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: Hm. It appears my family's decided to go to Disneyland this upcoming weekend after Thanksgiving (we're leaving at, like, four in the morning on Friday, ouch). So I might not be able to complete my little challenge. I was doing pretty well, too! But I figured I'd let you guys know in case I don't get to update the 27th onward ahead of time.

After November ends and this challenge is over, though, I'll probably get to a less crazy updating schedule. Maybe once every week or two? Something like that.

Symbiosis

Chapter Twenty-Four

The third day in Yakushima was relatively uneventful—in comparison to the first two days, at any rate. Minato got to sleep in and woke up when Yukari knocked on his door, asking if he would join them for another day on the beach. Junpei had insisted, apparently, but was unwilling to try to wake the other boy himself after yesterday morning's experience. With Tamamo chortling over the image of Junpei hiding behind Yukari as a human shield, Minato agreed, saying he would meet them there.

Once he arrived, just as on the first day he found SEES playing in the water, though this time they were accompanied by Aigis, who stood observing them from a short distance, and Ikutsuki, who sat beneath the beach umbrella. Minato joined them after giving the chairman a short greeting and, though he was still a little unsure about Aigis and her declaration to stay by his side, he tried to pay little mind to her attention.

As the day went on, she reminded him a bit of a child, from the way she watched their interactions so curiously. She gave literal opinions and advice when they spoke to her and seemed to have little idea as to what to do out in the water with them, though she insisted on staying because playing as a group was "optimal for deriving enjoyment from an activity".

It would certainly be interesting having her around, he thought as he helped Fuuka construct a rough sandcastle. Aigis crouched nearby, helping gather sand into piles beside them, picking out bits of larger rocks and shells as she did so.

Smiling a little at the sight, he shook his head, picking up a few of the shells set off to the side to press into the castle's walls.

He sensed many shenanigans ahead with her joining.

When SEES returned home to Iwatodai, Tamamo was relieved. But although it was a bit sad to leave behind the beaches of Yakushima, given all that they went through in just those few days, she felt it was for the best. They'd learned a lot, even if it wasn't exactly what they'd wanted to hear, and had grown closer for it. They had even acquired their newest party member, though they were swiftly going to earn a few more in the days to come.

Now, however, in the short amount of downtime Minato had after returning to the dorm, Tamamo couldn't keep her thoughts from wandering. Something that he had said bothered her more than she liked to admit, no matter how casually she'd put it off at the time. In fact, when he'd asked her if she was actually a Persona, she had laughed. She'd thought it was silly, a joke, but when she thought about it… When she pieced together the line of reasoning he'd thought of just moments before he asked… Suddenly, it wasn't all that funny anymore.

She wasn't, was she? A Persona, that is?

She was human. Or formerly one. But what did that mean, exactly? She knew that on one level it meant exactly what it said: she had been human and then she allegedly died, allowing her soul to migrate across dimensions before it was eventually snatched up and brought to his mind. But on that note, why? Did it mean that his latent potential had identified her as a Persona and drew her in to join his sea of souls only for her to get stuck halfway when it realized she wasn't? Or was it something else, like her botched reincarnation excuse?

"You are distracted," Orpheus's voice drew her out of her thoughts.

"Ah… Sorry," she apologized. "I was just… thinking."

"About?"

She felt lost. "Uh, something I probably should have thought about a long time ago." But hadn't because she was trying to repress the fact that she was dead. "Hey, Orpheus, what do you think I am?"

The Master of Strings stared at her with gleaming eyes. It was disconcerting, especially coupled with the fact that his face was really just an immovable mask. After a moment, he gestured off to the side where she'd made a bench in a silent request that they take a break. She didn't actually need to sit to rest, but it was a familiar action from when she was alive so she always did it… Before, it used to be a comfort, but now she felt uneasy at the idea of pretending to be what she wasn't. Still, she followed him and sat down while he floated nearby.

"Why is it that you ask?" he inquired after she situated herself.

Tamamo felt a twinge of annoyance when he avoided answering her question, but if living in Minato's mind had taught her anything, it was patience. "Well, I know that I was human in my… past life. But that was before. Now, when I'm like this, just a soul without a physical body to call my own, I just… I don't know what I am anymore. On one hand, I would like to describe myself as a 'human' soul, but… I've never really thought that souls had a particular form."

