Persona Series 1. Chapter 1

July 31st, 2011

She sighed as she stared out the train's window watching the scenery as they sped through the country, catching glimpses of old billboard advertisements every few seconds. It was finally summer vacation and she was looking forward to being able to relax and take it easy, maybe even spend time with her mother if she could get away from work. She also planned on spending some time just hanging out with some friends, two of which sat beside her on the train.

"Do you have anything planned for the summer?" Suzume barely heard the question and just kept staring out the window, twirling a lock of strawberry blond hair between two fingers. "Suzume?"

"Aw come on, Miki, leave her alone. You know she's quiet," Hana said. She leaned forward in her seat beside Miki and smiled over at Suzume. "Isn't that right, Suzume-chan?"

She released the twirled lock of hair around her finger and it bounced. She spoke without turning to look at the other two. "Nothing much, really, I just wanted to spend some time with the two of you and mother."

Hana leaned back against her seat and readjusted the hem of her skirt. "Well, I'm just glad we can finally put these away for a while. I'm so sick of uniforms."

Miki nodded as she folded her fingers together, raising both hands outstretched before her and then above her, stretching her arms out on either side and bringing them down across the back of their seats, an arm behind each girl on either side of her. "Suzume, I heard a strange rumor today."

Having piqued Hana's attention she made a dramatic gasp with a hand over her mouth as she turned on her seat to face her two friends. "That's right, I almost forgot."

"Huh?" Suzume turned to look at Miki, dropping her hand into her lap.

"Did you break some boy's heart today?" Miki asked. Her head was only slightly turned toward her friend as she looked at her from the corner of her eye, a mischievous grin on her face.

"A boy?" She tilted her head in confusion just as the train stopped. The doors slid open and people began crowding around them as the seats began to fill up and the handles that hung from the car's ceiling became occupied. She recalled the boy from earlier that day who had approached her behind the music room and asked if she'd study with him for the exams after summer vacation. She was about to reply to him but then he had cut her off by confessing to her. She had quietly listened to him until he finished and had remained quiet for at least a minute after he had finally stopped speaking. He looked kind and gentle, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. When he asked her if she'd say something she flatly replied with a 'No'. His face had quickly gone from being a shy boy with a crush to something angry and mean, something completely twisted. He assaulted her with one question after another, telling her no girl had ever refused him and that she had to go out with him. Without another word she had spun on her heel to walk away but then he had reached out to grab her arm. She bent her knees and drove her elbow into his gut with enough force that she could have sworn she felt something break. She made no apology before walking way, leaving the boy down on one knee cursing her in various languages. "Oh, you mean Hyuri?"

"Is that who it was?" Hana asked, gasping for real this time. Suzume nodded.

"You know him?" Miki asked her.

Suzume folded her arms across her chest as she listened to Hana's description. She had already heard the same kind of details from other girls in her year. "You mean you don't know?" Miki shook her head at Hana. "He's gone out with several girls since he moved here, but they all broke up with him not long after. But not only that, they all say the exact same thing about him; He's possessive, controlling, jealous and, well… He's just an asshole, you know? There's a bunch of nasty rumors going around about him, I'm kind of inclined to believe some of them."

"Woah," Miki whispered, turning to look at Suzume. "You really dodged a bullet there. How'd he take your rejection?"

"Did you know he could speak in different languages?" Suzume asked them.

The train lurched and some people were pushed sideways, some into other people as well which resulted in a flurry of apologies and complaints. Both girls looked at her confusedly before Miki spoke. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I recognized five of the languages when he began cursing me after I elbowed him in the stomach." Both her friends looked at her in mild surprise. The man standing in front of her shifted his weight onto his other leg, causing that leg to brush up against her. "He reached out to grab me when I tried walking away after I rejected him. He should've known better." Suzume looked up at the man standing in front of her and their eyes met. When he didn't take the hint she narrowed her eyes at him until finally he made an annoyed expression and moved.

"Boys are so stupid sometimes," Hana said, turning in her seat to face forward. Hana looked up when she heard the train's announcement over the speaker phone announcing that their stop was the next one. "We're next, ladies." The three stood up and used the bars as support to make their way toward the car's exit.

"Hard to believe that this year went by so fast…" Miki said.

The three had spent most of their school year living in a dormitory since the commute between home and school was simply too far to do on a daily basis. They attended school in the city while their homes were actually in a small town about an hour from the city by train, which is how they had met in first year when the three realized they had been taking the same commute during long weekends and vacations to the same little town. They had become friends easily and spent a lot of time together in and out of school.

Suzume lived alone with her mother since her parents divorced when she was two. She didn't have any memories of her father and her mother never really mentioned him unless when asked when registering Suzume at a clinic, school or a hospital, but even then she only gave vague information. There were also no pictures of her father anywhere in the house and any attempt she had made at going through her mom's things was in vain. If there were any pictures, or had been any, they were either hidden really well or simply no longer existed. She often wondered why he had left them and had several theories, but none of them made any sense since her mother was not only a good person, but beautiful as well. Who'd want to leave her? She was young, attractive, educated and worked hard. Maybe even too hard sometimes. A lot of the time when Suzume came home she was either working on a case, fell asleep at the office or at home. She was rarely around and though she tried not to complain (she knew how important her mother's work was to her) she still wished she were around more. The recent emails she had gotten from her mother had her excited for this summer vacation, though she knew to expect the worse and hope for the best. If her mother could wrap up her current case soon she could spend the entire summer with her.

"Suzume?" Miki poked her in the ribs.

She turned to look at her and followed her pointed finger at the doors in front of them, watching as the train began to slow to a stop in front of their station. "Oh, right." The doors slid open and they stepped out.

"You seem distracted today," Miki said. "Everything okay?"

Suzume ignored the question and turned her head ever so slightly to be able to look over her shoulder behind her as they walked onto the platform and toward the steps that lead down. She had been distracted since they had left school earlier today. The moment they had left together and began walking toward the train station she noticed a strange man in a tan trench coat, black shades and fedora hat following them. He had gotten onto the train with them, had stood near the back of the car the entire time and had just now gotten off at the same stop.

"Isn't your mom getting time off?" Hana asked. "Maybe she's just excited." Hana chuckled and bumped into Miki with her left hip as they began descending the steps. "Maybe they'll finally be able to go out for that ice cream her mom's been promising since last year."

Suzume returned her attention to her friends and watched their faces carefully, noting that neither of them had noticed him. "What?"

Miki adjusted her bag's strap on her shoulder. "Don't you remember? You waited three hours sitting on that bench outside the ice cream shop with a melted ice cream in each hand. Sometimes I wonder if you're an alien from outer space or if someone accidentally gave you a little girl's heart and an old woman's soul when they made you."

Hana burst out laughing. "Yeah, I remember that. Suzume sat there the entire time with a serious face and then almost started crying when you told her her mom wasn't coming. It was so cute."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked them.

"It means you're too serious sometimes and at other times you're sensitive, and when you combine the two it's both funny and cute to watch," Miki explained.

"Geeze, I love you too…" Suzume shot back, shoving both hands into her coat pockets.

They turned a corner and Suzume glanced over her shoulder again to see if the man was till following them and sure enough, he turned the corner as well, keeping at least a hundred feet behind them. When Miki turned to say something else she noticed Suzume looking over her shoulder and did the same, finally seeing the man following behind them. Hana saw this and turned to look as well before grabbing the other two, pulling them around another corner. "Who is that?" she asked them.

"I don't know," Miki replied, turning to Suzume. "What's going on?"

"He's been following us since we left school." Suzume returned her attention forward again. "I didn't say anything before because I wasn't sure."

They hurried down the street, picking up the pace every few seconds as they realized he kept up with them. "Suzume's house is closest so I say we go there and lock the doors, then call her mom if he comes anywhere near the house," Hana said in a hushed voice. The other two agreed and they hurried across the street and around another corner, her house coming into view at the end of the street. She noticed a pale blue car in the driveway and recognized it as her mother's, a sense of relief washing over her. The three broke into a run toward the driveway and around the car, stopping only when they were all standing on her front steps. Miki glanced behind them and found the street empty.

Finally Suzume got the door open and pulled her friends in, closing the door behind them.

(~)

"I should be back before you wake up tomorrow morning," she called from the entryway, pulling a shoe over a foot. Suzume sat in the front room with the television on, a local news story went on about some old woman complaining that her younger neighbors were being too loud. She stretched her neck up and looked over the back of the sofa at her mother's back sitting on the steps still fumbling with her shoes. It was all she could see since part of the wall blocked the rest of the view of the entrance. "We're bringing in the suspect tonight, and then I can finally have time off for the summer."

"You still owe me an ice cream," Suzume told her seriously.

Her mother sighed in exasperation. "You'll never let me live that down, will you?"

She recalled having been teased about it earlier. "Never."

Her mother leaned back on her hands . "If we get this guy tonight, I'll buy you the biggest ice cream there and we can share it." She turned her head to look back at her daughter looking at her from over the back of the sofa. All she could see was the top half of her face, everything below the bridge of her nose hidden behind the sofa. "Then you can complain that you have a tummy ache and we'll eat watermelon till we both throw up and fall asleep. How's that sound?"

"Awesome."

"I love you," she shouted as she stood up and reached for the door, smiling when her daughter returned the affection and wished her luck.

Suzume listened as the car pulled out of the driveway before changing the channel, wondering what to have for dinner. She thought back about the man who had followed them earlier that day, but it only made her nervous and uncomfortable. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, checking to make sure the battery was fully charged just in case. She thought about calling the girls to see what they were doing but thought better of it. "They're probably busy with family…" She sighed and tossed her phone on the sofa beside her and stretched before putting her feet up on the table. Feeling sleepy, she closed her eyes for just a moment and reopened them, noticing that the channel she had been watching that had been showing a tacky cartoon movie was now showing the ending credits. She looked at the clock and realized two hours had passed since her mom had gone to work. She looked over and reached for her phone only to find it gone. Confused, she leaned forward slightly to see if it had fallen onto the floor and found nothing.

Her heart skipped a beat and thudded in her ears like a hammer against a drum. She froze on the sofa, remembering clearly that she had tossed it beside her. Her eyes followed the cushion to the edge of the sofa where for a second she theorized having knocked it down while sleeping and it could have somehow rolled under the sofa, but then her eyes darted to her feet which were still up on the table in front of her, nowhere near the cushion her phone had been resting on. She slowed her breathing and listened, trying to calm the sound of her racing heart so she could listen for any strange sound in the house. She concentrated but could only hear the sound of the clock on the wall, the television and her own breathing. She held her breath…

She could hear someone's breathing behind her.

