Chapter 69: Wandering

|Unknown|

A clear blue sky, with no clouds for the shining sun to hide behind. A gentle summer breeze, that could be seen rustling the verdant trees. A flowing river, that ran through the huge metropolis. The water was crystal clean, and the vessels sailing downward were magnificent works of art. Indeed, this world was a striking place of unspoiled beauty and prosperity.

No matter where you walked, crowds of people would be rushing by, amidst cheers and laughter. Stalls selling all sorts of eye-catching wares were abound, each with a large queue looking to purchase these intricate trinkets. This scene was one of peace and harmony, to each and every people here.

Yet for one of these people, they did not think on beauty. All they could do was stand in place, and listen as their footsteps somehow echoed in this vast city. Not one person stared or spoke to them. The sun refused to set, and the wind never ceased. The queues of people never moved. The same citizens walked by, saying the exact same things.

Yet for this person, it did not register how odd this was. This eternal summer day meant nothing to them. This person had no idea of their own existence. Looking at mirrors revealed nothing. Their body was not reflected in even the clear water. To them, even their own gender was a mystery. There were no memories to shed light on the matter. And without even memories of talking or reading, they felt no sadness from this. It simply was that they would continue to watch.

|Marianne Art Museum|14:50 pm|

In New Motus City, it was the second day of 'Motion Vanguard'. In World War II, it was feared the entire island would be seized for their resources, and thus for two long days, the soldiers of the city prepared readily for battle. Nothing was left to chance. Eventually, the attackers were forced to retreat, having sustained heavy losses, whilst New Motus City survived mostly intact. In honour of the army's incredible defences strategies, the Motion Vanguard holiday was declared for two days in September. Amara had decided to spend the second day doing what she did best - examining paintings.

"Hmm...do I like this painting or not?" Amara mused to herself, her arms folded, as she scrutinised the portrait in front of her. It was of a large, muscular Roman soldier, ferociously engaged in battle with the savage natives of the territory the Empire were conquering. Yet the way the natives were painted, they looked far more human than the scowling, terrifying warrior that was about to slash them to ribbons.

"As I thought. Any holiday is an excuse for you to look at art!"

Amara leapt in fright, and when she saw it was Karl, she sighed.

"What are you doing here?" Amara asked. "Is it about the other world?"

"Kind of. But I wanted to give you this." Karl said. He pulled out a small item from his pocket - a ticket. Upon looking at the emblem, she realised it could be for only one event. The final match, and Karl's chance to become a true professional.

"Karl, we're not going out anymore. You can't expect me to cheer you on! Even if we are going to be fighting together." Amara said.

"It's not for my benefit. Zao asked me to." Karl said. "After what I said to him the other night, well...I had to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness. Then he begged me to get you a ticket so you could watch together. Hehe. Maybe you and Zao are better together than we were."

"Yeah, that's for certain. I don't have to worry about him screaming for help because I went to the bathroom." Amara said.

"It wasn't as bad as that!" Karl said. "But I did want to talk to you about the other world. Can you tell me more about it?"

"Well." Amara said. "You didn't see all of it, of course, but nearly every place in the city has gone downhill. Everyone's afraid to leave their doors, and the Ornatu Legion's main purpose is to protect the people if they want to safely go anywhere. The Ornatu Legion...they're a group of soldiers that Aeternus created. They have Personas, but not like ours. These Personas are made from Shadows, and fused with their wielder."

"The fuck?" Karl said loudly. Other patrons glared at him, and Amara's face turned red. "Oh. Sorry. But wait, that can't be safe for them!"

"No, not at all. They're kind of weak compared to us because their Personas are fake, while we're the real deal. But apparently, if they have their Persona for too long, they start to feel side effects. Like hearing voices, headaches, passing out, stuff like that. Eventually, they can die, and their Persona reverts to a Shadow." Amara said. "So really, fighting them is for the best. Once we beat them, their Persona disappears and they lose all memories of having one."

"I see..." Karl said. "That's awful. The Ater Vox have to be stopped. This kind of insanity can't be allowed to go on any further! For Aimee's sake, too!"

"It's good to hear you say that. With you fighting alongside her, we'll win for sure!" Amara said.

"Don't forget, though. I still want - no, have to watch over you. Zao, too. And those other three friends of yours. Blaine, Serena, and Nathan...an interesting choice of friends." Karl said.

"Hardly. We all met cause we got drawn to the other world." Amara said. "Listen. I don't want us to have to avoid each other outside of the other world. You want to look at these paintings with me?"

"Sure, but won't the staff recognise us? We came here almost weekly when we were an item." Karl said.

"So? It's the same now I'm with Zao. They'll just think I'm a lucky girl who gets handsome men to escort me around works of art!" Amara said, laughing. "Which reminds me, I'm glad you kept the beard."

"Facial hair is the mark of a real man! A cultured man, I assure you. Now, my fine lady, where might one purchase tea and crumpets?" Karl said, affecting an upper-class London accent.

Amara pointed to a sign by the café, and when Karl looked at it, they both burst out laughing. The hilarity was due to what was written:

NEW! Tea and Crumpets 50% off when bought together this Autumn! Add a touch of class to your art!

|Unknown|

The lost soul could hear one thing beyond the other people. A short melody, played by a flute. In their mind, images of an instrument came to mind. And also sounds of that instrument playing the melody. That soul could feel a sensation. A compulsion to follow that sound, in the city of no name. They would begin to move - somehow, the memory to walk was intact.

