Chapter 50 / Fragile

May 7th, 2012 / Morning
Setsuko's Apartment

SETSUKO'S POINT OF VIEW

I felt a pain in my shoulder as I struggled to open my eyes. I moved a bit and realized I must have been sleeping on my side a bit wrong. I was welcomed by the usual smell of coffee that tended to drift over from my neighbor. I'm not sure if it was because the walls of my apartment were super thin or my neighbor just made that strong of a pot of coffee that just overwhelmed the fourth floor of the building I lived in. Either way it woke me up every morning...which was also why I never set an alarm as a result. I probably should in the case that my neighbor decides not to make coffee one morning...although I have a feeling I didn't need to worry about that. That guy would likely have coffee injected straight into his veins if he had the option. He always tried to talk to me but he was also always in a hurry. I think his last name was Watanake...I could never remember.

I finally gave up and sat up and yawned before taking a moment to stretch as I got out of bed. I rubbed my eyes and avoided walking on the various electrical parts scattered around my room. To the casual observer it would probably look like I had taken a few computers and smashed them with a sledge hammer with all the various bits and pieces but I assure you that it is completely organized in a fashion in which I could easily find what I needed. Plus it irritated my fiancé so that was also a plus. Not sure why I enjoyed bugging him in such a way. He claims I won't be allowed to do that when we are married, but he'll just have to live with it. I made my way to the door of my room and slid it open. Comparatively the rest of my apartment was pretty much spotless. The halls had photos of my family and me and that husband-to-be of mine, Royama Kichiro. He had been in my life since I entered middle school. and he refused to leave my life since.

I made my way to the kitchen and retrieved a bowl and then a box of cereal and began to fill the bowl and ensuring the maximum amount of sugar I could manage into it. That meant a ridiculous amount of marshmallows that I could contain within it before I retrieved the milk and poured it in to a desired amount. I returned everything before grabbing a spoon and picking up the bowl and walking to the living room with my TV. The TV remote was on the floor so I used my big toe on my right foot to hit the power button to turn on the TV without much effort before plopping down onto my knees at the table. I wish I had a couch instead but the cushion would just have to do. I took a big bite as I numbly turned my eyes to the TV.

"The escaped serial killer from Inaba, Tohru Adachi, is safely back in custody today after he had been supposedly broken free. The police also report that they have a suspect in who had managed to free the criminal but they are unable to comment about it at this time. Some speculation connects it to the plane hi-jacking that only occurred a few days ago. Some of the people involved in the incidents seem to have no memory of their actions in that time frame leaving most of it up to guess work. Either way its good to hear that such a dangerous criminal is back behind bars,' the news reporter kept going on.

Yeah, I had zero interest in all of that. I lived in Kyoto after all. Nothing really happened around here. I mindlessly kept eating my cereal and watching the news. Some of it was more interesting...the recipe having to do with making an especially spicy curry seemed interesting. I could probably look up a better recipe online though. I looked to the clock I had hanging on the wall. It was 8:30 in the morning...I had classes to get to. I didn't love too far away from the Kyoto Institute of Technology...although most students referred to the school as Kosen. I was focusing more on Mechanical and System Engineering but I also take a variety of other classes just for personal interest. I had considered for a while to pursue Biomolecular Engineering but I figure I could just keep learning things on the side while focusing on this degree and finding different ways I could continue my Fathers...

A ring tone was going off...my thoughts stopped and I listened as it went off once more. I sighed and got to my feet. I was basically done with my cereal at this point anyway. I moved back to my bedroom and grabbed my cell phone from the table. I didn't customize my ring tones...it was just your standard annoying tone that came default on my phone. I just never used my phone much to begin with. The only one that really contacted me was...yep it's my sister, Yoko. I sighed and picked up the phone.

"What do you want Yoko?" I could basically feel myself preparing to roll my eyes for whatever my younger sister wanted.

"Onee-chan, It's your wake up call!" Yoko's usual energy was as high as it usually was. "You're going today right? I'm going to meet up with you after you get done with classes."

"You are too excited for all of this," I really did roll my eyes. Sure she couldn't see it but I felt better.

"Come on! This is your wedding dress! How can you not be pumped to be getting fitted for it? You are going to look absolutely stunning, I just know it," Yoko certainly made it sound like I should be excited. Maybe I should...it isn't every day you get married. Well I bet some people might put that saying into question.

"The marriage isn't for a few more weeks and I have finals to worry about. I don't exactly have much time to really think about the wedding. Honestly, Kichiro is way too impatient about this whole thing," I sighed annoyingly frustrated thinking about my husband-to-be.

"I can hear you rolling your eyes, Onee-chan," Yoko giggled.

"Yeah that isn't actually possible. I need to run...I still need to switch out my leg," I needed to end the conversation.

"Did you sleep with your prosthetic on again? That is a pretty bad habit of yours. Alright, I'll let you go. Love you, Setsuko," my sister then hung up and I put my phone down.

I pulled off my pajama bottoms as I sat down on my bed. My left leg was completely normal...but my right leg was a different story. When I was six years old I was in a car accident and in that I had lost my right leg. I don't really remember anything from the accident or even anything before that time. But I was left with a reminder that something horrible that had happened. Because of that I spent the majority of my life in therapy...there was a lot of other things that happened along the way that just seemed to extend that time even longer. I reached down and undid the latch and with a twist the prosthetic came free.

I put the leg on the bed and then grabbed a couple tools to take off the connecting piece that went to what was left of my right leg. It wasn't like it was completely missing but it was cut off above my knee. So I used what was simply called a robotic leg. Though mine was a bit more unique than the usual ones you would find. Anyway, no time for that I needed to be quick. I grabbed my crutches that were on the side of my bed and managed to get myself back to my feet and headed to the bathroom.

The apartment owner actually installed rails in the bathroom for me to use. This way I could just abandon my crutches at the bathroom entrance and not have to worry about them getting in my way. I only ever really used my crutches in the apartment to begin with. My robotic leg allowed me to more or less be completely functional...as a matter of fact I occasionally forgot it was even there. That was why I often forgot to take it off at night. I'm supposed to do so...but that was generally because normal prosthetic legs you couldn't keep on for that long. There was a reason for why mine didn't cause that much strain or much negative effects if I left it on. It was because it wasn't a normal robotic leg it was one that I had made myself.

It was a skill that I had to learn. The only reason I could was because of necessity. Well I guess that wasn't the only reason.

I had to be as quick as possible. I think I'm pretty swift at getting in washing myself and getting out. I was always faster than Yoko and she had both of her legs. Well I just prided myself at being efficient. Yoko just liked to soak in the tub for too long. I rushed this morning and not before long I was leaving the bathroom, dried, my long black hair also dried and I put it in a long simple braid before I went back to my room. It probably wasn't that good of a braid but I didn't really care. Using my crutches I went back to my room and sat back on my bed. I tossed my crutches to the side and grabbed my robotic leg. I attached the connecting piece to my leg before I then placed my robotic leg into place. It clicked into place and noted the green light that flashed at the top of it that confirmed a solid connection before I then latched it in place.

I stood up and navigated the mess of assorted electrical parts to get to my dresser and pulled out my clothes. I was in a rush so just some blue jeans and dark blue t-shirt. Nothing fancy. The last thing was my sock for my left foot. I feel like I waste money when I buy socks...or save money if you consider I use all the socks for just one foot. I didn't hide my robotic foot, so I had long since gotten used to the usual stares I got when people saw it for the first time. I picked up my school bag and my phone before I left my room. I returned to the living room and grabbed my cereal bowl and took it off to the kitchen. Stopping at the refrigerator to open it and grab a can from the inside door of fridge and then closed it. It was a TaP soda. I tend to drink a lot of caffeine. Well I also tended to be pretty busy.

Pulling my phone from my pocket I checked the time. Then something else made a noise. My laptop was now beeping...I should really change the alert noises to something less annoying. The laptop was sitting on the counter in my kitchen. I guess I had left it here last night before I dragged my ass to go to bed. I put the can of TaP on the counter and opened it. As the screen came to life there was a bunch of windows open on the desktop but I only cared for the progress bar on the top left of the screen. It read 100% complete. I quickly connected my phone to the USB cord attached to my laptop and closed the status bar. I moved the new folder to my phone and waited for its contents to transfer. I really needed to head into the campus now. This was another step down in what has been a rather long process...but I was another step closer.

I'm sure my Professor wouldn't mind me borrowing the lab room before classes started. Not that I was going to give him the chance to say no to me or anything. As soon as the data transferred I disconnected my phone and closed the laptop. I grabbed my purse, since I would likely need it for when I met up with my sister. Normally on a Monday like this I would just grab my student ID and then come home immediately after classes. Which today I only had morning classes, so I would be done around 1 pm.

