Kotone knew she had drifted off to sleep once again, the start of a spring thunderstorm outside her dorm window the last thing she recalled. So when she once again opened her eyes to find herself in the too-still expanse of sand and doors, she was very confused.

"Why am I back here?"

Sitting up, Kotone noticed that the sands had a more audible crunch this time. It still didn't cling to her clothes or hair, but the thought hadn't even fully formed in her head before Kotone noticed that she was nowhere near the strange scattered doors. Not even the blue doors of the Velvet Room were there.

And yet, it felt more familiar than the first time.

Humming to herself in concern, Kotone stood up and looked around for a moment before her feet started to move on their own. Not trying to fight it, the auburn went; nothing approached her, but for some reason, her nerves were on edge.

Kotone didn't know how long she walked before a shape began to form on the horizon. Curious, she sped up into a light jog. When she reached the shape and stopped, Kotone only found herself more confused.

It was a campsite.

Or at least, it looked like a campsite.

Empty crates of varying sizes rested on the colorless stand. Some of them were stacked on top of one another, tattered cloth covering them. One end was left open, a strange series of ridges lining the edges. A sheen of shimmering dust rested on all of the surfaces, not halted by the tattered lean-to that covered the campsite.

The oddest things, however, was what looked like a computer terminal resting in a small sheltered area; beside it, an oblong shape that Kotone took a moment to realize was a mission clock. The series of numbers only gave her more mysteries.

547:12:24:03

'...If it's only been a year and a half, why is there so much dust?' Kotone wondered to herself, crimson eyes slowly drifting to the computer terminal. 'Maybe the answers are on there?' Shifting, she began to move to the terminal when an alarm began to sound from one of the lean-to's pole. Startled, she spun around in place, trying to locate what was causing the alarm to sound.

She didn't have to wait long, as a chill wind slapped her in the face before the ambient light of the desert was snuffed out. A clawing sensation gripped Kotone's legs, preventing movement even as her instincts screamed at her to run. Whispers, dissonant and countless, began to assault her ears, and made Kotone scramble for her headphones.

They weren't there.

Panic began to grow in her, and Kotone wanted to run as far as she could. But her feet were frozen in place. Kotone attempted to pull free when she felt something looking at her from behind. Kotone couldn't bring herself to turn around, even as a moist, unnerving heat began to creep up behind her.

YoU ARe … hoW DID oNe of YOu eSCApE?!

The sensation of something trying to bite her, along with the screeched confusion, was enough to make Kotone jolt awake with a yelp. Scrambling upright, the girl gripped at the hemline of her nightshirt as heat seeped through her skin, making her pant as she tried to calm down.

'What … what was all that?!' Kotone thought to herself as the panic began to subside. Her room was still hazy in the dawn light. 'I know I didn't eat anything weird before bed, and I didn't watch a horror movie. So what..?'

Makaria simply hummed in a corner of her mind, and Kotone could feel the nervous shifting of the Persona's urn. '... Does it have to do with the butterflies?'

-... We made a promise that night.- Makaria responded after a moment. -A promise to them and Philemon.-

'That's probably what my contract is, then.' Kotone nodded to herself. 'But what was the promise about?'

-To help.-

'Help with what?' Kotone hummed, her hand still light on her chest. 'Did I just say I'd help without knowing details?'

Makaria let out a soft, amused chuckle. -Details don't matter as much when you're eight. They were just in a dire situation, and you said you would help with an inky hand on the contract.- At those words, the Persona's voice softened. -That is why I am here, to guide Blessed souls to a peaceful end.-

'... So are you being vague on purpose or do you genuinely not know?'

-Again, you were eight.- Makaria's amusement was soft. -In time, we should remember it. And they didn't want you to run off completely helpless.- At that, Kotone felt the urn shift again. -They want to help, if you'll allow them.-

Kotone thought for only a moment before nodding. 'If I said I'd help, I'll help. I'm just gonna have to wing it until that memory pops out again.'

She felt Makaria radiate warmth for a moment, even as the Persona fell silent. Kotone finally let her hand drop from her chest as she stared at the warm sunlight just beginning to creep into her room.

'This … feels like something much bigger than climbing a tower, and that says many worrying things.'

With that thought, Kotone shuffled out of bed: she wasn't getting more sleep, might as well have an early start.

April had passed easily, and the start of May came before any of the residents of the dorm could really register that a month had almost come and gone completely. With May came the promise of Golden Week; it was enough to prompt the group to head into Tartarus on the first, not wanting to worry about it over the holiday and week after it.

"So," Shinjiro began as the group traveled from the lobby to the fourteenth floor, "Aki's gonna be off the bench around midterms time."

"He's been rather calm about waiting, considerin how he seems to be about fighting." Junpei noted in surprise. "I figured he'd be more anxious to get into the thick of it again."

Shinjiro's response was a low hiss, his face grimer than normal for a heartbeat. "... If he's been whining, he's at least been smart to not do so around me." He said after a moment, making Kotone and Yukari both arch an eyebrow.

Minato didn't pay attention to the discussion, looking around the floor instead. "...Mitsuru-senpai?" He asked after a moment, confusion in his voice. "Didn't you say there was a stronger Shadow here when we last came to Tartarus?"

[...That is correct.] Mitsuru responded after a moment of silence. Even though her tone hinted that she knew what Minato was going to ask next, Minato found himself saying it anyway.

