Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 3—or any version of the Persona series, really. I just own this rather shameless piece of work.

Other Notes: I guess I should apologize ahead of time that Operation Babe Hunt doesn't really appear? I tried writing it out, but Minato literally Did Not Care and Tamamo just devolved into a hyena. Suffice to say, there was very little deviation from the source material. Feel free to substitute it in if you want, though?

Also, if you're curious, the spell Tamamo uses at the end was inspired by the manga, Negima! Magister Negi Magi. The spell itself, "Endless White Nine Heavens", can be read about on the series' wiki.

Symbiosis

Chapter Twenty-Three

On the beginning of day two of their vacation in Yakushima, Minato slept in and no amount of badgering from Junpei could persuade him to do otherwise. When he tried, going so far as to barge into the room to drag him out of bed, Minato only sent him a withering glare. It must have been effective, judging by the way Junpei scuttled back out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Not much later, when Minato heard Akihiko ask where their field leader was, Junpei only suggested to let him sleep and find them on his own time. Akihiko was dubious, but they left for the beach soon after despite whatever concerns the boxer had. Satisfied, Minato fell back into his dreams.

…Only to wake up when his cell phone started ringing hardly an hour later.

Annoyed, Minato debated whether or not he should pick up, glaring at the device from over his pillow. He checked the caller ID and saw Yukari's name. If he left it alone, it was possible that she would stop trying, especially if she figured he was at the beach with Junpei and Akihiko. On the other hand, if it were urgent and she had cause to keep calling, she would just as likely be pissed that he took so long to answer. And then he would be subject to her ranting. Even after her emotional turmoil and confession last night, she probably had a lot of anger left to burn.

Wincing, Minato sat up, trying to force the sleep out of his voice as he answered, "What?"

"Oh, good, you answered!" Yukari let out a sigh of relief. "Look, something's come up. Ikutsuki-san just called Mitsuru-senpai. Apparently, some sort of anti-Shadow weapon got loose from the lab—like a tank or something! He wants us to find it and capture it somehow."

It was only through sheer force of will that Minato kept his grip on his phone. He rubbed his hand over his face, repeating the words over in his head. An anti-Shadow weapon was loose on the island. And the chairman wanted their team to retrieve it.

Wasn't this supposed to be a vacation away from all the stress?

"Where are you guys?" Yukari's voice asked through his phone. "Are you all still at the mansion? We're on our way back to get our gear, just in case."

"No," he managed to grumble. "I was sleeping in. Junpei and Akihiko-senpai are at the beach, though." He sighed. "I'll get ready."

"You were…? Oh… uh… sorry," the archer apologized awkwardly.

Minato hung up, unwilling to reply because he was rather irked at losing his sleep—even if the situation did call for it. Reluctantly, he dragged himself out of bed and to his suitcase, looking for an appropriate outfit to wear when hunting for a combat weapon out in the woods.

"Takeba has informed you of the situation?" Mitsuru asked the moment the girls returned.

Minato, who'd been waiting in the foyer, nodded. "Is there anything else to go by to look for it? 'Anti-Shadow weapon' is pretty vague as a description."

"The chairman was… less than forthcoming." There was a troubled furrow to her brow at the admission. "All he mentioned before hanging up was that the weapon had left the lab and that we were to handle it as swiftly as possible. He also mentioned that it would be unlikely that we could destroy it if it came to blows."

He sighed for the umpteenth time. And it was only morning. The day was already promising to be a long one. "So we have nothing of substance. Fuuka, do you think you'll be able to get a reading from that?"

"I'm not sure," the teal-haired girl admitted, wringing her hands as Mitsuru and Yukari left to get their equipment. "I can sense and locate Shadows easily enough, but anything else, I need detailed information about it to know what I'm searching for. It's possible, but…"

Ikutsuki probably knew that if Mitsuru and Akihiko kept him updated on whatever happened with their group. Which they clearly did. And yet he had given nothing, expecting them to work it out anyway. Just what was he trying to do?

"Oh," said his Other. "I didn't even think about something like that… Is this another test?"

On what? he asked.

