Persona 4- The Progeny
Chapter 2 – Noli Incarnatum
A/N: Just think I should elucidate my structure for this thing to new readers of mine or whatever :) Basically, chapters will be shorter than a lot of others (Like no more than 3000 words per chapter) simply because I work better in short controlled bursts rather than marathons. (I mean, this is the exception but still XD) Also, I only have so much time in a day XD However, chapters will come out on a very regular basis (Like maybe 2 or 3 a week if I'm going at a good clip) because I have virtually no life XD With that out of the way, thanks for the feedback from people, it's really appreciated :) I'm doing this to become a better writer and I'm the first to admit that I have weak points XD Hope you'll stick through the rough patches to the end of this thing :D Regardless, Enjoy :)
xxx
Hikari wasn't particularly enjoying her first day at high school. She stuttered in front of the entire class, for one, and now she was eating a fairly piss-poor lunch. If her Dad were at home, then it'd be really tasty… Hopefully he'd make dinner tonight so that she wouldn't have to endure three of Mom's meals in one day. She was eating alone too, since Ryu was running about with some guys he met. He always was good at making friends. So there she sat at the back of the classroom, headphones on her head, shutting out the world. It was a necessity at this point since all the other girls were pointing at her.
Of course she was the topic of gossip. She was a big thing in tabloids for a while. The first child of Risette and some mysterious, debonair kid from the boonies? You can bet the media went crazy about that.
She just quietly ignored them. It was easier that way.
There was one person that she couldn't ignore, however.
"-se me?" He said, waving his hand in front of Hikari's face. She pulled her headphones off her head and tried to give the guy her full attention. She was glad that she did.
He was pretty good looking, at least in Hikari's books. Cropped, Jet black, hair. Big, brown, eyes. She used to dream about guys like this. He was obviously quite a bit older too, maybe third year. The stubble on his long face had given that away very easily. His large eyes darted around, taking in Hikari before he spoke again.
"Hey…" Was all he said. Apparently, he was lost for words. Hikari wouldn't know, she was in a world of her own.
"Um, is Narukami-sensei around? I need to give him something from Yamada-sensei" he gestured to an A4 sized envelope tucked under his arm. Hikari glanced at it but was more focused on what was holding it. He wasn't muscular, as such, but quite lean. Like a runner. His height and fairly long legs also brought Hikari to that conclusion.
"Uh… H-He's not here right now, you could leave it on his desk?" Hikari suggested.
"I could… Or I could wait here with you until he gets back?"
Oh god, he was confident as well. It was astounding how many of Hikari's boxes this guy was ticking.
"Sure" Hikari said, playing it off like it was nothing.
"What's your name then?"
"Hikari"
"It's a pleasure to meet you" he smiled. "I'm Takeshi"
"Hi" She said, apparently introducing herself again.
"So…" He said, pulling a chair around from one of the nearby desks so he could sit down. This guy had no intention of leaving, it seemed. "What were you listening to just now?"
"Just a band" Hikari said 'Of course it's a band you idiot, what else would you be listening to?' She chastised herself inwardly on her awkward answer.
"Cool" He laughed softly.
'Hikari, you are so stupid it is unbelievable' she thought. 'He probably hates you now'
"So what's in the envelope?" She asked, trying to divert attention from her flailing.
"Oh, just some notes or something. Yamada didn't say, just that they were important. Knowing him, it's probably the 3-3 girl's measurements" he laughed a little at his own joke before carrying on. "So how are you finding Yasogami?"
"It's good…" Hikari lied. She didn't want to seem too pathetic in front of this guy. "The rumours and gossip and stuff are a little annoying though…" She said, glaring at a group of three or so girls near the window of the classroom that had been stealing glances at her non-stop for the last 10 minutes.
"First day and you're already in the rumour mill? Nice going, Headphones"
'An endearing nickname? I think that means he likes me?' She thought while smiling.
"Still, you hear all kinds of crazy things up on the third floor"
"Really?"
"Yeah, like 'So-or-so is pregnant' or 'Hosoi-sensei doesn't ever take his puppet off' or 'If you go to the shrine at midnight and stare at your watch on a stormy night you'll see the time you're going to die'"
"That last one is real?"