"Tick tock…tick tock… I trapped a little mouse inside her clock…"

The voice was low and raspy, as though he had been running and was out of breath, almost panting. Her mind raced in a million directions with a million reasons, but with each theory her mind summoned it also caused more and more of her own blood to drain from her face. She suddenly felt icy cold in the middle of a heat wave.

"I know you noticed me today, but it's okay, I wanted you to see me…"

He sounded like he was only a few steps behind her, which meant he had to be between her and the front door. There was a back door, but she'd still have to pass him in order to get there. She looked around for anything she could throw at him when she heard a familiar sound behind her. Her cell phone played the song she had set as a ringtone whenever her mother called, a favorite song they had always enjoyed singing together during car rides and road trips. Her eyes darting frantically from one side of the room to the other for something, anything, that she could throw while making a dash for either door that lead to the outside world. The song finally stopped and the sound of her heart took its place in her ears, still pounding inside her chest. Her eyes also began to burn and her throat felt tight as she fought back the urge to cry.

Her phone played the same song again, meaning her mother was calling again. Suddenly she could see a familiar object from out of the corner of her right eye as the phone had been flung into the air. There was an explosive bang and she screamed before sliding off the sofa and ducking to hide between it and the table with both hands over her ears. Tears she had been fighting back finally streamed down her face as the deafening sound of the gunshot still rang in her ears. She could no longer hear her phone now, pieces of it strewn across the room, the faint smell of burnt plastic making its way to her nostrils.

"Get up…" She didn't want to move. "Get up or I'll kill you."

A strangled sound escaped her throat as she stood up on trembling legs, her face wet with tears. She held her arms across her stomach in some feeble attempt to shield herself. "Please…d-don't hurt me…" She opened her eyes and when they cleared she could see the man standing in front of her, the gun pointed in her direction. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest when she recognized the man from earlier today. "P-please, I d-don't know who you are, just p-please…" she pleaded with him.

"Hurt you?" he asked, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself. He reached up and slid the shades off his face and tossed them aside. "I wouldn't hurt you, dollface. Why on Earth would I do that?" His eyes were glassy and vacant, the kind of eyes that drug addicts have when they've not only reached the end of their rope, but had reached literal rock bottom after having completely lost themselves to the despair and loathing that kept them company in whatever hole they had fallen into. "Oh no, I won't hurt you," he continued, shaking his head. "I'm going to carve my name into your pretty little body right before I put holes in it and watch you bleed until there's nothing left of you but a lifeless corpse." He began breathing hard again as he unbuttoned his trench coat, the excitement in his voice was obvious in more ways than one once his trench coat was thrown wide open. A wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm her and it took everything for her to be able to keep standing there without throwing up. "Then, I'm going to fuck you right before I cut you up In tiny little pieces so I can mail you to your—"

Her nausea had nearly reached her pained throat just when she heard tires screeching across pavement like a pair of scorned banshees. The sound was so relieving she nearly relieved herself but held on, constricting her bladder and whatever else that threatened to escape her.

He had turned to stare toward the front door. "Shit…your fucking whore of a mother wasn't supposed to find me." He turned to look back at her, pulling the safety back with a click. "Fuck!" Enraged, he kicked the stand that had been standing in the hallway beside him into the entrance, the table knocking into the door just as it flew open, knocking the little table back against the wall and smashing from the sheer force of the door's impact against it. He turned on his heel and walked backward into the front room, the gun never wavering from her direction.

"Suzume?" she heard her mother's voice call to her.

"Oh my god, mom?" she cried back, her voice hitching in her throat.

She could hear her mother step forward and Suzume could finally see her crouched low behind the wall that separated the front room from the entrance. "Did he—"

"N-no, h-he didn't t-t-touch me mommy," he cried mockingly. "No, I haven't touched your fucking brat. But if you take one step closer I'll fill her up with lead instead of my—"

"Shut your mouth! You have nowhere left to run, Takeo. Just surrender so no one else has to get hurt. She's just a little girl for fuck's sake!"

Suzume quickly glanced at the man and then back toward her mother, wondering if she'd be able to make it if she jumped over the sofa. Before she could make up her mind she finally heard sirens in the distance, as did he. When mother took a step forward everything happened so quickly and yet so slowly it seemed almost surreal. He swore again and turned his gun on her, pulling the trigger. The entrance frame her mother hid behind exploded and splintered. Suzume screamed and just as she was about to take that jump over the sofa she saw movement out from the corner of her left eye. She had only time enough to turn to see the gun turned on her right before the second shot exploded.

Everything went black.

(~)

She groaned and rolled over onto her left side before crying out when pain flared and radiated from her left shoulder. She quickly rolled over onto her other side and onto her knees with her forehead to the floor, grasping her shoulder with her other hand. Hot tears streaked her face as the pain throbbed, making it difficult to breath.

"You have awoken. Welcome."

She gasped for air and swallowed hard, wiping her face with her right hand before pushing herself up onto her knees. She looked toward the direction the voice had come expecting to see a doctor of some sort but instead stared into the eyes of some strange old man sitting in a seat in the center of the room. She blinked several times and wiped her eyes again before looking around, realizing she wasn't just in some room but what looked to be the inside of an airplane. She finally noticed the sound of the engines and the windows that lined on either side of them. The floor was covered in a purple velvet carpet long with the seats, the walls and ceiling. Everything in the entire room was a dark, rich purple velvet except for the old man sitting in the center a few feet away from her. She turned to look at him and then at the man standing beside him, just as equally strange as the old man himself.

The old man's nose was the strangest of all, being long and resembling a bird's beak more than an actual nose. His long eyebrows were dark while his hair, long and straggly around the top bald spot on his head, was white. He wore a black, tailed coat tuxedo and black cravat over a white chemise. His companion, on the other hand, stood tall with equally white hair. Unlike his master's mostly white eyes, his eyes were a gold color. He wore black trousers with a blue stripe that ran down each side and ended in black, leather shoes. His jacket was also blue like the stripes on his trousers other than the lighter shade of blue that also colored his lapel jacket, hat and blue tie over a black chemise beneath the jacket. White gloves covered both hands, one of which carried a large, brown book. He looked every part the male attendant. Her eyes met his golden irises and for a moment she had nearly forgotten about her pain before it flared up again, reminding her of her mortality.

"Do not worry, your life will not expire here in this place…" he told her, intertwining his fingers. "A place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter…" His grin made her uncomfortable.

"Looks like an airplane to me," she managed in a low voice. Suddenly she remembered something important and felt a pang of hurt for having forgotten about it. "Where's my mother? Is she—" He raised both hands to stall her questions as she rose up to stand on both legs before him. "Where is she?"

He lowered his hands into his lap, his smile gone. "It is my sincerest regret to inform you that while you are alive, your mother did not survive."

Her knees buckled and she crumbled to her knees, all color, blood and life drained from her as she could no longer hold anything back. Pain and tears overwhelmed her and everything else around her seemed irrelevant to the moment. "N-no, you're lying…" Tears fell and soaked into her jeans beneath her. "She was right there!" she screamed at him.

"Dear guest, all things happen for a reason." He waved a hand and a table with six cards hovering above it appeared, each card except for one descended to the table. The card that remained flipped over and revealed a grim reaper with its scythe, the very picture of death. "Ah, Death in the upright position, this does not always mean an end but also signifies a change, a phase in life that serves its purpose—"

Suddenly the table lifted up off the floor and was flung toward and over him, crashing into the wall behind Igor. The tarot cards were flung in every direction.

"A reason for my mother dying?" she growled through gritted teeth, her swollen eyes narrowed at him. "You think I give a shit about your fucking reasons?"

"Theodore, perhaps you could escort our guest back. It seems she is having difficulty accepting reality." He lifted a hand and gestured toward Suzume and for some reason that pissed her off even more. She took a step forward and raised her right fist and was about to bring it down into his face when the other man grasped her wrist with a strong grip.

"Of course, Master Igor." While still holding her wrist he bowed and gently guided her away from the old man. "Please forgive my Master, he only means well. I also apologize for being abrupt," he said, releasing her wrist. "My sisters would have been here to greet you, but alas, they are currently preoccupied with other pressing matters." He bowed before taking a step back, placing one hand on his chest.

"Until next time, dear guest…"

Suzume barely had time to turn to look at the old man when the one he had called Theodore removed his hand from his chest and waved it in front of her eyes.

Everything went black.

Again.


	2. Chapter 2

September 22, 2012

_One year later… _

He reached for the knob and tuned it, opening the door into warm summer air as he was just about to step out before stopping short of his front step when he realized it was already being occupied. He stared down into the face of a young blue haired boy in a beret, dark blue lapel and buttoned down jacket over trousers of the same color and material. He wore a white, buttoned up chemise beneath the jacket with a ribbon cravat and black leather boots. Honokaze Yama was quite impressed with this young man's attire and wondered what could possibly have brought him to his door step.

"How may I help you?" Yama asked, leaning against the door frame.

The young man reached into his jacket and brought out a black leather wallet that unfolded when he held it up, revealing a detective's ID and badge within. "I am Detective Shirogane Naoto and I am here working with the Ozukai PD on a case." He folded the badge and returned it back inside his jacket.

"Yes, well, what does that have to do with—"

"I wonder if I may come in to ask you a few questions, Honokaze-san?" Putting his hands into his pockets he waited for the taller man to stand aside, allowing him to enter the home. The entrance area was quite typical for many Japanese homes, having an entrance area with steps that lead up into a hallway that split into various rooms of the main floor. Naoto entered and stood near the wall as Yama closed the door behind him.

"I find it hard to believe such a young man could be working with the police, let alone be a detective. What did you say your name was again?" Yama asked, stepping toward the three steps that lead into his home.

"Shirogane Naoto. If you'd like, I can wait while you call the police chief to confirm, Honokaze-san." He leaned back against the wall and looked up at the man, their eyes locking for several seconds before Yama disappeared into the front room.

Yama picked up the phone and dialed the local PD, asking for the chief by name. It took several minutes before finally a man's gruff voice sounded on the other end of the line. They spoke for another five minutes as they exchanged information and description before he finally hung up. He sighed and looked at his watch before running a hand through his brown hair. He exited the front room and stared down at the boy who stood still leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, his eyes closed.

"May I offer you some tea, Detective Shirogane?"