"Then where did it go?"

At his question, the others fell quiet and looked at the large chamber in surprise; it was indeed empty, the waxing moonlight painting the room in an eerie golden glow.

"What the HELL!?" Yukari was the next one to speak up, her shout making Kotone and Minato look at her in shock. "We - we didn't fight it, right?! I don't think any of us would forget fighting a Shadow at this point!"

"Nope, we left it alone." Kotone confirmed. "We saw spiked clubs for arms, leg wheels, decided 'no thanks, no meat tenderizing tonight', and left." Twirling the naginata in her hands as she looked around, the girl cautiously stepped forward. "So is it just playing peekabo or is it gone gone?"

[As much as I am loath to admit it, the Shadow seems to have left the area.] Mitsuru confirmed, her sigh echoing in the area for a moment. [However … there's. Still something odd a few floors above you.]

"... Something odd?" Yukari repeated.

[Indeed. I … am not certain what to make of this presence. Be careful.]

"I'd say 'we already are careful', but …" Minato tapered off as he spoke, eyes darting between Kotone and Junpei as the pair moved forward.

"Honestly?" Yukari dropped her voice lower as she and Minato began to follow the first two. "I'm more surprised he isn't griping about being bossed around by a 'girl' …"

"Do you really think his survival instincts are that poor he'd say such things in Mitsuru-senpai's hearing?" Minato countered calmly. "Besides," he smiled. "You saw Kotone lift a suitcase of his life belongings like it was a stuffed animal. I think Junpei-san likes having his spine in one place."

Shinjiro chuckled behind them at that, and a glance showed that the senior was shaking his head. "Some people pick up on certain cues faster than others; I know Aki needed a few ice blocks down his shirt at first." He muttered, making Yukari stare at him.

"...Seriously?"

"As someone who has lived with him for fourteen years? Yes. Seriously." Shaking his head again, Shinjiro moved up to be closer to the two in question. "But if this thing up ahead isn't pinging as a Shadow to Mitsuru …" At that, he paused. "Hey, is it pinging as anything, Mitsuru?"

[I … can't quite discern from this floor.] Mitsuru's reply came after a few moments [It doesn't seem to be much further ahead of you. Two floors at most.]

Shinjiro let out another hum. "... Don't strain yourself." He said, and then sighed as he hefted his axe onto his shoulder. "Glad we agreed to do this on a fresh night instead of push ourselves."

"Same!" Kotone called back, turning on a heel to walk backwards for a moment. "Especially since we don't know if the Big Road Roller will sneak up on us from behind."

Junpei gave her a worried look at that. "...Koto-tan, if something drops Za Warudo on us, you owe me an extra large Hagakure special."

"Deal."

Yukari just stared at them, shock on her face. "...How are you two so nonchalant about all this?" She asked after a moment.

Junpei didn't respond, and his head was turned in a way that made his face hard for Minato to read. Kotone simply met Yukari's gaze with her own. "Because cowering about it isn't going to change that something unnerving's coming up, y'know?" She said "And you're more likely to screw up if you go into things as tense as your bowstring."

Yukari's eyes lowered a bit at that, but she still shook her head. "But still … Aren't you scared? At all?"

"Yeah! That doesn't mean the Shadows need to know it."

At that rebuttal, Minato stopped for a moment, staring. He didn't know what it was about Kotone's statement that made him pause, just that it did. 'That's … strangely profound from her.' He thought after a moment, resuming his walk. 'She normally doesn't sound that wise.' A glance at Yukari and Shinjiro showed that the statement had at least gotten to the brunette girl. Shinjiro's face was hard for Minato to gauge, but it was something to dwell on later.

The following floor was surprisingly small, but apart from that, it was largely what passed for 'Normal' in Tartarus. When they reached the stairs, however, things began to get slightly odd. The green tint to the environment began to lighten, almost washed out. The golden light of the moon also seemed to grow muted.

Reaching the top of the stairs only made more questions rise up. Almost all of the greens of Tartarus and the Dark Hour had faded to an off white glow, throwing the shadowed parts of the architecture into haunting high contrast. The floor itself was also not labyrinthine; instead, it was a simple rectangular chamber that reached from wall to wall. Even the next set of stairs was visible for the most part; a barrier of stained glass cut the floor in half, the silvers and blues almost unsettling.

"... When did a church get wrapped into Tartarus?!" Junpei asked after a moment, walking up to the barrier. "I'm kinda scared to try and break it, though. What about the rest of you?"

Kotone hummed as she tapped the butt of her naginata against the wall. "... Can we break it?" she asked after a moment. At Junpei and Shinjiro's shrug, the auburn let out a hum. "I can try, at least …" She waited long enough for the boys to back up before she swung at the glass.

Despite the unholy noise of steel striking glass, the barrier didn't so much as waver.

"... That's a negative." Shinjiro sighed, and leaned on his axe instead. "The fuck is this …"

[A barrier, it would seem.] Mitsuru's voice responded, annoyance plain. [Why is there a barrier within Tartarus?]

"Do we have to put yen in like it's a rail station?" Junpei offered. "Since we can't exactly break through it."

"Maybe answer a riddle?" Minato shrugged, looking at the barrier as well.

