Well, it's that time again everyone. Thanks again for the reviews/comments!
Yeah, so I think I'm going to start making the updates a bit shorter. I knew the chapters were long, but when I type them out everything is spaced out nicely so it doesn't occur to me that here it just looks like a massive wall of text. Plus, shorter chapters will make it easier to keep up with this update pace.
Anyway, this chapter takes place two weeks after the last one. It might be a little confusing at first, but I hope it isn't too bad. Also, Kinshiro Morooka!
I don't own Persona 4, Persona 3, or Final Fantasy.
Yasogami, Amagi: Hangar Bay
"Hey, I'm goin' home," Cid announced. He stretched and let a pencil fall from his loosened grip. It clattered to the floor, but neither he nor Naoto felt energetic enough to retrieve it.
They had been working on Teddie's design practically nonstop since Naoto had returned, and they were rapidly nearing its completion. Cid's temporary position as leader of the Amagian kingdom caused only minor distractions, fortunately. The blueprints were all completed, and they had begun constructing the main skeletal structure of the body. The moogle himself was still unaware of the big project, and at that moment he was snoozing peacefully in the corner.
"You comin'?" the older engineer asked. He grabbed his worn gray coat and held it over his shoulder with one hand; the other lit a cigarette that he held between his lips.
"I want to continue working," Naoto replied. "Would you mind taking him with you?" She nodded to Teddie.
"Sure thing. Don't stay up too late, kid. Nanako'll start to worry about ya." His cigarette lit, Cid walked over to Teddie and grabbed the robot moogle by the head with his free hand.
"I won't be long," Naoto promised.
"Here's this, just in case." Cid tossed his house key onto the desk. "That way we won't have to stay up for ya."
The young engineer examined the key idly. It wasn't anything special, just a small brass key that had the word 'HOUSE' scribbled on it in pen.
"Thank you," she called, "Though I really won't be long—I promise."
The door closed, and Naoto breathed a sigh of relief. She had always felt that she operated better when she worked alone, and this project was no exception. Cid was undoubtedly a brilliant engineer, but every once in a while he made bizarre mistakes that even a child wouldn't commit. Teddie good for ferrying materials around, but his incessant commentary always made the engineers question whether his flaws outweighed his assets.
Naoto fully intended to make good on her promise: she was only going to make a few minor adjustments to the existing model and call it a day. No sooner had she settled down to work than there was a pounding knock on the door.
Well, that was most strange. Cid had exited through the door that led right out to the streets, and the knock came from the door between the hangar bay and the rest of the castle. Who in the world would come down here at this hour?
"Open up!" someone barked from the other side of the door. Naoto complied, though she could not quite quell her sense of unease.
A large group of soldiers stood on there, all standing behind a short man that Naoto had never seen in her life. He had an unusual haircut, and his face could only be described as incredibly ugly. The man smiled, which certainly did nothing to improve his appearance.
"Are you Naoto?" he demanded with a nasty sneer.
"Yes, I am. Do you have some business here?"
"Watch your tone, you little shit. Do you know who I am?" He crossed his arms.
"Clearly someone with an inflated sense of self-importance. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Naoto grasped the door handle and started to pull it shut, but man grabbed it and wrenched it back open.
"The name's Kinshiro, asshole. And I'm in charge now, since the princess has been gone for ten days. It's a law, look it up."
Naoto had no intention of doing so; she had heard of Kinshiro. He was the king's top advisor for some reason or another, and apparently he was next-in-line for authority after Princess Yukiko.
"It's been… an experience to meet you, sir. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
"We're not fuckin' done here, so just calm down. Yer comin' with us, and if ya try to fight back…well, let's just say it won't be pleasant. Comprende?" He jabbed a finger into Naoto's collarbone threateningly.
"Have I done something wrong? I don't understand…" Naoto cast a nervous look around while her mind worked rapidly, but she could not recall any transgressions.
"Yer a filthy Imperial traitor. Take him to the dungeons, and let the little bastard rot there." Kinshiro nodded to the herd of soldiers and sauntered away, ignoring the engineer's loud protests.
Velvet Room
"Welcome back, young man," a familiar voice called. "I'm glad to see you were able to carry out the hunt."