The soul's travels led them to a restaurant. The exterior was a bright green, and the sign was golden. Something else in this soul's mind clicked. They knew this sign.

"What do you think of that, my little angel? Our restaurant is going to be the biggest in town! The jewel of Saragel's eateries! Just you watch, sweetheart. Daddy's gonna be cooking dinner for lots of families like us! It'll be hard work, but it'll be a lot of fun too!"

"Daddy's the best at cooking! He made me steak for my birthday!"

"Darling, this is a dream come true. And I think our little girl is even prouder of this place than you are. I've heard her talk about it endlessly on the phone. It's amazing, don't you think?"

The soul lacked the memory to process these words. Yet the voices were familiar. For the first time, they felt something swell inside of their chest. A warm, fuzzy feeling. The three voices were of a large, bearded man, a little girl with a beret, and a calm, dignified beautiful woman. The soul wanted to move their lips upwards - but why? What purpose did that have? What was this gesture even called?

Eager to hear more of the voices, the person opened the door, and was greeted by the sight of many tables. Each of them had various people sitting there, eating and drinking. The smells were...enticing. The person now could feel an urge to devour the food. Yet they knew doing such a thing was forbidden, somehow. So they instead started to walk upstairs, and into a bedroom.

The room was filled with various toys and dolls. One of these had long purple hair and a deep blue dress. The person went up to it, and picked it up. Then, they look a minature brush, and started to untangle the hair. Why, they did not know. Yet they knew they had to make the doll's hair look nice. After many strokes, the person left the doll on the white bedside table, and turned to the window.

All seemed ordinary. The building across was a store selling televisions, each displaying a different channel. People were browsing outside the window, loudly chatting. Their words were not understood, yet they sounded animated over these electronics.

Very rapidly, the scene changed. One of the people had fallen to the ground, with a red liquid pouring from her head. The others had run away, screaming in terror. The televisions had mostly been destroyed, and the one left was displaying pictures of strange black blobs.

The next thing the soul knew, they were back downstairs, amongst the tables. No one was there anymore, except the bearded man and the pretty woman. Their faces looked worried, and the soul could hear sobbing.

"...stay here. Do not let anyone in, do you understand? We will be back soon...I promise."

The next thing the soul knew, they had to walk outside of this place. Staying here indefinitely would solve nothing. No words came to their mind, only vague sensations. They pushed open the door, and made their lonely way to a rather grim scene. The man and woman from before, laid on the ground - in puddles of blood. The dark monsters surrounded them, in a mad frenzy. The soul felt a strange tingling in its chest. And moisture came from its eyes. Then they heard a scream so loud, their ears hurt.

"Stay back! We'll exterminate them."

Two adult women appeared on the scene. One was an older brunette, with her hair in a bun and a mole on her face. She clutched two guns in her hands, and aimed them at the Shadows. The other was a younger lady, with curls of bright blonde hair and green eyes, clad in a yellow coat. Her weapon seemed to be two sickles chained together.

"You heard her! You'll just get in the way!" The blonde said. Within moments, the Shadows were dead. The soul saw two other figures briefly materialise during the short skirmish - but could not make out any details.

"Well now." The brunette said. "From the tears on your face, I assume these two were your family?"

"They shouldn't have left the house if they were planning to go on a long walk. Granted, our Ornatu Legion soldiers are busy at the moment." The blonde said. "Madam, surely you recognise us? We're of the Ater Vox. I am Nina Agnethe, and this is Josephine Johnson."

"If it's any consolation, miss, their deaths seemed to be quick." 'Josephine' said. "We cannot leave their bodies here, of course. And holding a outside burial would be far too risky. Madam, we're going to have to cremate their bodies."

"Josephine! Her parents have just died!" 'Nina' said. "Although...we're going to have to do that. There are too many Shadows to hold a funeral service in these times. So this is the simplest option. Rest assured, we will have our staff handle the cremation services. Right now...you're too upset to think, I imagine. We'll escort you to somewhere safe for tonight."

The soul then was inside the back of a truck, driving along Farawell. Shadows attempted to pursue the vehicle, only for them to collapse. Yet the soul found themselves staring at the floor, and saw water dropping from their eyes. The next few moments were blurs, yet they were soon standing outside the restaurant holding two urns in their hands. Quickly, they were inside again, and noticed almost every item was missing. Chairs, tables, and the photographs of the dead man and woman. The soul started to weep - only they and the two urns were here now. Much later, the soul went to the river, and opened the two urns. The ashes from both were scattered into the dark stream by the lost soul, amongst heartfelt tears.

|Saragel Track|16:00 pm|

"Calm down, Kyle...you can do this...you can do this..." Kyle said softly to himself. Yet despite his words of strength, his body was shaking all over. The other racers to his right and left seemed calm, cool and collected. Yet his thoughts were all over the place.

Serena in the audience helped a little. She was in the front, waving, whilst squeezed in between two large overweight parents. Above her was Kyle's mother, Daphne, who was cheering and trying to whistle.

Lucas, ever being the coach, was right beside him, babbling on about the myriad of races he had undertaken. Yet none of his words sunk in. Fear had gripped his heart so tightly...what if he disappointed his mother? Or Serena? He had come so far, and might humiliate himself in front of them.

Just then, he heard someone hollering his name. Serena and Kyle's mother looked up, confused, and all three of them saw him. Dan, in the back, standing up tall, gazing at Kyle. And he looked proud.

