This story is a work of fiction. Any similarities to events or persons living or dead in your world is purely coincidental.
4/16 Tuesday
After School
There was nothing remotely oppressive about the classroom Mr. Ishinagi had chosen. It was just another classroom, desks and windows arranged ergonomically to view the chalkboards covering either side. If there was a sense of gloom or despair here, it was something the student would have brought in with them.
Slightly more disconcerting to Aiko was that she was the only girl there. There were three boys, none of whom looked like good conversationalists. They were like her- they just wanted to get this unpleasantness over with and move on to more important things.
Mr. Ishinagi himself addressed each of them with the iron immunity to argument that she remembered from yesterday, handing out several papers that she realised were personalised for each of them. They were handpicked portions of the school code, though it was so obliquely worded that she soon started to think of it as a 'constitution'.
After reading through the first paragraph several times, she thought she had the gist of it. No hitting. No shoving. No violent physical contact of any kind. How about 'no lying about that happening'?
No, she reminded herself as she stared out the window where Pelagio would occasionally glide past, merely existing as a reminder that she wasn't alone in this. She wouldn't let this place get her down. Too much was counting on her keeping a clear mind to let that happen now. Her phone beeped, but she turned it off. One didn't have to be Shukiji to know that texting in detention was frowned on.
Shukiji. She wondered if he had ever gone through this himself. His relationship with teachers seemed to be similar to what he had with students, helped along by his being a straight-A student. How much would he charge them to provide information on which students had been breaking the rules in secret? Was 'information merchant' just a cover for the less flattering title of 'snitch'?
No, she repeated to herself, shaking her head and focusing on the other paragraphs for something to pass the time. She wasn't like this, not normally. She'd never had a detention in middle school, never had a reputation as a 'troublemaker' before now. She would serve out this time with dignity and grace. Shukiji had obviously found his niche at Koashimizu, which was more than could be said for her.
"How bizarre."
Her head shot up to see Mr. Ishinagi looking out the window from his larger desk. "You saw it too, miss Tsuruga? That bird has been pestering us for half an hour now. I can't help but wonder if it was the same one who got you into this situation."
Damn it, Pelagio, came the irritated thoughts. She couldn't even tell him to stop, but tried mouthing it a few times before giving up. "He... does look similar, Sensei."
"A falcon", the teacher remarked in amazement. "Normally we only ever get seagulls out here. Perhaps this one was carried in by a ship from somewhere else, and is confused now. Hopefully, he'll adjust... because he won't be able to return home."
Accustomed to not speaking in this circumstance, Aiko returned to the handout. It quickly proved boring, and her mind began to wander off to more important things.
Mira-senpai. She said that her father would be glad to have her gone, but the man I spoke to on her phone was concerned about her. What am I missing here? He's a part of her despair too, combining with everything else that drove her away.
Some of those sources of despair were easy to identify. But the gaps, the things she'd seen in Faraway Lands that made no sense to her, made it all the more apparent that she really didn't know that much about Mirambela at all.
Family of eight children, Aiko remembered from the cognitive version of Mr. Sorano. And the smartest one, the one who was chosen to study abroad. The only one that Mr. Sorano was wiling to put down money for, leaving the rest at home. So, a lot of pressure to succeed, even more than most kids her age get. She went from the smartest one at home to the stupidest girl in Japan... even though she's not actually stupid, people just paint her that way.
Despite Mira's current predicament, she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. She'd always imagined what it would be like to have a sister or brother to support her, a family member who wasn't plagued by whatever unknown malady had turned Kogaya Tsuruga into a sleepwalker.
Not that I would take the rest in exchange, particularly since there's more I don't know about her yet.
"Again", Mr. Ishinagi marvelled from his desk at another pass by Pelagio. "I wonder what's got it so interested in my classroom."
She winced. Pela-tori, please stop... he might actually try to catch you.
When the counsellor didn't rise, she returned to planning. Need to think like Mira-senpai, understand how she felt, and what would change her mind.
Memories of her friend flooded her mind as if on command. That look of bleak despair that looked like it didn't fit her face well at all. It wasn't anything to do with Aiko herself, but with Koashimizu, based entirely on her experiences last year. Who was her roommate then? How do I find out?
The detention room was starting to feel more and more stifling as more things that she had planned to do once out began to add up. I don't suppose Mr. Ishinagi would let me go early before the sun went down if I told him 'it's to save Mira's life'.
He'd probably heard that excuse already.
There was nothing else left to do but wait. Wait, and watch, and hope that this missed day would not be the loss of the final chance to save Mira's life.
That computer screen said seven days before the cleansing, Aiko remembered hopefully. In retrospect, she couldn't believe she hadn't made that connection earlier. That was yesterday, so it's six days now. I have six more days to save her.
