A/N: Just a few things before we continue:

First, thanks for all new faves, follows, and reviews! I'm amazed it's gotten this much attention in six months. Silver-Tritum-Proctractinium, I'd never heard of Battlefield 1 before but I looked the quote up and you're 100% right. Never gonna unhear that one. And Zain, there's an Otonashi/Kanade moment or two in this chapter I think you're gonna like. :D

Second, I got my transfer drive on Thursday and all my documents are restored. I went back and edited chapters 16-20, but they were pretty much minor changes from what I can recall. This also means Chapter 28 is back fully finished, so I've got to decide if I'm going to end the updating season at Chapter 25 or 28... Decisions, decisions...

Enjoy!


[Chapter 21]: Mizuzaka, Continued


As expected, Yukine and Ryou took it rather well. Yuri had led them to a more secluded place in the field, off the trail, and told them everything, with Kanade, Otonashi, Hinata, and Yui chiming in here and there. Afterwards, Ryou was positively starry-eyed. She was especially excited to hear that Iwasawa was one of them, though her smile looked forced when she found out that Iwasawa's song at the concert had brought back their memories. She looked like she was going to cry. Hinata must have noticed it too, because he threw in the story of how he'd proposed to Yui right after the song.

Yuri caught her friend's expression anyway. "What's wrong, Ryou?" she asked, concerned.

Ryou shook her head and wiped at her eyes.

"Nothing," she insisted, sniffling. "It… it's just so beautiful."

Ayato nervously chewed the insides of his mouth. Perhaps Ryou was putting the pieces together that he and Yuri started their divorce the night after the concert she told them about. As much as she supported their relationship, he hoped she didn't blame herself.

As it was, he was grateful to Otonashi for steering the conversation towards the topic of a Battlefront reunion and their plans to find everyone else. Ryou seemed particularly interested in the fact that they'd all run into each other without the help of a spell so far.

"Do you really think you even need a spell?" Ryou asked. "Maybe some of your friends do visit here sometimes, but you two—" she pointed to Ayato and Yuri, "—were too wrapped up in each other to notice!"

Ayato furrowed his brow. He wasn't so sure.

"What about me?" he asked, tapping his fingers on his knees. "I've lived here with my memories for six months, and I haven't run into anyone."

"But ever since Yuri left, you've been wrapped up in your job!" Ryou said. She gave him a sharp look. "I heard from a friend whose brother works with you that all you do is sleep and work long hours. I almost didn't believe Youhei when he said he bumped into you, because hardly anyone in town ever sees you out of the office."

Lots of eyes were on him now, including Yuri's. Ayato felt cornered.

"That's not true!" he insisted, feeling his face grow warm. "My boss makes me take long weekends off sometimes!"

Ryou crossed her arms at him. "And during that time, do you ever leave the house?"

God, she was just like his coworkers! She made him sound so depressed! Raising a finger, Ayato opened his mouth to give an answer.

"I," he said eloquently.

"Besides when we found you," Hinata interrupted.

Ayato scowled at him. Nosy traitor.

"Sometimes. To buy groceries and stuff," he offered, after a pause. Yuri was staring at him with a thoughtful frown on her face. She must think he was so serious, a workaholic just like his father. He added defensively, "It was a long winter!"

"We're like a month into spring," Hinata pointed out.

"Well, maybe I haven't felt like taking a lot of walks lately," Ayato said darkly, quietly annoyed that Hinata seemed to have built up an immunity to his glowering.

Ryou patted his hand. "Is that because you and Yuri used to take walks together?"

Ayato looked at her spitefully. He was in no mood nor situation for such blatant sympathy. "No. It's because I was relearning hypnotism."

Ruffled, Ryou pulled her hand away and twisted her mouth at him in disapproval.

Luckily, the subject changed as Yui enthusiastically defended the use of a location charm for this operation. As expected, she wanted to increase her small chances of running into the rising but elusive starlet Iwasawa. Her inexplicable disdain towards Yukine even seemed to dwindle as the woman answered all sorts of questions Yui fired at her. Behind her, Hinata and Shiina looked a mixture of happy and amused.

The group moved the discussion off the grass and back onto the trail, branching off onto the path that was closer to the river. As they walked, Otonashi leaned close to Yuri, pointed towards the water, and said something to her with a big grin (Ayato thought he heard the name "Fujimaki"). Yuri snorted so hard she had to slap a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter.

He didn't get the joke, but he smirked anyway. Her humor was contagious as usual.

After a few minutes, Ryou started slowing behind the group until she was walking next to him. He didn't mind. Yuri and Yukine were otherwise occupied, and she didn't know anyone else that well. An earlier conversation with Yui about Iwasawa had fizzled out when the former lost interest upon learning that neither Ryou nor Nagisa had heard from Iwasawa or knew what she was up to these days.

