Chapter 22: Divine Quartet
|Farawell - Madam Trisha's Coffee Shop|17:00 pm|
A coffee bar not too far from Amara's place, Madam Trisha's was a fairly quiet place, yet the owner Trisha was a friendly woman dedicated to brewing the best coffee imaginable. It had an old-fashioned charm, compared to most of the trendy eateries around the city. Amara and the others agreed to meet her, so they could get some coffee before their trip to the other world.
"Sounds like your date was a hit!" Serena said, as she drank her hot chocolate. "Better than our night. What a rip-off. Takanawa is not the place to go for us teenagers."
"My night kind of sucked too. There was this hot girl, but she just ignored me. At least some of us are getting some action!" Blaine said. "You going to see Zao again, then?"
"Definitely!" Amara said, her face glowing at the mere mention of his name. "Guess that leaves you and Serena as the single ones, huh?"
"Um, yeah." Serena said, her face red. "Well, maybe someone nice will come along."
"I have a feeling they already did." Nathan said, smirking as Serena blushed even harder.
"I had a better night than Stella did, anyway. She was stuck with Lucy and Colette!" Amara said - and she noticed Blaine's eyes widen as she said Lucy's name. "Oh, they work at the magazine too. Colette's okay, but she keeps going on about her clothes and her makeup. Today, she keep prattling on about my eyeliner and how I need to use that new conditioner - the one with the messed up ad with the gorilla."
"What about Lucy?" Blaine asked. Amara blinked - Blaine didn't usually take interest in her job. Perhaps anyone was more interesting to hear about that Colette, of course.
"Oh, her? She's kinda annoying. She thinks she's so much better than us because she's studying at Jewel Crown College, and she's always criticising our work! Still, at least she's only part time." Amara said, sighing. "I'm so glad I never went to that place. It's not the right environment for artists..."
"Jewel Crown, huh? Is that the fancy college in Saragel?" Blaine asked. "Interesting..."
"You get interested by odd things, Blaine. Anyway, I hope Kyle's feeling better over there." Nathan said, as he finished his coffee. "If only we could have rescued him sooner..."
"I know how you feel. I was sure Seraphina could have found him, but something got in the way…maybe Shadows affected her powers." Amara asked. "Still, I think he'll be okay eventually. We're going after we're done here, right?"
"Yeah! Just a second!" Serena said, as she turned to her phone. "Just need to finish this game, and -" Just before she was about to finish whatever game she was playing, her phone battery ran out. "Lame. I need to kill some Shadows NOW!"
"If I were a Shadow, I would not wanna be near you right now." Blaine said, alarmed as Serena slammed her phone on the table.
|Secret Base|17:40 pm|
The base seemed different without Kyle at the computer. The screen was just blue, much to their confusion. No one was in the main room, much to Amara's surprise.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" Amara called out.
"Oh, hi!" Aimee said, as she got out of her room. "We weren't expecting you till later! How was your date?"
"Great!" Amara said, going into great detail about last night's rendezvous. Priscilla, Seraphina and Dan come out of their rooms whilst they were talking, and the former two were very interested in the conversation, whilst the latter just sat down and yawned.
"Okay, that's enough talk for now. Kyle's still a bit out of it - he's not crying anymore, but he's just not talking much." Aimee said. "Serena, don't worry about him. We're going to take care of him!"
"Sucks that we can't use the computer without him." Blaine said, looking at the machine.
"I know. I told Dan that he couldn't use it, but he tried anyway, and…well, he used it to look up women in...a state of undress." Priscilla said, glaring at Dan.
"It's been ten years since I've seen a naked woman! Give a guy a break! Haven't I suffered enough?" Dan moaned melodramatically, and Blaine burst out laughing. "What?"
"Nothing! I was just reminded of the old dirty movies we used to watch. Like that one about the nuns and the schoolgirls." Blaine said. Nathan shook his head once again, a common reaction to Blaine's comments. What on earth - wait, that doesn't surprise me. Oh, Blaine.
