Persona BLEACHED 2: Part 30

Chapter 30: The Beach One
March 22, 2029
"This is the life." Kibō thought to himself.
"Not a single care to be found. Perfect ocean, a nice breeze, sand being bathed in that radiant Catalan sun. Part of me wishes I could just forget everything and stay here forever. The other part knows how irresponsible that would be. There's still an enemy to be bested. Days like today, though...with the sun as vibrant as can be...and Kitty's feet on either side of my face..."
He broke from his train of thought. He sat on the beach, and sure enough, Kitty was laying on a towel behind him, her feet perched on his shoulders. She innocently drank a red drink from a plastic cup.
"Is this really necessary?" Kibō asked.
"Yes. It is. And don't act like this isn't driving you crazy. Any other guy would be lining up to be my footrest." Kitty teased.
"Is that what you're going to explain to Barb when she sees this?"
"Nope. I'm gonna free up a shoulder and then you can be both of our footrests."
Kibō groaned. "I'll assume that translates to, 'Thank you, oh beautiful Kitty. Since I'm here, allow me to massage your tired feet as payment'." Kitty said while imitating Kibō's voice.
"Not in a million years." Kibō affirmed.
"You know, Kibō-san..." Sakuya began, sitting next to Kitty, "For all of your denial, you haven't moved to displace Kitty-san."
"He loves me. He won't admit it but he can't stand the idea of a girl being uncomfortable. 'Course, he probably reserves the 'princess carry' treatment for our resident thespian." Kitty replied.
"Hrm." Kibō grunted.
"Hey, if you really want away from my feetsies, I have a solution for you." Kitty rattled her now-empty cup. "Homegirl needs a refill." She elbowed Sakuya. "You want anything?"
"I'm alright, thanks."
"Ah, you don't sit in the sun this long and not get thirsty. Make it two, Keebie."
"Tch, fine. I'll be back." Kibō groaned.
"My tootsies'll be waiting." Kitty teased. Kibō shook his head as he got up and walked away.
"You're terrible, Kitty-san." Sakuya said.
"It comes from a place of love. And let's face it, pushing his buttons is stupid fun."
"Is teasing people really that enjoyable?"
"I sure as hell think so. Maybe it's just hereditary. When she was 14 my mom convinced my grandparents that she was a ghost haunting them. That lasted for about two weeks before she dropped the act."
"How...how do you convince someone that you're a ghost?"
"Well..."
"Ladies." Kibō returned with the drinks.
"Oh, my savior." Kitty joked. 
Kibō scratched his head. "Okay. Which one of your feet is aching?"
"This one." Kitty held up her right foot. "Sure could use a good rub right about now." She pouted.
Kibō cautiously looked around. "I hope no one sees this..."
"Weeeee~!" Kitty exclaimed. Sakuya looked on, speechless.
...
Barbara didn't know what to make of the scene before her, when she arrived a few minutes later.
Sakuya looked just as confused as she did. Kibō was keeping his head down, though Barbara could see he was turning red. And sitting right behind him, feet propped up on his shoulders and gleefully sipping on her drink, was Kitty.
"Barbie! C'mere, there's room for one more!" Kitty exclaimed, moving her right foot from Kibō's shoulder to the top of his head. Kibō, for his part, looked mortified.
"Kitty-san...could you perhaps do that in a way where it doesn't look like you're presenting?" Sakuya asked.
"Seriously, Barbie, come and take the load off. Your boy toy is a good little foot masseuse. Mine haven't felt this comfy in ages." Kitty expressed, as beads of sweat dripped down Kibō's face.
"...how good are we talking?" Barbara asked.
"Oh, COME ON!" Kibō thought.
A few minutes later...
"Uggggh..." Barbara moaned, as an incredulous Kibō rubbed her feet, now perched on his right shoulder.
"See that, Keebie? That's how you pamper your lady. Just a pro lesson from your old pal Kitty."
"Yeah, I'm sure that's the reason for it." Kibō griped.
"You meant to say, 'Thank you for the advice, my lovely friend Kitty. As repayment, how about another go at it, with extra emphasis on the space between the toes?'" Kitty replied.
"Not in a million years." Kibō retorted.
"Sure you don't want a try, Maggie?" Kitty asked.
