A/N: And here's another update, this time closing out the Yakushima arc and paving the way for the final summer chapters, of which there'll be four. A bit of backstory, I had planned this chapter quite a while ago so when it came down to writing it, I thought it was going to be easy. Turns out, the story has a mind of its own and what you're about to read is pretty much a completely different version to what it was initially.

As a side note, one of my readers requested for more Takeharu so I've incorporated him here to give him more scenes. To that reader, and you know who you are, I hope you like what I've done with him.

For everyone else, enjoy!

Minato watched the crab scurry across the sand. He probably looked weird, squatting and teasing the crab with a small stick, but he didn't care for whoever glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. It was the last day at Yakushima and it was time to do something unorthodox. Much had happened over the last two days and he'd already had his fill of ogling random girls in bikinis, asking them out, and then failing in making any sort of connection. He couldn't understand how Junpei and Akihiko were still at it; their voices and intermittent slaps drifting along the wind and into his ears. He guessed it had something to with them unable to get over how he had courted Aigis so easily, and how she had reciprocated a high amount of affection. Either way, their sounds made for an amusing addition to the background accompaniment of sloshing waves as he followed the crab's movements.

"Hey Minato!"

He turned and found Yukari, Fuuka, Aigis and Mitsuru walking towards him. Bidding a mental farewell to the crab (who was soon taken by the tide) he stood up and tried not to stare at them as if he were Junpei. His succeeded to some extent, managing a perfunctory glance at Yukari's pink bikini and denim short shorts, Fuuka's green two-piece, Aigis' sundress and–

Nope.

He had expected no less when it came to how well Mitsuru could pull off an outfit and seeing the contrast of her hair and the pearl-white bikini she wore made Minato reminisce. Of the time on Moonlight Bridge where captivation had beaten the crap out of him, but especially of the time in the hotel room where she was dressed in something similar and seductive. He didn't know how long he spent admiring her, and comparing which two-piece she looked better in, until Aigis moved to stand in front of him.

"Is something the matter, Minato-san?" she asked.

"N-Nothing's wrong Aigis," he said, snapping out of his trance.

"Are you sure? My system detects that your body temperature, pulse, and breathing are all operating at–"

Whatever she spoke next was muted by yells. Pivoting, Minato saw Junpei and Akihiko running in his direction and away from a…girl? Or was it a woman? As they neared him and the girls, Minato noticed their pursuer was in fact, a woman. A pretty curvy one at that too. He wondered what Junpei and Akihiko could have said to attract her attention, as well as ending up as the victims, and was glad that he declined their offer to continue Operation 'Babe Hunt'.

"Where are you boys going?" the woman asked, stopping to catch her breath as Junpei and Akihiko did the same. She winked at them. "Mama needs her sugar you know."

Junpei and Akihiko exchanged glances. Saw Minato standing with the girls. And then rushed to his side.

"Dude, you gotta do something," Junpei said. "Make her go away."

"I thought you guys were better at that than me," Minato said, a smile creeping on his face.

"Apparently not," Akihiko said. "C'mon, help us out here."

"Fine."

Minato approached the woman, who was dressed in a black one-piece, and made sure to avoid losing himself in her generous bosom. It was difficult, and the way she placed her arms beneath her breasts didn't make it any easier. He knew he had to do it though. Yukari was watching him. Fuuka and Aigis were watching him. And most importantly, Mitsuru was watching him. While it was all in genuine interest of observing how he would handle the situation, he knew they were all assessing to see if he too was an A-class pervert. The girls not named Aigis anyway.

"Ooh, now here's a boy with balls," the woman said. "You're not going to run away from me too are you sweetie?"

"No I'm not running away," Minato said. "I just wanted to tell you that my friends here were just messing around. You see, they already have girlfriends." All of his friends uttered a sound that one makes whenever something unbelievable is heard and Minato held back the temptation to laugh.

The woman eyed Yukari and the others before focusing her gaze on Junpei and Akihiko. "Is that right? Well then you two should be ashamed of yourselves. Toying with a girl's heart is a big no no. But I guess I'll let your girlfriends punish you instead." She approached Minato and placed a hand on his left cheek. "So how about you handsome? Are you taken as well?"

