A/N: It's been almost one week and just like I thought, I haven't gotten nearly as many character submissions yet as last time. I remember getting a complete cast in just three days. And that was out of almost thirty submissions. But it's fine. I know some people are still planning on making ones and just haven't gotten around to it yet. Plus, the characters that I've gotten so far are really good. Keep it up guys. Remember, you can submit more than one character. Anyway, here's chapter two. It's fairly long and introduces some very important main characters, as well as setting up the first Palace. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Persona.
Chapter II: Return to the Metaverse
Saturday, 4/2 20XX, Evening
A girl slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was on a train, in a car with very few passengers. She was sitting down on one of the side seats and had a clear view of the scenery passing by out the other side of the car. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was currently a vivid mix of orange and purple. Several tall buildings that made up the Tokyo skyline were a part of the scenery as well. She could also see her own reflection in the window. She was lean and had long brown hair, pasty skin with freckles, and hazel colored eyes. She was wearing a black and white hoodie with a fuzzy lining over an old red T-shirt with a familiar tophat and mask logo on it, a pair of blue jeans, a pair of black socks, and a pair of white sneakers. She also had a pair of metal stud piercings in her ears. There was also a large black and red duffel bag currently sitting on her lap. She gazed out the window in apprehension. 'I don't recognize anything out here from the directions he gave me. I dozed off too. Crap. I hope I didn't miss my stop,' she thought to herself.
This girl was Seiko Amasaki. The future leader of the new Phantom Thieves. But for now she was simply a girl who was forced to change schools and move to Tokyo due to personal circumstances. She continued to stare out the window as memories flooded her brain. They came in flashes. A tired middle-aged woman. An argument between the woman and Seiko. An ambulance. Seiko standing over a grave. Seiko being involved in a fight. Seiko begrudgingly talking to a man. A scowl appeared on Seiko's face. Then she took a deep breath. 'No other options. It's either him or foster care.' Then the train entered a station and started to slow down before coming to a complete stop. An overhead announcement began to play:
We have arrived at Ogikubo Station. Repeat, Ogikubo Station. Please disembark now.
'Looks like I woke up just in time.' The doors opened and people began to file out into the station. Seiko got up from her seat and did the same.
Saturday, 4/2 20XX, Evening
After she got off the train platform, Seiko walked up into the station lobby and found a map to check her bearings. She pulled out her phone and found the address of her destination and then she looked for it on the map. It wasn't that far away. She could walk there on foot and be there in a few minutes. Then she turned back to her phone and saw that a new app had been installed on it. It had a flashy red eye for an icon. 'When did I install this?' She pulled up the app information. 'Metaverse Navigator?' Then she tried to open the app, but nothing happened. 'What is this? Some kind of fake app hiding a virus? Better delete it just to be on the safe side.' Then she deleted the app and put away her phone. Then she began to walk in the direction of her destination.
"Hey girlie. Got a sec?" a station vendor called out to Seiko.
"Hmm?" Seiko stopped and looked at the vendor.
"I can't help but notice that shirt of yours. Are you a fan of the Phantom Thieves?" the vendor asked.
Seiko was a little suspicious, but she replied nonetheless. "I was back in the day, yeah. Now I just wear this shirt to wear it," Seiko replied.
"I see. You wouldn't by any chance be interested in any of my Phantom Thief wares, would you?" the vendor asked. Seiko looked at the vendor's inventory. He was apparently selling Phantom Thief-themed merchandise. T-shirts, hats, pins, Calling Cards, masks, and even more. Though it all seemed kind of junky to Seiko.
"No thanks. It was kind of a fad. I can't really say I care about them anymore," Seiko replied.
"I see. That's a shame," the vendor replied with a sigh. "Though that reaction is pretty typical nowadays."
"Oh?" Seiko replied.
"Yeah. You know it's been a few years now since they've made an appearance, right? A lot of people say they officially disbanded. With the lack of activity, you can't really say otherwise. I hardly hear anyone even talk about them anymore. It's kind of funny considering how much attention they did receive when they were active."
"But you're still selling this stuff?"
"Once in a blue moon, yeah. I sell normal stuff too. Magazines, souvenirs, stuff like that. But I try to move some of this stuff whenever I can. No real buyers though. I guess it was just a fad, like you said." Then he sighed. "Though pretty soon, I'm going to have to find somewhere else to set up shop."
"How's that?" Seiko asked.
"Haven't you heard? Some big development company has bought out some of the stations from the JR Group and is making a new transit system that's going to make the subways obsolete. If it goes well, there's even talk about them closing the station permanently and opening up a new one personally built by the company. Construction on this new railway has been underway for a little over a year. You can actually kind of see it from where we are." The vendor motioned to the outside of the station and Seiko saw a large transit railway off in the distance. "It's supposedly gonna cut down on commute time to Central Tokyo. They're planning to open it up in about a month."
"Oh really? I'm not from around here, so I didn't know."
"Oh? Did you just move here?"
"..." Seiko silently nodded.
"That explains it. Well for what it's worth, Ogikubo is a great place to live. I've lived here all my life and I can't complain. Even if the station ends up closing, I'll probably still stick around and peddle my wares elsewhere. Maybe I can get a vending license from the new station when they build that."
"Hmm." Seiko looked over the wares one more time and saw the masks again. The mask that caught her attention was a white and black one that was shaped like a bird's beak. She walked over to the vending stand and picked it up off the wire. Then she turned it around in her hands.
"Oh. That one caught your attention, huh?" the vendor asked.
Seiko studied the mask closely. "It's pretty good quality."
"Yeah, those are the good ones. A lot of stores only carried cheap ones when demand was up, but now that demand is low I was able to buy a lot of high quality goods dirt cheap." The vendor smirked. "You're not just planning to buy something now because you heard I might go out of business soon, are you?"
