Chapter 18

Throw Away Your Mask

The fireworks concluded in a mighty, explosive finale that lit up the sky, drowning out the music accompanying it in its thunderous glory. While all onlookers clapped and cheered, Ryuji and Haru continued to hold onto each other as they watched it quietly. Normally, Ryuji would be acting just as explosively exuberant as the fireworks, losing himself in the beautiful chaos of color, but he found himself unable to let go of the woman he had just kissed, as if doing so would wake him up from the pleasant dream he still suspected he might be having. They hugged each other as they watched, though both their minds raced, clumsily trying to encapsulate and internalize what had happened between them.

To Haru's abject surprise, she felt… calm. Not unlike when she would prepare a positively perfect pot of herbal tea, she breathed deeply and slowly, feeling entirely present in the moment and the world around her – a rare luxury for her to enjoy indeed. Her mind occasionally wandered to her fiancé, and her heart still faintly shuddered at the idea of what she was actually doing and how Daigo and her father might interpret it.

She was never one to invoke her father's ire, always trying to be the "good girl", the "respectful and respectable daughter", and it was not lost on her that sharing a dance, a kiss, and further hugging with this yakuza was undoubtedly the most rebellious thing she had ever done. And to her surprise and minor shame, that thought excited her in a crude, selfish way. His toned, muscular stature and firm hold of her elicited similar crude, selfish excitement within her, though that was far easier for her to accept.

Yu glanced over at them from across the group and asked Rise, "Did… you set up that song to be played?"

Rise put on a wide, toothy smile. "Maaaybe," she crooned. "Let's just say there are perks to being a former pop idol."

"How did they set it up so quickly?"

"Like I said: I've still got some perks."

Yu nodded understandingly, though his actual understanding of the situation was lacking. "You scare me sometimes, honey," he said with a slight smile.

Rise leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I know," she said proudly. "But you get to enjoy lots of those perks too. Like preferred seating at almost any restaurant."

"You got me there."

Soon enough, the fireworks ended, and everyone found themselves in a mighty rush to leave to avoid any amount of the exiting flood of people they could. Some stayed around to further enjoy the festivities, but most stands were beginning to close so it seemed advantageous to just leave as soon as possible. They all clamored into their cars and waded into the dense traffic, with Makoto seeming particularly annoyed in the van's driver seat, tapping her thumb impatiently on the steering wheel with a stiffened lip, scowling at the slow drivers in front of her.

Haru and Ryuji found themselves sitting together in the back of the van holding hands. Strange to both of them, neither being used to casual, consistent shows of affection. Both wondered what exactly they should consider each other now, both also assuming that the other had no such doubts plaguing their thoughts.

Interrupting the slow, relaxing pop rock that played over the radio, Ryuji took it on himself to ask, "Hey, you feeling… okay?"

Haru nodded, still looking out the window at the passing forest, lantern lights illuminating them from behind the tree line. "I… feel good," she said, having difficulty thinking of any more sophisticated description. "The alcohol is making me sleepy, but I feel good."

"About… us? And what happened?"

She looked to him, suddenly growing more nervous at his questions. He was within his right to think it might have been a mistake of passion, but the thought that he might be getting at that cut through her heart in a way she had never really experienced regarding a man. "I do," she nodded, trying to remain calm. "I feel good about it. I have my… apprehensions," she looked away, thinking of her fiancé and what might happen if he found out, "but I care about you, trust you. If… you feel the same for me." Haru dreaded the response that may follow such a statement.

Instead, Ryuji smiled softly and squeezed her hand. "I think I feel the same way."

"You think?"

Ryuji suddenly seemed unsure, frustrated. "I think so, yeah. At least, that's what I think I'm feeling. I've never been in a situation like this. A… relationship like this. I thought that just wasn't for me, especially when I became a yakuza, but now…" Haru waited on bated breath for him to continue, the silence picking at her mind torturously. "I feel way happier than I ever did before in any kind of relationship," he said slowly. "I don't know what that really means for me, but… I think I want to."

Haru forced herself not to cry with relief, instead squeezing his hand back. "It's like you're in my own mind."

"What?"