"I'm...I'm good, thanks." Sakuya uttered.
"Well this is something I won't be telling Mom and Dad about." Kibō thought. "Still, at least Kitty's back to her old self. Even if this is embarrassing, if it makes her happy then I guess I can live with it."
"The hell's going on here?" Kenji came upon the scene, a toothpick in his mouth.
"Oh, hey, Kenny--" Kitty began.
"DON'T YOU EVEN!" Kibō exclaimed.
"What's up? You look like you've got something on your--oooooh." Barbara began before reacting to the ongoing foot rub.
"I wanted to direct your attention to the assembly over yonder." Kenji motioned to his left. There was a gathering of several young people talking amongst themselves. Some were glancing over at the group, scornfully.
"What's their beef? They never see anyone sunbathing before?" Kitty asked.
"Oh...oh, no." Sakuya piped up.
"What's wrong? You recognize them?" Barbara asked. 
"Yes...they're from my class. They were the ones who...reacted poorly to my revelation. The short-haired girl in the middle is the one that complained to my professor."
"I see...that explains their verbiage. When I walked past them on my way over, I overheard her telling them to look over at 'that creature'." Kenji said.
"Oh...so that's how it is. So much for taking a few days to cool off..." Sakuya muttered.
"Oh, hell, no." Kitty griped. She stood up.
"Kitty-san, wait. Don't do anything reckless..."
"I'm not. I'm just gonna have a nice chat with your pals over there. Give Miss Thing a few pointers on how not to talk about people."
"We'll come with you." Carrie and Natalia had arrived.
"Yipes, when did you two get here?"
"Sorry, we were walking along the shore when we overheard you guys talking. We aren't gonna let them talk about Sakuya like that. If there's one thing I hate, it's bullies." Natalia replied.
"No offense to you, Kitten, but three is a much more intimidating number than one." Carrie added.
"Forget that. Let's make it eight." Sahir walked up with Max.
"Saw you guys jabbering about something. Figured it was more serious than Keeb rubbing my sister's feet..." Max said. Kibō groaned.
"You all don't have to do this. I can do it myself when the time comes. This isn't your battle." Sakuya protested.
"You're right. It isn't our battle. But we're going to fight anyway. Come on." Kibō got up and everyone else followed him.
"I couldn't even have one day of peace, could I?" Sakuya followed.
"Yo, peanut gallery." Kitty said to the gathered students. 
"What do you want?" the short-haired girl asked with an aggressive tone.
"We were gonna ask you the same thing. Are we offending you?" Barbara asked.
"Not you we're worried about, blondie." replied a bespectacled boy.
"You want to try saying that without the condescending tone?" Max said defensively.
"Let's not beat around the bush. We know who you're looking at. We know why you're looking. And we're here to tell you how very wrong you are." Kibō said.
"Oh. So you noticed. Please, enlighten us about why we're wrong about 'Sakuya', or whatever his name is." the short-haired girl replied.
"Her name is Sakuya. I know you know that much. You're just being cruel for the sake of it." Carrie responded.
"You bunch would know about cruelty, wouldn't you?" another boy said.
"Let's take a roll call..." the ringleader girl pointed at Carrie. "This one punched out three boys in an alley with her fancy pants kung fu moves..."
"It was self-defense, and it's called krav maga, you close-minded witch." Carrie bit back.
"...this one drew a sword on a pregnant lady..." she pointed at Kenji. "And still got his ass handed to him."
"Tch. She was an Olympic gold medalist. But why bring facts into the equation?" Kenji said.
"This one's got a long list of infractions I can barely even remember." She pointed at Kitty.
"Most egregious being my absorbing beauty and charm." Kitty quipped, taking a sip of her drink.
"And let's not leave out the one calling the shots: Tyrant Ishimaru the Second."
"Hmph." Kibō scoffed.
"I don't expect a bunch of outsiders to understand what an ordeal his big brother caused. Scandal after scandal that tarnished the Academy's rep for years. So don't question our morality when King Asshole's little bro is standing right here."
One of the boys got in Kibō's face. "My older brother got the tar beaten out of him 'cause he owed yours some cash. Even when he forked the money over the SOB told his lackeys to keep going. 'It'll be funny', he told my bro. He still has nightmares over what your shithead brother did to him. So don't come at us about some tranny when your legacy is--"
Kibō flipped the angry boy over his shoulder, his expression not changing. The boy's companions were stunned.