"Kyle, who's that guy in the crowd? He's cheering your name!" Lucas said.

"Dan...I never asked him to show, but he did anyway!" Kyle said. "Lucas, I'll fill you in later! For now, let's get going! We're gonna show everybody what I can do with this wheelchair!"

"That's my Kyle!" Lucas said. "It's nearly time. Don't forget, you need to save your energy for the final part of the race. And just remember, we're cheering you on. Even Adam came along to wish you well."

Kyle looked up, and saw a rather apathetic Adam sitting next to an exuberant Dan. The former was grimacing heavily at the latter.

"How'd you get him to show up?" Kyle asked.

"Believe it or not, he cheated on a big test last year. And I saw him, so with that piece of juicy information, he's pretty much mine!" Lucas said. "Oh, here we go!"

The announcer stood to the side of the track, ready to fire the starting shot. Kyle looked straight ahead, smiling. Something was giving him more strength, and that was seeing Serena, Dan, Lucas and his mother watching, proud. Adam's increasingly pained expression was rather amusing as well.

"Three! Two! One! GO!"

Immediately, Kyle got going. Everything Lucas had warned him about was happening. Skilled racers were shooting ahead of him, and he felt the urge to use all his energy - but he couldn't. Not just yet. He had to keep a steady pace, and wait for the moment to charge ahead.

When he reached the middle point, however, he had moved up a few places. It seems some other racers had made the mistakes Lucas had warned him about. He could feel sweat pouring down his back, but there was no time to stop and rest. Now, he could put more energy into his speed - and when he did, he felt that same energy surge through his body. He might be in a wheelchair, but it felt like a vehicle that could compete with a motorcycle.

The finish line soon came into view, and there were four other racers ahead. Two of them were bound to win, having been in the lead for most of the race. Their bodies were lean and defined, much like Lucas'. Kyle would need a lot more training to get to their level. Yet the people in third and fourth place weren't so athletic looking. Perhaps Kyle could beat them. And he knew four people that mattered were watching.

He soon tapped into speed he never thought possible before. His arms were sore, and his heart was pounding. There wasn't a part of his body that wasn't covered with sweat. None of this mattered. He had to get to that finish line, and fast. To his surprise, he came up to the girl in fourth place, and managed to get ahead of her. Then the boy in third, who at this point was alarmed. He himself had a surge of speed - and thus, Kyle redoubled his efforts. With both boys having their eyes on the end of the line, they were giving it their all.

Finally, Kyle was ahead of him. Just barely, but he did it - and got ahead of the finishing line. The winner of the race was enthusiastically celebrating with his friends and family, whilst the runner up was glaring at her. Kyle was exhausted, but managed to shake the hands of the boy and girl he beat.

"Kyle! That was incredible." Lucas said, as he ran up. "You really went overboard, but it worked out in the end. With all our sponsors, I think we can make a sizable contribution this year."

"That's...cool..."

"Yeah, you are!" Serena said. She threw herself at Kyle, hugging him repeatedly. "Kyle, I've never seen you get like that before, even when we're playing one of our games! I kind of want to see more of you like that?"

"Oh, you like seeing Kyle sweaty in a vest?" Lucas said. "Subtle!"

"What the - stop teasing me!" Serena said. "Oh! Ms McHale, wasn't Kyle awesome?"

"He truly was." Ms McHale said. "I told you my son would do well, especially with the both of us in attendance. Kyle, I am so proud of you!" She soon followed Serena's example and hugged Kyle, with a rather strong embrace. "Lucas O'Neil, yes? You've done well coaching my son! Here, you can have some of the raspberry & almond cake I made."

"Hmm. That does sound healthy for cake. Thanks!" Lucas said. "Oh, there's that guy. Kyle, you said you were going to tell us how you know him?"

"I didn't know Dan was going to show up. I thought he said he was busy?" Serena said. Dan looked over at Kyle, and smiled. Whilst he was out of breath, he beckoned Dan to come over.

"Good job, kid. I knew you had it in ya. Next time, you'll be the winner for sure!" Dan said.

"Excuse me, sir." Ms McHale said. "Can you explain to me how a man of your age knows my son? I know you're not from Lucille Valley High, I'm familiar with the staff there. And you look too friendly to be a drug dealer, and I certainly would have noticed if my son was involved with those."

"Mom!" Kyle said. "Dan might be from Kanaloa, but he's nothing like that!" Dan grimaced, and watched as Kyle's mother looked up with fright.

"Kanaloa? Kyle, you know you can't go there! It's far too dangerous! Please tell me you don't owe this man any money? Daniel, if that's your name, what does my son owe you?" She said, frantically.

"It's nothing like that, Miss." Dan said. "I'm from Kanaloa, and it's not a place to be proud of. But I'm just a bus driver. I'm not a loan shark, drug dealer, or anything like that. Your son's not in any trouble at all. He and I just got to know each other via mutual friends."

"Hmm." Kyle's mother looked Dan up and down, and scrutinised the goatee. "I think I can accept you're telling the truth. If you're a bus driver, are you perhaps responsible for driving Kyle to school?"

"Yup, I do his route in the mornings most days. He's a well behaved student, that's for sure! Then again, the other girls make a lot more noise." Dan said. "As for how me and Kyle met, well, Serena knows my friend Blaine cause...I don't even remember, they just do. Then I found out that Kyle used to be friends with..."

"Friends with who?" Kyle's mother said. "How many people has Kyle befriended that I don't know about?"