She hadn't been particularly religious when she was alive in her world. Much of her family on her father's side, with whom she'd interacted with more, were, but she took after her mom. While she certainly believed in some higher force being out there, she didn't limit it to a single concept. As such, she researched and pieced together her own little beliefs, and one of them was the idea that the soul was not particularly bound to one life. It could be human at one point, but, say, a badger the next.

The fact that she took on a human appearance now was simply because she'd created the shell on her own.

"…I told him that I wasn't a Persona, but…" She drew her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees as she curled around herself. "But what if I am, and I just don't know it? I've gone on for so long believing that I was 'simply human'… and yet humans aren't capable of the things I can do now. Not alone, at least. Not without Personas." The more she thought about it, the more her fear grew. "Have I just been fooling myself all this time?"

She didn't know why this meant so much to her, to know what she was, but it did. It was irrational, but it still scared the hell out of her to think that she could be losing what little of herself she thought she'd had since waking up. If she couldn't answer even this basic question about herself, then what good was she?

What use was a thing that couldn't be defined?

A gloved hand pressed gently on top of her head. Tamamo didn't need to look up to know that Orpheus was floating before her now.

"What you are," he began slowly, enunciating clearly and in a way that calmed her down significantly, "can only be defined by what you think you are." His hand left her head as he drew himself tall, gazing down at her in an almost imperious manner. "I am Orpheus, Master of Strings. I bear the memories of a life that is remembered as mere myth and legend, but does that make me a myth? Does it make me any less real? Or my dear Eurydice? I know who I am, but I also know what. For I am also a Persona, called forth from the sea of souls as a facet of both his and your personalities. It matters little whether I was one thing before and another thing after, for I acknowledge that both are a part of me and that I am myself."

"But…" she started to protest only to pause. "Wait, sorry, off-topic, but you mentioned something similar before. When we fought against the Arcana Lovers, you called Minato's mindscape 'our' mind. But it's really just his. And sort of yours, I guess."

"Correct," he replied. Tamamo's face fell when he didn't seem to understand.

"So it's yours," she stressed. "Not mine. Or ours."

The Persona's head tipped his head. "It was from the depths of his soul that I rose from," he acknowledged, "but it was your call that I answered."

Had it been any other time, she would have found it funny how he replied in the same way that Minato had described Orpheus's first appearance.

"Your connection to him is strong," Orpheus continued. "My existence and capabilities are proof of that. And you are your own, regardless of how you feel you've gone astray from your identity."

He then lifted his hands, palms facing out in her direction. It was a familiar pose—the same one they had practiced in when she was first experimenting with her lightning abilities. Tentatively, Tamamo unfurled from her seat and stood, lifting her hands until they were opposite of his.

A familiar spark came to life between their fingertips, lively and warm.

"Do not worry," he bade her. "The answer to your existence will come to you in time. Until then, have faith in our bond. Trust in it to not let you falter, as he does."

"Faith," she murmured, staring at the spark that glowed between them.

This was the second time, amongst many smaller instances, that she had expressed her lack of faith in Minato, wasn't it? By becoming so frantic alone, wasn't that the same thing as saying that she didn't trust him to catch her when she fell or, in this instance, find her when she felt lost?

…She had been growing in power recently. And she let that cloud her mind and make her feel entitled to be more independent when she still had so much to learn.

"Faith," she repeated, voice thick with disappointment in herself. Tamamo forced herself to look up at Orpheus, sending him a shaky smile. "Thank you. And I'm sorry. For not…"

For not trusting in you or him, was what was left unsaid.

"It is natural to doubt oneself from time to time," he soothed. "It is very human, you could say."

And she laughed. Because even though it wasn't particularly funny, he'd made the effort in his own dry way.

So very like Minato.

When Minato woke up not to his alarm, but a very out of place blonde android, he felt he could be forgiven for nearly falling off the bed in his shock.

"…What are you doing in my room," he tried to ask, but his effort to keep his voice level and calm went too far and rendered the question into a flat statement.

Aigis looked at him unblinkingly. "My highest priority is to be by your side."

Of course.

"Oh," he said eloquently. "Okay." Very carefully, he stood up and walked to his door, stepping to the side as he opened it (it was unlocked; he always locked it when he went to bed, oh god, she picked his lock) to gesture for her to leave. "You can…" Something pink was in the side of his vision. "…go now…"

Bracing himself, he looked and found Yukari standing in front of his doorway, hand poised to knock. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Aigis, who had not moved from her spot by his bed.

Minato painstakingly resisted the urge to facepalm.