"I feel the exact same way. Sure, I'm engaged, as ridiculous as that sounds in this context," she laughed weakly, "but I've never had a genuine connection with him, or any man in a romantic sense. To be honest, I once even wondered if I didn't like men," she chuckled more genuinely.

Ryuji felt hopelessly ill equipped to broach such a topic with her, and thus remained quiet.

"But I think I was just engaged to a psycho, and that really was my first and only experience with men in an intimate sense in my life."

"That would probably turn off any girl," Ryuji surmised.

"Fear and loathing kill your love and lust faster than anything," she explained frankly, leaning back into the seat. The mere discussion seemed to quickly exhaust her further. She stared blankly at the seat in front of her through tired, partially lidded eyes, but Ryuji could tell she was entirely lost in thought. "He also took every opportunity to remind me that he thinks I'm a fat pig, but you already knew that."

"And I still don't have a damn clue why he thinks that."

"He doesn't want a wife, or a partner. Daigo wants a skinny little doll – a toy – that he can manhandle and boss around and use like a plaything until he gets bored and seeks out another woman. And I know plenty well that he had seen other women at least twice behind my back."

"Jesus," Ryuji remarked.

She continued to speak quietly, exhaustedly, "But I'm a lot more than that little doll he wants, inside and out. And he completely hated it."

"Because he couldn't control you?"

She shook her head. "Not on his life."

Ryuji nodded with a soft smile. "You're kind of scary sometimes, you know that?" Haru suddenly seemed fully awake, looking to him with abject confusion. "And that's pretty attractive," he continued. "You know who you are, what you have, and what you need. You might be shocked how many people, even those a lot older than us, don't have a damn clue about any of that stuff."

"Tell me about it," Haru sighed. "No amount of money ever bought a lick of common sense or understanding."

"Damn, that's a good one," Ryuji admonished her. "Where'd you hear that?"

Haru paused. "My mom, actually," she admitted.

"Wise woman." Ryuji then looked out the window away from her. "Moms can really be something special, huh?"

"They can be." Haru sensed a change in the air around him at that. "Was your mother... special, Ryuji?"

He did not look back at her. "Something like that," he muttered, and Haru refrained from asking any further questions.

Instead, she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He immediately shifted in surprise, which she found rather endearing. "Is... this okay?" she whispered. "I'm tired."

Ryuji could not see her face beyond her hair but sensed her starting to relax against him, becoming much calmer. Holding onto her hand, he lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her arm across her body like she was hugging herself. She seemed very pleased at the gesture. "It's okay," he said, referring to both the cuddling and anything else they both might be apprehensive about. "I'm pretty tired too."

Neither slept on the ride home, but they closed their eyes and rested. They felt far more relaxed than they had in a very long time.

Makoto glimpsed in the mirror as she drove, still surprised at the reality of what she was seeing. Treat her well, boy, she thought regarding Ryuji. Treat her well. She deserves a rest.

...

The Amagi Inn was bustling when they arrived, and it was only through Yukiko's influence that they were able to keep their rooms. Most of the group seemed to have gotten a second wind after sitting down in the car and were content to stay the night at the inn, as well as wait with Nanako for Dojima to arrive. Nanako herself was getting very tired and had contented herself with cuddling sleepily with Rise in the corner of the girls' room. Both started to doze not long after as the girls helped each other change into comfier clothing in the bathroom.

Kasumi had requested to do so alone upon being the last one to change, and no one challenged her on that. She disappeared into the restroom, and the girls made idle conversation about the night's events for some time, particularly regarding Haru and Ryuji.

"Is he even good at kissing?" Ann asked plainly. "I mean, I've known him since middle school, and he never had a girlfriend when I was around him. He even told Akira and I that he's never had a girlfriend period."

Haru was rather perplexed at how to answer the question, having never really given much thought to what a "good kisser" would be beyond what had been described in her favorite romance novels. "I… suppose he was," she admitted, getting lost in the memory for a moment. "He held me tightly, securely, like I could finally let go and—" She cut herself in embarrassment at her revelry and covered her mouth. The girls listening leaned forward with rapt attention. "He… he was good, okay!? He was very good and treated me very well!" Ann and Rise screeched with glee. "Now can we please leave the subject be? I'm still frazzled just thinking about it."

