Hamuko is actually just her nickname in fandom. Kitaroo would be too, but since the English side prefers official names, it's Minato and Souko (written as Minato-ko). I might never mention her name... and I probably will not continue this. I don't even know why I wrote this. I guess it's my own possible canon.

Time and Tide

The first thing Minato saw was Aigis. She had been awake as well and moved closer to him. Even though he had never felt her this close before like this, her presence was comforting. Then she moved even closer and he closed his eyes, sensing than she wanted to kiss him.

Except suddenly he was hauled up and separated from her. Minato blinked and looked around, his eyes refocusing. There were several others around his age. A few were red in the face and a few others looked disgruntled. If he had been able to think more clearly, he would have found it cute.

"What are we supposed to do without Souji here?" one of the few boys in the group asked.

"We were told to pick him up and watch over him. We can only assume that this means he has no residence of his own," the shortest girl said.

"We can't have him stay at Nanako-chan's place... not after..." another girl with pigtails said.

"Oh, yeah..." came from one of the others he couldn't see.

By this time, even though he still felt unsteady on his feet, Aigis had gotten up and was now supporting him. Whether or not his confusion could have shown on his face, she explained.

"I was contacted by Theodore-san, Elizabeth-san's brother, and told that you were going to be released. From what I understand, it is no longer necessary for you to be there all the time, and you may spend your time as you wish until it is hers."

"?"

"The Wild Card of this group of Persona users, Seta Souji has also been contacted. Unfortunately, you arrived here before he could."

Minato could only nod as he looked around at the group he felt some sort of 'other' resonance to. It wasn't painful like a reversal, but it felt distant. He vaguely wondered if there was an S-link with all of these people.

"I also don't have a place to stay at this time - my arrival was not planned as well," Aigis said, strangely looking uncomfortable. Maybe she ran away from the lab or something...

"I can house her! It'll be fun!" The pigtailed one raised her hand.

"Then as the only other one with a spare room, I can have him stay at my place as well."

The rest of the group stiffened. He could easily guess why. The others eyed each other and huddled together, debating what to do with him.

"...I have lived in a mixed dorm before."

A strange ripple of reactions from the group. By now he could easily stand, but not do anything other than walk slowly, he felt.

"What makes you say that," the shortest said carefully.

"I can handle staying with a girl. Or if the problem is all of your connections to Seta-san, then it might be better for me to find a place with Aigis."

By their uncomfortable shifting, Minato could only gather that both problems were prominent. It wasn't his business how close this other Wild Card's S-links were to his team, but from their reactions, they were very close. And sometimes too much so. Almost nodding to himself, he finally understood why they stopped the kiss earlier.

"If there is someplace else I can stay until your Seta-san arrives..."

"What about the TV? We can take turns watching him there!" The strange little blonde one said.

"I don't know about leave you to watch him, but if he is a Persona-user, it should be safe for him to go..."

So they explained and introduced themselves on the way.

As he fell in, despite a few yelps and an alarmed "Minato-san!" from Aigis, he felt at ease. Almost like the Dark Hour, but not. Even before he could hit the ground, something caught him. Minato turned and immediately hugged it/him.

"It's been a while."

"Missed you."

"Is that his Persona?"

"No way, a love triangle?"

"But... he smells like..."

"Calm down, you guys. Look at Aigis," This was the other one. His counterpart to this group, so to speak. Minato looked up to see Aigis smile. Another thing he had never seen before - the last smile he had seen had been a sad one. This one was happy. He went back to hugging Ryouji.

With several shouts, Minato heard them rush past us to go and smother the one that had to be Seta. After they settled down, he explained to them that he couldn't leave until the next day and arrive in the evening, so he stepped into the TV world, figuring that they would bring Minato here.

While they were talking and occasionally stealing glances at them, Ryouji explained a few things to Minato.

"I know you weren't like this the last time I saw you. Part of why you feel the way you do might be because you're taking her place. Unfortunately, this is not the same side of the Seal that you once knew. This is her side, because she is taking your place at this time."

"I don't understand that logic." This was from Aigis, who after Ryouji motioned for the three of them to sit down, knelt.

"Ah. You're thinking that time and reality works in a way independent of how it is percieved. Both he and she are now the Seal, but only one is necessary per reality. Because there is only one reality of this group's result, they can now take turns, so to speak."

