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

5/3 Friday

After School

The sun shone bright across fresh-cut grass as a stampede of jersey-wearing players crushed it underfoot. The cheers of the crowds covering both ends of the field surely must have reached as far as the student dorms, to the point that they would occasionally interfere with coach Kurikado's piercing whistle.

The only thing missing from this detailed display of athleticism was Julian Rosea. There were ten boys and four girls playing out there on the Koashimizu home team, but he wasn't one of them.

Fortunately, Aiko seemed to be the only one who cared, and his absence could only interfere with her ability to enjoy the game to a certain degree. Not that she was any kind of expert, having only watched a few games on TV, but it was simple enough to understand that their team was doing well- three goals so far against a single one from the opposition. No one was looking tired.

There was one more as she did the courteous thing and watched the game wind down, hoping to find a distraction from her own anxiety. Maybe he's sick. Maybe he just wound up with the flu and is sitting this game out. Maybe he's really actually taking exams seriously and is using this time to study up.

Maybe I'll see him tomorrow in fencing.

She must have looked truly morose, because a shaggy-haired boy from the sidelines marched over to her. "Hey, what's wrong? They're kickin' butt out there."

Forcing a smile, she turned to him. "Oh no, it's nothing. Just wondering about something. Are you friends with someone on the team?"

He shrugged, taking a spot beside her. "Nah, I just like to watch the team play. I used to be into it, but... never mind."

The quiver in his words suggested more than what he was willing to reveal at this time, but she felt no need to pry. Julian's absence was mystery enough today.

"...I understand. We all have our private things."

Luckily, he didn't seem to mind. "It's cool. The less people notice it, the happier I am. I'm Yuuichi Tenrii, you?"

"A-Aiko Tsuruga." Forcing her gaze away from the Julian-less field, she studied the boy's face instead. He was tall and lean, with an unkempt energy about him that inevitably reminded her of Julian. Wide brown eyes seemed to be sizing her up the same way. "First year."

She winced at that statement, blurted out only to fill the empty air with something, but Yuuichi didn't seem to mind. "Yeah, it's pretty scary when you're starting out. I heard all about those disappearances too. Crazy stuff, right?"

"That's... one way of putting it", she muttered as the Koashimizu team took its first called penalty, to the verbal dismay of several in the crowd. Yuuichi stayed quiet however. "My roommate was the second disappearance."

The shock diverted him from the game. "Seriously? Wow. Any idea where she went to?"

Gah. Still hate lying. "She said she ran away. Do you know why?"

His smile faded into a more serious line. "Please. Every student here knows why. I bet there's a good number of them who wish she'd stayed gone. Assholes."

The involuntary look that came over her said that needed to be said on that subject.

"If Furusato-san hadn't been the first disappearance", he continued on carefully, "I'd say it was some kind of nasty prank, like maybe locking them up somewhere. But I suppose it could always be unrelated. Hopefully, it stops here. I don't think the school's reputation can take much more."

"It's a reputation well-earned", she replied harshly. She hadn't forgotten everything she'd witnessed here in the past month. There was a lot of good here, but also a lot of bad that she still couldn't quite believe principal Yumika hadn't addressed. "Or haven't you heard about what's happening to Vitienne-kun now?"

"Rumors", he said, letting that single word explain so much about his tone of absent neutrality. "He and Furusato-san were tight last year. I wonder what happened."

Another goal, this one from the opposition, cut into his ruminating. "But enough of that. We came here to have fun, right?"

"Y-yeah", she gave up quietly. Now wasn't the time to discuss Noel, no matter how much his current situation made her sick to her stomach. We could search Faraway Lands to find Ayano-san's Land, and learn the real truth from her... but we have no idea where it is or what it looks like. It will take days of exploration to find it at least, and I promised Mira that I wouldn't do anything more related to that until after exams are over.

She weighed these factors carefully as the game drew to a more subdued finale, making a mental note to ask Pelagio if he'd ever seen anyone who looked like Ayano during his time there, or a Land that had anything to do with Noel or school.

Yuuichi shook his head longingly at the final whistle. "Still makes me wish I could be out there too, but it's nice to see another typical Kurikado team this year."

"A Kurikado team?" It was easy to spot the balding, heavyset team coach by his forest green jacket and the katakana symbol on his cap, but she hadn't heard much about the man's reputation, only that Julian disliked him for some reason.

"Yeah, that's kind of his trademark even when he was back coaching at Seika Junior high. Here, I'll introduce you."

She didn't want to object, because that had been her next planned action anyway. This just made it easier, approaching a strange adult with someone who already knew him. The man seemed jolly as well, sprinkling compliments and constructive criticism among his team as they departed.

