This story is a work of fiction. Any similarities to events or persons living or dead in your world is purely coincidental.
Before The Years Collude And Take Me
I Wish To See
All Those Lost Set Free
8/1 Saturday
Morning
Aiko stared out the window of the boat bringing them back to Kochi in amazement. It was as though someone had heard her previous unflattering thoughts about the island's weather systems, and created a perfectly heavenly sunny day to prove her wrong.
She certainly didn't mind being wrong this time, though Julian had looked a bit despondent on the way home. "We can always go back to Tokyo another time", she reminded him gently, leaning over his seat out on the main deck. "I'll tell you what, at the end of this year if your grades are better than whatever you had last year, we'll go back again. And next time, I won't have to teach you all how to navigate the city."
"I didn't mind that so much", he joked back with a sly grin. "But I'll hold ya to that offer, Tsuruga-chan. Maybe just us two next time?"
"Oy. Give it a rest already", Reihga called from behind him. "That place has its charms, but I prefer Tosashimizu over it. There's actually room to breathe here."
In fact, they could all see the port city now without any aids, which seemed so much smaller now that they'd just come back from the largest city in the country. This particular white boat had been chosen for the scenic route even if it took longer, allowing them to behold various sights running along the northern side of the island that they'd never seen such as the Kurushima-Kaikyo-Ohashi bridge running north to south, linking it to the main land mass, but now they were within sight of familiar territory.
Aiko wasn't surprised to see that all the fishing boats that normally rested on the southern shore- including the easily-recognized shape of the Fiddler's Green- were all gone now, taking advantage of such a fine day. Even Pelagio could no longer be his usual grumpy self once they'd gotten out of the bus and let him out of the duffel bag, nowhere near as sick as he'd gotten the first time. He was dancing on the wind currents around the ship now, never going too far away but never sticking so close that the other passengers would get suspicious.
When offered the choice, he'd been uncharacteristically torn as well. "That city is a shining achievement of humans", he told her once they'd reunited at a secluded part of the ship, perched on the rail. "The unique configuration creates some fascinating updraft patterns to glide on. However, it's extremely noisy. There is dropped food everywhere, tempting me to snatch it up, yet doing so could easily lead to me being trampled underfoot."
"Thank you for not giving in to temptation", she smiled back at him. "I'm sure you caught a lot of people's eyes already, especially the kids. They're not used to seeing a bird like you outside of a zoo."
"What is a zoo?"
"Never mind. I'm just glad to be home."
"Is Tokyo not your home, captain?"
"Tokyo...", she claimed after a pause, "Tokyo is where I was born and raised. That's why they call me 'city-girl', with me being a transfer student. But... I don't think I want to grow up there." Sensing his confusion, she shrugged. "With any luck, I'll be able to get the Fiddler's Green from Byzael when I turn 18. That's something."
"Yes", he noted, becoming more distant at the mention of the name, another one he distrusted. "Having your own fishing boat would certainly be... unique. Though I do hope you'll try to keep it cleaner than that man does."
Laughing, she nodded. "I will, don't worry. He already taught me how to properly clean the hull, and the deck is easy; just like cleaning a normal floor. Even if he stays on and-"
She trailed off, suddenly uncertain. We never discussed that. We never even talked about it. Byzael was certainly welcome aboard his own ship even after signing the forms and willing it to someone else- to her. But the fact that he hadn't mentioned it at all gave her pause.
"Captain? Are you alright?"
"Fine", she quickly replied, taking a deep breath of the sea air to clear her thoughts. "Just glad to be back."
"You're hardly alone in that", Noel commented, taking the rail alongside her as Pelagio let go of it, flying close enough to be able to hear them still. "I cannot help but worry for father Shigetsu. He said he would be fine while we were gone, but... you know how he is."
"Yes. I know how he is", Aiko agreed, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's good. And he'll be even better when he sees the gift that you've brought for him."
Briefly glancing back at the box to ensure it was still there, he nodded. "In retrospect, I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. Certainly, it would have been expensive, but I could have saved my money up for it earlier." He raised one hand to his bright forehead dramatically. "'Oh dear shortsightedness, thou are truly the bane of humanity'."
"You've been hanging out with Kitagawa for too long, talking fancy like that", she teased him. "Don't worry so much about it. Whatever else he wants out of his life, I think what Shigetsu wants most is for you to be happy, Vitienne-kun."
"Yes", he admitted patiently. "But what makes me happy is seeing him alive and healthy. Apparently, even before his... accident, he was one of those types who would occasionally become so focused on other activities that they would forget to eat."
"Forget to eat", Aiko repeated in near disbelief. "I... don't think I've ever met anyone like that. Me, I never turn down a good meal. That's why your stomach makes those noises, right? To give you warning bells that it's time to drop whatever you're doing and find some food?"
"Warning bells that he would ignore", he sighed. "And that only grew worse as he became accustomed to near-malnutrition. I pray that now at least, he can stop that routine, and bring the color back to his cheeks."
"Count on it", she nodded. "We both helped him out. And he's been a really big help locating those 'Shadow boxes' that the Masked Circle hid. We owe him this."
"On that subject", he blinked, turning to face the familiar sight of Koashimizu academy. "What is our next move on that front? I wish to be able to plan for it."
"Eh. It's still summer vacation for another month", Ai protested, though she had been thinking about it. "The ceasefire is still on, unless we find out they've broken it. We can check out Faraway Lands and map out more of it if we have to, but I'd prefeer to take it easy for now. The main thing I really want to do is actually in our own world. That facility that Futaba found for us, the one that Lady Scorpio was apparently kept at before she broke out? I want to find it, and see what we can learn about it."
