Waves.

Their sound crashed against the edges of Tetsuo's consciousness, nudging him until he finally came to. He groaned softly as fragments of his battle drifted in from the corners of his memory. He recalled becoming Arthur, dealing the final blow, and after that…?

Then, he remembered.

His eyes flew open. He was once again lying on the floor of the Velvet Room. Immediately, he reached behind his back. His fingers found the soft nylon of his guitar case, and he felt the familiar shape of the instrument within. He let out a sigh of relief as the swirling anxiety inside him settled all at once. Finally, he was whole again.

He rose to his feet and looked around, but Elizabeth and Minato were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was someone else standing at the prow of the ship, a slender figure bathed in the sunset's neverending glow. He turned as Tetsuo approached, giving him quite a start.

The stranger's face - or at least the part that lay unobscured by the white, butterfly-shaped half-mask - was so near to his own that for a moment, he feared Nyarlathotep had somehow returned. But once he got over his initial shock and looked more closely, he began to notice the differences. The man was taller, older, wearing all black with his hair drawn back in a neat ponytail. That, and Tetsuo sensed none of the malice in his presence that he did in Nyarlathotep's. Still, there was an uncanny similarity about the both of them that made it difficult for Tetsuo to feel completely at ease.

"Do not be startled, my friend. We have not met, yet I have always been close by."

Unsure of how to respond to that, Tetsuo asked, "Where are Elizabeth and Minato?"

"I am known as Philemon, one who exists in between dream and reality," the stranger replied, "and Elizabeth is one of the many servants in my employ. I have dismissed her for the time being, as I wished to speak with you myself."

Tetsuo blinked. Philemon? Nyarlathotep had cursed that name, so at the very least they weren't on the same side. Several persistent questions buzzed about his head, and he asked the first that came to mind.

"Are you the one who sealed him? In the Sea of Souls, I mean."

"No. Nyarlathotep and I cannot affect one another directly. We are, after all, reflections of human nature. It is by your will that we are granted strength, and it is by your will that such strength is stripped. Nyarlathotep, as I am sure you well know by now, derives his power from fear and the weakness of the human spirit. He cannot thrive so long as humans remain hopeful, and continue to seek to realize their own potential. He was sealed once thanks to the strength of human will, and he will slumber again now that he has suffered another resounding rejection. Although…" Philemon rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "...his intervention went too far this time. Likely because he found it particularly vexing to be denied by you. You have done well to have met him and overcome his temptations."

Tetsuo frowned. "I…I don't know. It doesn't feel like it."

"Oh? How so?"

"There's so much ahead of me that I'm still so uncertain about. I know there's not much time left before this all fades away, and this part of me goes with it. I told myself that I could be strong, that I could handle whatever the future had in store…but now that it's staring me in the face, I realize that I'm still afraid. I don't think Nyarlathotep was right about the nature of people, but…I can't help but feel that he wasn't entirely wrong, either. At least, not about me."

Philemon placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. His touch was comforting and warm.

"That is nothing more but proof of your humanity. To fear life's uncertainties is natural. Just as it is impossible for shadow to exist without light, fear and courage cannot exist without one another. It does not matter that you are still afraid. What matters is the power you allow it to have over you. To have vanquished the enemy and returned to this room…that is evidence enough that you are not the craven Nyarlathotep believed you to be."

A gentle breeze whispered across the prow, rustling the curtains behind them. Philemon turned back to the sea, as though it had called for his attention.

"Now then, I am sorry to be so brief, but I must be on my way. Although the threat has faded here, there are other regions in the Sea of Souls that remain shrouded in mist. I leave you in Elizabeth's care - I believe she is even more eager to express her congratulations than I. Take heart, my friend! An arduous journey still awaits you, but you must never doubt your true mind…"

Philemon began to glow, the soft light obscuring his features. The wind blew again, more strongly this time, melting his silhouette and bearing it to parts unknown on the fluttering wings of a golden butterfly.