"Well… If she really did leave the lab on her own, it's possible that he wants to see exactly why she became operable again. By not giving you guys the proper information to find her easily with Fuuka, he probably wants to trail her to see where she leads him," she theorized. "Of course, that's assuming that Ikutsuki, as one of the Kirijo Group's scientists, has the means of tracking her."

A lot of the things this guy does just seems incompetent at first, but when you look deeper the implications are pretty bad, Minato mused. Did the stories in your reality talk about him?

"Not much. I just know that he's not exactly the nice guy that he acts like. I don't know the exact details behind his behavior beyond a few things. Just that it creeps me out."

"Minato-kun?" He blinked. Fuuka stared back at him worriedly. Her eyes darted to the stairs that Mitsuru and Yukari had gone up. When there was no sign of the two, she asked in a hushed tone, "Has something happened with Tamamo-chan?"

"No time to play telephone. Let's try this new method out," Tamamo muttered. There was a brief silence following her words before she spoke up again, "Okay. Can you both hear me?"

Fuuka straightened. "Y—Yes! I can!"

Figured it out? Minato asked, recalling her words that she would work on that little connection problem the first time so it wasn't so complicated.

"Somewhat. Anyways, Fuuka, I don't know what the chairman's thinking, but I do know about this anti-Shadow weapon he's trying to make you find."

"You do?" the navigator asked, her expression reflecting her surprise. Minato supposed he should tell her to try to school her face, but it was kind of amusing to watch. "Would you help us find it, Tamamo-chan?"

"As if I would do otherwise," his Other scoffed. "Oh, and by the way, try not to show your reactions too much. I doubt anyone would think you're having a conversation with me, but they might wonder if you're talking to yourself."

At that, Fuuka's face burned red. She ducked her head to hide it. "Oh! I'm sorry! This is still so very strange and new to me…" Her face lifted, sending Minato a wondering look. "You must be very used to this, though, Minato-kun. You can keep your face so straight!"

"Don't be too amazed, Fuuka," Tamamo teased. "This guy's face just naturally has all the emotions of a rock."

A laugh sputtered out of Fuuka before she could stop it. She clasped her hands over her mouth as Minato shook his head in exasperation. "T—Tamamo-chan!"

"Sorry, sorry!" She certainly didn't sound apologetic. "Back on topic, the first thing you should know about this anti-Shadow weapon is that 'it' has a name. And a perceived gender, for that matter. Her name is Aigis." Following the name, a picture of a cute girl with short blonde hair, pale skin, and blue eyes was sent to them. Minato knew it reached Fuuka by the way her shoulders jumped. "I imagine I don't have much time until Mitsuru and Yukari return, so I'll make this quick. Aigis is a robot—an android, if you will—that was built by the Kirijo Group in order to combat Shadows. She was given such a human face so that she could identify with humans, as well as a special 'heart', which grants her a psyche and thereby allowing her the power to summon a Persona."

"That's definitely not a tank," Minato mused.

"An android… with a Persona…?" Fuuka repeated, amazed.

"Yeah. She's about the last in her line since the Kirijo Group seems to have stopped building them. She takes her duty very seriously." Tamamo quieted as Mitsuru and Yukari descended the stairs. "I hope that's enough. But if you guys can't get a reading, try the beach."

"Okay. Thank you, Tamamo-chan."

"No problem."

"Yamagishi, have you checked the island?" Mitsuru asked as she and Yukari approached.

Fuuka shook her head. "No, I was just about to." When the upperclassman inclined her head for her to do so, Minato handed her his Evoker. She took it gratefully and turned the barrel on herself, pulling the trigger. Lucia's body formed in the light and she set to work.

It took Fuuka a while to pinpoint a location, but she gave a tentative area in the direction of the beach. Minato wasn't sure if she had actually found the weapon—Aigis—or if she was simply going by Tamamo's suggestion. Still, Mitsuru and Yukari accepted it, even when Fuuka told them that she could be wrong. It was, according to them, a better place to start than nothing.

"We can pick up Akihiko and Iori along the way as well," was Mitsuru's additional reasoning.