"Fascinating. Truly fascinating. Regardless, nothing major has arisen. Perhaps now would be the perfect time to discuss Nina Agnethe, Lady Serena's sister." Seraphina said.
"Yeah, you're right. Well, she was my older sister, and, well, the child my parents wanted. I was an accident." Serena said, sighing. "I know, I heard them talking once."
"That's...awful." Amara said, sitting down. "So she ended up working for Aeternus?"
"Yeah. She was a genius. Head Girl at school, graduated at college with flying colours. My parents kept saying she was a child prodigy. Even when I was five, they kept comparing me to her, like how when she was my age she could play the piano." Serena said, angrily.
"Wow. I'm thirty and I'm not even sure what a viola is." Blaine said.
"Quiet, Blaine. So she got involved with the rest of the Ater Vox, somehow." Nathan said. "We still don't know much about them."
"Nina started acting weird one day, about eleven years ago. She stopped coming to the family home, and she was just really weird. She was rude to everyone, kept going on about the state of the world. I didn't get it at the time. That must have been when they started their plan to take over the city!" Serena said, deep in thought.
"Eleven years ago? When did she start working for them?" Aimee asked.
"Twelve years ago. She always said her boss was really proud of her. Some old guy, named Archie or something." Serena said, and Aimee gasped.
"Archibald Ebert! He's another member of the Ater Vox!" Aimee said. "He must have been the one who gathered the others together..."
"Who are the others?" Nathan asked. "If we have their names, we can learn more about them."
"A woman called Josephine Johnson, and two other men, Carlos Nadal and Pierre Leonard. Oh, and the last is another man, someone called 'Nihane Kronos'." Priscilla said. "We don't have pictures of them. Wait, weren't you at the convention, Aimee?"
"Yes, that's right, but I was eight then. Everything was so scary, but I remember seeing them. There was a woman who looked a bit like Serena, that I remember." Aimee said, with a melancholy expression. "In one moment, everything changed."
"I feel guilty now. Yesterday I was on a date whilst you guys were in here, hiding away..." Amara said, sincerely.
"It's okay. Actually, I like hearing about your days. It gives me something to look forward to!" Aimee said, smiling. "It's nice having you all around!"
Just then, a door opened, and Kyle, still in his pyjamas, came out in his wheelchair. He still looked shaken, and a little panicked to see everyone in the main room. "Oh, hello." Serena said, as Kyle wheeled himself over. "You okay?"
"I-I'm fine. I just wanted to get some juice before bed." Kyle said, going over to the kitchen.
"Dammit." Dan said, watching Kyle. "Nothing we can do to help, huh?"
"That's not true. Just be there for him. When he's ready to talk, you'll be there to listen!" Blaine said. "That sounded really cliché, huh?"
"Yep." Nathan said, with a quiet chuckle. "Well, if there's nothing serious going on today, how about we go train somewhere?"
"That's not a bad idea. How about the Aurelia Park in Legarte? The Shadows there shouldn't be too powerful for you!" Aimee said. "Without the computer, I can't tell if anyone's there, but I can't imagine you'd see anyone there at this time of night."
"Don't worry if you get in trouble, just call us! Or we can have Seraphina work her magic!" Priscilla said, smiling.
"Madam Priscilla, must we always rely on my paranormal abilities?" Seraphina said, arising from her chair to activate the NDD.
"You kiddin'? We're always using paranoid abilities!" Dan said. "Wait, that's not right."
Blaine and the others burst out laughing. "Shut it already, it's not fucking funny!" Dan said, but his demands went unheeded.
"Okay, let's hurry up and go!" Amara said, dragging a hysterical Blaine through the door. Nathan and Serena followed, amused themselves.
|Aurelia Park - Bathroom|17:44 pm|
The NDD was located inside a public restroom, which was surprisingly in good condition. However, it was in the men's room, much to Serena and Amara's discomfort.
