This story is a work of fiction. Any similarities to events or persons living or dead in your world is purely coincidental.

4/24 Wednesday

After School

Scanning the trees had come to be a habit now, and so she was able to spot Pelagio from a distance, before he felt the need to call to her in words that the rest of the world would hear only as meaningless bird noises. Nodding, she followed him down to the shore that was now completely sedate.

"You've been quite busy, I see."

"I've been working", she replied as he took a new perch on a rock. "I told you before about what I want to do. Make Koashimizu academy a home. Explore Faraway Lands, and learn its secrets. I'd be an idiot to expect either of those things to happen without lots of hard work."

His wings tightened at the mention of 'hard work'. "Hmph. I must admit, it has been quite a trial, learning to restrain myself from interfering. But you must live your own life as you wish to. I know that now."

"Good." What Pelagio didn't seem to get is that the memory of her yelling at him about that wasn't any more pleasant for her than it was him. It was better for them both to put it aside, now that he completely understood that she wasn't some princess to be coddled and protected from the world. "What about you? What've you been doing lately, Pela-tori?"

The falcon's eyes narrowed in surprise, peering out across the calm water. "What have I...? I have nothing of interest to report, my lady. I have continued to scour this coastline for any hint of someone else using the beach cave, as well as the chance that anyone might wander into the Yume Bay at sunset. Many couples use it, but rarely that late at night. No incidents thus far."

"That's fine", she acknowledged. "But I wasn't asking about your patrols, Pela-tori. I was asking about you. You don't have to work all the time, you know?"

He seemed shocked by the very idea. "I... I must admit, I had not considered that."

She smiled back, stretching out on the sands. "Come on. You don't even have to go to school like we do. At least try to have a little fun when you're not watching the gate. For my sake? I'll feel better if I know you're out enjoying yourself while I'm stuck in class."

The uncertainty showed in his posture, taking several seconds to settle down again into his traditional aloofness. "I shall... try. I must confess to a lack of experience with this mission, my lady. Where would you suggest that I travel to have 'fun'?"

She reached over and stroked his chest feathers, knowing how much he liked that sensation. "Okay, first off? It's not a 'mission'. I just want you to tryand have some fun and learn more about humans. You were in Faraway Lands until now, right? Go check out Tosashimizu city. There's some fun stuff over there. Besides..."

Remembering Mr. Ishinagi's words to her, she lowered her voice. "Besides... if you keep hanging around Koashimizu academy all the time, people are going to notice. Ishinagi-sensei even talked about calling animal control to catch you if you attacked another student. You wouldn't like that."

"Hmph. As though a human could ever capture me", he scoffed. "But you are correct, of course. I have limited myself in remaining at your school, acting as your protector. There is much of the human world which I don't yet understand. Perhaps this 'fun' you speak of shall remedy that."

"Try it", she encouraged him. "I know I enjoy it. It's just too bad you can't play video games. And you'd look a little weird using a cell phone."

Pelagio rose to spread his wings, but did not depart yet. "Actually, my lady... perhaps there is one thing I would wish to do before I begin to search the rest of your world for 'fun'."

"Name it."

For the first time, he seemed more than merely uncertain or confused. It was impossible to perfectly read these human expressions on the stern, beaked face of a bird, but she would have sworn he sounded... nervous?

"If you are not against it, I would very much like to... perch upon your arm."

Her first instinct was to get excited- this was fulfilling more than one person's dream- but it was tempered by the memory of what those talons had done to the flesh of Kujou and Byzael. "Are you sure it's safe."

Round eyes stared back. "You know that I would never risk harming you, my lady. I have been practising for days on tree branches, making sure I would not leave any marks in them. I believe it is safe. If it does begin to hurt, please tell me and I shall release at once."

Understanding, she extended her left arm. "...Okay. Go for it. I trust you."

Once again, his happiness could not be seen on that fierce face. It could only be felt as he flapped over to that arm. Aiko took a breath, expecting to feel pain as the talons dug into her flesh.