Outside on the water where the sun's rays were slowly dying out, the waves crashing against the coast rocks showed no signs of abating. Not yet.
4/16 Tuesday
Evening
The dorm room felt empty and dead without Mira in it. No matter how much Aiko tried to remind herself that they had only spent a few hours together in the dorm each day, always when waking up in the morning or going to bed at night, the feeling persisted, aided by the constant sight of the yellow tape that still spanned the middle of the room blocking off Mira's bed and the bags around it.
Thus, she couldn't have been more grateful when the knock on the door turned out to be not the police returning to secure more evidence, but Reiha.
"Just wanted to see how you were holding up", she explained cautiously, not quite sure how Aiko was handling the situation. Once that was made clear, she allowed herself a smile and accepted a hearty welcome into room 22. "Actually, would you believe that Jiachi-kun asked me to?"
"No", Aiko said almost immediately. "I'm just glad he didn't try to get in here and tell me that in person. And to see you of course, Hayato-senpai."
Reiha chuckled. "Yeah. He's stupid, but he's not that stupid. I think he likes you."
She sighed. "This again? I've been here a week and you've already tried to hook me up with two boys. Besides... I think he would appreciate anyone who called him Julian-kun."
Taken aback by that observation, Reiha stared out their window as if hoping to spot Julian out there. "And Kujou would prefer us to call her 'empress' instead of 'bitch', but that's not happening in this lifetime. Jiachi Rosea is the name on his student application. He's lost marks for putting 'Julian Rosea' on his assignments before he clued in. Maybe Julian is the name he'd prefer, but indulging him only makes it worse."
Aiko wanted to argue that point more, but this wasn't the time. Alienating Reiha over something so seemingly trivial wasn't worth it. "He's not stupid", she settled with, unable to forget the sights and sounds of Mira's Land.
"No", Reiha admitted casually. "He's just male. A boy focused on athletics over academics. Probably got his eye on a big fat sports scholarship. You see a lot of guys like that here. Not that they're stupid, they just find athletics more fun. Can't blame 'em, really."
Reiha herself looked like the brawn-focused type, Aiko noticed. Her gloves and boots couldn't hide how well-toned her arms and legs were. "Were you ever on the soccer team, Hayato-senpai?"
She smiled and spread her gloves. "Call me Rei. I'm afraid they don't let you wear these on the field, even if it's for a medical reason. Kind of puts a damper on any sports clubs or swim teams, but I've found other ways to entertain myself. Student disciplinary committee, remember?"
That wasn't an extracurricular activity that Aiko would have qualified as 'fun' by any stretch, but she nodded. "Do you think that I...?"
Reiha's black-ringed eyes widened in alarm. "Don't even try it, Tsuruga-chan. A few years ago I might have said yes and told you how high your grades have to be for you to be eligible for the SDC, but not now. To start with, you would have to be loyal to Kujou. Without her approval, grades mean next to nothing now."
Aiko's arms slumped to her sides, her plan dashed in just a few sentences. "That's not happening then. But... you're still on the committee, right?" She had seen Reiha a few days ago accosting some boys who thought it might be fun to juggle cafeteria veggie rolls. The bronze spiral-shell pin denoting committee membership was small, but unmistakable.
Reiha put a gloved palm to her face, mildly cursing as a bit of the protective makeup came off with it. "I... was loyal, when I joined up. I was a dumbass. Things changed. She can deny people entry, but she can't just kick someone out who's been on the committee for years unless I did something actually bad. Heh... maybe I should, so I don't need to pretend any more."
"Please don't, Rei-chan", Aiko pleaded. "It's good to have at least one member on the committee who cares more about discipline than what country you're from."
"More than one", Reiha corrected her quickly. "There's some others there who still care, like Tatsunoko-kun and Ashime-chan. They know that if they quit, they lose any power they might have to make things better around here. So they stomach Kujou's bullshit for the sake of the students... which puts 'em one up on me."
Tatsunoko-kun... That had been the stern tall boy with the dark flat top who had organised the dorm room assignments. The one who'd said she had a bad memory. She'd caught glimpses of him a few times as well, a more active force for student discipline than others wearing the same spiral pin. Whatever else was going on in his life, he took that job very seriously.
"Don't sell yourself short", Aiko said, ignoring the meanings associated with the term for Reiha that had just popped into her head as she spoke. Mole. She's like a mole in an unlawful organisation, trying to do her job no matter how corrupt Kujou makes it.
But Rei shook her head, staring back out the window into the night. "Boys like Tatsunoko-kun got in on their own merits... I didn't. Three years ago... Kujou was my best friend."
That rocked Aiko back, and she took a moment to study Reiha, hoping that she could be like Shukiji and detect the lies in her posture. No luck. "You were friends?!"