"The rumour definitely is, anyway. I can't say I've tried it" Takeshi said, shrugging.
It was at that moment that Narukami walked through the classroom door. The whole class fell silent as he did so. It was still Lunchtime after all, so it was somewhat out of the ordinary.
"Don't mind me" he smiled, taking a sip from a cup of coffee that he had brought with him.
Slowly, conversation picked up again.
"Well, I should give these to Narukami. Talk to you later, Headphones" He stood up and waved to Hikari, who weakly returned the gesture.
'He better talk to me later' she thought, still in a trance.
xxx
The rest of the day happened to be fairly uneventful. Hikari and Ryu went to Junes to get steak, she picked up a few groceries on the way home and that was that. It was just like any other day in sleepy Inaba.
When she walked through the front door, however, she saw a face she didn't think she'd see.
"Hey, Kari-chan!" Said a perky, excitable voice as she took off her shoes. To her surprise, her Aunt had come to visit. Her biological aunt.
"Aunt Nanako?" She said upon seeing her. Hikari had seen photos of Nanako when she was a kid, hanging out with her mom and dad. She hadn't really changed much aside from she was taller (Obviously) and her hair was longer. That and she'd traded that little pink dress for a police badge. Nanako's decision to follow her Dad's career couldn't have been an easy one, given how much stress it had caused her, but then again underneath the peppy young detective was the beating heart of a strong woman that would never back down. She just needed a little pressure applied to bring that out.
"What are you doing here?" Hikari said after putting her shopping down and rushing over to give her Aunt a big hug.
"Well your dad is supposed to be cooking something really good tonight so I thought I'd drop by" She smiled.
"Thank god" Hikari said, apparently a little too loud
"What was that, dear?" Her mother asked, from the kitchen, semi-serious.
"Nothing" Hikari giggled "How's work going, Nanako-san?"
"Exhausting" Nanako said. She was always very direct, that much was true. "They're running me ragged because I'm new, but other than that, pretty good. Chie-san is really putting me through the ringer" she laughed. "That and this case I'm working has got me up all hours of the night. I need to start finding something to do in the evenings though... Otherwise, I'll end up like Dad" Nanako lamented.
"You could always start dating someone, Nanako-chan?" Rise suggested as she came back into the living room, two cups of tea in her hand.
Nanako nearly fell off the sofa laughing.
After she calmed down, Nanako managed to sputter out an explanation for her outburst "Rise-chan, I've barely got my own life together, I can't throw another person into the mix!"
"It wasn't that funny" Rise pouted
"It doesn't matter, anyway. I'm here tonight to eat my brother's cooking, so that's good enough for me"
"Where's Tatsuya?" Hikari asked her mother
"He's being held back after school today. Apparently he bit someone, so your dad's going to pick him up and give him a talking to on the way home. Just don't say anything, OK? He'll only get upset"
"OK" Hikari rolled her eyes at her little brother's antics. Would he ever straighten up?
It was at that moment that the front door opened and Yu walked in with Tatsuya behind him, like a dog with a tail between his legs. No signs of tears though.
Yu was like that. He would never, ever, yell at you. According to Rise, the only time she'd ever seen him shout was when Nanako was in the hospital and almost died. Hikari was never told the details of Nanako's illness, but apparently, neither did Nanako so she just let it lie.
After the greetings, Yu made his way to the kitchen to begin cooking that night's meal, with Nanako's help. Tatsuya had some homework so went upstairs straight away. This left Hikari and her mother alone in the living room, with the TV as background noise. Since nobody was talking, Hikari cast her mind back on the day's events… and kept focusing on one, specific, point.
"Mom?" Hikari asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah?" Rise responded, ready for whatever she was about to say
"Um… I need some advice… I think"
"What is it? Is school too stressful? Are you being stalked by the media? I told Inoue-san to make sure they back off" Rise was getting flustered. Ever since she became a mother she'd been doing that more and more. Now, with baby number three on the way, she must be maternal overdrive. Hikari giggled at her mother's attitude before stepping in.