Seiko shook her head. "I'm not that nice. I just thought it looked cool. How much?"
The vendor chuckled. "Whatever you say. Let's see. I usually charge 500 yen for those, but for a nice and pretty young lady like yourself, how about 300 yen?"
Seiko reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet. Then she gave the vendor 300 yen in coins. "Here you are."
"Thank you. Would you like a bag?"
"No thanks. I'm good."
"Well then, have a nice day, and enjoy Ogikubo," the vendor replied as he waved Seiko off.
"..." Seiko silently waved back at the vendor and then made her way out of the station. While she was walking, she unzipped her bag and placed her newly bought mask inside of it.
Saturday, 4/2 20XX, Evening
About ten minutes later, Seiko had arrived at her destination. A small lot with a two-story apartment complex inside of it. She compared the address of the complex with the address that she had saved in her phone. She was at the right place. Seiko saw a two-story house off to the side of the apartment complex. The lights were on in the house. 'The email said to go to the main house first to get the key.' Seiko walked up to the house and rang the doorbell.
"I'll get it!" a slightly muffled voice said from behind the door. A few moments later the door opened and a young girl popped her head out of the house. She couldn't have been more than eight. "Oh, hello."
"H-Hello," Seiko replied in confusion. "Does Ishimaru-san live here?"
"I'm Ishimaru-san," the little girl replied.
"Hidetoshi Ishimaru," Seiko clarified.
"Oh! You mean Daddy. He's not here right now. He's on a business trip."
"A business trip? But he told me that…"
"Who's at the door, Mitsuha?" another voice inside the house asked.
"Some weird girl who wants to see Daddy," the little girl replied.
'Weird?' Seiko thought to herself.
"What?" the other person replied. Then they appeared in the door frame too. It was a girl who appeared to be a bit older than Seiko. She looked like she was in university. She looked at Seiko and then realization struck her. "Oh! Seiko-chan?!"
"Y-Yeah," Seiko replied. She was surprised to see an unfamiliar girl here, much less two. "Umm just to clarify this is Hidetoshi Ishimaru's house, right?" Then she motioned to the apartment complex. "And that's his apartment complex, right?"
The older girl nodded. "Yes, that's right. Though technically our mom owns the complex. Dad has his own job working at a private company."
"I see. And he's on a business trip now?" Seiko asked.
"Yes. He left about two days ago and headed overseas. He won't be back for a few months," the older girl replied.
"What do you want with Daddy anyway? Are you dating him?" Mitsuha asked.
"Mitsuha whatever gave you that idea. She's younger than me," the older girl replied in a displeased tone.
"A man that was Daddy's age got caught cheating with a girl her age on one of Mommy's shows," Mitsuha replied.
"..." Seiko didn't know how to respond to that.
The older girl sighed in exasperation. "She really shouldn't watch those trashy daytime shows when you're around. No, silly. This is our sister, remember? Dad told us all about her a few months ago."
"You're our sister?" Mitsuha asked Seiko.
Seiko sighed. "It looks like it. But this is the first I'm hearing of it." Seiko stared at the two girls in utter confusion. The younger girl, Mitsuha, had short black hair that was tied back into a side ponytail with a purple hairband, fair skin, and hazel eyes. She wore a white shirt, a green skirt, and yellow socks. While the older girl had long strawberry blonde hair, fair skin, a curvy figure, and bright green eyes. She wore a white and blue T-shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans, and a pair of white socks. Both girls looked like they were mixed race. But the younger girl looked slightly more Japanese because of her hair and eyes. While the older girl could easily be mistaken as a foreigner. Possibly American?
"Oh! I see. You must be really confused then. Well come on inside and we can get things sorted out. Mom's been dying to meet you," the older girl replied.
"Wait. If you're our sister then why haven't you been living with us?" Mitsuha asked Seiko.
"..." Seiko went silent again.
"Mitsuha, that's enough. Come inside now," the older girl reprimanded her.
"Okaaay," Mitsuha replied with a whine. Then she left the two girls alone.
"I'm really sorry about her. She's still learning what not to say when talking to someone. Please, come inside. We'd like to get to know you better," said the older girl.
"Okay. Please, excuse me," Seiko replied and then went into the house.
Saturday, 4/2 20XX, Evening
After Seiko went into the house, she was brought to a dining room and then motioned to have a seat. Apparently, she was joining her stepmother and her half-sisters for dinner. A few minutes later, a beautiful woman with similar long strawberry blonde hair and green eyes brought several plates of food into the dining room. She wore a short-sleeved pink shirt, a pair of black pants, and a pair of black socks. Seiko also made note of the gold wedding band on her finger. This woman was obviously foreign. She placed the food down on the table and then Mitsuha and the older girl from before came into the room and put down plates, napkins, utensils, and chopsticks. After the table was set, the three unfamiliar family members sat down at the table with Seiko.
"So you're Seiko-chan, hmm?" Seiko's stepmother asked. "My, my. What a pretty young woman you've become."
"I'm sorry. Do we know each other?" Seiko asked.
The stepmother shook her head. "No, we've never met. Your father showed me some old photos of you after we started dating. Apparently your mother had given them to him. But they were pretty much all baby pictures. With a few of you in primary school. Seeing you here now, all grown up, is certainly quite surprising." She gave her a look of concern. "I can guess from your reaction that he didn't tell you about us when he asked you to come stay here, right? Please forgive him. Hidetoshi-san has always been bad about putting off uncomfortable conversations. He didn't tell us that you were coming here until after you agreed to do so. Then he has the nerve to go on an overseas business trip while we help you get settled in. I swear, sometimes I don't know why I put up with him."
"I-It's fine. I don't blame you. From the sound of it, this is as awkward for you all as it is for me," Seiko replied.