The pain never came. There was a sense of high pressure in two spots, a heavy, clutching weight that might have put her arm to sleep over time. As she opened her eyes and raised her arm, she saw Pelagio was easily clinging to it, his round eyes wide and scanning the horizon as though it were completely normal, as though he were perched on one of his usual rocks or trees.

"I cannot always guard you", he spoke quietly. "The human world has much that I should witness for myself, in order to understand them- and you- better. But I will always remain your sworn protector, Aiko Tsuruga."

"More than that", she said, only able to imagine how this would have looked to an outside observer. "You're my friend, Pela-tori."

4/25 Thursday

Lunch

She couldn't remember exactly when she had become fond of looking into mirrors. Whether it was the small round one in the dorm's restroom, or the large, ill-maintained ones in the main school building's rooms, eyes that had only used them reluctantly before now took a moment after each 'session' to stare into their reflection.

She eventually came to realise that they were searching for changes. Subtle, but welcome changes that only she would be able to gage. Few others knew what she'd experienced last week. Few others would even believe it.

"Anne Bonny", she whispered into the cloudy restroom mirror. Of course the Persona didn't appear. She had discovered early on that Personas could not be used in the real world. She was merely bringing the memories and feelings associated with that, her first and most precious Persona, to the forefront for consideration.

A vicious pirate, Bartholomew's stinging words came back to her. One who pillaged and murdered as she wished, only caring about herself.

I don't murder. I don't pillage. I care for many others beside myself.

Strength. Defiance. That is what we share. If our cause is a just one, then there is nothing which we would not do to see it fulfilled. If rules must be bent or broken, then we will do it gladly. The alternative is yielding to injustice, which we cannot do. It is not within us.

We are the pillagers of dawn.

"Hello, skank."

Aiko didn't need to turn around to see, didn't need the mirror to know who was addressing her. Only one person would call her that.

"Hello... Kujou-san."

Benihime Kujou regarded the mirror, though her face gave no sign of needing any attending to. As ever, she was a distorted reflection, an older, far more beautiful, raven-haired Aiko.

There were a few other important differences as well.

"Are you thanking God in here? You should be, after the gaijin came back. You were the last one to see her, you know. People started to talk."

She said nothing in return. Tiny green eyes bored into the mirror as if trying to spot an invisible creature living in it.

"Now everyone's too scared to remind her, but that should pass in a few weeks. I just thought I'd take a moment to remind you."

Aiko remained silent.

"And now you're cozying up to Vitienne-san too? You really are a skank. A gaijin-loving skank. A warning from your Senpai, though; he'll make you regret it. Get too close, and you'll end up just like poor Furusato-san."

Then there was a heavy, unrelenting pressure on the older girl's arm, the one which had not been injured. Looking down, she saw Aiko's sword arm gripped around it, keeping it adhered to the cheap counter top.

Aiko could already hear the whispers of what would come if she pushed it any further. Detention. More detention. Suspension. Expulsion. Her majesty will do whatever it takes to apprehend me, and have me executed. And my crew.

"You are my Senpai", she said in a voice coated with artificial sweetness, thin lips twisted into a bitter smile. "But I'm afraid that after living with you for three weeks, I can't completely believe in your advice any more. Though I do appreciate the gesture, I have other Senpai that I trust more."

She let go. The words Aiko had imagined were already on Kujou's lips, but she was still in shock from just how strong that grip had been. Apparently, periodically working out in the gym while also fencing and learning to operate a fishing ship's heavy ropes was good for the arm muscles after alll. Or perhaps the shock of it was simply too much for her to put up any resistance.

Either way, those arms now rose up from the sink, sliding into an innocent shrug contrasting with an aggressive smile on her lips. "I will be careful where I tread around Noel-kun. He has suffered so much, after all."

"Yes", Kujou bit out, staring back in a mixture of equal parts alarm and hatred. "You do that."

4/25 Thursday

After School

She stared down into the coast water, as if trying to discern an answer from it. No such thing seemed forthcoming.

"Fishing?", she asked the mottled reflection.

