Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable. I am just using it for fan fiction purposes.
Summary: Yu Narukami was not the only Wild Card. In fact, the other was held by his sister, who transferred to Inaba with him. Her name is Kokoro, and this is her accounts of what happened.
Note: Names will be given the Japanese way(surname given name) as that's where it takes place, and any Japanese words used in the game will be used here.
BETA WANTED
"Speech"
'Thoughts/Persona/Text message'
'email'
Chapter 9
Part 1
Persona Empath
Kokoro had fun hanging out with Kanji and Teddie. She found out that Teddie loves ice cream. Then again he never had any food really…so it shouldn't surprise her that much right?
"I know they said to stay here…but we should really go find them." She said after a while, "They're taking a rather long time."
"You're right." Kanji agreed, "Let's go find them."
"Yup! Let's go find our team of misfits!" She giggled.
"You're so strange sometimes." He chuckled.
"I know!" She chirped and ran off.
Kanji caught up with her a few moments later.
"I told Teddie to stay put." He explained.
They arrived at the shrine where Cu Sith told her the rest were.
"Yo, how's it going?" Kanji greeted, "Dude, Teddie ate five Topsicles…Though if you count the ones I had before, that makes six, so I still win."
"Only you." Kokoro commented under her breath.
"No one asked…" Yosuke stated.
"We're all done talking already!" Rise piped up, "Let's go, Senpai!"
She approached Yu.
'Well…she has a crush…or a case of hero worship.' Kartkeya commented.
"Uh…When did you get so chipper?" Kanji asked.
"Do you go to Yasogami, like Senpai?" She asked, "I'll be starting school there tomorrow, so I hope we get along too."
Kokoro growled.
'Okay I know I did this earlier, but since when do I growl?' She thought.
'It's a combination of me and the pup.' Cerberus said.
'I am no pup.' Cu Sith retorted.
"Uhh…What grade are you in?" She heard her boy ask.
"So where's Teddie?" Yosuke asked.
"He's over there, finishing up his fifth Topsicle. What are we gonna do with him?" He asked.
"Well…I guess I'll take him home…" Jiraiya's host said.
She spent dinner that night at Kanji's house.
"So you are serious about my son, Koko-chan?" Hiroko asked while Kanji was out of the room.
It was apparently his turn to cook.
"Yes." Kokoro told her, "I like him a lot."
"Just…don't judge him too harshly." She said, "He's been so confused since my husband died. I haven't seen him this calm in a long time. He says I have the whole group to thank, but I think it's mostly because of you. He started calming down long before the others became a part of his life and he's always talking about you."
'He's…always talking about me?' She blushed.
'He must really like you, young sprite.' Oberon said, 'In fact, I'm sure of it.'
'What do you know?' She asked.
'Oh it's just something Take-Mikazuchi said to us.' Cerberus smirked, 'It's not that important.'
'You're all in on this?' She asked.
'Maybe, but maybe not.' Faerie answered cryptically.
'I'll take that as a yes.' She said.
"Why's it so quiet in here?" Kanji asked.
"We were just talking, dear." Hiroko told him.
"Ma, what have you been telling her?" He asked, "I swear, I don't sleep with a stuffed animal!"
"I didn't say anything about Haru the white rabbit." She said.
"Ma!" He exclaimed.
Kokoro couldn't help it and giggled.
"I think it's cute." She said, "It just fits somehow."
"Kokoro…" He sighed.
"I don't think you've ever told us when your birthday is." His mother stated.
"Hm…" She looked up, "Oh! It's the eleventh of August. At least that's what everyone thinks. No one can tell for sure. Aniki's was the sixth of March."
"Shouldn't you be in my year then?" Kanji asked.
"Well I didn't have formal schooling until a certain age so Oka-san home schooled me for a year and had me take a test. The school placed me based on my scores." She explained, "For a while my schedule was hectic. I would have math with one year, writing with another, and something else with yet another. Eventually, everything balanced out and I was able to learn everything with the same class, which just so happened to be my brother's."
"Well I'm glad you got that settled." Hiroko said.
"Me too." She responded.
While she slept that night, Kokoro found herself back in the Velvet Room.