I double checked to make sure I had everything but I was sure I did. I went to the door and slipped on my shoe to my left foot. After that I also reached down to my robotic foot and lifted it up slightly to pull a slider into a different position and then locked in place. It was one of the more simple modifications to the robotic foot as all it did was extend grip on the bottom of the foot so that the height would also match my shoe. It had been really annoying when I realized the slight height difference from when I was wearing a shoe...and it seemed silly to have to wear one on my robotic foot, when it hardly needed protection. I was hoping to eventually be able to create a setting for if I wanted to ever try wearing high heels. I bet that would look really weird though. I guess no weirder than having a robotic foot to begin with though.

I finally left my apartment. I would be quickly jumping onto the bus to head down towards the campus. It was only a few stops away from here but it was a bit faster. After only a few minutes I got onto the bus and then took an open seat. Looks like the bus was less crowded than usual. That gave me some time to think before I got to the campus.

The files in my phone were part of something I found when I was just seven years old and came at time I really needed the help. It was a storage device I found hidden in the last thing I had from my real parents, a locket. Most of it had been damaged but what was inside of it had luckily been preserved. And a good thing it had. The knowledge inside of it had been amazingly helpful. It was research done by my real Father that had died in the accident that had also resulted in the loss of my leg. It was also that research that quickly gave me an understanding of a great number of subjects, one of them having to do with robotics. When I had been young I ended up spending a lot of time at the library and acquiring the other knowledge I needed to understand the intricate details of what my Father's research meant...as I also wasn't sure going to others was a great idea. If I had told someone about it then they likely would have taken my Father's research and my connection to my real family. I was able to build a prototype of my leg when I turned nine years old. I had to gain a number of skills to be able to do most of the work and not one that was easy for me with my family.

My family...my adopted family that is. I was adopted into the Kasamatsu family. My adopted Father was a well-to-do Lawyer named Kasamatsu Daichi. He made a good amount of money and although he was pretty busy as he ran his own practice, he had always been supportive. So even though some of my requests made him raise an eyebrow once he saw my work with my leg though he was a lot more willing. So I figured out quickly that by keeping up top grades and also able to create my own leg prosthetic he pretty much let me get a lot of things that I needed. I owed him a lot for just how well crafted I could make my robotic foot now.

My adopted Mother was Kasamatsu Noriko. She was a pretty tactful woman and at first had tried to pamper me. I think it was just to the fact that I had lost my family and my leg so maybe she thought I needed to be. I couldn't remember any of the incident or anything before that though. Most of the psychologists that I saw eventually just evaluated it as trauma induced amnesia. Maybe they were right but obviously I couldn't remember any of it. When I delved into my studies and robotics she was the first to be supportive. Even more so when her husband joined her in the support. She was pretty stern but gave me a lot of leeway just due to my top grades and impressive knowledge that only grew as I got older.

My younger adopted Sister, Kasamatsu Yoko was in a league of her own as you might imagine. She tended to be pretty boy crazy...having a different crush on a new boy almost every week. So me having dated Kichiro since I graduated High School had my sister often poking and prodding me for information about my relationship with him. Not that there was much to talk about. I had tried to have relationships for most of my time through Middle School and High School, but they never lasted. It apparently was just a cool thing to date the girl with the robot leg. I also in general didn't care about most of the people but I found being in a relationship at the very least lessened the troubles I had with boys asking me out and girls being mad at me when the guy they like asked me out. It was all just a horrible headache. My Sister has been incredibly disappointed in my lack of interest in such things. But I had much better use of my time. Either way I still loved Yoko. She was always super supportive and would often just hang out with me while I was tinkering and experimenting on things to make my leg. Plus Yoko was incredibly athletic as the both of us participated in martial arts together. We were really close as a result.

My boyfriend and husband-to-be Kichiro was another matter. It wasn't like I disliked him. I mean I had said yes when he asked me to marry him. He was probably one that could be considered to be my childhood friend. After everything that had happened and my many relationships, Kichiro confessed to me in the last month of High School. We started dating but I didn't really expect it to last long. Things never really changed between us when we started dating, much to Kichiro's frustration. And mostly that was just him wanting me to be more physical in our relationships. I didn't really have much interest in it and I often blew him off when he would ask me out when I had plans to do research. He adjusted though...making sure he asked me well in advance to have dates and all that...and for the most part I did have fun with him but he always seemed a bit annoyed when things didn't go as he planed. Most of that just had to do with how he was as a person. I was always the top of test results in school but he wasn't far behind. To Kichiro his life had a perfect plan that he wanted to follow. At some point I guess I had become apart of his plan. When he asked me to marry him, it had been somewhat unexpected by me. And at the time I said yes because we had been in front a bunch of a people so I didn't think about it. And I was often so busy with class and my own research and work that I hadn't really thought about if it was something I really wanted...and now I was supposed to go get my wedding dress fitted after classes this afternoon. Was I really okay with spending the rest of my life with him?

The bus finally arrived at the campus so I hopped off along with a group of other students and I made my way down the street and through the gates of Kosen. I immediately made my way to the mechanics lab and used my Student ID which doubled as a key card of sorts to unlock it and went inside. The mechanics lab was usually kept tidy...but students with more complicated projects and with Professor permission. Professor Arakawa was the one who ran the lab and he had been kind enough to give me extended rights to visit the lab in the morning and late into the night. Mostly because it had tools and other things that I could only access here. A lot of it was donated by my Father specifically for my use actually. I made my way to my section of the lab. I still had a number of years to go as I was going here for the Masters Program in Mechanical and System Engineering. So I would get even more space as I continued to go here. I started up my computer before putting my bag and everything else down next to my stool where I placed a bag hook for it. My station set a bit higher so I could work while standing up but my stool was always nice to use if I wanted to work on my leg. It was a pretty nice setup all the way around.

"Alright, Dad...lets see what you've been hiding from me on here," I whispered as I pulled out my phone and grabbed a USB cord from a nearby drawer and connected it to my lab computer. Using the mouse I waited for the phone to connect before I opened the data storage and grabbed the folder I copied over this morning and made a local copy of the folder onto my computers desktop. It only took a couple minutes to transfer the files and I opened the folder. The folder contained a multitude of other folders but in this open folder there was a file. I checked the file type...it was a video, but an older type that wasn't really supported anymore. I drummed my fingers on the side of the table for the moment. "Shouldn't be surprised, the data on here is over ten years old...should be surprised it hasn't corrupted in that time."

I brought up an browser and did a quick search for a video conversion program for the file extension type. Thankfully there was a free program available...the website was a bit old...but I guess that was to be expected considering. I ran usual checks on the file for viruses and whatnot and then installed it when I was satisfied. I then ran the conversion and after a few minutes the new file had been created. I put my mouse over the file and just hovered over it. The name of the file was...ToMyChildren. Children? What did that mean? Did that accident have more than just my parents and I? I had a sibling? How did I not know that?

Of course I didn't know...my Parents had made a point when they adopted me to not bring up my past and what had caused my trauma induced amnesia. and I had never really asked about it even after I had discovered the research left by my biological Father within the contents of my locket. And the only one that knew about the existence of the research was Yoko, but she had never pressed into what it was because she likely believed it was just part of things I was studying. But everything in this file had been locked away behind a rather complex encryption...one that had taken me a long time to make a program capable of slowly tearing away at it. It was the best I could do as a kid. And learning to make a robotic leg had become more important when I was younger. So I didn't start to learn real programming skills until I started making more complicated robotic legs. And learning how to make a decryption program...and one for something that old was pretty hard...and it certainly wasn't anything standard...my Father had made sure it was not so simple.

I took a deep breath and double clicked on the video file.

The video opened in a 4:3 format. It was also not great quality but I could see an older man with dark brown hair. He was adjusting the camera before he stepped more clearly into frame. "I'm making this video in the hopes that you'll never have to see this," the audio was a bit quiet so I turned it up. "I no longer know if I am safe at this point...or any of us. The only thing I can do is make this and pray that either of you will survive. Kayane and Setsuko, my amazing children." I hit the space bar and paused the video. My arms were shaking. Kayane? A brother? I had a brother? No, stop...I need to listen to all of it first. I hit the space bar once more to make the video continue. "If you are watching this then that means I'm dead. I gave this to you hidden inside your locket so that it wouldn't be found by the Kirijo Group. A man known as Ikutsuki Shuji must not get this data. I can't do anything about what they have already taken from me but I can prevent this. I've used a custom encryption to lock away the most sensitive files and at best it would take a significant amount of time to unlock. That means I might have made this too hard for you children to see this. But all I can do now is put my wishes into this for both of you. The various folders here contain my final research results as well as some of my plans related to Labrys. Everything in these folders is data and research that I manage to hide from the Kirijo Group. Now I'm going to ask something of both of you that is very selfish. I want you to save Labrys. If I have one thing I really regret its that I had to leave her in their hands. I can't offer you much to help you in this regard but I might be able to lead you in the right direction. There is an old facility outside of Kyoto that belongs to the Nanjo Group. It has been abandoned but you should find some useful items that can help you find Labrys. If you have familiarized yourself with my research then you should be aware that Labrys' personality matrix is protected by a black box that I left even heavier encrypted than this. You'll need the cypher from that facility in order to get through it and will also make it possible for you to determine where Labrys is." My Father stopped and and he sat down on a chair and looked away from the camera.