Minato hesitated in answering. He could have told her that yes, he was taken but when it came to articulating his response, it was as if he had just undergone a dental operation – his throat constricted, his mouth frozen, his jaw locked. The uncertainty of whether Mitsuru knew he was bluffing had him in its grip, and one wrong move would confuse her even more than the affection Aigis had displayed yesterday.

"Yes."

Minato looked at the girls behind him. The answer wasn't his. It wasn't Mitsuru's either for that matter.

No, the answer belonged to Aigis.

"Yes, he is taken," Aigis repeated, walking over to Minato and pulling him away from the woman's touch.

"That's a shame," the woman said, sighing. "And just when I thought I could snag myself a little boy toy. Oh well, at least you're loyal. If you do decide you want to try something a little spicier though, you know where to find me."

She winked at Minato and walked off.

The sun reached its zenith by the time Minato walked to where his friends were, Aigis beside him the entire time. Junpei and Akihiko were impressed by his quick actions, while Yukari and Fuuka were embarrassed at the thought of being in a relationship, even a hypothetical one, with the aforementioned boys. Minato had heard their gasps and the disgust on their faces reinforced how unpleasant having either Junpei or Akihiko as a boyfriend would be.

Well, he supposed it was more likely the former than the latter.

Mitsuru on the other hand didn't seem bothered by it at all. Perhaps it was because the idea was so zany, so stupid, and so impossible to envision happening. Or perhaps she didn't understand (she was a bit slow when it came to these things). Whatever the case, seeing her smile in amusement lifted Minato's spirits. So she knew I was bluffing.

"Wow, I can't believe she actually bought that," Junpei said.

"I can't believe that you're still mucking around like this," Yukari said, taking a step forward.

"Well what else were we supposed to do, waiting for you to change?"

"I don't know, go to the gym maybe? Akihiko-senpai was all over that before you convinced him otherwise."

"Eh, there'll be plenty of time for that when we get back home. Senpai and I just had a little score to settle that we didn't get around to finishing yesterday." Junpei turned to Akihiko, pretending not to hear Yukari mumbling about how he wouldn't go to the gym in normal circumstances. "You wanna call it a draw?"

Akihiko nodded, trying to avoid Mitsuru's disappointed gaze. "I'm happy with that. But I think Minato is still the clear winner regardless."

"Nah, yesterday doesn't count," Junpei said.

"How about today?" Minato asked. "I did get along pretty well with Mrs. Crazy over there."

Junpei folded his arms. "Fine, you win. Happy?"

"Guess so."

"C'mon dude, at least act like you're happy. Three days here and I didn't even get to score once. Man, it's too bad we're going home tomorrow. I'd totally like to stay longer."

"Well at least summer break is only a few days away," Fuuka said.

"It's not gonna be the same thing," Junpei said. "A holiday there is nothing compared to a holiday here."

"And why's that?" Yukari asked.

Junpei smirked as he eyed the girls up and down. "Because here, we get to see you in your swimsuits!"

Minato shook his head and walked away from Junpei's evaluation of the girls' outfits. He didn't need to see what was going on; Junpei's interrupted commentary, Fuuka's quick dash to hide behind Yukari, who was scolding, and the lack of participation from both his senpai telling him it was already a bigger failure than Operation 'Babe Hunt'. Maybe even more, since he knew the girls were unforgiving and tired of this behaviour.

"Minato-san, why are they all arguing?" Aigis asked.

"They're just having fun," Minato said. He looked to where they were and saw everyone had gathered around Mitsuru – Yukari and Fuuka remarking about how flawless her skin was, Junpei in complete awe at her figure and muttering something about true beauty, Akihiko just nodding in agreement. He caught Mitsuru's eyes for a moment, and seeing her blush from all the compliments she was presumably receiving (Minato thought what they were both wearing and its implications had something to do with it as well), made his heart skip a beat. Returning his attention to Aigis, he continued, "You'll get used to this once you start living with us."