"That's why we're trying to talk about it!" Rise moved closer, her beaming smile lighting up the dim room. "We just wanna make sure it was magical as it should have been."

"I... was very pleased. Let's leave it at that."

Yukiko put her hands on her cheeks, smiling excitedly. "Oh, like a princess and her knight! Saving her from the dastardly prince and whisking her away on a life of adventure and true love!"

Futaba remarked plainly, "You guys make it sound like a Disney movie."

"Sounds so cool!" Nanako added before yawning and nuzzling closer to Rise.

Chie shook her head and rubbed her temples, trying to dispel the drunken haze that hung over her. "Hey, uh," she groaned, "you guys seen Kasumi recently?"

Makoto got up first at the suggestion. "She might just be a bit frazzled after the long night," she said, though made sure to be the one to check on her as she was most aware of the anxiety Kasumi had been experiencing. She walked over to the door and knocked. "Hey, Kasumi?" she asked softly. "Everything okay?" No response, but she heard shuffling on the other side of the door. "Just checking on you. You doing okay?"

The door opened slowly, Kasumi standing before her in bedraggled clothing and twitching, wide eyes. Her hands shook and her lips quivered as her gaze darted about the room anxiously.

"Um, Kasumi?" Makoto asked, immediately switching her approach to attempt deescalating whatever was happening. "H-how are you doing? Do you... need anything?"

Kasumi seemed to grow more distressed as Makoto tried to calm her down. The other girls approached but Makoto held out her hand to stop them, knowing that crowding Kasumi would likely agitate her more. "I… I don't feel right," she mumbled, her face beginning to show signs of panic.

"It's okay," Makoto reassured her. "Just come sit down and we'll—"

"N-no!" Kasumi exclaimed. "I… I'm not right! That name is wrong!" Tears fell down her face as she bolted toward the door at shocking speed. Makoto tried but failed to stop her, taken back by how fast she was.

"Dammit!" Makoto exclaimed, running after her.

"What's going on!?" shouted Haru.

The boys were comfortably lounging in their room waiting for the girls to finish changing when they head the commotion, immediately pulling them to the door to check. They saw Makoto standing in the girls' doorway and a flash of Kasumi's distinct vibrant red hair disappearing down the stairs.

"The hell's going on?" Yosuke asked.

"Kasumi just—" Makoto started in frustration. "I don't know! Just help me get after her!"

The boys' confusion did not stop them from giving chase along with Makoto, seeing the concerned and frightened patrons of the inn watch them as they passed, and all glancing toward the flung open door.

"Goddammit," Ryuji muttered as they ran. "Damn leg still is giving me problems."

Once out of most people's line of sight, Akira reached deep within him and pulled out some of his heat. "Just follow me! I'll catch her!" The blue flames around him guided their way like torchlight as he ran off at great speed, chasing the dim glint of violet flames in the distance. The other girls followed the procession, leading into the nearby park area. Nanako agreed to stay behind in the room, though she admittedly had little choice.

Akira broke away from them and continued the chase, hoping his flames would light the way. He spotted Kasumi's elusive violet flames when they came on a clearing, illuminated in moody, bright moonlight. The purple flames, more thinly dispersed along her shoulders than Akira's blue fire, seemed to glow under the moon like an ethereal beacon – a nigh druidic, fae spirit standing still in the gentle breeze.

Akira approached her slowly, reducing his flames; a sensation which felt like consciously controlling the tension in a certain muscle group elusively located within his chest and back in a way he could not do with his other muscles. He stood a few yards behind her so as not to scare her. "Kasumi?"

She turned around slowly to face him, her facial expression clearly visible in the moonlight. She seemed manic, terrified, wrought with anxiety yet barely moving physically. "You… you should not have followed me," she said, her voice quivering like her lips.

"Why's that?"

"Because… I don't know."

"You don't know why?"

"I don't know what's wrong with me!" she shouted, hugging her core. Akira moved forward on instinct to help her however he could, but she shrunk back away from him. "Something has been wrong with me for a long time! I tho- I thought I could control it, but I can't! It's like… It's like I'm not me!"

"Okay, okay, take it easy, kid," Akira held out his hands like he was trying to calm a beast.