"What's wrong, girls? Oh, that's right." Nathan said, looking around. "I guess this is convenient, right?"
"So that's what a urinal looks like. How unexpected, that I have a chance to observe the forbidden technology of men!" Serena said, looking in awe at the urinal. "Incredible!"
"Serena, it's just a urinal. Let's get out of here, please?" Amara said, stepping towards the door.
"One sec." Blaine said, walking into a cubicle.
"Of all the times to go!" Nathan grumbled. "Hurry up, would you?"
"In a minute. Dammit, there's no toilet paper." Blaine said.
"Oh for the love of -"
|Aurelia Park|17:48 pm|
In the city Amara knew, Aurelia Park was one of the most romantic places to be. With many elaborate places for couples to be, it was one of the most popular places to hold a wedding. A large pond was present near the south, filled with many swans, adding to the intimate atmosphere.
However, in this city, something was wrong. Whilst the park still was full of grass and trees, there weren't any birds, insects or any other wildlife around. Also, the grass looked overgrown, and many structures were collapsed - or just about to.
"Can't imagine anyone getting married here. This place sucks." Blaine said, looking around.
"I don't get the feeling you'd like this place much either way." Nathan said, shaking his head.
"That hurts, Nathan. I obviously couldn't compare to your depth of romantic expertise." Blaine said sarcastically.
"Well you could stand to take a few hints. Maybe if you smartened up a bit and swore less, you might actually charm a girl." Nathan said.
"Sorry, buddy, but we can't all be like you." Blaine said, irritated.
"Would you two stop?" Amara said, annoyed. "It's bad enough here as it is!"
Amara shuddered at what she heard next - Shadows, making their unholy cries. Even worse, however, were the sounds of people screaming.
"Crap. Looks like we've got company." Nathan said.
"Dammit! Why the hell are people in the park now?" Serena asked. "Looks like it's up to us to save them!"
"Yeah, you're right. Let's go!" Amara said, rushing ahead.
They soon found the source of both human and inhuman noises - the oldest and tallest tree in Aurelia Park. Despite the time of year, the tree had no leaves left. Perhaps the presence of the Shadows over the last decade had slowly killed it. Yet, Amara had to focus on a group of people cornered by Shadows. Some of them were children, terrified.
"Crap. Everyone, let's do this - huh?" Amara was interrupted by the sounds of people rushing up behind them. She and the other others gasped at who rushed past them, ready for combat. All four members of the Holy Cross.
"Here they are. Be careful, everyone." Alastair said, brandishing his sword.
"Be gone!" Kazuya roared, as Uriel dispatched numerous Shadows with a Mazionga spell.
"Good work!" Alastair bellowed. Kazuya smiled, and clapped as Alastair cast Megido, eliminating more Shadows.
"I'll do my part! Aques!" Bianca conjured water magic with Gabriel, and her chosen enemy was destroyed. If she had been any slower, it would have slaughtered a woman holding a baby.
"Woohoo! Bianca, that was great! My turn!" Richard said. "Air Brake!" The Shadow he attacked - some kind of table with a cup, a sword, a coin and a wand floating around it - started to act sluggish, allowing a little girl to get out of it's way. "Little lady, stay back! We'll take care of this one!"
"Okay, mister..." the girl said, dashing over to the adults.
"What are you guys doing here?" Amara asked, stunned.
"Well, I'll be. It's you four." Alastair's eyes widened as he saw the gang approach. There were still quite a few Shadows left, and the chances of one of them attacking the citizens were looking rather high.
"Alastair Clark. We might be enemies, but we both want to eliminate Shadows. Can we co-operate, just this once?" Nathan said, staff clutched firmly in his hand.
Bianca turned to Blaine, who had his gun ready to fire. "Commander!"