-you … arrived … fast…-

The sound of dissonant chiming was the only warning SEES had to the presence that materialized in their midst. Minato jerked with a small yelp, a hand going to his Evoker. When he actually got a solid look at the newcomer, he felt Orpheus pull away from it in terrified bewilderment.

At a glance, it looked like an hourglass the size of a person, black and silver sand suspended in place as it trickled into the lower chamber. A more thorough look revealed the hourglass was wrapped in white clothing, the hemline fading into wings with pale silver and rose feathers. Elongated white arms and charcoal hands came from the 'shoulders', and a bizarre silver loop of metal held a black mask aloft.

The presence shifted slowly, appearing to take each member of S.E.E.S in with silent judgement.

-so young… so few… you should … not be here…-

Its voice even sounded off, like a cd that had been scratched to the point of being nigh unplayable. Minato shifted away from it, moving so he was closer to Kotone. As it was, Kotone was staring at the presence as well, crimson eyes unreadable.

Shinjiro seemed the most unsettled, and him having both hands on his axe was not a comfort. "... Mitsuru ….?" He began, only to taper off when the presence abruptly shifted to 'look' at him more directly.

[I … what IS that? It …] Mitsuru's voice was muffled as well, although Minato didn't know if it was from the situation they were in or other matters. [I cannot get a solid reading... Is it a Shadow? Proceed with caution, this entity is a complete unknown.]

-i must … make … you turn back …-

The sentient hourglass lifted a hand up to the sky as it spoke, a flash of blue and white fire materializing for a heartbeat. As it faded, a pristine firearm dropped into raised hand, an elegant white and rose colored wing racing along one side of it.

"wAIT WHAT!?" Junpei yelped, backpedalling a bit. "C-can't we at least get three questions real quick?! Like 'who are you'!?" The response Junpei got was a crackle of energy, and he jerked to the side as a blast of white shot past him.

Minato wasn't certain if it was he or Kotone who reacted faster, but in the next second, both Orpheus and Makaria manifested to strike at the strange hourglass. The blue fire didn't draw much reaction, but the twin prongs from the bident made the presence turn in her direction.

It didn't gain a chance to retaliate, because the sound of an Evoker echoed a half second later. A dark shape barreled into the hourglass with an uncanny shriek of steel on steel, which soon solidifed into the familiar shape of a black-clad knight chess piece, a lance in one of the knight's hands as his mount snapped at the hourglass's mask.

'Oh no.' Minato thought to himself as he began to rapidly backpedal next to Yukari. The hourglass didn't seem to notice, as it had whirled around to face the knight that had struck it. Said knight stood in front of Shinjiro, who was quick to swing at the gun-wielding presence as well. 'If Shinjiro-senpai's breaking out Castor already, he doesn't like this any more than the rest of us.'

The thought seemed to be a collective one, as Yukari also jerked back to awareness, her bow drawn back to fire a shot. Her arrow glanced off of the glass with a scratch, making her shake her head. "I don't know if I can hurt it much." She said after a moment, worry on her face.

"Then let's focus on keeping the others up?" Minato offered, giving the evoker in his hands a twirl as he focused on both Orpheus and Apsaras in his mind. The rush of energy that came with the Cadenza spell left him staggering for a moment, and he briefly propped himself up on Yukari's shoulder. "It didn't seem to like Kotone or Senpai hitt - Woa!"

Both teens jerked apart as another shot fired at Minato, the bright silver energy making his eyes cross for a moment as he scrambled back for a moment. Junpei had recovered enough at that point to invoke Hermes, and the shriek of steel on glass made Minato wince more as he did a mental shuffle again.

Omoikane responded this time, the brain of the heavens contemplating things for a heartbeat before a bolt of lightning struck the hourglass. It stiffened briefly, but recovered in time to fire a shot at both Junpei and Kotone.

Kotone dodged, almost faster than Minato could register. In the next second, she swung up with her naginata. The blade cut in the joint of the hourglass's arm, causing some of the black and silver sand from within to spill out. The hourglass took offense, and swung at her with the arm holding the gun. She ducked, grateful for the sight of Shinjiro's axe coming in to intercept the gun.

Unfortunately, Shinjiro didn't have the angle to knock it loose of the hourglass's hand. He did succeed in knocking the blow aside, but the hourglass responded by merely pointing the gun skyward.

-leave … this place…!-

A torrent of the white bolts of energy began to fall, Minato falling back even more until he felt himself collide with the brass frame of a transporter. "Ah!" he called out, stepping away before it could activate and transport him to the main floor.

[What is this thing's motivation?!] Mitsuru's voice came in after a moment, her confusion mounting. [It doesn't seem keen on causing injury, but -]

"I don't think any of us know, senpai!" Junpei called out as he dodged, only slightly slower than Kotone. "It's just hitting us with bullet hell and makin us dodge!"

Shinjiro - who didn't seem nearly as quick to dodge as either Junpei or Kotone - grunted as a few of the shots nicked his arms and face. "Someone break the damn gun!" He called out after a moment, even as Castor swung to make an attempt at just that. "We saw fire and lightning hitting it, and just weapons aren't working out super well either!"

"Please work!" Yukari's call came a second later, and a buffet of wind surrounded the hourglass as it turned to fire a shot at Shinjiro again. The wind did a bit more noticeable damage than the fire and lighting, and Kotone watched as cuts appeared in the sleeves and coat. If nothing else, it proved a very effective distraction, as Castor's horse was able to lunge and grasp the already wounded arm in its mouth.