"Heeey! Ten-point!", he called out with a broad smile once they were near. "I heard about what happened. It's a damn shame, and I'd be happy to make up some kind of position for you to follow us if you like. Official water boy. Official vice coach. Somethin' like that."

Yuuichi chuckled. "Appreciated, coach, but I'm fine just being another bystander until I can get back in the game next year."

That caught the man off guard. "Tenrii... You sure you'll be ready by next year?", he asked doubtfully, trying not to stare at him for too long. "I mean, this kind of thing is not something you want to rush, take it from a guy who's seen every sports injury under the sun-"

"I'll be ready", he said much more firmly, an edge creeping into his voice now. "I'll make sure of it."

Sliding back to his usual casual manner, he gestured to Aiko. "Besides, it gives me time to meet new people. This is Aiko Tsuruga. I think she wanted to ask you about something?"

Mr. Kurikado regarded her more distantly than Yuuichi. "If you're looking for a slot on the team, I'm afraid the tryouts are long over, miss."

"No, no", she corrected him hastily. "I'm already on a team. I just wanted to know... where is Julian-kun? Is he sick?"

The name struck the man as unfamiliar for a moment, then recognition dawned and gazed back sadly. "Julian? We don't have a Juli- Ohhh, you mean Jiachi Rosea, right? Yeah, he tried out... but he had the same problem as last year. No team spirit. I know he's good, but as Ten-point here will tell you, I prefer a cooperative team who support each other. The kid's a glory hound, sorry to say."

She must have looked distraught, because Yuuichi suddenly looked like he was about to rush in and grab her before she fell. She didn't, though.

"That... that can't be right. He said he was on the team! I came out to see him!"

The coach spread his large hands helplessly. "Well, he's not on my team. Not this year. Maybe next time?"

"Maybe next time", Yuuichi echoed, walking her off the field before the coach could get any more concerned. More, he seemed embarrassed by how much Kurikado praised him, causing her to wonder if he'd earned the nickname 'Ten-Point' by the obvious way, or some other method. "You okay, Tsuruga? You look beat."

"I'm fine", she said, brushing one hand along her hair as if trying to generate enough breeze to chase away a fever. "It's just kind of hot out today."

"No arguments there. But, uh, Jiachi... were you expecting him to be here?"

She swept across the field again, hoping that they would see him emerge at the last second to explain, but there was nothing. The much more likely explanation was already beginning to turn that 'fever' into a roiling flame that bristled one's words and ignited the skin.

And not just her skin, either.

He lied to me. All this time, and he lied. Lied about passing tryouts, lied about the games he played. And about playing last year, pretending to be a hot-shot soccer wizard the whole time. What? Did he think I wouldn't like him if he told me the truth?

Breathe out.

No. There has to be another reason. I haven't seen all the angles yet. All I have to do is talk with him and find out why. He's still a nice guy. He volunteered to help us protect Vitienne-kun.

Unless that was a lie as well.

Breathe in.

"Yes, actually. I was. But enough about him for now."

The fake smile was easier this time. The feel of it helped distract from the heat underneath that wanted to immolate the one who had lied to her again and again.

"Why don't talk about you, Tenrii-kun?"

5/4 Saturday

After School

AT: julian-kun

AT: julian-kun, where r u

AT: I know the truth, you don't need to hide from me

MS: ?

AT: hey Senpai. just trying to get Julian-kun on the phone. Want to talk to him abt something

MS: sorry, haven't seen hik today or yesterday

MS: him*

MS: how come? didn't you see him at the game?

AT: shouldn't say here. He's trying to keep it secret

MS: k good luck, don't let it distract you too much. See you tonight

Mr. Umaeda was at the door to his club room before she'd fully opened it. Kotone and her friend, who Aiko only now recognized as her 'detention partner' Keta Rurichiyo, were already there, though he looked oddly tired. There was only one person missing from their new crew of four. Julian.

"I think he's sick", she offered to the group nervously. "He wasn't in class. He's probably not coming."

Mr. Umaeda made an exasperated noise, but his grim mood didn't last long. "If there was any session that you might be excused from skipping... I am well aware that exams are fast-approaching. I can only hope that he uses this extra time to study. Assuming he's not too 'sick', that is."

Allowing her in, he raised his sword arm to indicate their new applicants. "Fortunately, we do have others to train with today. I'll be going through the basics with them as I did with you and Mr. Rosea, so you may take this time to refine your own stance, miss Tsuruga."

That sounded boring, and so it was. She would have much preferred a training partner like in previous sessions, but in truth it didn't hurt to relax a bit and simply watch Kotone and Keto run through the opening lessons either, mostly making the same mistakes that she and Julian made the first time.