"No!" she cried. "I-I can't! I can f-feel…" She doubled over, her hands gripping the sides of her head. "My head is splitting!"

Their friends finally arrived, seeing the strange and terrifying display as Kasumi writhed and jerked around, barely able to stay on her feet. Akira held out his hand to stop them from approaching. "It's gonna be okay," Akira said, trying to slowly inch toward her. "Just come with me and we can talk about this. We can get you to the hospital too if you need it. Just tell me what's wrong, Kasumi."

The girl grunted and moaned in discomfort, continuing to hold onto her head. Her eyes suddenly shot up to glare at him; they burned with terrifying, anguished scorn, and the flames on her shoulders flashed with brightness and intensity. "Stop... CALLING ME THAT!" she screeched. "That name hurts!"

"What the hell!?" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Kasumi!" Makoto called after her.

Akira held up his hand to her again. "Stay back! Just let me handle this!"

Kasumi cried out again, her hands tensing into claws beside her. "I... I'm dead!" she exclaimed. "I should be dead! But I'm not! Everything about me is wrong! I can't see the world through her eyes anymore!"

Everyone muttered among themselves in astonishment, and Akira slowly lowered his hand to adopt a fighting stance, the tension of rising conflict weight heavily on the air.

Kasumi looked to him, her eyes flaring even more with pain and madness. "Kasumi is dead," she muttered. "I'm just her phantom! Her phantom is within me, tearing me apart from the inside." She clutched her head and screamed. "Make it stop... MAKE IT STOP! I'M SORRY, SISTER!" Her violet flames seemed to nearly explode off her as she screeched.

"Here we go," Akira muttered, adopting the Dragon Stance. "I don't know what's going on, Kasumi, but try to calm down! We can help you!"

She growled like a rabid beast. "Don't say that name! Stop saying that name! It's all I've heard for a year, clawing at my head from the inside!" She lowered her body into a more bestial, ravenous form of her own fighting stance. "I AM ALL THAT IS LEFT OF HER! IT'S WHAT I DESERVE TO BE! SHE NEEDS MORE OF ME! AND IT'S KILLING ME! LIKE I DESERVE!"

Akira cracked his knuckles and neck. "I got this," he said to his friends, keeping his eyes on Kasumi. No one argued with him. All stepped back, and screamed in terror when Kasumi screeched like a banshee and charged him.

Her flames lit up the darkness around her in violet malice. "WHYYYY!?"

Like a shrieking revenant, she darted toward him with blinding, unnatural speed that seemed to almost float across the grass. He barely had enough time to react and block a massively powerful kick that he knew would have connected with and crushed his ribs if it were not for his new power. Blue and violet flames coalesced with one another, the latter burning so bright it seemed to nearly immolate Kasumi with her own spiritual pain, but she powered through it with only worsening madness and anguish on her face as she stopped for a moment, her foot firmly pressed against Akira's forearms.

KASUMI(?) YOSHIZAWA

Akira stepped backward, taking her balance with him and pushed forward, causing her to stumble away from him as he stood up straight. "If you wanna fight," he proclaimed, his voice deepening and booming through the night, "THEN STEP UP!"

Kasumi, or whomever this person really was, steadied herself and spun into a wild kick, screeching as she approached him. He blocked it, but the immediate pain shooting up his arm from the impact caused him to freeze for a moment. He snapped back to reality by another kick from the same angle with the same force. Her kicks assaulted him from high and low as if she were boxing with her leg; such speed was nearly imperceptible to those watching.

"She's lost her mind!" Yosuke exclaimed. "Who the hell is this girl!?"

Kanji lowered his body into a running stance. "Hell with this! We should stop this before either of them get hurt!"

"No, let me try!" Naoto interrupted and ran toward the fight. Kanji protested behind her but she ignored him and rushed up at the fighters' sides. "Police!" she produced a badge from under her shirt. "Step away from each other and stand down now!" Kasumi's eye shot over to her, and her gaze seemed to eat her alive with ravenous, maddened fury. "Oh shit," Naoto muttered, stunned with fear.