Kotone didn't know how to describe the noise the hourglass made when the horse tore the arm completely free, but she knew she didn't want to hear it again. It seemed to have that effect on everyone else as well, and she shook her head as her brain raced. 'Rocks didn't seem to bother it either, and I don't know if we have anything else..?' At the thought, she looked to Minato as Apsaras alone manifested behind him. The celestial dancer sent a torrent of water at the hourglass, to minimal effect.

'Shit!' Kotone swore in her head as she dodged another bullet aimed at her. 'Ice, maybe? Do any of us have ice?!'

The thought manifested for only a second before Makaria froze above her, and Kotone felt something in her head click. Unprompted, the marionette lifted her urn - the pink butterfly vanished from the lid, and Kotone heard the Persona's voice inside her head.

-A Blessed Soul has gathered the strength to answer!-

A pale blue light flashed from the urn, and Kotone watched Makaria vanish as the light solidified into something far smaller. Frozen in shock, she wasn't prepared to see a small white and blue snowman appeared in midair with a hearty shout - it sounded like a 'hee ho!' in hindsight - before it crashed into the hourglass's gun with an icy fist.

Kotone stared for a moment as the gun seemed to crystallize, the snowman's punch knocking it out of the hourglass's hand. It impacted the floor and shattered, with familiar blue embers drifting up from the impact site before dissipating.

"Wait, what?!"

Junpei's confusion drew Kotone back into the moment, even as the snowman hopped to stand in front of her like a Pokemon. "I'll explain later?" she called out. "Let's just get this thing outta here first!"

"...Fair!" Junpei responded, before Hermes darted across the hourglass's figure. "I don't wanna see it try to make another gun!"

"I second that notion!" Minato echoed, even as Apsaras vanished in a flicker to be replaced with Pixie. "Just give me a second-!" The small sprite let out a mischievous giggle as he spoke, before blowing a mock kiss at the hourglass. A swirl of chaotic energy followed, circling around the hourglass's mask and disorienting it. "There!"

"Chuck ice at it again, Firecracker!" Shinjiro called out, punctuated by a one handed swing of his axe. The hourglass wobbled from the impact, but managed to remain aloft. "Once we get this thing grounded, it's over!"

Kotone nodded as she shifted her grip on her naginata, ready to spring. "Jack Frost!" She called out, the name springing to mind without much thought. The snowman responded with another 'hee!' even as it twirled in place, a large chunk of ice slamming into the hourglass.

It was enough; the strange glass and gold presence let out a cry as it was flipped onto the ground, the one arm it had trapped between its tempered body and the floor beneath it.

"Get it get it get it!" Kotone yelled as she lunged, slamming onto the hourglass with her weapon drawn. Junpei was only a few seconds behind, the kanabo in his hands impacting hard. Wind and Fire came from Yukari and Minato's direction. Shinjiro waited until the the juniors had backed up a bit before he swung, both hands on his axe.

"GET. LOST!"

Yukari was grateful she and Minato stood aside as the hourglass went sailing past them, crashing into the far wall of Tartarus with the sound of shattering glass. Its body had broken on impact with the wall, although there was also a massive crack in the base from the impact of Shinjiro's weapon. All five watched as the black and silver sand began to trickle out, the figure beginning to dissipate into motes of pale blue fire.

-the tower … must … not be …-

Whatever it had been intending to say faded away as the mask crumpled, rose and silver feathers falling in its absence. As they drifted down slowly, the previously muted colors of Tartarus began to return to normal. It didn't take long before the mocking golden glow of the moon was back to normal, the group gathering up in the center of the room once they were certain the hourglass wouldn't return.

"Show of hands … who expected that?" Minato asked after a moment, idly noticing that 'Jack Frost' hadn't quite dissipated as it bounded into Kotone's arms.

"Not in the slightest." Shinjiro spoke up with a shake of his head. "I don't have the foggiest clue what it could be."

[Nor I.] Mitsuru responded after a moment. [It … certainly didn't quite feel like a Shadow. But in all of the chaos, I couldn't quite discern much about it.]

"And the barrier didn't go away with it, either," Junpei noted with a sigh. Indeed, the stained glass structure remained tall, bisecting the room. "The stairs are right there, too! What an asshole!"

[Not exactly the words I would have chosen, but I agree with the sentiment.] Mitsuru replied after a moment, a heavy sigh in her voice. [Until we figure out what caused this barrier, it seems our expeditions will be-]

"Hold on, let's look around the floor first?" Kotone offered, crimson eyes darting around. "We didn't really get a chance before …whatever that gatekeeper was jumped out at us. There might be a surprise around here."

"Speaking of surprises," Junpei snapped his attention back to her, and he reached forward to poke Jack Frost on the forehead. "Both of you can do the switchy thing?"

"I guess?" Kotone shrugged, even as Jack Frost let out a 'ho!'. "I don't seem to have as much as Minato, but this little guy hopped out of Makaria's urn …"

"Well. that's ironic." Shinjiro noted, scratching his head.

"He's cute though…"

Yukari lost the thread of the conversation at that point, hazel eyes looking around the room. She could faintly hear Mitsuru's surprised noise at being cut off mid-sentence, but it wasn't what had distracted Yukari. There was something metallic glinting against the barrier, and it was enough of a mystery that she quietly broke off from the huddle to examine it.

