A/N: Hello! Welcome to my humble fan fiction. Before you read please keep in mind that this is my first project, so it may seem rushed or worded weirdly, and that I am all for constructive criticism. Uh.. what happens now? I guess rape is mentioned, but not discussed, so I don't know if I should put a trigger warning for that. This takes place on rank 8 of Naoto's social link. I had started this because of the severe lack of genderbent MC stories for Persona 4, and I had a mighty thirst for YuxNao which there is also not a large amount of.. I guess that's it? I don't know what else I'd be missing. Oh, please rate and review! If the reception is good enough I'll continue working on this, until next time!
A thought occurred to Yui Narukami as she sat at the table that was a couple dozen feet away from the Samegawa river. Ever since all of this began, had she ever really felt that same kind of loneliness that plagued her before she came to Inaba? There were times of course. Like how she inadvertently revealed her sexuality, one of her most closely guarded secrets, to two of her best friends, Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi. Those two girls were the only ones at that time, outside of her parents and some people she had thought were friends, who then turned on her when they possessed that knowledge to make her life more of a living hell than it was previously.
Those two weren't the only ones who knew, not now anyways. Izanami, her persona, had urged her to be open with her friends, and she did. None of her friends, not Kanji, or Yusuke. Hell, not even Teddie saw her any differently for it. Rise just smiled, claiming she "knew from the beginning. You'd have to be senile to not notice the ways their leader was eyeing up her shadow."
Yui blushed when one of her closest confidants, the idol Rise, or, Risette, as the world called her, made that comment when they had sat at the Junes food court, before diving into the TV to bring the killer to justice. Mitsuo truly was a sick man. He saw everything as a game and his dungeon mirrored that, taking the shape of an 8-bit dungeon. The battle itself was hard, Yui herself getting hit by a strange attack, entrapping her in a box, where she experienced something she had never wanted to feel again; pure and bitter loneliness.
She was broken out of that cage, when a hand reached down from seemingly the heavens above, and dragged her out by force. When she came to, she was laying on top of Kanji, and he was laying upon Yosuke. The mental stress caused her, for the first time in her life, to break down, holding on to a man for support. The battle was seemingly on pause as she cried her eyes out. She was so scared- and yet so thankful that it wasn't real. Kanji, tired of getting his shirt wet, pulled her from his chest, a determined look in his eyes. No words were spoken, no words needed to be. Yui nodded, then blinked her tears away.
Now, normally that was an expression, but in Yui's case, where she had multiple different personas, all quiet when not needed, but yelling while in battle, it was all too true. Yosuke dubbed it "becoming leader." As Yui, normally quiet and prone to more often than not stuttering some words, was clear, concise, and held an air of complete leadership that the real one never had. 'Going leader' was heralded by a single, quick blink. After which her eyes would become a muted form of her normal color, dark gray. The real Yui was off resting, while her main persona, Izanami, took the helm.
The battle didn't last much longer after that. Izanami, the persona, personally delivered the final blow by ripping the head of the monster Mitsuo's shadow had become with her two Kama. That was the last time Yui Narukami felt the tight grip of anxiety on her body.
Until… until she joined. A month after defeating Mitsuo, the Investigation Team had to go back into the TV world to save the Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane. Her dungeon was like a secret base out of one of those kid's TV shows that aired every morning. The way to Naoto and his shadow was confusing, and almost deadly. Chie had to be saved from the brink of death multiple times when she was taken too much damage. "Why the heck do these shadows know how to self destruct?! What is this, Pokemon!?" She exclaimed, after her third time going down.
Yui felt sorry for her, and decided to treat her to a beef bowl at Aiya's as a sorry for making her go through what she did. Finally, after beating a large robot that guarded the way to the final keycard, they were ready to face whatever Shadow Naoto held in store…
...Only to see that Naoto, looking not very amused, was standing beside his shadow. Oh, right, Yui almost forgot. For the longest time, everyone had thought Naoto was male. Hell, Naoto is a very masculine name, his voice was deep, and there was nothing in the chest area to warrant any suspicion of being the opposite sex. So, you can imagine everyone's surprise, especially Kanji's, who held the biggest crush on Naoto, despite for the longest time, walking, talking, looking, and acting like a man, when it was discovered that Naoto, not wanting to be discriminated because of her sex, started binding her chest, and spoke in a deeper voice.
In hindsight, it probably wasn't fair to Kanji that Yui had also kind of developed a small crush on the Detective Prince. She had assured herself it would stay just that, a small crush, an infatuation to never be realized. And Yui was okay with that. But as time went on, Naoto had enlisted Yui's help with a small case. It seems someone had broken into her family home and stole various things of hers, and the only clues that would be left, were cards that led to the locations of the missing items. The first card was blank at first, and after deciding to let it rest, Naoto would make small talk with Yui.
