AN: I don't do too many of these, huh? I usually have some notes when I upload chapters to my deviant art account (UltimaAnimus), but only like once here. So I'm writing one now! Please enjoy this chapter, and thanks to all my reviewers (especially Sato Fumizuki!) This story is actually only about 25% (maybe more than that actually, but we'll see) done, so please stay with me until it's over. Again, thanks, please review - politely, of course. Disliking the story is fine as long as you're civil and I encourage criticism, and one person pointed out a few mistakes which I corrected. Enjoy!
(Edit Note: I edited the Blaine/Lucy/Shirley/Amara scene slightly, but it shouldn't alter the story drastically. I just expanded it a little.)
Arc III: Reunion and Rivalry
What seemed like good fortune soon turned into bad luck.
Tragedy occurred, and now the future remains uncertain.
Where is this all headed? Can strife truly be averted?
To wield the power of your inner self is to always know your true heart.
Yet, the human heart will always change as time goes on.
Thus, no matter what tragedies may occur, one must keep going onward.
For there is no time to grieve when time itself is in danger.
Chapter 26: Time of Rest
|Aeternus HQ - Meeting Room|9:30 am|
The Meeting Room was where the Ater Vox, leaders of Aeternus, gathered to discuss progress and solve particular issues. Occasionally, the Holy Cross had been summoned here to receive orders. Today, however, the Ater Vox were here. Nihane had finally deigned to enter the room, and for good reason. The Second Divine Spark had finally appeared - after a long and ardous wait. Their plans were finally back on track, and thus, there was good reason for all six of the Ater Vox to congregate.
"It's been ten years in the making, but the Eternal Road has finally moved forward. We can definitely claim we have advanced to the second step now." A man said, adjusting his red-framed glasses. He was the eldest, with grey hair to show for it, but his blue eyes retained a slight sense of youth. This was Archibald Ebert - an incredibly talented scientist known for his aptitude in technology and experimentation. "Yet I'm perplexed, Nihane, as to why you did not contact us the moment it began."
"It's simple. You would have slowed me down, old man. All you would have done is babble about calculations and stay put in your chair. Once again, I'm the one that has to get things done around here." Nihane chided. Archibald glared at him, but his fury only seemed to amuse Nihane.
"Nihane, we really should reach an agreement before making such huge decisions. Thanks to the Divine Spark, we've lost eight valuable Persona users. The Holy Cross were barely capable, but the Commander was our mightiest warrior! Then...there's Nathan." Josephine said, indignant. It was rare for her to agree with Archibald, but this was a rare occasion in itself.
"Oh, get over yourself! I'm sure Nihane knows what he's doing. He's the one who discovered the Eternal Road theory in the first place!" said a woman with long flowing blonde hair and green eyes. This was Nina Agnethe, the elder sister of Serena. She was in charge of Aeternus's financial sector, which considering the stronghold they had over the city, did not require much work at all. After all, the citizens had far more pressing issues than their bank balances. "He finally got rid of that irritating brat for me. The others don't matter at all. The Eternal Road has begun moving, and that's all we should worry about. Nihane, you truly are amazing!"
"I know." Nihane said snidely. "I've already accomplished far more than you have." Nina's jaw dropped. No one else bat an eyelid - Nihane enjoyed making disparaging remarks to the other five, especially if they were concerning Nina.
"Even so, we need to find new Persona users, and get to them before those rebel idiots do." said the tall, skinny red haired man sitting by Nina. This was Pierre Leonard, a man who had grown accustomed to battles and treachery. His task within the organisation was to deal with emergencies in the city, and dispatch Ornatu Legion soldiers to neutralise them. His eyes were a rather bright yellow, which seemed to frighten many people.
"Yes. Otherwise, it'll take forever for the rest of the Divine Sparks to appear." Carlos Nadal, a man with tan skin and green hair said. Well built, due to his extensive boxing training, he had sinister green eyes. Carlos provided weaponry and training for the Ornatu Legion, and he had plenty of practice with his fists.