So, gear in hand, they left the mansion's walls and set down the path to the beach. There were more people around that day, scattered about the different chairs and parasols set up on the sand. When they made it to the area they'd been situated at before, there was no sign of the other two boys.

"Geez!" Yukari exclaimed as she looked about, high and low, for their missing teammates. "Where could they be!?"

"Well, they've at least been here, I think," Fuuka said, walking to the table that was left to claim "their spot". She picked up a slip of paper that was lying on its surface, smoothing out its crinkled corner. "They seem to have read our note about going to the Jyomon-Cedar Tree."

"Can you sense them without your Persona?" the brunette asked, brown eyes critical as she stared at the groups of people along the beach.

"Not well," the navigator confessed. "I think I can vaguely pick out certain presences, but Lucia helps narrow it down. Her range is also much larger than mine is."

"It appears we'll have to search for the anti-Shadow weapon on our own and hope we run into them on the way," Mitsuru said. "Where did you last sense it, Yamagishi?"

"Huh? O—Oh, it was further down the beach," Fuuka stammered. "I saw, um, it by the dock."

"Then we'll head there," the redhead confirmed. "If we don't find anything, we'll try to find a secure location where you can summon your Persona again."

As the girls plus Minato wandered down the beach, they eventually came across Junpei and Akihiko. The latter of whom looked quite annoyed as the former appeared to try to talk him into something. Minato would recognize Junpei's persuading stance anywhere.

"Oh, there you guys are," Akihiko said when he saw their arrival. Junpei stopped talking beside him as they approached. "Good timing. Junpei here wouldn't shut up about some stupid idea on how hanging out at the beach needs girls around to be complete."

"Operation Babe Hunt is not a stupid idea!" Junpei protested, indignant.

Yukari's expression went flat, eyebrow raised. "'Operation Babe Hunt'…? Seriously?"

"Well, what else were a couple of guys like us supposed to do?" he asked defensively. "You ladies weren't around and Minato was just gonna sleep so it was just us here…"

"I was just going to go train…" Akihiko griped.

"Would you stop with the training? We're on vacation, Senpai!" Junpei cried.

"Not that this isn't entertaining," Mitsuru interrupted their bickering, "but we have a situation."

That shut both boys up quickly.

As Mitsuru roughly caught them up on events, Minato noticed that Fuuka had wandered a bit off to the side. He trailed her, curious, and found her staring at the dock. When he followed her gaze, he paused when he saw a familiar-looking blonde standing at the end of the wooden platform.

Not looking away, he called over his shoulder, "Senpai… I think we found her."

Mitsuru's voice trailed away and she joined them, the others following. "You've located the weapon?"

"I think so," Fuuka said. Slowly, her hand rose to point out the figure standing on the dock. "I'm fairly sure that that's her."

"What?" Yukari yelped. "But that's—that's a girl!"

"Are you certain, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked.

Fuuka was quiet as she stared at the girl, the android, who gave no indication to sensing their presence even as they watched her. Then, "Yes."

"All right, then. Everyone, take on a position to intercept her should she try to run. When everyone's ready, we'll attempt to make contact. Is that clear?" There was a round of nods. "Good. Let's go."

Gradually, their group drifted apart, but they made sure to keep each other in sight. Tamamo nudged Minato to an area closest to the dock, which, considering he had his Evoker handy, was probably a better idea than any other.

"Make noise," his Other suggested to him when he'd been making efforts to keep his footsteps quiet against the sand shifting beneath his feet. "She'll want to see you."

Me?

"Yes," she said simply. "This is an important meeting, Minato."

There was something significant in her tone when she spoke, but she did not elaborate any further. After only a moment of hesitation, he stopped short of hiding behind the large boulder he'd been heading towards and instead scuffed his foot against a large stone lying half buried in the sand nearby. It wasn't a loud sound by any means, but the android on the dock, the so-called anti-Shadow weapon, turned at the sound.

When her eyes fell upon him, he felt a familiar tingle emanate from the base of his neck before running down his spine.

That was the gaze, he knew. The one that had been watching him yesterday.

He kept still as she stared at him, an impassive expression on her face. Along the sides of his vision, he saw his friends tense up, ready to spring into action if necessary.

