Disclaimer: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha belongs to Seven Arcs and all respective license holders. The Persona Series belongs to ATLUS. I only own this fic and nothing else. I also own all the mistakes too.


Chapter 21: Passing Days

The first thing Ren thought as he stole glances about the room could be summed up in one word: clean. From the table he was sitting at, the carpet, the window, even the basket of candy seemed clean somehow despite the eclectic selection. The image was bolstered by the sterile white fluorescent light that hummed above, shining as the brightest light in the room since the sun had fallen below the horizon.

How clean it was made him uneasy, even if it did make sense for a hospital to be so clean. Takemi wasn't nearly as stringent with her clinic's cleanliness, though given her circumstances that might be forgiven. A one-person operation didn't exactly allow for much in the way of time.

"I don't think I've ever seen any room so clean… I can even see my face in the desk…" Morgana's words echoing Ren's thoughts. "Apple flavored?" Ren turned to where Morgana was facing to realize that the basket of candy was mostly apple flavored. Perhaps they didn't want people in here.

"Sorry about that." Morgana dipped right back into Ren's bag as Maruki stepped into the room. "Just needed to check on a couple of things, but I'm free now." The man sat down into the chair opposite to Ren. "I hope that I didn't make you wait too long."

"It's fine, besides I'm the one who should apologize for showing up so suddenly," Ren replied.

"How about we just let bygones be bygones. After all you didn't come all the way here for a mutual display of apology," Maruki said with a wry chortle. "Well, before we really get started, full disclosure, Shujin basically told me everything regarding your circumstances. At least at the time of the interview way back when. I'm not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but for the sake of honesty, I think it's best you know before we go any further."

"It's in the past," Ren replied with all honesty. He didn't think much of it anymore, given that he'd already gotten the closure on the incident that he wanted.

"I see. It has been more than a year since then. However a criminal record isn't something most people in the country get over easily. In other places like America, getting arrested isn't as big a deal, but it's quite a source of stress and disquiet for most Japanese. I say this because I find it quite interesting that it seems like you're being truthful about the way you see it."

"Is it?" Ren asked, unsure of the meaning of 'interesting' that Maruki was referring to.

"It is. It seems like you've been able to reconcile your internal world with your external one. As simple as it sounds, it's actually really, truly impressive. Even most adults can't reliably manage that," Maruki tried to explain, however Ren could only give a look that seemed to exert effort of trying to understand.

"How to put it- Everyone has an internal reality, some conception of themselves they're striving to be. Like, wanting to be a model student, or wanting to be loved and relied on… That kind of thing. But ideals and reality are often far apart, and that gap is responsible for a lot of people's pain." Ren's mind drifted to Fate. Her perception of what she wanted Precia to be, and Precia actually was caused the girl immense suffering. While things were better now, Ren could still see Maruki's point when put into that perspective.

"Not everyone can be a hero, not everyone can ace their exams," Maruki continued to explain. "Your experience is something that can be enough to twist people up into dark places. But it seems like you stood up to your tough, painful reality and came out perhaps even stronger than almost anyone I can find. It's easy to see even though this is only our second meeting. Though maybe that's weird coming from me given that it is, as I just said, our second meeting."

"Yep."

"Ahaha, no beating around the bush… You're a funny guy, Ren-kun. Well anyways, enough about that. How about we get to the reason why you're here. I'm not the most reliable guy around, but if nothing else, I'm good at listening," Maruki said, with a chuckle.

"Well…" Ren leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands.

"Take all the time you need. I'm done with paperwork for now, so don't feel pressured if you don't want to. We can even wait until next time if you like," Maruki offered, noticing Ren's hesitation.

"No, I need to ask this now," Ren said, refusing Maruki's offer. Taking a deeper breath, Ren spoke as clearly as he could. "I'm currently stuck between two groups that are in opposition with one another. One group wants something, and the other group wants to stop them."

"I see…" Maruki noted to let Ren know he was listening. "And why does Group B want to stop Group A?" Maruki asked, noticing that lacking detail.

"Group A wants something, but they have to hurt others in the process. They don't want to, but their hand is being forced by the circumstances. Group B of course wants to keep Group A from hurting others, but in turn, Group A might be hurt, maybe to a point of no return." Ren was still speculating. He didn't know why the Yagami Family reason for trying to fill the Book of Darkness, but he couldn't see them as having malicious intent. Perhaps it was bias. Still though, he had to come up with something to explain to Maruki.

"It sounds like Group A would rather not inflict pain unto others if they could. Am I hearing this correctly?" Maruki asked, leaning back into his chair.

"Yeah, I'm sure of it."

"I see. That is interesting." was Maruki's response, his expression not changing at all after hearing Ren's clarification. "It brings to mind a common philosophical dilemma used in beginner psychology courses. If you'll allow the slight detour, allow me to explain. Though I'll cut it down for the sake of time." Balling his hand into a fist, he coughed into it to clear his throat before continuing.

"A man needed to buy medicine for a loved one, but even after scrounging for money from everyone he knew, he still couldn't afford the medicine and the druggist refused to sell it for cheaper. In desperation, he broke into the lab and stole the drug. The question that then gets posed, is whether or not what the man did was right."

"That's… an interesting dilemma…" Ren could see the parallels. "But I'd say that this person was in the right to steal it. Profit and self-interest getting in the way of saving life… I've seen it almost take the life of someone…" Ren recalled his time with Takemi, and how it almost resulted in the death of someone as young as Nanoha and Fate. "Besides that, an outright refusal… there could have been a deal made of some sort like payment in installments, or other kinds of compensation."

"That's a fair point, but out of the scope of the thought experiment. Also, this dilemma is usually used not necessarily to see what a person's morality is, but the development of their morality." Ren's brow raised at Maruki's statement, unsure of what the Counselor meant.

"I'm not going to bore you with a whole spiel about Lawrence Kohlberg, since that's not what you're here for and it would take far too long. However I will say that your answer is impressive in his context, since it's one that Kohlberg thought of as the highest level of morality, which is marked by a realization of individuals as separate from society. That one's own perspective may take precedence over society's, disobeying rules inconsistent with their own principles such as life, liberty, and justice. Rules are just a means to help general order but should not be obeyed without question," Maruki finished explaining.

Hearing that, Ren couldn't exactly state that he didn't resemble that assessment. He was willing to break rules if that meant doing what he thought was the right thing. It was actually somewhat scary to him how close it was to what he would do, and some of his own beliefs. Perhaps he should look more into philosophy and psychology down the line.

"Oh sorry, I kind of rambled there. Don't take it as gospel though. In fact there's way more to it than what I just said, including a version of that level of morality it that says the person was wrong to steal. The point is though that like anything in this world it's just one viewpoint among many. To get back on to topic, may I ask a couple more questions?"

"Go ahead," Ren responded, now thinking a bit about the thought experiment Maruki mentioned, but still paying attention to the counselor.

"Thank you," Maruki said before he took a deep breath, making sure that he remembered Ren's situation before speaking. "Does Group A believe that this thing they want is something they need at all costs?"

"I think so, yeah."

"And do you believe they will stop once they have it?"

"… I'm not sure, but I'd like to believe they would." They just had to have a good reason. Signum was too honorable, Shamal was too kind, and Vita was too honest, even if by accident. Zafira he couldn't read, but his actions portrayed him as noble and loyal. He knew scum, he'd suffered scum. But they weren't scum, not by a long shot.

"I see… well, unlike that dilemma I mentioned earlier, we aren't so limited. Are you sure there are no other options that can be pursued? If the current path brings too much pain, maybe there's a different path they can take that doesn't result in. Perhaps there's an alternative they can pursue instead, or maybe a method they can use that doesn't result in hurting others."

"Other methods…" Gears were beginning to turn in Ren's head, something was starting to form in his mind.

"I'm sorry if those answers sound vague, but the point I'm trying to make is that perhaps they should try something else entirely. If something is painful, you don't have to keep doing it. There shouldn't be just one path to take," Maruki almost seemed to plead, but Ren was too focused to think as to why it sounded like that.

"You're right… there might be another way," Ren said as his eyes slowly began to widen in realization. His expression brought relief to the Counselor.

"It seems you have an answer," Maruki noted just to be sure.

"I think I do," Ren answered. "Thanks. You've been a real big help."

"Ah well, this has been useful to me as well. It was actually interesting to listen to you," Maruki told Ren with all sincerity. "In fact I'd actually like to listen to you in the future if that's alright."

"For what reason?" Ren didn't know what about their conversation was helpful to Maruki. The whole thing seemed infinitely more helpful to Ren, than to him.

"Well you see. I'm doing research on a sort of psychological treatment. It's my main focus here while I'm counseling. Basically it's a project to learn more about people's metaphorical hearts. What they think, how they feel, and so on. If I get far enough with it, I think it'll be able to help a lot of people. So…" For how laidback the Counselor had been so far, Ren noted how serious Maruki looked for this particular topic. It seemed to be something very important to the man. After the help Maruki had provided him, it was difficult for Ren to say no.

"I'll need more details," was Ren's response once he realized Maruki had paused for an extended period of time.

"Oh right! Uh, I guess my point is… I'd like to ask you to help with that research. All you'd have to do is listen to my theories and then tell me if they spark any ideas or realizations on your end, sort of like today with that philosophical dilemma I told you about. Only difference is that you'd be listening to my theories rather than established ones."

"Is that really it?" Ren didn't think what was asked of him was substantial enough help considering how important it seemed to be to Maruki.

"Yes. Despite that, your input is something very important to my research. Please! Any time's good for me, and I can even work around your schedule. And, uh… I've got a lot of snacks too! You can have them. They're yours." Maruki didn't really have the appearance of desperation, but even so, it was clear he was putting in effort to convince Ren to help.

"Sure, I guess, if my input is needed that badly," Ren said, lacking his usual surety in his answers. He wanted to help, even without the offer of snacks. However he still couldn't see exactly why his listening to Maruki would be of any help. Oh well, snacks were snacks.