Pushing off the wall, he opened his eyes as he unfolded his arms, returning his hands to his pockets as he turned to face him. "No, thank you. I only have a few questions to ask."

"Fine, what do you want?" Yama was annoyed and looked at his watch again.

"I don't want to take up any more of your time so I will make this quick. I'd first like to confirm that you are indeed the father of Inazuma Suzume, correct?"

Yama's brown furrowed at the mention of his daughter's name. "What is this about?"

Naoto noted the sudden defensive demeanor in the man at the mention of her name. "There is nothing to be concerned about, it's a simple yes or no question."

"Yes, I am her father. Is she in some sort of trouble?" he asked.

"And is it true that she will be arriving in Ozukai today?"

"How could you possibly know that? Look, if you don't tell me what this is about I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Yama took a step forward and had one foot on the uppermost step just when he opened his mouth to say something more but was cut off before he could get a single word out.

"Honokaze-san, as I've told you there is nothing to be concerned of, these are simply routine questions as I am trying to gather as much information as I am able to. As to the actual relation your daughter may or may not have to our case has yet to be determined, but as of now we are simply doing that, gathering information. No one is in any kind of trouble so I would appreciate it if you'd answer my questions."

Yama sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat down, his feet resting on the bottom step. "Yeah, I was about to go pick her up but then you appeared on my door step," he explained, propping an arm on his left knee.

"I see," he said, averting his gaze for a moment before returning it to Yama. "One year ago you had offered to care for her after her mother's death, which was witnessed by her. She declined but then she suddenly accepts a year after. Doesn't that strike you as strange?"

"I admit," he began, gesturing with his left hand, "I was surprised by her phone call as well, especially since I hadn't heard from her since her mother's funeral. She didn't really give much of a reason other than she thought it would be best that she came, so of course I accepted, gladly in fact."

Naoto nodded before speaking again. "And your late wife, you and she divorced fourteen years ago. For what reason?"

"Now wait a minute, what does that have to do with anything?" he asked, his tone borderline angry.

"I understand if you'd rather not discuss it, Honokaze-san, but I'd very much like to hear the reason why—"

"You're asking an awfully personal question. The hell kind of case are you doing? Shouldn't you be in school playing with dolls or—"

Naoto's eyes narrowed. "If you'd rather do this downtown at the PD I would be happy to oblige you," he said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a cell phone. He flipped it open and began dialing a number before turning it around to show Yama. Yama huffed indignantly at seeing the chief's personal office number on the screen. "I could call for a car to pick us up and even have one sent to pick up your daughter, Suzume. I can't arrest you, of course, but I can bring you in for further questioning if you'd prefer…" He turned the phone back toward him and pressed the send button, bringing the phone to his ear, all the while never taking his eyes off Yama.

"Now wait, hold on, there's really no need to do that." The young detective lowered the phone and pressed the End button, closing it but kept it in his hand. Yama sighed again, wondering if perhaps he should have stayed in bed today. "Look, how can I explain something to someone who has probably never even been married and has kids?" When Naoto's glare deepened Yama threw his hands up in defense. "I meant no disrespect, please." He lowered his hands back onto his knees before continuing. "Everything started out great. We both had great careers and we enjoyed each other, but then things started to change little by little. I don't know why or how, but after Suzume was born Nana—I mean, Nanashi—she was home less and less. She'd stay at work several nights in a row sometimes, leaving me home alone with a baby. I was young and stupid, I didn't know what else to do to cope, so I…" Yama stopped midsentence and ran a hand through his hair again, visibly having difficulty putting certain things into words.

"So?" Naoto asked, his hands back into his pockets.

Yama rubbed his forehead before continuing. "So I started drinking. It was only a little at first, but then it got to be more and more. Sometimes I'd drink so much I'd pass out for hours." He paused again, avoiding the young detective's stare. "One night I drank so much I was passed out while Suzume had somehow gotten out of her playpen and had gotten her hands on cigarette butts in Nanashi's ashtray on the floor. She put them into her mouth and she choked. If the house next door hadn't caught on fire I wouldn't have heard the sirens, they wouldn't have woken me up and I would never have found her in time."

Naoto wanted to feel sympathy for the man but found that he could not. He had made his choices and someone nearly paid the price in flesh for them. "Then what happened?"

Yama wiped at his face, his demeanor completely different than a moment ago. "I was able to get her to the hospital in time. I picked her up and ran there since Nanashi had the car. They managed to get her heart started again after they cleared her throat. Nanashi blamed me, of course, because I was a good for nothing loser."

"And then you divorced—"

"No, no that's not why. It wasn't entirely because of what had happened with Suzume, but it was one of the reasons. A week later we brought Suzume home and she gave me an ultimatum, told me I could either quit drinking or I had to leave. I told her she was partly to blame because she was never home, what sort of mother doesn't want to spend time with her baby? We argued some more, she got angry, I got angry, she said one thing too many and I hit her. I wasn't really thinking, I just… I just reacted. It was after that that we decided we couldn't be together anymore. I tried filing for custody but it never even made it to court. No judge would give an alcoholic custody." He wiped at his face again with the edge of his sleeve. "I didn't want to leave but I felt responsible, and every time I tried to make contact she'd block me."

"I see. It must have been very difficult for you to have to leave as I am sure you must be glad to be able to be a part of your daughter's life once more."

Yama looked up at the boy detective, his eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to insinuate something?"

"No, of course not." Naoto turned around and reached for the door, opening it into the warm summer air. He turned around to face the man sitting on the steps when he spoke again. "I've heard that they still haven't caught her murderer."

"I didn't kill her, hell I never even hated her. We were young, unprepared and stupid. We made poor decisions but I loved her and I love Suzume. Not a single day has gone by that I haven't thought of her." Yama stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets, staring down at the young detective. "I think it's time you left."

"I am sorry if my questions have brought up painful memories, Honokaze-san. Thank you for your time," he said, bowing his head slightly as he pinched the edge of his hat before turning on his heel and exiting the home.

Yama watched the young boy's retreating back before taking several deep breaths and stepping out into the sun light, locking the door behind him.

(~)

The train car was empty save for just one girl, her straight, light brown hair shining in the bright sunlight that filtered through the windows, her strawberry blond bangs a fiery orange in the light. She had dyed her hair several months after it had happened to a light brown, the same color as her mother's hair. She flipped through the newspaper until she finally found something of interest. Reading the headline her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed before she crumpled the paper into a ball, tossing it away from her.

_Cop _killer_ still at large._

"God damn! Are all cops this fucking useless?" She propped her forehead onto her hand and crossed her legs, the hem of her short, pleated skirt just above her knees. She fingered the two pendants that hung from chains around her neck, one a star that had been her mother's and the other a naginata, a pendant given to her by that weird old man, Igor.

She had visited him often after she had been shot, becoming not only someone she could confide in but also someone she had come to trust. For the past year he and Theodore had been advising her during her recovery and rehabilitation. His tarot cards had guided her through many difficult decisions, including the one about having to contact her father, a man she had no memory of nor even knew where to find. Igor had found him and even though she hadn't wanted to, he told her to speak to him. It was afterward that he gave her the task of finding them, these _others_ that were important somehow to whatever quest she has been trusted with. Either way, she was kind of glad for the task, even though it involved having to live with him. It wasn't that she hated the man, it was simply that she knew nothing about him, nor why he had left her and mother, why he had never called or visited, or any of the sort of things that fathers are expected to do. She had a lot of questions for him, but every single one came attached with a bit of anger and pain because it meant she'd also have to talk about mom.

"We shall be arriving at Ozukai station in five minutes. All passengers disembarking please have your luggage ready."

She stretched her arms out above her, arching her back, before sitting straight again and pulling her green t-shirt back down. She stood up and grabbed the two duffle bags off the seats in front of her. She hadn't brought much other than her clothing since she didn't own much to begin with. After that incident she had spent most of her time living with Miki during her rehabilitation, but as much as they had welcomed her and tried to make her feel at home she never felt quite right being there. It wasn't _home_. Once Igor had given her this quest, she spent a good chunk of money she had on Miki and her family as thanks for having taken her in without even as much as a second thought or even any expectation other than that she treat it as her home. She had gotten a lot of money from her mother's insurance so she afforded to pay off some of their debts for their home. She just hoped it had been enough. She still had a lot of money left but she never really had any reason to spend it, let alone spending it on herself. Sure she had bought a few things here and there, pierced her ears several times, her hair dyed, a few other things here and there. As for the quest she had been given, she wondered now if maybe they could help her… She shook her head again, pushing the thoughts aside. She was overthinking again and that always lead to nothing good.

She stood in front of the doors and waited for the train to come to a full stop. The doors slid open and a gust of warm air enveloped her. She stepped off the train pulling her luggage with her and into the platform, looking around to find anyone who might be waiting for her. The platform was relatively free of people other than the few passengers that trickled out of the other cars. The sun was bright and the air was warm, the scent of the old diesel train mixed in with the smells of freshly cut grass, apples from the small orchard that surrounded the train station and the faintest scent of cologne from an old man that walked passed her from behind. The station building itself looked like it could use a fresh coat of paint and some knew roof tiles but other than that it didn't look all that old. She took a step forward just when she heard her name being called on her right.

"Inazuma Suzume?" She turned around to find a blue haired boy approaching her. "I'm Detective Shirogane Naoto. Mind if I ask you a few questions?" he asked, flashing a police badge.

She looked down at the badge and chuckled. "I used to collect those when I was a kid. Mom had tons since she was an actual detective. Piss off, brat, I don't have time to play with you." She turned and began walking away.

"I spoke to your father earlier today." Naoto returned the badge inside his jacket. "He confirmed a lot of interesting facts, such as how you—"

Without missing a step she looked at him out of the corner of her eye from over her shoulder. "You're implying I care." She returned her attention forward again.

Naoto shifted his weight onto his other leg, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Were you always a bitch, Inazuma-san? Or did something happen that made you change?"

Suzume stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around, her heart skipping a beat in her chest. _Was I always like this? _She remembered always being the quiet but straight forward girl and maybe she did change a little bit, but at what point did she become mean? When did the quiet girl become the bitch? _A lot has happened, can anyone blame me? … Maybe I was a bit too harsh… _She sighed and furrowed her brow before turning around to face the boy who stood about thirty paces away from her. "What do you want?"

Naoto's expressionless face never changed as he stepped forward to stand in front of the taller teen glaring down at him. "I'm simply curious as to why you'd suddenly change your mind, Inazuma-san. A year ago you refused your father's offer and yet here you are now, a year later. What changed your mind?"

