Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series.

Well, with this story, I feel that I went along too fast, so I'm amending it. I'm sticking with my original idea, and I'm wrapping it up. This is what it was meant to be, and this is what it shall be. Thank you to everyone that reviewed and help me continue it. It really kept me goin'. :D Well, here we gooo!

o4.

As she made her way down to the dead silence of the lounge, her feet light clicks against the surface of the steps, Mitsuru met six pairs of lost, expecting eyes.

She had known it was coming, but that didn't make it any easier. She was the leader, the boss; the senpai, the superior. She always had the right answer, and she always knew what to do. So when one of their roommates was murdered and another resolved to complete hysterics, who did they all turn to?

The firmest block of ice they know, Penthesilea answered.

Taking a deep breath, Mitsuru let her hand trail off the railing of the stairs as she entered the dining area. Yukari, Fuuka, and Junpei were seated, and Aigis and Minako stood nearby with Koromaru at their feet. Akihiko was nowhere to be seen, and though the atmosphere was grave and somber, there was something different in the air. Mitsuru couldn't quite distinguish it, but there was a certain tension that didn't seem to relate to the intensity of everyone's sorrow.

"…How's Ken?" Minako asked after a while. Her eyes were bright in the dim of the early morning darkness, and Mitsuru appreciated her respect and courtesy. It was very Kirijo of her.

"He's traumatized, but he'll heal with time. He feels tremendous guilt at the course of events, and he's contracted a high fever."

"I'm sure he'll shape up," Minako agreed. "He's a tough kid."

Warmth spread through Mitsuru's body at the brunette's praise, and she didn't even know why. It felt right, and it made her proud. It was important for others to understand all that Ken went through. He was only a little boy.

"When's Akihiko-senpai coming home?" came a small voice from the table.

Mitsuru looked over at Yukari, whose gaze was fixed on the carpet, and she frowned. "I'm not sure. I didn't even know he was out."

"Because you were too busy playing Mommy with Ken."

Everyone stopped, and Mitsuru stared. That odd tension strengthened, and Junpei, his eyes hard and his face wicked, was glowering back at her with dauntless frustration.

"So, wherever he is, I'm sure Akihiko fine. But we must alert the police and report that Shin –"

"Don't change the subject, Senpai."

"That Shinjiro is missing," she continued, her voice louder, "and then they will search and ultimately find him in the alley. The firm will assure that there is no trace to our group, and –"

"God DAMN it, Mitsuru!" He was standing by now, and all eyes were torn between him and the redheaded senpai. "You just don't get it, do you? We needed you, and you weren't there. We didn't know what to do, and we couldn't do anything without your command. Akihiko ran off, and so did you! Do you get how helpless that made us feel?"

"You left us," Yukari added, her brown eyes averting Mitsuru's. "You went to him, and even when you came back, you left us in the dust. It was if our feelings weren't important enough."

Dazed, Mitsuru looked from face to face to see similar wrath and hurt reflected in the depths of their eyes. Of all things to happen on the full moon of October, she wasn't expecting this. She had expected to see Shinjiro lounged on the couch after the mission, and she had expected to see Ken consumed with his collection of Japanese action figures. And most importantly, she had expected her roommates to be content after the night's closing, and she had expected everything to be fine.

But it's not fine, her persona admitted. It's far from it, and regardless of what you do, someone is going to be hurt.

Opening her mouth to fight, to retaliate, to save herself and defend her character, Mitsuru closed it. Penthesilea was right, and Mitsuru was… Confused. For the first time in her life, it seemed, she had no idea what to do. And there wasn't a senpai to turn and talk to. She was on her own, like her roommates were. She didn't know what to make of it.

Just as the corners of her mouth twitched in the beginnings of speech, another unexpected event occurred, and it would only add to Mitsuru's emotional stress.

Panting heavily while clutching his chest, Akihiko barged into the dorm, slumping against the wall. He banged his head backwards, and as though oblivious to everyone in the room, he let out a single cry of despair.

Gazing over at him, Mitsuru came back to reality. Tonight, though traumatic for Ken, was completely agonizing for Akihiko. Shinjiro was murdered this evening, and he was the silver-haired boxer's closest friend besides herself.