"Really!? Yes! Thank you! You're a lifesaver! In exchange, you can come here anytime you need help… and even if you don't I could maybe teach you some tips for mental training; strengthen your mind and psychological fortitude. It's my subject of expertise, so I can cook up a special regimen for you to draw out your full potential," Maruki said, his hand on his chin, already thinking of ways to help train the younger man.

"That sounds useful."

"Then it sounds like we have a deal!" At Maruki's word, the world dimmed and Lavenza's voice echoed in his mind as the world stood still.

Thou art I… And I am thou…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

that breaketh thy chains of captivity

With the birth of the Councillor Persona,

I have obtained the winds blessing that

shall lead to freedom and new power…

When the last of her voice faded, a card appeared in his mind depicting a shining sun with the face of an elder shining upon the world, some people basking in its splendor. However there were a few that suffered its light. Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished into the darkness as the world returned to light.

"Oh right, we should exchange numbers," Maruki said as he pulled out his phone, an older black model that was worn but obviously still useful to its owner.

"Right." Ren pulled out his own phone, and the two exchanged info without any wasted time. "Oh, I should probably get going," Ren said as he realized how late it had gotten once he noticed the time on his phone.

"It is getting pretty late. You're still a student, so your classes should take precedence. Be careful on your way home," Maruki said as he watched Ren get up out of his chair.

"I will. Thanks for the help," Ren said while scratching the back of his head.

"No problem. Well take care."

"You too," Ren answered before walking away and out the door, closing it behind him with a gentle pull that made only the bare minimum of noise. Immediately, Maruki noted how quiet it had become now that he was the only one left in the room. He relaxed into his chair, letting himself go just a bit and releasing a big sigh.

"Unwillingly inflicting pain, to save themselves from pain… I can't say I approve, but I can't necessarily condemn such a thing either. In this case, there has to be a better way for them to get what they want, a way to avoid pain entirely… but sometimes it isn't that easy. But man, that was some interesting stuff. I'm glad I'll be able to see him again," he said to himself, with only a ticking clock replying to him.

"Man it really has gotten late. I guess I better get going as well." He shuffled out of the chair, grabbing his things, and made sure that nothing was terribly out of place in the room. Turning everything off, and walking out, his steps echoed in the quiet halls of the la- hospital. He had to remind himself that it was a hospital…

"Just a bit more… that's all I need, so please Ren-kun… please come back soon…"

-0-0-21-0-0-

Nanoha felt a gentle breeze blow through her hair before swallowing a bite of her lunch. However no satisfaction was met from the morsel filling her stomach. She still felt an ache there that would not subside. She could still feel herself holding a pained expression that hadn't gone away since yesterday.

"Nanoha, are you still thinking about Ren?" Fate asked. The girl was sitting next to Nanoha, her own lunch half eaten, though she wasn't any more satisfied than the brunette. The two of them had decided to eat on the roof to avoid the crowding that happened yesterday. Alisa and Suzuka had chosen to serve as a distraction and would join them later. For now however, it was just the two of them.

"Yeah… he's hiding something from us," Nanoha said, trying to hide her sadness with a veneer of confident inquisitiveness, but it was a sheer façade borne from her inexperience.

"I know… but he's not the kind of person to tell what. He won't exactly deny it when someone finds out, but even when that happens he still doesn't ask for help unless you're already involved," Fate mused, looking up into the sky, frustration encroaching upon her expression.

"He's always doing this. He has no problem getting involved with other people's problems, but he never tries to get help when he's the one in need," Nanoha complained, a poor chunk of rice playing victim to her irritation as it was bitten with a tad more force than normal.

"Sounds like a certain other person that I know." Coughs resounded after Fate's little remark, the brunette of the two trying to catch her breath.

"I… I'm not as bad as Ren though," Nanoha tried to defend herself, but the blush on her face betrayed any calm she tried to portray. "He thinks he's being sneaky about it too…"

"He doesn't do too bad a job of it, but any extended attention towards him reveals his intentions. When he sets his mind to something, it becomes clear as day that he is going to act," Fate mused before taking another bite and chewing.

"Yeah… His eyes become so focused, so… full of conviction. I think it's what drew me towards him in the first place. Kind of like when I met you… Fate, I told you about the day I met Yuuno-kun, Morgana, and Ren right?" Nanoha asked.

"I don't think so, but I've at least read the report on the Arthra," Fate answered, trying to remember if the two of them had actually talked about it before, but nothing was coming to mind.

"Ah well…"

"Go ahead. Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan haven't arrived yet," Fate said. "I'm interested in hearing about when you first met him."

"Oh okay. Well you probably already know most of it, but I literally ran into him when I was trying to run from the monster that was possessed by the Jewel Seed. I almost fell down because of that, but he managed to catch me before I could."

"That sounds like him, fast reflexes," Fate noted, listening intently to Nanoha's story.

"Yup… well after that I tried to tell him to run away, but then the monster caught up to us. I told him to run again, but then he handed me his bag before he picked up a pipe and tried to fight it."

"He did what? The report didn't have that. It just said you two met and then you managed to activate your device and seal it. It didn't say anything about Ren fighting it," Fate said in surprise.

"He asked Yuuno to leave his parts out if he could. I guess that might explain that," Nanoha said, remembering when they were writing the reports for the Jewel Seeds they got before the TSAB arrived on earth.

"Why would he do that… No, more importantly, he didn't have his powers at that time right? You mean to tell me he fought a Jewel Seed possessed creature all by himself without magic or his Personas?" Fate asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Uh-huh. That's what he did."

"That's reckless. Doesn't he care about himself?" Fate asked as frustration a worry set in even further, the whites of her fingers beginning to show as they held onto her chopsticks.

"I wonder that sometimes too. I asked him once, and he told me that it's just how he was. He doesn't really think about it. He just can't stand by if he sees someone who needs help."

"Just like he did with me…" Fate mused, remembering her fight with him after he'd touched the Jewel Seed. To call it a fight would have been generous. Ren could have crushed her, but he didn't. Instead he chose to stop, and then before she even realized it, was trying to help her. He did so first by healing her scars, then by giving her shelter, and then a warm meal.

"I've also talked to Morgana about it. He said the same thing: that's just how Ren is. But he also told me that Ren's awakening was a bit special. All of Ren's other friends in the Phantom Thieves awakened to save themselves, but Ren awakened so he could save someone else. He was the only one to awaken for someone else's sake. It's just like him to do that, but I still can't help but worry about him," Nanoha said, her expression falling as she suffered the same frustration that Fate felt.

"I feel the same. Now that I know how he was when you two first met, I now believe more than ever we have to do something before something else happens to him. He might have a plan, but that doesn't mean we have to sit idly by and just see him off," Fate said, putting her chopsticks down.

"Yeah, but the question is: how do we do that?" Nanoha asked, stumped about the issue, an issue she'd been stuck on for a while with Ren.

"Well, as I said earlier, if he doesn't believe you're involved, he won't feel the need to involve you," Fate recalled her own words from earlier.

"I think I see where you're going. If that's the case, then we just need to make him change his mind and make him believe we are involved and can help him!"

"That's right. However right now we don't know what we need to be involved with," Fate said with a bit of wistfulness.

"Then we just have to figure out what that exactly is. We might be able to ask him directly, but we'll need to put him in a corner…" Nanoha proposed, her eyes alight with possibility.

"I see, but what should we do so that he won't suspect us long enough for us to put him in that position? I mean, he already hangs out with us when we ask him to, but we still need a reason," Fate pointed out to her partner in crime.

"Yeah… he's always willing to meet with us whenever we want, but… wait Fate-chan. Do you have a phone yet?" Nanoha asked the blonde, who took a moment to remember what a phone was before shaking her head.

"No, I don't," a blush of embarrassment arose upon Fate's cheeks as she replied.

"Then I think we have our excuse for today…" Nanoha said as her fingers tapped lightly on her phone before they hit send.

-0-0-21-0-0-

"Come on Ren!"

"This way!" Nanoha and Fate beckoned to him as the dragged him along through the shopping district. Stores and people whizzed by them as the two rushed towards their destination in excitement.

"Hey, don't drag your feet!"

"You can do it!" Alisa and Suzuka kept pace, following along.

"Hold on you two. The store isn't going anywhere," Ren told them as he barely kept up the pace with them.

"But who knows how long we'll be there! We have to get there as early as possible so that we can take as much time as we like," Nanoha said back to him as they continued onwards. Ren did his best to avoid slamming into other people whilst the girls held on to his hands. It was a Saturday, so people were out and about in the early afternoon.

"There it is!" Nanoha declared, as they stopped in front of an electronics store. It was one of the bigger ones in the area and with a decent amount of business going on inside. "Look, there's Lindy-san," Nanoha pointed, spotting the woman standing in front of the store.

"You're here," Lindy said before checking her watch. "You're a bit early."

"Well what about you? You got here before us," Ren pointed out, eliciting a small giggle from the woman.

"That's true," Lindy acquiesced. "Perhaps I was a little more excited than I thought to be buying a phone for Fate-chan."

"I'm surprised she didn't have one already," Alisa pipped up. "I mean not every kid has a phone, but still!"

"Well at least starting from today we'll be able to talk with her whenever we want," Suzuka said with a smile.

"Hey, let's leave the boring adults to their talk and find a phone for you, Fate-chan. Let's go!" Alisa grabbed Fate's hand and dragged her into the store.

"Uh… right," Fate replied, giving only a token amount of resistance as they four girls walked into the store. A cold wind blew past them, reminding them of the December weather.

"Well, I think it'll be a bit warmer inside," Lindy said as she watched Fate and the others walk over to the phone section of the store.

"I could use some cold resistance training," Ren replied, causing Lindy to look at him a bit confusedly.

"Well… I suppose that's true, but we really should keep an on eye on the girls." Lindy then walked into the store, leaving Ren behind outside.