Her face softened slightly though she made no effort to hide her annoyance with him. She sighed and averted her gaze, still looking around for any sign that he'd be here. "Personal reasons, all of which are none of your business," she told him.

"And a year ago, you declined him. Why?"

She stopped looking around and stared down at him. "Personal reasons, all of which are none of your business," she repeated.

"I see…" Naoto said whilst looking down and pinching his chin with his thumb and index finger.

"Are you done or do you still want to play detective?"

Naoto chuckled before raising his hand to pinch the tip of his beret before bowing his head. "Thank you for your time, Inazuma-san. I will be in touch," he said before walking away and disappearing behind her into the station building. She watched his retreating back from over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, annoyed with the sudden interrogation and wondering if he was going to be a troublesome character in the future. She sighed loudly, a habit she had always had when she was stressed or annoyed.

"Suzume?"

"What?" she barked, turning on her heel only to find herself facing someone she hadn't expected. "Sorry, I thought you were that annoying guy."

"What guy?" he asked, looking around.

"Just some brat asking me a bunch of questions," she replied.

"Detective Shirogane?" he asked her as he reached for her bags.

She took a step back defensively more out of habit than anything else. "No, it was just some kid in—"

"In a dark blue jacket wearing a blue beret," he finished for her, still holding his hands out for her bags.

"Yeah…" She handed him one of her bags and followed him into the station toward the exit. She noticed he looked much taller and older than the picture she had found on the web. His hair was brown, short and slightly curly, and he wore a black buttoned up shirt over blue jeans.

"You look different than your picture on your Facebook profile," he said, looking down at her just in time to see her shrug in response. He sighed quietly, looking away. "Did you mother ever tell you anything about me?" When he looked back at her the expression on her face was like a knife stab to the heart though he did his best to not show it.

They walked toward the car in silence and she loaded her bags into the back herself, ignoring Yama's offer and the drive was spent pretty much in the same manner. There was a tension in the air that made it difficult for either of them to talk without risking some sort of explosive confrontation. Yama wasn't ready for that just yet, her sudden decision to come live with him had left him little time to prepare emotionally and mentally. Suzume on the other hand had a lot she wanted to say and ask, but didn't want to risk saying anything yet, it was still too soon, today at least.

(~)

September 23rd, 2012

They had spent the rest of yesterday pretty much ignoring each other, likely more out of not knowing what to say or how to say it than anything else. She had thanked him for accepting her request, however, and he had nodded quietly. Every time she had caught him looking at her the look in his eyes reminded her of a wounded animal wondering when the next blow would come. She didn't like it, it made her feel uncomfortable, as it she was somehow responsible for how he currently felt. She was old enough to understand that there must have been circumstances that led up to her parent's divorce, but there were other things she didn't understand and wanted to know. Nothing they did was her fault or her responsibility, they made their choices and had to live with it._ But what the hell happened that was so bad that he couldn't even write to me? Fuck… I hate this! _She wondered if coming here had been a mistake after all. She sighed deeply, inhaling the crisp morning air and exhaling, pushing all thoughts aside.

"Good morning, Inazuma-san," a familiar voice spoke from behind.

Suzume looked behind her from over her shoulder to see the boy detective from the day before following her from behind, wearing a similar uniform as her. He wore the dark blue trousers and a red buttoned up overcoat, just above the breast pocket was the same school crest as hers. She wore the same overcoat only hers was more form fitting and worn over a white blouse with cravat, the swallow tails fell over her dark blue pleated skirt with black socks that rose to her mid-thigh.

"Don't you think it's a bit early in the morning to be following me, boy?" she asked, watching him come to stand beside her and match her pace, smiling lightly at her attempted provocation.

"I thought I would accompany you since we're both going the same way and I thought you might perhaps require a friend." He shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

She looked down at him with slight contempt. "You're annoying, boy."

He looked up at her this time, his expression showing he was amused. "I see you're still being a bitch. Must be that time of the month."

She narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to say something but clammed it shut, looking away so he wouldn't see that she was blushing. They both walked the remainder of the way to school together in silence.

(~)

Not only had he walked with her to school—or rather, follow her— but he was also in her class and at the desk next to hers. She wondered if this was some sort of conspiracy against her. At least he hadn't spoken to her since then and to her relief the teacher finally walked in followed by a male student. Suddenly the teacher dropped a small stack of books he had been carrying onto his desk with a loud bang, startling several students into paying attention.

"Listen up, maggots. I don't have time or any tolerance for your bullshit, so unless you want to be failing quicker than the other sperm you beat in the race to the mothership," he began, already earning several gasps from the female students and chuckles from the males, Suzume had decided she liked this teacher. He was tall and scruffy looking with his long blond ponytail and wrinkled shirt over a pair of slightly baggy jeans and sandals. "I suggest paying attention. Writing F's takes far less effort than writing A's and B's." He looked around the classroom to make certain he had everyone's attention before gesturing with a thumb to the very confused looking boy standing near the class entrance. "This is Dirk McDonald, he's from the United States. He has a terrible accent and isn't very good with pronunciations yet so cut him some slack."

Suzume watched the black haired boy's face change instantaneously from hurt to a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. He stepped up to the front of the class and dropped his hand and shoved it into his pocket along with his other hand. "Hello," was all he said before bowing awkwardly. If she hadn't been paying attention she'd never have caught the sudden change, like pulling a mask over one's own face in order to hide something you don't want anyone else to see. With a quick glance around the room it seemed like she was the only one to notice… Except maybe for Naoto who exchanged glances with her before returning his attention back to the boy standing in front of the class.

"You'll be sitting near the other two new students," the teacher said before walking behind his desk and flipping a paper attached to a clipboard. "Right, Inazuma and Shirogane, where are you?" he asked, looking around the room until his eyes fell upon the two students who held their hands up. "See the desk behind her?" He pointed toward Suzume and the boy just nodded before walking over to his desk.

As soon as he had passed her she felt something strange coming from him, almost like the sting of a static shock and it made her hair stand on end. Goosebumps suddenly prickled her arms and a shiver ran down her spine. She turned around to glare at him just as he sat down on the seat behind her, her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed. Their eyes met and he just looked at her confusedly.

He leaned forward in his seat and whispered. "Sorry, did I do something wrong?"

Without a word she turned around in her seat and caught a glimpsed of Naoto who had been watching from the corner of his eye. She frowned at her desk. Years of living with a cop had helped her gain some knowledge and experience in observing people, noticing things the average person would miss, but it was also something she honed in the past year. It was a great skill to have when you wanted to lie.

Though nothing had prepared her for that.

_What the hell was that?_


	3. Chapter 3

September 23rd, 2012

Friday Night

Suzume woke up suddenly and inhaled, her mind taking a moment before it recognized the purple velvety ceiling and the velvety texture beneath her. She turned her head to stare at the old man sitting at the table, Theodore standing beside him and watching her expressionless. She rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to the ceiling, folding her right leg and spreading her arms out on the floor.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"It has been a while, dear guest…"

She could see the creepy old man from out of the corner of her right eye even from where she lay. His chin was propped onto the back of his folded hands, his elbows propped onto the table. His nose was his most predominant feature, sticking out like a carrot does on a snowman. "Not long enough." She exhaled loudly.

"I trust you had an enjoyable journey and have settled down in your new home?"

She remained quiet for several moments before replying. "It was uneventful." She lifted her right up arm and placed it across her forehead, completely blocking her view of the carrot nosed Igor. "What do you want, Igor?"

"Such impatience…" he replied, unmoving. "I fear I have unfortunate news…"

She hated the way he paused at the end of nearly each sentence like some dramatic insert. Sighing, she rolled over onto her side and using her right hand to prop herself up she stood, finally facing him. He gestured that she sit down and she just stood there, staring at the empty seat. "What news?" she asked, ignoring his offer.

He returned his hand back to being underneath his chin. "Your powers may be required soon, though I pray it will not be so."

She returned her gaze to him, herself also unmoving from where she stood. "The Personas you mean?" Igor grinned and it sent chills down her spine and raised the hair on her neck. She liked it even less when he grinned in that manner. "Well, considering you've bothered me repeatedly for the past year on a semi-regular bases, I've ruled you out as a psychotic episode, schizophrenia and hallucinations, though I haven't ruled out being batshit crazy quite just yet. So, this power, what exactly is it?"

"I will let your heart decide that, though I believe you will be visited by someone from your past. Someone dear, someone close. Someone you've thought gone forever."

He removed his left hand from beneath the right one and gestured at Theodore. The taller man reacted immediately and moved toward the confused Suzume.

"What do you mean?" she asked, stepping aside to avoid Theodore who kept advancing on her. "Answer me!"

Igor opened his mouth just as the room began to fade, his words almost like a whisper as she began to return to her world.

"As always, you are welcome in the Velvet Room… Until next time, dear guest."

Everything faded into darkness.

(~)

She moaned and brought a hand up to her forehead, her brow furrowing before her eyes opened slowly. She laid there in confusion as she tried to make sense of her environment, her mind not yet registering why her bed felt so hard or why she could feel the cool, night breeze so perfectly. Propping herself up on one arm she rolled over into a sitting position, crossing one leg while the other was bent at the knee in front of her.

She looked around and it finally registered in her mind that she wasn't at home in her bed, but rather sitting on the concrete in front of her school in the middle of the night. Though the breeze felt cool on her skin and enough light was cast by the pale, full moon, something other than suddenly appearing in front of her school in her pajamas felt wrong. She couldn't quite put her finger on it yet but something simply didn't seem right. She stood up and looked around more, trying to get her bearing on where she was and why she had been brought here.

"Igor, you asshole… You could have at least warned me," she said between gritted teeth.

As soon as the words had left her mouth the sense of malaise grew even stronger, as though there were some important hint that she just couldn't see or hear. She raised her hand and looked at her wrist, her face changing to that of disappointment when she remembered having taken off her watch before going to bed earlier. She wondered how much time had passed since she had fallen asleep, concerned that her father might have woken up to find her missing from her room, though she didn't really expect that he'd really check on her. She felt surprised at being concerned for her father finding her missing and sighed.

