Updates won't usually be this quick. I intend to update once a week or so, but these first two were originally one chapter, so I decided to release them in relatively rapid succession. Thank you to those of you who chose to review the previous chapter; I greatly appreciate it. One of you requested that I go into a bit more detail about FF, so here are explanations for the references I make:
Chocobo: A common mode of transportation in Final Fantasy; it's a big bird that I'm pretty sure is flightless. Just google it.
Gil: Currency in Final Fantasy. I'm not sure what the conversion rate is.
Biggs and Wedge: Two characters that make common appearances in FF games, named after two characters from Star Wars. Kou and Daisuke are Wedge and Biggs, respectively, in this story.
Cid: Every FF has had a Cid, and he often plays an engineer of some kind. Dojima plays Cid in this story.
There was also a question about pairings. I don't really do romantic stuff, but there will be hints throughout the story. I think the ending mentions some as well, so here are the pairings in the story:
YosukeXChie, NaotoXKanji, SoujiXYukiko, SoujiXAi, SoujiXYumi, and a reference to AiXDaisuke. There might be light TeddieXNanako later on, I haven't decided yet.
As for including the FemC from P3P: I don't plan on it. I've only played the first P3, and Minato and Aigis will be making appearances later on.
Once again, I don't own Final Fantasy or the Persona series.
*Update*
Rise's not getting paired up with anyone, sorry. I couldn't really think of anyone to put her with, other than a certain character that will be introduced soon, but...that would be weird.
Also, I'm not crossing Persona with any specific Final Fantasy. I admit that there are strong elements of 12, since that was the one I played most recently, but there are also elements of others. The class system is pretty similar to 9's, I guess, but I plan to make the summoning system more like 6's. In 6 (correct me if I'm wrong) anyone could summon, and the summon equipped on a character gave them certain skills. I think that answers all the questions...
Amagi, Outside the Capitol
"Pardon me," Yosuke chuckled as he snatched an egg from the cockatrice's nest. The monster squawked and made ready to lunge at the intruder, but it was slammed aside by a well-aimed kick.
"You really suck at stealing stuff," Chie called as she continued to battle the creature. "Maybe you should be quieter!"
"Pff," Yosuke scoffed, "I'd like to see you get that close to the nest without that thing noticing you."
"I wouldn't have to, because I would kick its ass first," Chie countered. The cockatrice charged her, but Chie dodged easily and punted the bird into oblivion. Point proven.
"Jesus," Yosuke whistled, "You're not human. You know that, right?"
Chie brushed off her green jacket and shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked around.
"Where to next?" she asked.
"Uh…" They hadn't had a definite plan when they came out here; they had just wanted to blow off some steam before the big journey the next day. Daidara, Yasogami's best blacksmith, had forged new weapons for them after being paid quite handsomely by the princess; naturally, getting anything new made Chie want to try it out, so she had dragged Yosuke out to the Plains so that they could do some 'target practice'.
"You should practice fighting more," Chie suggested as they plodded along. Yosuke wiped sweat from his brow and glared at her.
"What's the point if you're just going to smash everything up before I can even draw my knives?" he demanded. His old knives had been practically scratch-free because he had used them so little.
"Um, hehe," Chie laughed nervously. "I won't always be around, ya know?"
"Let me handle the next enemy, then."
"Fine."
Another song started in Yosuke's head, and he soon forgot about fighting. He danced a little as they walked, sometimes flicking his knives into the air and catching them whenever it fit the beat. Chie rolled her eyes; she was used to his odd habits.
They had been friends since childhood, drawn naturally to each other as they tried to survive on the city streets. Yosuke's family had once been wealthy, but tragedy had struck the family business and overnight everything went wrong. When they ended up in the poorer part of Yasogami, their prior wealth was held against them and people turned away from them. Even Saki, who Yosuke had thought was a good friend, ignored him whenever he tried to talk to her. Her brother refused to speak to him, and Yosuke used to feel like he would go crazy if he didn't find someone to talk to.