"Huh, it's nothing compared to Akihabara, but it seems pretty good regardless," Morgana said, his little furry head popping out of Ren's bag that was on his shoulder. "But man, those girls have you on a tight leash. As a gentleman, I understand the need to fulfill the whims of women, but that doesn't mean letting them walk all over you."

"Oh look, there's Ann."

"Lady Ann!? Where!?" Morgana said as he looked around at a frantic speed, before realizing how ludicrous it would be for her to be there at all. "Hey!"

"I'm not saying anything else," Ren walked into the store without another word, ignoring Morgana's fevered insults regarding his frizzy hair. Now just where were those girls?

-0-0-21-0-0-

"How about this one?" Nanoha said holding up another model to the rest of the girls.

"Hmm… its ram isn't bad, but the picture quality is a no go," Alisa said after looking at the specs. "It's important for Fate-chan to be able to take the best pictures when she wants."

"I'm not sure if that's so important."

"Fate-chan, being able to save your memories is something pictures are supposed to do. If the pictures are better, then so will its ability to save those memories," Suzuka explained with all seriousness.

"Okay, if you say so…"

"Oh yeah, what color do you want Fate-chan? That's also important too," Alisa asked, realizing they forgot the most blatant detail.

"Huh? Well…" Fate tried to recall Nanoha's and Ren's phones. Nanoha's was orangish while Ren's was white. "I'm not sure." Even after remembering that, Fate found it difficult to think of a color she wanted. Maybe black would be fine, but for a phone, she didn't find it that important.

"You seem to really be into black, so maybe you'd also like it black. Of course maybe instead you'd want something that clashes to make it pop," Alisa mused surprising Fate that she was able to guess so accurately what color Fate entertained. "C'mon Fate-chan. We can't pick the right phone if you don't tell us anything."

"Alisa-chan, let's give her a break," Nanoha tried to step in.

"But if she gets a phone she doesn't like, then she's going to feel bad every time she has to look at or hold it. It has to be just right," Alisa argued back, clearly not backing down on the subject.

Ren looked on with an amused expression. He'd stayed silent so far, just watching over them to make sure nothing bad happened. Morgana had fallen asleep, taking a liking to the warmth of the store, and becoming fairly bored with nothing else to do. Ren's eyes would occasionally swing over some of the latest models, but he didn't really pay it any heed. His phone was still fine, and it would be a hassle to switch over anyways. Besides that, there was an app on his phone he wasn't too sure about if it would transfer or not…

"Earth technology is quite interesting," Lindy said, who was next to Ren while also looking at phone models. "Hmm… I think I understand these specs," she said perused more phones. "Ren-kun, what do you think?" She said, pointing to two phone models, both turquoise in color.

"Well…" Before he could answer, his phone notified him of a text. "Excuse me," he said in apology to Lindy, who gave him the go ahead to check. It was from Futaba…

"Right model, the left one might seem better, but it's made of worse materials and breaks down more easily." Ren raised an eyebrow to the text but decided to heed Futaba's advice… even if he felt weird about receiving it. "For Fate-chan, try to steer her towards a sturdier phone. Their magical girl stuff may end up with their phones being put through the wringer."

"Spying again?" Ren jokingly replied to Futaba. Only a few moments later did she respond.

"Well, I just overheard…"

"Thanks," Ren sent over before Futaba could send anything else.

"No problem! 😉" Futaba sent right afterwards. "If you need anything else, let me know."

"I will." After sending that message, he put his phone away and turned back to Lindy.

"Right model, it's made of better stuff," Ren repeated Futaba's advice.

"I see… the quality of the make is important too. Alright, I'll go with that one then," Lindy said, taking Ren's advice with a nod. "Fate-chan, have you decided yet?" The girls stopped their conversation to look at the two.

"No, not yet…" Fate replied with a sheepish expression.

"Maybe you should also consider how sturdy the phone is," Ren suggested with an offhandedness.

"Huh, do you like exercising or something Fate-chan?" Alisa asked after hearing Ren's suggestion.

"Sort of…"

"I guess you could say that," Fate and Nanoha answered with a bit of nervousness. Fate looking a bit down and to the side while Nanoha let out a weak laugh while scratching the back of her head with one hand.

"Why didn't you say so? In that case we should probably look at the sports versions for phones," Alisa said as she started looking for phones that fit the new criteria.

"Right. Normal phones might break easily, so we should find something that you can use while moving around," Suzuka added, joining Alisa in the hunt.

"Well even so, you should still be careful with them. Even if you get one that's sturdier and get a case for it, it's not going to be able to withstand everything." None of the girls recognized that voice, and even Lindy's brow furrowed in confusion at the unfamiliar addition. They all turned to where it came from to find a young woman with red hair in a long ponytail standing next to Ren.

"Hello Senpai. Helping your little sister and her friends shop for a phone?" Yoshizawa greeted Ren, causing him a bit of surprise when he finally noticed her.

"None of them are related to me. They're kind of like family friends," Ren tried to explain as succinctly as possible.

"Ah, I see. None of them looked like you, but I didn't want to assume."

"Um… do you know her Ren?" Nanoha asked, holding back other questions and concerns that arose from the girl who showed up and seemed to be close to him.

"Oh right. My apologies. I'm Kasumi Yoshizawa." Yoshizawa bowed to them before continuing on. "And to explain how I know him… Well, Senpai and I kind of have a deal of sorts going on. He helps me, and I help him. That being said, it's nice to meet acquaintances of Senpai."

"Hello Yoshizawa-san. I'm Lindy Harlaown, and I'm Fate-chan's guardian. Say hello, Fate-chan," Lindy said as she gestured towards the blonde girl to introduce herself.

"Hello, I'm Fate Testarossa." Right after Fate made her greetings, Alisa and Suzuka spoke up.

"I'm Alisa Bannings."

"And I'm Suzuka Tsukimura," the other girls also introduced themselves, curtsying at the same time.

"And I don't believe I've heard your name?" Yoshizawa turned to Nanoha, who perked up once she realized she hadn't said her name yet.

"I'm Nanoha Takamachi!" She said in a rush, and slightly higher volume, earning a giggle from the older girl. Nanoha's face went flush with a bit of embarrassment from her little gaffe.

"Well it's nice to meet you Nanoha-chan, as well as you Fate-chan, Alisa-chan, and Suzuka-chan," Yoshizawa replied with a smile.

"Yoshizawa-san, you said you were helping Ren-kun with something. What exactly are you helping him with?" Lindy asked before Nanoha or Fate could. The two girls counted their blessings that they wouldn't seem suspicious with Lindy being the one to ask.

"It's nothing bad or anything. I'm teaching him some gymnastics," Yoshizawa answered, earning a look of surprise from all present save for Ren.

"You know Gymnastics?" Alisa asked with stars in her eyes.

"That's so cool!" Suzuka said with excitement as she put her hands together.

"Gymnastics… a sport that focuses on the development and display of feats requiring intense agility and coordination," Lindy said to no one in particular. "It seems somewhat fitting for Ren-kun to pursue such an exercise, but I'm surprised you haven't before given what I've seen of your abilities."

"Oh so you've seen him in action?" Yoshizawa asked with a bit of surprise. "I was actually kind of impressed by how limber and agile he already was when we started."

"Indeed, his agility is a sight to behold," Lindy agreed recalling their time working together during the Jewel Seed incident. "It's a wonder then that he's so agile despite no formal training."

"Yeah, I agree," Yoshizawa said without hesitation. "It's enough to inspire me to do better as well."

"Um, Yoshizawa-san," Nanoha asked, not wanting to seem rude for suddenly saying something.

"Yes… Nanoha-chan," Yoshizawa said, making sure to get the girl's name right. "What is it?"

"You mentioned that Ren's also helping you with something as well. Is it okay if you tell us what that is?" Ren panicked slightly as Nanoha's question, something that the she and Fate noticed, but were unsure as to why.

"Well… it's a bit personal, so I'm sorry, but I can't exactly say what it is that Senpai is helping me with," Yoshizawa apologized.

"Oh no, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I'm sorry for even asking." Nanoha tried to remedy the situation once she saw how Yoshizawa's mood dropped the moment it was brought up. Her attempt at the very least brought a measure of comfort to Yoshizawa, or at least that's what it looked like on the surface when a thin smile was able to form on her lips.

"No it's alright. I'm the one who brought it up in the first place. If I didn't want anything asked about it, I shouldn't have said it. It's just me being clumsy like usual…" It was odd. Ren couldn't make out Yoshizawa's expression. Conflicted would be a way to say it, but not conflicted in a typical manner.

What fought at the surface of her expression wasn't in direct clash, but more like simultaneously attempting to show. Was it serious self-admonishment, or could it have been a joking one? Was confused, or was she sure? He couldn't make out just what Yoshizawa's expression meant. There was too much at once.

"Anyways, I shouldn't keep you. I've done what I've come to do today, so I'll be going now," Yoshizawa said, her face now displaying a full smile, but it didn't serve to ease Ren's suspicions of something going on. Still, he couldn't pry further, at least not today.

"What did you come here for exactly?" Lindy was the one to ask.

"Oh, my phone's been acting up, so I've kind of been going back and forth between getting it repaired or just getting a new one. It's been doing that since last year, and I thought maybe I should finally address it. I came today to see what my options were before going home to discuss it with my family," she explained.

"Ah, well good luck with that then. A phone is very important after all," Lindy said after hearing the explanation.

"Thank you. Well it was nice meeting you all, and I hope you keep in mind what I said about looking for phones. After all, you don't want it to end up like mine where it has problems thanks to not taking care of it," Yoshizawa said in jest, this time with Ren believing in her display.

"I will. Thank you," Fate said with a bow.

"Thank you for the help."

"Yeah, thanks!" Suzuka and Alisa said afterwards.

"Take care, Yoshizawa-san," Nanoha said with a wave goodbye.

"Mhm. See you later!" Yoshizawa left for the door, leaving them behind to finish their own shopping.