"These Thunderbolt brand swimming trunks aren't for show. That is my legacy. In case any of you other fine gentlemen wanted to take a swing this way." Kibō affirmed.
"T-thugs! They're just a bunch of thugs!" a girl exclaimed.
"You want to run that phrase by me one more time?" Sahir replied.
"We've been nothing but open and welcoming with everybody, including Sakuya. You're being jerks for no reason. What did she do that was so wrong?" Natalia asked.
"Call herself something when that's not what the gods decided for her."
"Ooooh, religion! The fallback motive of every asshole." Kitty said.
"Um..." Sakuya was now behind Kibō's group.
"Heh, so you decided to crawl out of your hole, huh?" the ringleader said.
"Please stop it. Everyone, let's just go back. I'm sorry I've caused all this trouble..."
"No. You're not apologizing for anything. These bums should be the ones apologizing." Max retorted.
"Nah, the creature's right for once. Y'all should just get lost."
Kitty had heard enough. She grabbed the ringleader by the arm. "Okay, bitch. Funny Kitty's taking a ten. You can act all tough and cruel for your buddies here, but if it was just you you'd be shitting your pants right now. We've got the scariest assortment of talent you'll find in the entire Academy. You are severely testing your luck right now with that transphobic bullshit. I'm gonna make one thing clear: you mess with Sakuya, you have eight very big problems to deal with. If I catch you or your flunkies talking about her ever again..."
"Alright, that's enough!" Rin arrived. "Kitty, let her go."
Kitty grumbled, but complied.
"Don't think that means you all are getting off easy. I overheard your choice of words. Rest assured, I'll be letting your professor know about this. Vacation or no, you're expected to conduct yourself in a proper manner." Rin presented her phone, which had been recording. "I don't tolerate hate speech. Neither does the Academy. Enjoy the rest of your trip while it lasts. I can guarantee you won't be having much fun when you get home. Now go."
The intimidated students skulked away.
"Teach, how much of that did you hear?" Sahir asked.
"Enough to know I had to step in. I'd hoped a couple days of thinking would have done the trick, but unfortunately that wasn't the case." She walked over to Sakuya. "Are you alright?"
"Yes...I'm fine. What's going to happen now?"
"Well, I'll be following through on letting the Academy know about this. What happens after that is beyond my control. But given how much the Academy values its image, I can't imagine they'll let them off easy."
Rin, noting the remaining tension, quickly thought of something. "Ah, I just remembered why I came looking for you all. It's getting close to lunchtime, and there's this really nice restaurant nearby..."
"Now you're speaking my language! Let's get a move on!" Sahir exclaimed.
Sakuya looked downtrodden. Kitty grabbed her by the arm. "Just remember. We've got your back. If this crap ever happens again, you know who to call."
"Thank you, Kitty-san. Truly. I never could've done this myself."
"Always remember: your old pal Kitty doesn't suffer fools." Suddenly, her stomach growled. "She also doesn't suffer an empty stomach. Come on, let's get some grub."
Sakuya giggled. "Alright."
---
"You okay, Care?" Natalia asked. She and Carrie sat on the shoreline.
"I'm alright. Just taking in the breeze." Carrie closed her eyes. "So relaxing...I missed this feeling."
"How's your back? Better than this morning?"
"The stinging's mostly subsided. It never goes away completely, but it's manageable. Honestly, my mind is so preoccupied with old memories, I haven't had time to think about pain."
"That's right. The beach is your favorite place."
"It was, up until that Qatar trip. The beach near my house was where I would go for walks with my mother. I haven't summoned the courage to go back since that day. Even in a city as beautiful as the one I live in...everything was a lot less beautiful after that."
Realizing where the conversation was going, Carrie quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, what about you? Is this your first time going to the beach?"
"Yeah and no, I guess. Bruges is right next to the ocean, but I've never really been to the beaches. Social anxiety and everything that comes with it." Natalia replied. "But that's over and done with now. Hey...I've got a great idea! How about when we visit each other, we go take a walk together at our beaches? I mean, I've never even seen mine...oh, but, if you don't feel comfortable going back to yours, that's totally fine."