Yosuke opened his eyes wearily. He was once again back on the strange boat, and Igor and Margaret were sitting across from him.
"'Bout time you guys showed up," he muttered, stretching his arms, "I finished that job two weeks ago!"
"Yes, very admirable," Igor said. "Unfortunately, it would seem that you were unable to keep a firm grip on the reward."
"Er, about that…can I get a refund?" Yosuke knew it was a long shot, but he figured he might as well ask. Igor stared at him for a moment with his large, unblinking eyes, and then he started laughing. It was a chilling cackle that echoed around the ship for many seconds after the laughter died off, which only made it all the more unsettling.
"Absolutely not," the white-haired man said. "Perhaps you have forgotten the words of the contract? You will be responsible for your own actions."
"But I-"
"That is enough, young man. I did not bring you here to engage in petty arguments, but rather to help you learn something useful. Are you prepared?" Igor and Margaret shared a significant look, though the meaning was lost on the thief.
Before Yosuke could respond, the Velvet Room started spinning. Only Yosuke's chair remained still, and when the spinning stopped, Igor and Margaret were gone. In their spot sat a tall man with gray hair and an all-too-familiar face.
"Souji? What the hell are you doing here?"
"I was wondering that myself, actually." Souji stood up and looked around the ship with a critical eye, one hand on his hip.
"Oh, uh, this is the Velvet Room."
"I figured that. It isn't mine, though, which means that it must be yours. But why in the world would you…?" Yosuke frowned. Souji had one too? Was that significant, or was it just a coincidence? Or was it both?
"If you have one, I can only assume that means you have some connection to Shadows. Is that true?" Souji demanded sharply.
"Um, yeah," Yosuke replied nervously. He scratched the back of his head and continued, "That Margaret lady sent me on a hunt, and it turned out that the thing I was hunting was in the Konishi Vineyard. Remember that place, Souji?" Yosuke realized he was rambling due to nervousness, and he felt incredibly stupid. As much as he hated to admit it, Souji was probably the one person he would ever care about trying to impress, and here was letting his mouth run like an idiot.
"I do," the other man replied, "Saki and Naoki's family owned it, right? Wonder why a Shadow took up residence there…It's not important, I suppose. What's important is that you've gotten involved, for some reason. Igor must be getting impatient, but why?" Souji stared at Yosuke, clearly expecting an answer, but Yosuke didn't have one to give.
"So, did you sign the contract?" Souji continued, "Who am I kidding, of course you did. He must have offered you money…was it a lot?"
"Five hundred thousand," Yosuke whispered, squirming a bit. He knew what the next question would be, but he didn't want to answer it.
"And what exactly would you do with that kind of money? I honestly don't think they understand the value of gil, otherwise they wouldn't be so flippant with it." Souji sat back down in the seat and leaned forward, staring at Yosuke intensely.
"I, er, sorta lost it," the thief muttered. "Not lost it, exactly, but…you know. It kinda got taken from me when I got arrested."
Souji was silent for a moment, but that didn't stop Yosuke from feeling the waves of condescension.
"You lost it?" The gray-haired man looked down at the table, and he was clearly trying to sound as patient as possible.
"I said it was-"
"You no longer have it, which is all that matters. I'm going to guess that you have no idea what you've gotten into, which isn't surprising. I'll also go ahead and assume that you don't yet understand the kind of power you now possess." He nodded to the ring on Yosuke's finger. Yosuke squinted at it, but he still couldn't see what exactly the ring was supposed to do.
"Idiot," Souji said with a knowing smile. "Watch." He stood and pushed his chair to the side of the ship, then returned to where it had previously been. The watch on his wrist began to glow.
"What the hell…?" Yosuke whispered. Souji smirked and closed his eyes.
"Just watch."
Yosuke felt the ring grow warmer in response to Souji's watch, and suddenly the gray-haired man's eyes flew open.
"Izanagi!" he roared. A humanoid figure appeared out of thin air; it wore a long black coat and carried a gigantic sword. Yosuke had the feeling that his mouth was gaping open, but he didn't care. Whatever Souji had just done, it was totally awesome.
