to be teleported to the human realm," a sudden voice said. It was the dark haired girl. "About a month after your sacrifice, your friends discovered something unimaginable relating to your death and their pasts. They also discovered the sacrifice you made, resulting in your death. From there, they fought a being known as Erebus, which was created by the thoughts of humans wanting to end their life, and defeated it. But they figured out that Erebus would soon return one day, and try to break through your seal to reach Nyx, therefore unleashing the Fall once again."

Minato was in shock at what he had just heard. His friends, the former SEES members, had ventured into some unknown place to discover the reason behind his death, but that brought another question up. "How do you know about that? Clearly you're not a denizen of the Velvet room, are you?"

"No, I'm not," the girl replied. "And the reason I know about what happened was because –"

"Because you were there when it happened, weren't you?" Shinjiro interjected. "You're Metis, Aigis' sister."

Metis' eyes widened in surprise, but didn't deny. "Yes, I'm Metis…and Aigis is my sister." She stared at Shinjiro. "I remember you. Out of my sister's friends, you and that girl, Fuuka-san, were the least hostile towards me…"

"Not surprising, after the way ya attacked everybody in the dorm, it's no wonder Aki and the others didn't trust you that much at first –" Shinjiro stopped, surprised at what he even said without thinking. "Wait a minute… How can I know you if by the time that happened, I was already dead?!"

"I… I don't know…"

"Okay, this is getting more confusing…" Minato said.

"Ya said it, Aniki…" Souji sighed.

Metis stepped closer and gave them both a long look. "You… You two have the same power my sister had."

"Huh? You mean Aigis had the power of the Wild Card?" Souji wondered, trying to fit in the piece of information with Minato's story, but came up with a blank.

"For a brief time out of necessity, one might say." Igor said, drawing their attention. He then explained to them about when Aigis inherited Orpheus and Minato's power of the Wild Card, how that led to SEES' journey into the Abyss of Time and well as Metis' creation.

"So… She is like Teddie…" Souji said out loud.

"What do you mean?" Metis asked.

"One of my friends from Inaba was originally a Shadow who had awoken to human emotions, learned to speak human language and became friendly with humans, taking a bear-like form so that people would like him upon meeting him. Teddie eventually took a human form so that he could be with me and other humans outside the TV World. After gaining a personality and losing his Shadow mask, he received his own Persona." Souji explained. "From what I know, Shadows arise from human emotions. You said you were actually the physical manifestation of the emotional side of Aigis, separated from her after Aigis wished to return back to being fully machine to escape the emotional burden of losing Aniki. During your journey, you developed your own personality and gained your own Persona, both born from your resolve of protecting you sister. That also explains how you possess knowledge about the places and entities related to Shadows. It's similar to how Teddie knows about the TV World. The two of you are the same regarding that sense."

Metis nodded. "I see now…"

"There's just one thing I don't get." Minato said. "After the fight with Erebus, you said Aigis and Metis reconciled and Metis returned into Aigis, or something like that. Her being here now means that something happened with Aigis?"

"Do not worry. She's still herself. Her emotions as well as her psyche are the still the same from after she found her answer to life." Elizabeth replied. "However, your release from the Seal caused the power that was with her to return to you. That release caused Metis to become a whole individual and reached the Velvet Room sometime ago. Around the same time you and your friend returned to your world."

"When the Seal was broken and your soul released, Shadows leaked from it, leading to the phenomena you call 'Dark Hour'. The Shadows sensed your power and chased after you both," Margaret continued. "That was what led to the fateful meeting that brought the three of you together."

"While we are still unsure of what caused your Seal to be attacked, it seems to be interested in meddling with both worlds," Igor stated. "It'll take the power of several bonds to defeat whatever is behind this new threat."

"Um… That kind of makes sense now…" Minato said. "So I guess this means we'll be starting another journey again, huh?"

"Yes…" Souji quickly grasped the flow of information and pieced it all together. "A new contract huh?"

"Oho, you are fast thinkers, my boys." Igor spoke again, his grin even broader than before. "You are, in fact, correct. As for this new threat, you must never forget the bonds you both have created, as well as the new ones you will create and reforge."

