And here we are once again folks! For now, I suppose this is becoming my new update day until further notice. I don't know why, but right now I have the most time on Tuesdays...or it's the day where I just want to write and read and not worry about class. Eh! Who cares?
Anyways, enough of my rambling! Thanks to RosyMiranto18 (As always, your reviews are a joy to read!) and nico2411 (You are new to reviewing and I hope you continue to do so, every one makes me smile!) for reviewing, all 29 followers, 20 favorites and 4,480 readers!
This is completely unimportant, but I've taken to listening to Maya's theme from P3 FES on repeat while writing. It's surprisingly calming to listen to and reminds me of certain characters, Ryoji among them.
ANYWAY NO MORE GOING OFF TOPIC! We're back with chapter 21 now! I estimate this arc will have 3 more chapters with the boss battle being chapter 24 (that's my goal at least). And then we're off to Futaba's arc at last! But I'm getting ahead of myself :)
As like with previous Awakening chapters, the title of this chapter IS a reference, which I will explain below cause it comes with our new characters. Speaking of which...
This chapter introduces four new side characters and opens the doors to a bunch of others, some of which are referenced in this chapter. They are not connected to Persona at all and I will explain more about them down below.
I've edited this section of the game, simply because parts of it bugged me (I won't rant, I've done enough of that as RosyMiranto especially can attest to, as can nico2411 now) so you'll see some subtle differences.
Last note for P3 characters: I'm not sure if I've said this anywhere in the following chapters, so it's going here, currently all the P3 characters are either married or engaged. As I have it so far, Fuuka and Natsuki are married, Junpei and Chidori are married, Mitsuru and Yukari are engaged, Akihiko is alone because Shinjiro died :(, Ken will have a love interest on the side (I have yet to decide so suggestions are currently welcome regarding him!), Chika is dating her girlfriend/engaged to her but it cannot be made public and Aigis is alone cause she's a robot. I think that's everything, so refer to here if anything isn't made clear.
The P4 characters also have set relationships, as do P2 and P1 (still figuring those characters out so they aren't set in stone yet either), but they will be revealed in time, while I think P2 is obvious by this point.
Oh, there's more sequel hints in this chapter! Seriously, if anyone can figure out my sequel plans, then I will explain the whole plot of it to you, free of charge.
Okay, that's everything. Everything else will be explained below. Enjoy!
As the train pulled away from the station, Miku stared down at her clasped hands. Yukari sat next to her, rubbing her shoulder calmingly, while Mitsuru and Aigis sat across from them, their seat facing Miku and Yukari's.
While Yukari was dressed casually in a pink tank top with a short white jacket, jean capris and white flats and Aigis wore her usual business suit to hide her robotic features, Mitsuru looked as if she was prepared for a meeting with her hair in a low bun so it was out of her face and the pristine business suit she wore, rather than the more casual clothes she usually wore when going to Tatsumi Port Island.
"I'm sorry…" Miku finally whispered.
"Miku-chan, there's no reason to apologize." Yukari protested. "We promised Chika we'd bring you back and there's nothing you've personally done to cause this."
"But…I pulled you all away from work." Miku argued, her voice soft.
"Work can be done on the phone, you are more important than that, Sakuraba." Mitsuru smiled kindly as she reached out and smoothed Miku's hair down.
"You are Minato-san's family. That makes you our family. I promised to protect Minato-san, now I promise to protect you as well." Aigis added with a smile of her own.
"Besides, Labrys, Akihiko-san and Fuuka can handle our work and there's more of us than you think. It's all going to be okay." Yukari smiled softly.
"Yukari-san…Mitsuru-san…Aigis-san…" Miku whispered as grateful tears began to fall down her cheeks. Hunching forward, as if to hide them, she began to whisper her thanks repeatedly under her breath.
Yukari softly smiled as she gathered the silver haired girl in her arms and gently shushed her. It wasn't long until Miku fell asleep for the first time in 24 hours, her head resting on Yukari's shoulder.
"The poor girl has been through so much already…" Yukari whispered softly.
"And it's still not over." Mitsuru shook her head sadly. "She has a long road ahead of her still, and those memories she's suppressed will make it all the more difficult."