"Natalia, I..."
A noise began to ring out from Natalia's bag. "Eh?" She pulled out her phone. "It's my mom..."
The video came on, and showed a woman with short blonde hair, yellow hairclips on either side of her hair, and a poofy yellow shirt. She had a lollipop stick in her mouth. "Mon Dieu! Look at that blinding ball of sunshine! And it's bright out, too!" she exclaimed.
"Bonjour, Maman!" Natalia waved.
"Darling, how I've missed that face! YANNICK! I've gotten hold of our Danish! Get over here!"
A short, brown-haired man with glasses and beard stubble walked into view. "My beautiful goddess, there's no need to yell, I'm two meters from you!" he said with a nasally voice.
"Hallo, Papa!" Natalia waved.
"My precious little Danish, look at you! Hair down, smiling on a beach! See, Sophia? I told you the foreign exchange route was a good idea!"
"Don't play stupid! I brought it up first! You're that one that was bawling at the airport!"
"Um, I remember you both bawling..." Natalia said.
"Darling, how are you doing? How's Spain been treating you?" Sophia asked.
"No strange men have tried picking you up, have they?" Yannick asked, leading his wife to slap his shoulder.
"No, Papa, I haven't been hit on by anyone except one of my classmates, and he hits on everyone. Spain's been really fun. It's a lot more like home, and I've had my friends with me...oh! I've got someone with me right now!" She turned the camera to put Carrie in view. "This is Carrie, she's the one I've been telling you about!"
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Van Damme." Carrie waved.
"Oh my God, you're even more beautiful than Natie said you were!" Sophia exclaimed.
"Please, you're exaggerating..." Carrie blushed.
Natalia heard a ringing noise, and turned to see a man driving an ice cream cart going past. "Oh, hold on a sec! Care, I'll be right back. Just keep them company for a couple minutes. Maman, Papa, I'll be back in a minute!" Natalia ran off.
"Wait, Natalia--" Carrie called out, to no avail.
"Now you see why we call her our Danish? Sweets and desserts are her weakness." Sophia said.
"She's never seen an ice cream cone she didn't fall in love with." Yannick added.
"I've realized that." Carrie uttered.
"So, Ms. Carrie, be honest with us. How has she been?" Sophia asked.
"I can see already that she's not as nervous as she was when she left home." Yannick added.
"I'll be honest, the first few months were tough for her. It took a while for her to really open up, but one day we poured out everything to each other and since then, we've been inseparable."
"Bless you, really. You have no idea how happy we are that she has real, genuine friends now." Sophia said.
"We heard about the bomb. Your professor called us and told us how you shielded her from the explosion. How are you doing now?" Yannick asked.
"Much better, thank you. There's still a little pain, and I have scars on my back, but it's not nearly as bad as it was before."
"We're in your debt. We've wanted to meet you so badly to thank you for everything." Yannick said.
"Girls here, they, you know, they took advantage of her and then said awful things about her. We thought if she could just go somewhere else and make just one genuine friend, she might finally get out of her shell." Sophia wiped a tear from her eye.
"If that awful man had killed her, I never would've forgiven myself. Just that he put our names on the box makes me sick. Natie is our everything. If something happened to her, I don't think we could go on. So knowing that she has someone willing to put themselves in danger to protect our little girl, that's more valuable than anything we could sell."
"There's no need for thanks, really. She's helped me so much with my own troubles. I consider these scars a mark of honor. The town I live in is very small, so friends have been hard to come by for me as well. She's saved me as much as I have her." Carrie dictated.
Natalia returned holding two ice cream cones. "Ooookay, I'd take care of this quick before it melts. You guys getting along good?"
"She's a lovely little thing, Natie. You hit the friend lottery." Yannick quipped.
"I hate to cut this short, darling, but we have to get back to the store. Send us every cute picture you can, okay?" Sophia asked.
"Of course, Maman, you don't even have to ask."
"And Ms. Carrie?" Sophia asked.
"Yes, madame?"
"When you come and visit during the summer, you should prepare yourself for the mother of all hugs. A repayment for being so good with our Danish."
"I look forward to it, madame."