"Um..." Kyle said. "I used to be friends with his younger brother. Matthew, his name was."

"Oh, is that all?" Kyle's mother said. "Then where is Matthew now? Why is his older brother here instead?"

"Uh..." Serena said, looking sheepish. Dan's smile instantly faded. The minute he heard his brother's name, any joy or laughter seemed to be drained from him.

"He's...well..." Dan said. "He's dead! Matthew died two years ago!"

"Two years ago?" Ms McHale looked shocked. "Kyle, you were crying a lot around that time, but you never told me what that was all about! Was it because of Matthew? Why didn't you tell me about this friend of yours?"

"Mom, I didn't think you'd want me hanging out with a kid from Kanaloa. Matthew was really cool, though. He always looked out for me. I never thought I'd end up meeting his big brother..." Kyle said, sadly.

"I am sorry, Daniel. I didn't realise you'd suffered such a painful loss." Ms McHale said.

"I..." Dan said. "Uh, don't worry...I..."

He couldn't finish his sentence. The tears welling up in his eyes were too much. He turned round and darted off, faster than any of the racers today. The four of them were quiet, unsure what to say.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have sounded so mistrusting...then perhaps we wouldn't have talked about his brother." Ms McHale said. "Kyle, please be careful. That man clearly is struggling to cope...and you might be bringing back painful memories for him."

"She's right, Kyle. You oughta watch what you say to that guy. He seems nice enough, but if you say the wrong thing he might get even more tearful." Lucas said.

"Guys! I know he's in pain. I've seen it plenty of times. I'm the same, dammit! I couldn't forget about Matthew, no matter how hard I tried! He was my first real friend. He gave me the courage to try new things! He made me stop hating this wheelchair! He never made me feel like an invalid, always trying to shield me...and with him gone, I miss him like hell!" Kyle said.

"Kyle..." Serena said. "I didn't realise Matthew meant this much to you."

"But...if I can talk to Dan, I think I can find closure! And so can he!" Kyle said. "So next time I see him, I don't want to tread on eggshells. I want to know where Matthew's buried! Then I can say goodbye!"

"...If this is what will help you, I'll support you." Ms McHale said. "Yet Daniel might not be so willing to go back to his younger brother's resting place. Please, Kyle, don't be reckless."

"No...I think Kyle's got the right idea. It's not gonna be easy, but it has to be done. After seeing him today, I know he can do it." Lucas said. "Anyway, I'm going home -"

"Are you sure?" Ms McHale said. "I've booked us a table for four at Café Roma. I think this is an occasion to celebrate. Not only is my son a fierce competitor, but he's facing challenges head on. And you've helped him do so, Lucas."

"Well...okay." Lucas said. "It wasn't just me, though. Serena's been there for him all the way. And I've got a feeling Matthew was watching, too."

"So do I." Kyle said. "I bet he was cheering as loud as all of you!"

The four of them made their way to Ms McHale's car, stomachs rumbling.

|Unknown|

The scene changed rapidly from one location to another. Those ferocious beings - the Shadows - were everywhere. The soul ran, yet something seemed to register in their mind. They had once engaged these beings in combat. That was a vivid memory in their heart. A flute's melody echoed within her. Many melodies. And a word, one word, that would call upon those melodies.

They were outside a large stone building, with a heavy door in the centre. They felt fatigue growing, and sat down, their eyes closing.

"Oi! What are you doing here, lady?"

The soul opened their eyes, and they heard someone gasping. There were two rather angry young men in front of her, each holding bags filled with items. One had red hair, the other had blue. They were rather arrogant looking, and the soul felt like running.

"I'm sorry! I just stopped to rest, that's all!" a girl's voice said. "Hey! Where's the jewelled vase I stole!"

"It's ours now!" The blue haired boy said. Immediately, he took off. The soul pushed the red haired one aside, much to his shock, and pursued the other. In moments, they had him pinned to the ground, holding his arms behind his back.

"You little - fine, have your stinking vase!" the boy said. The other boy caught up to them, and gasped when he saw the soul holding the vase in her hands. "Where did you find it, anyway?"

"It's in this big place in Nova Albion. Apparently some guy called Reginald lived there. You can have the rest of his crap, but I just wanted the vase!" the girl's voice said.

"Hold up. You seem pretty good at this stealing thing." the blue haired boy said. "And you managed to outrun me...pretty amazing. Even Nick here can't catch up to me. So...sorry."

"Brad, what are you doing?" 'Nick' said. "Why are you just letting her have it back?"

"Maybe we could use someone else as part of the gang. Everyone else we've tried just stabs us in the back." 'Brad' said. "Hey, you know how to find this Reginald's house, so...can you take us there?"

"...As long as you don't try and take any of my stuff." The other voice said. The soul knew this voice - was it their own? Where they...female? "I...don't have anywhere else to go. I just go around abandoned places and take what I can sell for food...is that what you do?"

"Ha! As if! We steal the stuff and the food!" Brad said. "Come with us, lady. We'll show you how real thieves operate."

"What's your name?" Nick said.

Before the voice - which the soul now realised was her own - could speak, the scene changed again. The three of them were around various locations, picking up various valuable items. Soon after each successful heist, they would go back to the large building and store their vast collection of loot inside a big room. At one point, the two of them decided to head to a 'homeless shelter'. The soul did not understand what this was, but they stayed put. Their ankle seemed to hurt, and the soul had a faint recollection of tripping whilst being chased by other people. They had been outside a large house by a beach - a rather luxurious location. Now she was on a device with a bright screen, typing keys, as pictures of the house appeared.