"I wonder how long it will have been when you finally see this. Arisa, if you're there, I love you. I hope you've been able to remain strong. Setsuka, I know you will grow up to be strong and willful just like your Mother. Though I hope you aren't bossing your little brother around so much. I know he tends to follow you around and does everything you ask but just remember he's your little brother and its your responsibility to take care of him. I know there will be times he will need you. At the same time, Kayane, I know that you too will be strong in your own way. I know that life isn't easy and I'm sorry that I couldn't be there with you and your sister growing up. Support your sister when you can, and try and help her. Together I'm sure the both of you will be able to conquer anything. I know I'm asking a lot of the both of you. I have no way of knowing when you will get this message or if Labrys is even alive. But she is a part of our family. Kayane you were probably too young to remember Labrys but Setsuka you were really the one that made Labrys truly feel apart of this family. That's why if you can...I want you to find her. She deserves it and so do all of you." My Father got to his feet and approached the camera.

"I'm out of time. Take my research to heart and protect it. What you do with this knowledge I leave to the two of you. I know that as long as you follow your hearts you will always choose the right path. I love you, Setsuka. And I love you too, Kayane. I know that you'll make me proud," He smiled and then he reached forward and the video went to black and ended.

I stared at the screen...my eyes not moving, not blinking as I felt a multitude of emotions...and I couldn't even tell what I had seen. I was shaking...I couldn't stop. Despite it I took the video file and transfered it to my phone and then immediately deleted the files off the lab computer and disconnected my phone. If the files were that important then I couldn't analyze the files here. I brought my phone to my chest and took a deep breath. I couldn't settle down. Brother...I have a Brother. Had I forgotten that? And Labrys...she was the android in his research. It was what all his research related to the Plume of Dusk, Shadows and Persona had all culminated into the creation of. He had created a Mechanical Maiden that was essentially a new being...with thoughts, feelings and a will of her own. And she...was part of the family? Just what...what was I supposed to think about all this?

I realized after a moment that my vision was blurry...of course it was. Tears were coming from my eyes. I had a brother...a brother...I stopped and quickly put my phone down and went back to my browser and brought up a search engine. It couldn't be that easy could it? Well maybe he had a social page or...wait. If he was adopted then it was possible that his name was different. After all my family name was Kasamatsu now and not Ikakure. If so then a search wouldn't turn up anything. But...it wouldn't hurt to try. I typed into the search bar...Ikakure...Kayane. My finger lingered for a moment over the enter key on the keyboard...but I pressed it. My heart was racing. But immediately results popped up. After only a moment I felt my heart come to a halt. The titles on the links made me unable to believe what I saw.

There was an entry about him on an encyclopedia page so I clicked it open.

Ikakure Kayane was born on January 22nd, 1994. After his parents died in February of 1997 he was taken in by his Uncle Ikakure Daigo. However, the death of Fujikara Miyuki. She was his neighbor and the early investigation into her death led to her diary that had intricate details of not only what she had been through but the abuse that Kayane was suffering at the hands of his Uncle. This prompted a further investigation and also led to Kayane being a key witness in the murder of Fujikara Miyuki. Ikakure Daigo was eventually found guilty for child abuse, neglect, endangerment and many others. The cases were highly publicized and due to the amount of physical abuse Kayane took, which eventually became public, stirred increased programs to look for potential child abuse victims. Miyuki was a sexual abuse victim and so the pair became a hot topic for quite a while and still on occasion get referenced by those that study child abuse. After the trials Ikakure Kayane was adopted by the Mother of Fujikara Miyuki, who is a well known business woman in the music industry named Tsukio Nanase. Details of the case related to Kayane are below.

What? What?! My brother? He...

I reached for my phone and unlocked the screen and called back the last number. Only a few moments later she picked up.

"Onee-chan?" Yoko sounded surprised.

I tried to speak but what came out was a sob. The tears I been holding back to read was back in full force and I couldn't help it. I wanted to cry...I wanted to cry so much. "Yoko...I..."

"Setsuka, what's wrong? Where are you?" Yoko dropped her cheerful tone after she had heard me.

"Campus...please I need you to..." I somehow managed to speak.

"I'm on my way. Just meet me in the courtyard, okay? I'll be there in like twenty minutes. Don't worry," Yoko was assuring me as I could hear her quickly moving things around and was most likely dropping what she was doing. A few moments later I heard her talking to a few people that she was leaving. Telling them it was a family emergency. "Still there, Onee-chan?"

"Mmhmm..." I managed and the tears had slowed down a bit. I tried to take deep breaths but the more I thought about it...it hurt. He was that close...All this time and all it would have taken was an Internet search to find him. How could I forget? I forgot my own brother! I cried harder but I still turned off the computer and grabbed all of my stuff and made my way to the exit.

"Deep breaths. I'm leaving school right now. Come on, take a deep breath for me," Yoko was coaching me over the phone. I did as she said and took a deep breath. "Alright now just a slow exhale." I breathed out and felt some of the tension ease up but I felt like I was on the edge of falling apart.

I left the lab behind me and headed out to the courtyard. I stopped at the first bench and sat down. I took another deep breath. I was shaking and the tears were still coming more. "I...I have a brother Yoko..." I said weakly.

"You mean...from your biological family? No, forget that for now. Just wait till I get there, okay? We can talk once I'm there. Just focus on calming down for now," Yoko was right. I could wait. I took another deep breath and just continued to listen to Yoko.

My sister was so amazing. She continued to talk to me, even though it wasn't about anything in particular she just kept me focused on breathing and before long I was feeling a little bit more in control of myself again. It wasn't long...or it didn't feel that long before my sister Yoko was in front of me. She had short dark brown hair and was wearing a black skirt that went past her thighs and had a light blue shirt. She was dressed pretty casually but she quickly put her phone away, ending the call with me and then pulled me into a hug.

"Yoko...I have a lot I want to tell you," I said after a moment. I knew it wasn't going to be easy...but I couldn't handle this on my own.

"Alright, Onee-chan. We have all day," Yoko spoke softly.

I love my sister...and I feel I would need her more now than ever before.


May 7th, 2012 / Afternoon
Yamazaki's Ramen Shop

SETSUKO'S POINT OF VIEW

"Can I take your order?" the waitress asked as she came back to our table. She must have been new. She had light brown hair and seemed rather tired. Not much sleep maybe?

"She'll have the pork ramen and I'll have miso ramen. Water for me but she'll take coffee with sugar...no cream," Yoko gave our order before I had even said anything.

"You got it," the waitress said before taking off.

"You know me so well," I shake my head.

"Onee-chan, I know just about everything about you when it comes to your preferences. I bet I could order for you regardless of what restaurant we go to," Yoko smiled and I just sighed but I knew she was right. It just showed how much time I spent with my sister over anyone else.

Right now we were sitting in Yamazaki's Ramen Shop...which was a small Ramen shop, but one that my Sister and I had gone to since I was in Middle School. So us coming here was pretty common. It was comfy and pretty cozy and always felt like a great place to escape to. I guess that would be why Yoko had taken me here. "Yoko...thank you."

"You don't need to, you know. I'll always come when you need me," Yoko dismissed it. "More importantly...do you think you are ready to talk about it?"

"There is a lot I haven't told you. Not because I didn't trust you but because I was always worried it would put you in danger. All of this goes back to my biological family...and something that was left to me by my real Father," I wasn't sure how she was going to react to it but I reached up to my neck and pulled out the chain that was always around it. "This locket is the only thing I have of my family. But when I was young I discovered something inside of it. It is actually a storage device that holds all the files on my Father's research."

"Wait, so your real Father was a researcher? Okay but what about this was dangerous?" Yoko was pretty open minded to begin with...but telling her all of this was probably going to be hard. I know that any normal person would reject what I was going to tell her.

"The world isn't that simple. His research delved into some pretty unbelievable things and I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it all for myself. He researched into two different subjects. An existence known as Shadows...essentially monsters that feed on the minds of people and the powers that they hold. And the other subject is about ways to fight against Shadows. That was where most of my Father's research was at," It was easy to say but accepting it was another matter.

"So you've seen these Shadows?" Yoko asked. I knew she was going to listen to me and she would believe me to a point but there would be skepticism which I couldn't fault her for. I'd be disappointed in her if she didn't.

"Yeah, for a number of years. I had to fight them...a lot of them," I diverted my eyes for a moment. That would be harder to explain. How could I tell her about the years I spent when we were young fighting on my own...during a time that only I seemed to exist in.

"That was why you ended up with those injuries from time to time...isn't it?" Yoko's eyes widened. I nodded. "That was what was going on? And why you couldn't explain it? I was really worried about you, you know?"