_What the hell am I doing? I'm in front of my school, barefoot, in pajamas, alone, at night and my first concern is that he might think I ran away? He's the last person I should be feeling sorry for right now. _Somehow, she didn't really believe that last statement herself and felt a very small stab of pain at having thought it in the first place before quickly chiding herself for her momentary lapse of weakness. It wasn't that she completely hated him, hell she didn't even know him, but that she was still trying to sort out her own mixed feelings and didn't want to have to worry about someone else's, especially not his. For the past several days they hadn't spoken more than a few words, finding excuses to avoid having to talk or be in the same room together. She hated the way he'd look at her whenever she'd say something, like some wounded animal waiting to be struck again. She didn't like it and it made her feel uncomfortable as well as bring up feelings of sympathy, feelings she never considered she'd have for the man who abandoned her and her mother. It wasn't like she didn't want to talk to him either, because she did, she just didn't know what to say or where to start and she was afraid that once she did start she'd say something stupid or simply say too much. She had grown up her entire life as that quiet girl who didn't talk much, who internalized her feelings and never really spoke up. This past year had changed all that, in a single moment her entire life had been flipped upside down and inside out, exposing emotions she had kept locked deep inside where no one else could reach. This past year had taught her something about herself that she never knew; when she became emotional, even in the slightest, she had problems controlling the rising tide within her before it drowned her and whoever else that'd be unfortunate enough to be her target. She desperately wanted to talk, but she wasn't ready and for all the walking on eggshells he had been doing she knew he wanted to say something as well.

Another breeze blew past her and cooled her skin, the wind so quiet it was almost eerie… Suddenly something else dawned on her without actually revealing itself entirely to her. It was like finding a piece of a puzzle you knew had to be important but you weren't sure exactly where or how it fit. She pushed aside all thoughts of the past and her father and decided that there must be a reason why Igor had sent her here. She explored the school grounds and ended up back at where she had begun in front of the school, having found nothing and no one of importance to whatever mysterious reason she had been brought here. The trek around the school had been quick and futile since all of the buildings were not only locked for the night, but the grounds were completely devoid of any human presence, though she couldn't vouch for the lack of any animal presence. She looked up at the trees that stood so still and silent that they could have almost been made out of stone rather than bark. Something nagged at her again and she kept staring at the trees.

_Where are the birds?_ Suddenly it finally clicked in her mind and she held her breath. _It's so quiet… It's too quiet in fact. No birds, owls, no leaves rustling or traffic sounds, no cats or dogs barking…_ It was then that she realized that other than the sound of her voice everything seemed completely devoid of any other sound, let alone traces of life. Something flashed just barely out of her peripheral vision and caught her attention. She turned to look just in time to see what looked to be the light of someone's flashlight up on the school's rooftop as whoever carried the light walked along the edge before disappearing from view.

A chill ran down her spine and she felt like she didn't want to be here anymore. Something was terribly wrong and she didn't feel prepared or equipped to handle it at the moment. She turned around and began walking away from her school and turned into the street, taking the same route she had been taking since coming here to find her way home from school. She noticed some of the buildings she passed didn't even have doors and their windows looked like they had been painted on like a child's drawing on a sidewalk. This only confirmed her growing suspicion that wherever she was it wasn't anywhere _real_, whatever that meant.

Upon that new realization she wondered what good it would do her to go home and after thinking it over for no more than a few seconds she decided it was as good a place as any to start, if anything, though she had no idea what she was supposed to start to begin with, let alone where she was. She wrapped her arms around herself in a hug as she crossed the street, looking both ways out of sheer habit and feeling silly for it. Just as she was about to reach the other side something fell onto the street behind her with a sickening sound, like something heavy and wet hitting the pavement. The sounds that came after were equally as sickening as it shlurped toward her. She swallowed hard and tried not to throw up right there and then and took a deep breath before turning around to see what had fallen behind her. Immediately she regretted having turned around as soon as she saw the pile of black goo moving toward her like one of those jelly monsters in the black and white movies her mom used to watch. She took a step back and onto the sidewalk, nearly tripping backwards over the curb. The thing kept advancing until it finally reached the center of the street and stopped, leaving a trail of black slime from where it had landed.

"What the hell…?"

She backed up against a wall and yelped, the sudden contact startling her. She took three steps to her right before turning to make a run for it only to stop dead in her tracks when something flew passed her face and impacted on the wall beside her with a splat. She turned to look and found the same black substance running down the wall like runny, black Jell-O. The black thing made another sound, louder this time and with more slurp as it rose up. She turned her head only enough to see it out of the corner of her eye as it began to rise up off the concrete and take form. It slowly shaped itself into the form of an animal that rose up three times her height, its knees nearly as high as her head. She turned and pressed up against the wall behind her, having nowhere to run much less hide, she watched on as it began to resemble a giant three headed dog with three long tails, each ending with a blade tip that cut into the concrete with each slam. The heads began to form ears but the faces themselves resembled nothing of a dog's face, rather they each had human features as it formed a nose, two eyes and a mouth before suddenly covering each face with a mask. Each mask had different facial expressions which were all equally disturbing as they stared down at her from above. The one on the far left was of mirth and the one on the far right of sorrow while the one in the middle was a blank face.

She turned and tried to run passed it toward her house but it whipped tail in her direction and crashed into the wall beside her. She stopped and slammed her back against the wall only inches away from the impact. Its heads moved around as it in confusion and she wondered if it had decided to grow its three brains last. She took several steps in the opposite direction she had tried to run and her leg bumped into something. She quickly looked down at the planter pot full of dirt and reached down into it without even so much as a thought and scooped up a fistful before throwing it out in front of her, aiming for the beast's three faces. Her fistful of dirt must have contained a stone because as soon as it was out of her hand the creature backed up once and roared. She took the opportunity to run back toward the school entrance, nearly tripping over herself when the ground began to shake from the creature's angered reaction. Her bare feet smacked loudly against the pavement and she cursed Igor's name as the creature finally noticed her missing and chased after her. She barely made it to the gate and turned toward the school doors when it drifted to a stop behind her. She could feel it staring at her back as she made a bee line for the doors.

"Oh dear, this just won't do us at all…"

Suzume stopped and stared up at the only open window that was visible on this side of the school building. She couldn't make out the individual that stood at the window's edge nor could she tell by the sound of the voice. She turned to look behind her and found the creature standing no more than a yard behind her, its eyes glowing red from the eye holes in the masks.

"Something tells me you're not a Persona user," the voice said again and Suzume could have sworn it sounded annoyed at her. "How boring."

She could do nothing but watch as the creature took one step forward for every step back she took. Drool dripped from its mouth to the ground, some of it falling onto its paws as it continued to force Suzume further back up the steps and toward the doors.

"Hello? Are you even listening?" it called down to her from the window above.

"Trying not to, actually…" Her heel hit the bottom step and she slowly began to back up the steps.

"Tch, you rude little whore, I should – Actually, wait, I have a better idea. You see, I can't let you awaken your Persona, love. Not today, not tomorrow and if I can help it, not ever. So how about you and Fluffy play together?"

Laughter filtered down from the window above and faded away until she couldn't hear it anymore. She continued to rise up the steps until she finally had her back against the doors which turned out to be nothing more than drawings on a wall like all the other buildings that lined the street. The giant dog monster advanced toward her again, its three mouths snarling and saliva dripping from its teeth. From this angle she could clearly see its wet, matted fur and scarred faces, the stiches so huge and badly done it was almost like some child's stuffed animal gone horribly wrong.

"Fluffy? You have got to be shitting me… Is this guy for real?"

The head in the middle lunged forward and snapped at her while the other two barked and growled. She had to duck in order to avoid the attack and dodge left as the other two heads came forward with their mouths open and bared fangs. Laying almost as flat as she could against the concrete she watched as the two heads collided, the one on the far right nearly biting into the one on the far left, leaving behind a smear of saliva and blood on the wall above her. The two heads that had collided retracted and snapped at one another while the one in the center tried to separate the two. With the giant dog from hell distracted she slowly slid up the wall, making sure to keep her back to it and watch for any sign that it had noticed her. If she was quick enough she could make it to the small courtyard that was only accessible by a very narrow passage outside. As soon as she noticed the three heads were no longer paying attention to her she took a step to her right before turning and running toward the far edge of the school where she could turn and run toward the inner grounds. She had barely taken five steps forward when something black and fast swung right passed her and sliced into her arm. She cried out in pain and slammed her back against the wall and sank down as the three heads snapped at her again. She brought her right hand cover the bleeding wound on her left arm, the blood trickling down her arm and onto the concrete beneath her. The color drained from her face and her breathing quickened along with her heart rate.

_If I don't make a run for it now I think that thing is going to kill me…_

She looked to her right again and estimated that she had at least thirty steps to make at a breakneck run if she was going to make it. She barely had time to turn her head and notice when another tail whipped at her. She ducked low and it crashed into the wall above her, causing chunks of concrete, debris and dust to fall onto her. Holding her breath so as to not breathe in any of the dust and letting go of her still bleeding wound, she shot up and made a break for the edge of the school building just as the three headed beast whipped another one of its bladed tails in her direction. She saw it coming from the corner of her eye and knew she wouldn't make it in time as the tail shot out and aimed directly at her. A second tail whipped toward her as well, further out then the other and forced her to stop and slam her back against the wall to avoid its impact as it crashed into the wall on one side and the other tail on the other side of her.

Her chest was heaving now and she could do nothing to avoid breathing in the dust. Her lungs burned and her chest ached as well as the pain still radiating from the still bleeding wound on her left arm. She could have run more but it seemed as though the blade that had sliced her arm open wasn't just an ordinary blade, but likely laced with poison of some sort as she felt her temperature rise considerably and her vision blur. Her chest tightened and the muscles in her knees ached as well as every joint in her body. Whatever the poison was it was working quickly as she could barely stand any longer.

_Damn… what am I supposed to do now? This is so stupid…_

The tails retracted from the wall and she could do nothing but watch as they whirled them around, debris, flying in every direction before whipping them back in her direction again. Suddenly Igor's final words to her surfaced in her mind and with them conjured up memories of her mother and time seemed to slow down. She watched as the beast with its mouths snarling and drool dripping like wet threads come toward her in slow motion, its tails still aimed at her hanging in midair.

_I'm going to die here…_

"No."

Her heart skipped a beat and time returned to normal. The tails shot toward her and were struck away by a pulse of light that emanated from her chest. The light was so bright she had to shield her eyes with a hand, only able to watch through narrow lids as tendrils of light came out and wrapped around her wound and like a bandage of glowing light. The sensation was cool and soothing, the pain slowly vanished as well as any aches and pains she had elsewhere. She brought her hand away as the light began to shrink to a sphere that hung against her breast bone. The creature had backed up several paces in confusion and fear and she wondered if she could make it now that it was visibly uncertain about attacking her again.