As time went by, they found more and more cards, tracked down where they were bought from, and eventually found a couple of the missing items, but not after being sidetracked by a student sliding a love letter into Naoto's show locker. Yui won't admit this to anyone yet, but she was sad when Naoto said she would triturate the letter without even reading it. The more time the two spent together, the more that strange feeling in the pit of her stomach grew. She was trying to unlock Naoto's true potential, just like she had done with all her other friends but… She didn't understand. Her brow furrowed. What was this weird feeling she had every time she was close to Naoto. When she had burned that first card after finding the second, Yui couldn't help but to feel her cheeks heat up when she saw how happy Naoto had been to find it was indeed invisible ink.
She had told herself she wasn't going to get close… She had told herself that Kanji deserved her more than she did, but then… Why, after running a scenario through her head, where Kanji and Naoto ending up together… did she feel so empty? Why, when she saw the embarrassed look on Naoto's face when she told her about making the detective badge as a child, did she want to swoon? "You've broken your promise," Izanami whispered in her ear. Her heart thumped in her ears as Naoto told her that she needed the silver-haired teen to solve this case. "You've fallen for her." Another persona spoke up. She didn't remember which persona it was. It sounded like Pyro Jack, but she had long ago sent him into the sea of her heart. She barely registered herself saying something that made Naoto have a surprised blush on her face.
"You don't deserve her… She belongs with that brute…" Alice, the only persona of the Death Arcana she wielded, spoke up. Her creepy voice echoing through her skull, sending shivers down her spine.
The others had it lucky, having one persona to contend with. She wasn't even sure if the others could have conversations with theirs. But Yui, if she focussed she could see all of her personas around her. Izanami sat in front of her, one Kama on the table, the other twirling idly in her hand. King Frost was in the distance. He never spoke. Alice standing off to the side, holding her teddy bear, its head ripped from the body, smiled. "You don't deserve anyone, who could ever possibly love someone like you?"
Yui was about to refute that, when she was snapped out of her reverie from her phone buzzing. She looked up; all of her personas were gone, and in her head, they were all quiet… It was an alarm she set for herself. Today was the day they finally caught the Phantom Thief, whoever he may be. This was possibly her last chance to make her feelings known to the blue-haired detective. She had tried in the past to slip hints to the other girl about herself. Like when she had told Naoto she was glad she was a girl, she followed up with "Sometimes I feel like I should have been born a man too… But I think that, whatever put us here for whatever reason, it intended challenges for us to grow. Like what gender we love..." You get the idea. Needless to say it went over the girl's head, as she was too surprised that Yui had suggested it was a good thing Naoto was born a girl.
After that, she had told Naoto about her childhood, and how… painfully lonely it was… She didn't cry, she hadn't since Kanji and Yosuke saved her those months ago. But she had felt that she needed Naoto to know. After solving another riddle with Naoto, Yui got a look into the detective's childhood. It turns out that Naoto, like Yui, was alone too. When she was growing up, she saw herself not as man or woman, but as a detective. She urged Naoto that she shouldn't be afraid of undergoing changes, and she smiled at that. It was at the behest of Naoto that she opened up more about herself, how her mother and father were almost always working, only being home for around 30 minutes before heading back to work. But she never touched on her sexuality. She would tell her when she was ready, ready for the most likely outcome, being rejected by, what could be called by then her first true love.
Her phone buzzed again. It was a message, "SHOPPING DISTRICT, NOW. I THINK I AM READY TO END THIS CASE FOR GOOD." Yui sighed, she had to get used to Naoto's… straightforward text speech, along with the fact she was always typing in all capitals. She took a last swig of her drink, before throwing it away and heading towards the shopping district.
Naoto explained that she had talked to the general store owner and found out that the cards had been bought from there, and that just a few hours ago she had seen him again. They were so close to wrapping this up. The clue Naoto had was that he would hide the next item in a place that he wouldn't be seen. And she knew just the place.
The walk to the Tatsuhime shrine was short, and, as they walked further in, Naoto saw a man dressed in a suit standing at one of the small side areas. She ran to him and called out to him, surprising him into turning around, showing what he had in his hand...
Yui's mind went into overdrive at the sight of the knife the man held in his hand. Normally, she would let Izanami or one of her other personas handle this, but there was no time! Naoto was in danger, there might not be enough time to blink. "Senpai?!"
Yui stood in front of Naoto, eyes staring daggers at the man holding the knife. She didn't even realize she had moved, but Naoto's surprised cry woke her up. "Senpai! There's no need for alarm, it's only a toy!"
Wait… A toy? Yui turned back to Naoto, and in confusion, the man dropped the knife and ran away. The blue-haired girl walked quietly over to it and picked it up. "I knew it, It's another one of the detective tools I made as a child."
Yui felt smaller than she had ever felt before. She had fucked up the operation royally, and she was waiting to be told to leave, to get out of her sight… But that didn't come. "It's a knife shaped radio... A toy…"
Naoto let out a frustrated growl, and threw her hat down. "But even so, what if that knife had been real, Senpai?! What would we have done if you got sent into the hospital, or worse?!"