"Then why is he here, and not her?"

Minato spoke up at this point. "I think... it is because I died in my reality. I don't think I can change that in my thoughts... and seeing the others might jepordaize my position. I don't know how she feels, but if she feels differently, then this is probably the reality that was merged."

Aigis looked as if she would cry at this. "But you..."

"It might also be because she came 'later', right, Ryouji?"

"That's right. You were the first, several times over. Then came Seta-san, then her."

Minato extended a hand to Aigis. "It might be better this way, but you never got to meet your 'sister' here, did you."

Ryouji looked surprised. "I thought you weren't aware of that."

Minato looked confused. "I... wasn't."

Ryouji mirrored his reaction, then hit his fist against his palm. "It must be her influence."

Aigis looked back and forth as she grasped his hand. "You're implying that he might remember some things that Souko-san remembers. And I... would like to meet this sister you mentioned."

"I'd hate to interrupt, but Margaret said that you would need looking after. Rise here has offered to house Aigis for a while, while I'll see if you can stay with me at Doujima's. Until then... it might be safer for everyone if you stay 'here'."

"Err.. partner? What about him?" The one who had introduced themselves as Hanamura pointed at Ryouji.

Seta, in turn, faced Ryouji. "Can you actually leave this world safely?"

Ryouji smiled, somewhat knowingly. "For that to be your first question..."

Seta waited in reply.

"I can follow Minato-kun, but I may or may not be able to manifest myself outside. It's kind of a gray area."

"How can it be gray?" The one called Tatsumi asked. "You either can or you can't."

"It depends on what you think I am."

A few of them reflected on this, while another spoke up. Amagi, this time. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time we've had a resident of the TV leave it..."

"I see. Because the TV shows what we want to see, a Shadow aware of their own nature would require an outside source to help it manifest outside."

"Wait, he's a Shadow?"

"That or a Persona. Remember, the two are originally the same thing."

"She's right. I'm more like a mix of the two. It's mostly by his will and my own that I look like this, instead of any other form."

Shirogane stiffened, while everyone else looked merely curious. "You have another form?" Kujikawa asked.

"Yes, but I'd rather not show it. It'd ruin the beauty of this place." A few more stiffened, and the little one called Teddie looked outright scared.

Minato sensed that this place might morph badly if things kept up at this rate. "You don't have to be like that. We don't mean any harm."

"He's right. Calm down." Minato could tell that this was something Seta had to tell them often. Teddie immediately looked relieved and all the others (except Shirogane) relaxed somewhat.

In the end, they said their farewells and Seta took the opportunity to almost shove Minato into the Velvet Room.

This time the rooom looked like a blue greenhouse with butterflies seeming to dance all around. Ryouji was nowhere to be seen, but Minato had been half-expecting that.

A woman who must have been Margaret looked up from her reading. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. I am the only one not currently occupied with the transfer to this reality, although I understand that Elizabeth and Theodore will both be able to visit later." She smiled.

Igor, who sat in the same position as ever, spoke. "You arrived here in a hurry. The strain on you with another Wild Card so close must be enormous. We will do what we can to help."

Minato raised his hand. "I don't feel a strain?"

"That is because, my dear guest, it is not your Social Links feeling the strain of another possible Wild Card to connect with. The Third Wild Card's link with the Wheel of Fortune, and both of your connections to the Aeon, however, may be the only exceptions to this. Just as we cannot foresee the human heart, we cannot say how this will affect your relationships with the others, if at all."

"What can be done?"

"We shall have you hold the Personas commemorating your strong bond to each of those you will be in long contact with foremost in your mind. Since these Personas are generally not shared, it will help to keep the links dominated by your side."

Margaret took up the explanation from there. "Due to the circumstances surrounding his arrival here, the dangers are especially perilous to you, but necessary, for the two realities to merge into this one safely. He has agreed to let her reality be the basis of his, but while sharing the responsibility for the Seal."

Minato recalled no such thing, but found that he agreed with the words. He was the original Seal, after all.

"The Seal?"

"The Seal between reality and annihilation, by mankind's wish to end everything. Your quest for the Truth has helped make this merging of realities possible."