"The bonds we have created… You mean my friends, but I don't know where they are…" Minato frowned, looking at Shinjiro who just shook his head in response.

"And mine are back in Inaba…" Souji said.

Igor grinned, seemingly enjoying himself. "As you three were brought together by Fate, then Fate shall also bring your friends together. How that may be brought about, is entirely up to her."

"Right…" Shinjiro said skeptically.

"By the way, what did you mean when you said 'new bonds that will be created and reforged'?" Minato asked.

"Allow me to explain that," Theodore said. "There's a third wielder of the Wild Card who was also guest of this room as well."

"And quite a remarkable guest she is," Igor chuckled. "She is also aware of this threat so she will try to contact you sometime in the near future."

"And how will we find her?" Souji asked.

"You will recognize her when the time comes. After all, she has strong ties with you both, wielders of the Wild Card, as well as with your friend here." Igor looked at Shinjiro.

"Huh? Me?" Shinjiro asked.

"Only those who are bound to a contract may enter the Velvet Room. However, any being with a strong ego or high spiritual sensitivity might be able to reach this place," Igor explained. "I believe this seems to be your case as well, as it may be related to you being alive."

"Hm…" Shinjiro crossed his arms, thinking.

"Now, time marches on in your world. Do not worry; you will see your friends again very soon, and your answers will become clearer. Well now, I shall let you figure out the rest of your New Journey. Until next time..."

The room began to grow fainter and fainter, the three young men once again finding themselves in the mall's alley. Only with something different: Metis was with them.

"Huh? What are you doing here?" Shinjiro asked.

"I told you I'm not a resident of the Velvet Room so I'll be going with you three from now on," Metis replied. "I want to find my sister. You guys are gonna go look for her, right?"

"Well, we did plan to look for info on her and the others' whereabouts…so I don't see any problem with you coming with us." Minato stated, and smiled at her. "Besides, Aigis will probably be really happy to see you again."

Metis was so happy that her smile almost split her face. "Thank you, Minato-san! I'll do everything I can to help you guys!"

He couldn't help but laugh. "Wow, you sure sound like her." The sound of broken glass rang through his mind as familiar card flashed, a surge of power resonating through his soul. 'The Aeon arcana, huh? I thought I had already mastered that Social Link, but I guess there's still more to learn about Aigis… and now Metis too.'

Souji smiled as well. Metis had a childlike air about her that reminded him of Nanako. "So it's settled then. Now we need to find some leads as to where your friends might be."

Shinjiro quirked an eyebrow at Souji. "Didn't ya say you had to pick some papers at school or something?"

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! Let's go to Gekkoukan! Maybe we'll find something there."

The other three nodded and left the mall. As they headed towards Gekkoukan, they discussed the situation.

"A few things became clearer but others didn't. However, I'm intrigued by this third wielder of the Wild Card," Minato said.

"Since Igor referred to this person as a she, I guess it's safe to assume it's a girl," Souji stated.

"And from what he said about my sister no longer having that power, I guess that rules her out as a possible person," Metis added. "But what did he mean by that person having strong ties with you three?"

"Someone we both know well and somehow connected to Shinjiro-san…I can't recall anyone that fits that profile. What do you think, Shinjiro-san?"

Shinjiro was quiet, trying to make sense of what he had heard in the Velvet Room. "Honestly, I'm still trying to sort out what that weird guy said."

"Heh, that's natural. At first, what he talks about seems to make no sense at all, so you really have to pay attention," Minato said. "It takes a while to get used to."

"Well, he did say his role is simply to assist us, so I guess he can't give us straight answers or else he'd be interfering…too…much…" Souji trailed off, looking around. "Uh-oh…"

"What's wrong?" Metis asked.

"Don't look now, but a lot of people are staring at us."

The silverette was right. The group of four was attracting a lot of attention. "Why are they looking at us?" Metis asked curiously.

"I think I know…" Minato said, sweatdropping. He tried to shield Metis from view.

The android was clueless, but not for very long. "Huh? Me?!"

"A robot girl is not exactly something common," Shinjiro said.

"At this rate, there'll be a lot more commotion by the time we get to school…" Souji said. "What do we do?"