"_No_."

Again the familiar voice spoke in her ear though there was no one around to have spoken. She looked down at her chest and reached up with her right hand, cupping the trembling sphere of light within her hand.

_I am thou…_

"What the hell?"

Several circles of blue light appeared beneath her with brightly glowing runes. Her hand wrapped around the light and her chain finally surrendered to the pressure and snapped. Holding her hand out in front of her the light shot out in two directions forming a long pole with a curved blade at the top end.

_And thou art I._

The beast growled so loud the sounds rang in her ears. It stepped forward and turned its hind end so as to whip its three tails toward her again. The runes beneath her pulsated as well as the weapon in her hand and her body reacted on its own as it slashed at one of the tails, successfully lopping off one of the poisoned blades. The beast howled and another came toward her, again she deflected the attack with ease as she twirled the pole around and reached with its long blade to cut the tail near the middle this time. Blood began to pour from the wound and the monster cried out in pain and anger.

_Thou who have yet to open the door shall open it this night._

The beast roared and the circle of runes glowed even brighter as the pole suddenly vanished and left her hand closed into a fist in front of her. A mask appeared at the center of the circle and from it emanated a strong energy that shot upwards like a strong, swirling wind, causing her hair to whip around. Half the mask was of a darker color and reminded her of the masks her mother used to collect and hang on the walls around the house. It was then that she realized something was poking into her palm and she opened her fist to stare at the Naginata pendant in her hand as it slowly began to fade into a shimmering dust that moved upward.

The shimmering light that had been her pendant swirled around above her hand. "Per…" It swirled around faster and began to form an object. "So…" The object's form became more and more defined until finally she was staring into a card. It spun around really fast and then began to slow down until she could finally see its face. A bird with beautiful feathers wrapped its wings around a precious object in a protective, crystalline embrace. The weapon of light reappeared in her hand and became like a real Naginata, its dark wood pole and gleaming blade felt almost like a natural extension of her body. She spun it around herself and brought it up to strike the card. "NA!" The card vanished and the circle of runes flashed once more before it too vanished.

The pole weapon remained in her hand though there seemed nothing else between herself and the creature. The three headed dog had backed up even more than before and was nearly out onto the street in front of the school as it watched her from a safe distance. It seemed uncertain as to how to proceed now that its attacks had been thwarted twice. She watched it for a few seconds before realizing it was watching her at all, but was actually looking passed her completely.

Something crackled behind her and she startled, slowly turning her head to find herself face to face with a giant blue bird. A part of the school's wall had been evaporated in whatever had brought the bird to hover behind her, its multiple tails of long, blue feathers of light fluttering behind it. Its wings were also just as long and as beautiful as its tails, though the feathers seemed more crystalline like ice rather than like the soft light of its tail feathers. Its feet were thick and strong looking, a darker blue than the rest of its body which ended in claws of ice that dug into the wall as it landed. Its beak was of the same color as its feet and its eyes glimmered like two crystals.

"What…the…fuck…" She almost dropped the pole weapon in astonishment as to what she was looking at.

_I am thou and thou art I. I have been born from thy heart's core and I exist as the personification of thy innermost self. I have heard thy call and heeded thy summon to service._

"Wait…what?" Suzume was unsure as to how to react, much less what to do with the giant bird of ice. For all the warnings Igor had given her about her eventually being able to use this power he called Perosnas, she hadn't for a single moment imagined it would be anything like this. "I'm not exactly sure what to do with you…"

_All that thou must know will come to thee at thy time of need. Simply listen and thy heart will speak._

After having watched for several moments and being uncertain as to what to do about the sudden appearance of the giant bird behind Suzume, the dog creature assumed that since it hadn't attacked that it must be unable to. Ignoring its severed tail pieces on the ground in front of it, all three heads reared up toward the sky and howled, the sound sending cold shivers down Suzume's spine. She spun around just in time to see the beast grow in size by almost two folds. Its legs and necks grew thicker than tree logs and each head now had six eyes each and forked tongues. Spikes protruded from the beast's back and split into three rows up each of the necks. Its clawed feet were like iron hooks that dug into the concrete. She looked down at her pole weapon and wondered if it was big enough to handle the beast in its enlarged state.

It took one step forward and all three heads roared at her in unison. She crossed her arms in front of herself to shield herself and took a step back. The beast swung a clawed foot at her and she had to duck and in doing so she was able to see that it had begun growing its severed tails back among others she noticed had appeared from its transformation as well. She rose up and slashed at it using her Naginata as it tried to grab at her again. She tried clearing her mind of everything else but found it challenging to not think about anything when some monster the size of a house was swinging at her. She wondered why it hadn't just crushed her with one blow or eaten her and then she noticed something strange about its paws every time it swung them in her direction. Every time it came close to her it began to turn white as though being covered in frost, and the longer it stayed close to her the more it froze.

Suzume took a step back and stood up against the crumbling wall behind her, being as close to Cryas as she could and waited for it to try to grab at her again. Finally it decided to use its tails and whipped them in her direction only to have them frost over every time they came in close proximity to the giant ice bird perched above her. The beast roared in anger and stomped around, reminding her of an angry gorilla at the zoo that had pounded onto another male gorilla when it had done something to anger it. She stood back and watched as she tried again to clear her mind of all thoughts. The monster roared again and charged at her, all three heads aiming down toward her with mouths open and bared fangs. Suddenly something welled up inside her as she watched the monster approach.

"BUFU!"

The bird above her screeched and spread her wings and folded them in front of Suzume as the monster came bearing down on them. The air around her became colder and colder with each passing millisecond as the temperature dropped and ice crystals began forming in the air. Suzume exhaled and she could see her own breath. Cryas then spread her wings outward, the resulting gust of wind froze the air and formed icicles that were thrown with such force that they shot toward the monster as it slid back into the houses across the street. Suzume watched as the icicles closed the gap but were quickly slapped away. Cryas' refolded her wings around her body and large snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Confused and enraged, the beast shook its three heads and charged at her again, all of its eyes glowing hot red. She opened her mouth and was about to speak the spell's name again when the creature lunged directly at her head first. Something near her chest snapped and broke, only giving her enough time to see a glint of metal before it disappeared from view.

_Ziodyne!_

Again, time slowed down as she watched the monster suspended in midair come down toward her baring all claws and fangs. Another flash of light emanated from between her breasts though this time it shot straight up like an arc of electricity. It wrapped around Cryas and she began to glow brightly until she was completely enveloped in it. The light swelled up and began to shrink as it changed form, this time slowly revealing the shape of yet another bird, smaller this time, but with far longer tail fathers and larger wings. It was every shade of blue, from darkest to lightest; the shimmering feathers were so long they almost seemed like ribbons. The bird perched above her and spread its wings up above it, the tips nearly touching. Lightning flashed down from the sky above and gathered between its wings into a sphere that grew so bright Suzume could no longer watch and had to shield her eyes from the glare. She covered her eyes and could only listen as something crashed into the beast hard enough to make it cry out in pain before everything fell silent again, the heat from the light fading away. She removed her hands from in front of her eyes and stared at a charred spot on the concrete where the monster had been standing moments ago.

Still holding her pole weapon, she took a few steps forward and stared down at the still smoking concrete where it had been melted and warped. She turned around to face the bird creature and felt something so familiar about it.

_I am your mother's Persona, the Lightning Sparrow. Would she have endured, she would have seen you through these trials._

"Wait, what are you saying? My mother is dead."

The bird began to fade away.

_She has used all her remaining energy to summon me to you, and now that energy is fading away, so I cannot assist you any longer until you have become stronger. _She could barely see it now as it had nearly completely faded away. Suzume stood by and watched as the only remaining connection to her mother disappeared, and she could do nothing about it. Her mind began to reel and her knees buckled beneath her, the Naginata dropping onto the concrete with a clang. _Your mother's final moments were filled with thoughts of you, it filled her with great pride and joy._ Suzume laid on the cold concrete unable to move, her broken locket only inches away from her hand.

Everything went dark.

(~)

Suzume groaned and opened her eyes, her blurred vision filling with the color purple. Immediately she recognized the color and groaned not for any pain she felt, but for having woken up, yet again, in the Velvet Room. Her clenched fist laid in front of her face on the carpeted floor.

"Igor, if it weren't for feeling like shit right now I think I'd get up and slap that grin off your face…" Suzume said, unclenching her fist to find her broken locket.

"Welcome back, dear guest," he said from where he sat at the table. Suzume closed her eyes and rolled over onto her back, holding tightly onto the pieces of her locket. "I trust you had a fateful encounter, yes?"

"Yeah…" Suzume rolled over onto her knees and using the chair in front of her, pulled herself up to lean onto the back of the chair. The old codger sat in his seat with his chin propped onto his folded hands. "Care to explain that?"

"Indeed, it was remarkable how you were able to arrive in such a place without the aid of a portal. Theodore," Igor began, gesturing with a hand, "be sure to investigate this matter."

Theodore bowed slightly at his master's command. "Of course, master."

She managed to pull the chair out and dropped into it just as Igor waved a hand over the table in front of her. At the center of the table a key with a purple ribbon appeared.

"From today on, you shall have use of this key in order to come and go in the Velvet Room as you please. The next time you visit us shall be of your own choosing." Igor returned his hand to beneath his chin. The key slid toward her until finally she reached out and grabbed it, holding it up in front of her face as it dangled from the ribbon. It looked like one of those antique keys people used to open chests in the old days before keycards were invented. "However, there is a matter that I should inform you of." Suzume frowned when the old codger paused. She was about to ask him what when finally he spoke again. "You have a unique ability, something which makes you only one of very few guests who have this ability. You have the power of the Wild Card which allows you to use multiple Personas. However…"

"Oh for Christ's sake, get on with it," Suzume said, dropped the hand that held the key onto the table.

"You will be required to form Social Links with others in order to acquire new Personas. New bonds will allow you to acquire new Personas, and the stronger the bond, the stronger the Persona."

"So I have to make friends and play nice with the other kids?"

"Indeed…" Igor waved a hand again and a card appeared on the table in front of her. The card's face showed a sleeping Shirogane on his stomach on his bed. "In him you have awakened your first Social Link."

She stared down at the card and wondered if she'd had a younger brother if he'd have looked anything like the sleeping boy on the card. Or perhaps a boyfriend… She groaned internally at the prospect that she'd have to deal with other people, people who could potentially became friends or perhaps even more. It wasn't like she didn't like having friends or that the idea of having a boyfriend was a particularly bad one, they were just things she didn't think she'd have to deal with having come here, nor were they things she really wanted to explore at the present time. It was bad enough that she had to live in the same house as her father, the man who looked like a deer in headlights every time she managed to speak more than a few words to him.