"Oh, don't worry. It won't take ten years for the next one. Perhaps a little while, yes, but I'm sure we can expedite the process. First, we have to determine the next land to awaken." Nihane said, grinning. "Then, we'll scour the city for anyone with the potential to summon a Persona. This time, the rebels won't get to them first. Whoever we find is ours, and ours alone." He swiftly left the room, without even looking at his comrades.
"We need to search the districts. I'll go to Takanawa." Josephine said. "I hope I find a handsome young man with a Persona there. He'd be far better looking than you brutes."
"With your taste in men, the chances of that are a million to one. I'll go to Legarte. The sooner we complete the Eternal Road, the better." Archibald said, and the rest of the Ater Vox left the meeting room.
|June 28th|Real People Offices|14:30 pm|
A week had passed since the incident at Farawell Cathedral. Amara hadn't met up with either of the team since then, although she had called them to check how they were doing. Now that it was nearly July, the summer break could truly begin, although for her, she would spend most of it working. At least she had Zao to keep her company. The two of them had spent quite a bit of time together, and even though he was still the same dork as ever, she loved every day they met. She knew she'd have to return to the other world at some point, but for now, she needed the rest.
"Amara, your work's a bit sloppy this week. Did something happen?" Karen asked, as the end of the day neared.
"No, it's nothing." Amara said. "I think I'm just a bit distracted. Me and Zao have been meeting a lot since last week, and...I've been having so much fun!"
"That's great, but if you don't focus, we might not be able to sell any more issues. So get a hold of yourself." Lucy said, scowling.
"Sure thing, Commandant." Amara said, as Colette giggled. "Sorry Karen. I'll try and get back to my usual standard."
"Good to hear it. Now, this is last minute, but since I'm single again, how about you, me and some of the girls go out tomorrow? We can hit some great clubs. When you've been around as long as I have, you get!" Karen said, grinning.
"Go on then. I suppose I need some excitement in my life. And I'm not going to find it by sitting around the house all night." Stella said, not looking up from her computer.
"Oh, I'd love to go! I've got this great pink outfit I've been dying to show off!" Colette said. Everyone just politely laughed. In the short time they had worked with her, they had seen plenty of pink outfits.
"I suppose I will go. I haven't been out since that night with Colette and Stella." Lucy said. "What about you two?"
"Sure. I might as well." Amara said. She still didn't like Lucy much, but Stella and Karen were coming. Besides, if they were spending the whole night dancing in clubs, she wouldn't have to talk to Lucy much.
"Sounds good. Karen, do you mind if I bring my friend Shirley along?" Lucy asked. "She's awesome."
"The more, the merrier! The more girls around to stop me from throwing myself at random men, the better. I could have used them when I met my last husband." Karen said, shuddering. "That's actually how we met. I saw him, thought he was cute, and practically shoved myself in his way. God, that was stupid."
"Don't worry. We'll be your guardians for the night!" Amara said, then she laughed. "So Stella, what are you up to after work?"
"I'm going to my parlour to do some readings. Ever since some slut - ahem, glamour model - was accused of doing drugs, I've been bombarded with calls asking if it's true. To be honest, I don't care, but money's money." Stella said, with a catlike grin.
"So those are the great psychic Stella's true colours." Amara said. "As for me, I'm off to Bar Seoul. I'm really hungry..."
"Oh, I was going there with Shirley after work. Why don't you join us?" Lucy said. Amara briefly grimaced. Luckily, Lucy didn't see her look of displeasure.