"Tch…" Shinjiro took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Hope you don't overheat."

"Hmm… Not exactly an ideal camouflage for me, but it'll have to work for now," Metis said, buttoning the coat on.

"Good thing you always drag that pea-coat around with you, Senpai," Minato laughed, amused at their current predicament. "But seriously, how can you wear that thing in the middle of summer? It's scorching hot today..."

"Whatever," Shinjiro grunted.

Luckily for the odd group, the rest of the trip to Gekkoukan was uneventful.

"So this is a 'school'…" Metis said in awe as she stared at the entrance gates. "It's huge!"

"Yeah…" Minato said with a nostalgic look. "It's just the same as I remember…"

"Good thing they're holding summer classes or I'd have to wait until September for my transfer," Souji said. "I'll head to the Faculty office get the papers. I'll be back soon."

"Okay. We'll hang around the main gate to see if that rumor you heard is for real."

Souji ran ahead into the building.

The rest stood there in silence, waiting for Souji to come back.

Fifteen minutes passed and nothing happened. Minato was half glad, half disappointed. A part of him wanted to meet his old classmates, but another part was afraid of how they would react to seeing him again. It was really conflicting.

Finally, after another fifteen minutes, Souji returned. "Sorry about the holdup… I ran into Mr. Edogawa as I was leaving the faculty office." He rolled his eyes. "He kept lecturing me about magic and stuff. I swear I don't know what's worse: his lectures or his potions."

"I know what you mean…" Minato said with a sigh. "Good thing that was the only lecture you received."

Souji noticed his frown. "So no one came?"

Minato shook his head. "I guess it was just a silly rumor after all…"

"I'm really sorry, Aniki…I was really hoping someone would show up."

"It ain't your fault…" Minato gave him a forced smile. "I'm sure we'll discover something. Come on, let's get goi–" Just as he turned around to leave, something short bumped into him, or rather someone.

"Ow! Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" A rather nervous female voice squeaked. "I'm so clumsy!"

"H-Hey, no worries. I wasn't looking where I was going either." Minato attempted to calm the person down, and got a good look who he had bumped into – a brown long-haired girl wearing glasses. "Chihiro-san?!"

The flusterd girl looked up at him with a mix of shock and joy. "M-Minato-senpai?! Is… Is that you?!"

Minato smiled, surprised to see how much Chihiro had changed these past years, and unsure about how she would react to his return.

"You… You finally woke up from your coma!" Chihiro cheered, her eyes brimming with tears as she hugged him. "It's a miracle!"

'Again with the coma thing… I guess I'll just have to play along with that for now…' Minato thought as he lightly returned Chihiro's embrace.

Souji and Metis smiled. Shinjiro snorted and turned around. Chihiro broke the hug and noticed them. "Oh, hello…you're Minato-senpai's friends, right?"

"That's right… Oh, now I remember you!" Souji suddenly said. "You were the Student Council's president back when a group of students from Yasogami High came here on a school trip last year."

Chihiro nodded with a blush. "Y-yes…I think I remember you too. No wonder you seem familiar."

"For some reason I always thought you'd end up becoming president," Minato smiled. "Congratulations."

Chihiro blushed harder. "T-Thank you…"

The commotion suddenly picked up for some reason. "Dude, it's Minato!" A voice exclaimed. Next thing they knew, a small group had surrounded the blunette, who was surprised yet happy.

"Kenji… Rio…Kazushi…Yuko…Hidetoshi… Keisuke-senpai… Nozomi…"

"Man, now this is something I didn't see coming. Of all places to see you, it had to be in school!" Kenji smiled, slinging an arm over his best friend's shoulder in an enthusiastic half-hug. "I was complaining about missing a date to come to this meeting, but now I'm glad I did."

"Slacking as ever, huh? Some things never change," Minato chuckled. "It's great to see you all. How have you guys been?"