Of course I knew that. Yoko would even sneak into my room to sleep with me...like she was going to protect me. But when it hit midnight in her place had been a large coffin of sorts. I had been alone in that time period...but just to be safe I would always leave...if inside that coffin was really Yoko then I needed to protect her. That had been my mentality as a kid. Even now that I'm older I would have made the same decision. But some time ago that time had stopped. I hadn't had to fight a Shadow in quite some time. "Yeah, that's exactly it," I confirmed it for her. "My injuries were from fights with Shadows. But I was fine because I have the power to fight them."

"And your Father's research told you how to fight them?" Yoko was remaining objective but she clearly remembered the injuries I kept getting as a kid. If anything it made what I was saying more believable to her. That was okay...I wanted Yoko to know everything now. I'll prove it to her one way or another.

"Yeah, that was part of it," I took a deep breath. "The power to fight Shadows is called Persona. It's something that everyone has the ability to awaken to if the circumstances call for it. My Father detailed a lot of different circumstances and also more about what it is. Persona is essentially the opposite of what a Shadow is, but holds just as much power. Shadows are supposedly the suppressed side of humanity...but Persona is a manifestation of your soul. It's only possible to use properly if you are essentially honest with yourself and who you are."

"That sounds...complicated. Shadows are basically...what? Like bad thoughts" Yoko was understandably confused about the concept.

"Aren't you the one aiming for a psychology degree?" I raised an eyebrow.

"So the concept of it is the same but its given physical form? So it would be repressed parts of an individuals personality...in the same breath a Persona is for a collective psyche...generally it's considered a system in which the Persona mediates between an individual to the social community. So it could be considered a mask used to deal with...oh. That makes a lot of sense," Yoko was a quick study plus she had always been interested in psychology...maybe why she loved the development of relationships but more enjoyed observing it than being a part of it. Probably why she had never sought to be in a relationship herself. Not that she hadn't dated anyone, only that she had never been in a serious relationship. "If all that is right, then wouldn't that mean that humanities subconscious has significantly more power than people know? I mean powerful enough to manifest in a form that is dangerous..."

"The way my Father's research describes it. The human subconscious combines in a place called the Sea of Souls. It creates a sort of collective will that will create Shadows as well as many other phenomenon. He also says its speculated that the actual power of Shadows is hard to determine as it seems that shared thoughts between masses of people can give birth to new power," I remembered pouring over those pages in his research notes. It had required me to print them out...so hiding all of that had been a challenge. Well, I had burned all the physical copies I had quite a long time ago. That wasn't something I had wanted to worry about. So I typically only kept the files with me and there was an emergency copy of the files elsewhere. "There is a lot more on it but that is the basics of it."

"Okay, so you said you can fight Shadows with Persona. That means...you are able to use a Persona?" She jumped to the next question.

"Yeah, that's right. My Persona is named Kishimojin," I wonder if all of this would make sense to her.

"Wait...the same as in Buddhism?" She looked confused. "Is your Persona also supposed to be a representation of yourself? If so I guess it makes sense."

"I'm not sure how I should take that," I speak as the waitress finally returned. She placed our ramen bowls in front of us and then our drinks. She put a decent sized mug in front of me and poured some coffee before placing a thing full of sugar next to it. "Thanks."

"Take your time girls. Yamazaki-sama says you are both long time customers. Sorry if I was rude earlier, I've not had much sleep recently," she gave a short bow.

"Don't worry about it. It's been a rough day for us too," Yoko smiled and after a moment the girl left.

"How do you do that?" I ask shaking my head.

"You, my adoring big sister, are just too honest for your own good. Plus you aren't much for socializing. I've had to learn to adapt to quite a number of tough...lets say...personalities," Yoko was wording it probably more delicately than was actually accurate.

"Same as always. Does Mom count as one of those tough personalities?" I ask with a small smile.

"Mom is just determined for one of us to get married. She only eased up on me because you are getting married to Kichiro," Yoko was right about that. Mom was determined to have Grandchildren sooner than later. Yoko pulled out some chop sticks and then took and started eating. I did the same but then Yoko spoke again. "Well you gotta keep going. So you have a Persona and spent time fighting Shadows...for how long?"

"Around ten years I think. Then for some reason I haven't really seen any since then," I said as I took another bite. "That was just one portion of the research...the other part has to do with robotics. And the use of an object called a Plume of Dusk."

"Naturally all of it is related," Yoko commented.

"It was part of a project called Mechanical Maidens. It was meant to develop androids capable of utilizing a Persona. Which was only possible because of the Plume of Dusk. And that's where things get a bit more complicated I guess. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't believe any of this," I put my chopsticks down and put sugar into my coffee...about two spoon fulls.

"Onee-chan...in all these years you have never told me anything remotely close to a lie. You never teased me or played tricks on me or told me ghost stories or anything, ever. It is hard to believe just because the nature of what it is. I mean if I told you I saw Santa Claus...for real...even if you trusted me and knew I wasn't lying...you would still find it hard to believe. But I'm always going to be here for you and support you...no matter how crazy it sounds," Yoko's words were just a reaffirmation of why I loved my sister. "Well, I can't say I wouldn't mind seeing something that might prove the existence of Shadows or Persona."

"I probably can do that...but lets get back to the main subject," I said and took a drink from my coffee after stirring it.

"Kinda has me excited but alright. Tell me about the Plume of Dusk then," Yoko looked surprised as if I wouldn't be able to prove it to her...but I definitely could. One thing at a time though.

"Well we already covered what a Persona is...so let me ask you...what would a Plume of Dusk have to be in order to give an android the ability to use a Persona?" It was probably easier for her to understand it this way.

"Wait...really?" Yoko eyes widened. "You would need a personality...rather a form of existence capable of self-awareness with its own desires and will. You're telling me that a Plume of Dusk is actually a soul?"

"Well, a soul or not the results is what matters right? My Father was the one who discovered it. He had very extensive notes on how to create a Plume of Dusk and also the implementation of its use to a construct...mainly an android. His research also noted the importance of having as close to human appearance as possible. I'm sure you can see the importance of it from a psychological standpoint. Developing a Persona requires careful development from the moment they are first made aware," I was giving her the basic explanation. She only needed a brief overview of everything.

"Okay, but let's head back a bit. How would somebody make a Plume of Dusk?" Yoko asked before taking another bite of her ramen.

"Combining and then condensing Shadows in to an inert state," I said after a moment.

She blinked for a moment and likely made the connection quickly. She finished up another bite of her ramen...likely taking the moment to consider it for a moment. "So harvesting your enemy to fight your enemy...then again...if a Plume of Dusk can lead to a Persona...then wouldn't that mean that Shadows themselves also have the potential to have Persona themselves?"

"My Father theorized that possibility as well. It was all in his initial theory when he made the discovery of its possible applications. Though he speculated that for such an event to occur it would require a series of events to make it possible," I said and put my cup of coffee down and used my chop sticks to take another bite of my ramen.

"That answers the source of these androids then. So I'm going to guess the last part of his research was robotics and having to do with building a human like android to implement the Plume of Dusk to," Yoko was keeping the conversation going...although she likely had a lot of questions to do with all the details. As we got to this I grabbed my phone and put it onto the table. I unlocked the screen and navigated its files before opening a set of pictures before sliding it over to Yoko. She looked down and analyzed it for a moment. She scrolled through the pictures. "These are blue prints and...wait is that your leg?"

"Well I based my robotic leg off this design. And well I had to change the components so it was lighter. If I used the materials it called for it would probably weight fifty to seventy pounds easy. I could hardly walk around easily with it. Plus a lot has happened since these plans were originally used. I use mostly light weight composite materials and overall it all works because it isn't like it is supporting a four hundred pound frame filled with machinery and gadgets," I ran off the big differences between them.

"Labrys?" Yoko must have read the blue print subject. "It somewhat explains why you increased you studies and delved deep into robotics for your whole life. Not just because it was about your foot..."

"I was also fighting Shadows. Our parents were starting to wonder why my foot kept being damaged...so I learned how to make and maintain it myself. I think Mom was annoyed at having to have like three or four spares in the house for me," I sighed thinking back.

"Dad had just wrote it off as you just being a kid," Yoko giggled.

"I wish he had been right," I took another bite of my ramen and looked into its now nearly empty contents. We had both just been eating as we talked and it was almost gone. "However...in all this time there was a portion of the files that was locked. It had a complicated encryption and I only was able to break through it this morning."

"You mean that thing you've had your laptop doing for like the last two months?" Yoko asked.

"That's the one. Inside was more files containing the results of his research, as well as future plans he planned on using for Labrys. And he also left a video. That was...what I had been watching," I put my hand out to get my phone back. "Here I'll play it for you."

She placed it in my hand but her hand lingered, "You sure you want to see this again."

"I want you to see it, Yoko-chan," I knew it would be hard to see it. But...I needed her to. "All of this I've told you was so that you would understand what he is saying."