Once he was gone, the atmosphere in the Velvet Room shifted. It was as if it had become unstuck from a dormant state, and its usual peculiar energy had begun to flow again in earnest. Tetsuo spun around, and just as Philemon had said, he found Elizabeth standing before the enormous golden door. However, what alarmed him was not her sudden appearance, but the state of the door itself. There, bound by wire at its center, was Minato, lifeless and stiff as though carved from stone.

He opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but it was Elizabeth who spoke first.

"You have been graced with the Master's presence," she said, her back still turned. "How extraordinary…" She traced the edge of Minato's cheek with her hand. "Much like him."

"What happened?"

Elizabeth looked back at him. "Here in the Sea of Souls, he was able to project his soul in order to meet you, but this is his true self. What you see here is the result of a sacrifice. His very body acts as a seal, one that exists to contain an incredible evil that very nearly rivals Nyarlathotep. Beyond it lies the manifestation of humanity's desire to die. If released, the world itself would be undone in short order."

Tetsuo took a step back in spite of himself.

"Y-You're kidding, right? Something like that's just on the other side?"

To his dismay, Elizabeth nodded. "Indeed. The creature within can be destroyed, but only temporarily. As long as mankind continues to wish for death, it will reform again and again. But as long as he continues to act as the Great Seal, we need not risk fighting it."

She paused, gazing into Minato's unblinking eyes with her lips pressed together in a thin, wistful smile.

"I have never felt such great joy serving another as I did him. Perhaps it is an improper thing for a mere servant such as myself to say, but…he is a very special person to me. And it is for this that I must both thank you…and apologize."

"Huh? I don't get it. You haven't done anything wrong. Actually, I don't think I'd have made it without your help."

"That may be true, but I must confess that I did not choose to aid you solely out of compassion, or even at my master's behest. To allow someone such as yourself - a Shadow - into the Velvet Room is unprecedented, yet I begged to be permitted to host you for my own selfish reasons. I made a deal with my master - if I could help you emerge victorious against the enemy, then he would allow me to abandon my duties, and search for a means to eliminate the abomination behind the Great Seal completely."

"Did it have to be me? Could you have chosen anyone?"

"It rather irks me to admit this, but you were chosen for much the same reason as Nyarlathotep did - you wished to die. It is that urge that grants the creature beyond the seal its terrible power. But…what if someone like you could discover the will to live again? If even the most downtrodden among mankind could reject death, couldn't the same be true of all humanity? And if humanity no longer sought its own destruction, would this manifestation of Death continue to exist?

"This was my thinking, and also the reason why my feelings are so mixed. I am sorry to have used your plight to advance my own agenda. But at the same time, you have also proven my hypothesis marvelously - all while defeating the great enemy, no less."

"It's alright. I understand the idea of wanting to do anything for someone you love. If anything, I'm the one who owes you for taking a chance on me. I'm just glad I was able to help in some way."

At this, Elizabeth stepped forward and clasped Tetsuo's hands in hers. The corners of her eyes shimmered, but she wore a more joyful expression than any he had seen her show before.

"You have helped more than you know. I now have proof that humanity can resist and weaken Death, and perhaps one day, a seal such as this will no longer be necessary. I will never forget the strength you've shown me."

Just then, there came the long, low bellow of a ship's horn. As its baritone echo faded into the horizon, Tetsuo felt the floor shudder underfoot, and the ship came to a halt. Elizabeth blinked, and giving herself a small shake, resumed her usual cordial manner.

"Ah, it seems we've reached our destination. This way, please."

She then gestured to a door set into the bulkhead that Tetsuo was certain wasn't there before. With surprisingly little effort, she spun the dog wheel loose and pushed the door open to reveal a long wooden gangway that extended down to a stone pier below. There, waving up at him, were Hayate, Koharu, Shibutani, and Mariko.

"Go on," she said. "They're waiting for you."