"Still though. Putting even more pressure on you considering what you've already been through? He should know better than to treat his own daughter that way. When he gets home he's going to receive such a tongue-lashing," the stepmother replied. Then she sighed. "Well enough about that. Let's introduce ourselves properly. My name is Rosaline, but my friends call me Rose. You're free to call me that too if you wish. As you can tell I'm not Japanese, but I've lived here for almost my entire life." It showed. Her Japanese was flawless. "And I believe you've already met my daughters. Sayaka and Mitsuha."
"Nice to meet you," the older girl, named Sayaka, replied.
"Hi," Mitsuha replied.
"And I actually have another daughter, Kaori, but she's busy with club activities and won't be back home until later. You'll probably see a lot of her though. She goes to Zenjin Academy too," Rose added.
"So you're going to Zenjin, huh? I went there too. It's a pretty good school. If nothing else it should help you prepare well for your college entrance exams. I was able to get into Kintsugi Tech because of the preparations," Sayaka replied.
"Kintsugi Tech, huh? What do you study?" Seiko asked, making small talk.
"Robotics and mechanical engineering. Not to brag, but I'm pretty smart," Sayaka replied in a boastful manner.
"You should see Nee-san's robots. They're so cool!" Mitsuha exclaimed.
"Aww, shucks. You're making me blush," Sayaka replied. She seemed to love being praised.
Seiko cracked a smile. Then she looked at the food. "This all looks really good."
"Oh! Thank you for reminding us. Let's go ahead and eat before it gets cold. Thank you for the food," Rose replied.
"Thank you for the food," said the other three.
Then Seiko had a nice dinner with the Ishimaru family. While they were eating, they continued to talk about various things until they finished their meal about an hour later.
Saturday, 4/2 20XX, Nighttime
Rose and her daughters bussed the table and carried everything into the kitchen. "Umm, I can help," said Seiko.
"Don't worry about it. For tonight you're our guest. Though I might take you up on that offer as time goes on," Rose replied. A few moments later she came back into the dining room. "The girls are going to get started on washing the dishes. In the meantime, why don't I show you to your room?"
"Sounds good," Seiko replied.
"Okay then. Follow me," Rose replied. Then she led Seiko out of the house and walked her over to the apartment complex.
Saturday, 4/2 20XX, Nighttime
There were two floors of twelve units each in the tiny apartment complex. Seiko's unit was at the very back of the second floor. Unit 212. Rose led Seiko to the door and then produced a key from her person and opened the door. Then she turned on the lights and showed Seiko the inside of the unit. It was a tiny one room unit complete with a bed, living area, a tiny kitchen, and a bathroom. To Seiko's surprise the room was fully furnished with amenities that upon closer inspection were her own. This included pillows, sheets, clothes, sundries, books, games, and a TV. "Your things arrived a few days ago, so I took the liberty of unpacking them for you. I hope you don't mind. I can help you move them around if you don't like where they are," said Rose.
"No, it's fine. In fact everything looks perfect," Seiko replied.
"That's good to hear. Now here's a few things you should know. We don't have that many tenants right now, and the ones that we do have live in rooms that are a good distance away from yours, so you can afford to be a little noisy. Just don't go overboard. We really don't want any complaints," said Rose.
"Got it. That won't be a problem," Seiko replied.
"Good. Another thing. The washer and dryer are downstairs, but you're also free to use the ones in our house if they're ever out of order. Same with the plumbing. If the hot water ever goes out, you're free to come over there. You're also free to cook anything you like here, but there's a standing invitation for meals at our house as well."
"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll be okay on my own for the most part. I know how to cook and clean up after myself," Seiko replied.
"Alright then. One last thing. Your father asked me to implement a curfew for you just to make sure you're safe and sound. You're expected to be back here before dark. So let's say 19:00. And you can't leave the area after that without a good reason."
"That seems fair. I don't really stay out late anymore anyway."
"Okay. Then I think everything's settled. Here's your room key," said Rose as she handed Seiko the key to her apartment. Then she sighed. "I wish we had room in our house for you, but all of our rooms are in use and asking the girls to share will be a chore in itself."
"It's fine, really," Seiko replied, shaking her head. She frowned. "My mom and I lived in a place just like this. I'd probably feel out of place anywhere else."
Rose gave Seiko a concerned look. "I…I see. Seiko-chan, I'm really sorry that you and your mother were left all alone. And I'm sorry that you lost her."
Seiko sighed. "It is what it is. I don't blame you or your daughters for what happened. For the longest time I actually blamed 'him', but I'm starting to believe it's not his fault either. I'm still not ready to forgive him, but I don't want to waste my time hating him either. Thank you for taking me in, Rose-san." She gave Rose a sincere smile.
Rose leaned in and hugged Seiko. "You're family. That's what family is for." Then she let Seiko go. "I should probably get back to the girls. Do you need anything else?"
Seiko shook her head. "No, I think I'm fine."
"Alright. Call the house number if you need me. I'll come pick you up in the morning for breakfast, and then we'll head to Zenjin to fill out your transfer forms. Good night," Rose replied.
"Good night," Seiko replied. Then Rose left and closed the door behind herself. Seiko took in her new surroundings once more. "So this is my new home, huh? It could be worse." She sighed. "I can't believe that bastard didn't tell me he had another family, and he forced me on them like I'm some kind of burden. He really hasn't changed."
Saturday, 4/2 20XX, Nighttime
About an hour later, Seiko unpacked, showered, brushed her teeth, and changed into some comfier clothes. A simple black T-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants. She decided to turn on the TV and channel surf while she dried her hair and got ready for bed. "Looks like I have cable and access to some streaming apps," Seiko remarked as she mindlessly flipped through channels. Then she stopped when she came upon a local news channel. She put down the remote and resumed drying her hair as the broadcast played in the background.