"What are you doing in here?" the archer asked, the words blurted out so quickly that he almost couldn't understand them. "How did you get in!?"

Aigis had no such trouble. "He was asleep, so I unlocked the door."

"That's unlawful entry!" Yukari screeched. Minato winced. "Didn't we tell you to stay in the command room at night!?"

"I propose to be on standby in this room from now on," the android said. "Is this acceptable?"

"No, it's not acceptable!" The brunette groaned, rubbing her temple. "Oh my god, this is too early to be arguing with a robot about morals and regulations…!"

Aigis merely tilted her head. "If there is a problem, then I will address it promptly."

Taking pity on them both, Minato piped up from where they seemed to have forgotten him, "This is a coed dorm, but we're not allowed to share rooms like that."

"But I am not a girl," was the android's rebuttal.

"Appearance-wise, you are," he told her patiently, "but even then, it's still… improper. There's very few of us here anyway, so we all take our own rooms."

There was a brief silence as she took his words in. Off to the side, Yukari already looked tired for the morning as she waited for her response. Eventually, Aigis nodded. "I comprehend."

"Thank god," the archer muttered. She shook her head, shoulders drooping. "All right. As a compromise, I'll have a room prepared for you on the third floor so you don't have to stay in the command room. Just… don't leave the dorm by yourself, okay?"

Another nod. "I will do as commanded."

"If you say so…" Yukari looked doubtful. "Anyway, sorry, Minato-kun. I was going to ask her if you could help look for her since she kinda went missing and we thought she wandered off again, but looks like that's solved."

Minato nodded, feeling a little awkward since he was still in his pajamas, hand on his doorknob to let Aigis out of his room.

"I'm gonna get going since I have practice this morning. See ya in class." Without waiting for a reply, Yukari turned on her heel and strode away.

When Minato turned back to Aigis, who remained unmoved, he found her head tilted thoughtfully. "…Everyone goes to a place called school in the morning. I comprehend." And then she, too, left without another glance back.

As he shut his door, Minato sighed and wondered why those last words felt so foreboding.

Returning to class after the brief vacation in Yakushima felt a little odd, but Minato was used to adjusting and readjusting, so he took it in stride. When he saw that exam results were posted up, he checked them and found that his score was relatively high. He felt glad about that, but it was Junpei's enthusiasm for his higher grade that he caught onto, sharing a high-five with the boy in honor of that.

The remainder of their school days before summer vacation were uneventful, though Minato was accosted—reminded by the coach of the kendo club of an upcoming competition. The man had gone to each of the members to remind them to go to school over the break in order to practice, which Minato noted down so as not to forget.

The only other thing that caught his attention was Ken Amada's appearance at the dorm. Tamamo's warning had faded to the back of his mind during the events of the trip to Yakushima, but the boy's presence brought it back to the fore.

Vowing to pay attention to the boy and his mannerisms, Minato acted as calmly as he could, welcoming him to the dorm and even inviting him to talk if he ever felt the need. He earned a few strange looks for it from his friends, but they thankfully did not bring it up.

As school let out and summer break began, Minato was swept up in the grueling special training the coach assigned. Or, well, grueling in the sense that it was harder than their usual workout. Compared to the fighting sessions in Tartarus during the Dark Hour, Minato only really worked up a sweat because of the uniforms they wore. Still, it was a nice way to keep himself active and good practice for his own swordplay. It made him glad that he joined, especially since kendo required a certain level of diligence to perform well. Sometimes, in the heat of battle, Minato drew from his kendo practice in order to keep his head straight while facing off with the Shadows.

It was several days (full of training and little else) later, while Minato was asleep, that he was woken up in the middle of the night by Fuuka's voice in his head.

"I'm so sorry to wake you all, but I detect a Shadow!" Instantly, he surged awake, already leaping out of bed to change into his school uniform before she could finish. "Please hurry to the fourth floor!"

Hurriedly tugging on his shirt and pants, he slipped on the jacket with the SEES armband as he left his room. He ran into Junpei on the way out, the other boy hopping as he tugged on his shoes, and together they ran up the stairs. Yukari exited her room and was quick to join them.

"What's going on!?" Junpei exclaimed as they burst through the command room's doors.

They were met with the sight of Fuuka within Lucia's dome-like body on the far side of the room, likely monitoring the location of the Shadow, while Aigis waited patiently off to the side. Mitsuru, too, was present, and she stood as poised as ever. "There's a Shadow in the city. Yamagishi found it by chance."