The words stung Yui to hear them, but she knew she deserved them. Somewhere in her head, Alice was smiling. "I get you're still in shock over what happened to Nanako-chan, but that doesn't mean it will happen to us!" Yui was on the verge of tears.
"I-I…"
"I can't fathom being protected all my life!" She let out another growl. "And yet you're always like that! You jump in and take the worst hits for us when you know you can barely handle them yourself!"
"N-Naot-"
"Do you not think we can handle ourselves? Is... that it?" Naoto seemed to have calmed down. But Yui was getting wound up.
"I-I… I just don't…" Her legs gave out from underneath her, like they did all those months ago in front of Chie and Yukiko "I don't want to see anyone g-get hurt... "
She needed to take that final dive, but her tears wouldn't slow down. Her quiet, pitiful tears continued flowing freely, Naoto at a loss of what to do. "I don't want to see anyone hurt… Y-you especially… Naoto…"
"Why… me…?" Naoto's words were quiet, almost deathly so.
"D-Do you remember…" Yui tried to stand, but ultimately failed. "When I made that… p-passing comment about gender when I told you I was glad you were a girl…?" She didn't wait for a response. "T-To be honest… I'm terrified of men….I always have I was a child… They were the more ruthless of my bullies... W-When I told you about the challenges I believe we were made to face. I was talking about myself, Naoto, I-I I don't like boys... I'm into girls… and not just any girl- I-I'm afraid, Naoto… I've fallen for you."
The two girls were quiet for a long while. Yui, fearing the worst, stood up and turned away, finally able to control her legs. "I'm sorry… I must've disgusted you… I-I'll be leaving now." She had to hold her eyes closed to keep the tears from falling again. She didn't hear a response. She didn't need to, the silence was evidence enough for Narukami. "I told you, you don't deserve anyone." She nodded her head solemnly. She really didn't deserve anyone. She was disgusting, her silver hair told her. Nobody would ever love you, her sexuality whispered in her ear. She began to walk.
She was almost at the main entrance, when a voice called out from behind her. "Wait!" She stopped in her tracks.
She didn't turn around, she feared if she saw Naoto's face she would break down again. Naoto ran up to the girl, who was, in her eyes, making wild accusations. She had been a little frustrated when Yui had tried, and failed, to defend her from the man earlier. But she could never find Yui Narukami disgusting. "Sen... Yui, please look at me."
"I-I can't…" Was her response.
Naoto, having none of it, furrowed her brow, and grabbed the other girl's shoulder, before turning her around. The look on Yui's face was almost too much to look at. She had streaks of dried tears, from her crying on the ground, and she had new tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. It hurt Naoto to look at. It hurt almost as much as what she had to do next. Naoto took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and...
SMACK! Naoto opened her eyes, and gazed upon the, now almost completely broken emotional state of her senpai, Yui Narukami, with the newest addition of a red handprint on her left cheek. She tried to pull away, but the detective's grip held firm. Before Yui could break out of her hold, Naoto pulled her closer, into a tight embrace. Narukami's mind took a few more seconds to process what was happening, but when she did, she began to audibly sob, like Rise had done in front of her not that long ago.
The two girls stood like that, Narukami wrapped in Shirogane, the former crying and sobbing. It took a while, but when the tears, and the wails, finally stopped, Naoto pulled Yui back to arm's length, holding onto the Investigation Team leader firmly with both hands. Naoto spoke, softly. "Don't… Don't even think I can be disgusted with you. Without you, I would have never made it this far... "
"B-But I'm.."
"Can't you see I don't care what you are? It doesn't matter to me what your childhood was like, who you are, what kind of people you like…"
Naoto had to fight back tears of her own. "There.. There have to be others you've had your eyes on, right? Like Rise… isn't she quite fond of you?"
She was dumbstruck. Even if Yui was romantically and sexually interested in the same sex, why, out of all the other girls in the group, hell, in the town, had herself become the object of their leader's affections? "I tired.. I tried so hard to keep myself from falling for anyone of the team… It was the hardest thing to do… Not even hearing Nanako's cries every time we push through Heaven can compare. Everyone has their own weaknesses… Everyone has their faults... "
Yui had to stop to wipe her eyes, before speaking again. "I have a persona…. Her name is Alice… She whispers in my ear when I'm alone, 'no one could ever love you.' 'You don't deserve anyone, you're a disgusting person'.For the longest time, I believed her. She is a part of me who thinks I'm not worthy of anyone."
Naoto was shocked. She had only seen Yui call on Alice once, when a massive shadow had put the team on their last legs. She was an incredibly powerful persona. "Please… get rid of her. You shouldn't live like that… I won't let you…"
"N-Naoto-" She was pulled into another embrace, with Naoto's head resting on Yui's shoulder.
"For me, get rid of Alice. Okay?"
Yui was silent for a long moment, prompting Naoto to speak again. "I'm scared what'll happen if you keep her around any longer. I-I can't possibly fathom why you would choose me over someone else. B-Because I'm childish, brash, I'm almost blind to regular human emotion. I'm not strong like Satonaka, nor am I pretty like Rise. But… If you do that for me. I'll accept your feelings."