"Oy...what's taking you so long?" Brad's voice could be heard screaming.

The soul noticed a strange silence in his screaming. Yet the soul spoke, again with words she did not understand.

"Sorry Brad, I was checking out that old summer home. Looks like there's some fancy stuff in there, but our rivals are interested too." She said. She stood up, took up two weapons - a sword and a dagger - and headed for the room where the treasure was kept. Brad and Nick were there, impatiently.

The regular habit continued for some time, and the soul seemed at ease with these two men. Neither seemed particularly kind or compassionate, and from the tone of their voice, they had no kind words. On occasion, she would fight off other gangs, and had to run quite a few times. This behaviour, despite the unpleasant escapes, provided some purpose to the soul.

|Tachibana University|17:30 pm|

This was the same university that was the centre of a Divine Spark in the Other World. Here, Karen and Roger reconciled after a brutal fight. Yet now they were apart again. Lucy, of course, knew none of this. To her, the university was just an ordinary place. She passed an Asian man with long black hair and his girlfriend as she reached the entrance.

"Come on, Edmond...I checked the university website! I know your lecture ends soon! Please, come out..." Lucy muttered to herself. He had ignored most of her phone calls and messages, so she had resorted to this. She couldn't handle him visiting New Motus City without seeing her. Now, she would force him to.

The lecture's end had passed, and whilst plenty of students passed her by, Lucy saw no sign of Edmond. She shrugged, and checked her watch. Perhaps he was busy answering a few questions. She continued to wait, struggling to stand idly by and watch as more students entered and left the campus.

Finally, a whole half hour after she had arrived, she saw Edmond walking outside the doors with four other teachers, all older than himself. She imagined he was having the time of his life, speaking to such distinguished educators. They were likely leagues smarter than herself - but in her mind, being his cousin should stand above all of that.

"Hold on a second. I need to take care of something." Edmond said. Lucy felt butterflies in her stomach as he stormed over. Why did he look so angry? She soon found him standing over her, arms crossed.

"Edmond! What...a surprise!" Lucy said. "What brings...you here!"

"You know perfectly well why. I was giving a two-hour long lecture to very bright fourth year students, and found myself speaking to sharp, gifted people. Quite frankly, it was worth having to endure meeting that Neanderthal you've fallen for." Edmond said.

"Edmond! Blaine isn't a genius, but that's not why I love him!" Lucy said. "And why do you have to belittle me? I just want to spend time with my cousin! I hardly see my family..."

"Perhaps that's because you'd rather hang out with your scatterbrained penpal." Edmond said. "Why must you live with that woman? Has she ever been to college?"

"Of course she has! She just hasn't figured out what to do with her life!" Lucy said.

"She's older than you and she hasn't settled on a career path?" Edmond said. "If you continue to associate with these people, Lucy, they're going to drag you down! Listen, I'm going out to dinner with those other professors. Then I need to call my fiancé -"

"What?" Lucy said. "Edmond, you never told me about her!"

Edmond sighed, and shook his head. "I know. She's actually one of the other professors at my university. I doubt you would get along with her - after all, we're certainly not having a pleasant conversation."

"Well that's all down to you, isn't it?" Lucy said. "All you care about is being around these geeks, just so you can say you're special! Right? But all I wanted was to be special to you...like I was when we were young! Why can't we go back to those days?"

"Because your life is going nowhere. That's why. You might be going to college, but are you really making a difference?" Edmond said. "Your boyfriend is a mere bartender. He might be able to drink you under the table, but his talents end there. If you think I'll let him attend Sasha and mine's wedding, you're mistaken."

Lucy was numb with shock. Edmond had never been so bitter, so acerbic to her before. Now she was utterly vehement with rage. Without warning, she slapped Edmond right across the face, much to the shock of the other professors.

"Fine! Then I'm not going, either! You can have your wedding, with as many smart people as you like! But if you want people who really care...well, too late now!" Lucy said. Before Edmond could respond, she stormed off - as the tears began.

"Stop right there." A familiar voice said. Right ahead was someone with blue hair she knew very well. Shirley. "Why didn't you tell me where you are going?"

"Shirley..." Lucy said tearfully, as Shirley gently held her hands. "Did you hear...all of it?"

"More than I needed to. That man hates me, your boyfriend...I have no idea why you're trying to make him hang out with you so much. Is it just to see if he's as nice to you as he was in the past?"

"Shirley, I..." Lucy said, still tearful. "I want my cousin back! I thought I could get him, but he's not going to return, is he? Not like this..."

"I'm sorry." Shirley said. "If you insist on building a better relationship with Edmond, go ahead. I'll be there for you. But if you wanna give up, I'll be there to treat you to a wild night out!"

"Wild? How wild?" Lucy asked.

"We'll do the Forbidden Six. Saragel's biggest clubs, in the right order..." Shirley said. "Sound like a plan?"

"Yeah. It really does." Lucy said, smiling, hands behind her back. "Okay, then let's get out of here!"

"Not so fast. We're in Takanawa, so we might as well get some Chinese! Peking duck, Lucy! Tonight, I'm going to stop you feeling like crap - even if I have to let you hog the soy sauce!"

Lucy laughed, and they soon found the Golden Dragon restaurant. Edmond was probably still socialising with his colleagues, but Lucy found she didn't care anymore.