"Bye Maman, bye Papa. I love you both so so much." Natalia waved goodbye to her parents, and the call ended.
"You're very lucky, Natalia. I can see how much they love you."
"They're the best. I was so scared when they told me I'd be going to school overseas. I'd never been away from them for more than a day, much less several months. But getting away from home was the best thing that could've happened. I never would've met you if I didn't."
"Natalia?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you. And I'd be happy to go to my beach with you. If I ever did, it might as well be with the one I nearly died for."
"You're gonna make me cry all over my ice cream, Care."
"It's already doing it by itself, looks like..."
Natalia noticed that her ice cream was dripping onto her leg. "Ah, shoot!"
Carrie giggled.
---
"You see that, lovebug? The water's amazing today." Rin was waist-deep in the water, holding her phone up.
"Are there sharks in there?" Shizuka asked, lying in her bed.
"Well, uh, there's always going to be sharks in the ocean, but I haven't seen any."
"Uncle JoJo said he punched a shark in the nose once."
"Oh, no no no no, what Uncle JoJo punched was a guy in a shark costume at the fish market that he thought tried to grab Aunt Hiyoko. With his tiny little shark fins." Rin moved her free hand like a fin.
"And then Uncle Jugo had to come break up the fight because he's apparently the only officer in this town." Rose joked offscreen.
"Hiyoko taped the whole thing. Sometimes when I'm bored I watch it. It's honestly incredible." Rin said.
Shizuka yawned. "Sleepy, huh?" Rin asked.
"She was my little assistant at the shop today. Poor thing's been nodding off for a while now." Rose replied.
"I miss you, Mama."
"Ohhhh, I miss you too, lovebug. I'll be home in a couple days, and then I can tell you all about it. I'll bring you back something cute."
"So a miniature doll of yourself, then?" Rose quipped.
"And you call me a tease." Rin replied.
"In any case..." Rose began. "This one's been having trouble falling asleep. I think she could really use a lullaby."
"Is that what you want, Shizuka? You want me to sing you to sleep?"
"Mmhmm."
"Okay, then. How about something Grandma Hana used to sing to me when I was little?"
There in the water, Rin sang in a low tone, until Shizuka eventually fell asleep. "There she goes. I'll sign off for now. Get a nice tan for me." Rose whispered.
"I'll try my best. Bye." The call ended.
"Probably shouldn't have my phone out here too long." Rin said, and she returned to shore. She sat down on her towel, and returned to her thoughts.
"Barely past afternoon and I'm singing a lullaby. A year ago I would've been mortified to sing in public like that." she pondered. "Eight months ago I couldn't have imagined how this would go. Engaged, with a toddler. And with a murderous cult still hiding in the shadows. Ten years since this all began, and still..."
She thought back to nine years prior. When the shadowy figure that had once been her brother lay mortally wounded in her arms.
"The future is in good hands with you, sister. I'm sure of it. Thank you, Rin..."
"Tohru...I wonder what you would think of the world right now. Where you would be if things had been different. I still believe we could've achieved so much good together. The others will only ever remember the demon you let yourself become. Some days I wish that's how I could remember you. So it wouldn't hurt so much to think 'what if?' To know that deep down, you could've been different..."
"I've finally reached a point where I feel I can be happy. That I don't have to hate myself for being here while you can't be. Even with all of the adversity, I have everything I could ever want. I don't need to feel guilty..."
Her mind jumped around. To the deaths of those she cared about. To her father. To her brother. To Miko. To her lowest moment, lying on the rainsoaked floor of a forest where many lives had come to a tragic end.
"I don't need...to feel guilty..." The scars that lined her arms briefly reappeared, before a voice from afar brought her back to reality.
"Professor!" Barbara ran over. "Sorry to interrupt."
"No, I wasn't doing anything important. What did you need?"
"We were all going to play volleyball, and we wanted you to officiate. If that's alright."
"Think the old lady is only good for refereeing, eh?"
"Oh, no, that's not what I--"
Rin giggled. "I'm kidding. I'd be happy to. Lead the way."
"Great! I'll go let the others know..." Barbara ran off.
"You're on vacation, Ringo. Save the guilty thoughts for another day. Don't let the kids see you weak." Rin stared at her arms. No scars. "A month away from turning 25 and I'm calling myself an old lady. Mom would be horrified." Rin sighed, and followed Barbara.