It was a briefcase, Yukari realized as she knelt before it. Plain metal, almost identical to the one that Ikutsuki had carried the Evokers in; the only difference she could see at the moment was a strange engraving by one of the locks. It resembled a butterfly, and it made Yukari tilt her head even as she lifted her hands to open it.

To her surprise, it wasn't locked. The metal opened soundlessly in her hands, and Yukari watched as a small leaflet of papers fell out of the casing alongside a strange vial of liquid. Setting her bow down to one side, she grabbed the papers first.

The paper felt fragile, almost as if a sneeze would rip it. Cautiously curious, Yukari began to read the first page. '! this … was handwritten?' she noticed after a moment. 'The handwriting's kinda messy …' Pushing the thought aside, Yukari focused on the paper once again.

Log 001: Shadow Classification.

Iris Squadron Member: Daeira

'Shadows' are a pscience phenomena that are born of repressed emotions. While there hasn't been much more elaboration on the exact nature of their existence, or what can cause them to form and mutate, enough research has been done to make this observation.

From the sound of it, however, exact classification has been a bit more of a struggle.

Maybe it's because of their creation, but Shadows can often vary in appearance and skillset. Some of the scientists have started to label them with the Major Arcana you can find in a standard tarot deck.

I think it's standard at least? I didn't get much time to look at the specifics before we were assembled for debriefing.

That aside, the classification method works about as well as any other. It seems to be rooted in similar characteristics in what few Shadows have been found on this side. I.E.; Shadows that the scientists classify as "Magician" seem to prefer assaulting their victims with bursts of fire, although other debilitating spells have been recorded.

…Can I call them 'spells'? Is there a division between 'science' and 'magic' with these things?

Either way, in contrast to the "Magician", Shadows that fall under "Hanged Man" are impressively durable and will require more combined effort to take down.

I don't know if there has been any Shadows found that go past 'Hanged Man'; if there are, they might be on the more elusive side. Perhaps when we finish this first field assignment, I can pester Dr. Ta-

The sight of Minato's hand waving in front of her face made Yukari jerk, doing her best to not rip the papers in her hands. "W - wha?" She yelped, head whipping around to look at the blue-haired boy.

In Minato's defense, he looked sheepish. "We were going to head down; none of us could find anything to make the barrier go away, although Junpei did find what looks like a nice first aid kit in the middle of the sand." He explained, grey-blue eyes darting to the transporter. Following his look, Yukari could see that the other three were waiting there.

"Oh." Yukari sighed, gently tucking the papers back into the briefcase. "I … Don't know what this is." She admitted as she closed it up. "Well, I think it's a report? But it talked about Shadows …"

Minato's visible eyebrow rose. "Huh … Something to keep on hand for Ikutsuki-san, then." He commented, the hand he used to get Yukari's attention still held out to help her up. She took it readily, even though it ended up being her holding Minato steady at the end.

Yukari nodded absently, scooping up her bow as well. "Yeah. He seems to be the only one who knows about Shadows outside of us." As the two began to walk, another errant thought came to her head. "... He's a Shadow Researcher, right? Where do you think the Kirijo group found him?"

"From the way he gets talking if you rile him up enough? The countryside." Shinjiro shrugged. "I'm more suspicious of the fact that he can't summon, but walks around the Dark Hour without problem." Shaking his head as the group stepped through the transporter, the senior gave Mitsuru a wave. "We're back in one piece."

"And not swiss cheeze to boot!" Kotone followed up, Jack Frost having disappeared from her arms.

Mitsuru gave her a baffled look for a moment before shaking her head. "Welcome back." She replied instead, nodding. "I've made certain to take what observations I could of this 'Gatekeeper', for lack of a better term. Ikutsuki-san should be informed of this as soon as possible."

"This briefcase too," Yukari held it up as she spoke. "It had some paperwork in it that I think he should see."

"Man, giving the guy more work right before Golden Week seems rough …" Junpei commented.

"He'll live." Shinjiro responded instantly, the flatness of his tone enough to make the twins snicker. Snickers that grew louder when Mitsuru shot Shinjiro a dirty look. "What?" Shinjiro responded, a smirk in his voice. "You know what he's like when he's not working."

Mitsuru just gave him a shake of her head as she took the briefcase. "It's too late to argue this with you." She said instead, before nodding at the group. "That was a fantastic job, all the same." A rare smile graced her face, but it dropped after a heartbeat. "But now with this unknown Gatekeeper, and barriers within Tartarus now …"

"Gotta figure out how to keep going from here." Kotone gave a nod, stretching her arms. "... Maybe not tonight though. I'm a bit frazzled from whatever the hell that was."

"And I'm sore; how the fuck were you two doding those bullets like that?" Shinjiro griped, rubbing his neck as he looked between Kotone and Junpei.

Minato opted to point at his sister. "She plays bullet hells."

"Same." Junpei raised his hand at that, shaking his head. "Gotta have reflexes to not die in those."

"... Fair, I guess." The brunet senior shrugged. "Either way, let's get to bed. We still have class tomorrow before the holiday." His words earned groans from the four juniors, which quieted only under a dirty look from Mitsuru.

Minato could still feel the buzzing nerves as the group left Tartarus. Nobody seemed to be quite happy about what had transpired, and it was almost enough that he missed the blue-eyed child's reappearance.