"Thunder," Souji commanded quietly. The creature nodded, and a bolt of lightning struck right in front of the thief, who jumped back in fear and surprise. The light blinded him for a few seconds, and when he regained his eyesight the being was gone.
"What was that?" he demanded.
"It's a Persona," Souji explained. "Shadows are special creatures, Yosuke. They take a different form depending on who can conquer them, and these unique forms are called Personas. As you can see," he said, indicating the gems on his watch, "I have two. They both came from Shadows that had…well, that I came across."
"What's the other one?" Yosuke couldn't wait to try his out, but first he wanted to see Souji's.
Souji sighed and closed his eyes once more.
"Shiva!"
A womanly figure appeared this time. She had blue skin and hair, and her clothes didn't leave much to the imagination. Yosuke whistled, and both Souji and Shiva cast him disapproving looks.
"That was inappropriate," Souji remarked after calling Shiva back. "I hope for your Persona's sake that if it's humanoid, it's male."
"It is, I think," Yosuke said. "I'm not really sure how to describe it…"
"Why bother with words when you can show me the real thing? I might as well teach you how to use it, as long as I'm here."
Yosuke sat up straight in his chair and leaned forward attentively. Souji grinned at his enthusiasm.
"Now then," he began, like a school teacher speaking to a child, "The first thing you must keep in mind is that Personas are intelligent beings. They aren't like the monsters you could find in the sewers or running around out in the plains; they may be even more intelligent than we are. That being said, you should take care to form a kind of bond with your Persona. If they trust you, they will be more willing to lend you their power. Are you understanding so far?"
"Yeah," Yosuke said. This wasn't nearly as exciting as he'd hoped it would be. Trust? He didn't have time for that sort of thing. He just wanted to see what his Persona could do.
"You're looking impatient," Souji remarked drily. "Listen, this is going to take a while. You aren't magically gifted, so it will be difficult for you to figure out how to search for the Persona. Why don't you just practice for now? Close your eyes and try to concentrate on nothing at all."
"If you say so, dude," the thief grumbled. He followed Souji's directions, closing his eyes and trying to not think about anything. It was easier said than done; errant thoughts and worries kept cropping up when Yosuke least expected them, breaking his concentration each time. He sat there for nearly two hours in anguished frustration before Souji sought to intervene.
"Take a break," he commanded gently, "You won't be doing yourself any favors if you try to force your mind to be empty."
"Did you have to go through this too?" Yosuke asked.
"No. It's actually very easy for me to summon them." Christ, Yosuke thought darkly, The worst part is that I know he's just being honest. Souji's not the type to brag.
"How lucky for you," he muttered.
"I suppose," Souji agreed. "I can't imagine what it must be like to start from scratch. Are you ready to try again?"
"Hell yeah."
Velvet Room
It took two more hours and a few more breaks before Yosuke was at last able to completely clear his head for longer than a minute or two. Souji smiled as the ring on the thief's finger began to glow, for he knew that meant Yosuke had managed to contact his Persona. He could see his friend's eyes moving rapidly beneath his eyelids, and every once in a while Yosuke's fingers twitched. This lasted for no more than a few minutes. The green light around the ring died away and Yosuke opened his eyes sleepily.
"Wow," he muttered. "That was crazy." Despite his exhaustion, the thief was grinning broadly, now that he knew of the power he could access.
"Why don't you try it out?" Souji suggested. "You might as well."
Yosuke nodded eagerly and closed his eyes, trying to reach out to his Persona once again.
"Jirayai," he whispered reverently.
Velvet Room
"And that's all there is to it," Souji concluded.
Yosuke stared in amazement at Jiraiya, who floated before him. It might not have been as intimidating as Izanagi or as…impressive as Shiva, but Yosuke still felt a sense of pride when he saw Jiraiya.
"Yosuke, I know I can't do anything to stop you from getting involved now, but just promise me something," Souji said. "Don't get in over your head, alright?"
"Sure thing," the thief replied distractedly. He couldn't think of anything to do with his Persona, so he just sent it back into the ring. "Oh, and Souji?"
The gray-haired man raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Yes?"
"Uh, thanks. For everything, I mean. I never really got a chance to say it back then, and now seems like a good time." Yosuke scratched his head in embarrassment and turned away. Souji just laughed.