-0-0-21-0-0-

"I have lessons I have to get to, so I'll be leaving now," Alisa said first to the group.

"I'll be leaving with Alisa since I also have tutoring I have to attend," Suzuka added. "Don't forget to text us tonight once your home, okay Fate-chan?"

"I will," Fate said holding her phone in her hands tightly. In the end they bought a black model with reinforced casing. It was one released just this year, so the specs were fine, and the reviews vouched for its longevity.

"Ah it's here," Alisa said as a limousine pulled up next to the group. Ren sometimes forgot that Alisa and Suzuka's families were very well off. It made him feel a bit smaller just looking at the casual display of affluence. "Bye Fate-chan, Nanoha-chan. We'll see you at school Monday. You too Ren-kun, Lindy-san."

"Bye Bye!" Suzuka said with a wave as she and Alisa got into the car.

"Bye!"

"Take care!" Nanoha and Fate waved back as the door closed. A moment later the limousine drove off, leaving just those involved with more magical side of things.

"Ren, what are you doing after this?" Nanoha asked once things had settled down, though Ren noticed that the brunette seemed to be eyeing Fate, who was eyeing her back.

"Just going home probably." Ren didn't have anything else he needed to do today, nor did have any other plans. Nanoha's eyes lit up upon hearing his answer, and Fate seemed to react in a similarly positive manner. It scared him a bit. If those two were working together, he wasn't sure he could stop them, no matter what it was. Before Nanoha could speak up however-

"Home… Come to think of it. While I have visited Nanoha's home, I haven't actually visited yours," Lindy noted. It took Ren a second to remember that Lindy did go over to Nanoha's house and had a family meet and greet. He didn't take part because he was only tangentially related in that regard, but he was at least told about it by Nanoha and Fate after the fact.

"It's a nice home," Fate said offhandedly. "It's nice and clean, but it's a bit lonely."

"Lonely? How so?" Lindy asked, not sure what was meant by that comment.

"Um… well…" Nanoha struggled between wanting to answer and wanting to respect Ren's privacy. She looked at the older to boy for a sign of whether or not to go ahead.

"It's alright Nanoha, you can go ahead and tell her," Ren said to her, giving Nanoha a bit of relief.

"If you're sure." Nanoha then turned to Lindy before continuing. "Ren, kind of lives alone. His parents are currently overseas, so it's just him at home."

"Oh, I didn't know. You're already living by yourself, even if it isn't entirely by choice," Lindy said, a hand covering her mouth. Ren wasn't sure what raced through Lindy's mind, but it was clear something was turning in her head. It didn't necessarily have him worried, but it did leave him curious.

"It's fine," Ren said before Lindy could say anything else. "I have Morgana with me, so it's not all bad." Ren gestured towards his bag, though said individual was currently still fast asleep.

"Still though… Say I know! Since it's a Sunday tomorrow, why don't Nanoha's family and our family have lunch tomorrow at your house?" Lindy suddenly proposed. The suggestion and timing both served to throw everyone off balance. "How about it?"

"Well… I guess it would be fine," Ren said, still a bit taken aback by the sudden suggestion while rubbing the back of his head. "I wouldn't be against it."

"And what about you Nanoha-chan? I think Momoko-san and the rest of your family would like to visit him as well," Lindy asked the girl, who was also still a bit behind the conversation.

"Huh? Yeah, I guess I could ask them if they'd like to come over. My family already knows Ren, and I think Mom would like to see Ren's home." Nanoha recalled how Ren had been taking baking lessons from them, as well as teaching her father Shirou some coffee brewing tricks. If anything her parents already considered him something like extended family.

"Great, then if it all goes well, I think it's set. You can call us on our phones to tell us how it goes, okay?" Lindy said, holding up her own phone that was the exact model Ren (and Futaba) advised her to take.

"Alright, well, I promised Miyuki-nee and Mom that I'd help out with dinner tonight, so I'll have to get going now. Once I'm home, I'll ask them," Nanoha said as she began to make her way home. "Bye everyone!"

"See you later, Nanoha," Fate was first to say.

"Say hi to your parents for me," Lindy said after.

"Be careful on your way home," Ren was last to reply.

"Yeah, I will. Later!" Like that, Nanoha ran off towards home as they waved her off, disappearing into the crowd before too long, leaving Ren with Fate and Lindy. The sun was only just beginning to set, bathing the city in an orange glow. Once they'd put their hands down, Lindy turned towards the two of them.

"Fate-chan, I'll be heading back as well. There are a couple things I need to finish before the end of today. However you don't have to come with me," the woman said with a wink. "How about it?"

"Huh? Well…"

"How about you Ren-kun? Would it be alright if I left Fate in your hands for the time being?" Lindy asked the young man with a smile that was halfway between mischievous and motherly.

"I guess…" Ren replied while rubbing the back of his neck, unsure of what to say. "Bu-"

"Great! Then I'll head on home, and here's some money in case you two want to have dinner somewhere," she said, blatantly ignoring whatever Ren was about to say while handing over five thousand yen. "Feel free to use all of it, but anything else will have to come out of your own pocket. Now if you'll excuse me," Lindy didn't give them the chance to stop her or ask her anything further. By the time they regained their bearings, she was already gone.

"I'm going to guess she'll ignore us over comms too?" Ren asked with a clear tone of exhaustion in his voice.

"It seems that way," Fate answered, apparently already trying, and failing to connect to her guardian. After the third attempt, Fate decided to give up and turned towards Ren. "I'm sorry about this," she apologized, leaving Ren a bit confused.

"There's nothing to apologize for," He told her, not wanting her to make a habit of apologizing for things of this nature. "It is about time for dinner, and well… since we have the money, is there anything you want to eat?"

"No… I'm not really familiar with any of the restaurants here on Earth," Fate admitted. "We've been busy with the move and trying to find the Book of Darkness, so we haven't had a chance to try anything or go out for a meal, aside from Nanoha's Family's café."

"I see. Then why don't we just walk around, and if you see anything you might like, we can try it. How does that sound?" Ren offered.

"That sounds nice. I think I'd like that." A smile formed on Fate's expression. "Where should we go?"

"How about that way?" Ren pointed down the street that neither Lindy nor Nanoha went down.

"Alright," Fate said right before she grabbed a hold of his hand. "This way we won't be separated." Ren gave up. He'd already let her and Nanoha drag him around earlier. At this point it wouldn't make any more difference. "Let's go."

"Alright Goldilocks. Whatever you say." Fate didn't know whether to like or dislike the name, but at least it seemed he only called her that. That was especially now since they were no longer enemies. At least it wasn't as bad as when he called Nanoha princess… but Fate had to admit she wouldn't have minded that nickname either. Regardless, she made sure to hold his hand tightly as the crowds started to grow as in time with the setting sun.

-0-0-21-0-0-

In the end the two had decided upon a family restaurant. It wasn't peak hours just yet, but it was beginning to fill up. For that reason, they were placed at one of the smaller tables, which meant that Ren had to place his bag close to him so that Morgana's still ongoing nap wouldn't be disturbed. Fate on the other hand didn't mind the small table. She was more enamored by the novelty of the whole experience. Placing her menu down, she pointed at the picture of what she wanted.

"This one please," Fate said, her finger placed upon the picture of carbonara. "Ka… ka-ru-ba…. Carbonara…" she finally managed to say by reading the Katakana.

"And you sir?" The waitress said while still writing down Fate's order.

"I'll have the Paella," Ren answered, who also opted to point to the picture in the menu.

"Is there anything else you'd like?" She said with a customer service smile. Ren looked at Fate, who shook her head.

"No that's it," Ren said as he placed his menu down.

"Alright then. I'll take your menus, and we'll have them out as soon as they're ready. If you need anything else just let us know." The waitress then walked towards the kitchen, disappearing into the hustle and bustle of the restaurant before even getting near her destination. That just left the two of them there.

"So, nothing wrong with your health?" Fate was the first to speak.

"Huh? Are you still worried about that? Thanks, but really, there's not been any further complications," Ren told her.

"That's good… I'm sorry if it's getting annoying. It's just that I'm still worried about you," Fate admitted, a fist placed over her heart as if to quell any further worries from manifesting. "I just don't want to lose anyone important to me. Everyone I care about… they're safe. Even my older sister's body is being taken care of, but that might not always be the case."

"It's good that you're still thinking of others. That part hasn't changed about you." Ren's smile made Fate blush a bit, turning to the side to hide her embarrassment before she spoke again.

"If you say so… but now I know that I sometimes have to confront the people I care about," Fate said as she thought about Ren's words, reminding her of the reason why she was there.

"I see you remember that…"

"I remember a lot of things you say, Ren," Fate's comment caused him to blush a bit, scratching his cheek. "Some of the things you say can be pretty weird though…"

"Sorry, that's just how I am," Ren said, making only a token attempt to apologize.

"It's fine. It's just that I thought I was the only one who thought it was weird, but Nanoha agreed and said you're weird at times, even by Earth standards," Fate said as she reminisced on her initial misgivings over Ren's behavior. "Of course you being so weird is probably why you were willing to help me at the time, so I'm happy you're weird."

"Um… thanks?" Ren said, holding a confused smirk, unsure of taking the compliment or not while not actively denying it. "Speaking of Earth, how's living on Earth been so far?"

"Hmm… Lindy, Chrono and Amy have been very nice to me and Arf. Lindy and Amy especially so, and I think Chrono just does it in his own way. Being free to go to school and be with Nanoha and the others makes everyday fun and exciting. The lessons are a bit too easy, but that might just be me. Of course, I get to see you whenever I want too." Fate's smile at the end, caused Ren's blush to return after it had just gone away.

"Uh… yeah. I'm glad you're enjoying your time here. If you guys need any help, Nanoha and I are always willing to listen," Ren responded, trying to hide his embarrassment at being adored as much as he was.

"Thank you. We will. I hope I can continue to rely on you in the future Ren…" The young man noticed that Fate's voice seemed to trail off at the end unnaturally.