"Yeah, sure! Why not?" Amara said. She had quite a few reasons for why not, actually. Lucy had developed a reputation as a slave driver and a know-it-all. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to spend too much time with her tonight - and Shirley might be okay. "Then we'll go once we're done!"
|Solar Ray Mall|17:20 pm|
"This Mall is so amazing. In fact, I've been planning an article on this place, but it's very difficult to get hold of the man in charge." Lucy said. "His name is Mr Martin, but his phone's always busy and his secretary always says he's in meetings, or something. Yet he's the one who made the Mall what it is today, so he's really the one I need."
"Oh, right. Maybe keep trying. Surely he'll be free one day." Amara said, nonchalantly. "So Shirley's meeting us here, right?"
"Yeah - oh, there she is!" Lucy said, as a young woman ran over. "Amara, this is Shirley Evens."
Amara shook Shirley's hand, and smiled. Unlike Lucy, Shirley had a calm, polite look about her. Her hair was a vivid blue, similar to Zao's, except it was curled at the ends. Also, she was rather tall, easily towering over Lucy.
"Good to meet you." Amara said. "Apparently, you're 'awesome'."
"Really? I thought I was a 'dumb clutz'?" Shirley said, sticking her tongue out at Lucy.
"You spilt orange juice all over the table! Then Lilith jumped up, her fur got all sticky...it took forever to get her clean!" Lucy said.
"Fine, then I'm an awesome dumb clutz." Shirley said. "Anyway, it's nice to meet one of Lucy's friends. I didn't think there were many besides me."
"Shirley!" Lucy said, embarassed. "I've got plenty of friends! Yeah!"
"So is she the ditz fashionista?" Shirley said.
"...No, that's Colette." Lucy said.
"Oh! So is she the moany love guru?" Shirley asked.
"Nope. You're thinking Sheila." Lucy said.
"Ah! I've got it! The flirty traveler!" Shirley said, face beaming.
"That's a dude, you dumb clutz!" Lucy said.
"What did I say earlier?" Shirley said, wagging her finger.
"Okay. Awesome dumb clutz." Lucy said, sighing. "Amara's the artist."
"Ah, the one you liked the most." Shirley said. Lucy's face went red, and Amara's eyes widened. Was she being serious? Amara was actually the favourite of Lucy's colleagues? If so, perhaps she was being too harsh on Lucy...
"What? No, that'd be Karen." Lucy said. Amara rolled her eyes. She should have known. "But Amara's still cool."
"As long as she's not like those bitches at your college, I'm fine with that." Shirley said. "Besides, you've got me to keep you in line. Come on, let's go eat food we can't even pronounce."
"Oh god..." Lucy said. "Let's hope we don't insult the entire staff this time..."
Amara, wondering what she meant, went with them to Bar Seoul. This was turning out to be better than she expected.
|Legarte - Bus Stop|17:30 pm|
Kyle was by himself, on his way back. Serena had gone home, excited that her parents would be on vacation from tomorrow. Now that she would have the whole house to herself, Kyle could come over to her house without any awkwardness. Yet lately, he had felt strange. That odd dream about the basement was just the start, but Serena felt more important to him than before. Like, she had done something for him, and he should thank her. He'd also become more worried that she'd go away, which had never been a worry before.
"It's been two years. She wouldn't leave me, right? Matthew, what should I do?" Kyle said to himself. He had asked Matthew for advice many times during their friendship, and even now he still wondered what he would have said. Matthew was one of the kindest people Kyle had ever met, and every time he realised he was gone, all his positive thoughts gave way to sadness.
The bus was late, and it was coming on rain. Kyle cursed to himself - he never did bring an umbrella, since it made using his wheelchair a hassle. At least when he got home, he could go back to his fan translation of Devil Summoner. It was hard work, especially since he still had a very rudimentary grasp on the Japanese language, and Kazuya didn't have the time to help him. He was hanging out with his own friends, whilst Kyle was stuck at home tonight. Even Serena had her new friends, and they all seemed so much cooler than him. Perhaps that was what scared him.
The rain started to get heavier. Kyle cursed himself for not bringing a raincoat. Just as he sighed, something moved over his head.