Keto really did look bad, she noticed now that she could look closer at him. There were bruises on his face visible even through the mesh mask, and while he did a good job concealing it, occasionally his body would twitch with unexpected pain before he could shrug it off entirely.

Neither did this escape Mr. Umaeda's aged eyes. After the first twenty minutes, he ordered Keto to remove the mask, and then the rest of the white fencing outfit.

"Mr. Rurichiyo", he said far too sternly. "Is there something that you would like to tell us?"

Keta put on hand to his bruises as if detecting them for the first time. "Oh, these? Nothing big. I kinda... ran into a wall the other day. Exams are so distracting, you know?"

"Exams distract many students", their teacher countered with a nod to Kotone and Aiko. "You'll notice that none of them have those injuries. Your hands are trembling. While I appreciate your enthusiasm in coming in today, you are in no shape to practice."

That pronouncement generated enough of an air of fear about him that she knew he was going to protest the decision before he did. "What? No, no. I'm good, I promise."

Umaeda gave a hiss of contempt. "Do you need someone to walk you to the infirmary, or will you be able to get there yourself? This school does not need an accident like the one you are bound for on top of the disappearances, Mr. Rurichiyo."

Sensing agreement from the other two, Keta folded, discarding his outfit without bothering to put it back in the wall compartment. "I'll go myself, thanks."

"Be sure that you do", Umaeda called after him, tapping at his suit-clad wrist as if to indicate the time. "I'll be checking in with the nurse after this class is done."

He clapped a hand to his head after Keta was gone. "Well. So much for having the requisite four students for a school club, eh? Not that I don't appreciate your interest, miss Samesaji. Or Mr. Rurichiyo's."

Then he frowned. "Wait. You didn't put them both up to this, did you miss Tsuruga? I did warn you..."

"She didn't", Kotone blurted quickly, a bit more verbal with her partner gone. "I promise, Umaeda-sensei. I just heard about what Tsuruga-chan and Rosea-kun were doing with you after class, and I thought it sounded interesting to try. The timing was just a coincidence, really."

"Coincidence", he repeated, smiling wistfully. "A happy coincidence, I should say. Though Miss Mattora certainly wasn't happy to see it, haha."

"She is one of my teachers", Aiko piped up. "But I can't say I care very much about what Mattora thinks I should be doing."

"Miss Mattora, or Mattora-sensei", Umaeda corrected her gently. "As you said, she is your teacher, and she should be afforded all due respect by our students, and the same for all the teachers here, regardless of your personal opinions. Cross them, and I will not cover for you."

"Of course, Umaeda-sensei."

The rest of the class seemed abbreviated by necessity, not wanting to have all four of its members at different levels of proficiency, and before long they were hanging their gear up again.

"He's right though", Aiko remarked as they headed back out into the hall. "You chose the perfect time. You are actually interested in learning, right Samesaji-chan? You're not just doing it because I mentioned that we needed more people, or because Rurichiyo-kun was doing it?"

Shy as ever around more outgoing people, Kotone reluctantly shook her head, the ponytail carrying with it. "No... well, when I heard that Rurichiyo-kun was interested after he met you in detention, I..."

It dawned on her then how foolish such an accusation was. It would be a complete lie to claim that all students joined extracurricular clubs just for the activity itself. Many joined merely because their friends did, and interest in the club was a secondary concern. She knew that had been the unwritten rule in middle school, and it likely held true here.

She raised a hand over Kotone's nervous stammering, signaling that it was okay. "Well, whether you did it to spend more time with me or Rurichiyo-kun, or both of us, we're glad to have you here, Samesaji-chan. And not just because we needed four people to fill out the club."

She considered Kotone's brightly smiling face an ample reward for enduring everything else that had happened today. "Thanks. I'll try and keep up. Really. I'll work hard."

"Exams are more important", Aiko reminded her, having heard similar expressions from Mirambela so often that she practically said it in her accented voice. "Umaeda-sensei said that if our grades drop below average, we'll be kicked out. I assume the same applies to you and Rurichiyo-kun too. Any idea what happened to him, by the way? 'I ran into a wall' is about as played-out as 'I fell down some stairs', and about half as believable."

"Nothing concrete", Kotone admitted nervously. She didn't like talking about Keto like this, not when she was hoping to get closer to him. "He's... absent from classes for long periods of time. That's why he gets detentions with Ishinagi-sensei so much, and he's almost never available on evenings."

Aiko blinked. "I was worried about Julian-kun not doing well on the exam, but it sounds like Rurichiyo-kun is in far worse shape than him. You have his contact info, right? Ask him if he wants to study with us tomorrow or tonight. I'll share mine with you, now that we're fencing partners."

KS: Rurichiyo?

KR: hey babe u done already?

