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  April 13th, 12:35 pm
Cafe Leblanc

The bell attached to the front door chimes as the three investigators make finally make it to the cafe. I take a mental role-call in my head, just as a general awareness check as to who exactly is involved at this point.

---Music: Suspicion (Persona 5) ---

Sojiro is at his usual spot behind the bar, and I'm beside him with my arms crossed and propped on the counter as I hunch slightly. Morgana walks back and forth across the counter eyeing everyone, and I get the impression he is taking a tally like I am.

  Sitting at the chairs in the front of the bar are Sae, Phoenix, Maya, and Futaba. Sae has helped herself to some freshly brewed coffee, but the other three simply sit anxiously.

Makoto, Yusuke, Ann, Haru, and Ryuji had already taken their seats at the usual booth.

Then there's the wild cards who we don't really know as well. Mr. Edgeworth stands at the side of the bar counter with perfect posture, with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. He seems peaceful at a glance, but he's been nervously tapping one of his fingers against his arm the entire time. Detective Gumshoe has been pacing, and finally he takes a seat at the bar next to us. Kay is leaning her back against the wall near the bathroom, and she seems to be the only one in the room energetic rather than uncomfortable.

The bell rings once more, unexpectedly. Of all people, detective Ritsu enters the cafe too, taking his hat off. "Afternoon, folks," he greets, which are the first words spoken by anyone since we got here.

"I'm glad you got my text, detective," Wright greets back.

"Mr. Wright... how many people did you plan on getting involved with this?" I question him sternly, "And why didn't you talk to us first about the detective?"

"Don't blame him, Kurusu-san," Ritsu expresses, "I'm a detective, digging for info is what I do best. I figured out on my own that something was going on."

"If I may be so bold," Edgeworth announces, "What exactly IS going on here? If it's no more than a talking cat, that's not half as ridiculous as other things I've witnessed. But clearly whatever circumstance has you all rattled doesn't end with the cat. What exactly did you mean when you mentioned that you were 'phantom thieves?'"

"She said it first!" Ryuji pushes back defensively, pointing at Kay, "If anything, she should explain too!"

---Music: Kay Faraday ~ The Great Truth Burglar ---

Kay dramatically leaps atop one of the booth tables near us with her arms crossed and a proud smile. "I apologize for our rudeness, and I'd be more than happy to explain! You see, we are the 'Yatagarasu!'"

"The what?" Mr. Wright asks.

"It's a crow with three legs," Ann elaborates.

Sojiro has a response to this. "Can the 'Yatagarasu' take its three legs off of the table, please? Customers eat there, you know."

"Oh! My bad, sir. I'm sorry." Kay says as she bows and hops down to the ground.

"Is there perhaps a story behind using that particular name?" Yusuke asks.

  "Well, just like the three legs: the Yatagarasu is not one, but three people! Mr. Edgeworth, Gummy, and I all make up the legendary shadow thief!"

"Pardon my asking," Mr. Wright speaks up, "But when you say thief... do you mean, like, ACTUAL thieves?"
"Perish the thought," Mr. Edgeworth deflects, but he still carries a bit of a smirk. His look is directed at Kay, and is one I usually see on Sojiro. The type of expression is one I equate to an exasperated parent who still finds their kid endearing. "Though, I must admit, the 'Yatagarasu' represents values which I've come to hold dearly."
Mr. Wright looks like he's thinking deeply. "I think I've heard 'Yatagarasu' in passing before."
"Well, it's common in Japanese mythology," Makoto explains, "It has lots of different meanings and holds significance as a symbol."
"Right, but I mean specifically in real-life context," Wright furthers, "I think I remember reading a article back in the states about a group of vigilantes."

"The original Yatagarasu was a team that my dad was on!" Kay furthers, "That team fell apart, but... I'm here to carry on the legacy!"

"What does the Yatagarasu do, exactly?" Haru asks politely.

"We steal the truth!" Kay nods with closed eyes and a very proud smile. "No matter how dark and treacherous a mystery, we will solve it if it means delivering justice! And once we get started, nothing can stop us! Sometimes the truth and the culprits can try and escape the law, but they can never escape the great Yatagarasu!"

Mr. Wright is thinking on the matter. "So this Yatagarasu takes the law into its own hands, is that right?"

"Historically, yes," Mr. Edgeworth answers. "Be that as it may, the current iteration has no intention of any law breaking."

"I can explain, pal!" Gumshoe adds, "It took me a while to get, too... but, basically, the Yatadegrootsoo--"

"Yatagarasu!" Kay corrects.

"Er, right. The 'Yatagaratsu,' doesn't steal anything real. We steal the truth, no matter how well it's hidden! So, instead of thinking of us like thieves, think of us as more like, er, a team of investigators!"
Mr. Edgeworth looks at his partner with a bit of an irked expression. "Detective, we are a team of investigators. Who are most certainly not thieves."

---(Music End)---

"Akira, and Niijima-san? A moment?" Wright requests of Sae and me.

---Music: Confrontation ~ Moderato 2009 ---

  We step off to the side for a private conversation outside of ear shot, and he begins whispering to us. "I've known Edgeworth for a very long time, and I definitely trust him. How open minded would you be to having him and his friends on board with this investigation?"

I shake my head. "I don't know anything about him. He's a prosecutor, AND he's with Interpol, too. We definitely want to avoid breaking the law at this point, but if we end up needing to... that puts ourselves in a position to get us all arrested."

"And we've already seen where taking unnecessary risks has gotten us," Sae laments, "Aside from Akira, none of the others have ever had their identities leaked, either. They could all be considering avoiding arrest... Interpol is about the last organization I'd want them to get involved with."
Mr. Wright scratches his chin. "I can understand those concerns, but I know he'd make a valuable ally."
"Still, he said he wouldn't break the law," I note, "That puts him between a rock and a hard place as his whole job is to convict law breakers."
Mr. Wright is still giving this a lot of thought. He must really, REALLY have a lot of faith in this man to be pushing so hard on this possibility. I suppose that makes sense, given how deep their histories intertwine.

  "If you trust him that much, I want to try and trust him too..." I admit, "But let's not mention anything about who we are yet. We'll talk about what's going on in the world. Depending on how that goes, if the opportunity feels ripe, then maybe we can spill a few details."

We turn to Sae next. "We just need to be very careful about what we say and how we say it," she warns.

Wright smiles and nods. "That sounds reasonable. Thanks for working with me on this."

---(Music End)---

The three of us return our attention to the matter at hand. "Is everything alright...?" Edgeworth asks us.
"Hey, I've got a suggestion on how to go about this," detective Ritsu announces. "How about I explain all of my suspicions to see if we're all even on the same page, and we can go from there?"

"Sounds reasonable enough," I reply, "Let's hear it."

---Music: Suspicion (Persona 5) ---

"Alright," Ritsu nods, "I'll start from the ground up. Stop me if I'm getting any of the details wrong."

He slides into a seat at the counter and rests one elbow on it, his body turned to face the majority of us. "So, a few days ago, Kaz Mizusawa murdered his own client. Mr. Wright and Miss Fey were thinking that there may be a chance someone had altered his personality."

"What? Are we talkin', like, hypnosis?" Gumshoe asks.

"Not if the hunch is correct. We researched a bit about similar events a few years back with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. They were a vigilante group active in the past. We don't know how they did it, but they proved that people's 'hearts' could be 'stolen' which would change their personalities," he explains. "Detective Goro Akechi as well as Niijima-san were both in pursuit of the Phantom Thieves at the time, according to our records. And from I can tell, you guys have further suspicions. I assume that other events or related things may be going on? That last part's speculation, I'll admit, but... am I getting close?"

"So far," Sae confirms. "Is that all you know?"

"Well, again, I've got more speculations," he continues, "The two potential explanations for this are that you guys are aware of the personality changes because you're somehow causing them... or you're investigating them and trying to stop them."

We all trade glances, and I look at Ritsu. "Why exactly have you taken an interest in any of this?"

"I could ask the same question to everyone in this room," Ritsu replies, but he looks like he's trying to hide excitement under professionalism. "As for me, well, I love mysteries. Always have. I devoured mystery novels when I was a kid, and I always wanted to solve mysteries myself. I've seen you in action twice now, Mr. Wright, and I think I've got a good read on your character. If the rest of you AND him are both looking into this, then I feel like I can trust it's for good reasons. And believe me, I want to help."

He's already in this deep, so our options are limited. "Can you keep all of this a secret?"

He holds his chin in thought. "Well, you can trust that I won't tell anyone that you are all the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, as long as I trust that you guys are trying to do good and help people. But, I'd really appreciate it you guys could let me know what's going on at the very least."

No one seems terribly surprised to hear Ritsu make the assumption that we are the Phantom Thieves, considering how deep he already is. It's regrettable he had to say something like that in front of the Interpol investigators, though... this is such a screwy situation to be in, and I don't really have an escape strategy in mind. All I can really think to do is let everything play out and pray nothing goes wrong.

---(Music End)---

"Can we go back to the talking cat?" detective Gumshoe interupts, "I feel like we skipped over the part where the cat was talking."

---Music: King, Queen, and Slave - Another Version ---

"My name is Morgana!" he says in response, sounding a little standoffish. "Since I'm literally out of the bag at this point, allow me to take over. I'll get everyone caught up with everything, alright?"

"I think this testimony will finally trump your parrot testimony in memorability, Wright," Edgeworth comments.

I want to ask what that statement was about. I really do. But, now isn't the time...

