Disclaimer: I do not own Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, or most of the characters within this story as they belong to Atlus.

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Veluti In Speculum

Chapter 6: Shards

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"Akihiko! You have a new e-mail…"

"Five more minutes Inui…"

"But it's from your girlfriend. It says 'The Info You Wanted'," Inui read, leaning back from the computer screen. Akihiko sat up from his futon, pulling his yukata sleeves up, and rubbed his eyes. They were staying at Amagi Inn for the week now that this whole thing came up. Inui gulped down the rest of his coffee and clicked on the e-mail, reading the message as it opened, "… Holy crap."

"What is it?" Akihiko asked, walking over now, his arms crossed and tucked into his sleeves. Inui looked up and turned the computer screen to Akihiko so he could read. There was a newspaper clipping and notes from Mitsuru afterward.

December 2nd, 1999

A grievous accident has occurred on the Moonlight Bridge just days after the accident at a nearby high school. Detectives Toshihiro and Maria Arisato were driving home when a truck being driven by an inebriated 34-year old worker stuck their car. When questioned, the driver couldn't remember a thing, but the accident had closed the lanes crossing the bridge for several hours. The police suspect the accident occurred sometime between midnight and one in the morning. The only survivor in the car is the couple's seven-year old son. With no surviving family members, it is speculated that this boy will unfortunately be placed into an orphanage.

There was a black and white picture of a dark car that had been flipped over on its roof, firemen and police officers walking around the wreckage. There was also a photo of the man who 'caused' the accident. What a blatant lie…

"… Scroll down. What do Mitsuru's notes say?" Akihiko asked, finishing the article. Inui rolled the screen down as Akihiko wanted and stood up. Akihiko took the chair as Inui moved aside and read the info quickly.

Inui watched Akihiko's expression as he read the e-mail. Raised eyebrow, then wide eyes followed by pupils flitting back to the beginning in disbelief at least twice before the mouse moved up to the 'Forward' button. He tilted his head, "What are you going to do, Akihiko?"

"This is unbelievable… I'm going to send this e-mail to Yukari and Aigis. They knew him better than most of the team and they'll want to read this," Akihiko said, typing in Yukari's and Aigis's e-mail addresses before sending. He then opened a new e-mail client and sent a message back to Mitsuru saying: Shirogane is currently in Inaba. It's probably best if you came to explain everything.

A few seconds past after he sent the message and a reply popped up in his box.

I'll be there Saturday. Please stay in contact with Shirogane until then.

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It was safest to keep the tube with her so Yakushiji never saw it. She tucked it away in her school bag outside of the Estate and in her pocket when she was home, making sure to hide it before going to bed. A few of her personal affects were still missing, but that couldn't be worried about at the moment with Culture Festival in a few days.

"A Group Date Café still…" Chie sighed, "God Yosuke, how could you come up with something so… ridiculous!?"

"I told you, it was a joke! I didn't actually expect people to vote for it!" Yosuke exclaimed. Souji and Yukiko didn't say a word, but looked to the side. They both voted for it too, they were just as guilty as the other people who voted during class.

"What's your class doing, Rise?" Naoto asked. If they were going to be ignored by the older students, they might as well hold their own conversation.

Rise grumbled, "Oh, everyone was lazy so we're doing a break room. How about you, Naoto-kun?"

"An artifacts collection," Naoto replied, smiling, "For once, a suggestion I'm not embarrassed to participate in. Kanji-kun, what about you?"

Kanji wasn't paying attention. He had his own sewing kit on the table at the moment and was working on a small toy. Rise had to kick him in the shin to get his attention. He jumped, "Ow! What!?"

"Kanji! Naoto-kun asked you a question!" Rise berated him, "Be nice and answer it."

"S-Sorry… can you uh… repeat it?" he muttered, turning red.

Naoto raised an eyebrow, but none the less, asked again, "What is your class doing for the Culture Festival?"

"Oh. W-We're selling old stuffed animals… or new ones o-or just… stuff. J-Just a toy café," Kanji replied, not making any eye contact with her. He was fiddling with his sewing needle and stabbed himself in the finger, but he didn't really notice. Instead, he held up what he was working on, "I'm… kinda makin' your cat. 's that okay?"

"By all means you are free to make whatever you want," Naoto replied. Kanji stared, unsure if that meant go ahead or why are you even asking me? Naoto looked over at him, noticing that he stopped, "… You can make Gouto if you want."

"!! I-I know!" Kanji yelped, turning red. His hands started moving without his noticing and soon, the half-made doll was sewn on his sleeve. Naoto was about to tell him when a meow cut her off Gouto hopped onto the table.

Yosuke leapt, "Whoa! Naoto! What the hell is your cat doing here!?"

"Senpai, if I knew, I wouldn't have stood up," Naoto grumbled, picking up the black cat. She whispered under her breath, "What are you doing here, Gouto? You should be at home…"

Gouto just purred in response until Naoto set him down. She sat down again while he trotted over to their school bags and pulled out the tube, leaping back onto her lap. She frowned, "Now you're digging in my bag. Did Yakushiji-san forget to feed you?"

"… Huh? What's with the whacky tube?" Chie asked, noticing it in the cat's mouth. Gouto turned his head and she blinked, "Hmm… reminds me of Raidou Kuzunoha the Movie. He had those tubes for his demons. Getting into the movie and making replicas, Naoto? Hehe…"

"Not a chance," Naoto muttered, frowning, "Gouto found it in the bushes Saturday night."

"No need to be embarrassed. Now that I think about it, your persona is named after the evil demon that followed through with Munakata's plan, isn't it?" Chie noted.