"That facility", he considered, fists tightening warily. "It could be guarded still. Remember that we cannot use our Personas in the real world. We are helpless against any kind of defenses that place may have."
"I know. But the odds are pretty good that it won't be guarded. Futaba said it herself; the place was relying more on being out in the middle of the wilderness for security. But now we have the rough coordinates for it. It's supposed to be hidden at the mouth of a river, somewhere just a few miles south of Shimanto."
"South of Shimanto", he repeated. "That's... pretty far to the north of us. It would be an all-day trip certainly, even if we use the bus to take us most of the way there."
"Yes. That's why I want to set a day, maybe even this Wednesday if no one else has any plans. Dada Yangyu comes back tomorrow, and I want to be there to greet her."
"I'll try to keep my schedule open", he agreed. "But my first priority for now is caring for father Shigetsu's well-being."
"Always caring for him", Aiko whispered in admiration before something else occurred to her. "He's the last one you had left, isn't he? You lost Ayano, and Niyoga-senpai isn't talking to you any more."
At first she thought she'd prodded too far with him, but it would take much more than such a comment to anger their devout healer. He looked surprised by her words, but hardly offended. "Father Shigetsu gave me what my family back home never did", he said slowly. "But yes. I do hope to be able to turn Niyoga around eventually as well."
"Best of luck", she quipped, trying not to sound too cynical about their prospects. "That guy... he's gotten so angry lately. If he won't listen to you, then who will he listen to?"
"To logic, of course", he corrected her with a hopeful smile. "To the evidence of his own eyes and ears."
"So you're planning to take him for a ride in Faraway Lands?", she considered. "I suppose that could work, though I'd definitely think that through before you try it. As soon as he learns about it, you know he'll want to come back again and again, for research. We're not a tour boat, Vitienne-kun. Every trip we take across that ocean could be dangerous, especially when we have a passenger who can't protect himself."
He grinned back. "Now you sound like Sorano-chan."
"I guess one of us has to", she mused, cupping her chin quietly. "I've missed her terribly. But even if she's the one who let you stow away on our ship in the first place, her point is a good one. You won't be satisfied until we find Ayano's Land as well, won't you?"
Again, her words seemed to take him aback, but he recovered quickly, looking sad as expected but not distraught. "I... don't expect to be able to save her. You explained that part to me, and I understand. All I want now is to learn the reason why. Why? Why would she do what she did? Why would she give up on her life so easily, when Shukiji and I were there to support her through whatever tragedy might come her way? Her parents, too?"
Aiko returned her gaze to the sparkling water of the horizon. She had never known Ayano Furusato personally herself, only heard a handful of stories about her that she wasn't sure if she could believe. But what she had done was research into the causes of female teen suicide... and then afterwards, wish that she hadn't. Much of the material had been disturbing for her, to say nothing of the statistics.
It definitely wasn't the kind of stuff that she enjoyed thinking about at all.
"If we ever find her Land", she offered him, "we'll try to find out. Maybe the Land itself will have a hint for you. But you know how dangerous they are Vitienne-kun. I can't risk everyone else's lives just so you can talk with someone we can't save any more."
"Is that what Pelagio told you?", he wondered. "Or have you ever seen it for yourself?"
It was her turn to get exasperated. "Yes. Pela-tori told me. And I have no reason at all to doubt him. He wouldn't lie to me. He's lived in that other world for years. So if anyone knows how that place works, it's gonna be him."
"Yet he doesn't know who the master of it all is", Noel pointed out.
"Assuming there is one", she shot back. Awkward silence descended, weighing them both down until she spoke next. "...I'm sorry. This is still summer vacation, we shouldn't be talking this way. About 'business', I mean. We should just be relaxing."
"We didn't mind talking about it with Phantom Thieves", he ran his fingers along the railing nervously.
"That was different", she maintained cheekily. "That was them being interested in what we'd done and us asking for advice from them on how to proceed."
"Right", he acknowledged, remembering all he'd experienced in Tokyo, both the good and bad. "I'm sorry too. I had to hold onto some kind of hope that she might still be saved. Can you blame me, with all the fantastical things we've seen in the last 5 months? No. Hope, Tsuruga... Hope is the most powerful human trait. Even when we're told there's no chance of success, we have to try anyway. Just to see for ourselves, Bismillah."
"I know", she smiled back faintly. "That's why I was so worried when Sorano-chan brought you in on this stuff. Because I knew that you would hold onto your hope. And that hope would make you- and us- search that sea for Furusato-senpai, even if it put us at risk. But... you've been holding it in pretty well so far, I have to say."
"Holding onto hope does not make me a fool", he clarified stiffly. "That realm is a chaotic nightmare world, a patchwork of other's dreams. Our chances of stumbling onto Furusato's Land are worse than slim. Worse than a needle in a haystack. I'll not risk your lives that way."
"Good", she agreed softly. "Because I wouldn't agree to it. And I won't."
"Nor would I expect you to", he acknowledged. Out here in the breeze on a sunny day, she seemed to re-remember just how attractive Noel's blond hair could be in the right light, even if he wasn't at Tatsunoko's level. Julian looked pretty nice here as well, in a way she was positive that had nothing to do with the bright new summer T-shirts he'd received as a gift and now wore, but in a dirtier, more rugged kind of way.
Look at yourself. Akira trusted you to save the world and here you are ogling the boys. Get a grip already. If Tatsunoko ever joined up with us, I'd never be able to focus enough to summon a Persona.
He seemed satisfied with her own appreciative gaze, but one other thing occurred to her before he passed out of sight. "Um... Nicely done, by the way."
"Pardon?"
"That... um... talk we had just now. You didn't make a single mistake. You usually do. Your Japanese is really improving."