AT: actually, we were wondering if you were done with the nurses' office

KR: tsuruga? howd you get this oh yeah just got out gave me some painkillers and bandages and told me to be careful + shit heading to the dorm now

KR: guess well be fencing mates now huh you ever call that number?

"Number?" Kotone looked confused.

"Something we found in detention", she explained before wondering if there was ever a time when Keto had used punctuation in texting. He clearly hadn't expected it to be a three-person conversation.

AT: nah don't need it

AT: Kujou hasn't been too bad lately. prolly cause of what happened to Mira-chan

KR: well hang on to it just in case cya l8r

KS: actually, we were wondering if you wanted to study together in the

She stopped typing, seeing that he had already left the conversation. "So much for that."

Aiko shrugged like it didn't matter. "We could call him back and ask him. You know, there was this kid I knew in middle school who wouldn't stop calling you until they got the answer they wanted. Of course, most people just blocked him when they figured that out..."

"No", Kotone cut her off. "I'll talk to him later about it. For now... how about if we go to the library to study, just the two of us?"

She nodded back, resolving not to ask any further questions about the Karma Club at this time. That could wait... she hoped. "Sounds like a dinner."

5/5 Sunday

Morning

"One day", Aiko spoke into the suddenly heavy air of room 22. "One more day until it's time."

"Yes", Mirambela groaned wearily back from her newly-cleaned bed. "We've managed to master the concept of days now. Go us."

Her roommate stared back at her in genuine worry. "Okay, maybe you really have been hitting the books a bit too hard lately, because you sound more like Niyoga-kun than yourself."

Thankfully it was only a brief phase, and Mira shifted back to her usual self, though clearly still in the grip of the dreaded 'midterm anxiety' in a far worse way than most students.

"It's okay", Aiko breathed out, holding steady. "It's okay. We've gone over the material so many times now... If there's anything, anything at all you're not totally 100% about, we can go over it again today."

Seeing a thoughtful look in her friend's soft eyes, she quickly threw up her hands in a panic. "I, I'm not saying all day though. My body's already cramping up after last night in the library."

Mira nodded. "I know. I've heard stories that too much cramming actually has the opposite effect."

"You had the time to read about that too?!"

Amused by her mock incredulity, Mira pointed across the room. "Actually, it was a special news story on the TV. We're not the only ones doing exams, after all. It's nationwide."

"Yeah", she closed her eyes and saw raw data inside her eyelids. "I bet there's some crazy statistics that you could find about how messed-up people's sleep patterns get this week."

"No doubt", Mira agreed wearily. "Well, when this is over, I'll be sleeping late for the next week. Try not to wake me up, okay?"

"I'll be as quiet as a mouse", Aiko promised her. "Unless Pela-tori is around. Oh, my God... do you think he actually eats mice and stuff like that?"

Mira mulled it over. "Real falcons do. But he's not a normal falcon. I... he said he was hungry the other day, and I fed him some of my dinner. He was fine with it, even though I was a bit worried about how his body would take it."

"Then maybe I'll talk to him today. Be back later tonight."

Pelagio was waiting at the peach tree just outside, actually in the process of trying one as she walked by. "Having fun?"

He seemed embarrassed, quickly withdrawing his beak from the fruit and causing it to topple down to the ground. "Ah... I suppose so, my lady. It has been an... educational experience thus far. Humans are quite odd."

"Even more than I thought possible", she agreed, remembering Bartholomew's tale about Tartarus and the varied Persona-users who had dealt with it despite being no older than she was. "That's actually why I wanted to get away from Mira-chan for a bit. I wanted talk to you about something in Faraway Lands."

That got him away from the branch entirely, fluttering down to the bottom of the trunk to peck absently at the fallen peaches. "Speak, and I shall answer the best I can."

Aiko shifted, considering the question. "You said you'd traveled to several other Lands before you found the gate to our world. Did you ever see Furusato-san? Or any Land that might look like it would be hers?"

He looked disappointed, though more in his ability to give answers than hers to ask questions. "I never saw the girl you speak of, since I never dared travel very far into a guarded Land alone. As for whether I ever visited it, while I have seen a photo of her on the television I cannot say for certain, since I have no idea what the world of her dreams would appear as."

That, she supposed, was the crux of the problem. They still had no idea what exactly had driven Ayano Furusato into despair and caused her to enter the gate at Yume Bay. They had never even met her in person, and had no real idea of what she was really like. Noel was in no state to tell them, and Aiko had to confess to a certain reluctance on her part as well.

It hurt to see Noel like that. It would hurt to see anyone she cared about like that. It reminded her too much of her mother's natural state.

"You must also keep in mind that her Land would not have manifested until the point that she entered it, which was less than two months ago."