"Fishing", Tongwa Byzael echoed beside her. "Not everywhere in the world has a supermarket. There have been times when I was struck out there, days away from civilization and nothing but a fishing rod, bait, and a rumbly stomach. Even the best sailor can't operate without food."

She had to admit it made sense. It just seemed so... idle. The sense that she was wasting her time with it had crept in and never let go.

Sensing her wavering, Byzael took a closer seat on the edge of the cluster of rocks they'd chosen for this test. "Fishing, miss Tsuruga, develops patience and calms the mind. I know that rod isn't terribly heavy, but holding it upright for long periods helps develops arm muscle- you remember, that thing you lamented as being 'pathetic' a week ago?"

"I did", came the forced, embarrassed admission. "I've... been trying to fix that."

"Admirable. But it takes more than a few sessions to build muscle, and such things normally use up energy. Fishing, once you've gotten it down, can skate that line between rest and awareness."

If as demonstrating, he cast his own fishing rod forward, hitting the surface with a satisfying plop. "Not so long ago", he remarked as he knelt down into a relaxed, seated position, "a boy about your age in a small country town broke records by catching the legendary guardian of the Samegawa river. Can you imagine his excitement?"

"...No", she said after a long pause. "I'm not him. I guess he must have been pretty excited at the time, but... what the chances of us catching anything like that here?"

Byzael chuckled politely. "Slim. Quite slim. But, isn't the chance a virtue in itself? There's still things in the depths of the sea that humans have yet to understand, or even dream of."

You have NO idea, she thought.

Despite her quibbles, she had to admit it was nice to take this time to relax. No schoolwork, no crowds, and no one else to intrude; Byzael knew when to be quiet.

Most importantly, no Shadows. After over a week spent in constant worry for Mirambela, it felt like her body was only now beginning to revert to a less adrenaline-fuelled state. To be able to just lie back and rest completely outside of her dorm room had become a kind of privilege in itself, no matter how much stray thoughts- stray worries- tried to disrupt that tranquility.

"We reach out to people", she said once the silence had finally grown too much to tolerate. "Now we spend our whole lives connected on our phones, and most of the time people never really listen to any of it."

"Now you sound like me", he joked. "At least, that's what I tell myself. But the truth is, maybe I just got too used to being alone out there. Whenever I go into Tosashimizu city, I'd start to get anxious. Antsy. Too many people, too much chaos, too much noise... Not sure if I'd ever be able to handle going to Shibuya." He sighed out at the calm waters. "Not sure if you noticed, but I'm well on track to becoming a grouchy old man."

"Only 'on track'?"

She got exactly what she expected out of that jest- an energetic headlock and a warm rub on the noggin. "Hey, easy there, kiddo. I'm only 47."

She never would have been able to tell that by looking at him, she knew. He seemed to be in that intervening period where the body would stop physically aging for ten or so years in preparation for a descent into seniority. He had some gray hairs here and there, but not a huge amount.

"Besides", he went on, still half-joking. "You should be nice to me when I have a present for you."

Her ears perked up, though his tone gave a good chance that the present was in jest as well. "Really? Where is it?"

He jerked a thumb back over the rocks towards the sandy part of the shore. "On the Fiddler's Green. You can see it after-"

His voice gave way to make room for the distinctive noise of Aiko's fishing rod being pulled at- he had specifically made the winch extra noisy to wake up a fisher who was half-asleep. "Pull! Now!"

She did. The crank for pulling the line up was equally noisy, but in a good way. The faster she spun it, the faster the crackling noise went, until the line burst out of the surface with something alive and writhing hanging off it.

Hauling the mauve-coloured fish up onto the rocks made it clear how small it was, making its energy seem remarkable to her. "A Basa catfish", Byzael recognized its 'whiskers' as his hands stifled the thing's motion. "Small one, but it should be safe to cook. Well done, kiddo."

"Thanks", she mumbled, suddenly breathless. Why? It wasn't like it had been terribly exhausting, hauling up that fish. What did you expect, a multi-foot salmon fresh for eating? Did you expect to haul up the Samegawa Guardian on the first try?