"D-Do you really mean it…?" Yui finally spoke, her voice filled with trepidation."I-I don't want you doing something you don't want to in the end. I don't… I don't want to force you into something you may regret in the future."
"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" Naoto deadpanned. "If I wasn't sure, don't you think I would have let you walk away a teary mess? If I didn't care how you felt, would I have held you close while you cried your eyes out?"
Both girls were silent, simply staring into each other's eyes. In Yui's head, no words were spoken. As if they had all been dumbstruck. The only sounds from within she could hear was her rapidly beating heart. If she reached out, she would feel a heart that, not ruled by emotion, beat steadily, although the face of the Detective Prince was masked with fear, fear not for herself, but for Yui Narukami's sanity. She wanted- no. She needed to get the silver-haired teen to let go of that dangerous persona, if not for her own well being, than for Naoto's.
"Please, Senpai…"
Yui whimpered. "I-I'll do it… I'll get rid of Alice." The little girl in her head was strangely quiet. Was she scared? No, Alice doesn't feel emotion. She just drifts listlessly, always waiting for the next kill.
But, such a powerful persona would not go down quite so easily… Yui blinked, before speaking again. This time, her voice was quiet and childlike. Of all the persona to have taken over during her state of mental weakness, Alice had stepped up to the plate, smelling blood in the air. "Oh, Shirogane… Do you not know how long I have been part of her psyche? Do you really believe that I am something new, in the sea of her heart?"
Naoto had to fight back the shivers that ran down her spine. Yui's eyes had gone dark. Alice was in control, and she wasn't even in the TV world. "What you're doing to her isn't right."
Alice smirked. "Oh, but isn't it? I am the most deeply ingrained part of her being. I had picked her before she had even been born…" Her head hung to the side, a wicked smile plastered on her face. "She has been the most interesting. All the anguish she went through on a near daily basis was just sooo yummy. Since she isn't coming back soon, I might as well leave you with a story…"
She giggled. Oh, how Naoto, and everyone else for that matter, hated Alice's laugh. It was nearly enough to strike everyone who heard it with fear. "This was… ohh…. Two years after she had enrolled at middle school… By then, the bullying got more intense. It was a sunny, March day. She had been on the way home from club, when some students, who were waiting for her, jumped her. They pulled her into the alley, and began to berate, belittle, and otherwise mentally harm her. One of the boys had a bat, he had just gotten out of Baseball practice."
Naoto didn't like where this was going, she gulped, fearing the worst. "He had waited for her to stand up… and then…" Alice leaned closer. "Began beating her to a bloody pulp… He swung at her until her screams went quiet as she blacked out. I, however, witnessed it all. You should have seen the look on her heart's face, Oh how I wish I could recreate that~"
Naoto shook her head, this couldn't be happening… "When she finally came too… She was a dead girl walking. She had multiple broken ribs, a shattered wrist, and a broken jaw. She got up, and walked away, leaning against the wall. That was the first time I had gotten her to consider suicide."
"No.. No stop!" Naoto took a step back.
"And it gets better. She walked to one of the bridges, and she climbed up onto the railing. She was going to do it, I was so close to getting another one…"
"But some good for nothing pulled her off as she began to tip over. That bastard had kept my latest victim from me."
Yui blinked, she was back to her normal self. "D-Don't believe her! None of that happened, you saw my check up…! She's just trying to-!" She blinked again, "Damn brat… ruining my fun…"
"Then do you want me to tell her something that truly happened? Alright then. Let me see…" She placed a finger to her chin. "How about I tell her the story about how you got that scar? Oh, don't act like you don't know which one I'm talking about, Narukami…"
Yui's body shook violently. "Oh… trying to fight me, are you? Well… I guess I better spoil the fun," she laughed. "I'll tell your precious Naoto about you only lasting scar, and the grief shall drive you to death! I can finally have my latest victim!"
"Let her go! Why are you doing this?!" Naoto had grasped Yui's school uniform, as if to try to wake her up.
The seemingly possessed girl fell silent, staring at Naoto wide-eyed. "Why, you ask…? Well… The 'why' is very simple… I feed on death, on grief and anguish. I saw this child's destiny, and my mouth watered. Just like how her mouth waters when her eyes lay upon yours, If only that gremlin henchman of Phillemon didn't interfere, Yui Narukami would have been long dead, probably leaped into an oncoming train… Or, my favorite. She took a fall from a chair, and never hit the ground. Oh how I love watching them squirm that way." Yui's- no, Alice's face contorted into a wicked smile.
"You want to know, don't you? How Yui Narukami, the leader of your little group, and the wild card, lost her 'card,' don't you? I think you'll get a kick trying to find the culprit. Missus Detective."
Alice slipped Naoto's limp hands off of the shirt of the girl she had possessed, and pulled out the braid that Yui had painstakingly made her hair into that morning. "But not here… The gate of Heaven, two hours… Come alone if you don't want Yui to be the next victim."