She sighed and slapped her forehead. "Of course. Stupid, stupid... How could I have missed that? Did you see anything during that time?"

The bird considered this idea more carefully. "Hmph. If I think back to that time... and please, do keep in mind that time operates on a very different scale there... I would say there were two major Lands that stood out which I visited shortly before I located the gate that brought me to your world. One of them appeared to be what you would consider a traditional 'feudal-style' kingdom, where all the Shadows there were garbed as samurai, serving under a tyrannical Shogun."

Her eyes narrowed. "Interesting."

Dead end though probably. We could question the ruler there, maybe.

"And the other one...", Aiko saw white feathers curdle across her friend's body, "the other Land... it may not actually be a Land. It was, I believe, a dreadnaught battleship of some sort. A great seaborne metal colossus which I could not get close enough to investigate further, as it was being protected by several Leviathan Shadows."

"Protected?", she asked, stunned at the image and the idea that a Land might be mobile. "You're sure that you weren't just unlucky?"

Looking up from his peach meal, he shook off a beak still dripping with juice. "No. The Leviathans were most definitely guarding that place for some reason. They normally roam about Faraway Lands at random in search of food, often trying to devour each other as well, yet this group was fully coordinated and they did not attack one another. They never left sight of the ship."

"Deader end", Aiko announced with certainty. This didn't diminish her burning desire to find Ayano, but there were some risks that just weren't worth taking, even towards that goal. They'd beaten Leviathan Shadows before, but only one at a time, and Pelagio had steered them away from stronger ones several times during their trip. "We could try the feudal place, maybe... but that'll need to wait until after exams. That's the other thing I wanted to tell you about."

Finishing his meal, Pelagio regarded her curiously. "I have heard much talk among the campus of these 'exams', my lady. Are they truly so feared?"

"Well... Most students fear them", Aiko admitted, trying not to laugh at his honesty. "Uh, maybe 'fear' is the wrong word for it. More like 'dread'? But it's like taking a flu shot. Sure, it's painful. But it's gotta happen sooner or later, or you'll regret it. Though, I'd bet Niyoga-kun isn't sweating at all right now." In fact, she had seen the 'information merchant' swamped with students lately desperately trying to trade gossip for study tips.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that Mira-chan and I are going to be very busy for the next four days after this one with midterm exams. So, y'know. Don't take it personally if we're not around much this week, and please don't fly by our windows too much."

Thankfully, he didn't seem offended by the request for privacy. "...I see. You must face this trial alone, then. I shall continue watching over the Yume Bay during afternoons, and studying humans at other... times."

Trying not to wince at the word 'study', she nodded. "If you do see someone at the gate, we'll be in the dorms at that time. Oh, and Pela-chan?"

"...Yes?"

"I was wondering... What kind of food do you like?"

5/5 Sunday

Afternoon

"Thanks for coming", Reiha said as they took their seats at the mall's food court, "I know you've been busy- just by how busy I've been."

"I have a good study partner", Aiko told her. "Maybe a little bit too good. How about you? Is there any third-year student able to help you, like Tatsunoko-san?"

"Yeah, he's pretty good", she observed gamely. "But I always get my best studying done in the dorms, so he can't really join me there... anyways, there's someone there who's pretty good too. Yuki Eizogumo."

Having heard that name more than once among the static of rumors, she perked up. "The Shogi club president?" She'd seen glimpses of Yuki among the crowd as well- a portly, cinnamon bun-haired girl who seemed to be perpetually sleepy-looking at all times of the day.

"The same. She's not just smart in Shogi either. Funny thing is, little Niyoga was the club president until she beat him."

That sounded impossible at first, but Aiko had never played Shogi herself, and couldn't say exactly how much a perfect memory and an eye for detail would help make someone a better player at the game. "Wow. She beat Niyoga at Shogi? She must be pretty smart then!"

"Oh, she is. Niyoga left the club in shame after that defeat, never talking about it to anyone. It was the stuff of school legends, and one rumor that I can confirm is totally true."

She heaved a sigh. "Such an ego on that boy." Just like Julian-kun in some ways. He just can't stand to acknowledge he's beaten. I wonder... is that defeat something he would lie about if asked? "Anyway, good to hear you're set for exams. At least, I assume you are, or you wouldn't have spent our last day out here."

"Yeah, I'm good", Reiha assured her pleasantly. "Honestly? I'm not sweating it too much. I have years of experience with these things, remember? Ask my teachers if you don't believe me. Sometimes people look at me and think I must be a 'Sukeban', but I'm always right on the curve if I'm not ahead of it."

Aiko frowned. "What's a 'Sukeban'?"

"A girl gangster", Reiha explained apologetically. "It's a dress style you see more in movies than reality. Still, if you're interested in trying it on, I'll help."