"Want any pointers for it?"

She smiled shyly back. Suddenly it felt like she was dealing with a human Pelagio. "Thank you, but there's no need, captan Byzael. I learned how to prepare fish meals a long time ago. Everybody loves sushi, right? And this city's even more focused on seafood than most."

He looked disproportionately proud of her. "Then let's go see your present."

The Fiddler's Green looked mostly the same as she remembered, but Byzael had patched a few broken boards towards the top, as well as repainting several sections in need of it. The interior felt cleaner too, all the junk she'd seen on the center table last time cleared off it. All except for two pieces of paper.

"I know what you were probably thinking, kiddo", Byzael was speaking from behind her as she went over the two bland-looking documents, processing what exactly they were.

"You probably thought it was all a joke. That I was just stringing you along. That I just wanted someone else to talk to... or else, I was the kind of man who ahem, 'enjoyed' the company of young girls. Right?"

She knew she looked as guilty as she felt. Those exact thoughts had actually passed through her mind more than once, though her suspicions had gradually faded as they spent more time together and he never leered or gave any indication. If he really was a pervert, she thought she would have noticed by now. He hadn't done anything in that direction. Not even once.

"I... suspected some of those things, yes. When we first met. After that guy at the high school six years ago... Kumoshedo, was it? You can't blame me for being cautious about it, captain."

His weathered face darkened until his stubble glowed, but she knew that it was rage meant not for her, but for the criminal that she had spoken of. "Well, here's your proof that I'm on the level. I got the legal documents all set up, no matter how much of a pain in the ass it was to arrange everything. Go ahead and read it over."

Though she trusted him now, Aiko did make sure to read as much of the documents as she could stand to. Like the school code, a lot of it was incomprehensible terminology that only lawyers could decipher, but the gist of it was clear. "Written proof of captain Tongwa Byzael relinquishing ownership of the fishing ship 'Fiddler's Green' to one miss Aiko Tsururga as soon as she is old enough to legally own a boat", he provided. "It's all there, except for the signature. The other document is you acknowledging that responsibility for the ship is passing into your hands. You can sign that right now if you want to."

A quick once-over of the text confirmed that he spoke the truth. Whatever doubts she still held towards this man's sincerity were erased when she finished reading. She kept touching the paper, confirming its reality. This is really it. The real thing. Ownership permit and license to sail, becoming valid as soon as I turn eighteen... Incredible.

"Still missing my signature, of course", Byzael reminded her of the blank spots at the bottom of the first document. "That happens once I know you're ready to handle it. Until then, I'll keep them here. I just wanted you to see."

She became aware that she was now hunched over the table with the documents before her energy spiked. A noise escaped from her that she was grateful no one was recording, and then she found herself with arms wrapped around the big man's body. "Thank you. Thank you so very much, captain."

His surprised gasp woke her up to the fact of just how much strength she had been unconsciously putting into that hold. "Heh... I keep my word, kiddo. So long as you keep yours, I'll hold to my end of our contract. And I don't blame you for being suspicious. I wouldn't make that offer to just anyone who wandered along."

Then why me? The worried thought came forward before she could banish it. Why choose me? Was it just because I expressed an interest? Or...?

It could wait, she told herself. They would have other sessions together after this one. During one of those, she would surely find the courage to ask him why he seemed intent on becoming the adult she trusted more than any other.

Maybe someday, she might feel safe sharing with him her greatest secret.

In the meantime, he was reaching into a pocket on his old jacket and something else out.

"D'you read much?"

That's what that glossy covered object he had was. An unlabelled book. "Textbooks, mostly. I haven't had time to take much out of the library or go to a bookstore in Tosashimizu."

The book was thin, she saw, but the words were small and faded in some places. Inside the cover, she saw the title and date- A Farewell to Arms, 1929. "Consider this one a freebie, then. And a part of our arrangement."

Two presents, she noted in satisfaction. Her mother did that too, wrapping up multiple smaller gifts into one for her birthday. It was one of the only things related to her that Kogaya ever put much thought into.