Tetsuo took a tentative step out onto the gangway, then stopped and turned to Elizabeth.

"I hope you end up finding what you're looking for. I want us to meet again someday. You and Minato."

"I am certain we will. Farewell, Tetsuo. You truly were a most remarkable guest."

Tetsuo then descended the gangway and stepped out onto the pier. He glanced back, hoping to catch one last glimpse of Elizabeth and the Velvet Room as they sailed out of sight, but when he turned around, there was nothing there but the gently swaying ocean, now faded to a dull gray.

The immediate surroundings were similarly muted. This could have been Toshima, or somewhere else entirely; it was impossible to tell. Past the pier there was a scattered cluster of buildings. They were featureless and unfinished-looking, their edges blurred and quivery as though they threatened to crumble and drift away on the wind. A vague wooziness that fluttered behind his temples had Tetsuo feeling much the same way.

Hayate was the first to dash over and sling his arms over Tetsuo's shoulders.

"There he is! The man of the hour!"

They all gathered around, giving him small, friendly shakes and peppering him with congratulations, yet Tetsuo couldn't bring himself to enjoy it. Looking at those beaming faces only reminded him of the bittersweet truth of the situation. Koharu was the first to read it in the tight lines of his jaw.

"...I guess this means we're going to have to say goodbye soon, huh?"

The other cognitions immediately sobered up, facing Tetsuo wearing wan smiles.

"Yeah," Tetsuo replied. "I knew this was gonna happen eventually. I just didn't expect to feel so nervous."

Shibutani chuckled. "You have nothing to be nervous about. You have a strong heart. As long as you approach others without masking your true self, they will accept you."

"And even if they don't, screw 'em," said Hayate. "Anyone who can't like you for who you are ain't worth your time."

"...Even if it's one of us. You should probably be prepared for that," added Koharu.

"Maybe. But I don't really think that'll be the case. You saw 'em in some of your visions, right? Us. The 'real' us. They've been coming to see you the whole time you've been out. They care - you just gotta show 'em you do, too," Hayate said.

"Just treat them the way you've treated us. I'm certain things will work out," said Shibutani with a reassuring grin.

"Yeah…but maybe take it a little easier on me next time, all right? You gotta treat guys like me delicately," said Hayate, and the others let out a burst of friendly laughter.

"You got it," replied Tetsuo.

At that moment, a ghostly blue light surrounded Hayate, Koharu, and Shibutani. As their outlines began to dissipate in the soft glow, Tetsuo fought to hold back the tears brimming in his eyes.

"Thanks for everything, guys. I'll miss you."

Hayate shook his head. "Don't. You'll be seeing us soon, after all. I'm actually kinda jealous. You're gonna get to make friends all over again, so…put on a smile, Tetsuo. Not everyone gets that chance."

Tetsuo wiped his face with his sleeve, and once he thought about it, he found that smiling was easier to do than he expected.

"There we go. Take it easy, man."

"See you later, Tetsuo!"

"Until we meet again!"

As the cognitions' shapes dissolved, Tetsuo never took his gaze off of them, trying as hard as he could to burn their images into his memory. But eventually, even those faded, and he turned to face the only one who still remained.

A long pause ensued as he and Mariko stood there, only an arm's length apart, yet the distance felt much greater than that. He knew this was an important moment, and at first, he struggled to find the right thing to say. But after a few heavy seconds spent fruitlessly grappling with his churning thoughts, he decided to be direct.

"I won't forget."

"I know."

"I can't promise that we'll be able to do it right away. I'll have to convince Mom first, and then we'll need to make sure everything's in order before she…"

His voice trailed off. There was a lump in his throat that was hard to swallow, but he forced it down anyway, and continued.

"...But I'm not making excuses. One day, we'll come back to Inaba, and tell the truth. No matter what happens afterwards…I promise I won't forget."

"Thank you, Tetsuo. Nanako may not remember what you've said, but when that day finally comes, I'm sure she'll be grateful. Just…remember one thing for me, okay?"

