?, ?, ?

4th Floor, Minatodai Dorm

Evening

Knocking on Mitsuru's door, Akihiko checked his vest one more time. It was only reflex that had him put it on when he answered the call days ago, and now he was beginning to regret the decision as the days of fighting was starting to take its toll. Midori, he knew, had already started on Ken's clothes, though he suspected that it was more due to an impending growth spurt than anything else.

Mitsuru opened the door a crack to look at him before opening it up the rest of the way. "Is there a problem?"

Akihiko moved the door open the rest of the way, Mitsuru not contesting the action. "I don't know. You tell me."

Mitsuru opened her mouth to offer a retort, but then shut it again. She couldn't hide anything from him. "I'm sorry, please, come on in." She stepped aside and let him into the old Chairman's office. "Take a seat." She took one last look to make sure there were no additional guests, then closed the door, throwing the lock with a quiet snap.

She had shucked her jacket and Akihiko moved it to one side as he sat in the chair that he had many times before when meeting with the traitorous man. To his surprise, Mitsuru didn't take the chair on the far side of the table, but instead sat beside him, turning her chair slightly to face his. "Just you?" she asked without much in the way of trying for a polite start.

"No," Akihiko admitted softly, "a couple of us saw you were still hiding something, and I had to talk them down."

"Midori, obviously. It's easy to forget she's very observant." Akihiko nodded. "Fuuka too, she's spent so much time around me I wouldn't be surprised." Privately, Mitsuru was pleased that there were others who would come to her aid, not because of who she was, but from reasons far better.

"Chidori also caught what was going on, but decided it didn't concern her."

"Of course she would." There was a sigh of acceptance at the asocial behaviour so displayed. One person at a time, she had to remind herself. "So, what did you want me to say?"

"The truth, Mitsuru. We've been friends for far to long for you to give me anything less."

She had to agree. There was little she could hide from him. He had been the first person she told, before even Minato, when she broke off the political engagement that the company had tried to get her into after her father's death. "It was my father. Seeing him again. I... lost my composure. For that, I am sorry."

"Don't be." Akihiko said firmly. "We all have our weaknesses, and being faced with that memory so suddenly, anyone would lose themselves. Especially... no. You shouldn't be ashamed by that. I'm not going to think any less of you just because you showed off some human emotion."

A smile touched her lips, and Mitsuru stood. "Thank you. You know, when you said you wouldn't be coming to the last night here in the Dorm, I was very disappointed." She went behind the desk and pulled a key out of one drawer to use on another. "It was supposed to be the last, and I wanted to share this with you." From the second drawer, she pulled out a mid-size bottle that Akihiko instantly recognized as alcohol.

"What? Seriously? When did you buy that? Why?"

Looking down at the bottle, she rolled it in her hands. "Actually, I found it when I moved in after the Chairman's presence was removed. I think he had it for the sake of appearances. When I found it, I decided to keep it for celebrating after we defeated Nyx." She put the bottle down with a thumb, causing Akihiko to wince. He could see the label now, and recognized it as a very old, expensive and potent drink. "Something for you and I. But then we forgot, and when we remembered, Minato died. And after that, there wasn't the time, nor inclination for a celebration."

"Why show this to me now?"

"I wanted you to know. I had hoped to open the bottle and share a drink with you now that we were both of legal age, but given the current circumstances, I think that after we leave this situation behind us, I can overlook some under-aged drinking."

Arching an eyebrow, Akihiko inspected his old friend. "We're not twenty. And are you telling me your plans, or asking permission?"

"A little of both, I suppose." Mitsuru put the bottle away, relocking the drawer. "I'm just tired. You were right though, to worry for me. I reacted poorly to the unexpected. I should have better control over myself."

"We were all caught off guard by these events."

"We were. But that is no excuse to not meet it directly and to the best of our abilities."

Something clicked in Akihiko's mind. "You think you're slipping. That you didn't go right back to full leadership. You trusted Aigis. You trusted me. You trusted Midori before you trusted yourself."

"I..." Mitsuru tried to examine her actions through the lens. "I did not think of it in that way." She returned to her seat beside Akihko. "I'm going to take over for my father, and I have been focusing my development on that. Do you think...?"

"You've chosen a different path. You were never really the same fighter that Shinji or I ever was. You did better supporting us from behind." He reached out a hand. "Don't think of yourself as being a failure in that regard. You're just finding your own strengths now that you have the chance."

?, ?, ?

Caina, The Abyss of Time

Daytime

They gathered at the bottom of the current section of the Abyss, the fallen Shadows and Guardians behind them. Midori was annoyed, but she didn't show it, having pretty much sat out of the entire day due to some concerns from Akihiko and Aigis.