"Welcome." Igor greeted, "It's been quite some time…Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world…How are things proceeding…? Are you accepting your role?"
"Yes, but it seems that more people are comforting me rather than the other way around." She said.
"Well…That is to be expected. You must first be able to find yourself before you help others. You are drawing ever nearer to yourself. I believe that is when you will awaken your true potential." He said.
"The season has changed, but your future is not yet closed." Margaret spoke, "In time, a path will open to you."
"Our true reason for calling you here tonight is to provide a new form of assistance to help you achieve just that." He stated, "We were going to provide you a more advanced form of fusion, but you have not once used this service. It is most curious."
"My friends are perfect the way they are." Kokoro told him, "No matter their strength."
"Ah, I see." He said, "A Wild Card with a mental connection. It is very unusual. Nevertheless, I know what assistance we can provide. Margaret?"
The blonde stood and handed her a necklace. On this necklace was a blue eye inside of a small, red, glass ball. It was purple where the two colors met.
"This is the eye of the mind, body, and spirit." Igor explained, "I was told to give this to a Wild Card with a mind link to his or her Personas. You are more than just a Wild Card it seems. In fact, I'd go so far as to say you're not a Wild Card at all."
"Then what am I?" She asked.
"You play the role of the Persona Empath." He stated, "Once you achieve your true potential, you may find that you can speak to others' Personas as well. All but the Personas of the Wild Card, as they have no mental capacity outside of battle. Well, until we meet again…farewell."
"Gooooood morning'." greeted their new homeroom teacher, "I'm Kashiwagi Noriko your new class teacher starting today. You all probably know already, but now that Mr. Morooka has passed away…I'll be taking good care of you instead. Okay, why don't we start off with a moment of silence for Mr. Morooka. Close your eyes, everyone…"
'I hate her already.' Sylph stated.
'I shall run her through and then burn her at the stake.' Eligor commented.
'For once, I agree with you.' Hua Po said.
'Ooooh! We could feed her to our puppies!" Kartikeya mused.
'I am not eating that.' Cerberus said disgusted.
'She'll give us indigestion.' Cu Sith drawled.
'I want you all healthy and happy.' Kokoro told them, 'She'll do neither.'
'Of that I have no doubt.' Oberon said.
'You're quiet Rakshasa.' Faerie commented, 'Then again you're always quiet, but even you should have something to say.'
'I'm trying to find a way to appear in this world so that I can destroy that thing teaching our host. The little one deserves better than that creature!' He responded, 'Any ideas?'
'Nope!' Kartikeya said, 'But let us know if you figure it out. We want in on the fun too!'
"Hey, Yosei, you coming or what?" Yosuke asked.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"Weren't you listening? We're meeting up with the others at Junes." He said.
"Oh, sorry." She apologized.
"Let's go." Her brother said while giving her a concerned look.
Kokoro tried to pay attention to the conversation, but her inner companions kept coming up with more and more ways to destroy Ms. Kashiwagi. Many of them were so ridiculous that they'd never work, but they sure were funny. A couple of times, she had to stop herself from laughing for how ridiculous they were.
She only started paying attention when she heard a new voice. She looked up to see the guy that was interested in Kanji.
'That is no guy.' Cerberus stated.
'That is a girl pretending to be a guy.' Cu Sith stated, 'She's a detective.'
'A detective? Fooling everyone about who she really is?' Kokoro asked, though she knew the answer.
She began shaking. It didn't trigger a flashback. Something serious would have to happen to set one off, but just a detective that was deceiving people set off alarm bells in her mind. Kokoro didn't care what reason this detective had, she didn't like deceivers, period.
Kanji noticed she was shaking and wrapped an arm around her.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asked.
Rise, Chie, and Yukiko heard him and turned to look at her.
"Hey, Koko-chan, what's wrong?" Rise asked.
Her brother heard Rise's question and turned to her as well.
"Shit. That's right." Yu never curses, "I'm sorry Shirogane-san, but you'll have to leave."
"For what reason?" He/She asked.
"You're a detective." He stated, "My sister has had some bad run-ins with a detective. I'm surprised she trusts our uncle."
By this point, Kokoro was curled into a ball on Kanji's lap, who had placed her there at some point.