"Alright, folks. Listen up," Morgana announces with authority, "I'll start from the top. Wakaba Isshika was a psychologist researching new methods to aid in healing the human psyche. One thing led to another, and eventually she stumbled upon an alternate reality. We called it the Metaverse. Long story short, it was more or less the world inside all of our hearts and minds."

  "This is a hard pill to swallow, pals," Gumshoe says as he scratches the back of his head with an empathetic look on his face. "Are you following this, Mr. Edgeworth?"
"I am," he confirms, still crossing his arms and tapping his finger, as if he has barely moved since he got here. "And my first question is, why are you speaking in past tense? Is this 'Metaverse' gone for some reason?"

"As far as we know," Morgana nods, "We thought it was destroyed."

"Would that not have had profound effect on all of us, if our own minds were destroyed?" Edgeworth questions.

"Huh, um... well, that's a pretty good question, actually," Morgana comments as he tilts his head curiously. "It's definitely not that our cognitions have been destroyed. It's more like... the method that was being used to change personalities is no longer an option."

"I see," Edgeworth acknowledges, "But going by earlier conversational points, you are all suspecting that this 'Metaverse' might still exist, or at least some alternate form of changing personalities may exist."

"I feel like this guy is leading the explanation more than Morgana is," Ryuji comments on the side.

"Zip it, Ryuji!" Morgana snaps back, before clearing his throat to confirm the earlier statement. "That's our main concern, yes. We think personalities are being changed on a very large scale."

"And the basis of this assumption?" Edgeworth questions.

Sae opens her folder full of documents and lays it on the table. "Here. I've been researching every instance I could find from the last few weeks. I've gathered evidence and information on everything from unexpected flip-flopping on political issues, up to and including betrayal and murder. You can look over any of it, if you'd like."

"Thank you, Niijima-san," he speaks with appreciation, "I'll take that offer soon, but for now I'll take your word."

"We even think that the events in Koridai may be related to all of this," Haru adds, "And there's no telling how many other similar events could be playing out around the world right now, or how long this has been going on."

"So, what exactly is being investigated here?" Edgeworth asks in a straightforward manner.

"We have a couple of leads already that we were planning on looking into," Makoto starts, "Including a few politicians we think are suspicious."

Maya nods. "We also have strong reason to believe that Cognitive Psience is definitely what's being used by whoever seems to be orchestrating so many events."

---(Music End)---

"So, to summarize:" Ritsu lays out, "You all think there is a conspiracy going on that could very well be global in scope, and you're currently in the starting steps of trying to stop it, Phantom Thief style?"

  "But why so much secrecy?" Edgeworth asks further.

"The most important reason," Morgana answers, "Is because we don't know how many enemies why may have and who may know our identities. We're trying to stay as covert as possible for our own safety. For instance, we're cautious about getting Niijima-san implicated into our stuff. She worked with Akira to convict Shido, after all, so someone may make a connection there. That's the main reason we had Mr. Wright represent Akira. On record it will look like he's the only one who was there, so you'd have to have been physically there to even see that Sae was involved."

"I can get that you don't want bad guys to know," Kay reasons, "But why keep things from the good guys, too?"

Yusuke tries to explain. "You can't really blame us for being worried that upholders of the law would be at odds with us former thieves."

"Though I guess it's way too late now since you are all in the know..." Ryuji sighs in defeat. "May as well get arresting us over with, already..."

---Music: Miles Edgeworth ~ Objection! 2009 ---

Edgeworth laughs a single time. "Hmph. Do you really see a reason for us to do that?" he asks half-rhetorically, "Because I certainly don't. And it seems detective Ritsu doesn't either."

Ritsu nods and smiles. "All it sounds like to me is that there's some serious trouble going on, and my only complaint is that you didn't come to us sooner!"

"You're... going along with this a lot more easily than I thought you would, Edgeworth," Mr. Wright notices.

"Especially considering how long it took Mr. Wright himself to join up with us," Futaba adds, "I thought all lawyers were, like, 'lawful good' by default."

"You know," Edgeworth speaks up, "Lately I've been seeing things from outside of my usual purview. I've been putting a lot of consideration into what justice and truth actually mean to me, and what the law actually accomplishes to those ends."

Kay hops up with excitement. "Mr. Edgeworth even resigned and turned in his badge in order to save me! Though he got it back a few days later... it's a long and weird story."

"If I had to put it in my own words, pals," detective Gumshoe contributes, "I'd say that Mr. Edgeworth, and Kay 'n' me, all agree that the law is just a tool, see? And we use tools to get a job done!"

"We've seen the law has limits," Edgeworth concurs, "And while the law may bend and break, the truth never will."

"And neither will we!" Kay cheers, "So sign us up for this party!"

Edgeworth nods. "I concur, and I'm willing to assist however possible. These seem like matters that shouldn't be left up to law enforcement alone, anyway."

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheers, "Eff the police!"

Detective Gumshoe looks dejected. "I'll uh, pretend I didn't hear that, pal..."

  "Though, that being clear," Edgeworth coughs into his fist, "Law breaking is certainly not an ideal. I'm open minded to possibly working around the law, but ultimately we still have a duty to adhere to it. And whenever we reach a point where the law can't go, it's also our duty to fix it."

---(Music End)---

"I've been meaning to ask for a while now," Maya announces, "But, aside from Akira and Sae, I don't really know any of you. Because of all the craziness, we forgot to do introductions!"
"That's a good point," Mr. Wright agrees, "Getting to know who is who is something crucial if we're going to be working together."

---Music: Reminiscing ~ Ryūnosuke's Memory ---

"Certainly," Haru smiles, "My name is Haru Okumura. I've inherited my late father's corporation, which has a huge presence in the global market and the food industry. You may have heard of Big Bang Burger."
"Their triple bacon avocado burger was something special!" Maya comments cheerily.
"The company was my father's dream. He really did love what he did, up until he lost his way... he became warped, and was eventually killed by Shido."
"Whoa. I'm sorry that he was taken away from you in such an awful way..." Ritsu condoles.
"I've made peace with his decisions, and I think he did, too, before he passed. Regardless, to be able to keep up with the responsibilities of keeping the company running, I'm taking online courses for business related skills. I'm studying biology as well, however, as botany has always been an interest of mine."
"Why botany?" Kay questions, "That seems pretty different than business."
Haru giggles. "I want to remind myself that I'm more than just the company I run. I want to pursue my own passions, and follow doing what I love doing, as well. I've always been a gardener, since long before I had any say in company matters. I've been told I'm quite good at it, as well."
"If we're going to be acting as Phantom Thieves once more, should we not divulge our code names?" Yusuke asks.
"Sure, that may be helpful in remembering us, too," Haru nods. "The code name I'm called by is Noir. I wanted to remind myself that I can still be a heroine of justice, even if I have to work in the shadows to do it!" she states with pride. "Morgana helped me come up with that name."
Kay pumps her fist in the air. "Awesome! A few months back, you would have been a perfect candidate when I was looking for members of the Yatagarasu. Maybe we could make room for a fourth member! Though, what would our name be? 'Yatafourasu' might work... actually, never mind, no it wouldn't..."
Haru chuckles as the prospect. "I'm more than happy to meet and work with you all," she finishes with a subtle bow.

---Music: Shipshape Aquarium ~ A Refreshing Sea ---

"Me next!" Futaba announces. "Futaba Sakura! I'm still in high school, but I'm the most ballin' master hacker you'll ever meet! I'm pretty much a technomancer. I do it all, baby!
"You must be the one Niijima-san took the victim's phone to for repair," Ritsu infers.
"Yep! I specialize in navigation, and I'm always working support for the team to make sure that our plans go smoothly. I used to be a total shut-in who stayed in my room forever... but Akira and the other Phantom Thieves helped me to build up courage. It's hard to believe how much I've changed since then! I feel a lot more confident in myself, and I know that I'm a valuable asset to the team. I go by Oracle!"
"I thought you go by 'Alibaba?'" Maya asks.
"I am Anon, for we are many things," Futaba replies, trying to sound mysterious with her tone of voice.
"Didn't you just say you were Oracle?" Kay questions.
"It's Oracle. Just stick with Oracle," Makoto explains, before everyone gets confused, "It's a pretty great name, because it reflects that she's always looking out for us."
"Is it also a reference to Batman?" Maya asks, rather excitedly.
Futaba throws her hands in the air and directs them towards Maya dramatically as if she were guiding a plane to land. "THIS gal gets it!" she praises with a personal level of satisfaction. "Every super hero team needs someone sitting in the chair behind a computer screen, making sure that we can all be successful. That's me! Anyway. Yeah. I'm Oracle for short. Next!"

---Music: Godot ~ The Fragrance of a Dark Coffee (Turnabout Jazz Soul) ---

Sojiro speaks up, actually. "Now seems like as good a time as any. Again, my name is Sojiro Sakura. I don't know how much help I'll be to any investigation, outside of providing the coffee and curry during the meetings. But, at the very least, I knew Wakaba Isshiki personally."
"What was Isshika-san like?" Mr. Wright asks, "I can't help but wonder. She's so influential to everything we're doing right now."
Sojiro seems distantly wistful. "She was quirky, at times. Always focused on work. But she truly treasured those close to her, especially her daughter."
"She was an amazing woman and a great mom," Futaba expresses, sounding a little more at peace with the subject.
"I've looked out for Futaba ever since. And Akira may as well be a son to me, too. Anyone those two trust, I'll trust, too. So don't be afraid to come to me if you need a hand with anything, or if you need a place to lay low. Leblanc is pretty much the kids' hideout. And you can trust I'll do everything I can to ensure that you all can make sure that Wakaba's research isn't getting abused to commit more evil."
"Also, his code name is Sojiro," Futaba asserts.
He blinks. "That's just my regular name..."
"Well, come up with a better code name then, some time!" she teases.
He takes a sip of coffee. "But hey, that's enough about me."