"Understood. In that case, shall we join them?"

A few hours later, Minato got out of the water and returned to the trio of pool chairs that were hiding underneath a pair of umbrellas. Grabbing a folded towel off the middle chair, he dried himself and noticed Mitsuru was on her way to do the same. Nervousness clutched his chest as he realised this would be the first time they'd been alone together since the ward.

"Had enough of the water?" Minato asked, passing a towel to her.

Mitsuru took it, sat down and dried her hair. "I think it's more to do with Iori's questionable behaviour. The fact Akihiko is thinking like him doesn't make it any better either." She then gave him a suspicious yet concerned look. "You're not thinking like them as well are you?"

Minato hung the towel around the nape of his neck. It would be wrong to say that he hadn't – after all, he had admired her on more than one occasion. Maybe not from the perspective of Junpei or Akihiko, but definitely in one that could be considered similar.

"I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't," Minato said, sitting down beside her. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. I mean, it's in a guy's nature to do things like this. Probably not to Junpei's extent but close enough."

"I see," Mitsuru said. "Well, as long as you know where the boundaries are then I suppose I can't hold anything against you. That being said, I guess we've more or less hit those boundaries."

Minato nodded and they sat in silence for the next few minutes, watching the others frolic in the water. He knew exactly what she meant by that and wondered how much of it still troubled her. The last time they had spoken of such matters was, well, back in the hotel. In the days that followed, the opportunities to talk were scarce. He was held up at the hospital and then later knocked out for another three days. She was busy with her commitments and covering his Student Council duties. There was just no time. Even if he tried asking again now, he knew he would be interrupted yet again anyway.

Ah what the hell. If Junpei should run back here then so be it.

"By the way Arisato, was there something you wanted to tell me?" Mitsuru asked as she turned to look at him.

"Tell you?" he repeated, shocked at her assertiveness.

"Yes. Before your incident with Iori that is."

Before my incident with– Well there goes my hopes. He felt silly in thinking that she was referring to their moment in the ward and chuckled to release some of his embarrassment. "Oh that. No I was thinking about what Ikutsuki, and now, Yukari's father, meant about killing those twelve Shadows."

"Did something about it concern you?"

"Mainly about what would happen when we defeat them. I know we've been told it'll bring an end to the Dark Hour but, and I don't mean to scare you, let's say for a moment it doesn't. Let's say there'll be more Shadows representing Arcanas after the twelfth one. What do we do then? Keep fighting until we've exhausted all the Arcana in a tarot deck?"

He stopped there and waited to hear her thoughts. Her face didn't pale like before, Minato noted, as if she had been expecting something thought provoking from him.

"You raise quite the questions Arisato," Mitsuru said, folding her arms with a light laugh. "To be honest, I'm not quite sure what to say. Weren't you confident in what your Personas told you about how there would only be twelve Shadows?"

"I was but now…I'm not so sure. Guess we'll have to see what happens."

He looked over her shoulder, spying someone walk down the trail that connected the mansion to the beach. The person looked familiar, dressed in attire more professional than that of a maid, and when she arrived, Minato recalled where he had seen her.

"Greetings milady," Kikuno said. Noticing that the two had been in the middle of a conversation, she added, "Oh, I'm not interrupting something am I?"

They both shook their heads.

"In that case, I've come to inform you that the preparations are ready."

"Excellent," Mitsuru said, standing up.

"Preparations?" Minato asked, also getting to his feet. "For what?"

"For you."

Two thoughts kept Minato occupied as he followed Mitsuru and Kikuno up the trail and into the mansion. The first was what they meant by 'preparations'. The second? Why just how many rooms did the mansion have? Minato had attempted to keep his curiosity of this at bay but it wasn't long before he began counting each door they passed. His count reached thirty, then fifty, then a number he no longer remembered. Partly because he was sure he counted at least one door more than once. Mostly because he had started too late and by then, he had missed at least fifteen doors or so. The activity wasn't without its merits however, being more fun than following the two ladies in silence. Mitsuru was keen on avoiding his questions and as Minato learned, so was Kikuno. It's like the time in her limousine all over again.