Remembering how she'd imagined what her duplicating Reiha's fashion choice would be like, she nodded hesitantly. "Uh. Maybe for a costume party or something. Don't want to give people the wrong ideas."

Reiha seemed strangely divided in opinion, glancing up into the skylight before slowly peering back down like she'd expected Aiko to have disappeared. "So, you're human after all. For a while there, I thought that someone had raised you up in some isolated place to see if a human can be taught not to judge people by appearances."

"Akihabara", Aiko pointed out firmly, "is the exact opposite of isolated." Relenting quickly, she shrugged innocently. "But you're right. Niyoga-chan once told me that humans use appearance to 'classify humans into limited categories due to lack of data storage', whatever that means. You know how he is."

"Told you that for free, did he?"

She chuckled. "Actually, yes. He was going on about how many students here put their hair into ponytails, and what it signifies... I don't think he likes that hairstyle very much."

The older girl leaned back in her chair to regard her friend's own style. "Looks like you didn't appreciate it very much either. Or, is there another reason why you stopped wearing your ruby hairpin? I wanted to say, it looked like a pretty nice accessory for someone who wasn't rich. Or... are you?"

Without meaning to, she dropped silent. Well you see, I was going through this metal forest in another dimension and these horrible monsters disguised as robots came and destroyed it with a laser blast, leaving only a tiny fragment of ruby behind. That made me really mad, because the pin was the only thing I have to remember my father by, so I busted out my Persona for the first time and kicked their butts.

But of course, she couldn't say any of that. "Um... No, no. I'm not rich. I decided that I didn't want to stand out. Also, too much risk that someone would steal it."

Reiha took her time responding as well, merely eyeing Aiko's loose hair as though expecting the hairpin to still be hiding somewhere in that tangle. "Too late not to stand out, I think. In case you can't tell by the way conversations change when you're near students, you're kind of making a big scene here."

"Samesaji-san told me something similar", she acknowledged quietly. "I can't help it. I can't just let people around me suffer. Not if I can help it."

And how much of that, she wondered, had come about because of her Persona's awakening? Impossible to tell for sure. I never got this involved in other people's business back in middle school.

Fierce loyalty to your friends, a vicious wrath to your enemies. That was what Anne Bonny had called her chosen stance on life, making her approval obvious. It must be made clear that to become your enemy is an undesired thing under any circumstances, and that there are benefits to your friendship.

All because I wanted to make Koashimizu academy my home when Akihabara couldn't be. That was why she'd tried to help Mirambela, why she'd promised to improve things. That dream had taken a body blow from recent events, but it wasn't dead. Not yet.

She must have looked as thrown as she felt, because Reiha waved a black gloved hand in front of her eyes.

"That's why I was curious. Because, to be totally honest Tsuruga, a person your age who can say 'I can't let people suffer' with a straight face and actually mean it is rarer than a diamond these days. More precious too, at least to me."

"Do not buy me anything", Aiko warned her in complete seriousness, holding up a finger in mock threat. "I mean it. Seriously."

"Like I could ever afford anything fancy like that", Reiha snorted. "You do look like you could use a haircut pretty soon though. Either that or get a new hairpin to tie it back with."

"Haircut", she blurted, automatically going for the less expensive option. I'm never replacing that pin. I have the ruby shard. That's enough to always remind me of my awakening, of how I felt at that time... to remind me of what's really important.

"There's a place here in the mall that-"

"Not now", she raised a hand. "I'll do it when exams are over. You know, as a way to celebrate."

"Get a chocolate crepe while you're at it", Reiha advised. "The ones made here are awesome and they don't water the fondue too much like most places."

"Got it", she surrendered, trying to press on to the matter at hand. "So you texted me to come out here so we can go shopping together again?"

Reiha smirked, folding her gloves over each other. "Hey, you owe me for the job recommendation. Congrats on that by the way. If I said yes, would you go with it?"

"I... guess so", she said after considering. That first trip to Tenjinsho with Reiha had been magical. She was still actually wearing the black and white patterned dress it had given her now, as a reminder. "Like I said, money's getting a little tight for me though."

"Then maybe we should change that."

The laminated chart she folded down onto the table was too small and thin to make noise, but the pictures and names on it did catch her eye. "Sea flowers?"

"Uh-huh. This is a different kind of job. One you can do whenever you want to. You like swimming, right? You're good at it?"

Embarrassed at the massive understatement, she shrugged. "I haven't met anyone my age who's better than me. Of course, we can't really test that, can we?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, you're still pissed off at Principal Yumika about the pool. But this stuff apparently grows on the reefs of Ourazaki in certain spots, and Dr. Spica is willing to pay for them."