The group told Minato what they've been doing since they graduated. Kenji now attended acting school in order to improve his comedy skills, had stopped trying to date older women and now had a girlfriend which was Rio, his childhood friend, currently studying to become a tennis instructor. Kazushi's knee healed completely and considered as one of the best athletes in his college kendo team. Yuko was studying to become a P.E. teacher and dating Kazushi, much to Minato's surprise and amusement. Keisuke managed to enter medical school, although his passion for photography was still strong. Hidetoshi was studying to become a professor. Nozomi was now a renowned food critic whom had appeared in several cooking and traveling magazines; Chihiro just graduated, but she plans to become a novel writer and was already admitted into a good college.

"So how have you been, Minato-kun? When did you get out of the hospital?" Yuko asked.

"I'm doing well. Just got released yesterday too," Minato lied. He really didn't want to explain to them what had really happened. He then pointed to Souji and the others. "They were released with me on the same day."

Hidetoshi studied Shinjiro from top to bottom. "You're Aragaki-san, right? The guy who was shot trying to protect a kid from a madman and barely survived."

Shinjiro didn't want to comment on anything, but recalling what had happened with Officer Kurosawa, he shrugged. "Pretty much…"

"I must say you were really lucky to have survived that. From what I heard, that shot would've been fatal had it been anyone else," Keisuke stated. "Even so, it's no wonder you were in coma for months and was going through rehabilitation until recently. Your recovery is astounding, though."

"Yeah, I guess…" Shinjiro said, rubbing the back of his head. The annoyance of being surrounded by too many people started to make him itch, but he stood his ground.

"So, Minato-kun, what brings you to school in summer?" Nozomi asked. "You intend to resume your studies?"

"I actually came with Souji-kun so he could pick some papers. He's being transferred to another school. And…I was wondering if I'd run into some familiar faces here."

"Like Yukari-san and your other dorm mates?" Rio asked. At the mention of her name, Minato blushed faintly, making the long-haired girl laugh. "I knew it. Well, you're in luck. Chihiro-chan keeps in contact with Kirijo-senpai quite often, so she might know where they are."

"Oh, yes. Kirijo-senpai helped me a lot when I was Student Council's president. After she and Sanada-san graduated, the dorm you guys lived in was closed down. There were rumors about a redevelopment project, but it never really happened. It reopened after Takeba-senpai and your other classmates entered college. My guess is it was the only dorm in town that allowed pets, and the closest to the college they attend to." She stopped for a while, trying to remember some recent information. "But I don't think they're in Port Island at the moment. Kirijo-senpai said she and her friends were going on a trip this summer. I think they left this morning, or was it yesterday?"

"Do you know where they went? Is my sister Aigis with them?" Metis suddenly asked, gaining weird and curious looks from everybody.

"Please excuse her," Souji interjected quickly. "She's an amnesic girl we met in the hospital. It was by chance we found out she is Aigis' younger fraternal twin."

'Nice save, Souji-kun!' Minato thought. "Yeah, she regained her memories after she saw some photos of Aigis I had on my cell phone."

"Oh, I see. Well, I believe she's travelling with the others as well. And the place they went is a little town in the country… I think it was called Inaba…or something like that," Chihiro said.

"Hey, I know about that place!" Kazushi said. "It was on the news a few months ago. Something about bizarre murders and stuff, and weird weather."

'You don't know the half of it…' Souji thought.

"The tennis team and Kazu-kun stayed there during our fellowship. Of course, that was a long time before all that crazy stuff happened," Rio stated, hugging Kenji's arm. "Kirijo-senpai and the others are probably staying over at the Amagi Inn. That place is pretty ritzy."

"Inaba… that's the place Souji-kun is transferring to," Minato said. "He's staying with his uncle there."

"Yeah, that's the one," Souji replied. "That reminds me. I gotta phone him and tell him I've got the papers for the transfer."

"Then I guess we're done here. We should get going too," Minato said, looking back at his dear friends. "It's wonderful to see you guys again. Thanks everybody, for all your help."

"Don't mention it, man. It was great seeing you too," Kenji grinned and winked. "Oh, and don't worry. We'll keep your return a secret to Yukari-san and the others. We don't wanna spoil the surprise."

"Thanks, Kenji. See you guys some other time."

The group waved and uttered collective goodbyes to Minato and his friends. After they had left, the former Gekkoukan students exchanged glances. "Well, I must say it's been one surprise after the other today, huh?" Hidetoshi said. "Although I still think we should have told them that she had also awakened from her coma."