Reiha smiled weakly. "I told you I was a total dumbass back then. Roommates, too. We were, if I'd wager a guess, about as close as you are to Sorano-chan. Maybe closer."
"What happened?"
The older girl's face turned blank, the effect aided by the white sheen. "I started to notice how she treated people other than me. It wasn't as noticeable as it is now, but it was there as soon as we joined up together. Preferential treatment to native Japanese students, and nothing but torment for 'foreign devils' that she saw as threats to the school's precious harmony. I ignored it as long as I could. I didn't want to lose my best friend, even if I had to look the other way sometimes. But then..."
Reiha sighed in exhaustion, turning back to Aiko. "Then there was an incident I couldn't ignore. Something I and the other girls on the committee were helping her with that she made sure another student would get the blame for. That was too much for me. We started to drift apart, and once she saw that I was standing up for the rights of students, she got mad and threatened to have me kicked out."
She laughed mockingly. "Nowadays, she threatens to do that to me about once a week, and it hasn't happened yet. Still doesn't excuse how long I ignored her shit for though."
Aiko couldn't help taking a moment to digest the story, trying to picture the one person in the whole school who had earned her dislike, and the one who she considered a friend together. They were equally tall figures that brought to attention her own lack of height, but Benihime Kujou had more of the classical Japanese beauty going for her, which Reiha would have been more pressed to pull off with her medical condition.
"Instead", Reiha finished, eyes radiating gratitude to have someone willing to listen to her tale. "I just work out in the gym after class. I don't have to join a club, and nobody bothers me. Well... any guy who does learns not to. Maybe you might be more interested in that, building up your strength. People say pretty girls shouldn't have muscles, but who the hell cares what they say?"
"Maybe", Aiko considered, trying to mentally pencil in one more thing to do when she had time and her friend's life wasn't in danger. "I have detention to deal with first."
Reiha scowled at that. "Sorry I couldn't stop that. I was in Barakato-sensei's English class. Didn't even know about it until Kujou complained to me that you should have gotten way worse."
"You couldn't have stopped it", Aiko promised, amazed at how calm she was sounding. She'd gotten over her initial anger for that injustice hours ago, but it still rankled. "You would have blown your 'cover' for nothing, Rei-chan. I know we can't keep it hidden forever, but it's better if Kujou and her committee don't know that we're allies. That way, you can keep us posted if they try something like that disgusting tampon thing again. Even if you have to pretend to insult me or Mira-senpai to keep your cover, go ahead. I'll forgive you."
Reiha seemed frozen by this declaration. She stared into the ceiling light, her makeup shining before shaking it off with a mild laugh. "You really are an amazing kid. If you were in charge of the cops, Mira-chan would probably be safe and sound by now."
"They're trying their best", Aiko defended, explaining how she had met junior detective Nijima. "I trust her. She's trying everything she can. Anything that the police can do to find Mira-senpai, they're probably doing. Tosashimizu city is a big place to hide."
"They did question the students and teachers earlier", Reiha admitted. "What about you? Any idea where she might have gotten off to?"
It was Aiko's turn to freeze up this time. What to say? What to do?
"I... I went down to the shore. I thought maybe she'd run down there. But I didn't see her."
"Hopefully", Reiha said more grimly, "that's not where she went. Everyone's talking about how Furusato-san might have drowned herself. Student suicide... Hell, I'm amazed we don't see it more often with how things are around here."
There was, however, a clear refusal in Reiha's defiant arm fold to let any of the information they had shared with each other get her down. Either of them. "So I guess that's why I'll stick with the committee. That's why I'll play along, no matter how much Kujou sickens me. If I can stop just one student from giving up hope and surrendering everything... then it's worth it. Thank you, Tsuruga-chan."
4/17 Wednesday
After School
It is the responsibility of all students to be punctual at all times. It is the responsibility of all students to bring the required materials for each class. Pencils are not to be used for any purpose outside of writing notes and assignments. All students must accept the consequences of their actions. Notes are not to be exchanged in class without a teacher's permission...
The handout was exactly as dull as the previous one, and Aiko was only reading over it because it was more interesting than doing nothing at all. Pelagio had heeded her words and was no longer flying past the window, at least not in a way that Mr. Ishinagi could see. She was alone.
The monotony had begun to wear on her senses when something else appeared as she was turning the handout over:
For Protection from Kujou ####### KARMA
The letters and numbers had obviously been written on the back in pencil after the paper had been printed. They were large and scrawled, possibly done in a hurry. Aiko looked around, but none of her fellow detentionaires responded to her curious gaze.
Protection from Kujou? Karma? This had better not be a prank. The obvious move would be to simply discard the handout as if she'd never seen the message at all. It was the specific mention of her 'nemesis'- okay that sounds way too involved but I suppose that's what she is if she's not going to stop the rumours any time soon- that caught her attention.