---Music: Investigation ~ Core 2007 ---

"I'm Sae Niijima. I'm a former prosecutor, but now a defense attorney. That's how I met Mr. Wright in the first place, in fact. Anyway, I was originally determined to catch the Phantom Thieves and put them to justice. There would have been a time where I thought vigilante justice to be inexcusable, but I can see that we all have good hearts, and want to do good. Once I managed to interview Akira, I learned about what their actual goals and motives were, much like we're going here in this room right now. Needless to say, I found myself on their side rather quickly, especially after discovering my sister was one."
"It was pretty awkward snooping around your back and trying to keep it a secret, I'm sorry about that," Makoto speaks with regret.
"I understand, it's no problem. After just the two of us living together for so long, we're bound to understand each other when all is said and done. And trust me, I'm happy that I'm able to be a part of this, now."

  ---Music: Dick Gumshoe ~ It's Detective Gumshoe ---

"I suppose I'm next, then. I'm Makoto Niijima. Sae is my big sis. Growing up, it was just me and her for the most part. Our father was a police officer, but he was... he was killed in the line of duty."
"I'm, sorry to hear that, pal..." Gumshoe offers as condolence, "It's never easy, losing someone like that. But I'm sure he was a brave guy."
"Thank you, detective," Makoto says back with a lukewarm expression, "But, his sacrifice made me realize that I want to both follow his footsteps, as well as prevent a tragedy like that from happening again. I'm currently in training to become an officer, and soon I'm hopefully to become a police chief. Just like my code name, Queen, I want to be in charge so that way I can do everything possible to keep the streets safe."
"Hey hey, now there's a goal I can get behind!" Gumshoe encourages, "I can tell you'd make a great chief. Hell, better than some of the ones I've worked with!"
"I'd watch what you say, detective," Edgeworth cautions, "If they catch wind of a sentiment like that, they may take it out on your salary..."
"Aw, crud..." he sighs.
Makoto laughs very softly, her mood having turned surprisingly positive, given the subject being discussed. I rarely see her get this comfortable around even us, much less strangers. Even Sae has a pleasant smile on her face.
I hear Sae whisper to me. "Detective Gumshoe is... a lot like him. Our father, I mean."
I see... I can't deny that seeing her this happy makes me want to smile, too.
"Hey, Makoto," Ritsu calls, "When you get finished with your training, give me a ring. I may be able to pull some strings at the precinct and put in some good words for you."
Her smile only intensifies. "Really? I would very much appreciate that, detective!"

---(Music End)---

"It's kind of funny how many cops we've got in the room right now, despite being a thieves meeting!" Ryuji laughs.
"I'm glad we're all getting along so well, all things considered," Sae expresses.
"I've got to admit," I add, "I was really worried that a group this big wouldn't be able to see eye to eye on anything. But I'm glad everyone is getting along."
"I guess I'm up next," Ryuji begins.

---Music: Klavier Gavin ~ Love Love Guilty ---

"Name's Ryuji Sakamoto! Nice to meet all of you!" he speaks with his usual bombastic nature. "My passions in life are, uh, well. I'm really good at running, that's for sure. I'm part timing as a fitness coach at a local gym, helping people get in shape. I'm really good at physical fitness stuff. And, also, I love to kick the shit out of bad guys! Though, I guess not any more, since in the real world that would be assault charges against me..."
He coughs. "On that subject, when the Metaverse was destroyed... we all agreed we'd be trusting that adults like Makoto's sis would be able to run things without needing us Phantom Thieves anymore..."
"You sound so disappointed, saying that," Sae recognizes.
"It's nothing against you, personally!" Ryuji denies, "In fact, watching you stand up in court to today was bad. Ass! It's just... y'know, we spent a whole year solving problems on our own, and it really felt like we were taking care of business in ways that nobody else could. Can't blame me for being sad when it all ended."
Ryuji crosses his arms over the table and leans into it. "I'll be the first to tell you that I'm no good at school. But what I do got is spirit! I still worked my ass off to get into college, and now I'm mostly studying journalism. Whenever my head feels like it wants to explode, I just think back to all of those study sessions back when were were in Shujin, where Makoto and the others would always tell me to 'apply myself' at studying. It never really clicked until I found something I really cared a lot about. Basically, I'm trying to get into a field where I can really know what's going on in the world.
He reclines back into the booth cushion to get comfortable. "Anyhow. My code name is Skull, because skulls are metal as hell, and I'm bad to the bone," he says in a bragging tone that is trying to make it sound like it's not a big deal.
"Fascinating how much one can change, yet still retain the same essence," Yusuke comments, "I'm pleased to know that the last few years have been enlightening for you."
"How about you, bro? What have you been up to, these last two years?" Ryuji asks.

---Music: Larry Butz ~ When Something Smells 2016 ---

"My name is Yusuke Kitagawa," our next friend begins, "You may be familiar with my work already. My piece was unfortunately destroyed, and reduced to courtroom evidence. But, at least it served a purpose through saving Akira."
"I owe you, Yusuke," I chime in, "Not just for that, but for the entire distraction you made. By getting the attention of everyone in the atrium, you gave us a cover story."
"Inari certainly does have his moments, huh," Futaba snickers.
"Either way. I have but one goal in life, and that is to make art. Artistry truly runs in my blood. My mother was an extremely talented artist, and the man who was my mentor growing up was an monumentally famous artist named Madarame. Unfortunately, that man ended up being no more than a plagiarist..."
"I wish your mentor could have been a better person," Ritsu laments, "I rather liked his art. But, I supposed that just means it was the work of artists like you that I've always liked. Good to know that he didn't raise you to be a plagiarist too."
Yusuke smiles a bit. "Any artist worth the paint on their brushes knows the difference between inspiration and plagiarism. I've no doubt been influenced by the works of artists I'm particularly fond of. Some of my personal favorites are Gerhard Richter and Wassily Kandinsky. I'm rather fond of an upstart artist from America, as well, Laurice Deauxnim--"
Edgeworth violently chokes, followed by a short coughing fit.
"Are you alright, sir?" a wide-eyed Yusuke asks.
He immediately regains his stoic composure, arms crossed yet again. "It's nothing. Continue."
"Well, I'm currently in art school, and my code name is Fox," Yusuke explains, "And there you have it. I'm just an artist, and I want the world to enjoy my expression. I hope to have my work withstand both criticism and time itself. I know that some day I will be looked back on as a part of art history."
"I've never seen someone who's a full time artist before," detective Gumshoe points out, "How is it you afford to pay your rent, pal?"
Yusuke blinks. "My what?"

---Music: Happy People ---

Next, Ann takes the baton. "Er, moving right along... my name is Ann Takamaki. As far as my history with the team goes, I got involved with the Phantom Thieves during their very first mission. At the time, it was just Akira, Ryuji, Morgana, and myself. My code name is Panther, because I can be regal and ferocious all at once! The very first scumbag we targeted was a coach at our high school who was harassing and abusing students. After we changed his heart, he turned himself in crying about how much of a monster he had been. Serves him right."
"Sounds like you guys are the OG Phantom Thieves!" Maya comments, "You must be very close."
  "Most definitely. Ryuji and I go to the same college right now. I'm studying foreign languages. I'm already fluent in both Japanese and English, but I'm learning French, and starting to take steps to learn Russian as well. I think I'm going to become a translator. But, on the sidelines, I'm also a fashion model."
"That many? Dang!" Gumshoe says in awe, "It took me years just to learn Japanese, and I'm not even good at it, pal! Four languages is crazy!"
Kay seems impressed. "Oooo! I knew you had to be a model, or something! You've definitely got the looks for it!"
"Thank you, Kay," Ann smiles and laughs. "I don't ever see myself stopping. It's just a lot of fun for me. Maybe it might even become my full career at some point. But, translation would definitely be a meaningful career. I hope to translate for officials or diplomats, so I can stay current with foreign affairs and events."
"No matter what choice you make, you'll excel, lady Ann!" Morgana cheers.
Ann giggles at his love-struck antics. "Would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself, too, Morgana?"

---Music: Difficult People ---

"Don't mind if I do!" he agrees. "As I said earlier, my name is Morgana. You can look at me as someone who came from the Metaverse, more or less. I figured out as much as I could about the Metaverse and its effects on cognition. All the while, I was training everyone here into becoming top-class Phantom Thieves! Together, we learned that by stealing whatever twisted desire caused a person to become evil, we could effectively take away a person's desires to do bad."
  "So that's the kind of crime fighting the Phantom Thieves do, huh," Kay remarks, "Changing the hearts of evildoers to make them feel sorry for their crimes."
"You've got it," Morgana nods, "It was super satisfying knowing that we could turn awful people around and feel sorry for their crimes."
  "Wright," Edgeworth calls, "You've been involved longer than we have. Have you witnessed any of the personality changes, yourself?"
"We have," he confirms, "Maya and I visited Masayoshi Shido in prison. He was one of the worst criminals in Japan's history, but if you spoke to him now, you'd feel sorry for him. He broke down into sobs over what he had done."
"Intriguing," Edgeworth comments, "Not that I doubted the authenticity of any of this. It's just a fascinating concept, to reform evil individuals and make them repent."
Morgana smiles in agreement. "You've got that right! Of course we knew that with powers like these, we had to do something good in the world. That's the whole reason we became Phantom Thieves, to make the world a better place, one bad guy at a time!"
Mr. Wright seems to be easing up significantly. "I see. This whole time I was thinking you guys were just breaking and entering and stealing while ignoring the law. But I can hardly fault your intentions, knowing the full story."
"I'm sorry that we made such a bad first impression, Mr. Wright," I apologize formally, "I promise you that we only did what we did at the museum as an emergency measure. Actual burglary in real life was an exception, and definitely not our norm."
"Hey, with that being said," Morgana continues on, "Why don't you take it away, leader?"