"Thank you", he beamed.
They finished landfall without any further issues, debarking at Cape Ashizuri and boarding the bus before Jiachi's phone startled them all with its volume. At first she didn't think anything of it, but then she saw his face fall.
"Rosea? What's up? You look worried."
More than worried- he looked downright pale. "It's... it's Kibo", he stammered, his usual confidence gone. "My... my dad called. It's my mom. She's going into labor right now. Kibo's coming."
8/1 Saturday
Afternoon
It hadn't been that much of a surprise that Jiachi hadn't wanted any of them to accompany him to the general hospital. At least, not to Reiha. A crowd would only draw attention to themselves, though of course he absolutely wanted to be present for the birth of his little brother.
Instead, she took the bus home exactly as planned. Even the more run-down part of the city looked fresh and new under summer's light, as though the recent rain storm had washed it clean. She was even more surprised to find the narrow slot that led into Dr. Spica's lab unlocked, surprising the portly man with her sudden entrance.
"I forgot to lock it", he sighed in admonishment. Mustard stains marred his Hawaiian shirt. "I do that sometimes. Getting old is horrible, Tawa. If you look hard, I'm pretty sure that you'll see some gray hair on me." Raised one hand, he adjusted his head slightly, making more of his hair visible. "See? I decay visibly."
"I'm pretty sure you had that before you set up shop here, doc", she joked back, happy to see her adoptive father once again. In that, she'd realized, she wasn't so different from Tsuruga or Vitienne. She just didn't give him the respect that they did theirs, though she had been trying to change that. "Is the research going okay?"
"Tolerably", he admitted. "Those coral samples your friend Tsuruga brought me have been helpful. If I could get some from different levels of depth, I could understand how deep the change has gone. Hopefully, gravity can do our job for us and dispose of it. But I doubt we're that lucky." Finishing the alteration to his charts, he embraced her. "Here I am, talking about work when you've been gone for weeks. Did you enjoy your trip. Tawa?"
"More than I ever thought possible", she astonished him with a genuine, unforced smile of delight. "That city... well... losing that home is another thing I regret now. But before you ask, no. I stuck to our agreement. Didn't even go near Shinjuku, or any of the other places that I know the Syndicate owns."
"Good", he breathed out, expelling the cloying fear that had clouded his lungs for weeks. Instead, his eyes found a different worry. "Hold on, your gloves... those aren't the ones I got for you."
"Good eye", she nodded, spreading her new pair wide to flex her hands. They were a bit bigger than the old ones, but better insulated as well. "One of my friends got them for me as a gift. I kept the old ones, but I know you keep trying to wash all those damn bloodstains out and it never quite takes. These ones are way nicer."
Nicer, she knew, and one more step away from the pointless self-destruction that had once been her routine. While they were the same color, they lacked the scent of despair that had permeated the last pair she'd had. That, too, was something that couldn't be washed out by any amount of cleaning, to the point that she'd been willing to concede that the scent might have been her imagination.
Regardless, Spica looked happy with the result. "This friend of yours... Tsuruga again?"
"Nah", she spread her arms. "Her name is Makoto Nijima. She works in Tokyo as a trainee police officer, though she wants to become a police commissioner. I met her here 'cause of that."
"So you met her there", he considered, his gaze tightening. "Who else did you meet there?"
There it was, his other big fear, this one unspoken until now. The fear that she would actually go to visit Kotobuki maximum security prison and meet with her true father... with Junya Kaneshiro.
She snorted at that fear. "Like I give a shit about that fat asshole. Besides, I don't think they allow visitors. Not for someone who isn't legally connected to him any more. Fake ID, remember?"
Of course he remembered. He'd been the one to create the ID that she used now, that she had no choice but to use. That had been his main trade back in the Syndicate, forging fake identification for Yakuza members to use, creating new names when the old ones drew in too much attention from the law. That was over now, naturally. Her ID was the last one that he would ever make.
And Makoto Nijima had guessed all of that without even needing to be told about it. Sometimes, that woman's intuition was downright unnerving, particularly for someone who had grown up believing that all cops were lazy good-for-nothings who never did any actual detective work. Apparently, she had an older sister named Sae who was even more intimidating than her.
She, Reiha considered briefly, would have made a great Hex. She's got the same knack for black clothing and punching people that I do, even if she is a bit shorter than me.
She shook the notion away before it could grow and fester. Hex was gone now, the visored helmet and outfit destroyed in front of her eyes by Spica himself, and she was well rid of it. They both were.
But that didn't mean they were in the clear, though. Far from it; that was only the first step. "I'll keep wearing these", she continued. "I don't want to frighten anyone. I'll keep them on until all the scars are faded."
"That's for the best", he agreed. Like her, he seemed eager to put an end to bad habits. "I know for myself just how judgmental children can be."
"Yeah, like I care about that", she joked back. One thing that hadn't changed- that she had no intention of ever changing- the simple truth that the majority of the students her age were vapid, easily swayed by first appearances careless rumors about people that inevitably spread around any school. Or worse, they were like Benihime Kujou, actively bullying people for the crime of being 'different'. Only the good ones, the ones like Tsuruga and Sorano and Rosea who didn't let that stuff make them shun others, were really worth being friends with.
"You never did", Spica agreed in amusement. "But I am glad to see you made some friends at school. Friends close enough to take you on vacation with them, even."
She nodded. That, she knew, was all that Aspicaya had really wanted now. For her to be able to have a normal life, untroubled by their pasts. He'd gone along with the whole Hex plan at first, thinking it to be just a phase, but he'd never really approved of it. Back then, she'd caught herself mentally referring to him as an 'old fool' more than once. Only now did she understand how much her life meant to him, and how devoted he was to it.
