Yo! To begin with, thank you for clicking to read my story. I hope you'll be fairly entertained! :D
This story will contain spoilers from the game, so if you haven't beaten it, I highly suggest you go and do that first.
And with that said and done, here comes the story overview!
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Story Overview:
Full Summary: By now we all should be familiar with Persona 3: FES with its loads of extra content and Aigis story. On the other hand, Persona 4 won't get that treatment… until now! Experience moments that you couldn't throughout the game from Naoto's perspective. From the time when she joins to all the way to Souji's leave, you'll have a 100 Percent Chance of Naoto Centric & Souji/Naoto. This is my version of a Persona 4: FES.
Genre: Friendship, Romance, Slight Humor
Style: Collection of Memories (I'm going to refer to chapters as Memory Fragments. You'll understand as you read.)
Point of View: Naoto's (Unless Mentioned Otherwise)
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Disclaimer: I don't own anything relating to Persona; that's Atlus' job. ;D
Fortune Enter the Subconscious
"Grandpa, today's the day I'll be leaving to go out this afternoon, okay?" I called out to the elderly man hunched over by a pot, apparent he was cooking his homemade stew.
"Ah, it's finally that day, huh?" Grandpa said, stopping his stirring of the stew in the process. He remained silent as if he was reminiscing something. After pausing, he turned away from his pot and faced me. "Well, you children do take care of yourselves and have fun. Just no more crazy adventures, you hear? We don't need to replay the frenzy we had from the press last school year."
"Heheh," I chuckled at what he referred to.
Grandpa had been referring to last school year's case of murders in Inaba. The investigation team as well as myself had been partially credited for catching Adachi, leading him to be arrested and finally convicted of the terrible, horrific crimes that shook the small town. Because of that credit though, Inaba and it's people have been spreading word of us. Before we knew it, the whole town as well as certain parts of Japan knew of Inaba's Investigation Squad. And with any popularity comes the dreadful paparazzi.
I sighed upon recalling all those wonderful days of just trying to make it around town without being pried of information or even an autograph and picture with me. I finally knew how tough it was to be in a celebrities' shoes like Rise for once.
Rise would always come to us whining, telling us these ridiculous stories about how people keep rabidly attacking the tofu shop just to see her. We would always laugh about those stories, but now I'm not the one laughing. I've tussled with the Inaba News Crew, but to experience the full-force of the country's paparazzi first-hand, it's a tiresome nuisance.
"I promise, Grandpa," I continued as I turned away from him, "I'll be getting ready in my room until I leave. If you need me just call."
Grandpa gave me one final low murmur of an 'Nnn' indicating he understood, and I walked back to my room. The weather forecast on the television in the living room faded from my ears as I started up the rows of steps upstairs, "Today expect clear blue skies for the rest of the week and into the next weekend. It'll be quite brisk later on in the week due to the upcoming winter winds coming in, so be sure to wear light layers then. In other news--"
Winter winds. It's already that time of the year, really? It's hard to believe that so many days have gone by. I swear, it feels like just yesterday was when the entire team was celebrating Nanako-chan's recovery from the hospital. I couldn't help but smile at remembering Senpai's happy face when he embraced Nanako-chan on that day… He really did care about her.
My thoughts ended as I reached my room. I made my way to my closet and opened it, revealing several coats, t-shirts, and pants dangling from different hangers. Below on the carpeted floor beneath them were several different shoes and boots.
I ended up selecting the usual casual wear of a blue, long-sleeved t-shirt, bright, neon-yellow tie, black pants, belt, respective undergarments, and my platform shoes. I always wear that pair any chance I get. It makes me feel taller and look taller, something I wished I truly was.
Grabbing my belongings, I traveled back into the hallway, entered the bathroom and got ready for the day's upcoming events.
~ P4: FES ~
After taking a shower, I changed into my chosen clothes and went back into my room with my towel wrapped around my wet head of azure hair.
Sitting on the far edge of my bed, I checked the desk clock. It read 11:39 a.m. I still have time to spare and burn. I don't leave till 4 p.m. anyhow.
I grabbed the towel on my head and unraveled it, letting my slightly still wet hair to cascade down my face; the wet strands clinging to my skin. Using the towel, I tried to towel dry out the water by rubbing my hair.
Once it was dry enough, I rose off my bed and picked up a brush on my desk and brushed my blue locks of hair. When I finished, I placed back the brush and instinctively my hand reached out for a familiar object. My hat.
I carefully took my dark-blue detective's hat and gently placed it on my messy, brushed hair, hoping it would hide a majority of the wild strands of hair poking out. But alas, from seeing my reflection in my desk mirror, I knew it didn't help much.