"Is something wrong?" He asked when she seemed like she wasn't going to continue for a reason other than it being a natural cut off point.

"You can rely on me too…" Fate responded, ignoring his question in a way that caused him to pause. It wasn't a direct address, but Ren realized that it meant something a bit more than just the surface. "Not just me, but also Nanoha and everyone else. You aren't alone… we want to help you. So please, let us help you…"

Excuses already raced inside Ren's mind. Things about age, danger, and so on ran through his head one after the other, but he didn't say any of them out loud. Considering what Fate had been through, any of them would have been an insult to her. However his current plans needed things to be a certain way, and could derail if they weren't… what was he to do? He took just another moment to think on it. Fate and Nanoha deserved an answer. It didn't have to be everything, but they still deserved to hear something.

"I haven't been the most upfront about what I've been doing in the past. It's an old habit of having to hide I was doing." He let out a chortle at his own expense, though Fate didn't laugh at all.

"I know. Nanoha told me that you used to do something that required you to keep it a secret. I still don't understand this 'Phantom Thief' thing you were a part of, but I do understand that it would have put you in a lot of danger had you been open about it. However this and that are different. You don't have to hide everything anymore. If there's anything Nanoha and I can do, please, let us know," Fate almost seemed to plead. Ren took a deep breath, taking just that extra few seconds to prepare himself for what he was about to tell her.

"What I need from you and Nanoha right now is to continue doing what you think is best," Ren was finally able to say. However his words only confused the young girl.

"I don't understand… how is that going to help you?" Fate asked.

"You and Nanoha already figured out that I'm working on something right?" Fate nodded at his question. "Well my plans require you, Nanoha, and the TSAB continuing to act as they have now. In order for them to work, I need you and everyone else to keep doing what you've been doing."

"I see. So by us acting in a way you predict, your plans should be able to continue without inhibition. We help by doing nothing surprising for you…" Fate said as she thought on his words, her understanding leaving him both impressed and relieved, though she didn't seem completely satisfied by the answer. "I still don't like it, not being of more help, but thank you for telling me… Is it alright if I tell Nanoha?"

"Go ahead, but you two should act as if we never had this conversation," Ren said, placing his hands together on his lap.

"I understand… I believe Earth has a saying. To trick one's enemies, you must first trick your friends," Fate said, catching Ren by surprise.

"That's a pretty advanced saying. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though, given the calculations you girls have to do when casting magic," Ren mused as he remembered reading some documents on casting magic while he was staying on the Arthra. Much of it involved advanced college level mathematics that would make most students at his age cry in frustration, and yet they were performing them instantly in dangerous situations. He was snapped out of his musings when he realized Fate was still staring at him, waiting for his attention to return to her.

"In the future," Fate continued, "Please involve Nanoha and I as early as possible. I won't ask you to involve everyone in the TSAB, but at least allow Nanoha and I to assist you. When we grow older… we will be closer… so… it'd be nice if we could be more open with each other. Because that's… that's how…" The girl shrank and her voice shriveled with every passing word. She wanted to say what she said, but she became increasingly aware of herself.

"Here you are! One Carbonara and one Paella!" The waitress said as she waltzed in, placing the dishes onto the table, a wave of smells and color flooding their senses as they were put into view. "Sorry for the wait! If you need anything else just let me know. I hope you enjoy!" And just as quickly as she arrived, she left to attend other customers, her eye still on them just in case. Truly a professional. Fate on the other hand sat there, unsure of whether or not to continue what she was saying before.

"Fate," Ren called her name, causing her to face him before he said anything more. "The future can always wait, but dinner can't. We can save those talks for later. For now though, do you want to share?" He said holding up his Paella for her to see. It certainly did look about as delicious as her Carbonara…

"Sure!" Fate replied with an excited smile as they started to exchange portions. Later that night, once Fate returned home, Lindy made sure to note the restaurant's name so the rest of them could try it.

-0-0-21-0-0-

"Let's make this quick as I don't have much time to spare. I'll ask right away, have you gotten a chance to test the device in the field yet?" A distorted voice spoke from the video comms displayed above Ren's dining room table. Morgana sat at the side as the two of them faced the static filled video feed. On the other side was the person Ren had met at the TSAB Headquarters.

"Not yet, no." Ren answered plainly. "So far things have been quiet."

"The Arthra crew are doing their best, but so far they haven't been able to find anything. They're going to start looking into other worlds nearby and see if they can find something," Morgana added.

"I see. Well I suppose it can't be helped if there hasn't been an opportunity to test it further," the voice lamented. "Active combat data is what I need most for adjustments, but such a thing can't be forced given the circumstances."

"How's your research going… uh…" Morgana's voice trailed, not wanting to say the name as a matter of security.

"Witch. That name should suffice for now. And I will refer to you as your code names which I recall are… Joker and Mona. As for my research, I am making progress despite my circumstances. However, without data, that aspect of my work will be stalled. It's a bottleneck that I cannot bypass."

"Makes sense I suppose. For Joker and me specifically, we've been doing our own investigations around, however our luck has been pretty much the same as the others," Mona explained.

"Oh? And what sort of investigations might that be?" Witch asked, a brow raised in curiosity.

"Just some foot work. Nothing all that fancy," Joker answered her.

"Ah, I see. So non-magical investigative endeavors. I suppose I am to blame for getting my hopes up. Regardless perhaps such a different approach is necessary, and you can't find if you never look after all. To switch topics for a moment, I assume you have fully healed from the attack on your Linker Core?"

"It was fully healed before I even left the TSAB headquarters," Joker answered her.

"The guy was even doing pull ups on the ceiling the morning after," Mona added.

"I still find it hard to believe such a fast recovery could have occurred, but I don't believe you are lying. Not only that, but your medical records they had of your stay support the claim," Witch said, sitting back in her chair. "What have the Arthra crew said about your recovery?"

"They've said that my quick recovery hopefully means that the Belkan Knights were probably unable to fill too many pages from my core. It's possible that my lack of training with my Linker Core or magic in general ended up a pyrrhic boon in this case," Joker relayed from what he could remember.

"… I would not be so sure on that front," Witch said with a cautious bent in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Mona asked, his ears perked up.

"I've done my own measurements on your Linker Core, Joker. Your core is unusual. It's as if it's in a constant state of flux, unable to be measured with any consistency. At one moment it is small and feeble, but the next it exceeds even my own. It seems to correspond to something else within you." Witch paused as she brought up the data to be sure of herself.

"Regardless of that, at its peak you might qualify for the rank of SSS without conditions or need for outside assistance. To help you understand how unusual and dangerous this is. There is not a single individual in the TSAB at current who qualifies for that rank, and it's speculated that only the Saint Kings in the past during the Ancient Belkan era who may have reached such heights. I can achieve SS, but only under very specific conditions."

"That sounds really impressive then," Mona said, a bit overwhelmed by the information.

"It should. To that end however, the amount of pages taken from Joker might have been quite substantial then. You should perhaps try and goad the officers around you to hasten their investigations as the available time until the enemy fills the book may be far less than initially predicted. You should also try to avoid further attacks on your Linker Core. You may now be a prime target for a follow up attack should they see you again," Witch warned with a bluntness in her voice.

"…I'll be sure to be careful," Joker said, making sure to hold himself back from saying any further.

"Just as well, please look after my daughter. I know that she is capable, but I still cannot help but worry," Witch said, her voice now a bit flighty and lacking the force it held just before.

"Don't worry. It's not just us looking after her, but Lady Nanoha and the others as well. With all of us together, the chances of something happening are slim to none," Mona answered with a puff of his chest.

"Yes, I suppose that's as much as I can ask for. Thank you." Joker thought he could see a smile on the shadowy face of the woman beyond the comms' screen, but it then shifted back to a serious expression held at the beginning. "We should end the call here. I'll send a message prior to our next contact. I trust this is fine?" Joker and Mona responded with a nod. "Then I will see you next time. Goodbye." At her word, the call ended, the light of the comms disappearing into the ether.

"It seems you continue to impress me more and more. Not only are you a powerful Persona user, but also a history making mage," Mona said with a jovial grin, but one that also seemed to poke fun at the young man.

"I'm just lucky."

"I knew you'd say that. At some point, this much luck has to be skill. Still, it's getting late. Unless there's something else you want to do, we should probably hit the hay." As if on cue, a soundless yawn escaped from Mona's mouth, baring fangs, and tongue.

"No, you're right, let's just get to bed." He couldn't think of anything else he wanted to do, and it was technically almost morning. He had a busy day tomorrow and needed to be ready for it. First a visit early in the day, then later he had a visit to the hospital he needed to make. It was going to be a full schedule. Before too long the two had gone to his room, and true silence pervaded the house.

-0-0-21-0-0-

The familiar rattling of chains was all Ren needed to realize that he had to wake up. Forcing himself past the lethargy in his muscles, he rose from the bed, swinging his feet onto the floor before rubbing his eyes to get the last of it out of his system.

"It would seem you have become used to this," a teasing young voice echoed in his ears followed by a soft laughter. Lavenza only made a token gesture to cover her mouth. Behind her, Igor sat as poised as usual

"Much to my chagrin…" Ren looked down, still chained. However they felt looser than before. He was close then. Satisfied with his little test, he got up and walked over to the door of the cell.

"I see, then let us not keep you for long then," Lavenza said as she stepped to the side to keep from obstructing Ren's view of Igor.

"As you might be aware," Igor began to speak. "Things in reality are stirring. However, it is not just the incidents before you that you must be wary of. Beneath the surface, something yet lurks in humanity's heart, a void yet to be filled." Ren's brow creased, unsure of Igor's message.

"What do you mean?"

"While the problems you face now certainly are worthy of your focus and attention, we are here to warn you to be cautious of what lies after. Tread carefully Trickster, for a single false step will lead to ruin once more," Lavenza added, only to confuse Ren even more.

"Something else… like what?" Ren tried to ask again, wanting something more than just vague answers.