She had someone who cared about her all along.

|Unknown|

Quite some time after she had begun, the soul found the two men standing outside the treasure room.

"...get your ass in gear! We're heading out to the river!" Brad said.

"Why there?!" the soul said, and they felt their body shake. She felt frightened. Did she know what was coming next? She knew the next destination they were going to could only lead to more trouble. "I heard there was a scary guy killing left, right and centre there...what if we run into him? You guys just have those knives!"

"Whatever, girl. You're a fighter too. Remember, we taught you how to get a guy from behind - even if you did ruin your dress. We're off. You know the drill." Nick said, and he slammed the door shut. The three of them left the building, which seemed to have many different items on display. Along the way, the three of them made idle conversation - yet whilst the two boys sounded confident, the soul's voice was filled with fear and dread. Something felt wrong...

The river was finally in sight, and night had fallen. The pale moonlight shone on the water. The three of them stared into the distance, and the soul saw another person in the distance. A blonde man, wearing red. He was standing still, staring at the sky. She instantly knew who he was - and felt sick. She wanted to scream, and to run. And soon, she would see why.

Quietly, Nick and Brad started to sneak up on the man. Their movements were slow, yet they produced almost no noise. The soul did not move one inch - fear had invaded her heart, and would not leave. Her comrades did not bother to check on her - likely since doing so would attract the man's attention.

They were just behind him when Brad started to cough. The large man turned around, and the look of fury in his face made the soul whimper. This was a man she knew was bad news.

"The fuck are you two doing here?" The man said. "You little shits better go back to your lady friend!"

"Huh? What the - fuck! Why is she still standing there?" Brad shouted. "Oh, forget it. Hand over everything you've got! Now, asshole!" He produced a knife from his pocket, and Nick did the same.

"You really think I'm gonna give you cunts anything?" The man was fuming with rage. Without fear, he punched Nick in the face, sending him crashing to the ground. Then he kicked Brad, and his face contorted into a painful expression.

"Goddamit! Do something!" Nick said. He lunged forward with his knife, but it seemed to phase right through him. Something incredible happened. A blue aurora surrounded the scary man, and then a huge figure appeared out of nowhere - a blue skinned man, with tentacles for hair, wielding a lance.

"Oh my god! What is that?!" the soul screamed.

"Holy shit! Is he with the Ornatu Legion?!" Brad said. "Fucking hell!"

"You little bastards are pissing me off..." the man said. "Why don't you run away while you still can? That girl over there knows what to do! Not get in my way! So fuck off?"

"...No way!" Nick said. He and Brad glanced at each other, and nodded. They ran their knives into the man - but they did not feel their knives pierce through his flesh. It was as if stabbing air. "Huh?"

"That's it! Kanaloa!" the man screamed. The figure with the lance suddenly went on a rampage. The soul could only watch in horror, screaming, as it struck Brad and Nick's bodies repeatedly. Blood flew everywhere, and finally, the force known as Kanaloa slammed them into a wall - and their was an unpleasant sound. Their legs were broken...and their bodies slumped to the ground, bleeding all over.

"Brad! Nick!" the soul cried. "Get up, please!"

The angry man sighed, and when he stared at the distraught soul, his eyes felt like portals to hell. He was every bit as dangerous as she had feared - even more so. Now, she was all alone. The nice man and woman were dead. The two women had abandoned her. And now her two friends had been slain.

Everything was for naught once more.

|Legarte - Primrose Gardens|18:00 pm|

Nathan was walking through the Primrose Gardens, as the sun began to set. Priscilla was busy meeting her mother for flute practice, so he had decided to take a solitary walk. Along the way, he had passed where White Rose Academy had been, and he thought long and hard about how awful that place had been.

Priscilla would be shocked if she found out I was in a run-down building. A wall could have collapsed any second, and Setanta might not be enough to save me. What kind of fiancé am I? I'm endangering myself all for the sake of another world, and only a few people know. Amara must be the same with Zao. Serena...well, she can deny it all she wants, but she has to worry about Kyle. And of course -

"Hey, look who's here!"

To Nathan's surprise, an arm was slung over his shoulder. He looked to his right, and saw Blaine's smiling face. He seemed to be growing his stubble these days - as if he needed more body hair. From his boasting and Lucy's adoring remarks, he had quite the 'rug'.

"Blaine? Now this is a welcome surprise!" Nathan said, laughing. "I'm just glad someone I knew did that. Otherwise, I'd have to remember the kickboxing lessons I took at university."

"You, Nathan?" Blaine said. "You'd have to be a pro to knock me out!"

"Someday, Blaine, we'll see about that." Nathan said. The two of them laughed, and started walking. "So what brings you to Primrose Gardens?"

"Well, I was kinda bored. Dan's busy watching some wheelchair race thing. The one Serena told us about, remember? And Lucy wanted to meet her cousin at this university in Takanawa. It might have been the one we were at a while back." Blaine said. "So I thought I might as well get out of the filthy shithole I call home and get out here!"

"Looks like we're in the same boat. Priscilla's decided to go back to her first love, the flute. She is wonderful, you know. You have to hear her play someday." Nathan said. "So I just imagined I'd spend tonight wandering around here. I'm actually glad you showed up."

"Yeah, same here. You wanna go for a drink later?" Blaine said. "Not like our bender last time. Just a quick one."