By the end of detention, she had decided. A second opinion was needed until her final decision, and she knew Shukiji would be uncooperative.
AT: I just got a message giving me a phone number to call if I wanted protection against Kujou. Any idea what that might be about?
She had expected a response in the time it took to get back to the dorm and make dinner, but was disappointed. Whatever Reiha was up to tonight, it was all-consuming.
This could be a scam, the thought kept occurring to her. She'd seen PSAs about the dangers of telemarketing scams, and those used by hackers. If I call them, they could use some kind of crazy tech voodoo to remotely access my phone and steal all my info.
It could be a trap. But if it wasn't... no. Not trying that until I have an idea who is reaching out to me. Perhaps ten days ago, she would have been more trusting and carefree about such a message offering to help her with a problem. Much as she hated to admit it, Koashimizu had made her a more suspicious person in order to survive in it. Anne Bonny's waking had only contributed to that nature.
There were other phone calls to make. Finishing her meal, Aiko brought up Mira's phone and called the one number that she recognised.
There was a long delay, and then: "Mira-meisie?"
Even from a thousand miles away, she shook her head by instinct. "I'm sorry, Mr. Sorano. This is Aiko Tsuruga again. We still haven't found your daughter."
Another pause, and Aiko thought she heard a depressed sigh before the accented voice resumed. "Police are looking?"
"Yes. Of course. But... I was the last one who saw her. I thought there was something I could do to help them find her."
"... You are good friend. What do you want to ask?"
Aiko flashed back to the true last time she had seen her friend then, atop a massive spire of advanced technology that no one else on earth had ever seen. "We've been talking about how she was held back a year due to her poor grades. Did you say anything to her when you learned about that?"
The pauses continued, but Aiko didn't think it was just phone lag any more. "Mirambela is strong girl. Would not let words drive her away."
Pressing her lips together, she refused to back down. Hurting Mr. Sorano emotionally was a necessary sacrifice if she wanted to save his daughter. "Did you use any harsh words at that time?"
"... Yes. I was... upset... when I learned that she would need to stay an extra year, and use up more money. I regret. Mira-meisie is smart, smarter than anyone in her family. Smarter than me. I just wanted her... to have a better life."
I see. So that's why. The absolute last thing she wanted was to be accusing. Even through the phone's voice distortion, Mr. Sorano sounded like the compassionate type. Not someone who would use harsh words towards his family often, only when he was extremely disappointed in them.
He sounded like someone who loved Mirambela very much, and had been unable to sleep well until he knew that she was safe.
"This... this is not your fault, Mr. Sorano. I think it was someone else who drove her away from the school. But what you just told me helps a lot. Thank you."
His next words were simple and straightforward. "I would do anything to save my Mirambela. If there is anything that you think might help..."
Considering that, Aiko examined the other options on Mira's phone as he spoke, and smiled in relief. Got it. I've got her now. In two more days, Mira-senpai will be safe.
"Actually, Mr. Sorano, there is one other thing that you can do..."
4/18 Thursday
After Class
"Hey. Don't leave."
Aiko turned, surprised that one of the other students in detention was actually speaking to her for once. Regardless of which classroom, there were few that would dare after the latest label had hit the rumour mill. She was now 'Aiko the Psycho'. An obscene rhyme framing her as a 'violent delinquent' topped off with the implication that she was somehow responsible for Mirambela's disappearance. Kujou's in fine form today.
This one wasn't afraid of her though. He wouldn't be. He was a rugged-haired guy with a disturbingly beat-up looking face and heavy gray eyes who had shared in her detention for the last two days, only speaking out upon seeing that she and one other student were about to pack up and leave after coming to Mr. Ishinagi's classroom as normal, only to find no teacher there.
"Trust me", the boy said, grabbing her arm in the gentlest possible way. It seemed as though he had his own reputation and was trying his very best not to scare her. "I've had detentions with Ishinagi-sensei for a while now. He does this sometimes as a test, deliberately showing up late to his detentions and seeing who leaves. If you go early and he shows up, it still counts as you skipping a detention, and he'll make you do another one the next day. Don't fall for it."
Reluctantly returning to her desk, Aiko frowned. "That... seems unfair."
The older boy smiled and shrugged casually as if this detention room were his home. "Heh. He's big on 'honour', Ishinagi-sensei. He would say that you should know better. Not like we need him around. Just sit it out like usual. I was pissed off too, when I fell for it the first time. Don't want anyone else to make the same mistake."
"Alright", she nodded, facing forward as the other student followed suit. "But at least he gave us handouts, even if they were boring." Shifting, she turned back to the other 'delinquent'. "By the way, rem..."