With that, she walked away, leaving a dumbstruck Naoto in her wake, her mind racing at the implications. She needed to get home- call grampa. Hadn't he mentioned a frustrating sexual assault case a few years ago? She went back and picked up her hat, dusting it off and putting it back on. Like she had said near the beginning of the case of the Phantom Thief, the game was afoot.
…
Meanwhile, within Yui's own mind, she sat, near lifeless. Alice had sapped her strength, leaving her close enough to death that she started seeing things. She knew that the darkness around her was due to Alice's take over… But why was there a cerulean-haired detective beside her? This was her own mind, and Naoto had no such ability to place herself in other's mind… Did she?
The visage of Naoto disappeared, Alice taking her place. "The time has almost come. By the end of the day, you will be dead, ripped to shreds by your own hatred for yourself, or a pack of shadows… It matters not to me."
Yui, surprising even herself, spoke. "P-Please…" Her voice was hoarse, it hurt to even think about speaking. "Leave Naoto out of this… She shouldn't have to live with that knowledge… Just kill me if you're going to do it."
Alice laughed. "And miss the sweetest grief you could give?" She shook her head. "This is much better."
…
Naoto had rushed home. As soon as she burst through the door, she called out, voice almost breaking. "Yakushi! I know you're there! I need to get in touch with grampa!"
The secretary, who was in the kitchen preparing tea, had peeked his head around the doorway. "Naoto-sama I hope you kno-"
"It's urgent! My Senpai might be in danger!" She had a hard time breathing, and began to undo the bindings that had concealed her chest. She had made her way into the living room, sitting of the couch with a frustrated sigh.
A few seconds later, the man came it with a tray, with two cups of tea and an open phone on it, Naoto scrambled to grab it, causing the other man to eye her suspiciously. "Granpa!"
"Nao-chan?" He yawned. "What's the matter?"
"Five years ago, do you remember an investigation that one of your colleagues had been tasked with going cold?" Naoto was frantic. "Wasn't the victim one Yui Narukami, Tokyo resident?"
The man on the other end of the line hummed. "I think…" He started, before snapping his fingers. "Why yes, Toshiaki-kun's sexual assault case, why do you as-"
"Grampa I know it's late, but I need you to give me every detail about that case, and the suspects!"
"Now Nao-chan you know I am willing to help in any way I can but why do you need-"
"My senpai is one Yui Narukami! Former resident of Tokyo, current resident of Inaba. She is in grave danger and I need to help her!" The other end of the line was silent for some time.
Finally, the elder Shirogane spoke up. "I have the file here… Yui Narukami, at the time of the incident, she was twelve years of age. Natural silver hair. A note attached that she seemed to be under the average weight of her age. When asked she claimed she ate when she felt hungry… when pushed, she stated she only rarely felt hungry… Is this one in the same?"
Naoto had to suppress a cry, and when she spoke her voice cracked. "Y-Yes. She is 17 now… She's been eating a lot more here in Inaba, and she's been steadily making progress with her weight."
A few papers were being shuffled, and her grandfather spoke again. "Alright… I have no qualms about sending you these files, but Nao-chan…"
"Yes, granpa?"
"Detectives don't open half decade old cold cases for a mere friend… What is she to you exactly?"
The younger Shirogane went quiet, so it seems he saw through her again. "She.."
"Nao-chan, I can tell she is someone special to you, if that's what you're going to say. But I can't help shake this feeling. There's something more than simple admiration of a close friend, isn't there?"
Damn… "She… She confessed to me earlier today.."
This caught both men's attention. "Oh?" they both said, simultaneously.
There was silence after that, for a good few minutes. "You accepted, didn't you?" Naoto's grandfather spoke.
Naoto didn't respond, she tilted her hat down to hide her face from her grandfather's secretary. After the elder man spoke again, she responded in a soft, quiet voice. "If you don't approve- I am sure she will understand… If you so wish, I will end it personally."
The man laughed- wait? Laughed? Had Naoto gone crazy? "Oh, my dear Nao-chan. Why would you think I wouldn't approve- You haven't been this fervent in years. You had lost yourself in your quest to become what you perceived as a great detective. I had feared that you had been lost forever, but when you started telling me about this Senpai of yours, I began to take notice of how you spoke about her. Your voice would fill with such happiness that I would smile as you told me about her. I felt tears welling up in my eyes when you cried to me, telling me about her life before moving to Inaba. If she makes you happy, then I am happy… Now." He cleared his throat. "I'm faxing you all the files I have. Toshiaki might have more, but I doubt it."
…
The TV world, Entrance to Heaven…
Yui Narukami was totally and utterly exhausted both mentally and physically. Was this how everyone else felt when their shadows separated from them? Also, why did she, of all people have, a shadow again? It was hard to concentrate. She could hear faint music, she saw colors dance among the fog flowing overhead. Her head hurt. Why hadn't Alice put the special glasses Teddie had made on her before jumping into the TV? She sighed, it didn't matter any more… She was going to die. And was already accepting of that fact. Naoto had probably grown tired of this, she had probably gone home and rested. The two hour waiting period had come and gone, and the only people in this area were her, and Alice.