"If you're just joining us now, we are continuing our coverage of a tragedy that struck Ogikubo yesterday afternoon. At approximately 14:04, a fire broke out at a building owned by local born developer, real estate magnate, and now budding railroad magnate, Yasuhiro Shinohara. The ensuing blaze soon engulfed the building and spread to a nearby residential building before firefighters could put it out. As of this moment, thirty people have reportedly died as a result of the fire, with an estimated twenty more in critical condition. This includes employees of Shinohara Development as well as families living in the residential building. When asked for a comment, Shinohara-san had this to say."
A large middle-aged man appeared on screen. He had short gray hair and cold gray eyes. He wore a neat and expensive-looking gray suit and a pair of black shoes. "My heart goes out to the victims of this horrible tragedy as well as their families. I have heard from the investigators of this case that the cause of the fire was a short-circuiting outlet that one of my employees was unlucky enough to plug something into. Though this may be just a tragic accident, I want to assure you all that I will personally see to it that all of my remaining buildings are thoroughly inspected to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. I would also like to state that this tragedy will have no delay on the construction of Ogikubo's new Shinohara Skyrailway. Please rest assured that our grand opening will still proceed as planned one month from today on May 2nd. Our Skyrailway will reduce commute time to Central Tokyo from half an hour to a matter of minutes." He boisterously laughed. "Why I dare say that once it is operational, hardly anyone will bother using the station anymore. The future of train transportation is upon us. Prepare yourselves everyone."
The reporter reappeared on screen. "As of this moment, the police and arson investigators are still investigating the cause of the fire, but preliminary investigations have determined, as Shinohara-san has said, that faulty wiring is at fault. In other news…"
Seiko turned the channel. "I didn't hear anything about a fire happening yesterday. Is the local news the only one who picked up the story?" she asked herself. "Either way it was clear where that asshole's priorities were. One minute of apologies and then plugging his project without even a moment of silence." She sighed. "I really can't stand people like that. So phony." She continued to flip through the channels until she found a late broadcast of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R. "Perfect. I need a palate cleanser." Seiko watched the program in its entirety, but the thought of the fire was still in the back of her mind.
Saturday, 4/2 20XX, Nighttime
After another hour of watching TV, Seiko turned it off and then got ready for bed. She laid down in her bed and fumbled around with the mask she had purchased earlier. She thought about her conversation with the nice vendor who sold her it. 'That development company he was talking about. Could it have been that same one that was on the news. Shinohara Development?' Seiko sighed and then put the mask down on her nightstand. Then she set her phone alarm to go off at 6:30, but while she was doing so, she noticed that the mysterious app from earlier had reappeared on her phone. 'What the hell? Is my phone being hacked?' she asked herself. She still couldn't open the app to see what it was. 'Just stay deleted this time.' Then she deleted the app again. Then she put her phone down on her nightstand, and then she turned off her bedside lamp. Then she pulled up her sheets and comforter and closed her eyes. 'My first night in my new home. So far it's not so bad,' she thought to herself. Then she fell into a deep sleep and dreamt of one of the biggest regrets of her life.
Friday, 2/4 20XX, Nighttime - Two Months Ago
Seiko Amasaki and her mother struggled to live all of their lives. Seiko's mother, Sena, got pregnant with Seiko right out of high school. She never got the chance to go to university, but she was content with just sharing a life with her daughter and the man she loved, Hidetoshi. Unfortunately, Hidetoshi did not feel the same way as Sena. He had plans for his future and he felt like he shouldn't have to cancel those plans because of one simple "mistake". He even pressured Sena to get an abortion when he found out he was going to be a father. Sena was so distraught that Hidetoshi would ask her to do such a thing. She refused of course, but that only made things worse. Hidetoshi cut off all contact and abandoned Sena and her unborn daughter. Sena's parents had long since passed, and she had no other relatives to speak of. She was left to give birth and raise Seiko all on her own. Right after giving birth, Sena went straight into the workforce, working two low-paying jobs just to make ends meet. But no matter what happened, Sena always looked out for Seiko. She did her best to be a good mother and provide for her.
When Seiko was younger, she didn't understand why she didn't have a father, why she and her mother lived in such a tiny apartment, and why other kids would make fun of her. At first she resented her mother for not giving her a better life, and Sena accepted that resentment with open arms, knowing that Seiko just didn't know any better. But soon Seiko came to understand that her mother was doing her best, and pushing herself to the limit to provide for her. Seiko grew to respect her mother and think of her as a hero. She helped her out whenever and wherever she could, but it never seemed to be enough. The only work that Sena could find was with horrible employers that would take advantage of her and overwork her on a daily basis. Seiko tried to help her mother find better work, but Sena would chastise her and say that she was the parent and the only person Seiko needed to worry about was herself.
Unfortunately, things just seemed to get worse and worse for Seiko. She was constantly picked on and bullied at school because of her family's financial issues, until one day she snapped and mercilessly beat up one of her bullies. She ended up getting expelled and was forced to transfer schools. But due to some mean-spirited teachers and parents, she was stigmatized everywhere she went. This resulted in her transferring schools multiple times until she finally entered high school where she was forced to enroll at a school for troubled youths because no other school would accept her. Due to the emotional stress of being blacklisted everywhere she went, Seiko started to accept her title as a problem child and began acting out for real. She got into fights with both students and teachers, ditched class, stayed out late, and got into all sorts of trouble.
Eventually, Seiko's actions resulted in Sena being chastised as well. The adults around Seiko accused her mother of being unfit and took every chance they could get to tear her down. Then one day Sena tried to talk to Seiko. It was late at night, and yet Seiko was preparing to leave the house. She was dressed a lot more provocatively compared to how she dresses now.