"Deceiver." She muttered, "Deceiving detective."
The only one who heard was her boy because of the position they were in.
"It's alright, Kokoro." He murmured, "Your brother's dealing with it. He'll be gone soon."
"I see." Naoto said after observing her, "I've told you what you needed to hear. I'll be going now."
'Yes. Leave. Our little one doesn't need you around.' Rakshasa snarled from within her mind.
'This is the most you've ever said, Rakshasa.' Oberon stated.
'She's having a bad day.' He answered, 'She deserves better than that thing for a teacher and a deceiver playing detective. It's alright, little one. She's leaving.'
'He's right, young sprite. There's no need to fear.' Oberon said.
'Let the darkness just disappear, friend.' Sylph tried.
None of her Personas pleas would get her out of her current state, but Kanji did.
"Kokoro, he's gone. Calm down.' Her boy whispered and kissed her forehead discreetly.
She did calm down, after that, but slowly.
"I think it's time you told us what's up, Yosei." Yosuke said.
So she did. She told them everything, from her years as a child to the resurfaced memories. She even told them that her uncle was working on finding her real birth mother. Just so that she had some closure.
"Well no wonder you react badly to detectives." Chie said, "I'm surprised you can be around them at all."
"Most of the time I don't freak out like this. I'm just a little tense and terse with them, but Naoto's so young. Something about that set me off and…I just shut down. Not even my Personas could calm me down." She told them.
"How could your Personas calm you down?" Her brother asked.
"Well they talk to her, obviously, like ours do." Chie stated.
"Mine don't." He said.
"You're different." Kokoro said, "You're the Wild Card. Your Personas have to be soldiers. You can't have any emotional attachment or you won't fuse them to make them stronger."
"And you are allowed emotional attachment?" Yu asked coldly.
"Yes." She said, "My…experiences…allow for it. Like you need soldiers, I need companions. I am a Persona Empath."
Her brother stood and walked away then. Her heart cracked, but she understood that he was upset he that he couldn't talk to his Personas. He'd get over it. He never stayed mad at her for long. The longest was a week, and that was because she broke his favorite toy when he was eight.
"And you're sure your uncle and brother won't be here?" Kanji asked taking off his shoes.
"Positive." Kokoro answered.
Today was the day that Kanji would meet her Oka-san via web chat. She was excited, yet nervous. It was her Otou-san she should be nervous about, but she wanted her family to like her boy.
She led him up to her room and turned on her computer. Normally, she wouldn't have one, but her Oka-san thought it would be a good investment. She could keep in contact with her Oka-san and her…Psychiatrist. Mr. Hana, or Yoshiro as he asked her to call him, didn't help much. He sat in his chair and asked her how she was faring and how she felt and if she'd had any episodes and he constantly asked about what happened to her. She told him everything she remembered, but he still hounded her for more information. He never actually made progress with her. Her friends and companions helped her more in four months that he did in seven, almost eight, years.
On top of that her brother could use her computer whenever, but it stayed in her room.
"Are you sure I can be up here?" Kanji asked, looking a little nervous.
"Of course. Besides, how is this any different than me being in your room?" She asked.
"You're a girl. Don't you…like privacy or something?' He questioned.
"To an extent, but I don't do any of that "Keep out or else" stuff. Besides, you're different." She explained, "Ah, there she is."
She clicked on the flashing icon and the window popped up. Staring back at her from the screen was her mother.
"I was wondering where you were. How's my little Tinkerbell?" She asked.
"Oka-saaaan." She whined, "Don't call me that in front of him."
A/N: Just thought I'd explain. Kokoro's adoptive parents obviously travel, so they're bound to pick up things from other countries. I just decided that they watched Peter Pan at one point or another.
Part 2
Family problems
"I can't help teasing you. You know that." Her Oka-san said.
"I know, but I still don't want you calling me that in front of him." Kokoro muttered.
"Hey, I don't know what it means, so it doesn't really matter." Kanji commented.
Her Oka-san focused on him.
"So you're Kanji?" She mused, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Narukami." Her boy said.
"I'm going to go get drinks." Kokoro said and kissed Kanji on the cheek, "I'll be right back."