---
"Sure you don't want to go for one more swim?" Barbara asked Kitty, who was lying on her towel.
"Nah, I'm good. I don't need to go home looking like a raisin. You guys go on." Kitty replied.
"You sure? It'd be more fun with you around." Kibō said.
"You're sweet, but I'd just be playing third wheel. You lovebirds go on. Homegirl needs some extra tan time."
The two departed, leaving Kitty with Sakuya. "Curious." the latter said.
"You dunno how Barbie's legs can be a perfect ten? Same." Kitty replied.
"That's not nearly where I was going with that." Sakuya shook her head. "Kibō-san and Senpai are the designated leaders, yes? Yet, whenever something's going on, everyone flocks to you. They all try to comfort you when you're distressed. Even your Professor's little one adores you. If I didn't know any better, I would assume you were the leader, Kitty-san."
Kitty spat out what she'd been drinking. "Oh, noooooo. I ain't leader material. You see people giving Keebie grief for being a criminal's little bro, right? Well you're staring at a criminal's little sister who, oh yeah, used to be a criminal herself. I'm too messed up to do anything but stand back and look pretty."
"Sins can be forgiven. You forgave mine. And the others all adore you. Clearly you've done something right. Not everyone is the sum of their mistakes. And perhaps we need to make those mistakes, to get a better idea of what is right. Point is, when it comes to having a change of heart, I think you know what that entails better than anyone else."
"...I think someone snuck something into your drink." Kitty deadpanned. "Only thing I should be leading is my way to slumberland. Wake me up if I start looking crispier than a bucket of KFC chicken." Kitty turned away and closed her eyes.
"Leader? Me? Pfft, that'll be the day. Not me. Never me..." she thought.
She opened her eyes. "Hey, Maggie, what did--huh?"
Sakuya had vanished. So had everyone else on the beach. The sand, and everything else around, had turned a dark shade of blue.
"What did Keebie put in my drink...?" she pondered. "Maggie? Keebie? Barbie? Anybody?"
"Curious." a deep voice said.
Kitty looked towards the water. Standing on the shoreline was an older man in a suit, with an impossibly long nose.
"For the architects of fate to declare a new key performer this far into the game...very unprecedented. Perhaps a wrinkle in the fabric of time has altered what is to come?"
"Hey, uh, could you drop the mumbo-jumbo for two seconds and explain what's going on? Before I decide to press kidnapping charges."
"You needn't be alarmed. My name is Igor. It is my duty to direct those who venture on the path of The Fool. You are here because the actions you take will help to determine how this game will end."
"Hold up. Big-nosed guy, freaky blue world...didn't Keebie mention this once? But wait, wait, wait. You already gave this spiel to one guy, why am I here? Keebie hasn't done a bad job, has he? I don't think he can do a bad job."
"He has done well to lead you all to this point, that is true. You have all treaded the path of strife, but in the end, the hearts of your friends have decided. Only one can bring you all together."
"No, nonononononono. Keebie's the good one. Barbie's the brains of the operation, Care Bear's the one that's fought through everything. You could pick a name out of a hat and literally anyone else would do a better job at saving the day than me. There has to be a mistake. I'm not the one you should be chatting with."
"Very few would pick themselves to make the critical decisions. That role is most often decided by others. Destiny--and the hearts of your friends--have decided. You must be the one to lead them to victory."
".....what am I supposed to do?"
"The time of reckoning is quickly approaching. There will come a moment when all will seem lost. You must gather the strength needed to bring those closest to you from the brink. What happens after that moment is entirely on you."
Igor turned to the sky. Up above, the moon was in full view. "The Moon...those with an affinity towards it are said to be keenly aware of the world around them. To be able to see past illusions, and lead others towards the truest path. The power of the moon...it is what controls the tides on this planet. The time will soon come where you must alter the tides of this conflict, Kit So-yin. Reality itself may depend on it..."
Kitty jarred awake. "Did you hear me?" Sakuya asked. Everything had returned to normal. 
"Sorry, I was having a...wild dream. What's up?"
The other students had gathered near the water, with Rin holding a camera. "Come on, now. Have to have at least one of these." she said.