So, for his sake, she wouldn't hold back any more either. "Once I take my gloves off", she told him, "you should have a talk with officer Nijima. Tell her everything."
As expected, the idea froze him up with fear. For a moment she worried he might have some kind of heart problem, but Dr. Spica wasn't nearly so old or out of shape as he always pretended to be, only a youngster when the Syndicate had recruited him. "Tawa... I've already told you why that won't work."
"Because someone in the cops will tell about it to the Syndicate, who will kill you for betraying them, and then kill me, yeah", she rolled her dark eyes. "But Nijima-san isn't like those other cops. She knows how to keep things on the down low. She already knows about me."
That news visibly heightened his anxiety, and his voice lowered. "We've gone over this, Tawa. With any luck, you're right, and this Nijima woman won't blab. But the more information we give to her, the more she's obligated to report to her superiors. We can't take the risk. No no no."
She smiled sadly. She couldn't be surprised by his refusal, but it didn't change the inevitable fate she saw ahead for the two of them if things kept on the way they were. "The ID that you gave me... is a fake. It's a lie. It's the name of a person who doesn't actually exist in this world. My name isn't really Reiha Hayato. It's Ruri Kaneshiro. As long as I keep using that name, I'm committing a crime."
"A crime that keeps you and me alive", Spica retorted, growing visibly upset now. "The police can't protect us. Not from them. Enmikaeda doesn't forget. Nor the Heavenly Kings. They have eyes and ears everywhere in this country, especially in Tokyo."
The frustrated look on his face was another thing that she remembered all too well from her own. The more she grew up, the more she talked to him, the more she understood the details of how the Syndicate really worked in Japan. While many other countries had their own unique organized crime outfits, none of them were as ancient or deeply-embedded as the Yakuza were. By joining on a societal, mental and even economical level with the general populace- by making much of their activity legitimate and samaritan- they had become untouchable as a group no matter what the political climate.
Untouchable, and inescapable.
At first, that knowledge had brought her to such frustration that pain was the only way out of it. Knowing that the people who had ruined both their lives could never truly pay for it, never be held accountable. Knowing that they would have to hide away here for the rest of their lives, never able to reveal their truth.
That frustration had nearly killed her. Nearly gotten her trapped forever in some strange other world. Worse, it had nearly gotten a friend killed. And it wasn't gone. Not yet. In idle times, her thoughts could all too easily drift back towards the dark thoughts of Mr. Enmikaeda and all those wealthy, well-protected men that he worked for and her blood would boil anew. She had to be careful not to let the others see too much of that rage, or they would worry about her.
Unnecessarily. She had it under control, now.
"We have to work it out, doc", she told him, as gently as her deep voice was capable, staring into the fear in his eyes without flinching. "Not now. Not right away. But someday... we need to make it right. Get this stuff cleared. You'll take some time in jail for it, I expect. Sorry if that ruins your research. But if we leave it be, just keep on hiding away here... it'll come back to get us, some day. Aight?"
The doctor looked just as surprised as her at the sudden driven passion in her voice. Shifting, he moved into the back room to study something seemingly at random, ripping through old documents, speed-reading them with renewed energy. For a moment she thought he'd simply blocked out the whole idea until he spoke again:
"The research is a hobby, Tawa. It's like my Sudoku. It passes the time. Looking after you, after Azuto... after my benefactor's granddaughter. That's always been my real project here. My grand experiment."
"Oh, so I'm an experiment now?", she snapped back, thought her words lacked any actual sting, tinged with near laughter. "I feel so privileged. Gonna reanimate me with lightning next?"
"Eh. Maybe later."
Damn, you're good, she could only think. Like Aiko and Julian, Spica was an expert at using humor to dodge difficult questions. That had probably helped him in other ways too, she considered. Without a good sense of humor, he might have already gone mad from the pressure of being a man wanted by the Syndicate. The other half of it was him trying to get her to laugh, to make her smile again.
Even she didn't have the heart to keep chasing the topic right now. Not when she'd just gotten back from a vacation. So she changed the topic to something she knew would stun him almost as much.
"Nijima-san", she told him as he continued organizing his charts, "was a revelation to me. If every cop was like her, the people of this country wouldn't have to fear the Syndicate."
"If every cop was like her", he countered, "over half of them would be dead. She's lucky to have gotten this far unharmed, Tawa."
Reiha smirked at his usual cynicism. She had asked about that too, actually. As expected, many of Nijima's fellow officers had been dismissive of her, and not merely because she was a woman. They were already used to seeing her kind of fresh rookie, a newly-graduated one who was naively determined not to ever fall victim to corruption like so many before her had, yet so easily compromised with just a little bit of dirt. Fortunately, the corruption wasn't nearly so well-entrenched or systematic as it had been just six years prior, and she'd even made friends with a handful of younger officers who seemed to be clean.
As someone who had lived much of her life steeped in that kind of cynicism, the hardened belief that all the cops were on the take and all the crooks were untouchable, she had come to recognize that more than anything else, it was that sense of despair and nihilism that was holding them back. Some of Makoto's superiors would go after her because she rocked the boat and arrested people who were supposed to be protected, and yet other superiors would stand up for her, protecting her from the fallout. At least, that was how things had gone so far. There could one day be a time when those brave souls grew tired of being her shield.
Hopefully by then, she would have gained enough rank and experience to defend herself.
"I adore her", she continued, sensing his freeze without having to look. "She's wonderful. I want to be closer to her, be with her... But I also know that her heart belongs to someone else. A student in teacher's college. Akira Kurusu. Ever heard of him?"
"Can't say I have. Have you met him?"