The blonde moved, turning smoothly in place and walking towards him. As she approached, Minato saw the more robotic pieces of her appearance, mostly hidden by the plain blue dress that she wore—details that he might have missed if he had not been actively searching for them. In a way, he was somewhat relieved she had such clearly robotic features beyond her human face. The idea of facing an android that could not be picked out of a crowd of humans was a bit unsettling.

She stopped several feet before him, blue eyes trained on his face.

"Arisato…" he heard Mitsuru somewhere off to the side, but whatever else she would have said was lost when the android before him spoke.

"You are…" Her voice was stilted and void of inflection, even in those two simple words. She stopped herself, head turning to where the others had started closing in, freezing them in their tracks. Her eyes went fleetingly back to him before sweeping over the area behind him. "Initiating evasive maneuver. Confirmation must be made at a secure location…"

The words were announced clearly enough for them all to hear, even though she was saying them to herself. Before Minato could react—evasive maneuver; that was an obvious indicator of what she planned to do—she darted around him, dodging Akihiko's attempt to grab her wrist on her way into the forest.

"The heck was that!?" Junpei exclaimed.

"What did she say, Arisato?" Mitsuru asked as they gathered around him.

Minato stared in the direction that the android fled in. "She called a retreat for herself… said she had to confirm something in a secure area."

Yukari frowned, bewildered. "What does that mean?"

When he shrugged, Mitsuru straightened. "Whatever the case, it appears that she is receptive to your presence. We will follow her—but you will need to lead us at a distance to see if she will be lured in."

In other words, he was bait.

Wonderful.

Still, the android—Aigis, as Tamamo called her—had not appeared hostile. She had clearly been observing him since yesterday, but, while that was rather creepy, she had not done anything to harm him or any of the others even when they had been unarmed and vulnerable.

Agreeing to head in first, he set off down the path that Aigis had taken, keeping alert for any flashes of blonde through the foliage. His teammates waited for him to gain a sufficient distance ahead of them before following. If he listened carefully, he could hear their footsteps behind him.

Eventually, the path opened up into the clearing dedicated to the Jyomon-Cedar tree, which loomed over the area in a rather majestic way. A quick glance around told Minato that the android was hiding behind the sign detailing what the tree was. She peeked out briefly when he stopped near the middle of the clearing before stepping out into view.

"Now I am certain," she said, voice monotone. "I have found you."

Before he could comprehend what was happening, she ran to him, coming to a stop not a few feet away and placing her hands on his chest. He twitched slightly at the feeling of the cold metal even through the fabric of his shirt. She peered up at him with clear eyes, seeming intent on memorizing his face. He heard various exclamations of confusion and shock at her sudden action. They amplified at her next words, spoken in an almost earnest tone.

"I have been searching for you," she said. "My highest priority is to be with you!"

"Even a robot!?" Junpei cried. "Dude, that doesn't even make sense!"

"Shut up, Stupei!" Yukari hissed.

At once, the rest of SEES poured into the clearing, an air of uncertainty shrouding them as they took in Minato and Aigis standing in the middle. Aigis, for her part, did not seem threatened by their sudden appearance, though Minato had little experience in being able to tell an android's emotions. Still, she made no move to retaliate even as Mitsuru took a cautious step forward.

It was then that another figure walked into view from another of the connecting pathways in the forest.

"Thank goodness," Ikutsuki said with a sigh. "You had me worried, Aigis. You know that you don't have permission to leave the lab on your own."

Aigis did not respond, looking to Minato first before going to the chairman's side like a scolded puppy.

"Um, is anyone going to explain what the hell's going on?" Junpei asked. "I mean, Mitsuru-senpai gave us the bare minimum but… seriously, what the hell's going on."

After Junpei's plea, Ikutsuki had them return to the mansion, spouting apologies and gratitude the entire way for taking control of the situation and finding the lost asset. They followed him warily, keeping a wide berth around him and Aigis, who had situated herself between the chairman and Minato, who trailed behind.

When they were back in the vacation home, he had them brought to the lounge, sending Aigis away as he instructed them to sit down and relax. Junpei and Akihiko also took the time to return to their rooms for a change of clothing. When they rejoined the group, Ikutsuki began.