"Spica...?"

Reiha paused. "Oh, sorry. Spica's this doc I know in the city, we could go meet him tonight if you want. Full name is Raharjo Mayaha Aspicaya- bit of a mouthful, I know. He's the one who originally diagnosed my condition, and I got to know him over the last few years. He's a cool guy, don't worry." She paused then. "Okay, maybe he's a little on the odd side, but still..."

Without waiting to hear Aiko's opinion on the man's reliability, she turned the chart over, revealing a map of the entire Kochi prefecture with several highlighted spots along the water's southern edges, along with several mountains. As stated, Ourazaki was the highest concentration, but there were plenty elsewhere as well.

"All of these spots have them. I could use some pocket change myself, but I swim like a brick and my gloves don't do well in water either. Then, I thought of you."

Inwardly amazed that she was actually considering it, she examined the map closer. Most of the spots were far enough away from the dorms that it would be an all-day trip. Have to do it on Sundays or Golden Week. This sounds kind of shady, like something a 'Sukeban' would do... but I trust Hayato-chan. Any excuse to go swimming, I guess.

"I'd want a bit more than pocket change for doing this. How much is he offering, and where's his office?"

Reiha pointed to one of the highlighted spots in the denser part of the city, near the movie theater. "But he's only open to walk-ins at night. As for your payment, he wrote it beside each of the flowers."

Now she was paying closer attention to the numbers beside each of the rather ugly-looking sea plants, eyes widening as she took them in. Definitely more than I'll make working at the Starlight. No reason I can't try to do both, since this doesn't have any set shifts.

"...Alright, why not? He did take the time to make this chart for me, after all. I'll give it a shot. After exams are done, I'll meet you there. Then I'll decide if this is something I want to try."

Reiha spread her hands across the table in satisfaction. "Heh. Thought so. That's what really makes you unique, ya know? You text and go shopping with me and the others, but that's not all that you ever do, Tsuruga-chan. You actually want to get out and see the world. And don't worry; we'll go shopping together next time."

If only I could tell you, Aiko mused silently, about all the other 'new' things I've been trying lately. Personas. Shadows. Other dimensions.

Then again, maybe I can tell you, in time. If there was ever someone who would actually believe me and not make a fuss about it...

She'd think about it.

5/5 Sunday

Evening

The Fiddler's Green looked very different with its lights on. While the rugged boat was old enough that their absence wouldn't be surprising, once she could see them from the path leading down to the beach she had a strong hunch which ship was generating those thin beams of white that painted the hull and sand around it with illumination, so that the name of the ship was clearly visible on the upraised part of the hull for the first time.

Captain Byzael was waiting for her. He made a show of having made port for the first time in a while to test his lights by hand, but the way he was completely ready for a sudden guest suggested otherwise. "I'm surprised you came out here now", he noted with a welcoming smile. "Don't you all have exams tomorrow?"

"We do", she acknowledged. The lights painted their faces as well, making it easy to see every detail of the moving jaws and the skin stuck on them. "That's why I came, actually. For luck."

"Luck?" Byzael snorted and spat into the wind. He'd said before that act itself was a superstition, seen as a confirmation that you still had the strength to sail. If the spit lacked the power to beat the wind and washed back into you, he'd explained, it was time to quit for the day. "Those exams were created by humans, for humans. They're organized and intentional and logical. You don't need luck with that."

"Maybe", she allowed. "But I figured this would make me feel better than studying for another few hours."

"Exactly", Byzael said appreciatively. "Doesn't it feel better to tell the truth? You're not looking for luck. You're looking for a sign. A reason to go into the unknown with confidence in your heart that you will succeed. Believe me, I know. I've heard more sailor's superstitions than you've had birthdays."

Giggling, she saw no reason to doubt that claim. "I've heard that fishermen are superstitious even in Tokyo bay."

"They would be", he acknowledged, adjusting a light so that its glow cast out over the intersection between calm tide and sand, penetrating into the former so that the bottom could be seen even in the evening dark. "Stories like that pop up wherever there's an unknown frontier that we don't completely understand. Don't sail on Thor's Day. Don't change the name of the boat. Don't leave shore with unpaid debts to someone on land."

Joining him at the rail, she frowned, thinking back to her geography lessons. "But we do know what's out there. I've seen maps of the whole world."

Byzael laughed warmly, hiding mockery as he stared out into the darkness. "People went out on the sea and made maps based on what they saw there. But... does every human see the same thing? Sometimes, I wonder... ah, never mind. You're not here for stories, kiddo. You're here to find confidence that you'll come out of this alright."