She took his hand, and looked up into his eyes. Despite being a cognition, her grasp was soft and reassuring.

"You deserve happiness, too."

And then, like the others, she was gone too, a flurry of blue wisps rising into the air and out across the Sea of Souls, beginning their long journey back to the place where they belonged.

Tetsuo turned his attention to the city before him. He could feel it now, a sort of unraveling at the edges of his perception, a deep exhaustion welling up from within that he wouldn't be able to suppress for too much longer. He wanted very badly to lay down and close his eyes, but it wasn't time.

Not yet.

There was still one last thing left to do.

He set off beneath the leaden sky, through the husk of the city he'd once made his sanctuary, back to the place where he'd left them. There stood the hospital, a splash of color amidst the gray, standing in stark defiance of its surroundings. The three people he was looking for were standing at the gates, and as soon as he came into view, they rushed over to meet him. Rin hit him like a bulldozer, looping her arms around his neck and practically taking him to the ground.

"Jeez, you really are nothing but trouble, disappearing like that on us again," said Gin, although there was a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah, what happened? After you beat Nyarlathotep, everything went all white. One minute we were beneath the hospital, and the next we were out here and you were gone," added Yoko.

Tetsuo glanced aside sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I really didn't know what was going on myself. I guess I just had some things to wrap up before I go."

He stared upwards. Far overhead, a single point of light pierced the gloom, and several familiar, thin white lines had begun to slowly carve the sky into neat segments.

Yoko followed his gaze.

"...This is it, then."

"Yeah. I guess it is."

He then shrugged his guitar case off his shoulders and reverently laid it on the ground. Slowly, he pulled the zipper back, and every pair of teeth he separated felt like a part of his soul being pulled apart. Even in the absence of sunlight, his Treasure glittered in his hands as though it had absorbed all the color and brilliance this world once had. As he ran his fingers across the smooth lacquer, he was sorely tempted to tuck it away again. After all he'd been through just to get it back, parting with it seemed unimaginably cruel. Yet even as he thought so, he saw his father's beaming face in the corner of his mind, urging him on as if to say, "It's all right."

And so, Tetsuo reached into the case, and with his hands trembling, held his guitar out to Rin.

"H-Here. Take it," he said, looking away. "If you don't, I might lose my nerve."

Rin reached out and gently took it in her arms, and the moment it left Tetsuo's hands, she gasped, and took a step back. A shining white aura was spilling from him, radiating outwards, and his body from his toes upward were fading into translucence. He exhaled in delight. His chest felt light, buoyant even. He was sure that if he was to lose his concentration for even a moment, he'd come apart at the seams and slip away.

Tetsuo, she mouthed, and he shook his head.

"No. It's okay. It was a nice dream while it lasted, but it's gone on a little too long. I'm ready to face tomorrow with you. I wanna try, and fail, and try again! I'm going to keep trying, until I can live a life I'm proud of, until I can look in the mirror and see a version of me that I love! That's my dream now…and thank you, all of you, for helping me realize it."

Yoko reached up under her mask to dab at her eyes, and even Gin couldn't keep his emotions from edging into his face.

"I'll hold you to that, then," he said. "I'll never forgive you if you break my sister's heart, after all."

Rin made to give her brother a playful shove, but right at that moment, Gin's hand flew to his earpiece, and his jaw dropped in disbelief.

"What the… H-Hey! Comms are back online! It's the research team! They're trying to bring us back!"

A wave of relief broke across their faces as they drank in the sound of the first contact with the real world that they'd heard in quite some time. But as they celebrated, the ground rumbled ominously. The lines that split the sky had very nearly completed their journey, and the slices of the horizon shuddered from the strain of keeping the world intact.

Behind them, something shifted in the air. Barely discernible at first, it rippled outward, twisting and distorting its surroundings in hues of purple and scarlet. Within seconds it had grown into a rift large enough to step through. It undulated invitingly, beckoning the three Persona users to step through.