"As far as the bonds go, I will leave them up to you to form."

She closed her eyes and wished she could be anywhere but here.

(~)

Wednesday, September 29th, 2012

They both walked together in silence toward school drinking the soda's Suzume had paid for. Naoto had looked mildly surprised when she had tossed him a can of the popular drink when he had come around the corner and fell into step beside her. She had said nothing as she popped her soda open and drank from it.

A group of girls pushed passed them and continued on, all of whom wore the same uniform as the two lagging behind.

"Did you hear? The cheerleading team is starting up again!" one of the girls said excitedly, the other three giggling.

"Ugh…" Suzume groaned and hoped to whatever god or creature Igor answered to that he hadn't meant she'd have to start joining clubs or anything of the sort. She'd rather shovel horse shit rather than hang out with shallow girls who'd rather talk about shopping, boys and makeup rather than discuss things that actually mattered, things that usually involved words they couldn't understand, let alone pronounce.

"Is something wrong?" Naoto asked her.

"No…" she said, fingering the Naginata and locket pendants that hung from a single chain around her neck.


	4. Chapter 4

Sunday, September 25th

She sucked the last remaining soda through her straw, the sound emanating from her paper cup earning her annoyed glances from the people eating nearby. She had been sitting there for at least five minutes absentmindedly searching the empty container for whatever remained of her soda long gone with her straw like a desperate driller looks for oil. Someone finally got up and walked passed her table to get to the trash containers and gave her a dirty look, which she ignored completely. She finally put down her cup and slid forward in her seat and shoved some lukewarm fries into her mouth.

Even when surrounded by people she felt alone, though it wasn't something she'd ever complain about. It felt peaceful. Only her father knew she had gone out and where she had gone. She hadn't really felt any need to tell him but when she had tried to ignore his attempt at conversation she noticed his expression change. It was quick, there one second and gone the next, but she had seen it. Blame her mother for her cursed attention to detail. He had felt hurt that she had ignored him completely as though he hadn't even been there and she felt a pang of regret. It's not like she wanted to hurt him on purpose, Christ, she just didn't want to talk to him. But she had told him where she was going and that she wasn't sure how long she'd be away. He seemed satisfied, if not glad, with her explanation.

She stretched her legs out underneath the table and let her arms go limp at her sides and threw her head back over the back of the chair, her hair falling on either side of her head as she stared at the ceiling. "I guess I'm still human… maybe." She sighed and rolled her eyes and moved her head to stare at the near empty container of her lunch. She wondered how much longer things could go on like this. She wasn't even sure why she had come in the first place other than just needing to be alone and away from home. Maybe she'd buy something anyway while she was here, if only just to actually do something.

Loud laughter came from a few tables away being occupied by several boys she recognized from her school. They were the popular ones that all the girls swooned over. Good looks, money and could probably tell a girl whatever she wanted to hear so as long as she put out, it was no wonder Suzume hated most girls her age. "Dumb cunts. They're just pigs in sheep's clothing." She rolled her eyes for a second time and slid up to sit more comfortably in her seat. She leaned forward slightly and reached underneath the table to tug at her thigh high socks and pulled them up. She crossed her legs and shoved her hands into her black sweater's pockets and yawned, looking to either side of her. When she turned to look to her left she noticed the folded newspaper laying on a seat just barely within arm's reach. She leaned over and pulled it toward her with her left hand before opening it and flipping through the pages until she found the Want Ads. There wasn't anything in particular she was looking for but decided to look at the jobs section.

She suddenly felt a sneeze coming on and prepared for it just when she looked up and noticed that the boys that occupied the table a few tables away from her were looking in her direction while talking. Sneeze crisis averted, she narrowed her eyes in their direction before going back to the newspaper in front of her. There wasn't much in the job section that was worth noting and she wondered if she'd have to actually look around the city herself.

_Screw it, I have internet._

"Inazuma Suzume?"

She startled but recovered quickly enough that she was confident they hadn't noticed as she looked up to find the aforementioned boys standing around her table.

She looked back down at the newspaper and feigned interest in whatever it was she was pretending to read. "I don't know her."

They exchanged glances and chuckled as two of the boys decided to occupy the empty seats at her table. "Inazuma-chan, we just wanted to invite you to a party," the blond haired one said, completely ignoring the fact that she was ignoring them. "To a pool party, the last one of the year to be precise."

"I'm not interested," she said without looking up.

They chuckled again and her annoyance with them rose. "If it's about not having something suitable to wear, I'm sure you can find something here. We're at the mall, after all. If money is an issue we could work something—"

"Listen, I'm only going to say this once," she began, finally looking up and making eye contact with the black haired boy of the trio. "I never have been, am not now, nor will I ever be interested in your bullshit. I'm not one of your little skanks, so if you're looking for an easy fuck, you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm not interested in kids." He narrowed his eyes at her and the other three just stared. She had hit a nerve. She got up from her seat and the black haired boy moved to reach for her arm as she turned away. She quickly pulled her arm away and turned to slap his hand away before shooting him a nasty stare and turning away again, walking away from the three.

"I think you'll want to be there," he shouted after her.

She was just about to pass the trash cans when she felt him reach for her again. She turned on her heel and with a single, fluid motion she reached up for his hand, pulled him toward her as she grabbed a fistful of his collar with her other hand. His expression changed from amusement to anger and surprise. She spoke in a low voice so that only he could hear. "If you ever try to touch me again, I'll cut off that little excuse for a cock you have between your legs." She noticed some movement from the corner of her eye and shoved him backward as two security guards began walking in their direction. She didn't feel like causing trouble right now so she decided to leave it and walk away.

"We'll give you a day to decide. You'll regret it if you don't."

With her back to them she flashed them a middle finger over her shoulder. "Fuck off and die."

She shoved her hands into her pockets and sighed as she left the trio of village idiots behind. She passed several shops she might have been interested in on any other given day, but could barely muster up enough fucks to give at the moment. She felt annoyed. She turned a corner and something hard slammed into her, or she into it. She cocked an eyebrow when it made an _ow_ sound, only to realize that the it was actually a young girl with pretty, curly blonde hair that fell around her slender form. She wore a form fitting t-shirt and jeans over pink, glittery sneakers that were loosely laced up with the lip over her jeans.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" she began to say only to realize that she was being ignored. The girl looked from side to side almost frantically, searching for something and mumbling to herself. Suzume's eyes scanned her immediate area and found, or at least she hoped so, the object the girl seemed to have lost. Picking up the black framed glasses, she lightly touched the girl's arm and reached for her hand, turning it over and placing the spectacles into her palm. "I'm guess you're looking for these."

"Oh!" Grabbing the frames, she unfolded them and slipped them onto her face, pushing them up her nose with a slender, delicate finger that ended in a candy pink nail polish. "Thanks, and sorry about walking into you like that—Oh hey! You go to my school."

"Do I?" Suzume returned her hands into her pockets.

"You ARE Inazuma Suzume, right?" she asked, pushing her frames up her nose again.

"Can't put anything passed you, can I?"

She put her hands on her hips and gave her a sideways look with her head tilted slightly upwards. "You're pretty cheeky," she said before facing her again with a grin. "I like you. I'm Kishitani Mariko."

"Nice to meet you." Suzume turned around to walk back in the direction she had come but noticed the three boys she had left behind near a shop across the floor, watching her.

Mariko followed her. "Are those knobgobblins bothering you?"

Suzume nearly choked on her spit and turned to look at her again. "Knobgobblins?"

"Yeah, you know? Guys who like to—Eh, know what? Never mind them." She dismissed the conversation with a wave of her hand. "I'm actually here to find a book."

"What kind of book?"

"Just some manga. There's a store selling them a few minutes away."

Suzume glanced toward the trio Mariko had just referred to as knobgobblins and she suddenly recalled Igor talking about social links. She looked back at Mariko. "Mind if I join you?"

She flashed a quick smile before she began walking, Suzume following beside her. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Jeremy. He always gets the best manga and for an American, he's pretty cute." Suzume chuckled when Mariko wagged her eyebrows suggestively.

_Maybe this isn't too bad for a first social link. _Suzume followed behind Mariko as she lead them to what she referred to as her manga heaven.

_Thou art I._

_I am thou._

_Our blessings upon thee to summon the Empress Arcana at your behest. _

(~)

They had spent a few hours in the store discussing manga, books, movies and other various things Suzume found herself enjoying, much to her surprise. Even the store owner Jeremy talked to them when he wasn't taking care of customers, and to her surprise even more, he really was a handsome looking guy for an American. He had long brown hair that he kept pulled up in a ponytail in what he liked to refer to as the _manga samurai ponytail _look.

After Mariko had finally found the manga she had wanted she paid for her items and they left the store together, still talking about the manga she had spent the last five years looking for.

"You just don't get it. It's really, really rare. It's like one of those first edition, first printing of a novel nobody knows about," Mariko said excitedly, her shopping bag full of manga swinging to and fro.

"If no one knows about it, how do you know about it?"

"Well, it's not like no one knows about it. I mean, there have been several people, even a few famous movie producers and actors, who actually did see it, even one said he read it before his house burned down."

They stopped at the corner and waited for the light to change. "So what you're saying is that whenever someone got their hands on that manga, something bad happened and the manga disappeared?" The light changed and they crossed the street together. Mariko hopped forward several steps and turned around to walk backwards while she spoke to Suzume.

"That's what I'm saying. There were only five printings of this manga and four of them were destroyed in a fire. Their covers were all that were left and they never found the fifth cover. They said it had probably just been burnt beyond recognition but then if the five of them were together, how come the other four didn't burn completely? And how come there are photos of people holding that fifth copy?" They got to the other side and Mariko turned around to face forward again as they approached the bridge. "It's a mystery."

"I can see that. Sounds like you're having fun though." Suzume shoved her hands into her pockets.

"But this is serious though!"

Suzume turned to look at Mariko's serious expression. "I had fun today. It's been a long time since I had this much fun."

"Oh, me too. We should do it again sometime." Mariko smiled as she looked down at her watched. She startled and turned left onto a street that went away from the bridge. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," Suzume said as she waved a hand.

(~)

Monday, September 26th

Several students passed her as they ran toward the school. She had spent all morning wondering what last night's dream had meant and was still thinking about it even now. She had only met Mariko the day before and it had left her with even more questions than answers. She pushed the thoughts aside and decided to worry about it later.