"It's my favourite book", Byzael confessed, gesturing to the small wall shelf where he kept a dozen others similarly bound. "Wouldn't mind having someone else to discuss it with. 'Fraid I don't keep any manga around here though."

That came as no surprise at all. Aiko loved manga, but expecting Byzael to share that interest felt like expecting a senior citizen to enjoy texting and selfies.

"Thanks again. I'll read it when have time."

It was late when she finally left behind the boat that was starting to feel more and more like a tiny slice of home. Seeing the sky, she ran for the Yume Bay out of a variety of small, trivial reasons that came to her as she went. I want to clock how much time it takes me to get there in case we ever had to rush. I want to check up on it in case Pela-chan couldn't get back in time

I want to see it open.

She felt like she was there on time. The sun was still descending into the ocean, about a third of its blazing circle still poking above the horizon. As expected, after a few minutes, the last of the day's light spread across the water in a cone pointed towards the beach, as though it were forming a road.

That was all it was, though. The light did not twist in the wind this time, or form into a standing rectangle of sickly green. No one except her was there to see it, or imagine what it must have looked like a month ago when Ayano Furusato had heeded the wind's dark whispering in her ears and, like Mirambela Sorano, had willingly walked into that gate that only a few knew existed.

Why did you do it?, she thought helplessly at the endless expanse. Noel-kun loved you. Your parents loved you. You had other friends at school too who liked you. Why?

The sea breeze held no answers for her. The only person who knew the real reason was no longer in this world.

But they would find her one day, and learn the answer all the same.

4/25 Thursday

Evening

The temporary dwelling in Tosashimizu's residential area was exactly as sparse as its purpose implied. Officer Makoto Nijima was used to just spartan quarters by now after years in University, though the occasional flash of longing for the simple comforts of her sister's place remained inevitable.

In this case however, she felt like she hardly even saw the bare walls of the room or the tall windows opening into a semi-decent view of the coast. She came back to herself only to realise that she was still wearing her uniform, and quickly made to replace it with a muted dress jacket not unlike the kind that Sae often wore. With that accomplished, she resigned herself to the dinner table and stared out across the dark horizon as if expecting it to leap forward and devour the city, people and all.

"Mirambela Sorano", she muttered to the strangely thick air. "Could you be lying?"

Her colleagues certainly thought so. Of course they would think that. The majority of them had been on the force long enough to dismiss any situation or explanation that didn't fit into their viewpoint as mere fantasy. Particularly when the story came from a female high-school exchange student.

But perhaps she was being too harsh. If she hadn't experienced the things she had six years ago, if she'd lived an ordinary life and never heard one word about the Phantom Thieves, then the possibility existed that she might have dismissed the Sorano girl's story just as easily, a mere excuse for someone who couldn't take responsibility for their own actions.

An amused snort followed that notion. Of course, if we're being hypothetical, that 'me' would never have become a police officer in the first place. She would have continued following Sae-san's chosen path, deafened to her own desires for justice.

No. Her time spent with the Phantom Thieves as 'Queen' had been short- less than a year- but also life-changing in so many ways she count barely count. Among many other things, it had led her to question exactly how much was hidden beyond the veil of human understanding. What was the Metaverse exactly? Was it really all just a fabrication of Yaldabaoth? Or, was it something more? Something that is a natural part of our world that we never happened upon until now?

For six years she had been referring to that warped world of cognitive distortion in the past tense, believing that its existence was a thing of the past. She had, until just now, when she'd asked her superior officer Iaji Hideki about what Sorano had said in her questioning after returning from a week's disappearance.

Another world. Another world out there on the waves, where her dreams manifested into physical form. A Palace?

Halfway out of reflex, she tapped her phone- the same one she'd had back then. As expected, the sinister, star-pupiled eye marking the Metaverse app was gone with no sign it of ever returning, and good riddance.

She said she walked through a portal of green light on the shore. Green light instead of the red that was always so dominant in Mementos. We know that Palaces don't always require the ruler to be evil, merely possessed of a distorted cognition. But... they never entered their own Palaces. Only Futaba ever did that, and that was with the app.