It was then that he met Chie, a light-hearted girl who always had a joke or two ready for a depressed friend. She ran into Yosuke as he was preparing to run away from home, and the two of them became fast friends, despite frequent arguments and bickering. Chie harbored no ill will toward him or his family, and Yosuke appreciated her fierce loyalty. She would viciously defend him against people who insulted him or treated him badly and Yosuke, in turn, discovered his hidden talent for thievery. It wasn't a nice talent, but he managed to make a decent living off of it. If his parents had ever wondered where he was acquiring such odd artifacts, they kept quiet. Yosuke hadn't seen them recently because they had gone on vacation to Port Island, a beautiful resort city. It was run by a wealthy family called the Kirijo Group, and their dynasty was now in its third generation. Chie had lived only with her father when Yosuke met her, but the man had since passed away, making Chie an orphan.
"What's that?" Yosuke called, pointing to a green monstrosity stomping around in the distance.
"Dunno," Chie replied, squinting. "Are you seriously gonna go for it?"
"I bet he has some good stuff," Yosuke whispered. When it came to monsters, bigger generally meant better. And that brute was bigger than any Yosuke had ever encountered.
"You sure you don't want back up?" Chie asked, stretching her legs.
"What, you don't think I can handle that without your help?" Yosuke snapped. "You just watch, okay?"
Chie sighed as her friend slid down the cliff to engage the beast. He approached it with caution, but it didn't seem interested in him anyway.
Affronted by its apathy, Yosuke took a swipe at the creature. His new knives made barely a scratch on the monster's thick green scales.
"That sure got your attention," he yelped as the monster settled its beady little eyes on him. Yosuke gulped and retreated a few steps.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Yosuke yelled as he ran away from the gigantic lizard. There was no way in hell he could beat that thing! He saw Chie laughing at the top of the hill, mocking his efforts to outrun his pursuer.
"Let me know if you need help!" she called down to him between fits of giggles.
"I will fucking kill you if I get out of this alive!" Yosuke swore. "And if I die, I will come back to fucking haunt you!
A gunshot rang out to Yosuke's left, momentarily distracting the monster. Yosuke used this reprieve to swerve to the right and run up the hill that led to where he had originally jumped down.
Chie had stopped laughing by the time Yosuke joined her and was now watching the next battle unfold. A small man with blue clothes and hat stood alone, holding a smoking gun in his right hand. At least, Chie thought it was a man. It was difficult to see details through all the dust the green creature was kicking up.
"I'm gonna go help him," she said to Yosuke.
"Are you crazy? There's no way you could-" Yosuke just stopped in midsentence, knowing that his words were falling on deaf ears. Chie had already taken a flying leap off of the cliff and was running full-speed toward the battle.
"There's no stopping her when she gets like that," Yosuke muttered. He sat down on the cliff's edge, waiting to see what would happen.
Chie's general approach to problems like this was just a straightforward punt, and she assumed this problem would be no different. Sure, this monster was bigger than most, but so what? She grinned and readied herself for the kick, ignoring the young gunman's cries.
"I can handle this!" she heard him yell over the din of the battle. A few more shots rang out, but the monster was barely scathed by the bullets. It seemed hell-bent on getting a meal today, and it didn't care who it was.
"Hiya!" Chie cried, slamming her foot into the creature. It went flying into the cliff, dislodging a few rocks and a bit of loose earth in the process before sliding down to the ground.
"You just kicked a Tyrannosaurus Rex and made it airborne," the young man said. He stared, wide-eyed, at the unconscious dinosaur. "What are you?"
"I'm Chie," she replied, misunderstanding the question. "You?"
"Hm? Oh, I'm Naoto." They shook hands, and Chie couldn't help but notice that his skin was pretty soft, for a guy.
"I'm sure this was a lovely introduction," Yosuke interrupted, popping up beside them, "But we should get out of here before the big guy over there wakes up. You live around here?" he asked Naoto.
"Yes, actually. I live near the castle." He indicated Yasogami.
"So you're pretty rich, huh?" Yosuke asked glumly.
"I am fairly well-off, yes." Neither man seemed willing to continue the subject, so Chie opted to start a new conversation.
"Thanks for saving him back there," she said, jerking her thumb in Yosuke's direction. "Heaven forbid he asks a girl like me to help him out."
"A girl like you…?"
"Well, any girl, really," Chie continued, "I'm surprised you're not dead from embarrassment."
Naoto looked uncomprehendingly from one to the other.
"Guys are supposed to be stronger than girls," Yosuke muttered, "Chie's the exception, though. But thanks for saving me," he added.
"I ought to be thanking you, as well," Naoto confessed, "I was nearly out of ammo when you arrived to assist me. I'm glad that I was able to help out."