Yoko nodded and moved her hand so I could navigate to the video file. When I handed it to her Yoko had pulled out a pair of headphones from her purse as she took back my phone. "No reason for anyone else nearby to possibly hear this," Yoko said and plugged the headphones in. She started the video.

I was glad I couldn't see or hear the video. I grabbed my coffee and took another drink. In this instance I was using it as a crutch when I saw Yoko's reactions. Her eyes were glued to the screen but she also put a hand to her mouth and I saw that Yoko was going to come to tears. The video was a little over six minutes long. I waited for her to finish. She put the phone down. Then looked up to me as she pulled her headphones from her ears. "Setsuko...This..." Then her facial expression changed to anger. "Mom and Dad must have known that you have a brother. And in all this time they never told you? I mean I knew you were adopted but I never really looked into it further than that."

"I also had a case of trauma induced amnesia. My psychologist suggested to our parents not to talk about the subject of the accident...part of that being not telling me about my biological brother. But that isn't what made me upset," I looked down at my food. "Go ahead...put in an Internet search for my brother. Ikakure Kayane."

She took out her own phone and unlocked it and was likely bringing up her search function. After a few moments...she must have gotten to the same thing I did. "Ikakure Kayane was the victim of...child abuse? No there are multiple charges here...He..." Yoko looked up at me.

"It happened years ago...years! Look at how easy it was for you to find. If I had just put his name in...I would have known. If it hadn't been for that amnesia...then maybe I could have been there when he needed me. What happens now? If I just showed up out of the blue? Not to mention Dad wants me to find Labrys...who is being held by the Kirijo Group...as if things weren't impossible before. And..." I was going to keep talking but Yoko eyes went big. "Yoko?"

"Umm...Onee-chan. Did you know your brother can sing and play the piano?" Yoko was apparently navigating her phone.

"Really?" I was confused.

"It's more than that...there is a video up...it went viral. Sis, your brother is playing the piano and singing with Risette," Yoko said the name and at first it didn't register to me. Then I remembered that she was an idol. Wait...he had been adopted by Tsukio Nanase...which the brief thing about my brother's trial I had read had called her a well known business woman in the music industry. Yoko got to her feet and slid into the seat next to me. "Here I found the video..."

She started the video. It was a stage...must have been a High School auditorium. On the stage was a piano...sitting in it was a young man. He had black hair...and was wearing mostly black clothes...his clothes also had chains and spikes...so it was goth clothes? He started playing the piano. The moment he did the noise of the crowd disappeared and it was only the piano. The intro to the song was well composed but it wasn't anything I had heard before. His skill was amazing...but then he started to sing.

"So this is me
In the dead of night
And how I wonder why I continue with this life
There lies my pride
Buried to never be seen again
But I'm sure they'll surface before I die

When the day finally breaks
Its light will never reach me
There is no one left to care for me
Love is but a fairy tale of a life that's gone"

The music kept a light steady tempo that seemed to emphasize loneliness and pain. Then on the edge of the stage entered a girl...she was Risette. But her outfit was black and a deep red...with frills but the whole outfit flowed and seemed rather elegant but also invoked a emotion of desperation. I had seen her image a few times but this was incredibly different than any other time she had ever been in a concert. She didn't sing...instead it was my brother who kept singing.

"Death is all that resides here
My heart stopped beating long ago
Yet here you tell me sweet words of hope
But there is no hope for this unfeeling man
There is no one left to care for me
Love is but a fairy tale of a life that's gone
"

The music built once again. The crowd gasped and seemed to finally notice the presence of Risette. Kayane, my brother, kept playing but this time it was Risette was singing.

"There is something you're missing
Do you not see me standing in front of you?
You want to deny me, turn me away
But I won't give up on you
I will be the one to care for you
Love is not a fairy tale and this I will prove

The light is not so far away
I will guide back its path
Don't turn your eyes from the truth
And I will show you that you live still"

Risette moved behind Kayane and looked down at him. She looked concerned. These lyrics did not seem to be chosen at random. Risette's voice complemented the music despite it being much different than what she usually sang. And it wasn't just the fact that the only music was the piano. The recording wasn't the highest of quality but it was enough to hear the tone. Risette stopped as it looked like Kayane would sing once more.

"But this is me
My life is has passed
A night much like this forced my hand long ago
You cannot promise
That my love will not disappear
If I were to open my heart once more

When the day finally breaks
Its light will never reach me
There is no one left to care for me
Love is but a fairy tale of a life that's gone"

Risette then leaned in and put her arms around Kayane from behind him. Even with it the audience was completely entranced with the performance. Kayane didn't even react to her closeness and kept playing the piano. The next part began and both of them were singing...alternating lines.

Kayane: "Death is all that resides here"
Rise: "My arms will pull you back to life"
Kayane: "My heart stopped beating long ago"
Rise: "I will mend it day by day."
Kayane: "Yet here you tell me sweet words of hope"
Rise: "Don't deny me, don't turn away"
Kayane: "But there is no hope for this unfeeling man"
Rise: "I would never give up on you, my love"
Kayane: "There is no one left to care for me"
Rise: "I will never leave your side, this day forward"
Kayane: "Love is but a fairy tale of a life that's gone"
Rise: "Your life is not gone, and I will show you that I love you."

Then the song shifted and the two combined their voices.

Rise and Kayane: "So this is us
We've come so far
And we're sure the fight ahead will be long
But this is love
And we'll press on
No matter the how hard our love will conquer all"

Kayane: "Can I trust you with my heart?"
Rise: "I will never let you come to harm"
Kayane: "Can you promise that we will endure?"
Rise: "My love for you will never waver"

Rise and Kayane: "Daylight will come once again
Its warmth will give us the strength to go on
When the day finally breaks
We will stay in its light
We won't stray away from the truth
Our love will endure even into the dead of night"

The outro came and the song was finished. The whole song was absolutely beautiful...their voices meshed so well together. The two got up and the crowd applauded. Then the video ended.

"That's your brother?" Yoko spoke softly. "You both have the same kind of hair...but your Dad had brown hair...so maybe you both take after your Mom."

"Is it really him?" I wasn't sure...How could I be...but something about seeing him made me feel like my heart was being squeezed. I felt tense and looked away. Yoko took her phone and started navigating it again. "If that's him...I mean how would I even contact him?"

"There are ways," Yoko assured as she moved back to the other side where she was sitting originally. "Seems like your brother has been making the rumor mill because of that. Seems like it was a performance done at his High School's culture festival. Oh here's one...Some sources indicate that Risette's break from the idol industry is related to Ikakure Kayane, and that the break is for her to work on a new project, working directly with Tsukio Nanase and her adopted son. Ikakure Kayane was also known to win piano competitions when he was younger, but his skills as a singer have caused the culture festival video to go viral among Risette fans. Looks like your brother has quite a bit of attention on him. Some of the rumors are pretty crazy. But one consistency here is that he lives in Inaba."

"Inaba is about an two hours from here," I said not really expecting anything more.

"Besides your super cute brother...we still have the matter of the lab facility...and its near here. Well we also have your wedding dress fitting to do too," Yoko was right that we needed to determine a focus for the day. I skipped classes today...one day wasn't bad and most of it was independent study due to finals coming up next week.

"You have your tablet with you, Yoko?" I asked.

"Hmm...yeah," She reached into her purse and pulled out the case that was decently small. I only asked because she also had a blue tooth keyboard with it that would make this process a bit easier.

After she handed to me I quickly set it up so I could use it. "I'm going to transfer the files over so I can find the address to the lab...if I'm right, it probably has a few security systems attached to it as well. But my Father likely attached methods for me to deal with it."

"So were gonna go then? We should wait till after the fitting though. We should push back the actual wedding though. We have to find and talk with your brother. He should be there for your wedding," Yoko was saying as I pulled out my phone and connected the devices together so I could transfer the files over. "What do you think?"

"The wedding?" I tapped the button to transfer the files on my phone and placed it down as the file transfer started. Honestly, I hadn't even been thinking about the wedding after all of this had come up. "Yoko-chan...should I really marry Kichiro?"

"Don't you love him?" Yoko asked. I was pretty sure she knew the answer...but as my sister often did...she wanted me to say it.

"Well...he's been around for most of my life. And I do care about him...we have fun together sure but...love? I don't know," I admitted. "I've always gone with the flow with Kichiro...and all this time he's never hurt me. He's never done anything I was uncomfortable with."

"So he's comfortable...safe," Yoko met my eyes for a moment. "Onee-chan, that's not good enough to marry him. You aren't happy, you are merely content. You are always taking the easy way with your relationships. And all this time the two of you have not been intimate at all."

"It isn't like that is a requirement for a relationship," I was quick to defend myself.

"You do realize that you are more intimate with me than your boyfriend right? You let me hug you and hold your arm. The most you and Kichiro do is occasional peck on the cheek. You hardly have a healthy relationship that most partners about to get married typically have," Yoko... always the expert in relationships.