"I apologize for all the trouble," the chairman apologized for the umpteenth time. "Everything is under control now."

"It was nothing, really," Fuuka insisted, a worried furrow to her brow. "But where is…?"

A light tapping approached the group on the tiled floor. Ikutsuki sent a smile over his shoulder before lifting an arm, beckoning the android over. "Come here, Aigis. No need to be shy." She obeyed and Ikutsuki turned back to the others with a proud grin. "This is Aigis. As you can see, she's a 'mechanical maiden'."

And she was. Without the covering of the long dress she had been wearing before, it was easy to see the metallic details of her frame. Her parts were definitely put together in a way that resembled a human, but other than her realistic face, the rest of her body was clearly comprised of inorganic material.

"I am Aigis," she intoned. "My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately."

"No way…" Yukari uttered in disbelief. "It's like she's… alive…"

Akihiko was similarly shocked. "This is unbelievable."

Junpei, on the other hand… "She's so cute, but… she's a robot…"

"Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows," Ikutsuki explained for their benefit. "Aigis was the last to be made… and she's the only one that still remains today."

Mitsuru, who had looked thoughtful during the introduction, posed a question, "An anti-Shadow weapon… Does that mean she…?"

"Yes," Aigis answered for Ikutsuki. "I am capable of operating the Persona 'Palladion'."

The chairman nodded, expression a tad regretful as he gave the following news, "She suffered major damage in combat and has remained in the lab ever since. It's still unclear as to why she suddenly reactivated herself this morning…" With a shrug, he added, "Still, I hope you'll all get along."

Fuuka was starry-eyed. "An anti-Shadow weapon with a will of her own… This is amazing!"

It was certainly something, Minato concurred. He was somewhat unsettled when he noticed that Aigis's gaze had fixated back on him. It was flattering, to be sure, especially considering she did look like a cute girl, as Junpei mentioned. But something just didn't feel quite right about it all.

The fact that Ikutsuki had also witnessed her fixation did not help matters at all.

"Perhaps her identification system is malfunctioning… Or maybe she's still half-asleep. This is quite interesting." He smiled disarmingly, but all Minato felt was the urge to either run or maybe punch him in the face to get rid of it. "Oh, and I forgot to tell you all, but you can participate in a wide range of recreational activities here. There's a tennis court, a pool table… even a karaoke machine. Would you care to hear me sing?"

As the others melted into conversation, Ikutsuki chuckling as they declined his offer, Minato chose to go with his instincts and slip away. It was difficult, as Aigis followed him with her eyes, but he made discreet gestures for her to stay, hoping that she understood.

Her head tilted and she looked ready to make a step forward, but was stopped when Fuuka tentatively approached her with a greeting.

Thanking the navigator for her timing, Minato fled, eager to have some time to himself.

His wanderings took him back to the forest for an evening walk, enjoying the peace and avoiding other tourists along the way. When night fell, he relocated to the beach, not wanting to get lost amidst the trees. He rolled up his pants and took off his shoes to walk along the water, enjoying the simple solitude.

Once or twice, he paused to answer a text from one of the others asking him where he was. He only told them that he was out and not to worry. The mansion was still in clear sight and he could book it if need be. But he doubted it would be necessary as, outside of the minor scare that Aigis had given them when she got loose and they had no idea what she was capable of, the island was relatively peaceful.

He didn't worry even when midnight hit and the world faded into the Dark Hour. He still had his Evoker with him, if not his sword. And anyway, he wasn't alone. As she'd proven in the previous Full Moon Operation, Tamamo was capable of assisting him in battle, even if only in defense.

"So this is the sea…" Pharos materialized beside him, hands clasped behind his back as he stared out at the large body of water—turned nauseatingly red, due to the hour—before them.

Minato didn't even blink at this point, so used to the boy's spontaneous appearances. Normally they were when he was already in bed (and, recently, pulled straight into his head rather than Pharos simply appearing outside), but he supposed this wasn't too unusual. "You've never seen it before?"