"I have", she nodded. "Like Nijima-san, he's quite the inspirational story. That... makes it all the more frustrating to see them deny themselves what they really want. Akira even has a ring bought already. Poor sap just keeps losing his nerve. For six years."
"Ouch", Spica agreed. "That can be a difficult thing to go through with, but, well... even I wasn't that bad with my wife."
"Your wife?" Despite herself, she couldn't help being interested in any mention of the doctor's past before he'd been forced to join the Syndicate. Normally, he kept any details of that time very close to the chest, and she understood perfectly why. Not like I haven't kept secrets of my own.
So she wasn't at all surprised when he simply moved on to the next topic like it hadn't happened. "Of course, outing myself would automatically destroy any credibility my research had left with the leaves. Ironic, how this nation tolerates the Yakuza yet has no mercy at all for individual criminals... A conviction rate of 99 percent."
"I know", she echoed. "I know it sucks. And I'm not asking you to do it right now. Maybe later, when you've put together a good report on what this stuff is doing to Kochi's ecosystem."
"Heh. That's the curious thing", he replied, beckoning her to view a new graph brimming with complex numbers and records that she struggled to comprehend. "It doesn't seem to be affecting much at all. It always settles into the water, it can be ingested by fish or any other number of nautical creatures... yet it doesn't affect their bodies or brain functions in the slightest way that I can detect."
"That's good, right?", she asked optimistically. The others had already told her what this 'dreamwine' stuff actually was. It was the reflective black water from the other world, trace amounts of it sliding through every time the gate opened. While the Masked Circle had named it and learned how to weaponize it, enabling them to temporarily create spaces where Personas and Shadows could exist in the real world and even battle, it seemed like that required a substantial, undiluted amount of the liquid to be evaporated in order to achieve that for more than just a few minutes.
"I'm concerned about what other effects may occur as the concentration of it in the seawater increases", Spica maintained. "Which it has, at a fairly low but steady rate for the last six months. In fact, I calculate a high chance that contaminated fish may have already been consumed by people. By the time I'm able to figure it out, it may already be too late. If only those fools in association would actually send someone out here to assist me, or at least give me some kind of grant money..."
"Then you need to find out, doc", she agreed, taking his arm in support. "I'll help you do it."
"You?"
She chuckled. "Yes, me. I have to find some way to pass the time now that I'm not beating up thugs any more."
"I think you need to focus more on your studies, Tawa", he argued. "Your grades have always been very poor, and worse lately. I know I don't normally bring that up, but..."
"I know", she breathed. "I know. You didn't want to hassle me. You knew I already had enough to be dealing with already. Truth is, I can't really care that much for any of it. But if it's important to you, then... I'll try to at least do better in science class. Maybe then I can help you, aight?"
"Maybe", he allowed grudgingly, turning back to face her, the rough stubble on his face more visible now. "Tawa... I just want you to be able to live a good life here. Soon enough, you'll graduate from high school. You'll have to find a career of your own. I can't pay a lab assistant, not on my current budget. I can't even pay to send you to a college."
"I'll work something out", she vowed with more confidence than she felt. Punching people and Shadows was easy. This would be an order of magnitude harder. But she would try. For his sake, and the sake of her new friends. "I'll do my very best. Promise."
"That's all that I ask", he agreed with a smile. "Maybe it's my imagination, or too much time working with this fluid junk, but it feels like you're already on the way there."
"I am", she agreed, pulling him into another bear hug without hesitation. It felt strange, when you were taller than your parent. But she was well-accustomed to being taller than others. Certainly more than she was with working out her own feelings. "Thanks, doc."
Julian wasn't surprised to see that the hospital had gone strangely quiet despite having a dozen people in the lounge room. He had been in and out of here several times in the last six months, and as near as he could tell the building itself seemed to be a somber mood most of the time, the stark lighting and white walls combining in a way that seemed to request respectful silence.
Certainly, when he felt like being quiet it was obvious something was afoot. But it didn't stop him from running like it was crucial that he get into the emergency room to see his mother as soon as possible, only to run into an attractive twenty-something nurse who told him in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to be allowed in at this critical time with the baby on its way.
He couldn't even see her. He'd rushed all this way for nothing. He'd almost been angry enough to get physical, but then he saw his father sitting there in the hall.
Briefly, he considered how exactly it was that his father managed to look better, less stressed-out than he felt in this situation. "D-dad?"
"You're late", his father remarked, though the words lacked the sting he'd come to accept like the rain or the breeze. His normally thin beard was longer than usual. "Were you busy with your friends?"
He wasn't wearing a robe, Jiachi realized slowly. That, too, was another thing he'd gotten so accustomed to that it was a shock not to see it. Instead, his father wore a tight-looking dark magenta tailored suit, something that looked like it was designed for elite business chic but discarded due to missing the traditional colors. There was no tie, only a dim gray underlayer and buttons. Combined with the change of expression on his face, it took more than a moment to process.
"Y-yeah", he stammered finally. "How long have...?"
"Shortly after I called you. Six hours."
It was like he was on autopilot, like his shock had shorted out his mind, and barely knowing it he found himself opening his bag to produce a boxed lunch. "Here. You prolly need this more than I do."
"Say 'probably', Jiachi. Not 'prolly'. Did you have any food on the way here?"
"...No."
"Then we'll share it."
Little by little, the 'shock' seemed to wear off, and he felt like his usual self again. Or at least some approximation of that.
He'd known that Kibo was coming for a long time, naturally. Ever since he'd returned from his first trip to Faraway Lands. The bulge in his mother's belly was impossible to miss, only growing larger over time until she'd had to relegate cooking duties to her father and him.