"I thought you were all for my wedding with Kichiro," I comment as I saw the files had transfered to the tablet. I start navigating the files looking for the location of the lab.

"If romance isn't what you want in life...and Kichiro is okay with marrying you...then its a pretty safe option I think. Either way, I'm going to support whatever you decide," Yoko always said things like this so easily.

"So you are against me getting married and also...supporting me getting married?" I looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.

"You've never shown interest in romance. You have had boyfriends simply so that you don't have to deal with boys asking you out. You are not aware of it at all, but you got that confident genius look on top of being super cute with your long black hair...and what really catches people is your blue eyes. You can't escape attracting people...so I thought that was why you were going with it for so long. All your other boyfriends got annoyed at you lack of intimacy with them...not to mention you never took time to be wtih them. That isn't your fault, those guys just are self-centered to begin with. But Kichiro was always different. He actually spent the time to accommodate you and also found a reasonable way to get you to go on dates and spend time with him, by just scheduling it with you. Then again Kichiro lives and dies by his day planner," Yoko giggled a bit and shook her head. "You need to seriously think about this before the wedding gets too close. If you want to call it off we need to do it sooner than later...or it will cause a lot more problems."

I know she's right but I really didn't want to think about it. I found a file and opened it. A text file... "This is it. It has an address...but there is also a set of instructions here...I guess getting in won't be too simple but not impossible," I looked up at Yoko. "You're in, right?"

"You think I would want you to deal with all of this on your own? Of course I'm going with you," Yoko said it as if there was no room for argument on the matter. Not that I was going to...I wanted her with me. "First on the agenda is your dress fitting. Regardless of what you might decide we need to get that done today."

"Yeah...of course," I said as I was skimming the document. I could open it on my phone so really I just wanted to find the file first. There were a lot of files that had been locked away. Just how much had my Father been planning and hiding?

"Onee-chan...for now we'll take this one step at a time," Yoko was comforting me again. I took a deep breath before I quickly downed the rest of my coffee.

"Alright...lets get this over with," I sighed as I put the coffee cup back on the table. First a wedding dress fitting and then infiltrating an abandoned lab. Yeah...the to-do list was certainly growing longer every minute.


May 7th, 2012 / Late Afternoon
Mazawa's Boutique

SETSUKO'S POINT OF VIEW

I was standing in front of three mirrors and frowned at the overly extravagant white dress I was in as two women moved around me and doing all sorts of measurements and pinching and well I was ignoring their actions at this point.

"You know most girls would be excited to be in a wedding dress," Yoko commented as she was watching from behind. I could see her easily in the mirror in front of me though. "You just look like you've lost a bet."

"Maybe I did," I said as I was now struggling keeping my arm at the angle they wanted. "I always forget that Kichiro is Christian and that he wanted a western style wedding."

"If you actually paid attention to when he was doing the planning then you would have had the chance to disagree with it. Or maybe care about any aspect of the wedding. If it hadn't been for me you would have blown off most of the appointments you had to go to," Yoko shook her head.

"Yeah, that's why you are my bride's maid. I know you wouldn't let me forget about anything," I wonder if she was actually upset about this.

"Setsuko...I have to remind you of your birthday every year when July 11th comes around. Your birthday is a couple months away but I know you would forget it even if I reminded you a week before it. Although, I will admit that you are easy to surprise on your birthday because of it. Though doing that and making sure you aren't buried in your books or planning to overhaul your leg is a different matter," Yoko sounded like she was complaining but she had a smile on her face as she was talking about it. "You really do look beautiful, Onee-chan."

"I'm bothered that I can't see my feet though. This dress is way too... fluffy," I know this kind of dress was essentially a traditional western style wedding dress...but I just felt so stuffy in it. "Thank God that Mom isn't here."

"She would have made it insufferable for the employee's here...and we don't want that," Yoko sighed this time. I was in full agreement. Mother would have just nitpicked every detail...thinking she was some sort of expert on weddings...even though she had only ever dealt with her own wedding.

The fitting went by quickly enough. It wasn't something I really enjoyed but Yoko made it tolerable with her constant teasing and support. The women at the store had been nice as well but I think they were a bit disappointed at the fact that I wasn't that excited about the whole ordeal. It was all just a formality in my eyes. Just another part I had to be okay with because of my relationship with Kichiro.

I quickly switched back in my blue jeans and dark blue shirt as soon as it was over. It felt better than that dress, that was for sure. Yoko and I were now walking down the street away from the dress fitting place. Now its time to move to the next item on our agenda... nothing big just infiltrating a lab.

"So... putting aside our plans to bust into a place we probably shouldn't be... What about your brother? Should we take a trip to Inaba after you get out of class tomorrow?" Yoko was already moving onto that subject.

"Is there no way to contact him? Getting in contact with his adopted Mother shouldn't be hard right? She is bound to have a website or a social page with contact info right?" I had been thinking about it and that did seem like an easy route.

"Yeah, you're right," Yoko pulled out her phone and seemed to give that task to herself. "What are we going to tell her? Should we be like...Hi, I'm Kayane's biological sister and I only remembered this yesterday."

"It wouldn't be wrong," I shrugged. "I'm not sure if planning what to say is how I should go about it. If I think about it I'm just going to be scared to contact or meet my brother to begin with."

"I'd make you do it anyway," Yoko said simply as she was still focused on her phone. "Your brother is kinda hot."

"Yoko!" I smacked her arm.

"What? I'm not related to him. I could legit marry your brother. Then I could be your adopted sister and sister-in-law. Think about that," Yoko was ridiculous as always.

"That would mean you'd actually have to take a relationship seriously," I commented.

"Should I point out the fact that you haven't really taken any of your relationships seriously... even with the guy you are supposed to get married to?" Yoko glanced at me. "The difference between us, Onee-chan, is that I just don't let a serious relationship start. I like the chase but haven't found someone that makes me want to spend that much time with them."

"Maybe we both just have high standards and I just gave up," I shook my head. "Kichiro is a great guy though... I don't think I would ever be unhappy with him."

"You should also think about Kichiro... do you think he's going to be happy with how your relationship is? For all you know he is expecting everything to change after you get married. Hell, he might demand it. I mean, what about kids? Have you even thought about any of that?" Yoko was bringing up a lot of points that I had really avoided.

"You mean he'll want to be more intimate... and have intercourse," I re-worded it a bit.

"That's an activity that married couple's usually look forward to doing," Yoko glanced at me. "I mean, you have to be attracted to Kichiro in some way, right? He isn't a bad looking guy at all. He was one of the most popular guys in your class from what you told me."

Yeah I was starting to understand why Yoko had been questioning our relationship for a while. But I never listened...and always dismissed it in favor of talking about something else. That was just how I had been for most of my life. I took the path of least resistance when I had to. Most of my effort went to things I needed to go to. Most of it went towards my research and school work. Most people just worked there way into the schedule. And then just reminded me when I had made plans with them. The only one that was consistent about it was Yoko and Kichiro. I guess that was why they were really the only two people in my life besides the people I had to interact with, such as classmates and my Professors.

"Is there... something wrong with me, Yoko-chan?" I came to a stop and looked at her.

"You aren't normal," Yoko said off-handedly before she moved in front of me. "That doesn't mean there is something wrong with you. You have hardly had what would be considered a normal life. It could also be a westermarck effect, you two are childhood friends after all."

"But I'm still a horrible person for how I've treated my relationship with Kichiro," I had always just avoided thinking about that. There was always something else that I prioritized as being more important. And well...I had been fighting Shadows on my own until it all stopped suddenly a few years ago. Though Yoko did have a good point. Kichiro and I had always been together so if it was the westermarck effect it would explain my lack of real sexual attraction to him. But I can't say I've been really attracted to anyone.

"It certainly isn't fair to Kichiro...that boy is stupidly head over heals in love with you. Or a masochist I can't really tell. Westermarck effect or not... doesn't seem to have had any influence on his attraction to you," Yoko shrugged. She wasn't dismissing the subject but my actions weren't really what she was getting at. It was about me accepting life as it was and just going with the flow. It was about my lack of action. Inaction was a choice in itself. How much of my life had I ignored out of necessity? Or I believed was necessity.

"Yoko...I've spent most of my life fighting at night. Whenever you went to sleep I was up preparing for midnight. I was scared out of my mind and the only thing that kept me moving was by setting goals for myself. It was why I was adamant about learning Taekwondo. It's a kick heavy fighting style so I figured using my robotic leg as a weapon against Shadows was a logical conclusion. Then if I was making my own legs I wouldn't have to explain anything to Mom or Dad...or you. I didn't have anyone that could help me. I was all alone in that time... I tried to hide, but the Shadows were always near. Then it suddenly stopped. Ten years I spent fighting alone and then it all just stopped. Up to that point all I ever cared about was preparing for the next night...thinking that any night I could run into a Shadow I wouldn't be able to beat or run from. When the hell, in all of that, did I ever have time to think about my life?!" I was yelling. When have I ever yelled? I wasn't angry at Yoko...no I was frustrated. "Do you know how it felt thinking that I had to fight? Because if I didn't fight...you could have been hurt...or worse."