Walking into the classroom she took her seat just as Naoto sat down in the seat beside her.

"Good morning, Inazuma-san."

Suzume propped her chin in one hand and turned to look at the boy with a blank expression.

"Good morning, boy."

"Well, aren't we in a better mood today. Not going to insult me?" Naoto smiled amusedly at Suzume.

She opened her mouth to say something just when the three boys she had encountered at the mall yesterday approached her desk. "No, I'm still not interested," she said, sitting back in her chair.

The three boys only looked at one another before looking back at Suzume, completely ignoring Naoto who listened on with growing interest.

"What if we paid you?"

"I'm sorry, but you must have mistaken me for one of your whore friends. I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole, even if you paid me to wear a hazmat suit." Naoto grunted behind a hand in an attempt to stifle a laugh. "Get lost."

The blond haired boy narrowed his eyes at her before speaking. "We'll give you one last day."

She watched as the three walked away once the bell rang and the teacher walked into the classroom. She could almost feel Naoto's stare and turned to see him doing exactly that, with a cocked eyebrow, to which she rolled her eyes at. The teacher began taking attendance and nothing seemed out of the ordinary until he got to a particular name that piqued her interest.

"Kishitani Mariko?" When no one replied he repeated her name. "Humph. So much for a perfect attendance record."

_Perfect attendance? I wonder what happened…_


	5. Chapter 5

Thursday, September 29th

Every attempt he made at fusion Personas resulted in much the same way it had for the past hour. Something clouded his mind and blocked him from being able to use his powers, something that was beyond his own ability to control. He wasn't in the habit of going to extraordinary lengths to interfere- let alone help- those who came to the Velvet Room. Suzume had been a particularly special case in which he not only found many opportunities in which he could help, but rather that she sought him out more than any other past client. His previous clients avoided him and the Velvet Room as much as they possibly could, only coming here when summoned or when was required, as opposed to this current client who sometimes only came in to talk or seek advice. It wasn't that he went out of his way to ignore her either, but what else was he to do?

"Master, are you still unable to fuse Personas?" Theodore asked when Igor opened his eyes, his chin resting atop his folded hands.

"It also bothers me that Elizabeth and Margaret have yet to return." Igor stared down at the cards spread out on the table before him. He scowled. "It seems destiny does not favor Suzume. Her second challenge has come and she will need to make her way through the first…"

"The first barrier?"

"Indeed. The barrier between dreams and reality." Igor waved a hand and the cards vanished. "Let us pray that she succeeds."

(~)

Shirogane sat down in his seat beside Suzume during lunch time, turning his chair to face her as he leaned over in her direction. "Hey, have you noticed Mariko's been acting a bit strange?" he asked her.

Suzume glanced over at the girl in question but said nothing. It was definitely true that ever since Mariko had returned to class a few days ago she had seemed different. Even some of the other students in their class had taken notice and avoided her, whispering in small groups while stealing glances at the subject of their gossip. Mariko had seemed completely oblivious to them, but more than that, the girl that had been free spirited and happy-go-lucky had become a mean and aggressive. She spoke harshly when people approached her, even people she had called friends. At first, Suzume had thought that maybe it was just that time of the month and didn't really make an issue of it, but after having watched her snap at one of the other girls and humiliated her in front of the class the day after she came back, she began to wonder if it really was something as simple as PMS. She knew that some girls were prone to mood swings, but a completely personality swap? She had spent some time yesterday asking some of the other students in her class, as well as those they had pointed out as friends of Mariko's from another class. They all said the exact same thing.

"She's not only completely different, but it's strange as well…" Shirogane leaned over and reached into his bag and pulled out a folder, placing it onto his desk. Opening it, he flipped through some pages until he found the one he wanted and pulled it out, placing it on top of the first page in the folder which had Mariko's picture in the top left corner, as well as the school logo. Suzume watched him from the corner of her eye and stared at the logo.

"Boy, did you seriously…?" She glanced up at him staring back at her.

"What if I did?" Suzume cocked an eyebrow at him and he rolled his eyes. "No, Inazuma-san, I didn't steal it. I requested access to the student records since I have the authority to do so. After what had happened on Wednesday, I thought I'd look into her history."

"And?" He had managed to pique her curiosity now.

"And that's just it. If her record were any cleaner I'd swear she was a nun-" Suzume cocked another brow. "Ok, maybe not a nun, but her record is clean. Until recently, she hadn't missed a single day of school, not even when sick. She has page after page of nothing but praise from her teachers and other staff, as well as the student council. She's helpful in clubs, even ones she doesn't belong to, has always been polite and civil. Her profile and her current demeanor don't match up."

Suzume looked away and found herself staring at Mariko's back again. She picked at her lunch as though it were a chore. Some of the boys came into the classroom with a bit too much enthusiasm and one of them bumped into her desk, knocking her soda bottle over onto the floor. Even though the cap had still been on and nothing had spilled, she stood up and began cussing them out.

Everyone in the classroom just stared and said nothing.

(~)

Once her last block had finally ended, she quickly exited the classroom and then the school, successfully avoiding Shirogane as she made her way to the local mall. Even though she had the key, she wasn't exactly sure how to enter the room while she was awake as opposed to all the other times she had done it while falling asleep in bed. She walked around the mall and while pretending to window shop, she looked all around the mall and found nothing that seemed to help her. The only thing she had to go on was the feeling that this was the right place. After almost two hours of searching she couldn't hold it in anymore and went in search of a bathroom. She asked a security guard for some directions and he pointed her toward a corridor with a sign above it that marked where the bathrooms were. Thanking him, she made her way toward the corridor and turned the corner into it, finding the woman's bathroom door near the end. She put her hand on the door and pushed it open when she noticed something shimmering from the corner of her left eye. It wasn't so much as the shimmering light that reminded her of the reflection of light from off a pool of water, but rather it was the feeling of being pulled toward it.

Lowering her hand and letting the bathroom door close, she looked behind her to see if anyone was watching and found her coast clear. Reaching into her back pocket for the key, she took two steps backward before turning around and walking around the corner at the far end of the corridor, coming face to face with a plain purple door, the color matching the interior of the Velvet Room.

"Someone's seriously stuck in the 70's…"

She looked behind the door and found that it wasn't attached to the wall behind it, nor did it show any source of light where the shimmering water-like reflection on the wall behind the door could create. Shrugging, she stood in front of the door and held up the key to it looking for a lock when both the key and the door itself shimmered. She stopped back when the doorknob turned on its own and the door swung open, revealing a pool of shimmering liquid like light, which she assumed must have been the source of the reflection on the walls. She stepped into the pool of light and through it, appearing on the other side of the door inside the Velvet Room. She found Igor sitting in his usual seat, chin in hands, however Theodore was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, welcome guest—"

"Cut the crap, Igor, I'm not really in the mood and I really gotta piss so…" Suzume walked over to a chair and sat down, letting her bag drop to the floor beside her.

"I see, though I must regretfully inform you that my usual services are not available—"

"Aw, I'm so sad…" Suzume pouted sarcastically. "I'm not interested in your parlor tricks though," she said, resting her left foot on the edge of her seat and the other leg stretched out beneath the table. "I need some advice and answers."

"I'm well aware of your current situation, guest, and I know the questions you wish to ask, as well as the answers you seek." Suzume shifted in her seat. "Your friend is in danger and I am unable to aid you in the task you will face in order to save her."

"What happened? It's like she's a completely different person. Like someone else is inside her body."

"Ay, but I'm afraid it may be much worse than that. Your friend has fallen into a deep place where only nightmares exist. A deep sleep where the mind is unable to differentiate between what is reality and what is dream."

She let her foot drop to the floor and leaned forward, placing both hands on the table in front of her. "So what you're saying is that she's sleep walking?"

"In a sense, yes."

"And her mind can't tell the difference between what's real and what's not, so—"

"Her true fears are being realized."

She leaned back in her seat and let her arms drop to her sides and her head hanging over the back of the seat, staring up at the ceiling. "Well, fuck me sideways…"

"I'm afraid I cannot-"

She lifted her head up and glared at him from across the table. "Don't even finish that sentence. Just tell me how I'm supposed to fix this."

"Your companions may enter her world physically, as through a portal, or they may sleep and cross over into her dream state. However, you no longer have the choice, I am afraid. Having a key makes little use of entering these worlds through sleep, so you will have to enter her dream world completely as you have entered the Velvet Room through the door I have provided for you. Come nightfall, a similar portal will appear for you somewhere in this city, a portal you will be able to use in order to enter the various worlds that exist just beyond this space between dreams and reality. The portal will always remain in the same location so as to facilitate a more efficient method of travel between worlds."

"So I just use the key or?"

"The portal will allow you entry into whatever current world you wish to enter. The key only allows you entree into the Velvet Room, I'm afraid."

"I see…"

"If you have further questions, ask now before I ask the cards as to the whereabouts of the portal." Suzume shook her head and he waved a hand, several cards appearing on the table in front of him. "Ah, it is very close to the Velvet Room's door. You should feel its presence grow stronger as you get closer to it."

"Thanks, I guess…" Suzume stood up and grabbed her bag off the floor, about to make for the door.

"One last thing, dear guest." Suzume looked at him from over her shoulder. "A companion shall await you at the location of the portal. Take time to prepare for this night."

Without another word, she continued toward the door as it swung open and she disappeared through it.

(~)

She had managed to sneak out without her father noticing and made her way back toward the mall. This time the portal was somewhere outside and she could feel its pull as she made her way toward it. Not even five minutes of walking around the exterior of the mall she finally found it somewhere near the back where the lights were dimmer and the street was quieter. The portal itself was tucked away around a corner and was only just barely visible from the street. As soon as she rounded the corner she stopped in her tracks.

"I figured you might come here," he said as he stood up and turned to face her.

"Shirogane?" Suzume asked, surprised to find him here of all places.

"You're being here can only mean one thing."

"I could say the same for you, boy."

"Then let's cut to the chase. The portal behind me is somehow connected to Mariko's disappearance last Monday and I'm willing to bet it's also responsible for her current behavior."

Suzume shoved her hands into her pockets as she approached the portal, another shimmering pool of light against the wall, though this one wasn't nearly as bright as the one behind the door to the Velvet Room.

"Yeah, it is."

"Then, shall we go in together?"

Suzume looked over her shoulder at the boy standing behind her.

_Could this night get any weirder?_


End file.