The older boy didn't extend a hand, merely shrugging more lightly than before. "Keta Rurichiyo, third-year pain in the rear."
She extended her own hand, letting it hang in the air to his amusement. "Aiko Tsuruga, first-year."
"Otherwise known as 'Aiko the Psycho'", Keta observed without mockery, throwing up his hands when she glowered at him. "Hey, easy. I know the kind of shit that gets thrown around this place. It won't stick to you unless you let it."
"Easy for you to say." Maybe that's closer to the mark than I believed. Maybe this whole Faraway Lands Persona stuff is just me actually going crazy.
Maybe I am responsible for Mira-senpai's disappearance.
Maybe all of this was just her going crazy for real. Maybe everything about the other world was a hallucination, and she truly was insane.
No. She shook the vile course her imagination was leading down away. If I am, then whatever. I won't even notice, already talking to birds and having dreams about creepy long-nosed old men with elf ears and eyebrows like tree branches. If I'm not, then I have to do this. No one else can.
Further talk between the two was interrupted when the detention's supervisor finally arrived. It wasn't Mr. Ishinagi, however. There was only one teacher in the school with such bristly white hair and weathered skin- Mr. Umaeda.
"Good afternoon", he greeted them after closing the door with more vigour in his voice than his stooped appearance suggested. "Mr. Ishinagi was busy today, so he asked me to take over this detention for him. I'm glad to see none of you left early."
Aiko nearly sat up from excitement. Here was the teacher she'd been wanting to speak to for days, but never had the time or the courage to do it.
"What looks like an easy way out can often be a trap", Umaeda continued, reaching into the small black bag he had brought with him. "That being said, I see no reason to make this stay any less pleasant than it must be. Honour should be rewarded, after all."
He had more handouts, she realised. These were not more school rules, but review material from a math class she wasn't taking. It looked complicated, perhaps too advanced for her to comprehend, but still far more interesting than what they'd been fed the last two days.
Across from her, Keta was smirking, speaking in a hushed tone. "Notes from his class, third-year. A free preview for you, and a chance to review for me."
When Aiko refused to comment, he made a hand motion to get her attention. "Hey, he meant what he said. I've had him before too. We can talk as long as we're not too loud."
Aiko blinked. It was amazing that after only two days being unable to speak in this room unless the teacher asked a question, it suddenly felt forbidden to speak to anyone else while under supervision. Mr. Umaeda only seemed to be giving them half his attention at best, the other half focused on reading some kind of sports magazine.
Testing the air to see what she could get away with, she breathed a brief thank you to the ancient teacher before facing Keta. "I was going to ask about this number I saw on my handout yesterday. 'Protection from Kujou'? 'Karma'? I don't think Ishinagi-sensei wrote that."
"Noooo", Keta agreed, still keeping his voice carefully hushed but perfectly legible even as the other students began to speak in careful whispers. "I've heard about that though. Some group of students trying to fight back against the disciplinary committee. They never reached out to me though. Probably 'cause I..."
Aiko hated when people just trailed off like that. It left her imagination to fill in the blanks, and eventually one of those blanks would issue forth from her mouth to fill the uncomfortable silence. "You were never targeted by Kujou?"
"I was going to say, because I'm a native Japanese", Keta amended sheepishly. "Your reason sounds way better though. I think I'll go with that."
"Do you think I should call them?"
The indecision was clear on his thick-lipped face before he spoke. "Your choice, Tsuruga-san. I haven't seen them do much of anything yet, so they're probably not well organised. Just watch yourself if you decide to join up- you don't want to end up back here again, right?"
"No", she agreed vehemently. "What about you? Why are you here so often, Rurichiyo-san?"
His face fell and he slumped back into his seat. "Sorry. That's a secret. Let's just say I'm lazy. Like, really lazy. That's what Ishinagi says."
He seemed content to study the handout after that, which actually suited her just fine. Keta Rurichiyo... I hope you get out of here soon.
"Umaeda-sensei?", she tried hesitantly.
The teacher looked up from his magazine slowly, as if trying convince the students that he'd fallen asleep, another 'trap'. "Miss Tsuruga?"
She felt like she ought to stand for this, but locked down her knees. "I was told that you run the fencing club. I'd... like to join."
Something in the teacher's eyes shimmered before he barked out a soft laugh. His voice sounded quavery, like a cascade of feathers. "Ah, I must apologise if you saw that bulletin board message, Miss Tsuruga. It's been there without anyone taking it down as they ought to. I haven't had students attend my fencing lessons for years. Lack of interest, you see."
So, Julian was right. Still, recent developments had bolstered what was previously just a passing interest.
"But you did teach it. If a student wants to, then they ought to be allowed in, right?"