But somehow, the reality of it hadn't hit him until now. It's happening. This is actually happening. Kibo is on his way. My mom is going to give birth to him. I'll have a little brother. I'll be a big brother.
It still seemed impossible for him to fathom. What the hell did he know about being a big brother? What right did he have to claim that role, knowing how close he'd come to surrendering to the offer of a dream world that followed his will alone? Knowing how much of an asshole his Shadow had been? His Shadow, which he'd learned the hard way was still very much a part of his mind?
"This brings back memories", his father remarked, as if trying to explain how he was staying so infernally calm compared to him. "Of when she had you. Like now, you were early. Desperate to get out into the world, it felt like. I was at work, but Genkinto drove her, back when he still could."
"Gramps", he whispered, feeling a migraine coming on. Like he needed another reminder about him. About the death that had driven him into Faraway Lands in the first place.
But Kibo... the news of that kid on the way was what had pulled him out of it. All of Tsuruga and Sorano's kind words- and some not so kind- had failed, yet that simple tidbit changed everything.
Like as then, he knew what had to be taken care of now, before it was too late. This might be his only chance.
"That kid's gonna be a handful", he started nervously. "I can already tell. I mean, if he's anything like me-"
"He will not turn out like you, Jiachi. I will make sure of that."
Great, way to give him an opening.
"...Yeah. Y'see, that's the thing, dad. Maybe there's things you don't like about me. Maybe things you'll never accept. But I still want to help. I wanna be a part of the kid's life."
He looked faintly amused. "Of course you will be a part of his life, Jiachi. You are his big brother."
One victory, he felt something like a rush of blood in his veins. "And that's the reason why I want to take care of this now. We won't have any time to do it afterwards, yeah?"
Standing, he stared down at his seated father, trying to catch the first sign of a reaction:
[I want a truce between us, dad. Between you and me.]
His father looked mildly annoyed, but it wasn't quite so bad as he'd remembered of the last time he'd caught him speaking English. Indeed, his reply was in the same language, equally accented yet fully fluent in his pronunciation.
[You already know my feelings on the matter, Jiachi. Though I loved my father to the end, Genkinto corrupted your mind with stories about how life is in America. It is not what you were led to believe. Far from it.]
They couldn't break apart now, both their gazes focused on the other, trying to search for signs of what came next, of their feelings. Trying to repair the gulf that had divided them for so long. Another doctor looked momentarily thrown by the exchange, but kept moving past them after a moment. Like medical emergencies, it seemed confrontations like this one were commonplace in a general hospital.
"It's not the Wild West", Julian conceded, reverting languages. "I know that. But it's a nation that respects people's freedoms. It doesn't force people to obey."
"That, too, is a falsehood", his father countered, cold and calm as ever. This had been the point of contention between them for years, the spark that ignited dozens of arguments.
"I have lived in America. I have seen its culture for myself, and you have not. I know of its many weaknesses. Given the choice between the two nations for us to live in, I chose your mother's home country over my own. I chose Japan's culture. And I never regretted it. Here, they teach children how to properly behave and to respect their elders."
"I know", Julian repeated, feeling the sting of his father's words wash over him. "I know. I don't really know anything about it beyond movies and what Gramps told me. And... I want to fix that some day. Now that I've gone and visited Tokyo, I wanna go to New York too, and experience that culture for myself. Up close, and personal. Then, I'll decide... decide for myself which one is better. Which one I want to live in."
His father took a deep breath. "That is your decision to make, Jiachi. But you'll be the one paying the money for such a trip. And it comes after your graduation."
"Naturally", he tried to smile back confidently. "Plus, you're gonna need some help with the kid in the first few years, right? I can do that. I'll even teach him English when he's old enough. That'll give him a huge advantage in school, yeah?"
He sensed that he'd pushed his luck too far with that one, but his father didn't give him the disapproving glower he'd gotten used to. "I am fully capable of giving Kibo the education and discipline that he will need to succeed."
"Maybe", he allowed before refocusing his gaze. "But there's stilll some things I can help him with that you can't. Because he's gonna be like me. A hafu. A hafu in a country that treats us like..."
He wasn't sure what to say next. The words he'd had in mind were 'sideshow freaks', but that seemed a little too strong now. Now that he'd found people who didn't treat him that way. Now that he'd realized a lot of the flack that came his way wasn't because of his nationality at all. It was those awful things his Shadow had demonstrated, which had been harder to see in him, but still very much present.
Above all else, he was just past tired of blaming other people and things for his problems.
"Just let me help you with him", he finished, solemnity a rare fit for him. He thought he felt tears weighing on his face. "Please. That's all I ask. I still love you, dad. And mom. I'm sorry it took me this long to figure out how lucky I am to have you... or the kid."
His father looked impassive at first. Like his son, he had a great deal of experience camouflaging his emotions even before he'd embraced the innate stoicism of his new preferred culture, and his words sounded somewhat flat. "I... love you as well, my son. And I apologize if you ever thought differently."
On cue, some kind of beeper startled them both, the sudden caterwauling bringing their attention back to the door to the room where they knew the lady Rose was dealing with a pain that neither of them could ever comprehend, all of it to sire a new life.
He had no idea how long they both held their breath. There seemed to be an inversion, a space where time held no sway, and then they were past it, hearing the last of the screaming fade away into faint gasps.
Then, after a few minutes, Julian acted. He pulled the door open, no longer caring what the doctors and nurses might say to him. Beyond it lay a standard operating room and table, which he'd just now realized was only one door down from the one where Akira had lain when he'd been injured in a battle. Two doctors and a single nurse stood within, one of them holding a swaddled bundle of cloth while his mother looked on with a serene face. As though she'd expected the interruption, expected him to lose his patience with the wait.