  ---Music: Police Cell ~ Elegy of the Security Cameras ---

Oh, I didn't really expect to have to go through an introduction. It didn't occur to me that Mr. Edgeworth's team and Ritsu still don't know anything about me.
I struggle to think of what to say about myself. "I'm Akira Kurusu. When we got started as Phantom Thieves, I was chosen as the leader. Now that we have reason to believe that the Metaverse may be getting abused, I'm ready to do whatever it takes to put a stop to that."
The room looks like it expects more. After no one speaks for a few moments, Ryuji opens his mouth. "That's it, dude? I know you were never much of a talker, but... c'mon."
"You should at least tell them about all of the cool stuff you've done, or something," Morgana suggests, curiously.
"I guess I got really good at doing what we did. Went through plenty of battles and beat tons of villains. I was the one who learned how to craft all the tools we used, too."
"What's going on with your life right now?" Ann asks, "I remember you said you were taking a gap semester. Were you able to find a good job, instead?"
"Not exactly," I sigh.
In the time I'm not talking myself, no one particularly has anything to fill the gap. I sigh and try to at least get the gears turning on why we're really here. "I mean, we should maybe get a move on about the Orb, and what to do next."
Futaba calls my name with a melancholy tone. "Akira... don't you want to at least stop and take the time to relax, first? Our new friends just want to get to know you."
I mean... my teammates are all really laying their emotions bare. But, I don't know if I can do the same. I don't want them to worry about me.
"Have you decided what you'll do after the gap?" Yusuke asks, "Do you plan on enrolling somewhere in the fall, perhaps?"
"... No. I haven't thought about that yet," I concede. I'm beginning to feel really uncomfortable.
"Akira, I hate to pry... but something sticks out in my memory," Haru speaks up. "The other night, when you were saying that you were the only person who could pull off the museum heist. You specifically said you had less of a future to lose. What did you mean by that?"
That is truly, truly the last thing I want to talk about.
"Joker, we're you're teammates," Yusuke speaks with empathy, "You can talk to us."
I can't even really look him in the eyes, even as he says something so supportive. What the hell is wrong with me? This came out of nowhere. I was in alright spirits until the conversation started to move to me. I should be proud of my accomplishments, shouldn't I? But there's a feeling that rears its head whenever I start to think about my future. Or even just to think about myself.
"Maybe we should let it be and move on," Mr. Wright suggests, "I can tell when a person just doesn't want to talk about something. I can just fill in Edgeworth and Kay and the detectives on what he told me in the detention center when we first met. Would that be alright, Akira?"
I'm really unable to say anything. My mind feels almost abstracted and I can't focus my thoughts clearly, and it's starting to piss me off.
"Akira," Makoto addresses me as she stands up from the booth. "Can we step away for a moment?"
I blink a few times. "Uh, sure," I respond. As I walk my way around from behind the counter, Makoto meets me and grabs hold of my hand. She then leads me upstairs to my old room.

---(Music End)---

  April 13th, 1:10 pm
Cafe Leblanc Attic

Makoto keeps pulling me along until we reach the couch on the left side of the room, where she sits down and offers me a seat in turn. I sit, but I feel too on edge to lean back into the couch and get truly comfortable. Instead, I hunch forward, leaning into my clasped hands. I must look like Igor right now...
Makoto clears her throat. "Akira. Is this related to what we texted about a few days ago?"
I shake my head. "I don't even know what 'this' is, to be honest with you. I just... started to clam up."
"You're not giving me a lot to go off of, here," she says, though she sounds like she's partially trying to lighten the mood. "Just tell me how you feel. I don't care if it's irrational, I just want to hear what you are feeling. Can you do that for me...?"
I'm not even sure what's bothering me, but maybe just... talking might help figure that out.

---Music: Reminiscence ~ The IS-7 Incident ---

I take a deep breath. "Makoto, I feel like... I'm in a hole, that I just can't climb out of."
Her eyebrows curl and I can tell she's empathizing with me.
I can't help but chuckle, feeling sorry for myself. "I spend so much time and energy on helping others that I don't know how to get help myself."
  "Why haven't you come to us for help? Like I said before, you've made plenty of strong connections over the years... I'm sure someone can find something for you."
     My face buries into my palm, which I slide up into my hair anxiously. "See, this just makes me feel worse, the thought of having you all worrying over me."
"Don't be ridiculous, we care about you. Of course we want to help," she expresses emphatically.
I shake my head, unable to find words.
Makoto raises a different possibility. "Is it because you don't want to seem vulnerable in front of the team...?"
"... Maybe. I don't know," I answer, before thinking more deeply into the question. "To know that I've been failing this whole time would just be so much unnecessary stress."
"What are you talking about?" she asks, from what I can tell genuinely confused. "I know that you're a hugely capable person. What exactly do you feel like you're failing at?"
"Everything," I scoff, unintentionally. "It doesn't matter what I do or who I turn to for help, because every time I try to climb my way out of this hole and move on, something just kicks me back down to the bottom."
"That's not true--"
"Yes it is!" I snap, "A normal life doesn't work, because no serious career employer wants to hire a convict. Asking for help doesn't work, because even with helping hands, I have no clue what I want or where I want to go in life. Turning back to being a Phantom Thief is fun and all, but I've got multiple police mugshots at this point. Just look at how badly I screwed up at the museum. I'm just going to end up back in prison if I keep doing this. And that's not even half as bad a scenario as if one of you gets caught. I was so happy to hear all of the progress and decisions each of our teammates have made. I don't want you all to throw away such promising prospects."
"Look, Akira. I appreciate how much you care for us. I really, truly do. And I want to tell you something right now. Even though we've been apart for a while, we're still the same friends. Knowing that you've been struggling doesn't change the fact that we respect you as a leader. We'll follow you no matter what. And we do that by choice, not obligation!"
"I'm getting less and less comfortable about that by the minute," I admit with guilt, "Hearing how everyone has turned their lives around, and moved past all of their traumas, and how you all have goals and futures... I don't even really want you guys having to get involved in something like this. I just--"
"Akira!" she shouts--this time it's her snapping. "Stop taking all of the... of the damn burden on your own shoulders! Can you not see that it hurts us to see you suffer like this?!"
  "And that's exactly why I can't talk to the others. About any of this. I don't want them to see me like how I am right now."
"So you just... plan on bottling it up? Is that it?" she asks aggressively, "Like ignoring this immense pressure on your heart will somehow make it hurt less?!"
  With half of my face still firmly planted into my palm, I can only stare blankly at the ground. "I hate the thought of bringing everyone back down into that hole with me. I'd rather I get left behind and that everyone else lives happily."
  Makoto grips my arm more firmly. "Akira. No one else in the world is up here in this room right now. It's just you and me. No one else will see you, but me. And if you don't want me to see you, either, then I'll leave. But, regardless. I have a selfish request... I want you to express how you really feel, without the world watching. No more bottling, no more hiding. This is your chance."

---Music: Reminiscence ~ Departure from Regret ---

Within the palm covering my other eye, I feel tears against my skin. From my open eye, I see droplets hit the floor below me, so I cover that eye with my other hand.
I feel Makoto touch and grip my hands. "Come on. Like I said, no more hiding it," she speaks softly, gentling pulling my hands from my face.
I slowly lean up to a normal posture and I look at her. Her visage looks blurry from all the moisture. "Well, here he is. Akira Kurusu, or what's left of him. Even Arsene thinks I'm pathetic like this, my own god damn Persona."
With the very tips of her fingers, she gently touches my cheek, which gives me the slightest tingly response. Memories of days long gone flood my body almost instinctively. She pulls me close, and rests her forehead against mine as we both close our eyes. My mind starts to empty, and all I can feel are the tears sliding down my face, and the warmth of her against me. Soon I can't even hear my own choking sobs, which start to die down. I can't tell if it's seconds, or minutes. Time flutters by like the breeze until all that's left are sensations.
I feel like my heart itself is exposed right now, and I feel so vulnerable... yet hearing Makoto's voice makes me feel safe, even before I parse the words she's saying. "Who cares what Arsene, or anyone else thinks... people change, and that's life. Change as much as you need to until you find yourself! Get sad! Get mad! Get bitter! If you need support, get help! Just don't keep it to yourself anymore. We're here for you. I'm here for you."
Our eyes are still closed... but I feel her lips against my own. I feel one of her hands on my back, and the other gripping my head to pull me closer. Without even conscious thought, I slide my arms around her waist in response. The only thought in my head is how deeply I've needed this.
Our lips eventually part so slowly that it's noiseless, and we open our eyes. I can't tell if my own tears slid off of my face and onto hers, or if she's crying herself. Maybe both. But we're still holding one another tight.
    "I... missed you, Makoto," I confide, as best as I can manage. "I was worried that with so much distance between us, and after so much time had passed... I was too scared to bring it up."
    She shakes her head with a kind, radiant smile. "The things in life that are truly important won't change, including who you are inside. Including all you mean to us. And including how I feel about you."
I can't tell if I want to cry less or cry more at this point. I take a deep, full-body breath. "Can we stay up here like this for a while?" I ask.
She rests her head against my chest. "As if you even need to ask."

  To be continued...