Futaba...

She would have rather consulted with Morgana about this first. The truth was, she would have preferred to handle this matter herself. She was a junior officer training in an unfamiliar locale, but she was still an officer. She'd done all the work and passed her exams with flying colours. People called her officer Nijima now, even if some of her more boorish colleagues had less flattering terms of address for her.

She was an adult, damn it. Calling in old friends from high school to help solve a case sounded weak even in her head. If I contact one of them, the others will find out. And if I'm wrong, if Sorano is actually just making it up...

She breathed out and stood, staring into the unblinking eye of her phone's screen. The four quadrants, then. Whenever she was weighing a decision, she found dividing the possible best and worst outcomes of each side helped to come to a more confident choice.

Quadrant one. I keep this to myself, and Sorano is lying. I'll find out the truth of it myself soon enough. No harm, no foul. Her superior officer couldn't get on her about chasing leads if she kept it quiet.

Quadrant two. I contact the others, and Sorano is lying. While it was true that she'd had only sporadic contact with some of the other Phantom Thieves since graduation, it was nearly impossible to imagine a scenario where any of them would be greatly offended if the story turned out to be a dead end. She'd be embarassed, but she'd survived embarassment before.

Quadrant three. I contact the others, and Sorano is telling the truth. None of them had the Metaverse app any more, but the fact remained that they knew more about a world that sounded like a second-cousin at worst to whatever place the Sorano girl had wandered into than anyone else in the world. If she could enter that place, then so could they... and the loss of Metaverse app didn't mean the loss of their Personas. Anat might be a bit rusty from lack of use, but certainly capable of dealing with a great deal.

Quadrant four. I keep this to myself, and Sorano is telling the truth...

And that was what decided it for her. Because one of the many standout memories from her time as a Phantom Thief had been at the very end of it, when the real world and cognitive world had become one. Pillars of exposed bone jutting up out of the ground, a rain of blood... an apocalypse scenario that only they and those close to them could see, at least initially.

If this is being caused by another godly being like Yaldabaoth, then there's no time to waste. Not when I'm the one deciding it. I'll talk to Sorano while the others prepare.

Her tapped her phone again. After a pause, she held it to her ear as though the subject of her conversation was nothing more important than a dinner date.

"Hello? Hello, Futaba-chan?"

Mumble mumble.

"Yes, it's me. How's college?"

Mumble.

"Boring? I suppose, but you should pay attention anyway. Heaven knows Sakamoto had trouble just getting in."

Insulted-sounding mumble.

"Right. I'm sorry. Actually, I was calling about something I wanted you to look into."

Excited mumble.

"I see. Well, I'll tell Kurusu-kun anyway. I wouldn't want any of them to find out we kept this from them... but I wanted to ask you first. When you have the time, of course."

Exasperated mumble.

She winced. Time away had made her forget how, well, direct Sojiro Sakura's adopted daughter could really be. Time and exposure to other people had improved some aspects of her character, but some small part of her would always be the peculiar shut-in they'd first encountered in the darkness of Sojiro's house.

Mumble.

"Okay, I understand. I'm on a special training shift in Tosashimizu right now. There's a girl at Koashimizu academy who disappeared for a week, and then when she came back, she told us that she went to another world. Name is Mirambela Sorano. Nationality Kenyan, age-."

Mumble mumble.

"What? You already looked her up? Oh, okay... the other thing I've been noticing might be connected to this as well. There's a certain nightclub in this city that I've been picking up some strange rumours about. Normally I would dismiss it, but if I couple the content of those stories with what I learned about today, and what we know about the nature of the Metaverse, or at least what it was back when we were using it... there's actually a fair bit of overlap there."

Mumble mumble. Mumble!

Makoto released the call and shook her head in exasperation of her own. What have I just set in motion?

A/N: Going on a family vacation for two weeks, so I won't be able to post for a bit. I'm hoping I haven't been too main-character-centric so far, and will try to branch out into other perspectives more in coming chapters.