Kasumi charged her so fast that Naoto could not process the movement, only that this may be her last second on this earth. But Kasumi was tossed aside when Akira grabbed her from the side and tossed her away. "Get back, dammit!" he shouted at Naoto. "I can handle this!"

Naoto thought for a moment about protesting but her throat held back her words, choked with shock and rising adrenaline from what her subconscious perceived as a near death experience. Her legs finally found their strength and she retreated to the group, standing by her panicked boyfriend. The group silently agreed to watch on at that point.

Kasumi had recovered and met Akira's gaze once again. Her expression, her mannerisms, all seemed frantic, instinctive, barely cognizant of her actions. She was acting on impulse, fighting back against her inner demons just as much, if not more so, than her physical opponent. On the former count, she seemed to be losing decisively. But on the latter, none could say.

She attacked again with the same frantic nature. Her martial arts were strong and yet calculated, but lacking any kind of finesse that would come from a clear mind. Akira blocked and countered where he could, but any attempted defense seemed to only anger her more. This made her less considered and careful with her movements, yes, but had the added effect of being harder for him to properly predict her strikes.

"JUST GET AWAY FROM ME!" she screeched and suddenly leapt toward him, spinning her body around into a kick. Akira was less than half a second too late to react and the kick connected with his shoulder. The sheer force knocked him from his feet and he landed a couple meters away, skidding on the ground. Kasumi screeched once more, signaling to Akira amidst his daze that she was about to continue the attack, and he mustered what strength was left within him to bound to his feet away from her. Even he was surprised with how quickly he reacted and was able to move.

God, your power is cool, Mom, he thought as he steadied himself, breathing heavily. He was already tiring out; the sheer speed with which he needed to counter was exhausting, yet Kasumi seemed almost completely unphased, at least physically. Her eyes scared him, and his heart skipped a beat anytime she would glance over at their friends. Just in case she get any ideas, he tried to keep between them. "I know this power, Kasumi," he said to her as she finally stopped moving. "I can help you. My mother can too. Just calm down, don't let it control you! Fight through it and let us help, Kasumi!"

Kasumi...

Kasumi...

He keeps saying that name...

It hurts yo-... me everytime. Whenever I hear that word, it hurts you.

...

You? No, it hurts me. Right? It hurts me. That name is like a knife in my head, stabbing at me from inside and out.

...

Who are you?

...

Who am I?

...

What am I? What are you?

The evening blended together in her mind - what little there was left to focus on it, at least. Everything was a blur, like peering through rippling tarmac in oppressive summer heat. What little clarity was afforded to Kasumi played the turning point of the night over and over in her head, screaming at her from the inside like a theater playing it as a movie loud enough to damage the speakers.

The dance had gone well, until her mind began to race. She remembered a moment like it not so long ago with her own sister, dancing to some other showtune on the radio after Sumire had taken home another first-place trophy in a regional gymnastics competition. Kasumi had barely placed fourth after a month straight of grueling training with her sister. Well, one would more accurately say that she had been chasing her sister. Similar routines with very little variation in the individual moves they performed, but Sumire was able to execute it with glowing competence and grace time after time, while Kasumi continued to nurse her new scrapes and bruises from falling down repeatedly.

When the awards ceremony was over, and Kasumi had finally managed to fully choke down her disappointed tears, Sumire invited her to a dance in her bedroom. The chords slowly coalesced in her mind to something she could place, even with the blaring music and fireworks in the background. (Don't You) Forget About Me by Simple Minds, the anthem of one of their favorite films, The Breakfast Club. Just like with Futaba, they danced together happily, celebrating Sumire's accomplishment, but when the song closed, the sobs began to fight their way back up her throat, the eyes of her twin sister digging into her core, jabbing at her insecurity and inferiority.

She landed a punch on Akira, but he struck back in time. She got angrier, at least the part of her currently controlling her body got angrier. Her limbs felt as if they were nearly melting from the inside with heat, yet somehow, she did not burn.

Only a few weeks after the dance did Sumire die in that car accident. The blood, the entrails, the bits of bone, the bloody, exploded right eye oozing out of her decapitated head. Kasumi remembered staring at it in a daze for a long time. The world had fallen silent around her, the terrified screams of the onlookers blending into the ringing in her ears. Even the sirens did not pierce her stupor as she was sat on the sidewalk by pedestrians trying to bring her out of shock, and she could only look at Sumire's mangled corpse flung back some meters away from the crosswalk.