Her mother was washing the dishes when she saw that Seiko was about to leave. "Where are you going?" Sena asked. She actually looked a lot like Seiko. Except she had shorter hair, was taller, and her skin was very withered.
"Out. I'm meeting some friends," Seiko replied.
"It's really late," Sena replied.
"So what? It's the weekend. You're supposed to stay out late on the weekends."
"But it's almost 22:00."
"So? It's not my fault that you didn't get back until late. I told you that I could just go out to eat, but you insisted on eating together as a family. So now that dinner's over, I'm going out like I planned."
"Dressed like that?"
"What's wrong with the way I dress?"
"It looks like you're asking for trouble."
"So what if I am? Everyone already thinks I'm troubled anyway. What's the harm in just doing what they expect?"
"Because you're not troubled. No matter what other people say, you are not this. You're a kind girl who cares about others so deeply that you're willing to cause trouble if it means helping them. I know what all the fighting was about."
Seiko sighed, but didn't say anything else "..."
"It's not that hard to imagine given the circumstances. You never complain, but I can still tell. You don't have to be ashamed, sweetheart."
"Ashamed?! I'm not ashamed! The first time I fought anyone was because I was defending us! That asshole in middle school made fun of us because we're poor. He said so many horrible things. Then I snapped and beat him up. He deserved it."
"And what about everything else since then?"
"What does it matter? No matter what school I go to, it always ends the same. They don't want me there. No one wants me. They always just look for an excuse to get rid of me. Hell, the school I'm at now is filled with problem students and they still single me out. I'm just sick of it. I don't care anymore. If people want to think that I'm a delinquent, let them. I'm tired of trying to prove them wrong."
"But this isn't who you are. I know how hard it is. Believe me I do. But you can't let people tell you who you are. You need to show them the real you. Even when they don't want to see it or don't care. You can't give up. I promise you, you won't always feel alone. You'll find friends one day. Real friends who will love you and accept you for who you really are."
"When?! When, huh?! When?! You act like things are going to get better, but they won't! They never will! There is no happily ever after for me! And there's not one for you! This is our life! Abused, abandoned, and mistreated! That's all we can expect from this shitty world! You say that this isn't who I really am, well news flash, it sure as hell is! I hate everything! I hate those pretentious assholes who look down on me! I hate school! I hate that shitty excuse for a father I have! I hate my life! And I hate you!"
Sena was on the verge of tears. "S-Seiko, you don't mean that."
"Yes, I do! You get mistreated all the time but you never stand up for yourself! It's no wonder you were left all alone! How do you expect me to behave when I have a shitty excuse for a role model like you?! Just leave me the hell alone!" Seiko shouted. Then she stormed out of the apartment and slammed the door behind herself.
"..." Sena looked down at the floor in shock. Her chest started to feel really tight, almost like there was a vice grip on her heart. Then she collapsed. A few minutes later, a neighbor came by to check on the noise and found her. They called the paramedics to come and get her, but by that time it was too late. Sena Amasaki had died from a heart attack brought about by stress and exhaustion.
Seiko returned to the apartment a few hours later, regretting the things she had said and wanting to apologize to her mother. That was when she saw the police cars and EMTs left at the scene. When she found out what had happened, she collapsed as well and cried her eyes out. That was the night that Seiko would forever regret. That was the night that she killed her mother.
Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Early Morning
Seiko woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. When she got ahold of herself, she looked down at her sheets and frowned. 'That nightmare again. It's the same every time. I say all those horrible things to her and then she's dead as soon as I get back home.' Seiko started to tear up. She pulled her legs close to her chest and covered her face. 'Mom, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.' She cried for a few minutes, before getting ahold of herself. Then her phone alarm went off, and she turned it off to silence it. 'It's time to get ready to go. I have to make this last chance count. I can't get kicked out of this school, no matter what.'
Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Early Morning
Meanwhile at Ogikubo Station, or at least some version of Ogikubo Station, armed guards began to gather around the entrance. They appeared to be looking for someone. "Do you think the intruder went this way?" one of the guards asked.
"I'm not sure. They were so fast I could barely catch a glimpse of them. If we don't find them soon though, who knows what kind of trouble they can cause?"
"Everyone split up. Fan out in all directions. Find the intruder and catch them. We can't allow anything to interfere with the boss' plans."
The guards began to disperse in all directions, searching for the intruder, unaware that they were up above, watching them the whole time. A small, odd-looking, silhouetted figure stood on top of the rooftop of the train station. "There's a lot more guards than usual here as well. This is the fourth Palace I've checked that has increased security. What's going on here?" The figure was clearly not human, but it appeared to be female judging by the voice. The figure sighed. "One thing's for sure though. I'm not going to be able to explore anymore without some help. I need to find a protégé fast. Something tells me that I'm running out of time."
Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Early Morning
At around 7:15, Rose came to pick up Seiko and then brought her back to the main house for breakfast. Seiko was grateful for the meal and got to know the Ishimaru family a little more. She also met Kaori, her other half-sister. Although there was some noticeable tension and she barely said a word to Seiko throughout the entire meal. Then around 8:00, Rose and Seiko got into Rose's car and made their way to Zenjin Academy.
"You really didn't have to drive me there. I have my subway pass, I could've just taken the train to Zenjin," said Seiko.
"It's no problem. I had to come along anyway to sign some forms as your legal guardian," Rose replied. "Besides, I know full well how confusing Tokyo's subway system can be. When I first moved here, it took me a month to even remember how to get to Shibuya from Ogikubo. I can't tell you how many times I got lost."
"Zenjin Academy is in Aoyama-Itchome, right?"
"Yes, that's right. There are a lot of preparatory schools there. It takes about twenty minutes to get there by train. Kaori doesn't have morning practice tomorrow for her club, so she agreed to show you which route you take."