Yukari paled. "But… But the moon isn't full yet…!"

Across from them, Minato saw their navigator open her eyes. She shook her head. "Actually, it seems to be just a normal Shadow. However, it is outside of Tartarus…"

"It's near Naganaki Shrine," Mitsuru informed them. "Akihiko went ahead since he was patrolling in the vicinity. I'm sure he can handle it alone, but let's prepare just in case."

The other three juniors nodded, huddling around Fuuka and her Persona as she kept watch on the things only she could sense. Not a minute later, the teal-haired girl's head lifted just as the console beeped.

"This is Fuuka," she announced. "Senpai?"

From the transceiver set up for the rest of them without telepathy, Akihiko's voice filtered through, "I'm here. Sorry, but I think you guys better come over right away."

Mitsuru drew herself up in alarm. "What's wrong? Is it a powerful one?"

"No, the Shadow's been defeated," Akihiko replied. There was a strange level of awe in his voice. "In fact, it was already defeated when I got here."

The admission confused them all. Brows furrowed, Mitsuru asked, "What happened?"

Akihiko's next statement only compounded their confusion. "The little fella's been injured… I wanna save him if we can."

"'Little fella'?" Yukari parroted, perturbed. "Who's he talking about?"

Junpei shrugged. "Beats me."

"At any rate, let's go," Mitsuru said. But she looked similarly befuddled.

Fuuka dismissed Lucia and they headed out. Minato had no doubt that they were all wondering the same thing. Except for probably Aigis. It likely didn't matter to her either way.

When they made it to the steps of the shrine, Minato felt his heart plummet when he saw Akihiko standing over a heartbreakingly familiar shape. Judging by the twin gasps that sounded beside him, Fuuka and Yukari recognized it, too.

"Koro-chan!" Fuuka cried, pulling ahead of them and kneeling beside the injured canine. "Are you okay, Koro-chan!?"

The dog whimpered in reply as the other members of SEES gathered around, but not too closely as to box him in. Mitsuru's eyes swept over his injuries. "You know this dog?"

Yukari nodded, pity shining in her large eyes. "Yeah, everyone around here does…" She glanced around imploringly. "We have to help him!"

Mitsuru nodded as she knelt down. Her hands hovered over Koromaru's body, but she was careful to not touch or prod at him. "First, we'll have to stop the bleeding."

Minato didn't have a clue how to help with veterinary first aid (he barely had passing knowledge on regular first aid), so he stepped back to give them space to work. Junpei backed away with him until they stood with Akihiko, who watched the proceedings with a careful eye.

"He's one tough fighter," the boxer commented, never taking his eyes away from the dog. "He defeated that Shadow all by himself."

Junpei did a double-take. "Wait, you mean he—?" He spluttered. "The dog's a Persona-user!?"

Koromaru barked in reply, drawing their attention to him.

Aigis blinked once and then… apparently translated his speech, "He says, 'This is a place of peace, so I protected it.'" Then, her head turned to the side of the stairs leading up to the shrine.

The others followed her gaze to where a vase of flowers sitting amongst numerous small bouquets sat.

"Those flowers…" Fuuka murmured in an understanding tone. "They must be for the priest who died in the accident…"

"So he really was guarding this place…" Yukari looked down at Koromaru, new light dawning in her eyes.

Junpei had more important things on his mind. "Uh, Aigis?" She looked over. "Don't tell me you can translate dog language, too…"

Her head tilted. "Canines do not have their own language," she informed him. "However, speech is not the only means of communication."

"This fella really is a rare breed," Akihiko commented. It was almost funny how amazed he was.

"Confirmed," Aigis agreed.

Junpei eyed her, gaze shrewd. "He's not the only one…"

From her spot helping Fuuka and Yukari stabilize Koromaru, Mitsuru stood. "All right, let's report to the chairman so we can conclude this mission." She glanced down. "As for a vet… It may be midnight, but I believe I can arrange for one."

Yukari gently patted Koromaru on the head. "Good job, boy. You're one amazing dog…"

And, despite his injuries, Koromaru still had the energy to wag his tail.

The next evening, when Minato returned from club training and a late meal at the station, Mitsuru informed him of Koromaru's status.

"The veterinarian told me that Koromaru is in stable condition," was the report. "The wound was severe, but fortunately there wasn't any damage to his internal organs."

"That's a relief." Fuuka sighed. "I wonder… do you think the priest who passed away saved him?"