Despite my awful hair, I felt better with my signature hat. It had been a gift from Grandpa when I was little, and I loved it to death back then since it was, well, a detective's cap. And I adore detectives. Even now, I still cherish this hat.
My hand tapped the hat on my head as if telling it good-job after all these years. A smile grew over my face, and I could see for a split second in the mirror my inner child smiling back at me. My Shadow Self. She still bore her white lab-coat and gleaming, yellow-orange eyes.
To finally except you… I felt whole for once in my life. Accepting one's self is truly life changing and fulfilling. I can still remember that day by heart, when I first fell into that world. My eyes shut in thought. Even though it was tough and emotionally wracking, it was worth it. I have no regrets.
Opening my sapphire eyes, my gaze drifted down from the mirror and back down to the area where I picked up my hat from. There sitting on a small platform was my old revolver, glistening from the sunlight that poured in from my room window. The Algernon.
I picked the gun up in my hands, the cold metal sent chills through my fingers and palms, surging to the rest of my arms. The rubber handle was a quick transition from the metal as I eased my right hand comfortably on the handle next to the trigger.
I felt my legs walk back to the bed and I sat back down, admiring the revolver as I did my hat. It too was a gift from Grandpa, but it had been a genuine artifact of the Shirogane line, and to think he'd pass it down to me… it was an honor.
I fell backwards, lying down on the soft sheets of my bed with my body facing the ceiling above me. Raising the revolver towards the ceiling in front of me, I aimed for nothing in particular. My left hand came up, releasing the safety and supporting the butt of the gun thus giving me more precision. My other hand, my right that was holding onto the gun, eased a finger through the loop, it gently rested onto the trigger. Then, once I was ready, I pulled the trigger of the revolver.
A satisfying Click! echoed throughout my room indicating I had pulled the trigger, activating my gun; however, this time there wasn't a bullet to erupt out of the chamber and exit out of the barrel.
I had emptied the chambers of my gun after the final fight. I took out all the bullets and stored them elsewhere and simply left out the revolver because there was no need to have to store it away. It was important to the family and now to me as well.
To me, the revolver wasn't just a family antique but something more. Yes, it is apart of the Shirogane name, but now it's a dear part of my memories.
I lowered the gun back to my chest and rolled over to lay on my side on the bed. The gun gracefully lying on my open palm before me.
My eyes shut closed again, my thoughts bouncing about again.
What shocked me more than receiving this antique from Grandpa was actually having to use it. Never in my years of carrying this on my belt holster did I think I'd fire it. I may have achieved the detective title I wanted, thrusting myself into a new world of unpredictable situations, but I never thought that I'd have to use this gun loaded and ready to fire.
The detective business isn't a very dangerous profession, but that doesn't mean I had cases that weren't. The cases I had all involved violence of different degrees. Yet, I wasn't in any kind of danger because I simply just solved a case, not go out of my way to find and hunt down the culprit and arrest them for their crimes. Although my last case could digress…
I deeply sighed, re-opening my eyes. They soon fixated back on the revolver.
The Inaba Murders, the fog, the Midnight Channel - they all were looped together to form my hardest case, leading my stubbornness and valiant self to get the better of me. Back then, I was determined to solve that murder case no matter the cost… And I ended up being forced into a situation I was better off not meddling with in the first place. The other world.
I fell literally into a troublesome problem, and I was immediately faced up against my other self, my Inner Shadow. However, I failed to recognize the reason, the reason why she was there before me, pleading to stop forgetting but to remember to accept one's self instead of trying to change something unchangeable. So I ended up getting rescued by them.
The investigation team, the heroes of Inaba. If only Inaba truly knew what they did for them, their sacrifices, their suffering… They will never know though, for the people wouldn't ever believe in such a world. Nevertheless, one thing will not change for certain, we will always remember what we did and the reasons we fought for to save this world.
Suddenly, my mind soon became hazy like the mysterious fog that had once blanketed Inaba. Past memories came erupting from the depths of my heart and soul, fluttering about in my mind and appearing in the haze. I re-shut my eyes, pulling my revolver into my chest and my body followed, slightly curling closer to my core.
I let my mind continue to run free of my memories, holding onto them tight, afraid they were to leave from my subconscious…
Author's Note Time!
Obviously by now you've noticed that this takes place after the game; however, the following chapters (unless stated) will be considered the past due to this being somewhat of a mind theater in Naoto's head. And I know, I know, this is clearly a very short intro which I apologize for. But don't worry the next memory fragment of Naoto's will be a fairly long one! I promise you that! Expect the next memory to be posted sometime next week during Thanksgiving.
Thank you once again for reading, and remember feedback is loved 'cause it's the fuel for motivation! ;3