It was nothing personal on Yui's end, of course, though it made him want to laugh. Her attention span was just very particular and fleeting—

"Your mother called," said Ryou.

His heart started hammering in his rib cage – he hadn't expected that! And on top of that, good God, in his situation, "your mother called" was just as bad as "we need to talk."

"Is she alright?" he asked once he'd regained his breath.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ryou gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth. "No, she's fine, she… I got a message from her this morning."

Ayato nodded, closing his eyes and breathing a sigh of relief. Kimito usually left early in the morning to open up shop, so she must've called then, but he still felt a little uneasy. And yet, it was good to have someone playing telephone for him so that he knew she got home okay.

"She says not to worry, and that your father didn't suspect a thing," Ryou continued, as if reading his mind. "She really hopes she'll get to talk to you. I told her we could try getting her a prepaid cell phone, and she said she was thinking about it."

He didn't know about that. The last time his mother tried to hide something from Kimito, she got busted. So did her lip. And so did the thing, into hundreds of little pieces.

But he still… really wanted to hear her voice. It gave him hope. Hope that despite everything, a family could find each other and come back together.

Absently, his gaze drifted to Yuri – who happened to be looking right back at him. Well, at them. A half-smile tugged at her lips, and he wondered how much she had heard of their conversation.

"I'd like that." He felt a buzz of happiness, even when Yuri turned back to talk to Otonashi and Kanade. "Thanks, Ryou. I really do appreciate that you're doing this for us."

"It's the least I could do," Ryou said, her voice quiet and her fingers restless.

Ayato frowned. Even though her nosiness grated on his nerves, he still didn't think she deserved to feel guilty about the concert thing. "It's not your—"

"Ryou!"

The interruption came from Yuri. Ahead of them, the group had slowed to look over the railing at the river and sit on the benches. Yui had spotted a drinking fountain and was already sprinting over to it. Yukine sat on one of the benches, holding one of the books Yui had brought to the park and actually thumbing through the pages in mild interest. Shiina was staring longingly at another leashed puppy in the distance, while Otonashi, Hinata, and Kanade were admiring the water and chatting aimlessly. As for Yuri, she had turned her back on the trio in favor of him and Ryou, a decisive look in her eye.

"Sorry to cut in," she said, acknowledging him with a nod. Then she turned her attention fully on her friend. "Can I talk to you alone about something?"

"Okay," Ryou said agreeably. "Later, Naoi."

She let herself be led loosely by the wrist a little farther down the trail underneath a streetlamp, Yuri glancing briefly over her shoulder at him before looking swiftly away and tugging her aside. Ayato mindlessly watched them go. There was a little cherry blossom petal in Yuri's hair he kind of wanted to brush off.

Hinata tapped him on the shoulder. "Naoi, the river's looking a little dry. Drool over here."

Otonashi had to struggle to hold a wriggling Hinata back from jumping into the water and joining his fellow fish friends – but Ryou didn't need to know about that one.


It was surprisingly late in the afternoon by the time they all left the park. Yukine and Ryou had departed first, with Yukine promising to have the charm ready for them by next Saturday at the latest.

"It was really good to see you, Yuri," Ryou had said, hugging her tightly. "I'm glad you're going to be back in Mizuzaka again."

"Almost makes me want to thank Kyou for being away on her date last night." As she pulled away, Yuri looked considering. "Though it would've been cool to see her again too."

"It's just as well," Ryou said, waving it off. "She would have brought her boyfriend, and they both would have tried to teach Youhei a lesson. Youhei's terrified of him."

Ayato beamed, thinking of Sunohara cowering in fear. "He sounds great. You ought to introduce us sometime."

After that, Ryou had whispered something to Kanade and given her an encouraging smile. Although the latter blinked at her, visibly startled, she'd nodded softly and slipped her hand into Otonashi's. Ayato wondered what someone could possibly say to the stoic angel to make her react like that.

It was Otonashi's idea to take a group picture in front of the park at the last minute.

"We're going to be adding a new member to our group every week, right?" he pointed out, his smile optimistic and contagious. "Why don't we document our progress?"

"Great idea, Otonashi," Hinata said, punching his arm.

The approval was unanimous. Yui willingly handed Yukine the camera she took with her everywhere (especially to gigs and concerts) and scurried over to the park gate where everyone was already posed. Ryou cheerfully told them to say cheese, and Yukine snapped the photo.