Her body felt like a wet sand bag, and she sluggishly turned her head to look at the other her. She was her in her entirety, minus one set of golden yellow eyes. A small shadow had crept near, and Alice had preyed upon it like a rabid dog, tearing it to pieces within seconds. Now, she was just simply sitting on the other side of the gate's opening. She was playing with… something, but Yui for the life of her couldn't tell what, it was too blurry. She felt tired, had she passed out before? She couldn't tell. "It sure is taking your Detective friend a long while, isn't it?"
She didn't have the strength to speak, Alice knew that and continued on anyways. "I HAD wanted to kill you in front of her… But if she isn't here, then…" She stood up and started walking over. "I'll just have to do it alone. I wonder what-"
A shot rang out, causing Yui's ears to ring. Alice's eyes were wide, if she had stepped an inch closer to her prey, then she would have been hit. Someone was approaching quickly, and she turned to confront them. She smiled. "Ah, It seems you came after all. You seems to actually care for this husk of a human being, don't you?"
Yui's eyes closed. Her breathing was shallow, and she wasn't getting enough oxygen into her body. If she kept on like this she really would-
"Senpai!" Naoto...
"Partner!" Yosuke...
"Yui!" C-Chie...
"Senpai, come on, wake up!" Rise…
"Sensei, are you alright?!" Teddie…
"Come on, get up already! You're not outta this fight yet!" Kanji…
"Kanji, Yosuke, you get Yui away from that monster." Yukiko...
Alice's face contorted into a frown. "You didn't come alone like I asked you to. For someone so 'mature' you seem to not listen to what you're told." She sighed. "Oh well… I'll just have to handle you all myself…"
Yui felt herself getting lifted up, at first by her arms, and then by her legs. "Dammit Kanji, secure her head! Her neck might break if you toss her around like that!"
"Her neck ain't gonna break, Senpai. This girl has been through enough, a little shaking ain't gonna kill her… Hey dammit watch her legs!"
She was carried a few dozen feet, and then carefully set down. "Move, I need to see if she's okay." Naoto spoke, before almost pushing herself through the crowd, she kneeled beside the girl and put her ear onto her chest. She sighed. "She's breathing."
This made the other members sigh as well. "She seems to be just exhausted. That is good." She pressed a couple fingers against Yui's wrist and held out her watch, staring at it intently. She was mentally counting the beats of the girl's heart, and when a minute passed, she gulped. "Her heart isn't doing so good.. I don't know if it's just the exhaustion, but it's beating a lot slower than usual. Rise-chan, can you check her for any internal bleeding?"
"Roger, Persona!" Rise called upon her persona and began to scan their leader. Her brow furrowed. "No internal bleeding, nor any internal injuries. Wait-"
Rise, being the ever tactful one, asked the following, very awkward question. "Guys, did you guys know, uh… Did you know Senpai isn't a virgin?"
The entire room was quiet for a very long while. Everyone looked at Rise, a dumbfound expression on their faces. Even Alice seemed to join them. Naoto only cleared her throat. "I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, Rise-chan but I honestly believe that the state of Senpai's chastity isn't the most of our worries right now."
"Oh! Right! Sorry guys." She dismissed her persona, and everyone, now recovered from the question that their support had just asked, turned and faced Alice.
"Well… I honestly wouldn't expect such a statement out of the blue, and I'm as old as time itself." Alice's yellow eyes locked on the group. "Now the fun part begins. So… When you brats' shadows separated from yourselves… what did they say?… Ah! That's right, they said some deep, dark secrets about you!" Alice snapped her fingers. "So let us begin. Where to start… There isn't much that bitch Izanami didn't let that brat keep .. There is that one… Oh, I know!"
Naoto pulled back the hammer on her revolver and waited. "As that Airhead Rise-"
"Hey! I am NOT an airhead!" Rise fumed.
… "As I was saying. Like she said. Yui Narukami isn't… 'untouched' to say. It all happened about.. oh.. five years ago now?"
Naoto continued to wait, her revolver raised and finger resting on the trigger. "At the age of twelve, one Yui Narukami, daughter of Akihiko and Hanako Narukami, was sexually assaulted at a park near her home, by a man, possibly between the ages of twenty five and thirty, who remains at large to this day. The details leading up to, and after the assault are hazy at best because of the victim suffering trauma induced amnesia."
Alice, who had wanted to spill the details, looked dumbfounded at Naoto, who had just spoiled her fun. She continued. "Not even questioning under hypnosis could get a description of the male, and there was no seminal evidence to link any suspects, so the case grew cold. To this day the case remains open. Isn't that right?"
"Naoto, how did-" Chie began, only for Naoto to finish her thought for her. "The case was handled by one of my grampa's friends, also a detective. That case is the only one that my grandfather was involved in that hasn't been closed. You're going to tell me who is responsible."