"Oh. The cringey tourist group shot. Figures. Coming, Prof." Kitty got up and walked over with Sakuya. "Wild. That had to be a dream, right? How am I supposed to 'bring everyone from the brink'? Crazy talk..." she thought.
She walked past Rin, who suddenly felt a jolt. "Alright, Teach. This is as still as you'll ever get us." Sahir exclaimed.
"Ah, right. Everyone on three..." Rin replied, and she snapped the photo.
"The one time we might actually look presentable." Kenji quipped.
"Oh, hush." Carrie retorted.
Rin stood ponderously. "That feeling just now..." she began to think back. Nearly a decade earlier, inside of an azure-colored ferris wheel. The moment she first met Tsukiyomi. When she first met Rose. "It's just like back then. I didn't feel this way after Kibō first gained the app. Has Kitty been...?"
"Hey, Prof." Kitty snapped Rin out of her thoughts.
"Yes, Kitty? What's on your mind?"
"...it's nothing. Just...a weird feeling."
"I get plenty of those. Those come all the time for people like us, I suppose."
"How did you do it?"
"Hm? Do what?"
"Stand up to your bro. It must've been painful, right? How'd you do it?"
"I...didn't have much of a choice. It wasn't easy, of course it wasn't. But I realized that if I didn't stand up to him...more people would suffer for it. I had to put my pain aside. For the sake of everyone...and for his, too."
"Sounds just like you, Prof. Thinking of everyone else before you, I mean." Kitty turned to look at the ocean.
"You need a minute to think?"
"Yeah. I'll catch up. Just want to take this view in."
Kitty looked up towards the sky. "For everyone's sake...even if it's painful...am I really cut out for this...?" she thought.
"Lin..."
---
The hall was dark. Lit only by torchlight. On the wall, an enormous, circular mirror. Gathered before it was an assortment of robed figures, bowing their heads and kneeling. 
Standing before the mirror was a towering, azure-robed man, his face covered by a cybernetic mask. "Brethren. Comrades. It is time. My power has returned to me. And thus, the gateway to Tsuki no Miyako has reopened. Justice is within our grasp!" the Master boomed.
Off to the side, the Viper sat, her hood down, revealing the green highlights in her dark hair. 
"For our human comrades who willingly offer themselves so that vengeance may be achieved, I thank you. Creon. Your loyalty will not go unrewarded."
"Sire." Creon uttered.
"And for my brethren. Haimon. Ismene. Fellow followers of the Moon. Centuries of injustice will soon be undone. Our rightful place is beyond this pathway. Patience has guided us to this moment. And as for you, Viper..."
"Whatever, man. Point me to the vaults and I'll be on my merry way. This better be worth it." Viper responded.
"Fear not, Kit Lin-mae. Everyone will be getting what's coming to them. Let us begin."
The Master held his hands out, and what appeared to be wires emerged from his hands, connecting with the mirror. Electrical energy poured through the wires, causing the mirror to transform into a portal.
"Rise, comrades. The path has been cleared. Time to go home."
The Death's Hand troops began to step through the portal. Viper put her hood back on. "This might be stupid, or it might be the ultimate payday. Time to find out."
The army arrived on the other side of the portal. All that could be seen were miles of rocks and craters. In the far off distance, a blue and green planet. The Earth.
"Well, geezer. It's the Moon. Rocks, rocks, and more rocks. I mean not for nothing, a few moon rocks could get me a healthy profit, but it ain't the big old vaults you promised." Viper griped.
The Master put up a hand. "Do you always trust what your human eyes can see? Observe."
As his eyes glowed, the lunar surface began to change. Rocks and craters replaced with roads, and towering buildings. Technology far beyond that which could be found on Earth, though it was clear that it had been left abandoned for a substantial amount of time.
"Woah..." Viper muttered.
"Tsuki no Miyako. The Lunar Capital. Home." the Master said.
The Death's Hand troops began to make their way to the tallest structure in the city.
Atop the structure, Amaterasu sat.
"So. They've arrived." she uttered. "It won't be long now." She turned around to look at her companion. "Wouldn't you agree, Miyatsuko?"
There stood Tsukiyomi.
"Indeed. Kaya." he replied. "The charade is done."
"The time...has come."