Seiko sighed. "You guys really don't have to go through so much trouble for me."
"Please, stop saying things like that. You're family. This is the least we can do," Rose replied.
"..." Seiko silently smiled. Then they drove off to Zenjin. Seiko and Rose made small talk until they reached a four way stop. That's when Seiko saw the smoldering ruins and debris of two buildings. "Oh, are those the buildings that caught on fire?" Seiko asked Rose.
Rose frowned. "You know about that?"
"They were talking about it on the local news last night. I hadn't heard about it all before then. You would think that something like that would be national news."
Rose sighed. "You're right it should be. But it probably won't even be mentioned in a few days."
"..." Seiko was confused. "What do you mean?"
"It's nothing. Let's just talk about something else."
"..." Seiko was still confused, but she decided not to pry. Though Rose wanted to talk about another topic, the rest of the car ride was filled with silence.
Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Early Morning
A little over half an hour later, the pair had arrived at Zenjin Academy. They parked the car and were then let into the school and led to the principal's office. The principal of Zenjin Academy was a strict-looking middle-aged woman with short dark black hair with a mix of gray, brown eyes, and a lithe figure. She wore a purple blouse, a pair of black pants, a pair of purple glasses, and red lipstick. Seiko and Rose sat down in two chairs on the opposite side of her desk.
"My name is Mirei Mikoshiba. I am the principal of Zenjin Academy." She looked at Seiko. "You're Seiko Amasaki, I take it?"
Seiko nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Then she turned to Rose. "And you are her guardian?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'm Rosaline Ishimaru, Seiko-chan's stepmother," Rose replied.
"I see. Well before we proceed, let's make a few things clear, Amasaki-san," said Mikoshiba. She looked Seiko in the eyes. "If you transferred here thinking that your previous antics will be tolerated in a new city, think again. I am already well aware of your past misdeeds." She opened a file that was in front of her. "Fighting, tardiness, disruptive behavior. You were even arrested for assaulting one of your classmates?"
"Those charges were dropped!" Seiko exclaimed. Rose held her hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down.
"I see that as well. Apparently the parents of the victim withdrew their complaint. But the incident is still on your record."
"..." Seiko didn't have any response.
"Amasaki-san. I'm going to tell you something that none of the other schools that you enrolled at bothered to tell you. The past is the past."
"Huh?" Seiko replied in confusion.
Mikoshiba closed the file. "From what I've learned in studying your application and transcripts, not one of the schools you attended bothered to actually talk to you about your behavior. From the looks of it, they all just wanted to pass the responsibility of looking after you onto someone else. But that all stops here. If you can promise me that from now on you will be a model student, I can promise to overlook your previous indiscretions. I am the only one at this school who knows about your past, so as far as anyone else knows you are just another transfer student. Do we have an agreement?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am. I promise. I just want to have a normal school life. I won't pick any fights and I won't get into any trouble," Seiko replied.
Mikoshiba slightly smiled. "Very well then." Then she passed Seiko and Rose some forms. "If you'll just fill out these, we can go ahead and get you transferred in before classes start tomorrow." Seiko and Rose did as requested, and quickly filled out the forms. Then they passed them back to Mikoshiba. "This all seems to be in order. Welcome to Zenjin Academy. This is your last chance, Amasaki-san. You won't be given another."
"I understand. Thank you," Seiko replied. Then she got up from her seat and shook the principal's hand.
Rose did the same. "Thank you so much, Principal Mikoshiba."
"Student exclusion is a real problem in Japan's current school system. Students are blacklisted for various things not only by their peers, but by their teachers as well. It's in itself a kind of bullying that society itself does to students. In that kind of environment, who on Earth could possibly achieve anything? I will not have it in my school. Everyone deserves a happy school life. That's my philosophy at least. I hope you enjoy Zenjin Academy, Amasaki-san."
"I think I will, ma'am," Seiko replied. This had been the first time in a long time that a school was willing to accept her. She didn't think a thing like this to be at all possible given her past, and yet here was a school that was willing to really give her another chance. It almost felt too good to be true.
"Tomorrow is orientation, which means that you'll be able to go home early after the opening ceremony and Homeroom, if you so choose. Club recruitment also starts tomorrow. So if you're interested in joining any extracurriculars, I would suggest sticking around for them. Remember to wear your uniform tomorrow as well, even if it's only orientation," Mikoshiba replied.
"Will do," Seiko replied.
Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Morning
On the drive back to the apartment complex, Seiko and Rose continued their chat. "I'm glad that Principal Mikoshiba understood your situation and was willing to give you a chance. She was always so nice to Sayaka when she went there, and Kaori likes her too."
"I've never met a principal like her before. I guess not all of them are piggish assholes who only care about image," Seiko replied.
"Language, please. But I understand. From what your father told me, you've really had it rough with school."
"That's an understatement," Seiko replied. Then she smiled. "But for the first time in a long time, I'm excited to go to school tomorrow."
Rose smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. You should come over for dinner again so we can celebrate. Until then, you have the rest of the day off. Any idea what you're going to do?"
"Well thanks to you, all my stuff is unpacked. Is it okay if I explore a little bit until dinner?"
"That's fine. Just don't leave Ogikubo for today, okay? I wouldn't want you getting lost on just your second day," Rose replied.
"Got it," Seiko replied.
Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Daytime
After returning to her room, Seiko changed back into her everyday clothes and then headed out to explore Ogikubo. For a few hours she wandered around aimlessly, seeing everything that Ogikubo had to offer. She perused a second-hand book store, had lunch at a small ramen shop, visited a small park, and much more. Then before she knew it was almost 15:00.