  ---(Music End)---

  ---Music: Victory ---

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  April 13th, 12:35 pm
Cafe Leblanc

The bell attached to the front door chimes as the three investigators make finally make it to the cafe. I take a mental role-call in my head, just as a general awareness check as to who exactly is involved at this point.

---Music: Suspicion (Persona 5) ---

Sojiro is at his usual spot behind the bar, and I'm beside him with my arms crossed and propped on the counter as I hunch slightly. Morgana walks back and forth across the counter eyeing everyone, and I get the impression he is taking a tally like I am.

  Sitting at the chairs in the front of the bar are Sae, Phoenix, Maya, and Futaba. Sae has helped herself to some freshly brewed coffee, but the other three simply sit anxiously.

Makoto, Yusuke, Ann, Haru, and Ryuji had already taken their seats at the usual booth.

Then there's the wild cards who we don't really know as well. Mr. Edgeworth stands at the side of the bar counter with perfect posture, with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. He seems peaceful at a glance, but he's been nervously tapping one of his fingers against his arm the entire time. Detective Gumshoe has been pacing, and finally he takes a seat at the bar next to us. Kay is leaning her back against the wall near the bathroom, and she seems to be the only one in the room energetic rather than uncomfortable.

The bell rings once more, unexpectedly. Of all people, detective Ritsu enters the cafe too, taking his hat off. "Afternoon, folks," he greets, which are the first words spoken by anyone since we got here.

"I'm glad you got my text, detective," Wright greets back.

"Mr. Wright... how many people did you plan on getting involved with this?" I question him sternly, "And why didn't you talk to us first about the detective?"

"Don't blame him, Kurusu-san," Ritsu expresses, "I'm a detective, digging for info is what I do best. I figured out on my own that something was going on."

"If I may be so bold," Edgeworth announces, "What exactly IS going on here? If it's no more than a talking cat, that's not half as ridiculous as other things I've witnessed. But clearly whatever circumstance has you all rattled doesn't end with the cat. What exactly did you mean when you mentioned that you were 'phantom thieves?'"

"She said it first!" Ryuji pushes back defensively, pointing at Kay, "If anything, she should explain too!"

---Music: Kay Faraday ~ The Great Truth Burglar ---

Kay dramatically leaps atop one of the booth tables near us with her arms crossed and a proud smile. "I apologize for our rudeness, and I'd be more than happy to explain! You see, we are the 'Yatagarasu!'"

"The what?" Mr. Wright asks.

"It's a crow with three legs," Ann elaborates.

Sojiro has a response to this. "Can the 'Yatagarasu' take its three legs off of the table, please? Customers eat there, you know."

"Oh! My bad, sir. I'm sorry." Kay says as she bows and hops down to the ground.

"Is there perhaps a story behind using that particular name?" Yusuke asks.

  "Well, just like the three legs: the Yatagarasu is not one, but three people! Mr. Edgeworth, Gummy, and I all make up the legendary shadow thief!"

"Pardon my asking," Mr. Wright speaks up, "But when you say thief... do you mean, like, ACTUAL thieves?"
"Perish the thought," Mr. Edgeworth deflects, but he still carries a bit of a smirk. His look is directed at Kay, and is one I usually see on Sojiro. The type of expression is one I equate to an exasperated parent who still finds their kid endearing. "Though, I must admit, the 'Yatagarasu' represents values which I've come to hold dearly."
Mr. Wright looks like he's thinking deeply. "I think I've heard 'Yatagarasu' in passing before."
"Well, it's common in Japanese mythology," Makoto explains, "It has lots of different meanings and holds significance as a symbol."
"Right, but I mean specifically in real-life context," Wright furthers, "I think I remember reading a article back in the states about a group of vigilantes."

"The original Yatagarasu was a team that my dad was on!" Kay furthers, "That team fell apart, but... I'm here to carry on the legacy!"

"What does the Yatagarasu do, exactly?" Haru asks politely.

"We steal the truth!" Kay nods with closed eyes and a very proud smile. "No matter how dark and treacherous a mystery, we will solve it if it means delivering justice! And once we get started, nothing can stop us! Sometimes the truth and the culprits can try and escape the law, but they can never escape the great Yatagarasu!"

Mr. Wright is thinking on the matter. "So this Yatagarasu takes the law into its own hands, is that right?"

"Historically, yes," Mr. Edgeworth answers. "Be that as it may, the current iteration has no intention of any law breaking."

"I can explain, pal!" Gumshoe adds, "It took me a while to get, too... but, basically, the Yatadegrootsoo--"

"Yatagarasu!" Kay corrects.

"Er, right. The 'Yatagaratsu,' doesn't steal anything real. We steal the truth, no matter how well it's hidden! So, instead of thinking of us like thieves, think of us as more like, er, a team of investigators!"
Mr. Edgeworth looks at his partner with a bit of an irked expression. "Detective, we are a team of investigators. Who are most certainly not thieves."

---(Music End)---

"Akira, and Niijima-san? A moment?" Wright requests of Sae and me.

---Music: Confrontation ~ Moderato 2009 ---

  We step off to the side for a private conversation outside of ear shot, and he begins whispering to us. "I've known Edgeworth for a very long time, and I definitely trust him. How open minded would you be to having him and his friends on board with this investigation?"

I shake my head. "I don't know anything about him. He's a prosecutor, AND he's with Interpol, too. We definitely want to avoid breaking the law at this point, but if we end up needing to... that puts ourselves in a position to get us all arrested."

"And we've already seen where taking unnecessary risks has gotten us," Sae laments, "Aside from Akira, none of the others have ever had their identities leaked, either. They could all be considering avoiding arrest... Interpol is about the last organization I'd want them to get involved with."
Mr. Wright scratches his chin. "I can understand those concerns, but I know he'd make a valuable ally."
"Still, he said he wouldn't break the law," I note, "That puts him between a rock and a hard place as his whole job is to convict law breakers."
Mr. Wright is still giving this a lot of thought. He must really, REALLY have a lot of faith in this man to be pushing so hard on this possibility. I suppose that makes sense, given how deep their histories intertwine.

  "If you trust him that much, I want to try and trust him too..." I admit, "But let's not mention anything about who we are yet. We'll talk about what's going on in the world. Depending on how that goes, if the opportunity feels ripe, then maybe we can spill a few details."

We turn to Sae next. "We just need to be very careful about what we say and how we say it," she warns.

Wright smiles and nods. "That sounds reasonable. Thanks for working with me on this."

---(Music End)---

The three of us return our attention to the matter at hand. "Is everything alright...?" Edgeworth asks us.
"Hey, I've got a suggestion on how to go about this," detective Ritsu announces. "How about I explain all of my suspicions to see if we're all even on the same page, and we can go from there?"

"Sounds reasonable enough," I reply, "Let's hear it."

---Music: Suspicion (Persona 5) ---

"Alright," Ritsu nods, "I'll start from the ground up. Stop me if I'm getting any of the details wrong."

He slides into a seat at the counter and rests one elbow on it, his body turned to face the majority of us. "So, a few days ago, Kaz Mizusawa murdered his own client. Mr. Wright and Miss Fey were thinking that there may be a chance someone had altered his personality."

"What? Are we talkin', like, hypnosis?" Gumshoe asks.

"Not if the hunch is correct. We researched a bit about similar events a few years back with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. They were a vigilante group active in the past. We don't know how they did it, but they proved that people's 'hearts' could be 'stolen' which would change their personalities," he explains. "Detective Goro Akechi as well as Niijima-san were both in pursuit of the Phantom Thieves at the time, according to our records. And from I can tell, you guys have further suspicions. I assume that other events or related things may be going on? That last part's speculation, I'll admit, but... am I getting close?"

"So far," Sae confirms. "Is that all you know?"

"Well, again, I've got more speculations," he continues, "The two potential explanations for this are that you guys are aware of the personality changes because you're somehow causing them... or you're investigating them and trying to stop them."

We all trade glances, and I look at Ritsu. "Why exactly have you taken an interest in any of this?"

"I could ask the same question to everyone in this room," Ritsu replies, but he looks like he's trying to hide excitement under professionalism. "As for me, well, I love mysteries. Always have. I devoured mystery novels when I was a kid, and I always wanted to solve mysteries myself. I've seen you in action twice now, Mr. Wright, and I think I've got a good read on your character. If the rest of you AND him are both looking into this, then I feel like I can trust it's for good reasons. And believe me, I want to help."

He's already in this deep, so our options are limited. "Can you keep all of this a secret?"

He holds his chin in thought. "Well, you can trust that I won't tell anyone that you are all the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, as long as I trust that you guys are trying to do good and help people. But, I'd really appreciate it you guys could let me know what's going on at the very least."

No one seems terribly surprised to hear Ritsu make the assumption that we are the Phantom Thieves, considering how deep he already is. It's regrettable he had to say something like that in front of the Interpol investigators, though... this is such a screwy situation to be in, and I don't really have an escape strategy in mind. All I can really think to do is let everything play out and pray nothing goes wrong.

---(Music End)---

"Can we go back to the talking cat?" detective Gumshoe interupts, "I feel like we skipped over the part where the cat was talking."

---Music: King, Queen, and Slave - Another Version ---

"My name is Morgana!" he says in response, sounding a little standoffish. "Since I'm literally out of the bag at this point, allow me to take over. I'll get everyone caught up with everything, alright?"

"I think this testimony will finally trump your parrot testimony in memorability, Wright," Edgeworth comments.

I want to ask what that statement was about. I really do. But, now isn't the time...