He was walking in step with Minato, bare feet translucent against the blacktop. He looked up to Minato after a moment, a small smile on his face. "That was very well done." He said, and Minato realized at that moment that the boy's voice was echoing in the space between his ears and brain.

Not only that, it seemed that only he could hear the boy; nobody in the group had looked up at the new voice, with Junpei in particular asking Kotone about something. Pushing the thought aside for now, Minato looked at the boy again as he walked.

'... You saw all that?' He thought in the boy's general direction, hoping it worked.

The smile on the boy's face told him that it had. "Yes; I am always with you." He elaborated, and Minato felt a small shiver go down his spine. The young boy's smile faltered a bit. "I don't mean always always; just … here. In this place."

'You're … bound to the Dark Hour?' Minato clarified, breaking his gaze to avoid drawing attention from the others. 'How does that work - were you killed by a Shadow?'

"No, I don't think so…" the boy tapered off with a shake of his head, seemingly unbothered by Minato breaking eye contact. "I've just always been here." Minato heard the boy hum for a moment, as if contemplating things. "...oh! That's right!" The boy skipped forward a bit, turning on one heel to walk backwards as he faced Minato. "...Something's coming in a week from now."

'What do you mean by 'something'?' Minato asked, almost stopping in his tracks for a moment.

"I'm … not fully certain." The boy admitted, his eyes darting to the waxing moon overhead. "But, with how you and your companions handled … that terrifying thing … I think you'll be alright." At that, he shook his head. "No, I know you'll be alright."

The confidence in the child's voice made Minato look at him for a moment in surprise. 'You … sound very certain about this.' He noted, and was greeted with another smile.

"Is it so wrong to have hope?" The boy replied. "But … I should go for now; I'll try and talk to you again when you're not walking around with the others." with a small wave of his hand, the boy began to fade into the darkness. "Rest well!" He said as his too blue eyes finally vanished.

Not a second later, the Dark Hour began to fade.

Feeling a very sharp shiver go up his back at the timing, Minato shook his head rapidly. He didn't need that. Not right now.

'Please let nothing crazy happen in class tomorrow … or over the holiday…' He thought as the group slowly made their way through the station to the monorail.

It seemed that the forces of the universe decided to humor Minato, for Saturday classes passed with no incidents beyond Junpei, Kaz and Kenji abducting Minato for Hagakure after class. Mundane activities occupied the others for that day as well, with the one exception being Mitsuru as she handed over the briefcase to Ikutsuki that night. The man had an unreadable expression on his face as he took it, but Mitsuru didn't get a chance to ask him when he instead shifted the subject.

"By the way, about that feather you found a week ago…" he began, voice oddly solemn. "Have you found another?"

"...No, we haven't." Mitsuru shook her head. "Frankly, after the 'Gatekeeper' encounter last night, I had forgotten about it." She admitted, then looked at Ikutsuki again. "Why do you ask? Have you ascertained what it is?"

"Yes, I have." Ikutsuki nodded. "A follow-up question first, though; did none of you see where it came from?"

Mitsuru shook her head again. "No; we all simply heard something heavy crash into a street light above us, and then were buffeted by the wind as whatever the feather dropped from left the area." At that, she scowled. "I couldn't even sense anything that came near us is the worst part. Perhaps Penthesilea is more combat oriented than I thought …"

Ikutsuki gave her a fait smile before shaking his head. "Well, that might not be the case here." He responded, then sighed. "If this feather belongs to who I think it does? They're … notoriously hard to track down. In fact, I didn't think they were still in this city until now."

"They?" Mitsuru repeated, eyes widening as the implications hit her. "Wait, Ikutsuki-san, are you-"

The man's sable eyes hardened, and he shook his head. "I am. HOWEVER, that person is to be left alone until they approach us of their own volition." A look Mitsuru couldn't fully fathom came across his face, and Ikutsuki sighed. "And I apologize for being obtuse about it; I never got their name, and can only offer a theory as to whom they call forth."

"Is Father aware?" Mitsuru asked instead, an edge coming to her voice.

Ikutsuki just gave a sad laugh. "Oh, he's more than aware! If I share more than what I have, I'll lose my job at best." Watching Mitsuru as the implications of the statement sank in, he shook his head again. "But, if all you saw of them was this feather? I am willing to theorize that they were simply curious about what S.E.E.S was doing. Groups of people aren't exactly commonplace in the Dark Hour, after all."

"...If you are certain…" Mitsuru acquiesced. "I do apologize for giving you more work to do over the holidays, Ikutsuki-san."

"Ah, I'm sadly adjusted to it at this point." The man laughed, more of his usual humor returning. "I'm around computers so much, I suspect I might turn into one before long! Alas, I don't think I'd get enough rest even if I was a robot…" Tapering off, he shook his head. "Speaking of your father, will you be seeing him?"

"No; he has business this week," Mitsuru replied automatically before she gave a small smile. "Mother and I will be spending time together, though. It's been a while since she left Yakushima for any stretch of time."

"Haha, enjoy it then!" Ikuktsuki gave a smile. "You all need time to relax, even moreso than most people your age." At that, he looked around the empty dorm. "That goes for the others too; were there any planned trips from either Junpei-kun or Yukari-kun?"