Then the doctor turned to the source of the intrusion, and nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed in the universe for a moment, except for that face. An impossibly tiny face that had been red and squalling moments before, but seemed to stop immediately after to stare at them, rapidly blinking in the harsh light.
"Welcome to the world, kid", he whispered, low enough that only he would hear it. "Welcome... Kibo."
8/1 Saturday
Evening
The temple looked a lot better than Noel remembered. Not only had the 'garden' where father Shigetsu claimed the soil was 'blessed' been given a more substantial fence, but the masonry had been given a thorough cleaning both outside and in. Shigetsu had no other attendance present, contenting himself with polishing the thin metal braziers.
"You've returned", he noted without looking up. "I trust you enjoyed it?"
"Immensely, father", he agreed. "Tokyo is like an entirely different world from this one. I met people who I never would have here. Including the famous artist, Yusuke Kitagawa."
"Famous?", the priest considered curiously.
"Well. Not exactly famous", Noel amended. "Not so much as his former sensei, Madarame. But he's doing well enough."
His pastor frowned, pushing down on his brass cane. "Wasn't Madarame a fraudulent artist? Convicted of plagiarism?"
Noel grimaced. Amazingly, even out here word of Madarame's deceit was known. His revelation had truly been that much of a scandal that Shigetsu would know of it. "Yes. But Yusuke moved beyond that to become his own man. He inspired me in new ways as well. But he wasn't even the only one to assist me there. Look."
Unable to hold back any more, he laid down the box he carried, prising it open to reveal what lay within. A round, wooden-colored prosthetic folded up inside the case's molding, thin strips of metal welded around the joints making no noise. "This is the highest-quality", he explained. "You can thank Haru Okumura of Okumura Foods, father."
Shigetsu stared at it, trying to process what it meant. "You purchased this...? But your father..."
"I didn't spend that money on it", Noel corrected him. "As I said, a good friend pitched in. For her, it was a mere pittance. It's something I've always wished to do for you father, particularly after your... accident."
"Which one?", he snorted. But his feigned humor didn't last. He cradled the flexible appendage in his arms, staring into the joints to see his own reflection. "This...?"
"You will need to have it put in at the hospital", Noel explained. "But I've already made an arrangement for that. Then, you will be able to walk again. Without the need of that cane."
Roused, he tapped the floor with the aforementioned heavy cane. "It's served me well enough. But... I did not ask this of you."
"You never needed to", he replied, beaming. "Seeing you able to walk again is all the reward that I need. And there was enough left over to purchase some more food, as well."
"Truly", Shigetsu nodded, finally understanding what had just come his way. "Truly, we are blessed, our faith and perseverance rewarded. Only..." He trailed off. "Will I still be able to detect the demons for you, after this is put in?"
"Don't worry about that", he gripped his pastor's shoulder strongly. "You've done a great job with that. We took down several of the demons that were hiding on this island because of you pointing us to them."
"But there are more", he protested, staring into the curved head of his cane. "I sense it. A large concentration of them, kept somewhere in the city."
Noel tightened his gaze. He knew exactly what his pastor spoke of- the Karma Club. In its dark basement, away from the eyes of their guests, they kept the Shadows that they had abducted from Faraway Lands, sealed them away in more black boxes full of dreamwine until they were needed to 'test' newcomers and Awaken their Personas... or kill them if they failed. That place was their enemy's stronghold, one that they couldn't attack yet. Not when 'Prince Taurus' alone had nearly destroyed them all.
But they would eventually, he knew. A confrontation was inevitable. As soon as Aiko, their captain, believed they were ready, they would strike. Then, all the Shadows, the 'demons' that Shigetsu spoke of, would be returned to their own world.
"There's no need to worry", he maintained. "You've done your part, father. We can handle the rest of this problem without your assistance."
"Oh, you'll be receiving my assistance", he jested merrily. "Whether you want it or not. There are new vegetables sprouted in my backyard. You are welcome to them, to carry on your way and take advantage of the power contained within them to defeat the demons. My eating those would be a waste of their potential."
"Thank you", he accepted the gift. Whether they contained the energy Shigetsu boasted of or not, fresh vegetables were always welcome in a city that primarily focused on fish. "But you do still need to eat, father. Here. It's Udon salad."
"Ah. My favorite", the older man smirked, growing quiet as they ate together. The calmness, Noel recognized, was something Tokyo would never know, not even in the darkest hour of the night where all were meant to be asleep. It soothed him, smoothed away the stress he'd developed during the trip despite how exhilarating it had been in many other ways.
"While you were gone", Shigetsu announced once they were deep into the meal, "I convened with God. I wondered why it was that you and your friends were destined to be entrusted with the ability to slay the demons, or I to detect them."
"I have wondered about that myself", Noel admitted, surprised at how much he meant it. "Surely, there are others more worthy than us?"
"Perhaps", his pastor smiled back. "And yet, perhaps not. Perhaps only those of your age possess both the purity of heart to wield the power that you do, and the maturity to use it wisely."
"You overstate our worthiness", he claimed, staring up into the arched ceiling in remembrance of the last time he'd been here with Reiha. "Certainly, there have been temptations to abuse that power."
"Of course there have", he scoffed. "That is inevitable, my son. We are human, thus any kind of power we gain will come with the equal temptation to abuse it. A test of our will." The unspoken offer there, of course, was the one to hear any such temptations Noel might have yielded to, and absolve him of them.
"Thank you, father. I'll keep that in mind." He wasn't that worried about himself... but he hadn't been able to ignore those subtle desires Reiha had spoken of, the wish to be able to return to Tokyo some day and use the power of Adrestia to tear through the Yakuza. The Persona of the Justice Arcana... but is that truly justice?