Once they arrived in front of the mansion's central meeting room, Kikuno opened the door and signalled for them to enter. Hearing the door click shut behind him, Minato examined the room. A boat-shaped conference table about five feet wide and sixteen foot long stood flanked with black chairs stood before him, while an LCD screen hung on the wall at the far end. It was like something out of a movie, or one of those legal shows, and the corporate vibe he felt became even stronger when he saw Takeharu seated.

Minato swallowed hard. Why was he brought to face Takeharu? Was there something he'd done?

To Aigis?

To Mitsuru?

A host of scenarios exploded in his mind and glancing at Mitsuru for reassurance, he now understood why Kikuno had told them both to get changed.

"I know this seems intimidating but don't worry. You're not in trouble," Mitsuru said. She gestured for Minato to follow her and they crossed to where Takeharu was, Kikuno bringing up the rear.

It was then that he noticed the two silver objects placed on the table; one of them a familiar briefcase, the other a longer rectangular case. Minato couldn't believe he did not see them upon entering but he supposed it was hard to pay attention to his surroundings when Mitsuru's father cast such an impending presence.

"Kirijo-san," Minato said, bowing.

Takeharu inclined his head and got up. "Sorry to bring you here on such short notice. I would have arranged for this meeting to be at our main office, or even your dormitory, but given the circumstances, here will have to suffice."

Minato found his eyes drawn to the two cases. Although he could make an educated guess of their contents, he was itching to know what was inside. And the meaning of this meeting. "It's not a problem. What did you want to discuss sir?"

"Firstly, your Personas. To be more specific, your ability to wield more than one."

"You found something out?"

Takeharu nodded. "We ran some tests while you were being treated here at Yakushima. While we were unable to figure out exactly how you're able to do it, we were able to confirm that it is related to your emotions. If you're in a good mood, the power will come naturally to you. If you're irritated or angry, then you will have difficulties in controlling it. But, you already know this correct?"

"Well it was Mitsuru-senpai's theory."

"Yes and her assumption is the basis of our study. What you may not know is that within your collective unconscious exists a unique, singular entity that is different from the Personas you can summon. In other words, it is the being responsible for your two incidents, and possibly your enhanced abilities."

Minato held Takeharu's gaze, understanding what was being referenced. But concluding that the rampant Persona, if it was a Persona, was the reason for his ability to wield more than one at a time? It doesn't seem quite right. Igor told me that…that…what did he say again? Minato thought back to the time he saw the long-nosed man talk about this and remembered surprisingly little. Something about the number zero, emotional ties, and a bunch of other things that made no sense. There was nothing, as far as he could recall, about another entity.

"Do you think it could be a Shadow?" Minato asked.

He heard Mitsuru and Kikuno gasp beside him.

"I won't go as far to say that just yet," Takeharu said. He retained his calm composure though Minato noted that the question left him looking pained, as if that was the last thing he wanted to believe. "As I've stated, we are not certain what it is. It could be a Shadow, or it could be a Persona too strong for you to control. Whatever it is, it exists, and it exists to protect you." He checked his watch and gestured for Kikuno to ready the cases. "Anyway, I shall leave the matter here. If there are any developments, I will inform both you and Mitsuru."

Minato nodded. "So what was the other thing? I heard something about preparations?"

His question was met with a smile. It was the first time Minato – and Mitsuru if his peripheral vision served him – saw Takeharu in such a mood.

"The preparations were in regards to these." Takeharu indicated at the two cases. "Originally, they were to be delivered to the dormitory. After your incident however, Mitsuru decided it would be best to do it this way."

At this, Kikuno opened the briefcase and took out a familiar silver item. It came as no surprise that it was a new Evoker, though he didn't expect to receive one so soon. Or in a manner like this.

"We considered your injury Minato-san," Kikuno said as she passed him the Evoker, "and as the movement of your left arm is limited, we made this particular model to fit your right hand."