Mr. Umaeda picked at his beard, his bloodshot eyes reflecting a profound weariness. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Miss Tsuruga. But the school rules state that a club with fewer than four student applicants is a waste of time and should not be bothered with. Now, I teach mathematics. And, occasionally supervise detentions."
Aiko found it hard to believe that Koashimizu's students would enjoy math more than a fencing class, but the defeat in the ancient teacher's bearded face spoke volumes.
She waited until detention was over and the others had left before trying again. "I have been reading the school rules, Umaeda-sensei. Some- okay, a lot of it is kind of vague, but I did read that it's the club leader's responsibility to take down notices about their club when that information becomes out of date."
Umaeda began packing up his bag, coldly folding up the magazine. "And your point, miss Tsuruga?"
Knowing she would only have one chance, she held his gaze. Due to age, he was only slightly above her height instead of a full head taller like Mr. Takao or Ms. Mattora.
"I'm saying that if you had given up on it, you would have taken the message down yourself. But you kept it, hoping that someone might see it and get interested. Well... someone has."
She caught herself mentally thanking Anne Bonny. She was nearly positive that getting those words out without that small flame of confidence shimmering in the back of her head would have been impossible.
Sometimes, people need to hear what they don't want to. I learned that myself when Mira-senpai got mad at me.
Just like the last two days, it would be too late to go to Faraway Lands now. But not too late, perhaps, to make an investment in someone whose teachings could help immensely.
Mr. Umaeda took all this in calmly, trying in vain to look as apathetic and disinterested as all the students who had passed on his club. And failing, mostly. The way he was picking at his beard now betrayed an energy long buried.
"You do seem to be very determined in this, Miss Tsuruga. I don't see many girls like you in my classes these days. However, rules are rules. Perhaps, if more than one student were to show interest, then..."
"If someone else wants to join with me", Aiko finished pleadingly. "Then will you consider it?"
Crinkled lips twisted into an appreciative smile. "I shall consider it. After all, 'a stream is the herald of a river'."
She gave an anxious laugh. She'd triumphed, but she didn't want him to get the wrong idea either. "Don't expect me to make it popular all of a sudden. I'm 'Aiko the Psycho', in case you didn't hear."
"I didn't", he commented, nose wrinkling with a pronounced distaste for that derogatory nicknames students gave each other. "Nor do I expect any popularity. Fencing is widely considered a sport far past its time, a relic of a bygone age." He gave a bitter chuckle. "Now, if my club was education in how to text or use phones to take pictures, youngsters would flock to it, more's the pity."
"Mira-senpai might find that club useful", Aiko commented before everything else connected with the name of her roommate caught up to her and she covered her stinging eyes. 'Uh... I'm sorry."
"Don't be", the teacher said, sounding rather like a martial order and placing a withered hand on her shoulder. "That, I heard of. That poor girl, victim to the rot that's infected this academy for far too long... I'm sure she has dominated your thoughts lately. You mustn't despair, miss Tsuruga. If she can be found, then the police will find her. It's understandable if you desire something to take your mind off this tragedy. Very well. If another student expresses interest, then I shall honour our arrangement."
Her tears weren't faked, she was stunned to realise. Glad of it, however- an arrangement forged out of a moment's pity towards a poor little crying girl was not the kind she wanted. Drawing back, she sniffed and gave an honest bow to him.
"Thank you very much, Umaeda-sensei!"
4/18 Thursday
The storm's thunder crashed at the windows as if it were a giant beast trying to get in and devour all within the Velvet Room. Perhaps it was.
The room seemed gloomier than Aiko remembered, but somehow the soft blue walls never fully lost their light. Neither did its occupants, and for the first time she wondered if Mr. Igor and Bartholomew ever had to eat or rest. What are they, exactly? Not human, obviously not Shadows or Personas, then what?
Bartholomew welcomed her back, though Igor seemed a bit more sombre than normal despite wearing his usual toothy rictus. "The waves of humanity's sea of consciousness grow turbid. Stagnant doldrums have begun to set in. Before much longer, your friend shall be lost to the world she once knew forever."
His youthful attendant helped Aiko into her oak chair, one black gloved hand pressed over the curled 'treasure map' on the table. "My master is correct, my aspiring Dream Voyager. Have you decided yet on a plan of action?"
Aiko didn't flinch from their words. She'd almost expected this ever since she'd started wondering about the exact nature of the Velvet Room, or the Velvet Ship, or whatever it really was. The fact that she had been brought her in her dreams when specifically thinking about wanting to go there only confirmed the theory.
Fortunately, she was ready now.
"I have. If what I have to show Mira-senpai doesn't convince her to leave, then nothing will. Of course, I know it won't be quite that easy. Her Shadow, that big sentry bot, pretends to be loyal, but she won't permit her 'princess' to return home. We'll have to fight."