At least she had a chance to make certain with her own eyes that Mitsuru was alright. The talk she and Akihiko had last night did her a lot of good. But now it was time to see what the next section of the Abyss held for them. Aigis, without prompt, made one last check that everyone was ready, then opened the door.

?, ?, ?

Gekkoukan Junior High School, Tatsumi Port Island

Daytime

"A school?" Fuuka looked around in confusion as the party stood up against a wall as students and the occasional teacher passed too and fro.

"Huh. This was my school," Akihiko admitted.

"And mine," Mitsuru added in. "This was where we first met."

"Are we going to see your memory again, Kirijo-chan?" Chidori offered as she waved a hand in front of a passing girl, even going so far as to try and touch her with her hand sliding off. "We cannot interact with this."

"No, it's mine." The admission came from Akihiko as certain voices cut through the crowd.

"Akihiko-kun, wait!" "Akihiko-kun!"

"I remember this."

"Hey! You're the captain, right?" An older man tried to be heard, fighting his way through the crowded students. "Hey! You! Sanada-san!"

"Quit pushing!"

"Yes?" From out of the crowd, a younger Akihiko strode, looking so much like his older self it was amazing. Although he was a bit shorter, and had a bandage over his nose.

"It was a lucky shot," the elder said by way of explanation. "Why don't we let this scene play out?"

The older man made his way through the thinning students, many of whom found other things to do in the face of the impending conversation, or stood back to surreptitiously observe. "That was an amazing bout! I've never seen anyone score a knockout like that in your age bracket before!" The compliment rolled off his tongue like silver. "I'm with the school you're competing against in the finals, so what do you say about enrolling with us?" He moved in close, bringing his earnest face far to close to Akihiko's own.

"Hey!" Another, older student stuck his arm in between the two. "You're from that school, right? Get the hell out! You're not supposed to do this! It's against the rules!"

With a smile, Akihiko swept aside his senior's arm. "That's alright. I wouldn't want to go to a school that could only place second." Even through his youth, his cool demeanour shone through. "Get outta here."

From behind him, two girls started squeeing. "Way to go senpai!" "You hear that you loser? He'll never go to your second-rate school!"

In a cloud of jeers, the scout fled the scene, the students forming a protective wall around their champion. "And even then, I was still alone," the modern Akihiko said even as the action continued. "But what's next is important."

A familiar voice made an unfamiliar sound. A chuckle. "I don't suppose you could have handled that a bit more politely?" Into the scene came Mitsuru, older than the last memory showed, but still full of youth.

"Spirals, Misturu-senpai?" Midori commented as the girl approached Akihiko.

"I was young. And yes, Amada," she replied and forestalled the question Ken was going to ask, "This is the first time he and I met."

"I heard it got crowded after your practice, so I chose to wait. I was not disappointed." The young Mitsuru's voice was full of the confidence she would carry with her into the current day. "Third year, Class C. Sanada Akihiko."

"Kirijo Mitsuru, Third Year, Class A." Akihiko replied, the two knowing full well who each other was. "Whaddyawant?"

"Oh, it is nothing troublesome. I have a simple request."

"And all I want is to train and get stronger." Akihiko said, "What could you request to cause me to give up that?"

"I have enemies that need defeating." She examined Akihiko's reaction to the implications. "But you need not worry. They are not human in the least."

"..." Akihiko asked a question in silence.

"Midnight," Mitsuru answered softly so as not to be overheard. "My enemies are related to that which you experience in that Dark Hour."

"..."

"You see, I too experience the same as you. The difference between you and me is that I know what it means. If you come with me, I will share what I know." She crossed her arms in that oh-so-familiar manner.

"Who are you, really?"

"You were right the first time, I am Kirijo Mitsuru." She stepped in a bit closer, "You said you wanted to build your strength? Well, what you need is a riskier challenge. Foes that are... different." She produced an Evoker from her bag and showed it to Akihiko. "And with this, you can fight them."

The memory ended. "You showed off an Evoker at your school." Chidori chastised Mitsuru evenly. "What were you thinking?"

"It was the best way to ensure his cooperation." Mitsuru recalled the events on her own, seeing where her memories differed from the record before her. "Can you imagine your reaction if I had asked you to act for something as ridiculous as 'Justice'?"

A pause and a sense of pressure came barrelling into her from behind. Alarmed at some possible new development that could bring harm, she spun around, hand on her rapier.

Midori stood there, Frosty held tightly to her chest. In that moment, Mitsuru understood what Fuuka and Metis had been warning about. The sheer malevolence coming off the girl and her Persona and directed at her was something to be worried about. "What did you say about 'Justice'?" Midori's voice was low and flat, Frosty's eyes burning with indignation. A clear circle had formed around her and people backed away.