"I don't remember," the boy told him honestly. "But I don't think so. Not like this."

He didn't quite know what "this" meant, but he figured it had something to do with being on the beach. Port Island had a view of the sea from various points, after all, but nothing quite so up close and personal, like Yakushima.

"The ocean is a beautiful sight," Tamamo said. "It would be nicer to show you when it's not corrupted by the Dark Hour, but I think this ruby sea has its own little charm, too."

"You mentioned that you liked water," Pharos noted absently. "You said that it comforted you."

Minato thought back to when she was in pain, as much as he loathed to remember the helpless feeling that came with it, and how he had entered his mind to find himself floating in deep water. It made sense.

"Yes. I used to think I had an affinity for water, actually, though I suppose now it was just bias," she told them with a laugh. "I really loved mermaids as a kid, you see, and it stuck with me when I got older."

"…Your affinity is electricity." The difference was striking, Minato thought with no little amusement.

His Other huffed. "I know. There goes my hopes and dreams that if I ever managed to get a Persona, it would be a mermaid! And actually, for your information, I have two affinities."

"Two?" Minato raised a brow. "When did you find that out?"

"A little while ago, actually," she told him. "Apsaras got along well with me and Orpheus said something about our power being in sync. I didn't really try until just recently, but I can manage a weak Bufu-type spell… lightning just answers my call first and easiest."

Briefly, his mind returned to the early days in the dorm, shortly after the world of Personas and Shadows were revealed to him fully in the form of Tartarus. He, Junpei, and Yukari had sat around discussing the next upcoming run and the brunette mentioned something that caught his attention. She had told him about the affinity of Io, in how she withstood wind spells but that electricity was her weakness. At the time, she had been very specific about her wording, mentioning that she, herself, did not have such weaknesses or strengths, but that her Persona had them.

For Tamamo to have such a thing, and to be capable of powers that he and the others couldn't use unless they summoned their Persona, what did that make her?

"Are you sure you're not secretly a Persona or something?" he asked dubiously.

"I'm pretty sure." She laughed. "Hey, Pharos. Want to see something interesting?"

The boy peered curiously up into Minato's eyes, staring straight to where Tamamo was beyond them. "What is it?"

"Minato, hold out your hands," she instructed.

He did as she asked, holding out his hands with his palms up in easy sight of Pharos, who waited expectantly.

She hummed, pleased. "Good. Now, don't be alarmed…" Her voice trailed off and Minato was left to wait with the mysterious boy for whatever she wished to show them.

His shoulders jumped when something sparked into existence over his palms. Eyes snapping down, he watched, riveted, as what looked like a weak tendril of lightning danced over his hands. It arched and he held his breath when the air cooled significantly in its wake, leaving a trail of ice behind. On and on, the tiny spark of lightning danced and zigzagged its way through the space above Minato's hands, and ice followed after it, crystalizing the path that the lightning took.

When the lightning eventually tapered off, he was left holding up a twisted ice sculpture that resembled a wreath of vines.

"That is interesting," Pharos observed, looking the item over.

"Isn't it? And it's the first elemental spell I've ever produced outside of your head, Minato! It's not much, but, well, at least I think I know how to do it now."

"How did you do it?" Minato asked, turning the ice over in his hands. "It doesn't make any sense." Lightning was hot. How had the ice managed to cover the lightning's trail like that?

"I was inspired by a spell from this manga I used to read, admittedly. Something about the ice continuously freezing anything in the lightning's path." She shrugged. "I doubt I'll be able to use it much. It's not meant for damage, but rather to trap and bind."

Minato held the ice up closer so Pharos could see it more clearly, lost in thought.

Fuuka had mentioned that his Other was possibly growing stronger after her episode. He hadn't given it much thought at the time, grateful only that she wasn't disappearing on him. But now, confronted with that display, he couldn't help but think back on it.

Gradually, Tamamo was evolving her own power. And as fascinated as he was by what she was now developing, he couldn't help but think about its implications for the future.

Because all of it felt like it was leading to something—something big—and he had no idea as to what it could be. On one hand, it frightened him a little, as the future tended to do. But on the other, he was almost looking forward to it.