"...Huh?"
It was a black umbrella. Kyle looked up to see who was holding it - and it was Dan, in his uniform, complete with a black and blue cap.
"Oh! It's you!" Kyle exclaimed.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Dan asked. Kyle panicked, but after a minute, he thought he could trust this man by now. The strange thing was, he felt like he knew him from before. Perhaps it was nostalgia for the old days with Matthew. They did bear quite a resemblance, now that Kyle thought about it. "Oh, and this is a free service. I won't add it to your bus fare."
"Thanks. How've you been?" Kyle asked, taking the umbrella.
"Same old, same old. Blaine keeps beating me at motorcycle racing, people still leave their trash on the bus, and they're still showing that damn Happy Hour show at midnight. All in all, not bad." Dan said. "You don't look so good, little buddy. What's up?"
"Well..." Kyle thought for a minute. "I'm sorry to bring this up, but did Matthew ever talk about me?" Dan's eyes, and Kyle panicked again. "I'm really sorry! We don't have to talk about -"
"Nah, don't worry about it. He had a lot of friends, Matthew, but I don't remember them all. You didn't go to the funeral, did you?" Dan asked. "I would have remembered seeing you for sure."
"I was too scared to go. If I told Mom I wanted to be there, she'd have kept asking why I was going, how I knew someone from the roughest part of the city." Kyle said, sighing. "I'm sorry. I really should have been there-"
"Hey, like I said, don't worry. I don't think Matthew's angry at you. Was that all you were worried about?" Dan asked, a bit cheerier now.
"I'm going to France with Mom soon. She says she's looking forward to it, but she'll have to keep looking after me while we're there. I'm stuck in this stupid thing, so I can't go swimming, or anything fun like that. So I'll just be sitting by the pool or beach..." Kyle said, despondent. "I sound so stupid, don't I?"
"Just a little, actually. I didn't get to go anywhere when I was your age. My parents weren't quite so lucky. Why don't you think of something fun you can do even in that thing? Something the both of you can enjoy?" Dan said, as he kept an eye out for the bus.
"I suppose I could. Matthew always told me that there were tons of things I could do...it's not been the same since. Thanks. You're right, I shouldn't waste opportunities like this." Kyle said, smiling.
"Sounds like my little brother was pretty special to you, then!" Dan said. "It's nice to hear good things about him now and again. He always was into helping others. His dream was to become a cop, you know."
"I know, he told me about that. He was really kind - looks like it runs in the family." Kyle said.
"Oh, come on! You're making me sound like a total pussy!" Dan said, laughing.
The bus came, and Kyle started to move towards the door. "Oh, did you need this umbrella back?" Kyle asked.
"Nah, you keep it. I'll be on this bus for ages, so I won't be needing it. Hey, isn't this the bus you go home on?" Dan asked.
"Yeah, that's right! Guess we're going together, then!" Kyle said, getting on the bus.
Dan chuckled, as he and the previous driver switched places. Kyle smiled as he sat in the wheelchair area, watching the city flash by. Dan didn't seem so scary anymore. In fact, he could call him a friend now. It was like Matthew, in a lot of ways. Maybe this was Matthew's way of looking after him...
|Bar Seoul|17:56 pm|
"That was delicious." Amara said, having finished her meal. "I might have had too much, though..."
"Me too - but it's so good! Even if all the food have funny names." Lucy said.
"Just think, Lucy, to them Western food sounds strange." Shirley said.
"Anyway, Amara, I saw you looking around here for someone. You have a friend who works here?" Lucy asked.
"As a matter of fact, yes. There's a waiter here called Blaine I talk to now and again." Amara said.
"Blaine? What kind of Korean name is that?" Lucy asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Um...it isn't. He just works here, that's all." Amara said. "Maybe he's not in today. Oh well."