Her boy gave her a wide-eyed, deer-in-headlights look as she walked out. She giggled to herself.
'Oka-san would have just given me a reason to leave the room anyway.' She thought, 'Might as well do it now.'
'Getting it over with huh?' Came a voice.
'What? Who?' She asked.
'Take-Mikazuchi at your service.' He said, 'Your friendship link with the small fry is almost maxed. Therefore I can contact you and vice versa, so long as we're within a certain range. Shall I tell him your reason for "throwing him to the wolves"?'
'Go right ahead.' She said, 'You also might want to tell him that I'll be down here for at least ten minutes.'
The large Persona chuckled.
'I will.' He said and his presence disappeared.
'Well that was odd.' She thought.
'That was horrible.' Cerberus added.
'You only think that because he was in "your" territory.' Sylph commented.
'It's true.' Cu Sith stated, 'He was in our territory.'
'Che, dogs.' Hua Po snorted.
'Well it's instinct.' Faerie defended.
'You didn't get offended, fair beast.' Eligor mused.
'I am above territory issues.' She explained.
'Personally, I think you like the big muscle man.' Kartikeya commented.
'I do not.' Her first Persona said.
'You do so.' Oberon disagreed, 'I am bound to that link, so I would know.'
'I think it's adorable.' Sylph giggled, 'The Personas of their hosts, who are in love, are in love as well. It's like a fairytale.'
'And you'd know all about fairytales." Hua Po smiled.
'Of course!' She chirped an agreement, 'What kind of fairy would I be if I didn't?'
'A bad one.' Oberon supplied.
'Exactly.' She said.
After waiting ten minutes, went back upstairs with two sodas.
"So how are you two getting along?" She asked with an innocent look.
"Splendidly." Her Oka-san answered.
Now she was worried.
The three of them spent about an hour talking before her Oka-san had to get off to get some sleep.
"So what did you think of her?" Kokoro asked.
"She's funny." Kanji shrugged.
"That's it? That's your only thought?" She asked.
"Well she's a lot like you, but she's not, if that makes any sense." He said.
"It sort of makes sense, I guess." She mused, "What did you talk about when I was downstairs?"
"Your lack of sewing skills." He grinned.
"That's not funny." She stated, "Wait…what did she tell you?"
"Nothing too bad." He chuckled and kissed her cheek.
"I'm home!" Her brother's voice came from downstairs.
The two of them paused.
"Shit." Kanji cursed.
"Nothing we can do." She sighed.
Yu appeared in the doorway and glanced between the two.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"We were talking to Oka-san." She said honestly.
She may be better at reading people, but her brother knew when she was lying. She couldn't hide anything from him.
"Why would Kanji talk to Oka-san?" He asked, "It's not like you're….are you two dating?"
"Sort of." She said.
"Sort of? There is no sort of." Her brother said and turned to Kanji, "Are you dating my sister?"
"Well we never went on an actual date, but yes." He answered.
"You and I are having a talk." Her brother glared.
"This is exactly why I didn't say anything." Kokoro muttered.
Yu was still giving the big brother talk to Kanji when their uncle came home. Luckily, they had moved the talk downstairs. At any rate, her uncle gave him the father talk in her Otou-san's place. Kokoro, of course, wasn't allowed to listen to what they were saying, but she knew. She has read enough books to know what the family to boyfriend talks consist of. The mother usually approves, and the males usually disapprove and try to scare the boy away. She was just happy that Kanji doesn't scare easily.
He ended up staying for dinner and the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Every time Kanji would so much as brush up against her, he had twin glares directed at him. Kokoro was getting very irritable very quickly. Nanako just looked confused.
Eventually, it became sort of like a game. They would glare at Kanji, so Kokoro glared at them and growled. She'd never been more happy for the influence of her two canine Personas. The first time she did it, her uncle looked at her in surprise. He eventually let up on his glares, to the point that he was only glaring on principle. Yu, however, was going to get a talking to.
Kokoro waited until Kanji was down the street to round on her brother.
"What the hell was that all about?" She demanded.
"All what?" He asked innocently.
"You know exactly what! I finally find someone I'm comfortable with and you're trying to scare him off!" She told him.