"Aw, listen to him!" Yosuke cooed, "He has that Imperial accent! You from the empire, kid?"
"I am not a child," Naoto snapped, "And yes, I did used to live in the empire. Does this create a conflict?"
"He didn't mean anything," Chie assured Naoto, "Yosuke just talks first and thinks later."
"Oh yeah? And whose motto is 'Don't think, feel'?"
"Oh please, that was years ago…"
Naoto withstood their petty bickering until they reached the city gates, where he took his leave of them.
"It's been a pleasure to meet you both," he said, "But I must now bid you adieu."
"Adyoo?" Yosuke repeated. "What the hell does that mean?"
"It means goodbye, idiot," Chie snarled. "Come on, let's go sell the stuff we looted. We might be able to get a few gil for it."
The Shopping District was crowded, as usual. Yosuke kept grumbling because of the weight of the loot, and Chie told him to man up or else they would leave the loot behind. She would also add that he was the one who had gathered all of it in the first place, so it was only fair that he should have to carry it. Soon enough, they found the store they were looking for, Daidara's Metalworks, and went in.
Daidara was a battle-scarred blacksmith who enjoyed dealing with adventurers. If they brought him good materials, he would agree to buy them, and he would spend hours in his shop thinking of new creations to make with what people gave him.
"Evenin'," he grunted.
"It's only midday," Yosuke argued as he hefted the bag and set it on the counter.
"I can't see the sun," Daidara grumbled, "So how should I know what time of day it is?"
"Idiot," Chie hissed, smacking Yosuke's head with the back of her hand. "What can you give us for this, Daidara?"
"You guys have been busy lately," the blacksmith said.
"Yeah, sure, but what can you give us, old man?" Yosuke rubbed the spot where Chie had hit him and watched Daidara warily.
"Here," the man said, handing them a small bag filled with gil. "I expect new materials from you two soon. No reason why you can't go on decent adventures like everyone else."
"Thank you." Chie grabbed the pouch of legal tender in one hand and Yosuke in the other. He had begun to drool over a pair of kunai on display, and Chie didn't want to risk getting in trouble with the blacksmith.
Yasogami, Amagi: Hangar Bay
"The hell have you been?" Cid growled when Naoto entered the hangar bay. The older engineer was bent over a work table, drawing something that his apprentice couldn't see.
"I went for a walk," Naoto lied. She checked to make sure that her gun would be safely hidden from Cid's eyes before joining him at the table.
The drawing depicted a human boy, and it was labeled with various scribbles and doodles, though 'TEDDIE' was scrawled clearly at the top of the picture.
"Constructing a new body for Teddie?" Naoto guessed. She had always been good at deducing things.
"Moogles are nice, but it'd be nicer to have another pair of opposable thumbs 'round here," Cid replied. "'Sides, you won't stay here forever."
"Mister Naoto, kuma!" Teddie rolled up to them, nudging Naoto's leg to get her attention.
"What do you want, Teddie?"
"Can I-" the robot paused, as though it were trying to find the right words to say. How very human, Naoto thought with a wry smile. "Can I come with you tomorrow? On the airship?"
"Um," Naoto glanced at Cid to see what his opinion would be.
"Don't see why not," he replied gruffly.
"I don't mind," Naoto agreed. "Just try not to bother the other passengers. Remember, we are escorting the princess tomorrow, so I'll want you to be on your best behavior."
"Don't worry!" the moogle assured her cheerfully, "I've read up on all the latest lingo and trends! But, there was one thing I didn't quite understand…" the robotic voice trailed off and Teddie lowered its eyes.
"What was that?" Naoto asked curiously.
"Mister Naoto, have you ever scored with anyone?"
"Certainly not," Naoto muttered, pulling her cap down to hide a blush. "What exactly were you reading?"
"Mister Cid left a book lying around, and it looked interesting, so I-"
"That's enough outta you," Cid snarled, slapping the off switch on the back of the robot's head.
"I'll be in my office if you need me." Naoto left Cid to his work and hurried to her destination, thinking. What was it that Cid left lying around that would mention 'scoring' with people?
Yasogami, Amagi: Castle Garden
Biggs and Wedge sat in the garden, taking a much-deserved break after a long day of training. Wedge dunked his sweaty head into the pond and shook it off, laughing.