It turned out pretty good, actually. Yuri was smiling, hand-in-hand with Kanade on her left and Otonashi on her right. Ayato stood next to Otonashi, looking regal. He'd been staring at both of them, but luckily the camera angle made it look like he was staring more at Otonashi than Yuri. On Kanade's left, Hinata had gotten distracted by Yui, who was deliberately making a silly face at him. Beside them, Shiina stood arms crossed and stoic, trying not to pay attention to the shenanigans on her right.

Classic Battlefront. He expected nothing less.

Once Ryou and Yukine had said the rest of their goodbyes and headed home, Ayato took the group to Yuri's favorite café. The pastries there didn't bring back her memories but they certainly did bring her bliss. Yui drank three sodas and half of Shiina's iced tea and Ayato grinned happily at the prospect of how annoying Hinata's drive home would be. Shiina didn't seem to mind too much, blithely interested by her friend's hyperactive chattering about Girls Dead Monster and spells and potentially epic concerts.

Meanwhile, between bouts of conversation with Yuri and Yui, Kanade would study Otonashi as he talked to Hinata about working at the hospital, smiling into her melonpan like she knew something he didn't. Otonashi would lean into her unconsciously, happy just to exist next to her. Ayato caught Yuri noticing the same thing he did, and she caught his eye in that moment and raised an eyebrow with a little smile, like aren't our friends sweeter than the food here?

Ayato tore his gaze away. If she still thought romance was too lovey-dovey, it was lucky she'd missed most of the looks he'd been giving her today. He was pretty sure a few of them would've been cavity-inducing.

The café was their last hurrah. None of their stops on the Mizuzaka tour had done anything for Yuri's memories, but he wasn't horribly disappointed with the way the day had gone. Besides, the Battlefront had helped him make new ones.

Back at the house, after they'd pulled their stuff together, Hinata, Yui, and Shiina were the ones to leave first, though Otonashi and Kanade mentioned their departure moments after the other three did. Hinata and Yui lived in Shibuya with Otonashi and Kanade, so Kyuuya wasn't on their way, but they wanted to give Shiina a ride to the train station in Yui's car.

"Yukine said she wasn't leaving for Kyuuya until half an hour from now," Otonashi said, remembering. "Couldn't you catch a ride with her?"

Yui looked cross at him, obviously scandalized. "You don't ride home with an ex!"

Hinata nodded in enthusiastic agreement, slinging an arm around Shiina's shoulder. "Yeah, and besides, she didn't offer! You snooze, you lose."

Shiina, who had wrinkled her nose at Otonashi's suggestion, shyly grinned at the floor. "I do prefer this arrangement."

Ayato regarded the three curiously. It was almost as if… He shook the thought off, not giving it any mind, and joined Otonashi, Kanade, and Yuri to exchange goodbyes and numbers.

"I'm out too," said Yuri, moving forward to hug Hinata. Ayato glanced over at the pair sharply as Hinata's enthusiastic hug lifted her up onto her tiptoes.

"Really?" Hinata raised his eyebrows when they broke apart. "I thought you were gonna stay behind with Naoi, and neck on the couch."

Yuri glared at Hinata and shoved him away, albeit halfheartedly, while Ayato stared in horrified suspicion. That had better not be a reference to this morning – how much did he know?

"I need time to think about some things," she said, cutting her eyes to the side. "Let it all soak in."

"And then neck on the couch?"

"You are the worst!" Yuri screeched, while Ayato added in the background simultaneously, "Do you want to be a fish again?"

Hinata danced away from Yuri's flailing arms, looking happy. "I missed you too, Yurippe," he said fondly.

Yuri, who had glanced suspiciously in Ayato's direction after the fish comment, flushed pink when she turned back to Hinata. She let herself smile. "Thanks for finding me."

"Yeah, well…" Hinata paused, scratching his head. In a moment of generosity, he noted, "Couldn't have done it without Naoi."

"Or Ryou. So I've heard."

Ayato's fleeting appreciation for Hinata skidded to a stop when he saw the look Yuri was giving him. He flinched, sweating bullets in realization. That explained her severe reaction to the fish comment.

"Yeah, her too," Hinata said absently. Idiot. He wandered over to Ayato, who for a horrific second thought the oaf was going to hug him too. Instead he offered him a friendly grin. "Good seeing you again, Naoi." He placed a hand on his shoulder in mock comfort. "It'll only be a week. Don't cry too much without me."

Ayato picked his hand off his shoulder by the finger like it was a dirty tissue. "You'll be the one crying."

Hinata hmphed amiably. "So much." Joining Shiina and Yui in the foyer, he called back to Otonashi and Kanade, "See you guys back in Shibuya, alright?"

Otonashi and Kanade chorused a goodbye before the door closed behind them, then collected hugs from Ayato and Yuri.

"Call me anytime, you guys. I'm serious," said Yuri, squeezing Kanade's shoulders before letting go.