Mitsuru shook her head. "Not to my knowledge." She admitted, voice quiet. "I think Aragaki-san might stop by on Children's day, at least? I don't know if that includes Shinjiro's brother, though…"

"Hah! That young man appearing would be a welcome levity, wouldn't it?" Ikutsuki seemed more amused by the thought than Mitsuru, but the man shook his head all the same. "Also, I've begun trying to locate files that might shed light on the Arisatos' unique situations. Sadly, the only half coherent files I can locate are from 1996, and from Mikage-cho…"

A sigh left Ikutsuki anew at that, and he hefted the briefcase under his arm tenderly. "But I suppose I should get the ducks in a row, as it were. Trying to get a lead on what these 'Gatekeepers' could be shall be a first priority."

"I agree." Mitsuru nodded, carmine eyes glancing out the window to look in the direction she knew Tartarus was hidden. "Especially if there are more of those further up the tower; hopefully next time, I'll be prepared enough to get a more coherent reading." At that, she shook her head. "...Or perhaps I should shift my focus to -"

"For now? Focus on the holiday, Mitsuru." Ikutsuki cut her off gently. "You don't get many of those, you know?"

"...You're right." Mitsuru admitted after a long moment, smiling. "And Mother did mention she wanted to take me somewhere to relax, since we don't get a lot of time together." Letting her shoulders relax for a moment, Mitsuru nodded to Ikutsuki. "Hopefully you'll remember to take breaks as well, Ikutsuki-san."

"Hah, I can't promise that!" Ikutsuki gave an almost sad laugh as he left. "Enjoy Golden Week!"

The first two days of Golden Week passed calmly, much to the relief of S.E.E.S; Constitution Day involved the juniors going to karaoke, and Greenery Day somehow ended on the chaos of a Monopoly game between Minato, Junpei, Kotone, Ken and surprisingly enough, Mitsuru. Yukari and Shinjiro had watched in amusement, both of them reduced to tears from laughter more than once.

Akihiko had been even worse off, and his head had been on the table the entire evening once the second lap of the board had been completed. He eventually left, noting that he didn't want to make his ribs take longer to heal from laughter.

Children's Day, however, found Shinjiro waking up at dawn.

He moved downstairs quietly, buttoning his maroon peacoat as he went. A wrapped package was under one arm, and he took care to make sure he didn't drop it. "Should prolly grab a bit of good food for Koro, too," he muttered under his breath, slipping into the kitchen briefly.

A small part of Shinjiro was impressed that he got out of the dorm with next to no noise beyond the clicking of the door. 'I expected Mitsuru to be up already, at least,' he thought to himself as he walked down the road, moon grey eyes watching the early morning breeze lightly tug at the carp pendants he saw hanging up in a few homes.

Nobody was at the Naganaki Shrine when Shinjiro arrived, and he smiled gently at the sight of a bright white dog curled up on the shrine's main porch. "Heh … I'll leave his treat in a bowl, then." Shinjiro chuckled aloud, his voice somehow softer than the birds waking up overhead as he walked forward again.

Pausing only briefly to leave the dog food in a clean bowl, just barely upwind of the sleeping dog, Shinjiro moved onward past the main shrine. Slipping out the rear door to the forested cemetery behind the shrine, he hesitated.

He knew the road forward very well, but it always hurt to walk.

Shinjiro let the silence linger for a few moments before he sighed and shook his head, and started walking forward. The crunching gravel underfoot sounded louder than it probably should have, background noise as the brunet moved through the still area.

There; just off the main path, tucked into the shade of an old ash tree. Shinjiro felt a bitter smile come across his face as he approached the small headstone, shifting the package under his arm to carry it more properly. "Hey. Sorry to come out here so early, but Gramps was going to swing by today." He greeted it, voice soft as he knelt in front of it.

Moon grey eyes looked at the name engraved on the headstone briefly before shifting to the package as he undid it to reveal a thermos. A second cup was tucked into the bottom of the packaging, and Shinjiro took both and set them down gently on the ground. "I had to hide the last of this stuff; Ken keeps tryin' to drink it, even though I tell him all the time that drinkin this won't help him be an adult." He laughed as he opened up the thermos and poured two cups of coffee. "Especially not straight black shit; I don't even know many adults that like that."

Shaking his head as he set the closed thermos aside, Shinjiro picked up one of the now full cups and put it right before the headstone, knuckles brushing over the polished surface briefly. "He said you liked this with a ludicrous amount of sugar; sorry if I didn't put in enough." He paused to take a sip of the coffee, biting back a grimace at the still too-sweet taste.

Lowering the cup, he stared at the liquid for a moment before sighing and sitting on the ground more fully. "...Happy Children's Day, Amada-san." He mumbled after a moment, finally looking up at the headstone proper to read the name lightly etched into it.

Amada Chika.

Shinjiro let the stillness linger for a moment before he shook his head. "Yeah, I know … rather early for me to be up. And this isn't normally a holiday with this sort of talk in mind." He let out a small laugh at that. "But this place gets noisy as shit around Obon."

Another silence fell, as if Shinjiro was hearing another half of the conversation. "Ken's still doing well, although the kid worries more than I think he wants to tell you." He said after a moment, shaking his head. "He's got his friends, though; they're prolly gonna be dragging Gramps and I around after breakfast today."

"Speaking of which, they're trying to talk him into playing soccer." He took a sip of the coffee at that, doing his best to ignore the taste. "He's fast enough for it, for sure. Just have to keep Aki from talking him into doing stupid shit, really."