"That is something for you to discover," Igor said, basically telling him to do it on his own. "We shall provide assistance in the same manner as we always have."

"Stay true to your beliefs, Trickster. That is how you shall overcome what awaits you. To be honest though… aside from one other thing, this is all we can do for you," Lavenza said as her face fell into solemnity.

"I see…" Ren was taken aback by Lavenza's frankness. It had been a long time since he'd heard her sound so weak. "I'll do what I can then."

"Of course." Lavenza's smile returned at his reply.

"Though what is this other thing?" Ren asked.

"You'll just have to find out," Lavenza said, still smiling, but with a small mischievous bent to it this time.

"Now then, I believe that is long enough. You will need your rest for the coming trials ahead. Until we meet again." Igor's voice faded, and then the Velvet gave way back to darkness.

-0-0-21-0-0-

"Just a moment!" Ren sad, whilst wiping his hands on his apron, as he rushed over to the front of the house after hearing the doorbell ring. Once his hands were dry, he wasted no time in opening the door.

"Ren!"

"Hello!"

"Good day," Nanoha, her mother Momoko, and Lindy all said one after the other. Behind them he could see the other members of their family. Miyuki, Kyouya, Shirou stood nearer to Momoko. Behind Lindy he could see Chrono, Amy, and of course Fate with Arf as a small puppy held in her hands.

"Come on in," Ren invited them in, standing to the side so as to give them room to enter. "I have to leave later today, but feel free to make yourselves at home until then."

"Excuse me."

"Sorry to intrude."

"Thank you," Shirou, Kyouya, and Miyuki said one by one as they and then Momoko were first to enter.

"You can wait in the living room over there while I finish things up in the kitchen," Ren told them, pointing to where the living room was.

"Mroww" Morgana let out once he jumped onto a side table near the entrance, intentionally imitating a cat's meow just in case.

"Morgana!" Miyuki cried as she leapt at the cat the moment she laid eyes on him.

"Mrrrooww Get- uh… Mroww" Morgana almost spoke Japanese while Miyuki cat handled him but stopped himself.

"Aww did you miss me? I missed you too." Miyuki squeezed Morgana in a tight hug that he struggled to get away from. Ren decided to ignore that since he knew Miyuki would ultimately not hurt his partner in crime, as she and the rest of the Takamachis, sans Nanoha, walked into the living room.

"Your house is quite nice, it's also got a good view of the ocean," Lindy commented as she Chrono, and Amy were next to step into his house.

"Yeah, it hasn't changed at all since the last time I was here," Arf commented from within Fate's arms, her ears perking up ever so slightly. "Fate-chan, let me down. I think Morgana's gonna need back up."

"Alright." Fate did as requested, setting Arf down on to the ground, who then proceeded to run into the house, and into the living Room where the other family disappeared to.

"Rawf!"

"Aw, do you wanna to play too? Do you? Do you? Come here!" While Ren couldn't see Miyuki, the sounds that followed seemed to indicate that Arf took Morgana's place, given that the feline like creature was no longer screeching, replaced instead by Arf's playful barks.

"Fate-chan, Nanoha-chan, how long are you going stay out there?" Lindy asked from inside the house as Chrono and Amy also went into the living room. Nanoha and Fate were the only ones still standing outside.

"Oh right, it's just that it really has been a while since I've been here," Nanoha noted as she finally stepped inside.

"Yes, it really has been a long time," Fate followed right after. With everyone inside, Ren finally closed the door. A faint beeping sound erupted from somewhere within the house, causing some confusion among the guests.

"What's that?" Lindy asked.

"Oh that's my timer. I have to get that. You all go ahead and make yourselves at home." Ren didn't wait for the replies, instead making a brisk break for the kitchen, walking into and past the living room.

"Ren-kun is that-

"Yes, sorry, I'm getting it right now," Ren apologized to Momoko as he continued to the Kitchen, Chrono, Kyouya and Shirou making way for him as he sped through. Once there, he slapped down on the timer, and opened the pot. Opening the lid away from him, he began to stir using the nearby ladle, using his free hand to get wafts from a safe distance.

"That's about right… now for the taste." Taking a small tasting dish, he poured some of it inside, and checked the flavor. "Yup, all good," he said to himself in a low tone, satisfied with the taste. Honestly, he didn't really have to taste it at this point. Cooking this particular recipe was basically second nature now, but still, better safe than sorry. He'd heard horror stories of curry being prepared poorly and didn't want anything close to a reenactment in his house.

"Mmmm… that smells wonderful. I didn't know you also knew how to cook curry, Ren-kun," Momoko said with an excited smile.

"I didn't take you for the homely type. Though I can't say the apron looks bad on you," Amy commented, looking Ren up and down. "Actually, it fits more than I thought it would." Amy then turned to Chrono, giving him the same once more she gave Ren.

"What?" was his terse response, in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Oh nothing. Just thinking a little," Amy said, putting her hands palm sup in resignation.

"Thinking about what?" Chrono pressed, only to continue to receive Amy's pitying smile.

"Don't worry about it," Amy answered back, the two then going off into their own little world.

"Alright everyone, there's not enough seats at the table, but there's space on the couch. Just be careful about spilling, okay?" Ren said as he started to put the rice and curry onto the plates.

"Here, let me help with that," Momoko walked up, taking the finished plates, and handing them out before Ren could protest.

"Thank you," Ren decided to just let her be since she was already in the process of giving them out. Thanks to her help, it wasn't too long until everyone had a plate and was about to dig in. Arf had her own plate slyly given to her in the hallway without the Takamachi family noticing anything was amiss, and Morgana just opted to watch.

"It's been a while since I've had your curry Ren," Nanoha said as the smell filled her nose, whetting her appetite something fierce.

"I as well. I've been looking forward to having it again," Fate said, her stomach already beginning to rumble.

"Wait, Nanoha-chan, since when did you eat his curry before?" Kyouya asked, a visible amount of concern showing on his face in direct proportion to the nervousness forming on Ren's. Nanoha on the other hand was more so confused as to why her brother was asking that question.

"Yeah, just when did you- Ow!" Before Nanoha's father could say any more, Momoko pinched his ear.

"Now now, let's not start anything today, alright dear? Kyouya?" Her smile hadn't left her, but it was no longer as kind.

"Yes dear…"

"Yes mother," The two men said simultaneously. Ren shuddered a bit at the thought of Nanoha becoming like that in the future. He looked at the girl, who just smiled back at him when she noticed he was staring. She resembled her mother who was quite beautiful. If she grew up in a similar manner… He stowed the thought away, this time because everyone in the room heard a rumbling stomach.

"Oh are you that hungry Chrono-kun?" Amy teased with a smug little smile she hid behind her hand.

"S-shut up. I just haven't eaten anything at all this morning," Chrono said to try and save his dignity, his arms crossed over his chest, and head held high.

"If only because you were excited to eat it thanks to how much Fate-chan seemed to like it," she said almost as if to someone on the side, but loud enough for the whole room to hear.

"Amy!" Chrono shouted with a face plastered with crimson, only for Lindy to put a hand on the boy's shoulder before he could continue his outburst.

"Ren-kun how about we get started with the meal?" Lindy offered as smoothly as she could while her hand was still on Chrono's shoulder.

"Oh yes, we wouldn't want it to be cold," Momoko agreed.

"It'd be a shame after you went through the trouble to make it for us," Miyuki followed.

"Awwooo!" they heard Arf say from in the hall. A laugh escaped from some of the guests, but Ren couldn't pinpoint who, save for Fate who seemed to be the most obviously amused by her familiar's plight.

"Alright, let's just get started then," Ren replied, deciding to no longer delay the inevitable. Everyone put their hands together.

"Itadakimasu!" They said in unison, and before the echoes faded entirely from earshot, they were already digging deep into the curry.

"Oh wow, this so good!" Miyuki was the first to say.

"Never mind what I said earlier. You're perfect as a house husband," Amy was next to add to the adulation, though in an odd way Ren found. "Cooking, cleaning, looking good in an apron, you're the whole package."

"I'm not sure what to say other than it's delicious!" Lindy's eyes were wide with astonishment as she savored the flavor, almost to the point of not wanting to swallow.

"It's good…" Chrono said without any other decoration as he otherwise ate in silence. Ren took it for the compliment that it was. Besides, he couldn't remember if he had ever heard the boy say anything was to his liking in the first place.

"Well dear, how is it?" Momoko asked Shirou.

"It's better than most I can recall… it really is similar…" The man's voice trailed. However the comment Shirou tried to hide caused Ren's brow to raise, but he decided to remain silent for now. The last thing they needed with everyone in the room was a mood killer.

"I have to admit, this is really delicious. It's just the right amount spicy, and sweet. The seasonings are perfect…" Kyouya couldn't help but say despite himself, losing himself to the taste. "It really is that good."

The conversation continued to devolve into indistinguishable mush of chatter. Ren couldn't make out any one conversation being held, but at least it seemed that his curry was a hit, as expected. Though he noticed that Nanoha and Fate were the only ones who kept silent, content to chow down on their portion of curry in bliss without uttering a single word.

"If it's too much trouble, would you mind sharing the recipe? It'd wonderful to be able to have this at our home, right dear?" Momoko asked as she clapped her hands together in front of her face. Despite her request though, her husband seemed to not notice that she had called for him.

"Hm? I suppose, but a recipe this good is probably a secret," Shirou finally answered his wife, but his reply seemed distant, even though he was directly talking to her. "Say, would you mind showing me where the restroom is?" Shirou asked Ren.

"It's just down the hall and to the left, you can't miss it," Ren replied as normal, but Shirou's brow furrowed at his response.

"I have some trouble with directions. Would it be too much trouble if you could show it to me?" The man continued to insist. Now it was Ren's brow that furrowed. That was odd.