"That's our cue," said Gin. "See you around, Tetsuo. You better be awake when we get back, alright?"

"We'll be there waiting for you, okay?" added Yoko.

Rin said nothing, of course, but leaned in close, and pressed her lips to his.

See you on the other side.

And after one last look back, they passed through the rift, and out of sight.

Once the distortion in the air faded completely, and even the afterimages of their silhouettes disappeared from the darkness behind Tetsuo's eyelids, he collapsed to the ground. His eyes found that bright spot in the sky, now more blinding and brilliant and beautiful than anything he could remember. There, as the panels of his world fell away and bathed him in light, he surrendered himself to its embrace, and let it wipe his heart clean.

• • • • •

Tetsuo's eyes snapped open to another world.

He shot bolt upright, tossing off a set of thin blue sheets. Something at the edge of his perception was making a loud, regular beeping noise. His mind racing, he whipped his head to the side to look around and felt something tug back. He reached up and pulled off several silicone sensors stuck to his forehead by a jumble of threadlike wires. His gaze traveled lower, and he discovered with mild embarrassment that he was wearing nothing but a turquoise gown.

He took a few short breaths to steady himself as his thoughts began to slow and coalesce. A thin beam of sunlight spilled through a window to his left - it was probably a little after midday, and the clock on the opposite wall confirmed as much. Right beneath it, there was a full-length mirror affixed to the door of what was probably a restroom, and Tetsuo stared transfixed at his own reflection.

The boy that stared back was both familiar and strange. He was skinny, almost unbelievably so, with a sallow, drawn face and oily, dark hair that looked as though it hadn't been cut in a long while. It was the face of the boy he'd at one point known as Nisekao, but now he recognized it as his own. Once that thought crossed his mind, his memories clicked into place, and he knew where he was.

A heavy weight settled in the boy's stomach. He attempted to swing himself out of bed…and nothing happened. Nerves fired and sputtered. No matter how hard he urged them, his legs refused to respond, as though he'd ceased to exist from the waist down.

"Ha…ha…shit…"

He was shaking. Even his own voice sounded like a stranger's.

His throat tightened in spite of himself. He had known this was going to happen. He'd accepted it. But that sensation of freedom was so fresh in his mind that he could practically still feel it. It felt so wrong to feel even the slightest bit of regret, a betrayal of everything he and his friends had fought for, but all the same, the shock was so intense that he couldn't help himself.

Just then, the door to the hall opened, snapping him out of his reverie. A harried-looking young woman wearing rectangular spectacles and a doctor's coat burst into the room, her once straight black hair disheveled sticking out at odd angles. Their eyes met, giving her such a bad start that she dropped her pen and clipboard.

"K-Katsuji-kun!" she exclaimed as she hurriedly scooped her things off the floor. "Y-You're awake."

It was an obvious observation, but the woman was clearly so stupefied that she was having trouble thinking of anything else. However, after taking a few seconds to compose herself, she seemed to remember what it was she was supposed to say.

"Ah, sorry. I-I'm Dr. Isshiki. How are you feeling? Do you know where you are? What's the last thing you recall?"

Although these may have been perfectly reasonable things to ask a patient, Tetsuo wasn't at all prepared to answer them all at once. The first one in particular was especially complicated. That's why, when the door opened again - this time so forcefully that it banged against the wall behind it - he was glad to be spared having to respond. And when he saw who it was, his heart leapt into his throat and he froze up all over again - this time with joy.

"Tetsuo! Oh my god, Tetsuo!"

Natsumi Katsuji flew to her son's bedside, practically bowling over the doctor in the process. Burying her face in Tetsuo's chest, she held him tight, bawling her eyes out.

"I'm so sorry! I thought...I thought I'd lost you forever…"

Tetsuo pulled his mother in tightly against him, and the apprehension that had gripped him just moments ago began to melt away. He'd almost forgotten what it was like, to feel the warmth and security of her embrace.