"Sure, I'd like that." Nathan said. The two of them started walking through the park, making idle chit chat. Blaine told stories about serving all sorts of customers at The Lounge, expressing his delight in using the vodka luge made out of ice. Nathan exchanged some of his more entertaining tales at work, including the egg salad debacle.

"You know, I always imagined guys who worked in offices were a bunch of boring stiffs. Now, at least you're there to liven things up. Of course, we're not exactly normal." Blaine said, chuckling. "We're the ones screaming out weird attacks and killing monsters."

"True. At least you're enjoying your normal life, too. It's reassuring to know how happy Kaman is in this world. The other day, I was pondering - what sort of lives did the Ater Vox lead before they discovered Shadows?" Nathan said.

"Serena's told us a bit about Nina, I guess..." Blaine said. "She sounded like one cool sister. No pun intended. It must be Hel to fight your own flesh and blood."

"Well Blaine, you literally did that a long time ago." Nathan said. "That's not an experience I would wish on anybody. I was really concerned, you might remember."

"Yeah...that's kinda when we stopped being asses to each other. Sure, I tease you now than then, but that's a friendship thing. I leave the real insults for bastards like Archibald. God, I hate that guy so much, and I don't even know why..." Blaine said.

"I can't say I know any more about him than you. Do you recall what he said when we fought him near Lorean Tower? He spoke about trying to return to a 'golden age'. A time of true happiness...I'm sure I have plenty of those. Like Archibald, I sometimes wish I could go back to those days. Yet he's taken it to another level. He's willing to make that goal a reality by total annihilation of our world." Nathan said.

"That's it!" Blaine said. "THAT'S why I hate him! He's a fucking coward!"

"Blaine...?" Nathan said, stunned. "A coward?"

"Damn straight. Listen to me, Nathan. You know my life's not been plain sailing. Until I was 10, everything was nice and easy. Dad was there to hold my hand. And Mom was there to cut my hair. Then when he tried to steal from a bank, that put an end to that 'golden age'!" Blaine said, angry. "I was a kid! I couldn't do anything but cry. Heck, if I was a little kid right now, I might go along with Archibald's plan. Anything to see my dad again."

"I suppose it does sound appealing. There are plenty of moments in my life I wish I could revisit..." Nathan said. "But you don't feel that way, do you?"

"Not anymore. You see, it's not just my dad. My mom and Matthew both drowned. No surprise why I hate those Aqua spells, huh? And I've been through more jobs and girls than you can count on your hands and feet." Blaine looked to the ground, sadly. This was behaviour he clearly was not proud of. "But now I finally see it. The future is unknown...that's what makes it so exciting. I wanna go forward, not backward. I want to see what's in store. That's what keeps me going!" He looked up at Nathan, and clenched his fist. "And look where I am now! Lucy...you know how I feel about her. Dan is practically my brother. Then there's you."

"Me?" Nathan said. "I have to admit, now that I've gotten to know you, I do regret my earlier harsh attitude -"

"All water under the bridge, buddy." Blaine said. He raised his hand, and winked. "Come on! Dudes like us don't go through what we've been through without being friends. And I can honestly say it's been one hell of a ride."

"I'm glad to hear you feel the exact same way..." Nathan said. He raised his hand as well, and they shook hands - rather vigorously. "Whoa! You'll take my arm off like that!"

"You'll get used to it." Blaine said. "So, you want that drink now? My treat."

"Maybe. But first, I want to look at the pond. It's been a long time." Nathan said. Blaine shrugged, and the two of them wandered over. The moonlight shone on the water, and lily pads could be seen in the centre.

"So...what's with this pond?" Blaine said. "Zao hasn't rubbed off on you, has he?"

"I shudder to think what would happen then. There'd probably be herring popping out of my pockets." Nathan said, as he sniggered. "No, I was just trying to remember something. I was at this pond when I was seven, during a picnic with my parents. Must have been 1991, actually..."

"Ah, back when I was just a little boy." Blaine said. "I never thought I'd grow up to be this tall. Or hairy, actually. You know Nathan, looking at this pond...yeah, I've been to this park too. In fact, it was the same kinda thing. My folks wanted a picnic and I really wanted to go off and play with the kids."

"I imagine you were rather outgoing. In my case, I was quite shy back then. Most of the other children weren't from the families in Nova Albion, so I was afraid they'd hate me for having better toys." Nathan said.

"A seven year old, worried about that?" Blaine said, surprised. "That sounds kinda shitty..."

"Well...one of my friends got his action figures stolen by another boy at the time, and I was afraid they'd take the motor boat my dad bought me. So I went off to play alone." Nathan said. "I know, that sounds depressing. Yet one of those other boys came over to me."

"Huh?" Blaine said. "Uh...what was he like?"

"He was a bit older than me. I just remember seeing him with his dad before then, and he really scared me. He was really tall, maybe about your height. And I remember him having a big black beard, and a really loud voice." Nathan said. "But when the other boy came over to me, he said -"

"Cool boat, buddy! Can I try it out?" Blaine said. "Don't worry, I won't break it! I'm careful with toys!"

"...Blaine?" Nathan said. The two of them were quiet. Then, slowly big smiles appeared on both their faces. "So I was right! It was you!"

"Hell yeah, that was me! I'd know anytime someone's trying to describe my dad!" Blaine said. "The whole time when I was walking through here, I remembered being here with my parents. And looking at this pond with you, well...it came back to me. You were the nice guy with the red hair, the one that played with me the whole day."