Kasumi saw that image every time she closed her eyes for months. She did not sleep for almost three days, only able to find rest through liberal use of medication. She continued to abuse the sleeping pills for a long time afterward, and both the pills and the trauma had drastic effects on her athletic and academic performance.

Akira landed a blow on her, bringing her back to the world for a moment. She felt her throat vibrate with a banshee's screech that she could not quite recognize as her own, but she felt it physically all the same. Akira striking her addled her mind with even more wrath, pushing her body further.

I remember feeling like this... Like I'm a passenger in my own body... Like something within controls me...

I disappointed everyone when she died and my grief took its toll. I nearly flunked out of school, I couldn't do the most basic gymnastics routine, I could see my ribs and cheekbones from my weight loss... Everyone took pity on me, but I knew what they really felt. They probably genuinely pitied me, but I know they had "such high hopes".

I was allowed to grieve my sister...

Akira was underneath her, having been locked in a hold. He struggled valiantly to break free, and her strength against his much mightier physicality surprised even her.

...and it cost me so much. I lost my sister, and just trying to grieve, to move on, nearly cost me everything. It's sad, pathetic, and almost funny. Just wanting to find my way again nearly lost it to me forever.

What a fucking joke...

He escaped her hold. Her friends shouted at her to stop. "Kasumi," they called her, over and over again. She felt her head might split in two from the repeated name.

No, don't attack them, she told herself. They don't know.

Why are you fighting anyway?

Because... that name hurts me.

They don't know why. Even you didn't. Not for quite a while.

I didn't. Not until I sought a new answer. A new path. And I found a new power within me that even my sister never had...

Finally, something I have that she didn't. But that doesn't mean I didn't deserve to die in her place. She could have gone far, made the family and schools proud, even the world at the Olympics. I never could have. I told myself I could every time we went to practice so I wouldn't cry in front of her.

How many times did I cry when I finally got back to my room?

"Kasumi!"

That name again. He keeps saying it.

Why does it hurt?

Because...

He tackled her to the ground. She writhed under him, screeching incoherently.

"It's like she's possessed!" she heard Ann cry out.

Am I?

"Kasumi, stop, god damn it!" Akira shouted into her voice, trying to get over her screams.

That name was like a heated knife digging into her skull.

Why does it hurt so much?

Because...

She struggled and struggled, her body heating up even more.

...that's not my name.

She stopped struggling. Akira watched intently, not believing it was over. Her flames still raged around her, mingling with his. Their eyes met, her own so wide Akria worried they might pop out of her skull.

"That's... NOT MY NAAAME!" She screamed into his face and her flames burned brighter than ever. The heat seemed not to burn the world around them but Akira felt an inferno engulf him, his own flames being drowned by hers. Everyone looked away, most screaming in terror at the supernatural power. Kasumi screamed, but not in rage. Agony, sorrow, desperation tempered and sharpened her long, lingering cries.

Akira felt he might be burned from the inside, her heat scorching him in a spiritual manner. The elusive muscles in his chest and back, an area surrounding his heart, began to weaken and strain. "You... don't need this!" he called out to her. "You don't need to... wear this mask! Whatever happened with your sister was not your fault!"

Her response was a scream, but her mind somehow heard it through the roaring fire.

I took her name. I took her life. She took all the spotlight, all the accomplishments and love, and I was so nothing compared to her that I needed to usurp it from her after she died.

Kasumi...

Kasumi...

That was her name. And I took it for my own. I erased my name and gave it to the dead so she may live on. Because that's what was deserved... right?

"You didn't deserve it!"

What?

"Whatever mask you're wearing, you don't need it!" The heat dissipated slightly.

But... I do...

"Just talk to us! We can help you!"

You didn't help her. Why should anyone help you? You already got the help you needed...

...but how did I?

...

He saved me before. Akira, with Ann and Ryuji. They... care about me.

They care about Kasumi. They saved Kasumi.

I... don't know. But for some reason, I'm still alive. Me. Whoever I really am now.