"It's all right, Mom…I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Dr. Isshiki opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but quickly decided against it. As a small smile crossed her lips, she quietly backed towards the door.

"I'll be back later, then. Let me give you some time for now."

For a while, they remained like that, not needing to express anything but the elation of being reunited. However, it wasn't long before the door cracked open again, and another head poked through.

"Uh…hey, what's going on? Thought I heard people shouting over here, did something happen?"

"Hayate?" he said, then quickly caught himself. "I-I mean, Hirada-kun, right?"

At the sound of his name, the boy bounded into the room, wide-eyed and beaming from ear to ear.

"Holy…you're up! You're actually up! And you remembered my name, I didn't think…hold on, hold on! Lemme…lemme get - I-I'll be right back!" he stammered, and he dashed out nearly as quickly as he'd entered.

Then, just a couple minutes later, he returned, this time with two more familiar faces in tow. To his delight, they were almost exactly the way he'd envisioned them, although Shibutani was a little more normal-sized (but somehow looked more fierce).

"Shimizu-kun, Shibutani-senpai! You're actually here!"

Shibutani bowed his head apologetically.

"Visiting felt like the very least I could do. You are feeling alright, aren't you?"

Tetsuo just nodded blankly. There was so much he wanted to tell them, but he knew they wouldn't understand a bit of it. It was more difficult than he'd anticipated, having to treat these people like near strangers.

"That's a relief. We were seriously worried about you," Koharu said, then bit her bottom lip. "It's…horrible, what Saito did to you. I think we all wish we'd done something before it came to this."

At the sound of the name 'Saito,' Natsumi's head snapped up and her expression turned dark.

"Wait. Are you telling the truth? That rat. For that man to have the guts to come in here and call me a liar when he knew his son was responsible…I swear to God, I'll - "

Tetsuo placed a hand on his mother's arm.

"Mom, please. It's not worth it."

"Indeed," added Shibutani. "I don't mean to cause you any additional distress, but despite the statements we provided the school, it seems unlikely that they'll lead to any real consequences."

Natsumi was practically sputtering.

"Tetsuo, we can't just let that boy do whatever he wants! I mean, look what he - look what happened to - "

"Mom. I don't know how I can explain this to make you understand, but…I'll be alright. Actually, senpai?"

Shibutani tilted his head quizzically. "Hmm?"

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to join Student Council as part of the Disciplinary Committee."

A moment passed as everyone blinked at him, dumbfounded. Then, the room erupted with protests.

"Wait, what?"

"But Saito's the President!"

"Honey, are you sure about this?"

Tetsuo cleared his throat pointedly until they went quiet again.

"I'm positive. In fact, I'm not gonna take no for an answer. I've realized that if I want things to change for people like me, I need to do it myself. I want to sit across from him at that table, look him in the eyes, and show him that he can't hurt me anymore."

A pause settled in between them. Natsumi still didn't appear entirely convinced, but even she didn't object. Then, Hayate's voice cut through the quiet.

"Well, I dunno how I'm gonna argue with that. Not like he'd have the guts anyways. He might get off the hook, but like, everyone knows it's his fault. If he puts one more toe outta line, he's done for. Still, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea if we tagged along with you for a while, just in case. How's that sound?"

It took all of Tetsuo's willpower to keep him from agreeing immediately. Doing it this way didn't feel right.

"Thanks, but no."

Hayate winced slightly as though he thought he'd said something wrong, but Tetsuo went on.

"How about this? Instead of hanging around just to protect me, why don't we get together for something to eat once I'm outta here? It'll be my treat, as thanks for coming to visit."

Hayate's face brightened. "Oh, yeah? Sounds good to me. How d'you feel about gyudon?"

"Gyudon? I figured you were more of a ramen guy."

"He's an everything kinda guy. He has a stomach like a trash compactor," Koharu butted in, eliciting a round of chuckling.