Alice clapped. "Bravo, bravo. The Detective Prince did her homework. You get a gold star!" She laughed. "If you honestly think you're getting me to tell you, you're sorely mistaken."
Naoto smirked. "Oh, I will make you talk…" She began walking backwards, before standing beside the comatose girl. She lowered her arm, and pointed the gun right at Yui's head.
"Wait! Wait, wait! Naoto, have you gone bat shit crazy?!" Yosuke yelled, before rushing to tackle Naoto the the ground. "Have you forgot we're saving her?!"
"Hey, dumbass!" Kanji grabbed Yosuke's collar before he could get away, and he turned him around. "Look, shit for brains."
Yosuke, who, in his defence, would have decked Naoto in his blind rage, turned and laid her eyes on Alice, who, for the first time, was wide-eyed. "If I'm correct, you only feed on their energy if they are killed by themselves or someone with malicious intent. Am I right?"
Alice was silent. "That's how you make people's lives hell. You feed that malicious intent into the people around them. You make them call your victims names, physically assault them, and, in some cases, sexually assault them." Naoto smirked. "So, if someone who weren't harbouring hostile feelings killed them, the energy you feed on would become worthless. It would lose its nutrients, and you, in turn, would die."
"I-"
"Tell me the name, and leave. I want you to cease existing."
"You're bluff-"
A shot rang out, and impacted the ground a couple inches away from Yui's head. "The next shot won't miss."
There was now a stand off between the two girls. Whoever would blink first would lose. Naoto's steely gaze stared down the yellow eyes of that monstrosity. Neither seemed to falter, and Naoto pulled the hammer back again. "I am prepared to do what I must."
Alice was silent for a while. Her face was hard to read. She sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "Fine… Whatever. I'll leave forever. I was about to starve anyways. The name of the guy is Ayumu. He should be easy to find, he's one of the guys who went with her parents overseas." She began to fade. "So long, brats."
She waved as she faded out of existence. Everyone breathed a sigh, especially Naoto. She collapsed into a sitting position, and pulled the rotating chamber from it's position, and let the two spent rounds fall to the ground. She hadn't loaded any more, hoping on everything that Alice would take the bluff. "Man… That was 'tense… Who thought a persona could turn on their user?" Chie said, slumping to her knees.
"That wasn't a persona… It may have taken a shape of one but make no mistake, that thing was a parasite." Naoto commented.
"Yeah, but why? Why did that thing do all those things to Senpai?" Kanji asked.
"I wish I knew… It pains me to have the knowledge that she had to go through that, for so long, because of that monster." Naoto reached over and caressed the side of Yui's face. "But it's gone now, forever.. I hope."
Rise had walked over to Yui as well, and she sat at her side. "Wow… I can't believe something like that happened to Senpai. She's such a sweet, nice girl."
"There are some secrets even honest people would die before revealing."
"There's no doubt about that, it even took the form of a shadow… The true self.."
Yosuke spoke up. "Do you guys think.. think that even with the knowledge of how her life was being toyed with, she saw herself to blame for it. Is that why Alice took the form of Yui's Shadow?
"Without a doubt. Her cognition was warped after so many years, so she only saw herself to blame. She, along with all of us, thought Alice was a persona."
By now, Yui began to stir. She let out a quiet groan as she woke up. "W-Where… A-Am I dead…?"
Yui slowly opened her eyes, and saw Naoto and Rise staring down at her. Naoto smiled, and spoke first. "Good morning, Senpai. Did you sleep well?"
"N-Naoto…?" She was still groggy. "I-I don't understa-"
A body collided with her's and two arms wrapped around her as best they could. "Senpai!" Rise cried. "Don't ever scare us like that again!"
"O-oof- H-Hello Rise.. I'm.. I'm sorry.." She spoke. Feeling was beginning to return to her body, and she reached up and patted the girl's back.
"A-Alice… i-is she…?"
"That bastard's gone for good. Naoto scared her off." Kanji spoke, causing Yui to smile. "Thank you… All of you. I truly expected to die, ripped to shreds by her… so.." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you…"
"Nah, there is no need to thank us," Chie stood up. "It was Naoto-kun's plan after all. I don't think it would have been pulled off as well as it did if Yosuke wasn't listening when we were in the food court."
"Hey!" The boy resented that statement.
The two began to get into a screaming match at each other, causing Yui to laugh quietly, the tears from before flowing down her cheeks. Rise, who had just a second ago pulled her out of her crushing embrace, helped her stand. "Come on, let's get you home before your uncle gets suspicious. It is pretty late."
"Y-Yeah…" She tried walking, only to stumble, before being caught by the two girls. "I-Is this how it felt after accepting your shadows?" She chuckled dryly.
"Yeah, pretty much. Complete exhaustion, lack of body coordination. The works." Rise commented.
…
Yui, now rescued and recovering, laying in her bed in the empty home. She sighed. Nanako and Dojima had been hospitalized. Meaning the whole house was silent, it seemed that even the clock downstairs was quiet tonight. A knock came from the other side of the door. She looked at the small alarm clock near her bed. It seemed she had passed out for an hour or two. "Senpai? Can I come in?" The voice was clearly Naoto's.