"We're here for you!" a woman's voice cried out.

Ann?

She was off to their side, along with all the others. "We've been here for you ever since Kamoshida! He's hurt me too! I don't know what you're really going through, but we're still here for you!"

"We're not leaving you alone, dammit!"

Ryuji...

"Come back to us! We'll help you just like last time!"

"Fight through it! Don't let the past burn you forever like it almost did for me!"

Yusuke?

"And me!"

Makoto...

Makoto continued desperately as the flames seemed to slowly subside, "I've lost family too! I've had to fight my way back to life from what felt like death! But I know that no loving family would want you to destroy yourself because they're gone! They want you to live! To fight! To find your dream even without them!"

"No one is ever truly gone."

Haru!?

The flames were half what they had been. Haru said, "I've lost my mother. But I know she's still with me every day! She's not gone! Her memory, her love, the things she taught me and the moments we shared – they're eternal!"

Futaba pushed her way in front of everyone, fists clenched and shouted, "M-my mom is still with me too! Even after she's gone, I know she's still with me and still loves me! Sometimes it's hard to see that, and sometimes my memory is bad, but she does! Your sister is still with you and still loves you!"

Chie exclaimed, "You're a fighter, dammit! And your inner self is your strongest opponent! Don't let it win!"

"Use it to make a new you!" Yukiko shouted powerfully.

A new me... A new me that's... still me?

Yosuke broke in, "You've got amazing power, so use it to find that strength! Whatever your facing, kick its ass right now and we'll celebrate with you and help you get even stronger!"

Kanji cheered, though it was more like warrior's roar. "You got this, kid! That strength is in you, and your sister's memory can make it even stronger! Use that! Use both your strengths for both of you!"

Both of us!?

...

My strength... and hers...

Naoto added, "You've come this far already. You didn't give in when everything went to hell, so don't give up now! We've all lost people, but we're still here. That's what they'd want! They want us to carry on!"

Everyone felt rising strength and courage within them like they were in the final length of a war, and the aura of comradery, a strange and arresting sort of love, reached her heart and the burning within began to fade.

"Throw away your mask!" Akira cried out. "Throw it all away!"

"And face your true self!" Yu added stupendously. "There are ugly parts to all of us, but we can't move on and grow without facing them. Don't listen to that shadow within you that keeps you buried in lies!"

Buried in lies... like a grave...

"Take the pain its hiding head on... and face yourself!"

Kasumi's eyes suddenly lit up, her lucidity slowly returning. She saw Akira in clarity, urging her on with that confident glare he always had in a fight. She sensed the same from all the others, as if they had their own supernatural aura like them. She swore she could feel their souls, and they were bright and rapturous.

Face myself... my true self... Throw away my mask, the shadow that lies to me, and find the truth behind it.

My true self...

Kasumi... was the mask. My pain is a shadow. My true self...

...

Is Sumire.

Her body seized and jolted, once last spark of bright flame shooting from her body before the inferno faded to stray violet embers like dark stars floating into the night air. She breathed deeply, slowly, and closed her eyes.

"Hey," Akira whispered. "You okay?"

"Kasumi?" Ann asked.

She stirred, her eyes slowly fluttering open. She looked up to Akira as his own flames faded, the blue embers mingling with her final ones of violet. She nodded though did not speak and put an arm around his shoulder, letting him help her to sit her up. Her body felt as if it weighed thrice her normal weight and was made of heavy lead.

She sat for a long moment in silence before finally looking up to those around her. Her friends.

"Are you alright?" Yukiko asked.

She did not nod, unsure of how to answer such a question after the experience she just had.

"Kasumi?" Futaba asked softly.

She felt a jolt in her head, but nothing like previously. Her tongue felt heavy and weak like her body, but she knew she needed to say something. Something specific. "M-my name..." she whispered hoarsly. Everyone leaned closer to hear her. "My name is Sumire."

An air of confusion fell over the group, looking to each other quietly as the implications of her revelation settled on them.

Akira asked, "Do you know what happened to you just now? Can you tell us why you took your sister's identity? At least, I assume that's what happened.