"You look like a dog when you do that, man," Biggs chuckled.
"Speaking of dogs, have you spoken with your ex lately?" Wedge lay down on the grass and gazed up at the clouds. The one directly above him looked a bit like a duck.
"Who, Ai?" Biggs scratched his head and sighed. "No, I haven't really talked to her since her family moved to Inaba. She's probably forgotten about me by now, anyway. She was kind of a bitch, wasn't she?"
"I'm sure she was wonderful once you got to know her," Wedge said innocently, "Unfortunately, I just never got to know her."
"Damn straight you didn't," Biggs growled. "You think I'm stupid?"
"Most days, yeah."
"Hmph. I'm not gonna take that shit from you." Biggs rose and stretched, glaring down at his friend.
"Where are you going?"
"Gonna go take a nap. Wake me up if anything exciting happens."
Yasogami, Amagi: Castle Throne Room
Cid entered the throne room, this time after having been summoned by the princess.
"You called, Yer Highess?"
"I did, yes. Thank you for coming so quickly."
"You know me…ya just say the word, and I jump to do yer biddin'."
"…Yes." Yukiko folded her gloved hands in front of her to keep herself from wringing them. She was incredibly nervous about the meeting the next day, not to mention worried about leaving the castle without a monarch.
"I wanted to ask you if you'd be willing to stand in as king until I return," Yukiko said.
"I'm honored, Yer Highness, but why me? That idiot Kinshiro is s'posed to take over, ain't he?"
"My father trusts you more than anyone," Yukiko murmured, "And I know that trust was not misplaced. I'm certain you will handle all affairs to the best of your ability."
"Right," Cid muttered, abashed. He scratched the back of his neck and turned his head away from the princess, hoping she wouldn't see his embarrassment.
"Forgive me for asking such a thing of you. I wouldn't have done so if I hadn't thought you'd be the perfect man for the job."
"Yer too kind," the man said, his ears turning pink. "No need to make my noggin any larger'n it is…"
"Then you'll do it?"
"Course I will. You can count on me, Yer Majesty."
"Thank you. I always knew that I could."
Sky: Mysterious Island
"Whoo!" Kanji laughed as he and Rise disembarked on the strange floating island. That the island was floating wasn't strange; they ran into that sort of thing all the time. Rise couldn't suppress a shiver as she joined her companion on the ground. Something was very strange about this place.
"Even I can sense the treasure here," Kanji said, beaming. "This sorta thing just gets my blood pumpin', ya know? Makes me feel like a man!"
"I'm not sure I can relate," Rise confessed. Kanji ignored her and busied himself with securing the ship's anchor.
"So what are we lookin' for, here?" he demanded excitedly as they set off down the path into the sprawling jungle.
"I can't tell yet," Rise said. "This place is dangerous, though, so we'll need to watch our step."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Kanji managed to step on a hidden hole in the ground, falling a good four feet into empty air.
"The hell?" he roared as he climbed out of the pit.
"Did you not hear what I just said, Kanji?" Rise yelled. "I said, 'Watch your step'!"
"You think that was a trap?"
"Could just be that you're stupid," Rise muttered.
"H-Hey, I heard that!"
Yasogami, Amagi: Hangar Bay
Yukiko listened to her two bodyguards arguing about seating arrangements as they made their way down to the hangar bay, and she was getting ready to smite them both with magic if they didn't shut up soon. She enjoyed their company, because she didn't know many people her own age, but they seemed extra-quarrelsome today. The princess put it down to nerves and hoped that they would calm down once they were in the air.
"All I'm saying is, she ought to sit between us!" Yosuke said, "That way, we can protect her on either side.
"There's no way I'm letting you sit next to her, you pervert!" Chie argued back, "I'm sitting between you!"
"Listen," Yukiko snapped, abruptly ending the bickering, "I don't care how we sit when we get there. Let us just concentrate on getting there for now. In silence, if you don't mind."
"Ahem." A small moogle appeared before them as they neared the hangar bay. He bowed low to Chie.
"Good morning, Princess," he said, bringing her hand to his…mouth area. "I trust you are prebeared, kuma?"
Chie gaped at the small creature, but she was unable to make any formulate any words to express her surprise.
"Excuse me," Yukiko said, tapping the moogle's shoulder.
"Ooh!" he cried in delight, "I wouldn't mind scoring with you, kuma!"