"Don't let it trouble you, Yosuke. I was the one who left without saying goodbye, so if anyone's got anything to say, it's me. Sorry." He didn't look at all embarrassed to say that, which made Yosuke feel all the more foolish.
"Yeah, we were kinda pissed about that," the thief said wryly, "Anyway, um, bye." Souji nodded and waved. The Velvet Room began to fade, and the next thing Yosuke knew, he was waking up in his jail cell.
"Pleasant dreams?" Biggs asked dully.
"Yeah, you could say that." Yosuke looked down at his ring and smiled.
Yasogami, Amagi: Hangar Bay
The lights were already on when Cid walked into the hangar bay, which struck him at once as suspicious.
"Naoto?" he called. There was no response. Teddie peeked out from behind Cid's leg curiously, but he didn't sit still for long. The small robot zipped on into the hangar bay, completely oblivious to his creator's unease.
"Mister Naoto!" Teddie called, "You sure got here early! Mister Naoto?"
"I don't think he's here, Ted," Cid said. The house key was on the desk, but there was no note explaining Naoto's absence. The engineer frowned and tried to figure out where on earth his apprentice could be. Naoto wasn't the sort to just leave on a whim, but Cid couldn't think of any reason why he would be missing.
"Did he run to grab some supplies?' he wondered aloud. If Naoto had gotten here early, perhaps he decided to run and grab some materials or something. That could explain why the lights were on; Naoto must have thought the trip would be short enough that leaving the lights on wouldn't waste that much energy. And, since he wouldn't need the house key anymore, he had just put it back on the desk.
"Mister Cid? Where's Mister Naoto?" Teddie asked.
"I'm not sure, to be honest," Cid replied. "I'm guessin' he went out to buy some stuff. He oughta be back soon, Teddie." The robot's pompom drooped in disappointment.
"Well, off to sleep with ya. I gotta get to work." Cid flicked the switch on Teddie's back and the robot shut down immediately. The engineer grabbed the blueprints and started to look them over, trying to see what Naoto had wanted to stay late to accomplish. His apprentice had only scrawled in minor adjustments, so Cid dragged out the incomplete body frame and continued to work on it.
The bipedal motion shouldn't be hard to configure, Cid thought, equations and ideas whirring around in his brain by the dozen, But what about the senses? That moogle body is only equipped with sight and hearing. Is there a way to incorporate the other three? He sketched a few small doodles on a piece of scratch paper, and then crumpled up the paper and tossed it over his shoulder.
"You'd better watch where you're throwin' things, Cid." The unwelcome visitor's voice brought to mind an image of a sneer that showed off a mouthful of terrible teeth.
"Kinshiro," Cid growled, the pencil in his hand snapping due to his hand's unconscious clenching.
"What a mess," Kinshiro sniffed, walking over to the work table to give it a disdainful glare. "Don't tell me you actually work here?"
"I was workin'."
"Cute, Cid. Cute." The balding man peered at the blueprint, but decided it was beneath his attention. He wrinkled his nose at the engineer in disgust and crossed his arms.
"Don't be coy, Kinshiro," Cid said, his voice low, "Ya must've come 'ere fer a reason."
"Why did that brainless royal brat leave you in charge?" Kinshiro spat. "She knows that I'm the king's most trusted advisor!"
"Well," Cid drawled, leaning back in his work chair, "She tol' me that she'd only be gone fer a few days. It was nothin' major, so she must've figgered I could handle everythin'. After all, why disturb the high 'n' mighty Kinshiro?"
"Anyway," Kinshiro said, ignoring the gibe, "I only came to this dump to tell ya that I'm in charge now, due to Her Majesty's 'prolonged absence'. It's in the law, books, you know—law number-"
"Spare me the damn legalities, I couldn't care less. Now get out."
"I'd love to, believe me. However, there's one more thing we need to talk about. You'll hafta come with me."
"I don't-" Cid began angrily, but stopped when Kinshiro cast a significant glance over his shoulder. Half a dozen armed guards had entered the hangar during the discussion and now stood at attention.
"You were saying?" Kinshiro sneered, arching an eyebrow.
"There had better be a really good reason fer this," Cid snarled.