'There really is a lot to do here. And it doesn't seem as crowded as Shibuya or Shinjuku either. Though compared to my old home, it's still kind of overwhelming. But if I'm going to be spending the next few years of my life here, I better get used to it. Tomorrow I'll take the train to Aoyama-Itchome for school, but there's still a lot to see besides there and Ogikubo. Hopefully, Rose will let me explore more of the city soon,' Seiko thought to herself as she walked down one of Ogikubo's side streets.
Then she stumbled upon a familiar location, the site of Friday's monstrous fire. The police and fire department appeared to be finished with everything for the most part. There weren't any news vans around either, or any onlookers. The area was cordoned off with crime scene tape and there was just one police officer standing guard. 'Looks like everyone who wasn't directly involved has pretty much moved on. It's just been two days. That's it?'
"Did you know anyone who was caught in the fire?" someone called out to Seiko.
"...!" Seiko was caught by surprise and turned to see that the person who addressed her was a boy around her age. He had slightly long black hair that ended at his neck and a pair of sad-looking chocolate brown eyes. He was wearing a black T-shirt under an unbuttoned light blue and brown checkered shirt jacket, a pair of dark blue trousers, and a pair of light blue shoes. He had some light scrapes and bruises on his face, and his hands were covered in bandages. "Umm, no I didn't know anyone. I actually just moved here yesterday," Seiko replied hesitantly.
"Oh, really? Well welcome to the neighborhood, I guess," the boy replied in a sad tone.
Seiko looked back at the charred debris that the fire had left behind. "I heard about it last night on the news though. A lot of people died. It sounded horrible."
The boy sighed. "You have no idea. It was truly frightening. I've never been so scared in my life."
Then Seiko put two and two together. "You were there?!"
The boy nodded. "Yeah, I was. My hands got burned pretty badly, but I ended up being one of the lucky ones. I knew a lot of the people that didn't make it. They were neighbors, friends, and…" He trailed off.
"I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine losing someone…well at least not losing someone like that," Seiko replied.
The boy cracked a small smile. "Thank you. It's nice to know that there are people out there who care." He looked back at the charred debris. "I don't really even know why I came out here. I guess I'm still just trying to make sense of it all. I should probably get back. I'm actually supposed to still be in the hospital for treatment." Then he started to walk off.
"Wait," said Seiko.
"..." The boy looked back.
"My name's Seiko Amasaki. When you get officially released from the hospital, we can talk some more. If you're up for it."
The boy smiled again. "I'd like that. I'm Kodaka Kouenji. See you around, Amasaki-san," he replied.
Then Kodaka walked away, leaving Seiko alone with her thoughts. 'Poor guy. I hope he gets better.' Then she turned back to the site of the fire. She frowned. "Horrible." Seiko looked up and saw the new transit railway up above the buildings. "Come to think of it, wasn't the building that started the fire owned by the same guy building that? What was his name again?" Seiko thought about it for a second. "Yasuhiro Shinohara, right?"
"Candidate found," said an electronic voice.
"Huh?!" Seiko looked around to see who had just spoken, but found that no one was there. She felt a low vibration come from her hoodie pocket and reached inside to pull out her phone. Then she saw that the mysterious app had reinstalled itself once again. "This again?!" But this time it was different. The app was open and a map of Tokyo was on the screen. There were three blanks at the top of the screen. One of them was filled with the name: Yasuhiro Shinohara. "What the heck is this thing?"
Then something else caught her eye. 'Wait. Huh?' A fluffy, white creature had appeared next to the charred debris. 'I-Is that a rabbit?' Seiko asked herself. The creature in question was indeed a rabbit. It had long, floppy ears, whiskers, and a puffball tail. But that wasn't the strangest thing. What was really strange was that the rabbit appeared to be staring at Seiko. Its eyes were glued to her. 'Is that rabbit staring at me?'
"..." The rabbit silently hopped over to Seiko. Then when it was closer to her, it continued to stare at her almost as if it was studying her.
'Did someone lose it, or did it escape from a pet store?' Seiko asked herself. She leaned down and got face to face with the rabbit. Upon closer inspection, the rabbit had odd green eyes, and a unique clover-shaped patch of black fur on its back. "Umm, hello. Where did you come from?"
"..." The rabbit cocked its head to the side.
"Do you have an owner?"
"..." The rabbit cocked its head to the other side.
Seiko sighed. "Right. You can't understand me. What am I supposed to do with you then? Do animal shelters take rabbits? Even if they do, those places can be pretty horrible. I guess I can take you to a pet store, but what if you have an owner? Then they might not find you. I don't even know where a pet store is around here. Hmm." Then Seiko tried to make a call. "Maybe Rose-san will know what to do." Then the rabbit snatched her phone and hopped away. "...!" It took Seiko a few moments to register what happened. "Huh? What?" Her eyes followed the rabbit. It hopped down to the end of the side street and then turned back to look at her. It was holding Seiko's phone with its right ear and appeared to be "waving" at her? "D-Did that really just happen?!" Seiko was completely shocked. A normal reaction to have, considering a white rabbit just snatched her phone and now appeared to be taunting her. Then the rabbit hopped down another side street, with Seiko's phone in tow. "I didn't know rabbits could do that. …! Hey! Wait! Give me back my phone!" Then Seiko chased after the rabbit to try and get her phone back.
Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Daytime
Seiko chased the rabbit for what seemed like an eternity. The mysterious creature seemed to have an unlimited supply of energy as it was having Seiko chase it all around Ogikubo. It even tended to hide occasionally until Seiko found it. But what was really weird was that it kept waiting for Seiko to catch up to it before it moved onto another area. Finally, the rabbit reached Ogikubo Station and stopped hopping away. Seiko caught up to the rabbit and was gasping for breath. "No…more…games. Give me…back…my phone," she wheezed out.
"..." The rabbit didn't respond, but it seemed to have this mischievous look on its face. Then it appeared to start laughing at Seiko.