"Alright, folks. Listen up," Morgana announces with authority, "I'll start from the top. Wakaba Isshika was a psychologist researching new methods to aid in healing the human psyche. One thing led to another, and eventually she stumbled upon an alternate reality. We called it the Metaverse. Long story short, it was more or less the world inside all of our hearts and minds."

  "This is a hard pill to swallow, pals," Gumshoe says as he scratches the back of his head with an empathetic look on his face. "Are you following this, Mr. Edgeworth?"
"I am," he confirms, still crossing his arms and tapping his finger, as if he has barely moved since he got here. "And my first question is, why are you speaking in past tense? Is this 'Metaverse' gone for some reason?"

"As far as we know," Morgana nods, "We thought it was destroyed."

"Would that not have had profound effect on all of us, if our own minds were destroyed?" Edgeworth questions.

"Huh, um... well, that's a pretty good question, actually," Morgana comments as he tilts his head curiously. "It's definitely not that our cognitions have been destroyed. It's more like... the method that was being used to change personalities is no longer an option."

"I see," Edgeworth acknowledges, "But going by earlier conversational points, you are all suspecting that this 'Metaverse' might still exist, or at least some alternate form of changing personalities may exist."

"I feel like this guy is leading the explanation more than Morgana is," Ryuji comments on the side.

"Zip it, Ryuji!" Morgana snaps back, before clearing his throat to confirm the earlier statement. "That's our main concern, yes. We think personalities are being changed on a very large scale."

"And the basis of this assumption?" Edgeworth questions.

Sae opens her folder full of documents and lays it on the table. "Here. I've been researching every instance I could find from the last few weeks. I've gathered evidence and information on everything from unexpected flip-flopping on political issues, up to and including betrayal and murder. You can look over any of it, if you'd like."

"Thank you, Niijima-san," he speaks with appreciation, "I'll take that offer soon, but for now I'll take your word."

"We even think that the events in Koridai may be related to all of this," Haru adds, "And there's no telling how many other similar events could be playing out around the world right now, or how long this has been going on."

"So, what exactly is being investigated here?" Edgeworth asks in a straightforward manner.

"We have a couple of leads already that we were planning on looking into," Makoto starts, "Including a few politicians we think are suspicious."

Maya nods. "We also have strong reason to believe that Cognitive Psience is definitely what's being used by whoever seems to be orchestrating so many events."

---(Music End)---

"So, to summarize:" Ritsu lays out, "You all think there is a conspiracy going on that could very well be global in scope, and you're currently in the starting steps of trying to stop it, Phantom Thief style?"

  "But why so much secrecy?" Edgeworth asks further.

"The most important reason," Morgana answers, "Is because we don't know how many enemies why may have and who may know our identities. We're trying to stay as covert as possible for our own safety. For instance, we're cautious about getting Niijima-san implicated into our stuff. She worked with Akira to convict Shido, after all, so someone may make a connection there. That's the main reason we had Mr. Wright represent Akira. On record it will look like he's the only one who was there, so you'd have to have been physically there to even see that Sae was involved."

"I can get that you don't want bad guys to know," Kay reasons, "But why keep things from the good guys, too?"

Yusuke tries to explain. "You can't really blame us for being worried that upholders of the law would be at odds with us former thieves."

"Though I guess it's way too late now since you are all in the know..." Ryuji sighs in defeat. "May as well get arresting us over with, already..."

---Music: Miles Edgeworth ~ Objection! 2009 ---

Edgeworth laughs a single time. "Hmph. Do you really see a reason for us to do that?" he asks half-rhetorically, "Because I certainly don't. And it seems detective Ritsu doesn't either."

Ritsu nods and smiles. "All it sounds like to me is that there's some serious trouble going on, and my only complaint is that you didn't come to us sooner!"

"You're... going along with this a lot more easily than I thought you would, Edgeworth," Mr. Wright notices.

"Especially considering how long it took Mr. Wright himself to join up with us," Futaba adds, "I thought all lawyers were, like, 'lawful good' by default."

"You know," Edgeworth speaks up, "Lately I've been seeing things from outside of my usual purview. I've been putting a lot of consideration into what justice and truth actually mean to me, and what the law actually accomplishes to those ends."

Kay hops up with excitement. "Mr. Edgeworth even resigned and turned in his badge in order to save me! Though he got it back a few days later... it's a long and weird story."

"If I had to put it in my own words, pals," detective Gumshoe contributes, "I'd say that Mr. Edgeworth, and Kay 'n' me, all agree that the law is just a tool, see? And we use tools to get a job done!"

"We've seen the law has limits," Edgeworth concurs, "And while the law may bend and break, the truth never will."

"And neither will we!" Kay cheers, "So sign us up for this party!"

Edgeworth nods. "I concur, and I'm willing to assist however possible. These seem like matters that shouldn't be left up to law enforcement alone, anyway."

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheers, "Eff the police!"

Detective Gumshoe looks dejected. "I'll uh, pretend I didn't hear that, pal..."

  "Though, that being clear," Edgeworth coughs into his fist, "Law breaking is certainly not an ideal. I'm open minded to possibly working around the law, but ultimately we still have a duty to adhere to it. And whenever we reach a point where the law can't go, it's also our duty to fix it."

---(Music End)---

"I've been meaning to ask for a while now," Maya announces, "But, aside from Akira and Sae, I don't really know any of you. Because of all the craziness, we forgot to do introductions!"
"That's a good point," Mr. Wright agrees, "Getting to know who is who is something crucial if we're going to be working together."

---Music: Reminiscing ~ Ryūnosuke's Memory ---

"Certainly," Haru smiles, "My name is Haru Okumura. I've inherited my late father's corporation, which has a huge presence in the global market and the food industry. You may have heard of Big Bang Burger."
"Their triple bacon avocado burger was something special!" Maya comments cheerily.
"The company was my father's dream. He really did love what he did, up until he lost his way... he became warped, and was eventually killed by Shido."
"Whoa. I'm sorry that he was taken away from you in such an awful way..." Ritsu condoles.
"I've made peace with his decisions, and I think he did, too, before he passed. Regardless, to be able to keep up with the responsibilities of keeping the company running, I'm taking online courses for business related skills. I'm studying biology as well, however, as botany has always been an interest of mine."
"Why botany?" Kay questions, "That seems pretty different than business."
Haru giggles. "I want to remind myself that I'm more than just the company I run. I want to pursue my own passions, and follow doing what I love doing, as well. I've always been a gardener, since long before I had any say in company matters. I've been told I'm quite good at it, as well."
"If we're going to be acting as Phantom Thieves once more, should we not divulge our code names?" Yusuke asks.
"Sure, that may be helpful in remembering us, too," Haru nods. "The code name I'm called by is Noir. I wanted to remind myself that I can still be a heroine of justice, even if I have to work in the shadows to do it!" she states with pride. "Morgana helped me come up with that name."
Kay pumps her fist in the air. "Awesome! A few months back, you would have been a perfect candidate when I was looking for members of the Yatagarasu. Maybe we could make room for a fourth member! Though, what would our name be? 'Yatafourasu' might work... actually, never mind, no it wouldn't..."
Haru chuckles as the prospect. "I'm more than happy to meet and work with you all," she finishes with a subtle bow.

---Music: Shipshape Aquarium ~ A Refreshing Sea ---

"Me next!" Futaba announces. "Futaba Sakura! I'm still in high school, but I'm the most ballin' master hacker you'll ever meet! I'm pretty much a technomancer. I do it all, baby!
"You must be the one Niijima-san took the victim's phone to for repair," Ritsu infers.
"Yep! I specialize in navigation, and I'm always working support for the team to make sure that our plans go smoothly. I used to be a total shut-in who stayed in my room forever... but Akira and the other Phantom Thieves helped me to build up courage. It's hard to believe how much I've changed since then! I feel a lot more confident in myself, and I know that I'm a valuable asset to the team. I go by Oracle!"
"I thought you go by 'Alibaba?'" Maya asks.
"I am Anon, for we are many things," Futaba replies, trying to sound mysterious with her tone of voice.
"Didn't you just say you were Oracle?" Kay questions.
"It's Oracle. Just stick with Oracle," Makoto explains, before everyone gets confused, "It's a pretty great name, because it reflects that she's always looking out for us."
"Is it also a reference to Batman?" Maya asks, rather excitedly.
Futaba throws her hands in the air and directs them towards Maya dramatically as if she were guiding a plane to land. "THIS gal gets it!" she praises with a personal level of satisfaction. "Every super hero team needs someone sitting in the chair behind a computer screen, making sure that we can all be successful. That's me! Anyway. Yeah. I'm Oracle for short. Next!"

---Music: Godot ~ The Fragrance of a Dark Coffee (Turnabout Jazz Soul) ---

Sojiro speaks up, actually. "Now seems like as good a time as any. Again, my name is Sojiro Sakura. I don't know how much help I'll be to any investigation, outside of providing the coffee and curry during the meetings. But, at the very least, I knew Wakaba Isshiki personally."
"What was Isshika-san like?" Mr. Wright asks, "I can't help but wonder. She's so influential to everything we're doing right now."
Sojiro seems distantly wistful. "She was quirky, at times. Always focused on work. But she truly treasured those close to her, especially her daughter."
"She was an amazing woman and a great mom," Futaba expresses, sounding a little more at peace with the subject.
"I've looked out for Futaba ever since. And Akira may as well be a son to me, too. Anyone those two trust, I'll trust, too. So don't be afraid to come to me if you need a hand with anything, or if you need a place to lay low. Leblanc is pretty much the kids' hideout. And you can trust I'll do everything I can to ensure that you all can make sure that Wakaba's research isn't getting abused to commit more evil."
"Also, his code name is Sojiro," Futaba asserts.
He blinks. "That's just my regular name..."
"Well, come up with a better code name then, some time!" she teases.
He takes a sip of coffee. "But hey, that's enough about me."