"No, it's nothing like that. See, there was this boy at school today and-"
"Oooh~" Her mother sang. Rise's tone had suddenly changed from concerned mother to high school gossip queen in the space of about three seconds. "Who is it? Is it that boy from middle school who took you to Aiya all the time?"
"I told you, it wasn't like that, we just both really like Chinese food" Hikari pinched the bridge of her nose as she recalled those dinners and the conversations with her parents that sparked from them.
"It's just this guy, alright? Anyway, he's like, my ideal guy, so what should I do?"
"Ask him out" Rise said, flatly
"It's really that easy?"
"That's what I did"
"You told me that Dad started going out with you when you fell, weeping, into his arms"
"Same thing" Rise laughed. "Just do whatever you think is best, honey, I'm sure it'll work out. If I were you though, I'd let it settle a bit first. You only just met him" She smiled. Despite joking around, Rise did offer some good advice occasionally.
Hikari considered it. That was pretty much the only thing she could do, so she went with it. After all, she didn't have the courage to ask him out and expecting him to take initiative could take forever.
"I'll do that" She smiled. "Thanks, Mom"
"It's OK, honey. Now come on, let's go pester your father" she giggled. Hikari couldn't help but smile and sigh. Her mother was unpredictable, but she loved her more than anyone else on earth.
xxx
"That. Was. Amazing."
Was the sentiment from everyone around the table, stuffed from Yu's hearty meal. Rustic, but bursting with flavour. Congratulations were given to the chef, and Nanako managed to avoid the cleaning by saying she had to cut out early since she had a hard day's work ahead of her the next day.
"Sorry!" She said as she hastened to put on her shoes. "Can I talk to Hikari about something really quick?"
Nobody seemed to have a problem with this, so the two went outside to speak in private. Once they got out there, Nanako's face suddenly turned quite serious.
"Hikari, have you heard any weird rumours at school recently?"
"Rumours?" Hikari asked, confused.
"Yeah, I'd ask your dad but I figure since you're a student you're probably more aware of it you know? No matter how crazy it sounds, I need to hear it, OK?"
Hikari thought back on the day's events. Again, all she could really recall was her conversation with Takeshi… Not even the conversation, really, more he feelings of that conversation. There was that one thing he said though…
"Apparently, if you go to the shrine on a stormy night and look at your watch, you'll see the time of your death once it strikes midnight"
"I see…" Nanako said, tapping her chin with her finger. "What time is it now?"
"About 8:15, I think? Why, were you thinking of trying it out, Nanako-san?"
"Maybe… Thanks, Hikari" She said. Nanako looked at the sky. A dark cloud was rolling in… Hikari could practically hear the gears in her brain turning. There was no way that a stupid, pound-a-penny, schoolyard rumour like that could be in any way relevant. Right?
"Do me a favour, and don't tell your parents I asked you about this, OK? They'll start telling me to get out more" Nanako laughed, her normal demeanour returning.
"Sure" Hikari giggled along with her aunt. She really got along with Nanako. Maybe because they were young enough that they played together when they were kids, even if it was only for about a year before Nanako grew out of it. They were more like sisters than aunt and niece.
"I'll see you soon, Hikari" Nanako said, before hugging her niece tightly and disappearing into the night. Hikari simply stood there, smiling. She really didn't see enough of Nanako these days so having her presence there was appreciated. She hoped to see her aunt again.
And she would, just not in the way she expected…
xxx
Nanako had plenty of time to get back to her apartment and get ready before midnight. She had to at least look into this right? If there was any chance that this was connected to the case, she had to take it.
Nanako's apartment was fairly clean, almost atypical for a police officer as obsessed about a case as she was. The décor was very similar to that of her childhood home she lived in with her Uncle and Brother. She always meant to redecorate but couldn't bring herself to let go of the nostalgia.
God, she needed to grow out of that.
Nanako's hunch was right, those dark clouds brought a lot of rain and thunder. That had been happening a lot recently. She had to wonder why. She was no meteorologist, however, so she could only speculate. She would have to dig around for something warm and waterproof…
She was out the door before 11:30, this time however, she was armed. This was police business after all, she couldn't afford to go running headfirst into danger without some sort of weapon. She never was good with a gun. She'd often thought about it and wondered if she could even shoot another human being. It was more for intimidation, really. Words were Nanako's weapons.