"Hey, you remember what she asked us when we met up with her on our way here, don't ya? Keep it a surprise from Minato-kun and the others," Rio reiterated.

"Yeah, I know they'll probably be shocked when they meet up with her, but hey, isn't that part of the fun too?" Keisuke added with a smile.

The others nodded in agreement and left their former school grounds, talking about high school memories, happy to meet up with old friends again.

"Well, that went better than I expected," Minato said as the group walked down the street. "Although I still don't know why everybody kept thinking I was just in a coma and Shinjiro-senpai survived getting shot. That's nothing like how I remembered it."

"Maybe it has to do with the Great Seal being damaged?" Metis suggested. "It seems like everybody whom developed bonds with you had their memories altered or something."

"Who knows? Not even that could be covered up by Mitsuru's family," Shinjiro said. "I'm starting to get what you meant by that Igor guy not making sense at first. He said that Fate will bring our friends and Souji's friends together like it brought us together. Who would've thought they'd go to Inaba of all places?"

"I'm surprised as well, but that makes things more convenient for us in a way," Souji said. "What's the plan now, Aniki?"

"First, let's head to the dorm. I still got my key to it. Hopefully Mitsuru-senpai didn't change the locks," Minato said. "If my guess is right, they left Shinjiro-senpai's and my room intact. So we might as well pack our stuff for the trip. We should be able to get some more proper clothes for Metis."

"How? Knowing the girls, they all probably locked their rooms before leaving," Shinjiro stated.

"I know how to get in to my sister's room," Metis mentioned quietly. "She taught me once."

"That should work. After we're done packing and getting ready, we head for Souji-kun's place," Minato planned out. "He can get his stuff ready and we'll order the tickets for Inaba."

Souji looked confused. "Huh? My place? But…"

"You still haven't packed your things for your move to Inaba, and your arm is hurt so you're gonna need some help. Besides, it'll be easier if we go to the train station all together." Minato gave a casual shrug, like it was no trouble at all. Truth be told, he really didn't want to leave Souji alone by himself.

Souji acquiesced. "Good idea..." He wouldn't admit it out loud that he didn't want to be alone at the moment. 'Thanks, Aniki…'

"Fine by me. Let's get going," Shinjiro said.

Iwatodai Dorm, Lounge…

"Ah, I never thought I'd be that happy to see this place again," Minato said as he and the others walked into the dorm's lounge. "Looks like things didn't change much here in the past two years."

"Maybe it's just me, but the atmosphere is different from when I was last been here," Metis said. "I don't know. It feels… peaceful…"

"Probably because back then, everybody was still trying to come to terms with the aftermath of the battle against Nyx and…" Shinjiro furrowed his brows, growling in frustration at yet another memory he didn't recall experiencing. "Dammit, how do I keep knowing this stuff?!"

"No point in worrying about that for now, Shinjiro-san," Souji said. "We'll probably find the answers to that as we uncover more about this new threat we heard about. Maybe your other friends know something too."

"Souji-kun is right. For now we should focus on what we do know," Minato decided. "I'm gonna check out my old room. With a bit of luck, all my stuff should still be there." He wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Might as well take a shower to cool off too… man, summer is as brutal as I remember. You should do the same, Senpai."

"I guess…" Shiniro agreed, though still somewhat restless.

Minato turned to Metis. "You said you know how to get into Aigis' room right, right? So you should have no problem picking out something to wear. Oh, and try to find a bag big enough to guard your weapon. We don't want to raise any suspicions."

"Okay. Should...should I wear something my sister would in the summer?" Metis asked.

"Good idea. Just make sure it covers your arms and legs. That way you won't attract any unwanted attention." Minato turned to Souji. "Make yourself at home, Souji-kun. We won't take long."

The other three vanished up the stairs, leaving the silver-haired boy alone so he took his time to look around the place. "It's kinda funny, but this place somehow reminds me of the 'special headquarters' back in Inaba," he mumbled to himself, a faint smile forming as he recalled the afternoons he spent with his friends at the Junes food court, thinking and working hard to figure out the mystery.