The girl calling herself Sumire shook her head, then held it with her hands, groaning in discomfort. "G-get me somewhere safe, first." Her voice was hoarse and raspy, barely above a whisper. "Ugh, my head feels like my brain was doing a gymnastics routine on its own."

"That's a good idea," Akira nodded. "C'mon, guys, let's get her to my place."

"Why there?" Yukiko asked. "We can care for her at the inn, get her cleaned up and help her calm down."

Sumire took Akira's shoulder and slowly rose to her feet, groaning again. Her head throbbed with such severity that she could barely hear what her friends were saying. The rest of her body felt more exhausted than she had ever experienced in her life, even after the most strenuous of routines. She immediately felt that Akira was carrying her far more than just helping her, as her legs barely could move. But she willed them to do so anyway, giving herself and him any support she possibly could. Yu suddenly came to her side and offered more support, the situation damaging her pride slightly but making her far more comfortable.

"Thank you," she said to them both.

Akira replied to Yukiko as they walked past her, "That'll probably come later, but I think Kasu—uh, Sumire here needs to have a chat with my mom. And probably my dad too. Unless, uh, you want to call it a night," he asked Sumire. "Your choice."

She shook her head, and immediately regretted doing so as she nearly vomited on herself from the migraine. "She's... like us, right?"

"Yeah, she's like us," Akira nodded.

"Then... I want to see her. Please."

"Alright. To the cars, everyone," Akira ordered.

Ryuji remarked to no one in particular as he watched Yu and Akira help Sumire back toward the road, "This is gonna be one of those nights, isn't it?"

Haru was standing beside him and said, "Well, it's not all bad is it?" They looked to each other and she smiled, though it seemed slightly forced, as if trying to ignore the gravity of what they had just seen.

"Yeah," Ryuji nodded. "Not all bad."

The excitement from the event finally began to wane as they got to the vans and drove the few blocks to Akira's house. Sumire thanked every god she could think of when the five-minute car ride ended and her stomach and brain no longer felt like they were trying to do flips inside her body. Makoto and Ann helped her out of the car, and while she was endlessly grateful for the boys' display of support toward her, something about the fact that she was being supported by women made her addled, reeling mind calm just a bit more.

Akira walked ahead of them and paused before opening the door, internalizing that this was likely going to be a very difficult conversation. He breathed deeply and opened the front door with his housekey. Anri appeared from down the hall in her pajamas, looking still a bit tipsy. "Oh, hey honey," she greeted him pleasantly yet with a tired voice. "Did you have a good—" She finally saw the group of friends behind him coming up from the driveway, with Sumire struggling to stand, supported by Makoto and Ann.

Akira smiled and chuckled so awkwardly that it hurt him. "Uh, hi mom," he suddenly felt at a total loss for words.

Anri's eyes widened when she noticed the bruises and scrapes on his and Sumire's body. "What in God's name did you do, young man?"

"I swear it is not what it looks like."

"He's right," Sumire spoke up, her voice returning to her somewhat. "We… I would like to talk to you, Ma'am. And your son didn't do anything to hurt me. In fact, he saved me. Again."

Akira turned back to her with a soft expression. "Wasn't just me, kid."

"You're right," she nodded. "Thank you. All of you."

Anri crossed her arms, growing more confused, but a guess at what might have happened, informed by all she knew about Akira's power and how there was only way a young woman like Sumire could possibly match it, prodded at the back of her mind. "Bring her in," she told them. "And Akira, get the first aid kit from upstairs. And… go fetch your father."

"I'm sorry for barging in, Ma'am," Sumire started.

Anri shook her head. "Just get in here and rest, young lady. I think we really do need to talk."

I have a really bad feeling about this, she thought.

…

She received the call right when she was about to get into a candle-scented bath, souring her mood even more than it already had been. Sae entered the precinct with a scowl plastered to her face, the knowledge that something serious was happening doing nothing to improve her disposition. When she got to the meeting room, she saw Yagami, Tanimura, and Kenjiro gathered in front of Kaz's desk, all looking as concerned as she was perturbed.

"This is gonna be one of those nights, isn't it?" she asked without hiding a bit of her annoyance.

TO BE CONTINUED…

[Special thanks to my editor and beta reader KweenPotato. All reviews are appreciated.]