"What happened...Onee-chan?" she knew she had heard something important. She easily picked up on what I was really saying.

I hung my head and looked away from her, "Awakening to a Persona is not simple. Even if all the criteria is met it often takes a moment of tension... a moment of fear is required. I was 8 years old... you had only just turned 6 years old at the time. We had gone on a trip... and we were with our parents. We stopped at a gas station late at night. That was when midnight hit. We were somewhere in the country... only an hour away from home... but Mom, Dad and you had turned into those coffins. I was alone in that place. But not completely. Before I knew it Shadows were everywhere. They had a target and it wasn't me. It was you." I looked back at my sister. "You had clung to me ever since we met. You accepted me as your sister... you even told me you loved me. And the Shadows were going after your coffin... I didn't know what to do. I couldn't hide like I always had before. I had to protect you. It didn't matter to me if I died if I could protect you. That was my feelings at the time. I awakened to my Persona... and I wiped them out. But in the process my prosthetic leg was destroyed."

Yoko's eyes widened, "That's why... isn't it? You stopped hiding... you fought. You did it because you thought... they wanted me?"

"I didn't think that... I knew it," I looked away from her once more. "That's why I increased my studies... why I constantly went to the library... was pushing for more complicated subjects and delved into robotics using my Father's research that I had found. Because of that I had a chance. And because I awakened to the Persona Kishimojin. And just as I knew more... became stronger... so did my Persona. I never allowed myself to become confident or cocky as there was always something that I didn't know. Something that I couldn't understand. I decided that until I understood everything and could ensure you're safety... I would always press forward."

"What about you? What about your life?! You can't just stand here and tell me you did all of this... your accomplishments, your knowledge... you didn't do all this just for me. It is also your Father's legacy and..." Yoko shook her head not believing what I was saying.

"If I didn't have that then I would have probably been more unlucky. Maybe I wouldn't have made it this far," I took a step away. "I never stopped to think about all of it. I didn't have the time. Every night at midnight I had to be ready to fight. There was never a day off... never a time I could stop to reflect about what I had done. So I did what I could so that I was on the path of least resistance. I said yes to every guy that asked me out but paid no attention to them. I wasn't going to let anyone get in my way... and so I thought if enough guys realized how boring I was to be with then they would all just stop. I didn't care about any reputation I might have picked up along the way. None of that mattered. I just needed to make sure I was mentally and physically ready to face the Shadows when it hit midnight every single night. I am a horrible person but I did what I had to because I had no one else!"

Yoko then moved to me and put her arms around me, and I could hardly resist my sister when she hugged me. I never fought against her... I had never been able to do that. "I'm here for you... I've always supported you. Whenever I could. I knew that somewhere you were struggling hard against something. I wanted you to tell me. But I got impatient so I started studying psychology. I thought maybe I could help you more that way. Who would have guessed you'd finally tell me everything just a couple weeks out from your wedding. And all this right now is for you. Not because of you trying to protect me. I love you, Setsuko. Always have. And I would do absolutely anything for you." Yoko stepped back and smiled. "That's why from here on I'm going to teach you how to be a bit selfish and get some enjoyment out of your life. But first things first. Where are we heading to get to this lab?"

Yoko... if I didn't have her... would I not have awoken to a Persona on that night? Would I not have thrown myself into studies and fight the best way to fight the Shadows? What would I have been now without her? I would be turning 22 in just a couple months... time had passed... and the danger that came at midnight had been gone for some time. But I didn't know why. Until I can confirm everything I wanted to be prepared for the worst.

I pulled out my phone and brought up the location on my map. It was outside the city, but not too far. "Let's grab a taxi... I'll explain what we need to do along the way." This could be dangerous but I Yoko knew everything now...and I knew my sister. She would not let me go alone after everything I had told her. I was fine with that. I just needed to be ready to protect her.


May 7th, 2012 / Evening
Abandoned Warehouse

SETSUKO'S POINT OF VIEW

The lab had a hidden entrance in the back of this warehouse. It was meant to double as a storage facility and laboratory. It was a place once run by the Nanjo Group but had been shut down when my Father went to work temporarily with the Kirijo Group in the compromise between the two conglomerates. The warehouse air felt a bit stagnant... likely due to things not being turned on in quite some time. But Yoko and I had found the breakers and had already turned on power to the facility. It was the only way we would be able to get in. I figure that we would have a couple hours before anyone would notice, if anyone would notice. Thanks to my Father's instructions turning the power back on had been a relatively simple matter. All that was left now was

"So your biological Father ran this lab then?" Yoko asked.

"That was what he wrote in his notes. What we need is on the 6th level of the basement," I said as I was looking at my phone as we approached a suspicious number pad on the wall.

"Gee, I wonder what this could be for," Yoko oddly grinned. "Feels like we're on a secret spy mission or something."

Well...it might be something similar to that if you think about it. It was definitely trespassing. But I had to find out... and there was no way I would get permission to simply go in to a hidden facility that I shouldn't know about. And if people asked questions they would likely steal my Father's research from me. I moved up to the number pad and referred to my Father's notes. I pressed a sequence of numbers, 07110122. The code was accepted and suddenly part of the wall opened and revealed an elevator. "Doubt there is going to be times we enter into a secret lab very often," I said as we both walked into the elevator.

"Enjoy yourself, girl. This is what your Father wanted you to do," Yoko said as she pushed the button for B6 . The door closed and then the elevator started moving. It was dusty in here so I wasn't surprised when she coughed. "Surprised this thing still works."

"You'd be surprised how lone elevators last when they aren't used," I comment.

"Is it safe?" Yoko asked.

I raised an eyebrow, "You're asking this after we already got in and used it?"

"It isn't like we have time to see if it is or not... I'm just a bit nervous... and a little bit excited," Yoko was smiling at me. "After all this time, I get to finally see what you've been dealing with all these years."

"Just be careful...there might be Shadows down here," I tell her but I almost smiled back despite it.

"Shadows...here?" Yoko seemed worried.

"Yeah, this was part of the lab where my Father created a Plume of Dusk...so the possibility isn't zero," I was hoping that it wasn't true but I was ready for it. The elevator came to a stop.

"Please insert access code for restricted floor," a mechanical voice spoke over the elevators internal speaker. As it did a keypad appeared next to the elevator controls. I referred to my cell phone again and entered another password, 9094. "Access granted. Analyzing visitors to known databases. Visitors Unknown. Pleas register biological scan data before leaving the facility and enjoy your visit."

The elevator doors opened.

"Uhh...thanks creepy computer lady," Yoko said as we stepped off the elevator. As we did lights turned on one by one to reveal a long corridor with steel flooring and a number of doors. No windows though. "Well we sure aren't lacking for choices. Where to, Onee-chan?"

"It's the last door of this hallway," I said as I took a moment to confirm with what my Father had written. "He also says there is one last defense but that my Brother and I should be able to get in no problem."

"Only one way to find out though," Yoko said and took my hand. I could tell she was nervous, although she was trying not to show it. Still I didn't think anything of it and entwined my fingers with hers as we now walked down the corridor. It was quiet...and that didn't help the atmosphere. The air was stagnant although the air system was now on and likely trying to circulate the air. We silently walked along passing by a few doors...but there was no room name or window to indicate what could be inside. "So you think the Shadows were kept in the facility then?"

"More than likely. You only build something underground and give it just one exit if you are worried about something getting out," I comment...which I realized might not have been the most comforting thing for her to hear. "Though I'm sure there is an emergency exit somewhere if the elevator stopped working."

"Too late, you already freaked me out," Yoko said squeezing my hand.

The hall went for quite a ways, and then curved off to the right and led to a single white door. It didn't have a doorknob. It had a button on it. We stood in front of it. "Well, my Father's note says to push the button so..." I pushed the button. When I did something above it opened up.

"Retinal scan required," the computer voice was back.

Had my Father thought that far ahead? I stepped closer to the wall, and looked through the strange device that appeared. It was really bright for a moment. But then something clicked.

"Access granted for Ikakure Setsuko. Please register your hand print on the device below," the mechanical voice spoke and a small pad appeared that had the shape of a hand. I did so, and after a bright light seemed to scan my whole hand it stopped and everything returned to the wall. "Opening office door. Please enjoy your visit, Setsuko-sama."

"That was...something," Yoko said as the white door slid open. "Setsuko-sama...your Father programmed all of this?"

"Come on...lets go inside," I pulled her along and when we did the door behind us closed. The office was lit brightly, even with a few of the light bulbs having long since burnt out. It was a large white desk and it was well kept. It was definitely super clean in here. "Father must have used some sort of device to take retinal scans of both myself and my brother."

"That's ridiculous...wouldn't your eyes have changed too much for the scanners to be able to properly identify you?" Yoko asks as she and I separated. I moved to the desk while she moved to a shelving unit on the other side.