The smile turned into a frown. Souji was too caught up with the all things that had happened recently, he nearly forgot about what might have happened to his parents. Now that he was alone, the memory hit him full force. 'Dammit, not now…' The tears suddenly welled up. 'I can't cry now…'

He didn't know how long he just stood there, just fighting back tears only to be snapped back to reality when he suddenly heard footsteps. He quickly wiped the tears away before anyone saw. Minato came down first, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. He was soon followed by Shinjiro, now in a light brown cotton sleeveless t-shirt under an open black shirt and jeans, his trademark beanie still on his head. Each carried a duffel bag filled with clothes.

"Phew, now that's better! Good thing they still kept all my stuff," the blunette said. Souji remained silent. "Banchou-kun, is something wrong?"

"N-No…" Souji stammered, not facing Minato. "Just looking around…"

Minato knew he was lying, but decided that now wasn't the best time to ask about what was troubling him. "If you say so…"

"I'm ready!" They heard Metis calling as she skipped down the stairs.

They turned to face her. The android was wearing one of Aigis' winter school uniforms while holding a cylindrical-shaped bag. "H-how do I look?" she asked uneasily. "Is this camouflage appropriate?"

"It looks pretty good on you," Minato complimented. "Yukari and the others would probably say you look cute in this. I'm sure Aigis would like it too."

Metis nodded with a smile and a faint blush. "Thank you, Minato-san…"

"This solves one problem," Shinjiro said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Can't believe they even kept our weapons…but transporting my axe in a bag will definitely cause suspicion."

"They probably thought it was the best way to honor your memories," Souji stated. "You don't have to worry about your weapon. We can have it delivered to Inaba if you want or buy you a new one at Old Master Daidara's metal shop."

"I guess you're right. I can still carry my sword around in my shinai case, so that won't be a problem," Minato said. "Well, let's get going. Anyone up for some takoyaki on the way back?"

"I'm cool with that. Haven't had those in a while," Shinjiro mused.

"I'm in too," Souji said. "The takoyaki opposite the Iwatodai Station are the best ones I've had yet."

"What's 'takoyaki'?" Metis asked, curious to know what it was.

"Hm…I guess showing is easier than explaining," Minato said, opening the door. "Let's go."

They made their way to Souji's apartment after a quick stop at the takoyaki stand for a snack.

By the time the four arrived at Souji's place, it was already evening. Souji was exhausted, but he still needed to finish packing his stuff for tomorrow's trip back to Inaba. It had been one exciting event after another for the silver-haired boy ever since the accident.

The first miracle was Minato, his long lost friend and brother figure, literally appeared out of nowhere bringing along a tall and older guy named Shinjiro Aragaki. Then they got attacked by Shadows, only for Minato to exhibit the same power of the Wild Card like he possessed, and Shinjiro being a Persona-user himself. If that wasn't enough, when they went to the Velvet Room for explanations, they stumbled across yet another interesting character – Metis, an android girl with the power of Persona. For a guy who was recently released from the hospital and just waiting for his transfer back to Inaba, it was a little too much.

On the other hand, he really couldn't complain. Minato was still the friendly, big brother figure he had been when they were children. He noticed that something was wrong with Souji, but didn't bring up, hoping that he would open up when the time was right. His friends were nice as well. Shinjiro had that intimidating look and the 'badass attitude', but he an excellent cook and didn't seem bothered to help in the kitchen. Metis was awkward at first, but she slowly warmed up to them. Perhaps because Minato was close to her "sister", Aigis, and both he and Souji had the power of the Wild Card like she did. As for Shinjiro, maybe it was because their Personae shared the same Arcana, the Hierophant. Oddly enough, they seemed to know each other. As confusing as that was at the moment, they couldn't figure out that mystery for now.

Despite enjoying their company, Souji couldn't help but feel the loss of his parents. There were no proof of their deaths, but there was no sign of them being alive either. It was driving him crazy! He needed to find the truth, but where to start?

As he was mulling around in his room, a soft voice called him. "Banchou-kun?" A hand gently touched his shoulder.

He turned to see the storm grey/blue eyes he knew so well. "Yeah, Aniki? Something wrong?"