---Music: Investigation ~ Core 2007 ---

"I'm Sae Niijima. I'm a former prosecutor, but now a defense attorney. That's how I met Mr. Wright in the first place, in fact. Anyway, I was originally determined to catch the Phantom Thieves and put them to justice. There would have been a time where I thought vigilante justice to be inexcusable, but I can see that we all have good hearts, and want to do good. Once I managed to interview Akira, I learned about what their actual goals and motives were, much like we're going here in this room right now. Needless to say, I found myself on their side rather quickly, especially after discovering my sister was one."
"It was pretty awkward snooping around your back and trying to keep it a secret, I'm sorry about that," Makoto speaks with regret.
"I understand, it's no problem. After just the two of us living together for so long, we're bound to understand each other when all is said and done. And trust me, I'm happy that I'm able to be a part of this, now."

  ---Music: Dick Gumshoe ~ It's Detective Gumshoe ---

"I suppose I'm next, then. I'm Makoto Niijima. Sae is my big sis. Growing up, it was just me and her for the most part. Our father was a police officer, but he was... he was killed in the line of duty."
"I'm, sorry to hear that, pal..." Gumshoe offers as condolence, "It's never easy, losing someone like that. But I'm sure he was a brave guy."
"Thank you, detective," Makoto says back with a lukewarm expression, "But, his sacrifice made me realize that I want to both follow his footsteps, as well as prevent a tragedy like that from happening again. I'm currently in training to become an officer, and soon I'm hopefully to become a police chief. Just like my code name, Queen, I want to be in charge so that way I can do everything possible to keep the streets safe."
"Hey hey, now there's a goal I can get behind!" Gumshoe encourages, "I can tell you'd make a great chief. Hell, better than some of the ones I've worked with!"
"I'd watch what you say, detective," Edgeworth cautions, "If they catch wind of a sentiment like that, they may take it out on your salary..."
"Aw, crud..." he sighs.
Makoto laughs very softly, her mood having turned surprisingly positive, given the subject being discussed. I rarely see her get this comfortable around even us, much less strangers. Even Sae has a pleasant smile on her face.
I hear Sae whisper to me. "Detective Gumshoe is... a lot like him. Our father, I mean."
I see... I can't deny that seeing her this happy makes me want to smile, too.
"Hey, Makoto," Ritsu calls, "When you get finished with your training, give me a ring. I may be able to pull some strings at the precinct and put in some good words for you."
Her smile only intensifies. "Really? I would very much appreciate that, detective!"

---(Music End)---

"It's kind of funny how many cops we've got in the room right now, despite being a thieves meeting!" Ryuji laughs.
"I'm glad we're all getting along so well, all things considered," Sae expresses.
"I've got to admit," I add, "I was really worried that a group this big wouldn't be able to see eye to eye on anything. But I'm glad everyone is getting along."
"I guess I'm up next," Ryuji begins.

---Music: Klavier Gavin ~ Love Love Guilty ---

"Name's Ryuji Sakamoto! Nice to meet all of you!" he speaks with his usual bombastic nature. "My passions in life are, uh, well. I'm really good at running, that's for sure. I'm part timing as a fitness coach at a local gym, helping people get in shape. I'm really good at physical fitness stuff. And, also, I love to kick the shit out of bad guys! Though, I guess not any more, since in the real world that would be assault charges against me..."
He coughs. "On that subject, when the Metaverse was destroyed... we all agreed we'd be trusting that adults like Makoto's sis would be able to run things without needing us Phantom Thieves anymore..."
"You sound so disappointed, saying that," Sae recognizes.
"It's nothing against you, personally!" Ryuji denies, "In fact, watching you stand up in court to today was bad. Ass! It's just... y'know, we spent a whole year solving problems on our own, and it really felt like we were taking care of business in ways that nobody else could. Can't blame me for being sad when it all ended."
Ryuji crosses his arms over the table and leans into it. "I'll be the first to tell you that I'm no good at school. But what I do got is spirit! I still worked my ass off to get into college, and now I'm mostly studying journalism. Whenever my head feels like it wants to explode, I just think back to all of those study sessions back when were were in Shujin, where Makoto and the others would always tell me to 'apply myself' at studying. It never really clicked until I found something I really cared a lot about. Basically, I'm trying to get into a field where I can really know what's going on in the world.
He reclines back into the booth cushion to get comfortable. "Anyhow. My code name is Skull, because skulls are metal as hell, and I'm bad to the bone," he says in a bragging tone that is trying to make it sound like it's not a big deal.
"Fascinating how much one can change, yet still retain the same essence," Yusuke comments, "I'm pleased to know that the last few years have been enlightening for you."
"How about you, bro? What have you been up to, these last two years?" Ryuji asks.

---Music: Larry Butz ~ When Something Smells 2016 ---

"My name is Yusuke Kitagawa," our next friend begins, "You may be familiar with my work already. My piece was unfortunately destroyed, and reduced to courtroom evidence. But, at least it served a purpose through saving Akira."
"I owe you, Yusuke," I chime in, "Not just for that, but for the entire distraction you made. By getting the attention of everyone in the atrium, you gave us a cover story."
"Inari certainly does have his moments, huh," Futaba snickers.
"Either way. I have but one goal in life, and that is to make art. Artistry truly runs in my blood. My mother was an extremely talented artist, and the man who was my mentor growing up was an monumentally famous artist named Madarame. Unfortunately, that man ended up being no more than a plagiarist..."
"I wish your mentor could have been a better person," Ritsu laments, "I rather liked his art. But, I supposed that just means it was the work of artists like you that I've always liked. Good to know that he didn't raise you to be a plagiarist too."
Yusuke smiles a bit. "Any artist worth the paint on their brushes knows the difference between inspiration and plagiarism. I've no doubt been influenced by the works of artists I'm particularly fond of. Some of my personal favorites are Gerhard Richter and Wassily Kandinsky. I'm rather fond of an upstart artist from America, as well, Laurice Deauxnim--"
Edgeworth violently chokes, followed by a short coughing fit.
"Are you alright, sir?" a wide-eyed Yusuke asks.
He immediately regains his stoic composure, arms crossed yet again. "It's nothing. Continue."
"Well, I'm currently in art school, and my code name is Fox," Yusuke explains, "And there you have it. I'm just an artist, and I want the world to enjoy my expression. I hope to have my work withstand both criticism and time itself. I know that some day I will be looked back on as a part of art history."
"I've never seen someone who's a full time artist before," detective Gumshoe points out, "How is it you afford to pay your rent, pal?"
Yusuke blinks. "My what?"

---Music: Happy People ---

Next, Ann takes the baton. "Er, moving right along... my name is Ann Takamaki. As far as my history with the team goes, I got involved with the Phantom Thieves during their very first mission. At the time, it was just Akira, Ryuji, Morgana, and myself. My code name is Panther, because I can be regal and ferocious all at once! The very first scumbag we targeted was a coach at our high school who was harassing and abusing students. After we changed his heart, he turned himself in crying about how much of a monster he had been. Serves him right."
"Sounds like you guys are the OG Phantom Thieves!" Maya comments, "You must be very close."
  "Most definitely. Ryuji and I go to the same college right now. I'm studying foreign languages. I'm already fluent in both Japanese and English, but I'm learning French, and starting to take steps to learn Russian as well. I think I'm going to become a translator. But, on the sidelines, I'm also a fashion model."
"That many? Dang!" Gumshoe says in awe, "It took me years just to learn Japanese, and I'm not even good at it, pal! Four languages is crazy!"
Kay seems impressed. "Oooo! I knew you had to be a model, or something! You've definitely got the looks for it!"
"Thank you, Kay," Ann smiles and laughs. "I don't ever see myself stopping. It's just a lot of fun for me. Maybe it might even become my full career at some point. But, translation would definitely be a meaningful career. I hope to translate for officials or diplomats, so I can stay current with foreign affairs and events."
"No matter what choice you make, you'll excel, lady Ann!" Morgana cheers.
Ann giggles at his love-struck antics. "Would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself, too, Morgana?"

---Music: Difficult People ---

"Don't mind if I do!" he agrees. "As I said earlier, my name is Morgana. You can look at me as someone who came from the Metaverse, more or less. I figured out as much as I could about the Metaverse and its effects on cognition. All the while, I was training everyone here into becoming top-class Phantom Thieves! Together, we learned that by stealing whatever twisted desire caused a person to become evil, we could effectively take away a person's desires to do bad."
  "So that's the kind of crime fighting the Phantom Thieves do, huh," Kay remarks, "Changing the hearts of evildoers to make them feel sorry for their crimes."
"You've got it," Morgana nods, "It was super satisfying knowing that we could turn awful people around and feel sorry for their crimes."
  "Wright," Edgeworth calls, "You've been involved longer than we have. Have you witnessed any of the personality changes, yourself?"
"We have," he confirms, "Maya and I visited Masayoshi Shido in prison. He was one of the worst criminals in Japan's history, but if you spoke to him now, you'd feel sorry for him. He broke down into sobs over what he had done."
"Intriguing," Edgeworth comments, "Not that I doubted the authenticity of any of this. It's just a fascinating concept, to reform evil individuals and make them repent."
Morgana smiles in agreement. "You've got that right! Of course we knew that with powers like these, we had to do something good in the world. That's the whole reason we became Phantom Thieves, to make the world a better place, one bad guy at a time!"
Mr. Wright seems to be easing up significantly. "I see. This whole time I was thinking you guys were just breaking and entering and stealing while ignoring the law. But I can hardly fault your intentions, knowing the full story."
"I'm sorry that we made such a bad first impression, Mr. Wright," I apologize formally, "I promise you that we only did what we did at the museum as an emergency measure. Actual burglary in real life was an exception, and definitely not our norm."
"Hey, with that being said," Morgana continues on, "Why don't you take it away, leader?"