Minato tested the grip, curling his index finger around the trigger. As comfortable and perfect as it was, using his right hand felt alien to him. There was only one time he had done so – namely using Yukari's Evoker – and that was nothing compared to the hundred and fifty plus times he had used his left. Still, he couldn't complain and with his left arm out of action, it was a respectable solution. He turned to Mitsuru, feeling a warm sensation rise in his chest. She always knows.

"When did you get around organising something like this?" Minato asked, placing the Evoker back into its case.

"When you were in hospital," Mitsuru said. "Is it okay?"

"It's perfect. But I'll need some time to adjust."

Mitsuru smiled and walked over to stand by the longer case. "In that case, this should make you feel right at home." She opened and turned it around for Minato to see.

A sabre rested in the case, its curved blade immaculate, its knuckle bow intricate. Minato noticed that the blade itself was of a darker shade of grey and when he took it out to feel its weight, his eyes widened. This sabre wasn't made from ordinary steel. This was…

"Damascus?" Minato said. He blinked several times to ensure he was really looking at the blade's wavy surface and not some cheap knockoff you could find at a knife seller's stand in a market. After the third or fourth time, he peeled his eyes away from the exquisite pattern – which reminded him of flowing water – and looked at Mitsuru. She was beaming. "How…did you…I mean…"

The words came out as a jumbled mess and not wanting to embarrass himself further in Takeharu's presence, Minato closed his mouth.

"That sabre was forged by an associate of ours who now works at Shinshoudo Antiques," Takeharu said, still smiling. "I'm impressed you recognised it as Damascus immediately."

Minato didn't know what to say. He had expected the 'preparations' had something to with him undertaking a physical or mental assessment. Some sort of test on his Personas and emotions maybe. He never would have thought it meant receiving a new Evoker and a blade that took countless hours to forge. Before he could ask why he deserved this, Takeharu went ahead and explained for him. The rising feeling of indebtedness was eliminated instantly and Minato discovered that the second reason was something he had known all along.

"So was I right?"

Takeharu turned to Kikuno, who was closing the cases. The nostalgic wave that swept over him upon seeing Minato and his daughter communicating so well should have made him happy. It should have. Instead, it left the taste of ambiguity behind, the kind where you were supportive yet sceptical of a loved one's decision in a partner. No, not a partner. A best friend. Their bond is nothing more than that.

"I suppose you are," Takeharu said. He grabbed the cigar out of his jacket's breast pocket, lighted it, and smoked a few puffs.

"You shouldn't worry about her so much," Kikuno said. "She isn't that little girl anymore. Besides, you know he would never do anything to hurt her."

"It's not him that I'm worried about. It's that entity living in him. While his incident didn't produce any casualties, there's no guarantee that the next time will follow suit. "

"You really believe there will be a next time?"

Takeharu didn't answer.

Figuring out where things were in the mansion was impossible. Minato thought himself competent in not getting lost but regardless of how many times he was escorted through hallways he was sure he'd been in before, he could not pinpoint their exact location with any accuracy. Being unable to generate a mental map – like the one he had done for Gekkoukan and even Iwatodai – made him feel as if he was exploring Tartarus without Fuuka. The irritated expression must have been apparent on his face because he could feel Mitsuru looking at him curiously.

"Come to think of it, I haven't shown you around have I?" Mitsuru asked as they made their way back to the beach. The golden shine of the late afternoon sun had breached the windows of the hallway they were currently passing through, and she held up a hand to shield her eyes from the glare.

"You could tell?" Minato asked, stopping in his tracks and turning in her direction.

Mitsuru nodded. "How about it? At the very least, it'll reduce the amount of time we spend facing Iori's nonsense."

Minato agreed and for the next twenty minutes, he followed her around the mansion. Mitsuru played the role of tour guide well, explaining more about the mansion's history, antiques such as the display of Japanese dolls that had been in the Kirijo family for generations (she had talked about that in great detail), and why Yakushima was chosen. The tour reminded him of the one Yukari did for him at school, albeit on a level that was miles ahead in both information and sights. Having no one stare at him as if he were an alien was another plus too; there was nobody around apart from the several maids that were going about their business. Even then, the maids greeted them with courtesy and respect, never trying to intrude or pepper him with silly questions.