"Dear what are you-"

"Momoko…" He said nothing but his wife's name, but it seemed to be all he needed to say to her as she immediately withdrew with a trepid nod. Despite her usual hold over him, this seemed to be a case where she couldn't say anything about his actions. "Anyways, about that bathroom…"

"It's fine, follow me…" Ren said as he put his utensil down and stood up from his seat. Eyeing Morgana, he and the feline gave each other a nod before he gestured to Shirou to follow.

"Sorry about this." The man gave off a wry smile as they both walked out of the room, with Morgana tailing just a little behind. Once out in the hall, they made sure to not disturb Arf who was taking a nap on the floor, her bowl empty, and her belly full and exposed to the air. The two said nothing to one another as they walked down the hall, taking a turn just as Ren said. Once in front of the bathroom door, Ren opened it to show him inside.

"Here it is. I assume you won't need me to lead you back?" Ren said in jest, as he turned to look at the man, only to find a stern, stoic expression stuck on his face.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Phantom Thief." Ren's breathing stopped only for a moment before he forced it to resume at a normal pace. He could hear a stumble from behind the corner, but it was faint. He made an awkward smile and tried to respond.

"That's a weird joke, Takamachi-sa-"

"It's no joke. Let's not beat around the bush. You were the leader of the Phantom Thieves that operated around this time last year in Tokyo. You did so while under probation from a suit filed by Masayoshi Shido prior to the exposure of his corruption. How you operated is still unknown, however your effects are still being felt to this day. Quite an interesting fellow to have gotten involved with my daughter," The man said with a wistful look in his eye, not really focusing on anything. Ren's hands found purchase in his pocket, and his posture slouched just the slightest bit down.

"And what of it?" Ren asked, shutting off any apparent emotion he might give. "Perhaps I am this Phantom Thief. What will you do if that's true?"

"What will I do, what will I do?" Shirou almost seemed to sing as he spoke in rhythm. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Ren leaned against the wall, trying to air out his anxieties in as subtle a method as possible.

"Or more like, there's nothing to do. Afterall, you haven't done anything worthy of calling the police over. Besides, I'm the one who told them to back off in the first place." It was hard for Ren to hide his surprise, slipping out as a few rapid blinks. "Didn't you notice? You haven't been followed by the police for a long time. That's quite the detail to miss for someone of your history."

Ren thought back, and indeed he didn't seem to remember any police spying on him at all this past year. It stopped around… the time he met Nanoha in fact. Was he just so preoccupied by the magical happenings around him that he failed to notice? Still, that didn't answer the most important question.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you call off the police. In fact how did you call off the police?" Ren clarified, deciding to no longer be coy about it. Shirou took a deep breath before sighing and looking back down the hall where the rest of the guests were.

"I used to have a different profession. You might have heard it from Nanoha, since it seems like she tells you everything, but I used to have a much more dangerous profession a few years ago." Right, Ren remembered Nanoha saying her dad was heavily injured, but she didn't know why.

"You see, I used to be a bodyguard, and I was very good at my job. But it's the kind of job where being good at it will also bring in a lot of enemies. I'm sure you're smart enough to connect the dots on your own." Indeed it seemed obvious then. He was heavily injured, quit, then began to work at his café. Everything seemed to line up neatly with that context.

"It's also a job that brings in connections, including to the government. Now I wasn't too deep into working with them, but I had some inkling that shady things were going on. Still those connections allowed me to press the local authority around here to give me your file," the head Takamachi continued.

"That doesn't explain why you wanted my file," Ren pointed out, a little in the dark about why he'd go out of his way for a seemingly random teenager's file. He was out of the game by then, so he didn't seem to have a reason to probe for him.

"You think I'd let some random teenager from out of the blue teach my elementary school-age daughter? Your test papers seemed to show you were being truthful but lying is all too easy. I did a background check just in case. I just didn't expect to find that little detail," Shirou said, remembering the day he received that file which was about as thick as some of the ones that came with the most dangerous jobs.

"Yet you still let me teach her," Ren kept needing to point out incongruities. It still didn't make sense. That still didn't tell him why Shirou let him go.

"How long have you known Nanoha-chan?" Shirou asked, irritating Ren that it wasn't a straight answer, but he went along with it anyways.

"About seven months now." Ren didn't bother to ask about the question this time. It was a waste of breath when the man in front of him was obviously going to answer.

"Then you've probably seen this, but my daughter is a very good judge of character. By instinct, she seems to know whether or not a person is good right off the bat. She gets that from her mother, and maybe a bit from me. If you weren't a good person, Nanoha-chan would have instantly sussed it out of you the moment she met you. Instead though, she thought you were the coolest person she'd ever met." Anger seethed from out of Shirou's voice during that last sentence, but he got it under control almost immediately.

"She's really good at that. Honestly, she's better at it than anyone I know." It was remarkable, how much she seemed to just know about another person even if she'd only met them once. It was a skill he wished he had back then when he was first shipped off to Tokyo.

"Yeah… although to be truthful, that wasn't the only testimony I considered when I let you tutor Nanoha-chan." Ren focused on Shirou once more, who looked back at him with about as much intensity. "You have a lot of people who vouched for you, different kinds too, including a politician currently elected into the Diet who was once part of a major scandal. However the testimony I used to make my final decision, was from your guardian: a certain Sakura-san."

"I'm assuming you know him then?" He'd already said he had government connections, and Sakura had a past with the government. It wouldn't a be a stretch at this point to make such an inference.

"That's right. Sakura-san was someone I crossed paths with a number of times during my work. At the time, he was pretty stiff all things considered, except for when it came to women." That sounded exactly like the Sojirou Ren knew. "He also had a mean curry and coffee combo that he'd flaunt at them. At some point though, it was like he vanished. A job I had a little before my accident, I ran into him in Tokyo."

"At Leblanc?"

"That's the place. I couldn't believe it at first. That guy, of all people, was running a small dingy little café in Yongen, selling his curry and coffee. While I was there, I decided to try it for myself. Even to this day, I don't think I've had a better cup of coffee and curry, though you come damn close," the man shot Ren a smirk, but it was a far more inviting expression then he'd had the whole conversation prior.

"Thanks… I'm still working on it." Ren decided to take the man's compliment in earnest.

"You should. I asked about the recipe at the time, and he told me that it was something special. The way he looked when he talked about it… It really did seem like something special to him, so I didn't press the issue. His coffee was also what got me into the drink, and why I brew coffee at Midoriya now," Shirou reminisced, his eyes closed, and his nostrils filled with a phantom scent of roasted coffee beans from just the memory.

"His coffee is really good."

"That's an understatement, and if you've been learning how to make coffee and curry from him, then it's no wonder your coffee kicks mine left, right, and sideways. I had to teach myself how to brew coffee since he refused to tell me anything." The man sounded both proud and bitter, but not by very much. It was clear by the tone of this voice that he thought of it as a good memory, rather than a hateful one.

"That… I can see that."

"Yup. That guy refused to budge on the matter… and that's why I thought I could trust you. You earned Sakura-san's trust, enough for him to teach you personally. You might not know it, but that's actually really impressive. Knowing that, if he trusts you, then I could too," Shirou finally stated outright to him. "Besides that, your circumstances were quite a raw deal all things considered."

"It's in the past," Ren tried to waive it off, only to receive a snort from the man.

"To you maybe, but not to the police. I only got them to get off your back by saying that I'll personally watch you for anything. Luckily, they bought it, but it's been annoying having to write regular reports on your activities and make them believable. I have a business to run, and all this extra work has been getting in the way of it."

"That's…" Ren wasn't sure to say sorry or thanks. It would have been infinitely more of a hassle if he'd continued to be harassed by the law, but at the same time it came at the cost of someone else handling the burden.

"You don't have to say anything. You're a good kid, and I did this on my own. And now that I've known you for a while, I thought it best to come clean to you. Just… try not to involve Nanoha-chan in your Phantom Thief stuff, okay?" The man finally broke out into a simple smile, no wryness, no smugness, just an honest straightforward smile.

"I'll try not to," Ren said, unable to hold back his own urge to smile back.

"Well I think we've been gone long enough. Make sure your cat follows us back. He's a real hit with both families," Ren's eyes widened as he realized that they still had a bit to go, more to learn, more to improve.

"Mrrow?" Ren heard Morgana cry. Even though it was meant to just be an imitation of a cat cry, he could still hear the surprise and indignation.

"Come on," was all Shirou said as he was first to walk back. It wasn't that large a house, so it only took a moment for them to return to the living room.

"You took a while, dear. Everything alright?" Momoko was first to note their return, the rest looking up to see them walk in after Momoko said something.

"Just had a bit of a talk with Ren-kun, that's all," Shirou said with a small, but jovial laugh. "Isn't that right?"

"You could say that," was all Ren answered back. He looked about the room to find that almost everyone had finished their plates… oh wait the only ones not finished were his own, and Shirou's. "Sec-"

"So, Ren-kun, where are your parents? I was hoping we could meet them today," Momoko asked before Ren could say anymore. Ren's mind blanked, the question having caught him off guard.

"Huh?" Ren was unable to immediately respond with more as his mind raced as to how to answer Nanoha's mother. The seconds passed as an awkward silence fell upon the room as everyone waited for an answer that they slowly were becoming unsure they wanted to hear. The idea continued to worsen as the silence went on.

"Um… that's…" Lindy stuttered, unsure if she should enter the conversation.

"Ren-kun, if it's too much…" Miyuki started to say, but Ren raised a hand to stop her.

"No, they're… they're fine. They're just overseas on a job. I live here alone right now save for Morgana. It's just the two of us," Ren was finally able to say. A sense of relief fell upon the room that it wasn't a worse situation then they thought. However anxiety still filled the air.

Some of them looked around. The house was spacious, and open windows to the outside made it feel even larger. There were quite a few rooms as well, but they looked unused, though clean. All this indicated it to be a house meant for a family, not just a single person by themselves. However that same home was being taken care of by its singular resident. Ren didn't seem bothered that much to be left alone. However, getting used to not having family with you when you're supposed to…

"How long has it been like this?" Amy asked, just wanting to say something at all, so as to not completely leave themselves in dead silence. Though she regretted it a bit the instant it left her mouth, thinking she should have changed topic instead.