Nanako arrived at the shrine with time to spare, around five minutes. She spent that time stood, stiff as a board, staring at the digital wristwatch she rarely used.
11:56
What was this feeling that was bubbling in the pit of her stomach? Anxiety? No, more visceral than that.
11:57
Fear? Impossible. Nanako did not get scared. Not anymore.
11:58
And yet, here she was. Every instinct told her to run, to bolt and just forget about it. Something, however, kept her rooted to the spot. Whatever it was it wasn't courage.
11:59
With a minute to go, Nanako finally found the word that compelled her to stay in this situation.
Duty.
00:00
She waited
00:01
Nothing? Really? In a way, Nanako was relived. After all, what did she expect? It was just a schoolyard rumour. However, the creeping feeling of fear could not be buried. Something was still going on. Seconds later, Nanako found out what.
*Clap Clap Clap*
Nanako heard the noise from behind her, but dare not turn her head to face it.
"Detective Nanako Dojima" said a voice. It was strange. Otherworldly, even. It lilted as it spoke, almost like a song. "What is it you fear most?"
"Nothing" Nanako said, almost instinctively.
The voice simply laughed. "So headstrong… Just like your father. No matter. We shall find out soon enough.
Nanako then felt something press against the back of her head. A cold, metallic, foreign object. It took Nanako a second to realise but then she figured it out.
It was a gun.
"Don't worry" the voice said. "This won't kill you" That statement did little to ease Nanako's fear.
"Face your Fears, Nanako Dojima"
Nanako's breathing had long since quickened, she couldn't think straight anymore. She had to get out of there. But now it wasn't duty binding her to where she stood. It was fear itself.
*Bang*
And with that, Nanako Dojima disappeared. Her whole existence blinked out. No body, no nothing. She no longer existed. At least in this world.
xxx
Nanako awoke, but not how she expected. She wasn't the twenty year old policewoman anymore, she was a little girl again. There was nothing here, all was darkness. The only corporal things on this plane were Nanako herself, some thick fog that swirled at her feet and, surprisingly, her brother. Again though, he looked sixteen again. There was one noticeable difference though. He looked angry. Not just that, disgusted.
"You let yourself get kidnapped" Yu spat at her.
"Big bro?" she asked, confused.
"You almost got me and your Dad killed. It's your fault, Nanako"
"Big bro, why are you saying that?" She wanted to cry.
"I hate you, Nanako" Yu said before he turned around and walked away.
"Big bro?! Please don't leave! I'm sorry! Just please don't leave!"
Just like that, he was gone.
"You are a terrible person, Nanako" came a voice from behind her. She recognised it. It belonged to none other than her sister-in-law, Rise. "He saved your life and you squander it?"
"Rise-chan?" Nanako had started crying now. She couldn't take this abuse, not from the people she loved most.
"I hate you, Nanako" the redhead said before fading away, just like her husband.
Nanako dreaded who she'd see next. Apparently, this world gave her no quarter as it was the last possible things she wanted to hear.
"It's your fault that I'm dead, Nanako. If you hadn't been born, I'd still be alive. I'm gone and now your Dad hates you for it. I hate you for it, Nanako"
Through tear filled eyes, Nanako could only sputter one single syllable.
"Mom?"
xxx
Meanwhile
"Detective Dojima has been dealt with, brother"
"Excellent. Did she put up a fight?"
"No. It is just as you said. Fear keeps even the strongest of hearts in a cage, it seems"
"That's right. With Dojima gone, there will be nobody stopping us now"
"What of her brother?"
"Narukami? Leave him. He's old and weak now… His daughter on the other hand…"
"Brother, do you think that's wise? What if she overcomes, she is his daughter after all"
"She has the potential, but not his powers. She is nothing compared to the Wild Card. Do not worry, brother, everything will go to plan. Just lure Hikari Narukami to the shrine next time it pours."
"By your order"
"If you have to, brother. Enter Gehanna with her. Ensure she does not overcome"
"By your order"