The rest of them at least, hadn't experienced that problem. None of them, not even Julian had ever expressed a want to use their power for personal reasons. He was grateful for that, but even he wasn't completely convinced by Shigetu's claims, that they'd been given these 'Personas' just to purge the Shadows here and elsewhere. Why, then? What is their secret? Is that truly a power that exists within all humans, granted to us by God? Or only certain ones?
Dellingr held no clues for him about that. Though wordless, it did sometimes seem to express certain feelings to him, but nothing concrete about its origins beyond the fables and legends found online or in mythology books. The 'shining one', it was called. And as the others had brought up earlier, it did indeed possess offensive 'bless' skills in addition to the healing ones he'd demonstrated so far. Dellingr had even taught him the strange-sounding names: Kouha. Hama. Makouha.
Skills that he would never use. Unlike the others, he'd conquered that particular temptation long ago, even before gaining the power.
That was the goal, he knew. Locating Ayano Furusato was just the cover story. The real objective... Was for them to inquire. To learn what evil had generated this dark ocean in the first place, and undo it. That would save humanity from the Shadows... as well as the forever-tempting power of the Personas.
Perhaps then, when that was done, Reiha could be convinced to abandon her hatred. As well as any fantasy of using Adrestia's power to hurt others, no matter how much they might deserve it. Perhaps then he could finally trust that Pelagio wasn't, in fact, a Shadow.
All this and more, he knew Shigetsu had considered as well, both of them meditating on the exact reason they had been given this power, a unique power never before recorded by any government or religion to his knowledge.
It's a shame that we must put it violent uses from the beginning, he considered. Just the magnificence of a Persona appearing in front of someone could inspire awe. It could make them reconsider their place in the world.
It made him wish he could do it now, in front of the priest, just to let him admire its radiance, its purity. Though he would never dare call it an angel of any level, its light remained soothing to him, a constant comfort that could never be duplicated by any earthly jewel. Not even if someone were to gather all those rubies, crystals and diamonds together seeking to copy it. Kitagawa was correct. Nothing matches their beauty. Nothing.
He was aware he might be slightly biased in considering his own to be the most beautiful Persona of them all, although Mirambela's Oya and Aiko's Tam Lin certainly possessed a primal attraction of their own...
"Our vacation was well earned", he remarked happily to Shigetsu. "And we still have an entire month of summer free of school to enjoy, and take it easy."
Despite seeing significant amounts of time in what could charitably refer to as 'high-stress' situations lately, Noel had yet to subscribe to the increasingly popular notion that speaking of positive things that one cherished or was looking forward to out loud was an invitation to have that thing threatened by the will of some higher power. Just as he had never believed that claiming 'it could be worse' was an invitation for the situation to worsen in response. Destiny decided their fate, not a reaction to some idle boast.
But then, he saw his mentor's face suddenly freeze, and grow pale. "No...!"
Alarmed, he stood, searching for the source of Shigetsu's distress. There was nothing overt, no chill permeating the temple like what had been a problem in the colder months. Only the older man's unease let him know that something was amiss. Something drawing closer...
He stood as well, a death clutch on his cane. "A... A demon! A demon is near!"
"There's a Shadow?!", Noel straightened up, expecting some black puddle to intrude at any moment. Perhaps this was the work of the Masked Circle, violating the truce with an underhanded attack on their 'Shadow radar'?
But nothing of the sort burst forth. Out here in such a secluded place, it would have been entirely possible to discreetly deploy one of those clouds of vaporized 'dreamwine' to allow the summoning of Shadows and Personas without drawing anyone's attention. Yet he saw no sign of it, no sense that the presence of that other world was intruding on this holy ground.
Instead, it was the doors which burst open to reveal a human strolling into the temple. No...
He took an involuntary step back. No... This one could only be described as 'humanoid'. The demon, the Shadow, made no pretense of being fully human. Its bushel of messy tangled white hair did nothing to hide the pale blue skin beneath, or its strangely dagger-shaped elfin ears. A wreath of angular leaves lay across both its shoulders, accentuating a plain brown tunic and pants that looked borrowed from some medieval renaissance fair. Long, spidery fingers protruded from the sleeves, extended further by sharp nails equally as pale as the hair.
And despite all this, he recognized the creature's face instantly.
Shigetsu stared, dropping his cane in shock until he was forced to lean against a bench, his voice a weakened whisper. "My... son? No... You are one of the demons, taking his face!"
The intruder let out a soft chuckle. Its tall figure exceeded Noel's, and atop it, heavy lids slid open to reveal acid yellow pupils narrow into pinpoints. Thin lips opened to produce a voice possessed of the same threatening reverb he remembered from Reiha's hideous vampire Shadow, yet all too different due to its contrasting other half, an even more familiar young masculine one, low yet possessed of an exaggerated whimsy.
"You... speakest right. I am the merry wanderer of the night. I jest to the lord Oberon and make him smile, while all the world do I beguile. But you may call me... Puck."
Taking a deep, theatrical bow, the Shadow rose, Shikiji Niyoga's borrowed face making an amused smirk at Shigetsu. "Father... I've come home at last."
A/N: More refresher stuff with lots of emotional reunions.
EnPassant4264: Thank you for the feedback! I don't normally do refresher material but this story does have a lot of details to keep track of, being the longest I've ever done. In fact I've actually got a separate document to keep track of everyone's Arcana, background, speech habits and story progression. One of the stories that inspired this one, Destiny of Death, loves reminding the reader of important details and past events, but I agree it can feel a bit too 'filler-y'. I promise that next chapter will be 'all killer, no filler'.