"Well you're right. Retinal thickness changes with age...as well as several other factors. I'm guessing instead he did something else to ignore possible guesswork. Either way that is hardly what we are here for...I..." I went to turn on the computer that was on the desk but the TV on the opposing wall came to life.

An image appeared on the screen...it was my Father. "Setsuko, Kayane, my children. If you are seeing this...then I suppose that means I met with an unfortunate fate. I'm leaving this because your Father is a paranoid man. And I also have speculated that this deal with the Kirijo Group could end with my research in the wrong hands, so I will be taking steps to protect the core of my research. That is the production and creation of the Plume of Dusks, specifically more complicated uses. The mechanical maiden voice you've heard entering the facility is part of the applications. Her name is Yurika, and she is one of the first successful integrations of a personality module for a Plume of Dusk. To put it simply the personality module gives the soul within a Plume of Dusk a means of expression, and also serves as the main method of interacting with whatever it is attached to. She will have given you top level clearance to access all areas of the facility. But you are likely here for a reason. I will be leaving the condensed data of my research with Setsuko. Use the computer at the desk to find what you are looking for. Well...hopefully I will have left you a different message to tell you specifically what you should be on the lookout for. From there Yurika might be able to assist you on locating it. I'm sorry you have to deal with this after I am gone. Unfortunately it just seems like our family line is often linked to Shadows and Persona. It is a world of unimaginable power. I was so focused on what I was doing...and just how amazing my discoveries were that I never considered if they were discoveries I should have been making. Before I realized it...it was too late. If all else fails find your Aunt or Uncle. Their names are Arisato Kayane and Miyuki. Yes, he's your Mother's brother and the reason why Kayane shares his name is because he was a close friend of mine. If you can't find them then look for Arisato Yoshimitsu and Isako...and failing that you can find Takabe Eiichiro. They were all good friends and family to me and if anyone can help it would be them. Be safe my children. I love you both...Setsuko and Kayane." The video then cut out and the TV turned off.

"Your Dad had considered he might be killed this far back? I guess the deal with the Kirijo Group and Nanjo Group might have been more sketchy than we thought," Yoko said as she moved over to the desk with me.

"He was dealing with powers he wasn't sure about. His scientific side probably got the better of him. He probably didn't realize the danger of it until the deal with the Kirijo Group. Then all he could do was prepare for the worst outcome," I was trying to think of it logically and keep myself focused at the time. It all felt so surreal. I turned on the monitor and the computer. This computer was definitely over ten years old. Upon hitting the power button the fan in the computer could easily be heard. The PC was running on an incredibly old operating system. But it still loaded up pretty quickly.

"Setsuka-sama, is there something I can help you access today?" the computer voice spoke over the speakers of the room. Was she connected to a mainframe for the whole facility? If that was the case she had access to everything. "Also may I ask whom your friend is?"

"She is my sister, Kasamatsu Yoko. I was adopted into her family...after my parents died," I hesitated for a moment. Unsure of how Yurika would respond.

"Acknowledged. I presume that your name has change to Kasamatsu then?" Yurika asked.

"Yeah, that's right. Yurika... I'm looking for a method of tracking a specific Plume of Dusk. It would have been larger than the other ones based on my Father's blueprints. It was one he used in the Mechanical Maiden project. Her name was Labrys," I figured I could just say it and then see what she knew.

"You are seeking the hand scanning device. It is on the Plume of Dusk storage level on floor B12. It was originally designed as a means to scan for Plumes of Dusk in case any were ever stolen. This facility has been locked down since then, so none have ever left. However there has been attempts to break into this facility some years ago," Yurika's mechanical voice reported.

"Attempts to break in... would be hard to do even if you did know where to look," Yoko said and seemed somewhat calm despite it. "If you think about it Yurika would be able to lock anyone out because she could just change all the passwords on the fly and literally just deny someone entry."

"Yoko-sama is correct. They managed to find the elevator but I locked down the corridor. If they had persisted it would have still taken them extensive amount of time to breach the floors below," Yurika confirmed what Yoko had likely been saying as a joke. "Warning, if you go to the Plume of Dusk storage level I do not have working surveillance. I lost the ability to see that floor in 1999."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Displaying last of surveillance footage," Yurika dutifully announced as a series of windows opened on the computer monitor.

It seemed like B12 was a large level... a warehouse in itself. There were rows and rows of... something... it was like the insider of a server room in general layout... but just massive. But it wasn't keeping servers... no... there had to be hundreds... if not thousands of Plumes of Dusk contained there. My eyes widened as everything shifted... it was... that time. It had hit midnight, and it shifted but the camera feed didn't fade out... but then something happened. The Plumes of Dusk... exploded? There was a light and then nothing.

I felt my stomach sink a bit as a thought crossed my mind. "Yurika... does any of the research suggest that a Plume of Dusk could return to being a Shadow?"

"Confirmed. A Plume of Dusk is a collection of condensed Shadows and put into an inert state. It is in this state that if used properly can lead to the development of a personality and self-awareness. However, it was speculated that the reverse could be true," Yurika confirmed.

I sighed, "Just great. Are there any weapons capable of fighting Shadows in this facility?"

"There is a number of anti-Shadow weapons on floor 9, within the Security division," Yurika informed us.

"Wait, Onee-chan... are you considering going down there?" Yoko asked while I was now browsing the files on the computer for anything significant.

"We need the scanning device," I said after a moment. "Plus if there is anti-Shadow weapons here then we should be able to deal with anything that is down there. Either way it would be a waste not to check it out."

"We don't have much of a choice. And if there are Shadows down there...then I guess any doubt I might have will be gone. Yurika-san, what kind of weapons are down there?" Yoko asked.

"There are a variety of firearms, loaded with anti-Shadow rounds. There are also an assortment of melee weapons should you be proficient in any," Yurika answered Yoko.

"Guns...alright," Yoko moved over to a unit nearby and opened a drawer. Out of the array of skills that Yoko had learned... shooting had been one of them. I guess one of the guys that had been trying to date her had taken her to a gun range a few times. There wasn't really any other way to ever learn in Japan. Owning a gun was a hard thing to do, there was a incredibly long process to go through if you want to posses one for hunting or sport. Her ex had been a hunter so that was why she had the opportunity to learn a bit.

Seemed like my Father was pretty organized. Either that or Yurika spend time organizing folders. But given how the office looked it seemed a reasonable assumption that my Father liked to have order. His over preparedness was certainly obvious. Daily reports, status updates... nothing in here seemed to be particularly insightful. That likely just had to do with the amount of technical jargon that was in the reports. I could understand it only because my Father's research had also had base explanation for what terms they used meant. I am sure there wasn't any more of his research to find. Except maybe in Labrys' black box.

"Hey...Onee-chan," Yoko came back to me and placed something on the desk. "Found it over along the wall in the back."

It was a photo. It could only be one thing... a photo of my family... my biological family. My Father had dark brown hair... and hazel eyes. My Mother however... had sleek long black hair... and blue eyes... just like me... and my younger brother. "This... is my family... my real family..." I wasn't sure how I felt but as I looked at it... I felt tears coming from my eyes. I pushed aside the tears and took a deep breath... and found myself to be unsteady as I took another deep breath. "Sorry, Yoko-chan."

"Don't apologize. I mean... it's your family. And if your Father did all of this for you and your brother. You're allowed to be selfish for once in your life. This time, it's about you. Okay?" Yoko put her arm around my shoulders and I couldn't help myself. There were so many emotions in my head that it was hard to sort through anything. So I did the only thing I felt I could do. I cried.

As I pulled myself to Yoko's arms and I felt years of frustration pouring out from me. I never realized how much I wanted to know of my past. To know where I came from. Now all of it was here... and the next step was to find my brother...and Labrys. One step at a time. I clung to Yoko and allowed myself more tears than I ever had before. Just for a little while more...


A/N:

This is the introduction to Kayane's older sister Setsuko...and turns out she knows quite a bit more than likely anyone could have expected. Well the chapter explains most of it, but in general she had to deal with a lot on her own. Unlike everyone else she dealt with Shadows on her own for the majority of her life, with nothing more than her Father's research to tell her about most of what she witnessed to, except for what the Dark Hour was.

The Chapter was a lot of fun to write, maybe because I didn't have to reference anything for it, haha. Well as if it wasn't obvious we have a lot that is going to happen before we get to Dancing All Night. Maybe not that much but we do have a number of events you can guess that are going to happen. One being Kayane and Setsuko meeting and not to mention the conversation about Labrys and how Setsuko likely knows more about Shadows and Personas than Kayane and everyone else does.

I'm not going to spend too much time talking about what is going on because I think the chapter more or less covers it. So let's just wrap up this chapter.

Let me know what you think about Setsuko's entrance and her sister Yoko. What do you think of what has been happening in the story? Leave me a review or send me a message. Thanks for your time to read my small corner of fanfiction. See you all in the next chapter.