Yosuke nodded, "Ah! It is! That little creepy parasite thing!"

"There's a difference between that demon and your persona, Naoto…"

Naoto glanced at Gouto, but then glared up at Yosuke, "Sukuna-Hikona is much more honorable than that vile creature in the movie. Why are we even arguing about this?"

"Because you're way more into that movie than you let on," Yosuke teased, winking at the young detective. Naoto would've retorted, but Gouto let out an irritated growl in Yosuke's direction. He blinked, frowning and moved back, "Uh… why is your cat doing that?"

"'Cause you pissed it off," Kanji snorted, unstitching the doll from his sleeve, "And you're messin' with Naoto. Cats are pets too so don't mess with their masters."

"Thank you o' Guru of pets," Yosuke said, rolling his eyes, "But seriously. A persona named after a parasite, a cat named after a fictional one, and now she made a tube that looks like Raidou's. Naoto's in love with that—OW!"

Gouto had scratched him across the face. Yosuke held his cheek, watching as the cat just padded over to Naoto. Kanji smirked, "You had that coming senpai."

"Shut up," Yosuke grumbled.

"Well, today was eventful… I'll be going home then. Remember, if anything comes up, just call me," Naoto informed, rising to her feet. Gouto leapt to the ground, but then paused.

"Naoto, you have a visitor."

"Who?" Naoto looked up. Nobody heard her.

"Oh, isn't that Sanada-san from the other day?" Yukiko questioned. Indeed it was. The visiting officer with short silver hair was approaching without his partner. Yosuke started to shrink under the table while the others looked up.

Akihiko stopped next to the table, "Thought I would find you here. Shirogane, I would like to speak with you more on the boy. In private."

"Alright. I was just leaving anyway," Naoto replied, nodding. Akihiko nodded and turned, walking forward while she just followed silently. Gouto trotted at her heels, his tail swishing back and forth. He kept a wary eye on the silver-haired man as they walked, but then turned his attention away as they approached the Samegawa River. Something was swinging in the wind. A… foxtail… he pounced.

"Uh, is your cat okay?" Akihiko watched the black cat with a raised brow.

Naoto just waved it off, "Gouto acts like that with foxtails. It's common behavior. So, what is it you wish to tell me?"

"… Right. Let's sit down if you don't mind," Akihiko sighed. Together, they sat down at the picnic table. He was staring at his hands while Naoto just waited patiently, staring at the steps. Finally, he cleared his throat, "W-What would you like to know first? I can't tell you much right now, but go ahead and ask."

"… Just tell me what you can at the moment," she answered calmly, looking up at him. His eyes flickered over to her briefly and he slowly nodded.

"The boy you want to know about…" Akihiko started, pulling out a picture from his pocket. He unfolded it and handed it to Naoto. She blinked and looked. In the picture were ten high school students in Gekkoukan High uniforms. Akihiko was one of them, standing next to a serious, yet smiling, red-haired female and a solemn, but smirking, brown-haired male. Before them were a male with a goatee and baseball cap, grinning broadly, a confused-looking blonde female with a peculiar hair band, and a young boy with brown hair falling back as an albino dog leapt on him. Standing to the side was an irritated, sandy-haired female, a nervous, smiling teal-haired girl and beside them was…

She stared even as Akihiko pointed at the indigo boy and started speaking, "His name was Minato Arisato. He came to the dorm two years ago after being passed around to attend Gekkoukan High School with the rest of us. He was a quiet guy, but intelligent and never seemed troubled by anything. He was always listening and helping people with their dilemmas, setting aside his problems to make sure everyone else was well."

"He was really important to you all…" Naoto whispered.

Akihiko let out a small breath, "Yeah… when we lost him last year in March, we really couldn't believe it. Strange thing was… he seemed to know it was going to happen and just accepted it."

"Hmm…"

"… It's weird, but when I saw you last week, I mistook you for him immediately," Akihiko said, laughing slightly, "You look like him… and your eyes reflect the same silent intelligence with some other emotions. I suppose that's why you're a detective though."

"I'm afraid at the moment, I'm not very good," Naoto muttered, "A few of my affects were stolen from my house and I have yet to get a lead."

"Heh… don't worry. I have a feeling you will," Akihiko said, smiling at her. Gouto walked over at that moment and meowed for Naoto's attention. He leapt up and placed something into Naoto's hands. It something folded up tightly. Hurriedly, she opened it, her breath catching.

"Gouto, where did you find this?" she asked as she looked at her mom and dad's photo again. She didn't notice Akihiko frown; she was too relieved to have the picture back even though it was covered in some cat saliva. Gouto had probably been carrying it around for a while. She looked at the cat and scratched his ear with a free hand, "Thank you for finding this…"

"It is important… just as that boy, Minato, is…"

"… Minato," Naoto whispered.

Akihiko's hand clasped her shoulder and he rose, nodding, "I have to go. I have a friend coming in on Saturday who wishes to talk more with you on the matter."

"Oh, well, Culture Festival is that day… I'll have to see how everything works out," she said, looking up at him. She paused and then added, "I still have your number."

"Alright… see you around then…"

Both Naoto and Gouto watched as Akihiko walked away and down the road. Gouto's ear twitched and his green eyes turned towards her.

"There are just pieces before you now, Naoto. Can you start putting them together yet?"

"No… and you know, one of them is your sudden ability to talk," she mumbled, her charcoal-blue eyes glancing at the feline.

Gouto looked away and, had he been human, he would've smirked.

"The fact you can hear me means you're beginning to find yourself."

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Me: Bed… calling to me… review please.