"Fight! Fight!" Metis cried out before Aigis silenced her.

The thought crossed her mind. Of course she had considered it as an intellectual exercise. The possibility of fighting other Persona users was a terrible threat after STREGA was revealed. And Mitsuru remembered that her plan for Midori did not involve her at all as the elemental matchup was completely in Midori's favour, and she wasn't sure if she could keep ahead in a straight up brawl between them.

In short, the possibility of fighting Midori was not something she wanted. At all.

"No," she said calmly and evenly, removing her hand slowly from her weapon. "I said that Akihiko would not respond to it, thinking the notion faulty. You and Frosty would gladly have taken that position in their place."

"Oh!" Instantly the pressure snapped off. "Alright then! I thought you made a mistake. Are we done here?"

"We are."

"What the hell was that?" Yukari blurted out, having recovered form Midori's display. "And don't anyone tell me it was nothing!"

"What are you talking about?" Midori expressed her confusion cleanly. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Minatodai Dorm, 1st Floor Lounge

Midori was kissing the floor in her attempts to offer as many apologies as she could to Mitsuru. And she had been doing it for about 10 minutes now. "Stop that," Mitsuru complained as while she accepted the initial fervent words, it started grating when she refused to let it go. To add to the situation, Frosty was trying its best to mimic Midori's posture, despite its body not being meant for it. It was just another reminder of just how off the Tokyo survivor was in terms of her power from everyone else.

It also turned out that no one had taken the time to tell Midori about Fuuka's initial impression of her those months ago, nor about the followup when Metis tried to insult her. "Sorry! So Sorry!" And she wasn't paying attention either, dismissing everything else in her overwrought attempt to make amends for her inadvertent threat display.

"Midori, that's enough." Aigis was unimpressed by everything, and her discussion with Metis over the nature of 'school' and her decision to leave was little more than a distraction.

"Sorry! I apologize! Frosty apologizes!"

"Midori!"

"Sorry!"

Her patience at an end, Aigis bent down and grabbed Midori by the collar, lifting her roughly to her feet. "Enough!"

"Ow! Aigis! I'm trying to say I'm sorry!"

"You did. Many times. Now is no longer the time for that, we must ready ourselves for the battles tomorrow. Go rest." Her comment was absolute and after a moment of meeting gazes with Midori, the human surrendered to her friend and made her way quietly upstairs.

3rd Floor Sitting Area

Trying to relax, Midori failed to find a comfortable spot on the chairs again. It was aggravating, gnawing at her, the knowledge that she had messed up, and had somehow threatened Mitsuru of all people! Playing it over in her head, the source was obvious. The insult against Love and Justice, and she just refused to accept that. Of course, she'd been angry before, that was natural. But what about that moment made her use Frosty in that manner.

And of course, how come Frosty could do that?

Her discomfort, it seemed, was more than just physical. And she didn't know how to deal with it. She couldn't just talk to anyone, and that left her to face her shame by herself. And she couldn't just stay here, sitting still either, so she got up and started to pace.

First she walked up and down the length of the hallway again and again, stopping a couple times to check in on her old room, still empty and cold. And now that she thought about it, her suitcase of clothes and everything else was still downstairs and she didn't want to go there to get it, or anything out of it really, and some part of her was saying all she was doing was avoiding her problems.

Oh, and Aigis' door was open now! Surprised, she peeked in, grateful for the distraction. Metis was there, and her feeling soured. "Hello," she was greeted, and politeness demanded that she respond.

"Hello, Metis." Something seemed off about all this, and Midori raced to figure out what. "Where is Aigis?"

"Still downstairs. Did you want something?" The ebony robot stared at Midori with all the interest of someone looking down on an insect. Insect. Midori suddenly realized what was missing.

"Where's your mask?"

Metis seemed taken aback by the question, her fingers going to her face where her Butterfly mask used to reside. "It is... around somewhere."

"You should find it. It looked pretty." That wasn't the whole truth, but rather she wanted to say something that seemed polite. "Why a butterfly?"

"I don't understand."

"Why was your facemask made to look like a Butterfly? I mean, of all the things you could have done why that? Why a mask at all?" She gestured at Metis' face, "You obviously have no problems being without it, so, um, why?"

"I..." Midori could almost hear Metis admit that she didn't know before she actually gave her answer, "don't need it any more. It's not important. Now leave."

With the door verbally slammed in her face, Midori bowed and left, making sure the door closed behind her. She was on to something with the mask, she knew it, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember what it was. There was something important that she was forgetting, she knew it.

1st Floor, Lounge

Mitsuru looked at the front door and sighed. There had been no arrivals, so she could only assume that her attempt to get resources from outside the Dorm had failed. It was a worthy try though. But for now, she would need to see what tomorrow would bring.