This was the place she first saw him. He served her, Nathan and Serena before their second venture into the other world, and quickly afterwards he joined their team. Yet she never would have imagined him having the same power as them, let alone being their enemy in the other world. And now the other him was gone, without having a chance to exact revenge on Aeternus.
"Everything alright? You look lost in thought!" Shirley said.
"Oh, it's...nothing. I'm just thinking about what I should be painting next." Amara said.
"So how did you meet this Blaine guy?" Lucy asked, with a sneaky smile. "Should Zao be jealous?"
"What? No! Don't give me that look! We're just friends. If you must know, we met in Kanaloa when I was visiting Stella. His motorcycle broke down, so I let him use my phone. Then we just sort of started talking."
"Sounds nice." Lucy said. "You seem to have a gift with meeting people."
Hmm...she sounds jealous. Maybe the Real People team and Shirley are her only friends after all.
"What can I say? I'm just a people person." Amara said. "Anyway, I'll take care of the bill. Shall we go?"
Lucy and Shirley nodded, and after sampling the complementary mint chocolates, the girls headed out. On the way, Amara saw Blaine, and waved.
"Yo!" Blaine said. Lucy backed away, whilst Shirley looked at her bemused.
"Hey." Amara said. "How are you keeping?"
"Just peachy!" Blaine said. It didn't look like the events of last week had affected him too much. "Damn, you should have eaten later on. I've got the later shift tonight."
"Don't worry about it. I had these two for company, anyway." Amara said.
"Ah, are these girls from your - whoa!" Blaine said, looking at Lucy.
"What's going on?" Shirley asked. "Lucy, do you know him?"
"Um...I...sort...um...No! I've never seen him at a bar before! I swear!" Lucy said. Amara gasped. So she had met Blaine before? When?
"Blaine, what have you been up to?" Amara asked, prodding in the chest.
"Relax. I didn't try anything weird. I just saw her at The Mole when she was with your friend Stella and some...blonde ditz -"
"Colette." Amara interjected.
"-and I thought she was pretty cute." Blaine said. "And I was on my own after a huge session at the gym. You know, maintaining this god-like body."
"Someone's got a high opinion of himself..." Shirley said, smirking at Lucy's red face.
"Fine, demigod-like body." Blaine said. "And...let's say I got turned down. Big time."
"Wait!" Shirley said. "I remember now! Lucy came home roaringly drunk that night, and she was rambling about some guy she met. What did she say...'super sexy'? Older guy, with big muscles, and plenty of stubble?"
"Shirley, what the hell are you doing?!" Lucy screamed. Other shoppers in the mall stared at her, and Blaine burst out laughing. "Stop laughing! I was...in a bad mood that night, okay? I just wanted to focus on hanging out with the girls!"
"Relax, Lucille Victoria Crossman." Shirley said. "I don't see the problem. He likes you, you...clearly like him, and he hasn't had a hair transplant."
"Please, I can hardly afford haircuts, let alone transplants." Blaine said, laughing. "Well now, that changes everything. Here was me, sitting at the bar all rejected, but you had the hots for me after all!"
Lucy looked like a deer in headlights. Clearly, she wasn't used to being complimented.
"Shirley, are you sure it wasn't just the alcohol talking?" Amara asked.
"I've known Lucy since we were kids. I know when she's telling the truth, drunk or not." Shirley said.
"You guys...you're embarassing me!" Lucy said.
"Relax." Blaine said. "I meant what I said that night. You're a pretty young lady. And it's been a while since anyone called me sexy and meant it. If you like me too...how about a lunch sometime?"
"What?!" Lucy gulped.
"Hey, don't get scared. We can have a chance to chat by ourselves." Blaine said. "What do you say?"
"Um. Alright..." Lucy said, slightly smiling. "If I get the chance, I'll call you sometime. But I'm out tomorrow night, so it'll have to be the weekend. Sound okay?"