There was someone watching him through the tour's entirety though. Watching his reactions and listening to what he said as they came to certain areas or inspected certain objects of interest. It didn't occur to him until he reached the foyer, where a hazy memory began its playback.

He heard the reverberating thumps of footsteps on the tiled floor. The sound of laughter rising and falling. People calling other people whose name started with the letter M. Or was it N? He couldn't quite tell and before he could settle on a decision, he was overridden by more laughter and thumping.

Minato looked at Mitsuru when the playback finished and meeting her inquisitive gaze, he realised she was the one who was observing him. He didn't understand. Was this tour some kind of test she had set up with her father and Kikuno? To watch for any side effects? But I'm not in a bad mood or anything. So that's wrong.

Then what? That the maids they encountered, of which there were five, were secretly instructed to observe and later report to Takeharu about how he treated Mitsuru? While he admitted some of them eyed him the way Kikuno had two days ago, the idea bordered on the ludicrous.

Kirijo-san wouldn't go that far. The saber is proof that he trusts me and acknowledges my ability.

"Is something on your mind senpai?" he asked, stomping on his rising paranoia.

"No I was just thinking back to when I first visited here," Mitsuru said, shaking her head lightly.

"Was that for a business trip?"

"Actually, no. The first trip was purely for a vacation. And to make me believe that we did have such a home." She chuckled, looked away, and stared at a nearby painting. "Those were wonderful times. Anyway, I think that should about cover it. We should get back to the others."

It was nearing sunset when they left the mansion and headed down the trail leading to the beach. The wind had picked up considerably since their departure earlier and Minato was glad he wasn't walking out here wet and in his board shorts.

"Thanks again for going to the trouble of arranging those weapons," he said as they reached the end of the trail. "I'm sure you must've had your hands full."

"It was no trouble at all," she said, brushing the strands of hair out of her eyes. "As my father said, you earned it. Not to mention I need you to be as prepared as possible for the next full moon. Speaking of that, will you be alright in handling everything with one arm?"

"I'll figure something out. I always do. Besides, it's not like this," he raised his left arm slightly, "is completely useless."

Mitsuru smiled. "Okay then. I just wanted to make sure. If you ever want to practice, don't hesitate to ask me."

Nodding, Minato turned in the direction where he heard his name being called and saw the others – Junpei in particular jumping and waving his hands – beckoning for them to come over.

Minato and Mitsuru did.

"Hey, where'd you two go?" Junpei asked when they arrived. He and the others had all changed back into their normal clothes as well, and were out here enjoying the sights of the beach one last time.

"To the mansion," Minato said. He noticed Junpei's did-you-get-to-ask-her-and-how'd-it-go look and added, "It was for a check-up on my arm and a couple of other things. The verdict on whether it'll heal back to normal is still unclear though."

Junpei nodded, taking the hint. "Ah. Sorry to hear that man."

"There's still a chance it could get better right?" Fuuka asked.

"Maybe," Minato said. "We'll just have to see. In the meantime, it looks like you guys will have to do most of the work."

"That's fine by me. It's only fun when there's more Shadows to fight," Akihiko said, oblivious to Mitsuru's sigh.

"There's already so many Shadows and you want more?" Junpei said. "Seriously?"

"What's with that attitude Junpei?" Yukari asked. "Didn't you always say you wanted to fight more?"

"Yeah but I was only talking about the weak Shadows."

Minato smiled and turned to Mitsuru and Aigis, who were both standing beside him. There was no need for them to say anything. He knew Aigis would always be watching him. And he knew Mitsuru would be there for him, just as he had done for her.

Minato looked out at the horizon. Above it, splashes of yellow, orange and pink blotted the sky as the sun snuggled behind the blanket of clouds. Below it, the sea continued its churning motion. The seven of them stood there until dusk, watching the sun steadily sink until it was swallowed by the sea and all that remained was the afterglow.

The sight was one Minato cherished. Only one other sight brought out the same feeling and it would be sometime later.

When she gave him an answer.