"Hey, don't call me that. I'm just Blaine." Blaine shrugged, and turned to the Shadows in front of him. "You listening, freaks? I'm the one who's going to fuck you up, so remember that name!"
"Oh, and my name's Richard! Pleased to meetcha!" Richard said, dodging an attack from a Shadow that resembled a couple dancing.
"You dumbass...even a kitten's not going to be afraid of you." Blaine groaned.
"He really is the Commander!" Richard said, exhilarated. "He even calls me dumbass the same way!"
"Well, there's a reason for that. You broke that vase last night." Alastair yelled. "Look, enough talking! You four...as leader of the Holy Cross, I agree to your assistance. Please, help us protect these citizens!"
"Got it! Let's do this!" Amara yelled, calling out Hathor. With her radiant fire attacks, she began killing plenty of Shadows before her.
"Artemis, protect these people!" Serena called out, and with her shining water magic, many Shadows were vanquished."
"I'll do my part, too! Setanta, arise!" Nathan roared, and with piercing winds, the Shadows in his path were torn to pieces.
"If you forgot my name already, then at least remember this! Tlaloc!" With Blaine's cry, Tlaloc emerged, and called upon crushing bolts of lightning, eliminating the Shadows in his path.
There were two large Shadows still present - each resembling halves of a broken heart, with red masks on them. They looked like they could fit into each other, and had eerie bloodstains on them.
"The Holy Cross will dispatch the one of the left! You four, take the other one down!" Alastair commanded.
"Got it! Time to do our combo magic again!" Amara said, as the four of them gathered their Personas together. Hathor, Artemis, Setanta and Tlaloc all raised their weapons, charged with their retrospective elements. Before the heart could attack, each Persona struck the Shadow at once. "Arms of Brutality!" everyone cried out.
"Tetragrammaton!" The Holy Cross's Personas arose, in a cross formation, with Michael at the top, Gabriel beneath him, Uriel to the left and Raphael to the right. All four of them glowed with a bright light, and a giant golden cross appeared in front of them. The supreme light of the cross caused the Shadow great pain, and finally the cross burst, destroying the Shadow once and for all.
"Is that all of them?" Amara asked, searching the park.
"Looks like we won. Thank god." Kazuya said. "Is anyone injured?" he asked, looking at the civilians.
"We seem to be okay. T-Thank you, young man!" An old lady said, relieved. "I thought the park would be safe, but -"
"Grandma, you should have listened to us!" said a young boy beside her. "You know the park's scary! It's creepy and horrible!"
"No it's not!" Bianca snapped. "Ahem. There's Ornatu Legion members waiting by the entrance. They'll escort you home." And so, the civilians left, leaving the Holy Cross and the team.
"I don't think either of us want to fight now." Nathan said. "Serena, could you heal them?"
"Of course." Serena said, casting Mediarama on them all.
"You four risked your lives to save those people. It feels wrong to call you enemies...for today, you are our allies. Thank you for your assistance." Kazuya said, holding out his hand. The other members did the same.
"Huh?" Amara asked.
"A handshake, Amara. C'mon, don't you know what those are? Kids!" Blaine said, grinning.
"Well, it did feel good to fight alongside them. So okay!" Serena said, shaking Kazuya's hand. Blaine shook Bianca's (who looked away), Amara shook Alastair's and Nathan shook Richard's.
"Since we're here, we should have a little talk. We're still confused about why you have the same identity as Persona users we're after - or the Commander - yet you seem to be different people." Alastair said. "The Commander didn't tell us anything about what happened at Lorean Tower."
"He doesn't really like you guys, does he?" Amara said. "Don't let it get to you. He's probably just not the affectionate type."
"Oi! I heard that!" Blaine said, as Amara giggled. "Well, I dunno if you'd believe us, but...it's a long story."
"Oh, I like long stories! Let me get my stopwatch!" Richard said, reaching in his pocket.