"Indeed", Igor nodded, nearly hitting the table with the tip of his nose. "That particular Shadow was formed from the suppressed spite of the Land's ruler. If the Land's ruler abandons her resentment and departs from the world of her dreams by her own will, then the Shadow can no longer exist in that world."
Confirming another theory, Aiko mused in satisfaction. "That will release the other Shadows from her too, right? They won't be forced to pretend to be mindless robots any more?"
Bartholomew actually sounded amused by her question, his single brown eye curling up in scorn at her as his gaze hardened.
"My, my. Are you actually concerned for the welfare of Shadows, now? The same Shadows which regularly seek to devour you and your friend? How very compassionate of you, dream voyager... but remember well that such compassion can become a weakness if you allow it."
"The answer to your question is twofold", Igor followed more forwardly.
"It is your friend's own Shadow who has trapped so many lesser Shadows within those masks, which blot out their true identities, and forced them to become servants. However... shattering the illusion will only release those Shadows who secretly held onto their own free will and did not fully embrace the role that is being thrust upon them. Just as is the case with humans, the Shadows who have completely and fully given in to their own delusions cannot be saved."
"I guess it's because I talked with some of them", Aiko offered nervously, not quite getting all of what they were saying. "The ones who joined with me didn't want to be there. They didn't have a choice but to pretend. Doesn't matter if you're a human or a Shadow... I don't like seeing living beings in slavery."
Seeing how the answer was directed at him instead of Igor, the blue-garbed attendant laughed and brushed back his sandy bangs away from his eye. "I must assure you, dream voyager, that I serve my master entirely at my own behest. In truth... it is far more liberty than I deserve, given my past actions."
She frowned. His past actions? Did he used to be a human? Or a really nasty Shadow?
"Indeed, your service as an attendant thus far has been quite commendable", Igor complimented him back without shifting his face away from their guest. "Are preparations for the ritual on schedule for our guest?"
"Of course, master", Bartholomew vowed with a level of professional courtesy that reminded Aiko of how Pelagio acted around her. "It should be ready for you by the next time you come back here. Before that time, I would advise the dream voyager to cultivate as many bonds as possible with her potential allies."
That, she hadn't expected. "Huh? Bonds? What does that have to do with anything?"
"Everything", Igor said simply. Producing a deck of cards from a sleeve that didn't look like it could hold anything, he spread them across the map-laden table. The suits didn't look like the usual gaming variety, however. Aiko took a moment to recognise them as tarot cards. Their backs showed a stylish, dual-coloured mask with curved eyes.
"As the dimension of Faraway Lands is the sea of human consciousness", Igor continued as he spread his arms across the table, "your potential in that world is altered appropriately when your own thoughts, or those of one who is close to you, change significantly. You have done well so far in beginning to forge your bonds with several of the various Arcana, though each of them still have a long way to develop. Behold the fate that lies within the cards."
The cards he had left on the table were face up and alone, each one of them corresponding to an Arcana besides the 'Fool' tarot which she had been given on her first visit. First on the left was a card depicting a bestial lion with a thin, pale-skinned woman resting at its side. Despite its fearsome appearance, the lion showed no signs of ever bringing harm to the one nestled beside it.
"The Strength Arcana", Bartholomew provided as he took a seat beside her. "The Arcana of the Guardian, representing strength of virtue and dedication over brute force."
"Pela-tori", Aiko echoed without needing any further clues, her curious eyes shifting over to the next card beside it. This one showed a nobleman crowned by a green wreath, mounted upon a wooden cart driven by twin beasts of burden.
"The Chariot Arcana, representing victory, confidence, and self-assertion. Your most recent discovery, a master who will teach you both discipline and perseverance through combat."
"Umaeda-sensei", she deduced, a bit less certain than the previous one since their classes had not yet begun. The next Arcana placed on the table was a horrific sight, a horned goat demon in loincloth, mouth cast into an arrogant sneer.
"The Devil Arcana. Your antithesis. The one who tests your boundaries, and seeks to see just how far you are willing to go to see your desires fulfilled."
But this one, she couldn't even hazard a guess at. She had some ideas, but no desire to voice them. "I'm sorry, I can't... Next one, please?"
The next was a card showing a red-winged angel standing upon the waters of a lake, her face an expression of perfect serenity.
"The Temperance. Like the Devil, this is one who will use an experienced and subtle hand to try to bring forth the best that they see in you. Unlike the Devil, this effort will be entirely intentional on their part."
"Ishinagi-sensei", Aiko guessed. The guidance counsellor had some steel in him, but she knew now that was in service of a desire to do... exactly what Bartholomew had said. To to the right of that was a card depicting a rising sun, its golden rays covering the land spread before it.