"Okay? That's perfect! Woohoo!" Blaine said, cheerfully. "I gotta get to work now. See you soon, maybe. Oh, and later, Amara." He walked into Bar Seoul, whistling a rather jaunty tune.
"Well, how about that?" Shirley said. "My Lucy's finally getting out and meeting people!"
"I suppose. And he is...kind of...ahem...handsome." Lucy said, still blushing. "And biker types are kind of hot. It's either the speed, the danger or the leather."
"...Whatever floats your boat, honey." Shirley said.
"So Amara, can you tell me more about him? I want to get an idea of what he's like. Hopefully, we've got something in common." Lucy said.
Amara reluctantly began discussing Blaine, or what little she did know about him. Secretly, she hoped this date would be a one-off. Yet Lucy wasn't dissuaded at all. Perhaps they would make a good match after all.
|Caramathia Department Store - Electronics|18:13 pm|
Caramathia was a vast department store in Nova Albion, known for their expensive yet luxurious products. The Electronics department was perhaps the greatest example of this, with computers and televsions worth over a thousand dollars prominently displayed all over. Serena had come here instead of joining her parents for dinner, hoping to enjoy a quick meal at the cafeteria upstairs.
"Wow..." Serena said, as she started browsing the television section. "Gorgeous." If only she had one of these TVs to watch her favourite shows on. Alas, she was never going to ask her parents to get one. Nor was she in a position to get one herself. Still, it was fun to imagine having a place with one of these babies in every room. She soon started testing out the 3D TV on display, and while it made her eyes hurt, it was still quite an experience to see leaves seemingly blowing right in front of her.
"Oh! Good evening."
Serena turned around, and gasped - it was Nathan, with Priscilla. Serena remembered that she didn't know Priscilla in this world, but after what happened last week, she felt happy to see them together. "It's been a little while."
"Nathan, it's only been one week! So is this the lovely Priscilla?" Serena asked. "She really is as pretty as you said."
"Why thank you. Nathan, how do you know this girl? Is she involved with that Amara woman?" Priscilla asked.
"Sort of. Serena's about to start her last year of high school, so I was giving her some career advice." Nathan said, and Serena giggled nervously. Then she realised - with Priscilla, they could just tell her anything they wanted. She'd never know about the other world, so it would be far easier to make up a story about Nathan convincing her to study business rather than fighting otherworldly monsters.
"Yes, that's right. I was considering studying literature, but Nathan thinks I'd have better luck with business studies." Serena said.
"Haha! That's my Nathan! Always talking about work, even today. Our TV's broken, and our friends Tara and Adrian were coming over, so we kind of need a new one, and soon. Otherwise, we might have to play board games again." Priscilla said.
"What kind of board games?"
"Oh, well we got given some really adult versions of classic ones as a joke. You wouldn't believe what they managed to do with snakes and ladders..." Priscilla said, and Serena shuddered. Her imagination went wild. "Nathan got a little carried away, though -"
"Okay, that's enough!" Nathan said, grimacing. "We had drunk a lot of wine that evening! ...That doesn't make it any better, does it?"
"It sounds like you two have a lot of fun! How long have you known each other?" Serena asked.
"Oh, since we were kids. If I remember correctly, our families were at this huge gathering, and I was so scared of the crowd of people, I hid behind a curtain. Turns out Nathan was behind it too! He kept asking if I was okay, and he said if anyone gave me any trouble he'd deal with them." Priscilla said, smiling. "I can't imagine being without him. Sounds so sappy, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, but it sounds nice. I wish I had someone like that." Serena said. She never really had any childhood friends - a few casual acquaintances, sure, but the only friend she really cared about was Kyle. Everyone teased her about being his girlfriend, but she kept saying she wasn't. Yet…did she really want to be just friends with him?
After saying goodbye, Serena returned to browsing the department store. Soon enough, she'd be back in the other world, fighting Shadows. But she wouldn't be alone. Kyle would be there, even if she wasn't the Serena he wanted.