"Alright, we'll listen. Regardless of what you have to say, I'm sticking to my promise. I won't fight you today, nor will I mention meeting you to anyone at headquarters." Alastair said, and Amara felt he was being sincere.
"Well, it all started on June 7th..." Amara started, as the four of them explained how they went into the other world, discovered their Personas, and on the day they met Kazuya, learned that the other world was an alternate version of their own.
"Incredible..." Bianca said, after they finished.
"I'll say. That didn't take nearly as long as I thought!" Richard said, holding up his stopwatch. "I should have made a bet before I started, huh?"
"Richard, you - just shut it." Kazuya said, shaking his head. "So you're from an alternate timeline where there are no Shadows...and the city's peaceful like it was ten years ago?"
"Yup. Your Commander knows that, too." Blaine said, remembering the battle at the Power Tunnels. "Thing is, ten years ago, there was an explosion at this networking convention Aeternus were at. We think that explosion stopped them from taking over the city."
"But...that simply can't be right!" Alastair said, stunned. "Aeternus are the ones who discovered Shadows, and created the Ornatu Legion to fight them! They said people like us were the city's only hope!"
"That's not true." Amara said, shaking her head. "They're the ones creating the Shadows. We don't know the whole story, but Aeternus no longer exist in our world. And for the last ten years, everything's been perfectly fine."
"Does the Commander know about this?" Bianca asked. "Were he and the others just lying to us?" Kazuya and Richard were silent, and Alastair looked furious.
"That means the Shadows that broke into my house that day...Aeternus created them." Alastair said. Amara was a little alarmed at Alastair's rage, since he usually kept calm. "The monsters we fight every day - they're the ones who create them?"
"Let's go back now. We need to think this over." Kazuya said, trying to stay calm.
"Well, this sucks. Yeah, the Commander and the others were total assholes to us, but I...kinda liked being a hero." Richard said.
"If what you said is true, then...Kazuya is right. We need to decide a course of action. Confronting our bosses would probably not be effective, yet we need some way to find proof." Alastair said. "C'mon, let's go!" Kazuya and Richard left, but Bianca stayed behind.
"...What?" Blaine said, as Bianca kneeled down to look at some flowers.
"This park. Is it still beautiful in your world?" Bianca asked.
"Yeah, it is. Me and my ex used to come here all the time." Amara said. "Although the last time we did, he panicked when I went off to get a soda and he couldn't find me. We had a huge fight afterwards..."
"These flowers are all mine. Whenever I'm not busy, I come here to look after them. They're nice, aren't they?" Bianca asked. The flowers, beautiful white ones with pink spots on their petals, were radiant and vibrant. Clearly, Bianca gave them a lot of love.
"Yeah, they're gorgeous! I gotta say, you must really love flowers. Heck, you sell them in the mall in our world!" Serena said, smiling.
"You know me in the other world?" Bianca asked, curiously. "I sell flowers? Yes, I remember Amara saying something like that. That sounds so wonderful! The other me must be so...happy."
"From the sounds of things, she is. The rest of your friends are around too. In fact, the four of you seem to spend quite a bit of quality time together." Nathan said. "I saw you and your friends in Nova Albion on one occasion, eating hamburgers outside. The four of you looked pretty close, and...you and Kazuya were holding hands."
Bianca gasped, and stood up. "Me and Kazuya? An item?"
"Yeah. Why, you don't like him? You'd rather go out with Richard?" Blaine asked.
"Don't joke like that! I just never imagined that me and Kazuya would be dating." Bianca said, looking at the ground. "That, too, sounds..." she wiped away a tear, as she trailed off.
"We don't know much about you guys, but you all seem happy in our world. And I think you guys are actually kinda cool, too." Amara said, giving Bianca a smile. "Alastair is some kind of food critic, and he works at the same publishing company as me. I'm in a different magazine though."
"Interesting. Alastair really likes his food, so that doesn't surprise me. As long as we're talking, I might as well tell you about how I joined the Ornatu Legion. Alastair developed his Persona after his parents were killed, but Richard and Kazuya's families are still alive." Bianca said, with a sad look in her eyes. "Yet..."