"The Sun. A source of life that burns away darkness and doubt. Though it cannot always be there, it remains a comforting constant if one is willing to embrace its light."
This one was difficult as well, and Aiko was on the verge of passing once more when a certain mental image flashed into her mind from not so long ago, and Bartholomew seemed to sense her confirmation.
"My mom... Kogaya", she told him in near-absolute confidence.
"Your mother is very sick", the young attendant observed gravely, almost sympathetically. "In mind, not in body. She is cursed by an immense grief of the soul, of which it is too painful for her to speak. You mustn't hate her for being unable to take care of you as a normal mother should."
"I don't hate her", Aiko told herself, hoping it was actually true. Her actions in the past few weeks suggested otherwise. Tears threatened to well up just like when they had been talking on the phone, but she forced them back this time. "Not anymore. It's just... too tiring to spend all your time hating someone, y'know? Especially her. She's still my mom. She's trying her best, I know. It's just that her best isn't very good. One day... one day, she'll be ready to tell me everything about my father."
"With your help, one day that woman may indeed break her curse", Igor acknowledged. "The true question is if that is what you truly desire."
For the first time since meeting him, Aiko glared venom at Igor. "Enough riddles, please. I didn't come here to chat with you about my mom. What's that last one?"
For the card on the right end of the table was a detailed picture blurred by rays of golden light, even more intense than that of the Sun Arcana. Behind the rays, a winged figure she took to be a Goddess could be seen peering down through a bank of white clouds at dozens of traditionally-dressed peasantry rising out of open graves, who in turn looked to the skies to behold her.
"The Judgement Arcana", Bartholomew finished. "Representing absolution from past sins, and decisions that shall affect the entire world. What of it, dream voyager? Do you have any idea as to whom this might represent?"
On this, she had to admit defeat. "Sorry, Bart-kun. No one comes to mind." Finishing up, she scanned the table carefully for any additional cards. "Besides, aren't we missing a few people here? What about Rosea-kun, Niyago-kun, Hayato-senpai and Noel-kun, and... and Mira-senpai?"
"The confidants you have mentioned all have important roles to play in fighting off the coming regression", Igor explained without missing a beat. "However, because they have yet to reveal their true hearts to you, it is impossible to determine their Arcana at this point."
That didn't sound good to her. She stared in shock at Bartholomew's handsome face and outfit. "You're saying that all of them... all of them are hiding something important from me? Even... even Noel-kun?"
"Not only from you", the assistant amended. "Similar to your mother's curse, which could at least be partly weakened by her daughter's love, it is something unique to each individual which they hide from the world, and from themselves as well. Such self-deception is the basis for all Shadows. In time, those clouded hearts may yet clear, and you will come to understand them fully."
Sensing her doubt, he reach over to the tarot deck himself, to pull out one more card and place it beside the Judgement Arcana card before frowning. "Hm... not the one that I expected after last time. The Magician Arcana."
"Even beings such as we sometimes have difficulty fully knowing ourselves", Igor chuckled at the result, hand tapping on his table. "Or in this case, knowing what we shall be in the dream voyager's perception of us. The Magician is an experienced guide, one who seeks to maximise a person's potential by teaching them the necessary skills. You know of that which I speak."
Bartholomew smiled back as well, pulling the tarot card closer so that Aiko could see the picture of a robed figure bearing a staff, and conjuring some of kind of blood red aura. "I suppose that's it then. I shall be honoured to be your Magician confidant, dream voyager."
That earnestness coupled with a face only held back from being perfect by the eye patch irresistibly charmed her, and she nodded back. "So can you... I mean, I know you're busy right now getting that ritual thingy ready, but once you're done that... can you visit our world, Bart-kun?"
His satisfied smile grew warmer. "Only as a part of my duty of aiding in your mission, nothing more. However, my spending time with you in the real world would strengthen the Magician link, which will help you in your mission, so... yes. If you should come here and request my presence, I would be allowed to visit you for the following day."
"I will", she promised him quickly. "Once I save Mira-senpai, I will. You can come visit Koashimizu, and we can visit the city together! It'll be fun!"
"It will be my pleasure", Bartholomew bowed to her.
"I suppose he has earned that privilege at least", Igor acknowledged more reluctantly, one hand covering his sloped chin in thought. "His behaviour during his rehabilitation has been exemplary most of the time. But first, there is some urgent business for us to address. Though gradual, the world's regression has already begun, and to halt it you must first gather up your allies."
"I understand", Aiko promised him. "The more allies, the better my chance at saving Mira-senpai. I won't fail, Mr. Igor."
That cartoonish smirk came back beneath his long nose, revealing less than nothing as to what he thought their odds of success were. "I will be watching from here. Show to us the strength of your resolve."
o