"Yes, that's right! It wasn't just the boat. We went down the slide! The swings! The see-saw! We even tried to build a sand castle together, but when a girl tripped over it and started crying, you just hugged her and told her it wasn't her fault..." Nathan said. "You were completely different from what I expected. A boy who really cared about others, even if he did play rough."

"That's me! That was a really awesome day. I can kinda remember my dad talking to yours, actually. They shook heads before they said goodbye, and Dad told me that was something people did when they really respect each other." Blaine said. "Which is why we did."

"I'm so glad I met you." Nathan said, his face beaming. "Twice you've proven me wrong about what kind of person you are. And now I really don't want to lose you again."

"Me either. We spent too much time apart. It would have been cool to hang out with you growing up. Guess that's out of the window. But a reunion party is long overdue! C'mon, Nathan! We're going to hit the next bar we come across!" Blaine said, wrapping his shoulder around Nathan again. "While we're there, maybe we can try some pool. I've heard you brag about beating Adrian before. Let's see if you can handle me!"

"You're on, old friend!" Nathan said. The two of them practically skipped out of the park, their hearts filled with cheer.

|Unknown|

Shaking, the soul turned back and fled. She could barely focus on her surroundings at all. All she could focus on was getting away from this madman, or she would end up like Brad and Nick. Suddenly, she bumped into something - a freakish looking monster, wearing a mask. More of its kind appeared, and surrounded her. This was it. She was finished. And she would never figure out anything. However, things suddenly changed. The creatures seemed agitated, and another voice could be heard. Yet it was not her own. It was not Brad or Nick. It wasn't even Josephine, Nina or the murderer's. It was within her own mind...

Every human lives by wearing different masks. Your Persona is but one of them. Now is the time to bear your true heart, and drive the Shadows to their demise. I am Philemon, and I grant you this power. The power over your own heart. Wield it well.

Only one thing could be seen now. Blue shimmering smoke. The aura seemed pleasing - almost welcome. Then, it flared up. As the smoke roared, so did the creatures around her. Then outside of that smoke came a woman. A pink skinned woman, with long purple hair and a blue dress. In her hand was a flute.

"I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Lorelei, she who plays the songs that guide you to victory as you sail through the sea of time."

Lorelei. That was its name. And the soul's name...

That's right! I'm...

|Inanis|

"I'm Keisha! Yes, that's right! I'm Keisha!"

Suddenly, everything faded. Keisha was now standing in an unknown expanse of white. This was Inanis, she recalled. Her memories were finally back in place. She was Keisha Vivaldi, the daughter of a restaurant owner. Her parents died, and her whole life was turned upside down. Then she befriended thieves called Brad and Nick. But then they were killed by Roger, the man she hated most. That was the day she gained the power of Lorelei, the Persona that resembled her favourite doll as a child. She had then endured being part of the rebel group, all for the chance to eliminate him.

No, there was someone she hated even more than that now. Tomas Weiken. His actions had transformed her friend's souls into Personas.

Of course! that's what happened! Archibald showed up at the Museum! Then I saw Tomas and Rudo stand up, and I ran after them, and...

"The Divine Spark!" Keisha said. "No wonder I forgot who I even was...I saw things I'd forgotten about."

To everyone in the city, she was dead. All she could see behind her was a mass of shadowy energy, and beneath it was what appeared to be the Museum. So it was truly Inanis. Now, she had no idea where to go. Yet with her identity restored, she had only one goal in mind.

She had to kill Tomas Weiken and Roger Martin. Which meant she could not join the rebels anymore. It made no difference. Not even sleeping with Matthew made any difference. He seemed convinced it made them an item, that he was on the brink of a passionate love affair. Yet he was a mere distraction, one that she could no longer afford to focus on. If she had to break his heart, so be it.

"You. How did you get here?"

Keisha looked to her right, and smiled. Nihane Kronos, of the Ater Vox. She had not yet met him in person, but the others had spoken of him in great detail. He did not return her smile, and instead gestured wildly all over.

"Answer me! Why are you in Inanis! You're part of the rebel group, aren't you?" Nihane said.

"That depends." Keisha said. "They're not...the brightest, are they? A golden opportunity awaits all of them, but they insist on fighting because they're afraid of change. Morons, all of them. Life is so horrible in reality. Why can't they be more like you?"

"Interesting." Nihane, calming down, said. "Frequently, our soldiers have abandoned us for the sake of conquering her plans. You seem to have gone in the opposite direction. And if you were plotting to be a mole, well...I would have sensed it long before now. What is your name, then?"

"Keisha Vivaldi. Don't you keep tabs on us?" Keisha said, smirking. "The Eternal Road sounds like everything I've been dreaming about. I could go back to when my folks were alive, and make sure there's no one like Roger to ruin everything. So come on, are you gonna let me in?"

"...You should watch your tone when speaking to me." Nihane said. "That being said, however, I am subject to disrespect from my peers often. I can let it slide - for now. If you are serious in your choice, then I shall take you to our headquarters."

"Great! I never liked those other guys anyway. I just wanted a chance to kill Roger." Keisha said. "But I figure...if I can use the Eternal Road with you and your friends, I won't have to worry about him anymore! He'll be gone, forever! I won't even remember him! It'll be like he never existed!"

"Your wishes are your own." Nihane said. "As long as you work sufficiently in accomplishing our goal, your wishes will come true. Now, stand still."

Nihane and Keisha vanished, and Inanis was empty once more.