"Your parents died too?" Amara asked.
"No, they're alive. Even so, I don't get along with most of my family. See, I had an uncle. He was different. He used to like wearing women's clothing, and his wife left him when she found out. My parents thought he was a freak, but I loved him. I always stuck up for him, trying to prove he wasn't so 'disgusting' or 'abhorent' as they saud he was." Bianca said, as she looked at the many flowers surrounding the team.
"That's very good of you. You must have been very special to your uncle." Nathan said, smiling.
"Thank you. Uncle John was like a dad to me. He was so kind, unlike my father. We used to come here all the time, and he taught me all about flowers." Bianca said. Amara had a bad feeling about where the story was heading, but kept quiet. "Even after the Shadows came, we used to sneak in places like this to look at them. Usually, we got away safely, but one day, the Shadows got us."
"...What happened then?" Blaine asked. "Is that when you got your Persona?"
"My Uncle was at death's door, and the Shadows were around me, ready to kill. Then somehow, I felt this power in me. Gabriel...I thought she was a guardian angel at first. Then I realised she came from my own heart. She killed all the Shadows, and I survived." Bianca said, tearful. "Then the Commander came. He said he could sense my power, but at that point, I couldn't care less about him."
"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell us anymore if it's too painful." Nathan said.
"No. Please, let me finish! The Commander tried to save my uncle, but it was too late. I still remember his last words: 'She's the only one who stood by me, even after knowing what I do. She must survive, and see a peaceful city full of flowers once more. Please, look after her.' Then he gave me this rose." Bianca held up the red rose, the one she had every time the gang had met her. "Ever since then, I've used Gabriel to keep it alive."
"I think I can relate." Amara said. "See this necklace I'm wearing? It's a memento of my mother. I was a kid when she died, but...it still feels like she's around, somehow."
Bianca smiled through her tears. "Mementos are wonderful, aren't they? It feels like the ones who are gone never left in the first place."
"Bianca, what's going on? We've been waiting for ages!" Alastair shouted in the distance.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I suppose I should get going. Thank you all for listening. We'll decide what to do later, but...I hope we no longer have to fight each other. Goodbye!" Bianca said, as she ran off.
"Victory!" Serena yelled. "The Holy Cross are doubting their employers! With some internal strife, we could really have Aeternus quaking in their boots!"
"Calm down. It's always possible they'll think we're liars. Although after hearing Bianca's past, I'm feeling rather optimistic myself." Nathan said.
"The other me tried to save her uncle, huh?" Blaine said, thinking. "So he kills everyone in Kanaloa, even Matthew, but he tries to save someone? I didn't think a guy like me would be so damn confusing. I'm not some deep, enimatical weirdo."
"...How do you even know what that word means?" Nathan asked.
"It was the name of this movie I saw on the adult channel, where some high society teacher types break into the school at night and -"
"That's quite enough of that! Let's go back and tell the others about this. If the Holy Cross become our secret allies, that would be a great help!" Amara said. "Oh, we have to go in the bathroom again. Lucky us."
"Nathan was right, it IS convenient. I gotta go." Blaine said, dashing inside.
"What, again?" Serena said, disgusted.
"At least he's not one of those people who draw on the bathroom wall. In my student days, there wasn't a single bathroom cubicle that wasn't defiled." Nathan said. "Thank goodness Nova Albion is very strict about defacing the lavatories."
"How strict are we talking?" Amara asked.
"Let's just say one fellow who tried it got a hefty fine. Of course, it didn't help that he was involved in a telemarketing scam, too..." Nathan said, shaking his head.
|Secret Base|18:13 pm|
"I see. Well, that was unexpected." Priscilla said. "We never bargained on getting the Holy Cross on our side before, but now that you four appeared, we might just manage it."