"Aren't you leaving too?" Otonashi asked.

Yuri shook her head. "Not just yet. I have to talk to Naoi about something."

"That's alright, Yuri," Kanade said airily, joining her husband at the open door. "I have to talk to Yuzuru in private about something too."

"You do?" he asked, blinking at her.

She merely smiled and led him by the hand onto the front porch, letting a confused Otonashi close the door behind them. Silence fell over the house. Then, just outside, Otonashi let out a muffled cry. From the volume and pitch, Ayato wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

"—you tell me right before I'm about to operate a vehicle?!"

He would have appreciated context.

"…What was that about?" he asked, turning to direct the question towards Yuri. He quickly found that she wasn't paying attention to the door. She was staring straight at him, arms crossed and head tilted.

"So you just hypnotize whoever you want, whenever you want, is that right?" she said, her tone decidedly cool.

Shit. Was that what she and Ryou had been talking about? Ryou Fujibayashi, talking to an impressionable Yuri Nakamura about his hypnotism. Just what he needed. Shit.

He cleared his throat. "Ahm," he said, very eloquently again.

"I asked Ryou how you found me, since she told me I didn't give you my address when I moved." She flicked an eyebrow up dangerously. Still attractive – no, now wasn't the time for that! "You hypnotized it out of her. You didn't give her a choice."

He measured his words carefully. Hypnotizing her best friend – this was a delicate situation. One part of him wanted to say she didn't give me a choice. Another part reminded him that Otonashi had given him permission. But it wasn't Otonashi's permission that mattered.

"I made the choice for her. I shouldn't have." He licked his lips nervously, studying her face for a reaction. "I just…"

"You wanted to help them find me," Yuri finished for him. It might've been his imagination, but her features softened. "I know, Ryou told me you apologized and she forgave you."

He mentally gave Ryou a few more bonus points. Yuri always did have good taste in friends.

"But apparently today you tried to hypnotize Hinata into being a fish?" Yuri added, narrowing her eyes.

"Hey, that one was funny," he said defensively. Then, as a thought hit him, he pointed a finger at her. "And I distinctly remember making you laugh with the stapler incident!"

A grin slowly spread across her face, making him lower his finger in satisfaction.

"Alright. That one was funny," she amended, rolling her eyes at the smug smile she got in return. "Just… you're a member of the Battlefront now. I want to know I can trust you."

Ayato faltered back a step, stunned by her words.

So she really did accept him. The thought gave him a not at all unpleasant thrill. Despite everything, despite what he knew and she didn't, it really was as if she was prepared to recruit him into their group of misfits all over again.

As long as he earned her trust.

"Shiina mentioned I manipulated your memories," he said after some deliberation, emboldened as he saw her attention prick up and her gaze sharpen. "Back then… I caused a horrible bloodbath. Gunned down many of your friends… our friends. With the help of some entranced NPCs."

Her cheekbones twitched with a disapproving clench of her jaw.

"I told them I was going to bring about peace. And I tried to use you as an example," he continued, standing his ground. "I tried to make you move on when you clearly weren't ready. With my hypnotism, even without any knowledge of your past, I was able to give you false memories of a happy life."

"What did you make me see?" Yuri demanded. Matching her tone, her stare had gone from cool to frosty.

"You told me later, in the hall after I helped you jog Otonashi's memories," Ayato mused, thinking back, "you'd seen your little sisters and brother alive. Smiling at you. Thanking you for being a good sister."

Yuri was quiet, looking at him contemplatively. He didn't know what to make of her expression, or this situation, only that he wasn't finished.

"But Otonashi stopped me." He knew he would never stop thanking Otonashi for what he did that day, but he never thought this would be one of the reasons. "He shook some sense into me, made me realize those memories weren't what you wanted or needed. Real or not, I have no right to force memories on you."

He uncrossed his arms, letting them fall vulnerably at his sides.

"I wanted to tell you this, not only because you asked back in Kyuuya and you deserve to know," Ayato said, meeting her eyes with natural power only, "but because I swear to you I will never do anything like that again."

Silence followed, her standing there and watching him dangle in a strange emotional purgatory. Then she closed her eyes for a moment, a minute, an hour (he didn't trust the analog clock's sense of time any more than he trusted his own).

Finally, she stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and reached out to him.

"Welcome to the Battlefront, Naoi," Yuri said warmly.

Smiling, he took her hand, and they shook.


Preview:

"Locus Felicis, as requested."

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"

"So, how does this work exactly?"

"She was and is just as much a part of the Battlefront as you are."

"I want peaches."

"That's not going to happen to me!"

"What is the point of just standing around?"

"YURIPPE!"

[Chapter 22]: Turn.