"A-Are you laughing at me?!" Seiko exclaimed. Unfortunately for Seiko, no one else was around, so they couldn't confirm or deny whether she was just hallucinating or not. "You're not an ordinary rabbit, are you?" Then she sighed. "Whatever. Just give me back my phone." Seiko reached out to retrieve the phone, but to her surprise, the rabbit placed it right in her hand. "...! Y-You really aren't an ordinary rabbit. Can you actually understand me?"
"..." The rabbit silently nodded.
"Okay then. I really am hallucinating. Great. It must have been something in that ramen I had for lunch. That's the last time I'm eating there."
"..." The rabbit hopped up in front of Seiko and touched her shirt, before landing back down on the ground. Then the rabbit started to point at Seiko.
"Huh? What is it?"
"..." The rabbit kept pointing at the shirt.
Seiko looked down and saw that she was wearing her Phantom Thieves T-shirt. "My shirt? What about my shirt?"
"..." The rabbit started to mime a few motions. First it appeared to rip something off of its face. Then it hopped up into the air and landed down on the ground in a flashy way. Then it acted like it was firing a gun. Finally, it pointed back at Seiko with an excited look.
Seiko thought about it for a few moments and then she gave up. "...? I have no idea what you're trying to say. I suck at charades," she replied.
"..." The rabbit seemed dissapointed. It frowned and its ears fell to the ground. Then it perked up again and started pointing at Seiko's phone.
"My phone again?" Seiko sighed. "No thank you. I don't feel like chasing you around again." Then she shook her head. "This is ridiculous. I'm talking to a rabbit and it's trying to talk back. What the hell was in that ramen?"
"..." The rabbit huffed and then pointed at the phone again before pointing at Ogikubo Station.
"The station? What about the station?"
"Location found."
"Huh?" Seiko looked at her phone and saw that the mysterious app was still open. The app had apparently confirmed that another blank had been filled. "...! I get it. You want me to fill in these blanks, right?"
"..." The rabbit nodded vigorously.
"It looks like it automatically fills in a blank when I say something. The first blank was filled with 'Yasuhiro Shinohara'. Then the second blank was filled with 'Ogikubo Station'. Okay. There's one left. Any ideas on what should go in it?"
"..." The rabbit hopped closer to the train station and then pointed at a poster that was hung up on the wall.
"What's this?" Seiko walked over to the poster and read over its contents. "'Shinohara Skyrailway coming soon. Stephenson used their Iron Horse to tame the Wild West, and Shinohara shall use ours to step into the future.'"
"Distortion found. Input accepted. Beginning navigation." The last blank was filled with the words: Iron Horse. Then the app's eye icon began to flash and red and black swirls filled the air.
"What the…?! What's happening?!" Seiko exclaimed. Then the world around Seiko and the rabbit began to fade.
Sunday, 4/3 20XX, Daytime
Seiko opened her eyes a few moments later and saw that she was still in front of the train station. Or at least, a place resembling the train station. Ogikubo Station appeared to be almost abandoned. The entrance was boarded up, graffiti littered the walls, and trash was scattered around everywhere. "This can't be the train station, can it?" Seiko looked up and saw that the sky was now a greenish-gray. There was no one around, but she could hear faint chatter. She turned around and saw that in the distance, a mob of people were surrounding a nicer-looking train station. The platform and the railways were high in the sky. "Is that the Skyrailway that Shinohara was developing? It's finished. Am I in the future?"
"Hurry up, darling. We're going to miss the train."
"Now, now, my dear. Patience is a virtue. We're honored guests. The train won't depart without us."
Seiko's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of more people walking towards the train station. "...!" Then Seiko saw what they were wearing. It would be fair to say that Seiko was not in the future, because what everyone else was wearing was definitely from the past. There were large dresses, suits, and hats of varying types and sizes. It was like something out of America's Old West. "What the hell?!" Then Seiko saw the train as it appeared in the station. It was a big, bulky-looking, steam locomotive. "Where am I?! What is this place?!"
"It's a lot to take in, I know. This Palace is very odd, but try to stay calm and listen." Seiko turned around and saw that someone was talking to her. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that the person that was talking to her was the rabbit who was messing with her just minutes ago. Only it looked very different. It was now standing on two legs and its physique and proportions had become almost those of a small human child, although it had a very large head. It still had its green eyes, long ears, and puffball tail, but now it was also wearing clothes. A purple and black magician's suit, a sparkly purple cape, a purple tophat with two holes that her ears were sticking out of, and a sparkly black, oval-shaped mask. "This is much better. I can finally talk to you now. You're a Phantom Thief, right? You have that shirt and that app that the Phantom Thieves use after all." Judging from its voice, the weird rabbit-thing was female.
"...!" Seiko was left speechless.
The weird rabbit-thing walked in front of her and motioned to the train station and the steam locomotive in the distance. "As you can see, the distortion has something to do with that new Skyrailway that's opening soon. I believe the Treasure is inside the train, but I haven't even been able to get inside of it on my own. I've been thinking for a while that I need a protégé, and low and behold I find you as I'm doing my rounds outside of the Palace, gathering information. I think you can understand what I'm getting at, correct? Starting from today onwards, you're my protégé. I don't know what you've been up to so far, but I can guarantee that you're much better off with me as your teacher. Rest assured, with my tutelage, I will turn you into the greatest Phantom Thief the world has ever seen." Then the weird rabbit-thing turned to face Seiko. "So what do you say we go and rob a train?" she asked with a smirk.
"..." Seiko's mind shut down, and she collapsed to her knees. "Seriously, what the hell was in that ramen?" she muttered to herself.
A/N: And that's all for now. I hope you guys enjoyed reading that. Next time, Seiko's awakening and the introduction of our cute, little rabbit friend.