Taking a moment to help him with getting the light back to its proper position, she nodded. As usual, the man had a way of cutting right to the truth of things. That was probably why she was so scared to tell him about anything related to Faraway Lands. Or why I want to tell him. He's the only adult who might understand.

Not now. Not now.

"I am. I've never taken a high school exam before. Mira-chan hated them, and now she'd spent over a week getting ready and forcing me to do the same." Her face fell, the light casting it into shadow. "But... but what if I forget the answers? There's so much! I can't possibly remember every single thing a teacher said to us, or every single page of the textbooks!"

Byzael sniffed at the air, the fresh breeze seeming to renew him. "It's been a while, but would you believe that I can still tell you the location and capital of every single country in the world, kiddo? Of course, some of them changed since back when I went to high school. Back then, there were 193 countries and dinosaurs roamed the earth."

"And you still remember every single one", she noted in amazement. "Incredible."

"Yeah", the captain chuckled. "'Course, it helps that I've visited a lot of 'em in person. Really gives you sense of scale, you know."

193, Aiko considered the number carefully. Are there 193 islands in Faraway Lands? How many of them will we need to search through to find Furusato-san?

"I bet it does."

Moving over, he hit another switch, disabling the front lights so that only the ones behind them remained, casting their rays in silhouettes from behind the two.

"The reason they herd you into those crowded sweaty rooms every day is to make sure you know the things that they think you need to know. When you read those books and listen to the teachers go on, they're just trying to make you understand things. Dates, and names, and lands... they're just pieces. Just context for the story they're trying to tell you. So long as you can prove you understand the meaning of the story, then I think you'll do just fine, kiddo."

And that, she realized, was all that she'd really needed to sleep well tonight. Confirmation from an adult- not a student, but an adult that she trusted- that exams weren't actually a torment from hell, and that she would get through them with a clear and confident mind.

Turning back to the lights, she nodded deeply. "...Thank you."

"Don't mention it", he said casually. "And don't worry. The other thing I remember about school is how stressed out I was for exams, 'specially science. That's not a new thing. People will fret over exams for as long as the folks in charge think it's a good idea to determine a student's future in just one week. Never quite got that myself, but hey, I'm a fisherman not a teacher. What do I know?"

"Quite a bit", Aiko shot back, playing along. "In fact, after this week is over, I wanted to try an exam from you."

The suggestion had Byzael looking thoughtful, pacing back into the seat in his cabin. Over time, under his stern guidance, she had learned to move the sails and work the ship's catch nets and lights as well as anyone else. She could be proud of that much, at least. "Heh. An exam from me, eh? Well, you've definitely picked up the basics at least. 'Fraid I might not be able to do that for a while yet."

"Why not?"

The captain grinned in the cabin's dim light, putting a finger to his lips as if to hush her. "Got a new job opportunity. One that pays better than fish deliveries. 'Course, that's only what they told me, but the first payment checked out. I'm going to give it a shot."

"I see", she tried not to sound dejected. It was easy to forget sometimes that Byzael wasn't some kind of spirit forged out of the ether, but a man who still required money to live, even if he had no home of his own. Merely this ship, which showed signs of recent cleaning everywhere she looked. Maybe he really was expecting me.

"I'll wait then. Call me when you're ready, okay?"

"Call you?", Byzael laughed.

Aiko rolled her eyes, trying not to be too amused by the reminder of his status. "I'll buy you a phone, then. There's got to be some kind of discount plan you can get for a phone you only use for one person, right?"

Her eyes probed the man's stance against the wall of the cabin carefully. "How did you... I mean, how did you end up like this, captain? You said you went to school like anyone else. You had family, right?"

"Had family", he repeated with the proper emphasis. "Had friends too."

"I'm sorry."

It was perhaps the most cliched thing she could have blurted out, and she hated herself for it. "Uh... I must be getting tired."

"It's hard to tell sometimes", he agreed without rancor. "Go then. Tomorrow's your big day, right?"

He waited for five minutes after she was gone before leaving the cabin. Dousing the rear lights left the ship illuminated only by the rapidly fading sunlight, but even with such a weak light he was still able to feel out each of the iron rungs along the cabin wall without a second of hesitation, climbing up to have a seat on the slanted roof as the breeze tickled at the hair beneath his hat.

"Oh, once I had a heart and it was true", he sang quietly to it, his dark-haired head bowed in contrition. "It fled from me and went to you. Please take care, as I have done... For now you have two, and I have none."

A/N: I know, more of the talky-talk. I promise things will kick into high gear next time. Unfortunately, while I usually have a clear idea of what I want the 'otherworld' segments to be like, I'm a bit fuzzier on the social parts even though they're an equally important half of the games.

Thanks again to Dowdz and World Balance for keeping me inspired with their own awesome Persona stories. You remain the rivers in my desert.