"You're crying…" Minato pointed out, frowning as he whipped a small trail of tears running down Souji's cheek.

Seeing how sensitive and concerned his friend was being, Souji felt an onslaught of relief, the tears wouldn't stop flowing. He hated being this emotional and unbalanced around another person, but if he was going to be like that anyway, then he was glad that it was with Minato.

His brother figure was at his side in an instant, one arm wrapped around his shoulders in a soothing gesture, guiding him as they sat on the sofa. "H-Hey! Everything's going to be ok… Don't worry. I'm here…"

Even as tears spilled down his face, Souji gave him a small grin. "Heh, you haven't changed one bit..." He covered his eyes, but it was pointless. The dam finally broke. "... Damnit! I miss them!"

His words were just whispers, but Minato heard him anyway, and pulled Souji's head to his shoulder seeing he was taller. "... It's about your parents, isn't it?"

After all, it didn't take a genius to figure it out.

Souji buried his face into Minato's neck, soaking the other teen's t-shirt with his tears as he sobbed quietly, just like a lost little boy.

Minato only held him as he cried; rubbing his back gently with one hand as his little brother grieved and cried himself out. It was all he could do, and he'd gladly do it for Souji.

After a while, Souji had no more tears to cry. Sniffling quietly, he pulled away from Minato, his eyes a bit puffed up, blushing with embarrassment at the large wet spot he'd caused with his tears on his shirt. "Sorry about that..."

Minato looked down at his damp shirt, shrugging it off with a grin. "Nah, don't worry about it. Looks like you needed a good cry." The silverette yawned suddenly, exhausted from the long day's events. "Need some sleep too, no doubt. Let me help you finishing packing so you can get some rest."

Souji was grateful. "Thanks, Aniki..."

"Hey, that's what big brothers are for, right, Banchou-kun?" Minato smirked, patting him on the head.

As he helped Souji with his things, Shinjiro and Metis watched them from the door. "So… Souji-san's sad because his family is gone?" Metis asked with a frown.

"Looks like it, but it's not confirmed so there's still hope," Shinjiro said. "Can't butt in on his problems now. If he wants to talk, he'll come talking."

"I see…" Metis said thoughtfully. "I… I think… I can understand how he feels…"

"Ya do?" Shinjiro raised an eyebrow at that. "I'm guessing you're missing Aigis a lot, huh?"

"How did you know?"

"Beats the hell outta me. The way ya talk about her gives that impression, I guess. Ya really dislike being alone."

Metis nodded. "Do you…do you think she will be happy to see me again?"

"Can't see why not. After all, you are her sister. It doesn't matter if you were born from her emotions or whatever Souji said."

"Thank you… Shinjiro-san."

"No big deal." Shinjiro simply shrugged, walking away. "Let's get some rest. It's already late and I doubt we'll be leaving tonight anyway. I'll fix up some dinner."

Early the next morning, the group freshened up and left for the train station right after breakfast. Souji received a phone call from Uncle Dojima earlier and informed him that he was bringing three friends with him to Inaba. That way, the detective wouldn't be surprised upon meeting them, and prepare the house for visitors.

As they waited for the train to arrive, Shinjiro took his time to look around when someone caught his eye – the girl who looked just like the one he saw in his dream. She seemed to be waiting for the same train he and the others were taking. She suddenly perked up and stared at him, giving a small smile. 'It's her! So she wasn't a dream after all…'

He was about to walk up to her and demand answers when Minato called him, tinkering with his MP3 player. "Hey Senpai! Uhhh…is something wrong?"

"Nah… It's nothing," Shinjiro replied. When he turned his gaze back to where the girl was standing, she was already gone. 'Shit! Not again… am I seeing things now?'

Soon their train arrived. As the four boarded, none of them noticed an auburn-haired girl entering the same coach as they were on, only from another door at the back.

'This is gonna be a very interesting summer...' the girl thought, smiling as she put on a pair of red earphones, and turned on her own MP3 player, the same model and maker as a certain blunette's. 'Right Aniki, Banchou-kun?'

That's it for now. That should leave you guys on your toes for a while .w. Don't forget to Read, Review and Enjoy!