"I'm your brother. It's my job." He stated.
"Why are you being so…so…horrible?" She asked, "Is it just the fact I'm dating? Is it Kanji? What?"
"What does it matter? You have your Personas to talk to you. All of you do. You can just go to them for approval! You don't need me." He snapped.
"That's what this is about? Our ability to talk to our Personas?" She asked incredulously, "I told you why you couldn't. I explained why you weren't allowed. You're trying to ruin the only relationship I've ever had because of something none of us can control? What kind of brother are you? You think that having my Personas to talk to makes me not need you? That it makes you obsolete like you're some kind of machine? Well, if that's the way you think then fine. I don't need you."
He opened his mouth to say something, but she didn't give him the chance. She shoved her feet into her shoes and took off out the door. She didn't care where she was going as long as it was away from her so-called brother. She ended up at the river, where it seemed she always ended up when upset or confused. She sat down on the stairs and looked up at the starry sky. Her eyes welled with tears and soon they began to roll down her cheeks.
'Why? Why does this gift have to make me lose my brother?' She asked.
'That was not my intention.' Came a voice.
'Lord Daiki?' She asked.
'Yes.' He affirmed.
'What was your intention?' the Persona Empath asked.
'I only wanted to give you friends.' He said, 'You were so lonely, and you were going to be involved in this whole ordeal anyway, since I had changed your destiny, so I gave you this ability. I picked the Personas I thought would be able to help you. The ones that could get you out of the shell you hid yourself in. I never thought it could cost you your brother.'
'I appreciate the sentiment,' She said, 'and it did what you wanted it to. I'll get my brother back or get over it. It's not like I won't have help.'
Kokoro suddenly got an idea. She hated to do it, but she felt it was necessary.
'My brother's being a prick. Meet me at the shrine tomorrow after school and I'll explain. Someone will have to distract Yu and get filled in later.'
She sent that out to all her Persona friends and almost immediately got replies.
'I'll be there, and I'll bring Teddie.'-Yosuke
'Count me in. Yukiko says she'll distract him. I'll grab Rise on the way.'-Chie
'You know I'll be there.'-Kanji
It was probably a bad idea. Trying to turn them against him, but she wouldn't be telling them to do that. She'd just tell them what happened. They'd make their own decisions. She wouldn't be held accountable…right?
She snuck back into the house after everyone was asleep and immediately went and curled up in bed. She drifted into the blackness of her mind where she discussed the next day with her Personas. The silhouette in the background becoming more defined as the days passed. It would only be a matter of time before it was revealed.
The next day, Yukiko dragged her brother off somewhere while the rest of them met up at the shrine.
"So what happened, Koko-chan?" Teddie asked.
"Well he found out Kanji and I are dating-?"
"You two are dating?" Rise asked.
"Called it." Yosuke said.
"Anyway…" Kokoro stressed, "He wouldn't stop death glaring so I confronted him about it. It turns out that he's being pissy because we can communicate with our Personas and he can't."
"But you explained it to him." Chie commented.
"I pointed that out to him." She said, "I kind of took off before he could say anything else, but he still had the same expression on his face. I honestly think I lost my brother over something I can't control."
Her eyes shined with tears she refused to let fall.
"We'll figure this out." Kanji said and hugged her, "Right guys?"
"Right." The chorused.
"You guys…" She said and the tears flowed down her face.
Chie talked to Yukiko later and found out that her brother was still in a bad mood. He pretty much ignored the kind girl, even going so far as to snap at her and stalk off. It cemented the Persona team's decision. They all ignored him, even Teddie. It didn't have much effect because he was ignoring them too.
It didn't set in until the rest of the school began ignoring him too. Kokoro was confused at this, so she asked the others what happened.
"Well I kind of told Kou of the basketball team a watered down version of what happened." Chie said, "He asked why we were ignoring your brother, so I told him he was mad at you for something completely out of your or anybody else's control. I guess Kou told the basketball team and it spread from there. From what I hear, he was even kicked off the team."
Kokoro began feeling horrible. She hadn't wanted to ostracize him. She just wanted to let him know how she felt. This certainly did work towards that, though.