"Akihiko…" His head twitched at the sound of her voice, and she slowly moved forward, suddenly feeling partial to her own feelings of grief and loss.

In a way, Junpei was right: Mitsuru had been too busy fussing over Ken to care about anyone else's feelings, even her own. Very carefully, she went over to Akihiko and sat down next to him, her eyes on the ground.

"Go away," he whined in a small, strained voice. He then gurgled something and started sobbing again.

Still looking down, Mitsuru put her arm around his slender back. She pulled him to her, and she sat there holding him, tears welling up in their eyes.

"S-Senpai," said Minako, coming forward to stand in front of the two seniors, her red eyes watery. "We're sorry. We know how close you both were to him."

Glancing upwards, Mitsuru met the battle leader's gaze, and she nodded, though very slightly. Akihiko lifted his head, and he too gazed in Minako's eyes. But as Mitsuru watched him, she saw a hint of something more. Strong emotion flitted between the two, and as Minako wordlessly slid to Akihiko's other side, Mitsuru felt a cold, hard awareness seep into the core of her being.

She loves him, her persona echoed. Mitsuru gradually stood up and moved away, her eyes fixated on the two cuddling on the ground. And he loves her.

Mitsuru wasn't jealous, for she and Akihiko had been friends since the beginning of time, but it still stirred her stomach a little, and it ultimately made her feel even more lonely.

"AHHHH! NOOOOO! SHINJIRO!"

All of the standing SEES members jerked their heads up and stared towards the ceiling. Her heart hammering, Mitsuru's stare lingered, and after a few moments, she started towards the stairs.

"Of course," she heard Junpei mumble. She then heard a shush and a thud. "Freakin' unbelievable."

As Mitsuru made her way over to second floor hallway, she ignored Junpei; she ignored everyone. They were petty and unimportant at the moment, and though the thought was horrid, it was true. What a grand leader she was.

Reaching the proper door, Mitsuru's heart fluttered with a myriad of emotions, and she felt a chilling slush of water flow over her soul.

"I'm melting," she whispered, leaning against the boy's door. She didn't quite know how to feel. "I can't believe it. With Ken, with Akihiko… I'm…. Melting."

Penthesilea comforted her as she entered Ken's room, her eyes catching his twisted, sweaty form. She went over to him and gently shook him awake. His eyes wide and glassy, he stared at her, stared at his surroundings, and then threw himself into her arms, whimpering.

"I saw it happen again," he muttered between sobs. Mitsuru held him tight and stroked his beaded, damp hair. "I-I saw him on the ground, all bloody and tangled…"

"Don't think about it," she crooned, her lips grazing the top of his head. "Shh. Just try and go back to sleep. Come on. Lay your head down."

As he did as he was told and put his head back on his pillow, Ken gave Mitsuru a look, and she understood at once.

Wrapping the blankets tightly around his small, shaking form, she lightly stretched out next to him, brushing the hair out of his face.

"It's okay," she murmured, watching his brown eyes close and his chest start to rise and fall with less hysterics. "I'll stay with you. You'll only have good dreams."

Laying there, mothering the boy who was the cause for everyone's pain yet who was the victim himself, Mitsuru closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was a long, dramatic, rattling breath.

"When I'm with you, I feel important," she whispered, a tear escaping down her cheek. "You need me to take care of you, but I also need you so I can take of myself." His small hand clutched hers, and as surprised as she was, Mitsuru held it tight, another tear gliding from her eyes.

I never knew I would ever feel like this, she mused, a warm, uplifting sensation filling the essence of her body. As she held his hand and held him tight, singing lullabies in his ear, her emotions started to settle. It was if someone had switched their light switch off.

And just like that, with the force and power of a little boy, a grownup girl, and a cluster of tragedies and convictions, ice began to heal.

I know it was a weird pairing, and it was strange that it was a "pairing" yet a completely platonic one, but I really saw something good between those two. I saw that they could help each other along with themselves. I love Mitsuru, and basically all my fanficitons have her in it, so I'm going to try and completely master her character and eventually as many others as I can.

Thank you for reading this story, and I hope you have a fantastic day. :)