"Um… since before the start of this school year. I was in Tokyo last year, and when I came back they left shortly after," Ren continued to answer, trying to recall the details of just when it all happened, but it was a bit of a blur since it happened quite a while ago. "I've learned to deal with it. Besides, as I've said, I've got Morgana around, so it isn't that bad."

"But you let us keep him for some time…" Miyuki's voice trailed as a small hint of shame arose from her expression as she eyed the cat that somehow looked like it was trying to tell her it was okay with just his face.

"It's fine. He wanted to hang out at your house as well," Ren tried his best to assuage the girl's concerns, but she still didn't seem to perk up after his dismissal.

"That explains your self-sufficiency. You learned how to take care of yourself because there wasn't anyone else to do so," Kyouya noted, holding back on what he wanted to really say, that Ren's parents seemed to be ignoring him. Of course without seeing them in person he couldn't say for sure, but he couldn't help but infer. His arms crossed over themselves as he thought about the difficulties of living by one's self. Even though he worked hard on his own problems, he still had family to support him, and loving one at that. Ren just… didn't.

Another round of silence filled the air as no one knew how to follow up. It was surprising to them that someone who seemed to be doing so well was basically living alone when he shouldn't have had to, being almost ignored by people who should be looking after him. Only Fate, Nanoha, and Arf knew prior, Lindy only just recently, but had shelved it as an issue for later. Doing so, however, had made them feel even more bitter for them now that they were reminded of his situation. A clap from out of nowhere caught everyone's attention.

"Hey, let's not spoil the mood for today," Shirou spoke up, a smile on his face to try and raise everyone's spirits. "Ren's family isn't here, but we are. We just have to make him feel right at home."

"Dad's right!" Nanoha practically jumped out of her chair and ran over to where Ren was standing. "You haven't even finished your curry yet," she said as she latched onto his arm and started to drag him.

"Yeah!" Fate did the same, getting out of her seat and grabbing hold of Ren's other arm. "It'd be a waste if you don't finish it."

"Woah hey! That's dangerous!" Ren tried to stop them, only to receive a round of laughter from the rest of the guests who were content to watch him get manhandled by the two youngest among them. "Help! Someone stop them."

"Rawf!" Arf barked and howled at Ren's call for help.

"I think she's telling you to just deal with it," Amy said with a giggle.

"Fine… does anyone want seconds by the way?" Ren asked while he was forced to sit in his seat by the two girls.

"We can take care of it Ren," Nanoha was the first to answer.

"You just sit here and finish your portion first," Fate said right after.

"You can relax while we're here," Momoko said, her smile having returned.

"Well I have a cake I made in the fridge if anyone wants it," Ren said, realizing he wasn't getting out of this so easily, and deciding on a second-best course of action.

"Cake!" Amy was first to shout, a glisten in her eyes from excitement.

"Oh right, you were learning from, Mom…" Kyouya mused, remembering that he was taking lessons at Midoriya.

"I-it sounds good," Chrono said, trying to hold back his more childish instinct to rush in.

"Well, aren't you excited, Chrono-kun," Lindy however noticed the bit of drool beginning to drip from the side of his lips.

"Man… this is devolving quickly…" Morgana said under his breath so that they wouldn't hear him.

"Morgana, come here!" However Miyuki ran right over to bring him into the chaos.

"Yipes!" was the last Ren heard of the cat as he was soon enveloped in Miyuki's embrace not long after. Even so, he still agreed with his old friend. Things were now even louder than before. He eyed the clock hanging on the wall. While he was fine for now, he had to be mindful of the schedule. There were things he had to do later… but for now, he probably should just enjoy the moment though.

"Careful, don't drop it!"

"The cake!"

"…" Well most of it still was fine at least.

-0-0-21-0-0-

A sigh escaped Yoshizawa as she walked past the gate to the hospital. While she had gotten used to the commute, it felt no less draining on her to do so. Even just the fact that she'd gotten used to it was a reminder of how long she'd suffered her issues. She didn't hate the visits themselves. It was more that she hated that she needed them in the first place. Still, not going would probably make things worse. She could only hope that these continued trips would eventually be able to help her. At the very least, today's meeting was late into the afternoon, the setting sun reminding her of the time.

"The time!" Yoshizawa took her phone out, turning it on. "Battery's running out. I guess I should've… Huh? That's weird… what is-" Before she could take a closer look at what she thought was a virus in her phone, she heard a voice speak to her from the side.

"Excuse me, is this Uminari City University Hospital?" The girl with long purple hair who couldn't have been older than nine years of age asked her. "Oh! Yoshizawa-san, it's good to see you again," Suzuka lit up with a smile once she realized it was someone she knew.

"Suzuka-chan! It's good to see you too." Yoshizawa's mood perked up as well at the familiar face. "And Yes, you're in the right place. See over there?" Yoshizawa pointed towards the sign that stated the name.

"Ah yes. I was just confused because those buildings connected over there didn't look like a hospital," Suzuka pointed in the opposite direction towards the newly added labs. Yoshizawa couldn't help but smirk a small amount in understanding. Though attached, they weren't really part of the hospital, however them being right next to it was a cause of confusion for a number of people.

"Oh those? Those are the newly added research labs. I guess they kind of look really different from the rest of the hospital, so it's easy to see why you could get confused. Don't worry though, just head down this path."

"I see. They look like a stadium of some kind, so I didn't know if I was in the right place. Thank you very much" Suzuka said before taking a bow.

"It's no problem. I was just going there myself," she told the girl.

"Really? Are you visiting someone as well?" She asked, a face of innocent curiosity blunting the question's sting in Yoshizawa's heart.

"Something like that. If you're visiting someone, you should probably go now before visiting hours are over,"

"You're right. I'll be going then. Thank you again for helping me Yoshizawa-san," the girl bowed one more time. "Now if you'll excuse me." And so the girl ran off, both of them waving to each other until Suzuka was far enough away. Once Yoshizawa's hand fell to her side-

"Oh shoot, now I'm definitely late for my appointment with Maruki-san. Well not like he'll be that angry with me. Still I shouldn't keep him waiting any longer. Now then…"

"Beginning Navigation," Yoshizawa panicked upon hearing a voice she didn't recognize as she began to disappear into a space beyond normal reality. The world around her became strange, shifting between night and day. Realizing the voice came from her phone, she tried to shut it off, restart it, anything, but to no avail. Soon, she was gone.

-0-0-21-0-0-

"I guess we'll just have to ask the staff about Hayate-chan then. I mean, technically we're a family friend so maybe we can get away with it?" Morgana said as he and Ren were making way towards the hospital. The lunch went well, save for that little snag near the end. After seeing everyone off in the late afternoon, they immediately made way for the hospital.

"Yeah… maybe they can tell us something about their family that'll shed light on the situation." They first thought to approach the family directly at their apartment. However after some deliberation, they instead opted to try and learn more first before taking the direct approach. If they had something to leverage a conversation, then they wouldn't be able to be just ignored by them. Some might call it blackmail, but they wanted to avoid a fight if at all possible.

"And hey while we're at it, maybe you can see that counselor again. He seemed to give pretty good advice last time, and he did say to come by any time after all."

"Yeah I guess we ca-" Ren stopped once he noticed Kasumi standing by herself fiddling with her phone. "Huh? Isn't that…"

Before he could say anything more, a familiar shift emanated through the air. Waves in reality pulsed through reality, and in between he could see something lighting up a dim night sky. Before long, the day had given to night, but not in any natural way.

"The hospital! It's… is it a palace?" Mona mused as Joker took notice that they two of them had transformed. "You didn't activate the app right?" Joker shook his head. He hadn't touched the app at all.

"Wait do you think it was Yoshizawa!? She was messing with her phone when we saw her."

"It's possible, but if she's here…"

"Right. She probably can't fight like we do. We can worry about the details later. We have to find her, fast!" The two of them turned towards what looked to be the palace. In place of the hospital was now a towering skyscraper whose architecture literally twisted into the sky in a double helix shape, all the while shining brightly in the dimly lit city night.

"Alright, she's most likely in there. It's sudden, but I suppose the Phantom Thieves have reconvened again," Morgana said with a wry smile.

"Let's go!" Joker commanded as the two then made their way towards the mysterious palace.


Author's Notes:

Well, now that my mind goblins about getting all the platinum trophies for all Kingdom Hearts games on PS4 has been taken care of, I can get back to spending time writing. Sorry about that. I told myself I'd stop after ReCom, but then I started BBS, then Fragementary passage, then 3D… well they're all done now. Even beat all of BBS using just Critical files… Anyways-

This chapter ended up much longer than I thought it was going to. I thought it would be maybe like 10k words, but it sort of then just derailed on me. Oh well. It's a bit of a slow chapter with not much happening, but it does a few things I need it to, and it serves as a nice transition to later. More quick progress is planned to happen in the next chapter, getting back to more Nanoha side of things… well after taking care of the Persona side.

I've done a bit of research on a particular thing, and I think it should work… not that Nanoha expounds on the concept too much, but I think you guys might like what I've got planned there, and I should be able to finagle it to be believable.

As always, I hope you enjoyed yourself. Comments or criticisms are welcome in a review, and desired. Please take care of yourself, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. I hope to see you next time!

PS. It's a bit late, but for those of you who haven't yet played P4Golden and want to, here's a tip to break the game that I used on the original Vita version way back when. You can fuse a Persona called Kaiwan at around mid-20s. If you fuse it on a skill change day according to Margret's forecasts, and have it skill change Tetrakarn (a skill it should have by default), it has a chance of becoming Victory Cry. You can easily do this before even finishing the second dungeon. Slap that sucker on a Persona with all the elements and proceed to completely destroy any and all challenge regarding SP Management and put a poor fox out of business. Have fun.