"I feel kind of bad." She told the Chariot, "I didn't mean for it to get this bad."
"Hey, he's the one being a jerk." Her friend said, "We won't let it go on too much longer."
Daisuke met up with her some time later and told her he stood by her.
"You're brother's being an ass." He had said, "You're far too nice and sweet to have done something so terrible he would stop caring about you. He was the perfect older brother before. This should all blow over soon. You'll see."
At least, that was what everyone thought until her brother got worse. He started lashing out at everyone. It was amazing how he could change so much in two weeks because of something no one could control. He was getting sent to the principal's office more often than not. He was even suspended for a week. Kokoro was beginning to worry.
Yu was becoming more and more dangerous. He talked back to the teachers and her uncle. Nanako was scared of him and, quite frankly, Kokoro was too. He was getting into fist fights and arguing with anyone and everyone. He was like a man possessed.
It tumbled completely out of control when he pushed her down the stairs at school. He followed her down and lunged at her. He managed to punch her a few times with wild swings that connected multiple areas of her body.
"This is your fault!" He spat at her, "Everything is your fault!"
Kanji grabbed him and tore him off of her and held him back from getting at her again. Daisuke knelt next to her and lifted her head off of the ground. He placed it in his lap.
Darkness was beginning to take over, but she refused to let it drag her down. She focused on what was happening and saw teachers come to take control of the situation. She managed to stay conscious until an ambulance came, only barely aware that Kanji was in the vehicle with her.
In the blackness that was her mind, Kokoro encountered a glowing figure.
'I am sorry this happened because of me, little one.' The figure spoke.
'It's not your fault, Lord Daiki.' She said, 'It's no one's fault. Not really.'
'Still…I feel some of the blame falls on me.' He said, 'I will remove the information of your role from his mind. Your team will know not to speak of it because he will have no recollection of the past three days. They will not want a repeat of what happened. All he will know is that you and Kanji are dating and that he pushed you down the stairs. I am sorry.'
'Thank you…' She said, 'for fixing this. You didn't have to.'
'Oh but I did.' Lord Daiki said, 'You are my responsibility…my Champion in the mortal plane. I saved you, so I must look after you.'
'Why me?' She asked, 'Why did you choose to save me?'
'Despite everything you'd been through, you had a heart of gold. Even when you were being beaten and starved you tried to see the good in people and helped that man's prisoners when you could. You are a kind girl and no one can take that away from you. One day you will also be strong enough to defend yourself. That is why.' He said, 'Now I believe your friends are waiting for you, so wake up.'
"C'mon, Kokoro, wake up." She heard her boy's voice first.
"Kanji?" She whispered.
"Oh thank Kami you're awake." He said, "I was so worried."
"You won't have to worry anymore." She said, "I promise."
"I'll be holding you to that promise." He said.
She smiled. Everything with her family was fixed. She could relax.
She just had to make sure she didn't tip him off again. She didn't want to think about what could happen the next time.
A/N: I tried to make her brother's fall into aggression as believable as possible while still getting my point across. Did I manage that? I've included an Omake that I hope you'll enjoy. It's of a lighter nature than most of this chapter.
Omake: A Mother/Boyfriend Chat(Kanji's POV)
Kanji turned from the door back to the screen looking a bit panicked. He was meeting his girl's mother and Kokoro left him alone with her.
'She has a reason, small fry.' His Persona told him.
'And what reason would that be?' He asked.
'Her mother would have given her a reason to leave the room sooner or later, so she decided sooner was better.' Take-Mikazuchi explained, 'She'll be back in ten minutes.'
"So, Kanji, Kokoro mentioned that your mother runs a textile shop?" Mrs. Narukami asked.
"Ah…yes. She does." He answered, "I help out every once in awhile."
"You do? Can you sew?" She asked.
"I…well…yes." He said, "I grew up with it."
"Good. Tinkerbell is horrible at sewing." She said.
"I'm actually giving her lessons." He said, "She's improving…slowly."
"Then you're a better teacher than me. I couldn't seem to get her to tell the eye from the pointy end." Kokoro's mother said, "Oh, but don't tell her I told her that!"
Kanji chuckled in response. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