  ---Music: Police Cell ~ Elegy of the Security Cameras ---

Oh, I didn't really expect to have to go through an introduction. It didn't occur to me that Mr. Edgeworth's team and Ritsu still don't know anything about me.
I struggle to think of what to say about myself. "I'm Akira Kurusu. When we got started as Phantom Thieves, I was chosen as the leader. Now that we have reason to believe that the Metaverse may be getting abused, I'm ready to do whatever it takes to put a stop to that."
The room looks like it expects more. After no one speaks for a few moments, Ryuji opens his mouth. "That's it, dude? I know you were never much of a talker, but... c'mon."
"You should at least tell them about all of the cool stuff you've done, or something," Morgana suggests, curiously.
"I guess I got really good at doing what we did. Went through plenty of battles and beat tons of villains. I was the one who learned how to craft all the tools we used, too."
"What's going on with your life right now?" Ann asks, "I remember you said you were taking a gap semester. Were you able to find a good job, instead?"
"Not exactly," I sigh.
In the time I'm not talking myself, no one particularly has anything to fill the gap. I sigh and try to at least get the gears turning on why we're really here. "I mean, we should maybe get a move on about the Orb, and what to do next."
Futaba calls my name with a melancholy tone. "Akira... don't you want to at least stop and take the time to relax, first? Our new friends just want to get to know you."
I mean... my teammates are all really laying their emotions bare. But, I don't know if I can do the same. I don't want them to worry about me.
"Have you decided what you'll do after the gap?" Yusuke asks, "Do you plan on enrolling somewhere in the fall, perhaps?"
"... No. I haven't thought about that yet," I concede. I'm beginning to feel really uncomfortable.
"Akira, I hate to pry... but something sticks out in my memory," Haru speaks up. "The other night, when you were saying that you were the only person who could pull off the museum heist. You specifically said you had less of a future to lose. What did you mean by that?"
That is truly, truly the last thing I want to talk about.
"Joker, we're you're teammates," Yusuke speaks with empathy, "You can talk to us."
I can't even really look him in the eyes, even as he says something so supportive. What the hell is wrong with me? This came out of nowhere. I was in alright spirits until the conversation started to move to me. I should be proud of my accomplishments, shouldn't I? But there's a feeling that rears its head whenever I start to think about my future. Or even just to think about myself.
"Maybe we should let it be and move on," Mr. Wright suggests, "I can tell when a person just doesn't want to talk about something. I can just fill in Edgeworth and Kay and the detectives on what he told me in the detention center when we first met. Would that be alright, Akira?"
I'm really unable to say anything. My mind feels almost abstracted and I can't focus my thoughts clearly, and it's starting to piss me off.
"Akira," Makoto addresses me as she stands up from the booth. "Can we step away for a moment?"
I blink a few times. "Uh, sure," I respond. As I walk my way around from behind the counter, Makoto meets me and grabs hold of my hand. She then leads me upstairs to my old room.

---(Music End)---

  April 13th, 1:10 pm
Cafe Leblanc Attic

Makoto keeps pulling me along until we reach the couch on the left side of the room, where she sits down and offers me a seat in turn. I sit, but I feel too on edge to lean back into the couch and get truly comfortable. Instead, I hunch forward, leaning into my clasped hands. I must look like Igor right now...
Makoto clears her throat. "Akira. Is this related to what we texted about a few days ago?"
I shake my head. "I don't even know what 'this' is, to be honest with you. I just... started to clam up."
"You're not giving me a lot to go off of, here," she says, though she sounds like she's partially trying to lighten the mood. "Just tell me how you feel. I don't care if it's irrational, I just want to hear what you are feeling. Can you do that for me...?"
I'm not even sure what's bothering me, but maybe just... talking might help figure that out.

---Music: Reminiscence ~ The IS-7 Incident ---

I take a deep breath. "Makoto, I feel like... I'm in a hole, that I just can't climb out of."
Her eyebrows curl and I can tell she's empathizing with me.
I can't help but chuckle, feeling sorry for myself. "I spend so much time and energy on helping others that I don't know how to get help myself."
  "Why haven't you come to us for help? Like I said before, you've made plenty of strong connections over the years... I'm sure someone can find something for you."
     My face buries into my palm, which I slide up into my hair anxiously. "See, this just makes me feel worse, the thought of having you all worrying over me."
"Don't be ridiculous, we care about you. Of course we want to help," she expresses emphatically.
I shake my head, unable to find words.
Makoto raises a different possibility. "Is it because you don't want to seem vulnerable in front of the team...?"
"... Maybe. I don't know," I answer, before thinking more deeply into the question. "To know that I've been failing this whole time would just be so much unnecessary stress."
"What are you talking about?" she asks, from what I can tell genuinely confused. "I know that you're a hugely capable person. What exactly do you feel like you're failing at?"
"Everything," I scoff, unintentionally. "It doesn't matter what I do or who I turn to for help, because every time I try to climb my way out of this hole and move on, something just kicks me back down to the bottom."
"That's not true--"
"Yes it is!" I snap, "A normal life doesn't work, because no serious career employer wants to hire a convict. Asking for help doesn't work, because even with helping hands, I have no clue what I want or where I want to go in life. Turning back to being a Phantom Thief is fun and all, but I've got multiple police mugshots at this point. Just look at how badly I screwed up at the museum. I'm just going to end up back in prison if I keep doing this. And that's not even half as bad a scenario as if one of you gets caught. I was so happy to hear all of the progress and decisions each of our teammates have made. I don't want you all to throw away such promising prospects."
"Look, Akira. I appreciate how much you care for us. I really, truly do. And I want to tell you something right now. Even though we've been apart for a while, we're still the same friends. Knowing that you've been struggling doesn't change the fact that we respect you as a leader. We'll follow you no matter what. And we do that by choice, not obligation!"
"I'm getting less and less comfortable about that by the minute," I admit with guilt, "Hearing how everyone has turned their lives around, and moved past all of their traumas, and how you all have goals and futures... I don't even really want you guys having to get involved in something like this. I just--"
"Akira!" she shouts--this time it's her snapping. "Stop taking all of the... of the damn burden on your own shoulders! Can you not see that it hurts us to see you suffer like this?!"
  "And that's exactly why I can't talk to the others. About any of this. I don't want them to see me like how I am right now."
"So you just... plan on bottling it up? Is that it?" she asks aggressively, "Like ignoring this immense pressure on your heart will somehow make it hurt less?!"
  With half of my face still firmly planted into my palm, I can only stare blankly at the ground. "I hate the thought of bringing everyone back down into that hole with me. I'd rather I get left behind and that everyone else lives happily."
  Makoto grips my arm more firmly. "Akira. No one else in the world is up here in this room right now. It's just you and me. No one else will see you, but me. And if you don't want me to see you, either, then I'll leave. But, regardless. I have a selfish request... I want you to express how you really feel, without the world watching. No more bottling, no more hiding. This is your chance."

---Music: Reminiscence ~ Departure from Regret ---

Within the palm covering my other eye, I feel tears against my skin. From my open eye, I see droplets hit the floor below me, so I cover that eye with my other hand.
I feel Makoto touch and grip my hands. "Come on. Like I said, no more hiding it," she speaks softly, gentling pulling my hands from my face.
I slowly lean up to a normal posture and I look at her. Her visage looks blurry from all the moisture. "Well, here he is. Akira Kurusu, or what's left of him. Even Arsene thinks I'm pathetic like this, my own god damn Persona."
With the very tips of her fingers, she gently touches my cheek, which gives me the slightest tingly response. Memories of days long gone flood my body almost instinctively. She pulls me close, and rests her forehead against mine as we both close our eyes. My mind starts to empty, and all I can feel are the tears sliding down my face, and the warmth of her against me. Soon I can't even hear my own choking sobs, which start to die down. I can't tell if it's seconds, or minutes. Time flutters by like the breeze until all that's left are sensations.
I feel like my heart itself is exposed right now, and I feel so vulnerable... yet hearing Makoto's voice makes me feel safe, even before I parse the words she's saying. "Who cares what Arsene, or anyone else thinks... people change, and that's life. Change as much as you need to until you find yourself! Get sad! Get mad! Get bitter! If you need support, get help! Just don't keep it to yourself anymore. We're here for you. I'm here for you."
Our eyes are still closed... but I feel her lips against my own. I feel one of her hands on my back, and the other gripping my head to pull me closer. Without even conscious thought, I slide my arms around her waist in response. The only thought in my head is how deeply I've needed this.
Our lips eventually part so slowly that it's noiseless, and we open our eyes. I can't tell if my own tears slid off of my face and onto hers, or if she's crying herself. Maybe both. But we're still holding one another tight.
    "I... missed you, Makoto," I confide, as best as I can manage. "I was worried that with so much distance between us, and after so much time had passed... I was too scared to bring it up."
    She shakes her head with a kind, radiant smile. "The things in life that are truly important won't change, including who you are inside. Including all you mean to us. And including how I feel about you."
I can't tell if I want to cry less or cry more at this point. I take a deep, full-body breath. "Can we stay up here like this for a while?" I ask.
She rests her head against my chest. "As if you even need to ask."

  To be continued...

  ---(Music End)---

  ---Music: Victory ---

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