Moon grey eyes looked up into the leaves after that. "... I'm okay. Mostly." He said finally, voice dropping even softer. "My ribs don't hurt as much as they used to. Still can't sleep on my left side, but that's workable." A phantom twinge went through his left side at that, and Shinjiro fought back a frown. "Also have to be a bit more cautious with it in kendo, but Taco's good about it."

It was taking more control than Shinjiro would ever admit to not grip at his left side with his free hand. He wasn't lying about the pain, at the least; unless someone put excessive pressure on it, or he took a direct hit, the left side of his rib cage didn't hurt much as of late.

But he remembered the pain from that night, even though part of him wished he didn't.

In truth, Shinjiro only remembered fragments of that night; it had been a simple solo patrol that had gone so many ways south because of one particular Shadow. One that had found two people awake in the Dark Hour, with nowhere safe to hide.

A scowl did come across Shinjiro's face at that, and he hastily drank most of the coffee in his cup. It was a bit too quick, and he coughed briefly to keep it from going down the wrong pipe. "... We're still trying to figure the whole mess out." He said once he had settled, making himself look at the headstone. "Ken's doing what he can to help, but he's still ten. He doesn't deserve to be wrapped up in this fucking mess like this."

The responding silence was heavier, and Shinjiro felt as though a worried gaze was fixed on him. "... Yeah … you're probably right. 'None of us deserve to be in this mess', right?" He mumbled as he looked away from the headstone. His eyes found the other coffee cup instead, and watched as a late-season cherry petal landed in it. "... Even with that said … here we are." Shinjiro felt the somber tone overtake his voice at the end, and he began to reach out to pull the petal out.

His hand stopped partway through the reach, and Shinjiro didn't fully know why. Eventually, he let his hand fall just short of the cup, fingers barely touching the edge of the headstone. "...Here we are…" he repeated, viscerally aware of the empty cemetery around him.

Distant birdsong broke through the deafening silence, and it was enough to make Shinjiro shake his head. The corners of his eyes were starting to burn, but he ignored it in favor of downing the last of his coffee. "...Yeah, shit." he said after a moment, a sad laugh in his voice. "Amada-san, how the fuck do you drink this? Most people like a bit more coffee in their sugar, y'know?" Reaching over, he placed the mostly full thermos next to the full cup. "Here; you can have the rest."

Letting his hand rest on top of the thermos for a moment, Shinjiro stared at the pale blue plastic and metal without seeing it. "... If I can ask a selfish thing?" He began after a moment, "I don't know if they're anywhere near here, since we're from Hokkaido, but if you run into either of my folks … Can you let them know I'm okay?" A small smile came over his face. "You'd probably know them instantly; everyone says I take after my dad."

"Just … I don't want them to worry about me; I give Gramps enough worry as is." Shinjiro shook his head. "He's never going to admit it to my face, but he doesn't want a repeat of that night to happen." In truth, Shinjiro didn't either … not that he remembered much of that night. Not beyond the sensation of being sent racing through the air, and then blinding, debilitating pain.

He was certain he had screamed, but he couldn't remember it. Just the pain and fire burned into his mind as he had struggled to stay conscious, stay there …

Then, the pain and cold chased away by a strange warmth, and the fuzzy image of a woman's bloodied face smiling at him as he was brought to something remembering stability. She had said something to him, words Shinjiro was surprised he remembered.

"...'Keep fighting until you see dawn again'."

Shinjiro felt his fingers tighten on the thermos in reflex, and it took a moment to make himself relax enough to let go. He shook his head to get rid of the stinging in his eyes to minimal success, but let himself look at the headstone again. "...Sorry about that." Shinjiro mumbled after a moment, trying to rein his emotions in. "Didn't mean to drag the mood of the day down; I just wanted to say a few things in private."

At that, he shifted to stand; the weight of his empty cup in his hand made Shinjiro look to it for a moment. Laughing quietly, he shifted to place it next to the full one instead. "Here; I got this set new for you. And next time, I'm bringing you coffee the way I like to have it, alright?"

It was brief, but Shinjiro was certain he heard laughter in the breeze at that. It was enough to make him smile softly as he stood, brushing gravel off of the back of his peacoat. "Heh, fair's fair." He said simply as he straightened, shaking his head to ensure that no leaves or petals had gotten into his hair - May was too warm for his beanie.

Once he was settled, Shinjiro looked at the headstone once again, face softer than anyone in the dorm knew it could be. "... I'll talk to you again soon, Amada-san. Enjoy your holiday." He said after a moment, turning quietly to walk out of the cemetery without looking back.

He was preoccupied enough that he missed the pure white dog from the shrine slinking out from behind the ash tree to sit at the headstone, red eyes watching Shinjiro gently as he left.

Tori's Corner: [Emerges from classes to yeet this chapter into the void at 3.30 am] Insomnia writing go!

So this chapter was a lot of setup for stuff to come further down the line. I had a fair amount of Ideas regarding what to do with the Tartarus barriers and the Old Documents that you could collect in game, so I'm putting them into use here! And we got to see Kotone's Wild Card activate! Hee Ho Motherfucker! :D

Also a few more hints as to what happened on October 4th this go around. Shinji still has Issues regarding it all, but they're ... not quite as fatal as canon.

Next chapter is another Full Moon Mishap! Please wait warmly while I get it ready!