Minato didn't believe in ghosts, but it would be hypocritical of him to think that the soul of a dead person couldn't protect the living. "Maybe he did."

The navigator smiled. "The bond between a human and a pet is so beautiful."

On the other side of the lounge, Junpei was shaking his head. "Dude, everything's so messed up. First, a robot can use a Persona, and now a dog can?" He groaned. "What next, a monkey?"

"Maybe a bear," Minato suggested. He chuckled as he dodged a halfhearted punch from Junpei and headed for the stairs. "G'night, everyone."

"Goodnight!" was the returning chorus.

When Minato fell asleep that night, he was gently brought into his mindscape by Tamamo. He briefly opened his eyes to find them on a replicated beach beneath a starry sky—normal-colored, this time. Pharos sat nearby, close to Tamamo's side while Minato lay on his back beside them. They didn't bother him as he gradually fell into slumber, chatting with hushed voices.

"Do your best, Minato," his Other whispered just before he drifted off. "We'll be rooting for you."

The remaining days leading up to the regional tournament passed by in a blur and before Minato knew it, he had been standing in the stadium with the rest of the kendo club, their manager supporting them off to the side. When he looked into the crowd, he had been gratified (and slightly embarrassed) to see Akihiko amongst the spectators. Then again, the boxer did have a highly competitive side to him, as he'd shown in the crazy studying quiz show they'd pulled off just weeks earlier. Attending a large meet like the tournament was probably one of his favorite forms of entertainment.

Still, Minato had to shake away the feeling of eyes being on him to do well and, with some encouragement from the club manager, Yuko Nishiwaki, and a few club members, including one Kazushi Miyamoto, he went all out.

In the end, though they made a good showing, they ultimately lost with the victory of one Mamoru Hayase of an opposing school. Still, Minato felt good about how he'd done, especially considering he'd only taken up kendo when he got to Gekkoukan. Akihiko even took the time to praise his effort on his way to greet some of the upperclassmen in the club.

After showering and changing out of uniform, Minato was eager to return to the dorm and rest a while, forgoing celebrating a job well done with the rest of his club. The next Full Moon Operation was in less than a week and he had been worked down to the bone for the tournament. In order to not be a burden and drag the others down, he wanted to be fully rested when the day finally arrived.

"Hey, Minato, can you refresh me on which arcana is next in the line?" Tamamo asked as he returned to his room, intent on taking a nap or maybe just sleeping the rest of the evening away. "I can't remember what comes next, but I might be able to if I know the names, at least."

Minato riffled through his notebooks until he found the one he'd written his notes on tarot cards in. He flipped through the pages, scanning for the list he'd made shortly after Tamamo informed him of how many of the Full Moon Shadows there were. When he located it, he told her, "The next few are Chariot, Justice, and the Hermit."

He heard her repeat the names in a mumble. "Hermit's a single battle, so it definitely won't show now, but… Chariot and Justice… Did that have anything special to its encounter? Lovers and the Hierophant were straightforward, but they're not all like that."

She rambled on for a few minutes, trying to summon up the rusted-over memories of more than ten years ago. Minato left her to it, bustling away in his room. He managed to change into more comfortable clothes to lounge around in and start reading one of the many books he'd bought from Bookworms when Tamamo's voice stopped abruptly.

Minato lowered his book, about to ask what she remembered when, just like the night they'd first laid eyes on Ikutsuki, he felt her presence go ice-cold. "Tamamo?"

"Oh," she said. And there was a world of meaning in that single syllable. Something very closely resembling panic bubbled beneath the surface. "That is… not good. But of course, they had to show up sometime. They couldn't just stay in the shadows forever, could they? No, that would be too convenient."

"Tamamo."

"When did they first appear, anyway? I don't even remember! But of course I don't, I never remember anything useful, so why not this—"

Tamamo!

She stopped.

Thank you. Now, mind telling me why you're freaking out and rambling?

"The members of SEES aren't the only Persona-users around," she blurted.

He paused. Like Shinjiro—

"No! Nothing like him!" she refuted. "These guys… They're like the antithesis of SEES. While you fight to rid the world of Tartarus, they're quite keen on keeping the world the way it is now."

"What?" the word slipped out before he could stop it. Why would anyone want to keep something like the Dark Hour and the Shadows around?

"Because it, and their ability to call upon their Personas, gives them a power high and feeds their needs to feel superior in a world that they believe is useless," Tamamo said tiredly. "They're called Strega. And we need to think up ways to get rid of them. Immediately."