"Y-" She coughed lightly… Her throat was dry. "Yes, come in." She struggled to sit up, but did it as Naoto carried a tray of food into the room.
She set the tray down on the table in front of the couch, and kneeled down onto the floor. "How are you feeling?" That soft, sweet voice was like honey to Yui's ears. For the first time in forever, Alice wasn't throwing hateful words that made her hate herself.
"Ver… Very thirsty…" Her stomach growled. "... A-And hungry…"
Naoto smiled, letting out a quiet giggle. "Good thing I came prepared then, huh?" She grabbed the tray and put it beside her legs. She shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and grabbed one of the few plates.
She snapped the chopsticks apart, and picked up a morsel. "I had to learn how to cook in order to stay here in Inaba alone, I'm nowhere near a masterful chef, but I hope you like it. Say 'Aaahhhh'.."
Yui opened her mouth and closed it again when Naoto delicately put the food in her mouth. She chewed it for a bit before swallowing. "I-It's delicious…" She said honestly, causing the sleuth to blush slightly. "W-Well.. I'm glad you like it. Here." She held up more food, and Yui accepted it.
This went on until the plate was empty, and Yui was handed a glass of water, which she drank rather quickly. Naoto began eating her own food silently, letting her Senpai, and the team leader, gather her thoughts. She was about halfway done when Yui spoke up. "Listen I-... I'm sorry, if what I said at the shrine made you uncomfortable. I just- I…" She stared down at the reflection of herself in the water, searching for the words to say. "You're just such an amazing person. You're strong, pretty, and levelheaded. When you speak you hold yourself with such elegance and yet such finality… You saw the hand that fate dealt you and you played it. You- You more than just played it… You played it and won the game- You're just a first year in high school and you're already an incredibly famous detective. I looked up to you when you joined the team, and as you enlisted my help.. that admiration became something greater. I-I know I already said it but if you don't want to you don't-"
Naoto held her hand up, making Yui stop. She swallowed the food in her mouth and spoke. "Let me stop you right there, Senpai…" She cleared her throat. "I told you once, if I didn't want to, I would have let you walk away, did I not?" Yui nodded. "If I found you to be disgusting, would I have not done what I had done?" She nodded again. "So tell me, why, if I wasn't okay with how you feel- why would I be here now, feeding you, giving you water, and keeping you company?"
Yui blinked. "My grampa found out, because as soon as I got home, I called and asked for every single file about your case. To be completely frank, I was expecting to be told to cease talking to you all together. I was bracing myself to be told that it wasn't natural, these feeling." She smiled, and held a hand over her heart. "But my grampa… He simply laughed. He laughed and told me what I wasn't expecting, but wanted to hear. He told me that he was ecstatic that I had found someone that had brought back 'that spark,' as he called it, back into me. He told me... He told me that since I found someone that made me happy… he was happy," she giggled. What a sweet sound, Yui thought.
Naoto put her plate aside. "So you don't, for one second, think that I don't want this, don't want us. Okay?" She caressed Yui's cheek again.
Yui was silent, but her eyes spoke more words than she could. She slowly inched closer, as did the sleuth. "Naoto…"
"Senpai…"
Their faces, mere inches apart, looked beautiful to one another. Yui's eyes, anxious and fearful, stared into Naoto's cool, calculating ones. Both girls had a blush on their faces, and both were waiting for the other to take the dive eagerly and with baited breath. Naoto smiled, silently reassuring the other that she wasn't going anywhere, causing Yui's rapidly beating heart to calm just a little. Yui gulped, and took the dive hesitantly, leaning forward and turning her head, causing her lips to brush against Shirogane's. She didn't know anything about kissing, and, in fear of doing it wrong, began to pull back, only to be stopped and Naoto pushed forward as she felt her lover pull away. Yui's eyes fluttered closed as they continued on.
It took a few dozen seconds, but Naoto finally relented, pulling away from the, now blushing profusely, Yui. "W-Wow…" Yui commented, before holding her own cheeks. "T-That… That was something else…"
"'Twas indeed." Naoto replied, smiling. "I-I must apologize if I'm not good at that sort of thing- I've never had someone before." Naoto blushed and looked away. "It did feel good though…"
Yui blushed brighter than before. "I-I-If.. If you want to do it again… I-I wouldn't be against it…"
Naoto's gaze shot back to the other girl, before she smirked. "Well… Don't mind if I do…" She leaned forward again, and Yui, now resting against the wall, accepted her with open arms.
The two stayed embraced in each other's arm for a few more hours. At some point, they laid down, Yui resting her head on Naoto's chest, cuddling up to her lovingly. "Naoto…"
"Yes, Senpai?" Naoto responded, running her hand through Yui's silver hair.
"I love you…" Her eyes drifted closed.
Shirogane smiled, petting her head one last time. "I love you too, Senpai.."
They stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms until they both drifted off to sleep.
The End.