"I-I beg your pardon?" Yukiko glanced at Chie, but the other girl was just as confused as she.
"Ah, my manners, kuma! I want to score with you too, Princess," the moogle declared, turning back to Chie.
"Wha…?" Yosuke observed the scene in a stunned silence. What was that moogle doing here? And what was he talking about with this scoring business?
"Teddie!" a voice cried, and the hangar bay door swung open.
"Psst, Chie!" Yosuke hissed, "It's that shrimpy gunman we saw yesterday!"
"I beg your pardon?" Naoto demanded as he approached. "Please don't give people bizarre nicknames you make up on the spot. My name is Naoto, and that robot there should not have left my sight."
"Mister Naoto, kuma!" Teddie squeaked. He attempted to shield himself behind Yukiko, but Chie picked him up with one hand and deposited him in the engineer's arm.
"Again, thank you," Naoto murmured. "I expressly asked him not to do this…"
"You're the pilot, are you not?" Yukiko asked as Naoto led them back to the hangar bay.
"That is correct, Princess Yukiko. I can assure you that the airship is top-of-the-line and that I have double- and triple-checked for any conceivable problems. The only foreseeable problems," he added, "Would be attributed to this little fellow right here. He was a bit of a last-minute addition, and he's not good with obeying orders. Only Cid's daughter, Nanako, has any kind of control over him."
"Nanako?" the robot's tone brightened at hearing the girl's name. "Is she here, kuma? Is she coming too, Mister Naoto? Mister Naoto, kuma! Can Nanako come, too?"
"Certainly not." A cold look from the engineer effectively silenced the robot, but Naoto knew it wouldn't last long.
"Sorry for stickin' you with 'im, Naoto," Cid called from his office. "I think I'll get a lot of work done while yer gone, though! Might even finish 'is new model!"
"Fantastic. Now, Your Highness, your vessel is over here." He showed them a beautiful, sleek airship. Yukiko gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, but Chie and Yosuke just gaped.
"Shit," Yosuke breathed.
"That's ginormous," Chie agreed, equally breathless.
"It is large," Naoto said uncertainly. "We can board as soon as you like."
"What's her name?" Yosuke asked as he stroked the airship tenderly. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his whole life.
"Um," Naoto took a piece of paper out of his pocket and scanned it quickly. "This is model UEA183."
"The hell?" Yosuke snapped, "That's not cool at all!"
"I'd like to see you pick a better one," Chie scoffed.
"Oh my God, not this again," Yukiko groaned.
"How about the Junes?" Yosuke suggested. He looked rather proud of this idea, though none of them could see why.
"Is there some significance to that name?" Naoto asked.
"Naw, but it sounds cooler than that garbage you said earlier."
"All aboard the Junes, then," Yukiko declared. She was incredibly eager to be done with this journey, and they hadn't even left the castle yet.
Inaba, Adachi: Residential Area
"Mmm," Ai groaned when the person beside her stirred, waking her up.
"Sorry," he muttered as he got out of bed. He went over to the closet that held his clothes, walking quietly so as not to disturb her further.
"What the hell are you doing this early in the morning?" Ai grumbled sleepily.
"I need to go to work," he informed her as he finished slipping on the rest of his suit. Another day, another gray suit.
"Today? I thought we had plans today…" Ai sat up in the bed, trying to get her bearings.
"I'm afraid we'll have to postpone them," her gray-haired lover said with an apologetic sigh, "The emperor has asked that I be present today to help him work with Princess Yukiko of Amagi."
"Hmph," Ai pouted, "What does she have that I don't have?"
"Certainly not your beauty," the man said with a smile. He swept down and kissed Ai's cheek, making her wish he could stay.
"When will you be back?" she whispered. Ugh, she hated how desperate she sounded after saying that. As if she needed him.
"As soon as this diplomacy nonsense is settled, I will return," he promised, his deep voice sounding particularly seductive. Ai shivered at the promise his voice held, and she could not help the smile that crept across her face.
"People told me I was stupid to fall in love with you."
Her lover could only laugh as he waltzed out the door.
The woman clutched the blanket around her, still smiling to herself. They were just jealous, that was all. They were jealous that a small-town nobody had appeared one day and had captured the heart and body of the emperor's right-hand man.
"Come back soon, Souji," she breathed before sleep claimed her once more.