They carried on like this for a few hours more, catching Tetsuo up on everything that had happened while he'd been out of school, groaning about their least favorite teachers (Tetsuo was only mildly shocked to find out that real-life Otomuji was just as detestable as she'd been in his dream), and sharing a sense of dread as they came to the collective realization that exams would be coming up again in just a couple of weeks. And as the hours crept on and the rays of the sun grew longer, Tetsuo was pleasantly surprised to discover how much easier it was to talk to them than he'd anticipated. After a while, he even forgot about the numbness in his legs.

Soon, the sky turned gold and the sun began to sink, and the nurses decided that enough was enough and shooed the visitors from the room so that Tetsuo could get some rest. His mother, with her exhaustion plain to see in the lines on her face, fell asleep quickly, slumped over in the chair beside his bed. Tetsuo, though, just couldn't seem to do the same. Even though this world was the same one he'd once tried to escape, it truly felt like something had changed, some switch had flipped, and he was seeing everything through new eyes again. A part of him wanted to leave that room right there and then, and start the new life he'd been given straight away. However, a soft rapping at the door promptly pulled him out of his musings.

"Hey. You awake?"

Tetsuo's face lit up. Gin and Yoko were there in the doorway, and he could just make out a tuft of Rin's white curls behind them. He craned his neck, trying to see around them, but from his position in bed, he couldn't. He wondered if they'd been able to treat her injury.

"H-Hey!" he cried out, unable to suppress his excitement. Fortunately, Natsumi didn't stir. "You're okay!"

"Well, yeah! We said we'd come see you! Sorry it took so long. They asked us tons of questions, and of course, they had to run tests on Rin and get her patched up, too."

Rin squeezed between Yoko and her brother and bounded over to Tetsuo. Though her neck was still heavily bandaged, it didn't seem to dampen her spirits whatsoever. However, Tetsuo couldn't mask his concern.

"Your throat…did they say if you're gonna be able to…?" he trailed off.

She shook her head. She snatched a memo pad and pen off the table next to the bed, and scribbled a quick note.

Nope. Bastard cut my vocal cords completely.

Tetsuo's eyes widened in horror, but Rin took his hand in hers and squeezed tightly before ripping off a few more notes and writing some more.

It sucks. I know. But it's weird. For some reason, it doesn't bother me as much as I think it should. I think it's like you said - knowing you're here makes it feel like everything's going to turn out okay, even if it's not. We both lost something important, but we'll figure it out. That was the deal, right?

Tetsuo couldn't help but return the gentle, hopeful smile he found nestled between those snowy, ringed curls he loved so much.

"Yeah. That was the deal."

Yoko shifted her weight from side to side anxiously.

"...So listen. We'd love to stay and chat for a while longer, but we were told to keep it quick."

"Yeah. The nurses wanted you to rest, and if it was up to the research team, we'd still be in debriefing. We practically had to threaten to walk out to get them to let us come see you," said Gin.

"The thing is, we don't know how long it'll be before they'll let us see you again, so before we go…there's something we want you to have."

Without taking her eyes off of Tetsuo, Rin sidled past the others back out into the hall, and reached down for something that was lying just out of sight.

"I have no idea how or why it came back with us, but…I think maybe it was trying to find its way back to you."

The realization of what Yoko was talking about dawned on Tetsuo before she'd even finished. Rin came forward, and somehow, in defiance of all sense, she was holding his guitar, as new as it had been the day his father had given it to him.

He trembled as a wild delirium swelled up within, racking his frail frame with equal parts grief and bliss. And as he took the instrument with shaking fingers and cradled it in his arms, his soul was flooded with a singular, overwhelming emotion: love. Love so intense and all-encompassing that his heart threatened to burst.

"Th-thank you…thank you so much…"

Even though his face and gown were soaked by a stream of tears, he still smiled. There, surrounded by his friends and family, with his Treasure clutched tight against his chest, Tetsuo Katsuji knew this world was where he truly belonged.

THE END