"Yeah, great job! Since the Holy Cross have access to the Aeternus headquarters, they could really help us out." Aimee said, very pleased.
"Guess this alternate world thing's really helping us out. Good job, guys." Dan said. "Anyway, I'm off."
"Where you going?" Blaine asked.
"Legarte. I heard a rumour about the mall there. Y'know, the one you went to with Seraphina and Kyle." Dan said.
"Do you recall the male wrapped entirely with bandages? Several Ornatu Legion members were present at the mall yesterday, and when they returned they had many injuries. Not only that, several of them did not leave." Seraphina said. "This is a dark omen, I am sure."
"Don't worry, leave it to me. You guys go on home." Dan said, then he left.
"I guess we're off. We'll be back soon!" Amara said, and the four of them returned to their city once again.
|Farawell|18:15 pm|
"Hey!" Serena shouted. In front of them was a cloaked man, the one that sent the four of them into the other world. "It's him!"
"You!" Amara said. "Who are you? You're with that woman, aren't you?"
"Correct. Me and her are sinners, who must act to preserve humanity." The man said. "Those of the divine cross are not the bringers of salvation. Do not think things will go so smoothly."
"You know something we don't?" Blaine said.
"Many things..." the cloaked man said. "They are not like you. Their hearts have yet to attain the strength you all are developing. There is a reason why I chose you four to brave that other world."
"Because of our other selves?" Nathan asked. "But why not Priscilla or the others? Why just us four?"
"It is the way it must be. Yet, it shall not just be the four of you. I can see it. One more from the world shall go with you." the cloaked man said. "The power of Persona has unlimited potential. We were not wise enough to unlock that potential, and now we pay the price. Farewell for now." With that, he disappeared.
"The Other Nathan said a cloaked woman sent him into this world, didn't he?" Amara said.
"Yes, that's right. They're clearly connected, but I can't figure out what they're talking about. For now, I don't think they're enemies." Nathan said. "Yet they said another would join. But who?"
"We'll have to wait and see. Anyway, I have a race to get to. See ya!" Blaine said, as he got on his motorcycle and left.
"Goodnight, guys!" Amara said, as she returned home. Looking at her still-messy apartment, she wondered who the other person could be. Would it be someone she knew?
|Aeternus HQ - Holy Cross Quarters|
"This is strange. The Commander hasn't returned to the headquarters since Sunday." Kazuya said, as the four of them entered their lounge area.
"That's weird. He's usually complaining when we're late. What's he doing?" Bianca asked.
"I wonder. I wanted to ask him about what happened earlier, but we'll have to wait." Alastair said. "I don't want it to be true, though."
"I don't know what to do. I want to believe in the Commander, but if he's been keeping us in the dark all this time, what are we to do?" Bianca said.
"I don't think any of us know what to do. Should we trust the rebel team? Or is there another explanation?" Kazuya said.
"Maybe we should try going after the versions of Amara and her team from this world? Richard said. "Let's see, there's Amara and Nathan, but wasn't Serena Agnethe killed?"
"Yes, that was what we were told. I didn't think too much about it at the time, but we never did see it happen. We should look for her, as well. From tomorrow, we should gather as much information as we can - but we must be careful. Understood?" Alastair said, with a stern look on his face.
"Got it!" Richard said, reading an Irish joke book. "So can we have food now?"
"Yes, Richard, we can eat. I ordered sushi, so I hope you're hungry!" Kazuya said, much to Richard's delight.
Bianca looked out the window, and wondered…how did the four of them become friends in the other world? Perhaps it was destiny, for all of them to be together. All she knew was that she sold flowers. If she could find the Commander, and ask him. Surely he wouldn't lie to her, would he? He was harsh to the other Holy Cross, but with her, he just ignored her.
"Bianca, are you alright?" Kazuya asked.
"Yes...I'm fine." Bianca said, and soon, the four of them were in an argument over who got to eat the sea urchin.