"Do you think we should tell her?" Yukari asked.
"No…she must find the answer herself. And these memories are what she needs to overcome in order to survive the ordeals ahead of her." Mitsuru said.
"But still…" Yukari sighed, looking down at the sleeping girl. "I want to do something more for her."
"We all do, Yukari." Mitsuru sighed sadly.
"But was it not Mikumo-san herself who told us to let her handle this?" Aigis questioned.
"And that's why we won't do anything in regards to this matter." Mitsuru stated with finality.
The three Shadow Operatives fell into silence as they made their way back home, letting Miku sleep for as long as they could.
The Phantom Thieves weren't having a good day.
After Niijima took off running, they lost her in Shibuya. Thankfully, as she was confronting two men who were apparently with Kaneshiro, she called Akira (he was still a bit upset that she got his number the way she did, but right now NOT THE POINT) and gave them her location.
Of course, as soon as they arrived, the men were driving Niijima in a car to, presumably, their hideout. And since they couldn't get the location from the men Niijima was with, despite that she was still on the line, Yusuke wrote down the license plate number, Goro called Futaba to track the car by traffic cameras and direct them to the hideout and Ryuji got them a cab (jumping in the street at the same instant and normally Akira would chew him out for doing something so reckless but again NOT THE POINT).
They arrived at Kaneshiro's hideout and made their way inside (Akira had no idea how all things considered), only to find Niijima pinned to the floor and Kaneshiro himself relaxing on the couch.
That meeting…ended in absolute failure. First, Kaneshiro claimed they owed him three million yen for pissing him off. Then he took a picture of them, showing the thieves and Niijima in a club with alcohol and cigarettes, to serve as blackmail material by threatening to send it to their school. Then he threatened to break their families if they went to the police (Akira's heart went cold at the thought. He can't ruin his parents' lives any more, he can't). And finally, he gave them three weeks to bring the money in or he'd go through with his threats.
Thankfully, he let them and Niijima go safely…as safely as Kaneshiro would let them go, of course.
As they made their way back to Shibuya, Niijima suddenly stopped.
"I'm so sorry…" She apologized, bowing her head. "I didn't mean to drag you in like this…"
"What did you expect would happen when you went to confront a mafia boss?!" Akira groaned, running a hand through his hair.
"For real." Ryuji sighed, shaking his head as he looked at the ground.
"I was stupid…" Niijima said, her eyes watering as she tried to turn away.
"I must agree. You should've easily imagined this happening." Yusuke stated, his eyes disappointed.
"Honestly, what were you trying to prove?" Goro asked, crossing his arms as he stared at Niijima.
"I was so caught up in trying to be useful…" Niijima said, wiping at her eyes.
"Alright, enough of the blame game! What's done is done." Ryuji stated, running a hand through his hair.
"I'm going to cause trouble for Sis too…" Niijima thought aloud, seemingly unaware of it.
"Come on, this is no time for a pity party." Akira cut in before she could continue any more.
"Wait, Sis?" Ann asked, confused.
"My older sister has a commendable job, and she's a much more remarkable person than me…" Niijima explained. "A lot happened after we lost our father three years ago, so it's just us living together…but I'm still a child, so all I am is a burden to her…"
"…and that's why you were so reckless?" Yusuke asked.
"I just wanted to be useful in some way to someone." Niijima admitted.
"Y'know, I might not get your whole situation, but ain't it a bit off saying that you're useless to her?" Ryuji asked.
"It's the truth though…" Niijima shook her head before she turned to Ann. "In particular, I have to apologize for what happened to you."
"Eh…?" Ann blinked repeatedly in shock.
"Now that I think on it, the truth about Kamoshida must've been covered by the whole school." Niijima said. "I had my suspicions, but…I couldn't do anything about it…no. I didn't do anything. Had I cared enough, I could've done something…people like me…must really be what others call the scum of the earth."
"Real scum wouldn't call themselves that." Ann argued. Akira's eyes went to her and he saw it. He saw the want to forgive Niijima in her blue eyes, but at the same time, Ann couldn't bring herself to do it yet. Even though Niijima seemed very remorseful, that didn't mean anything about the scar her inactions had brought on both Ann and Suzui would ever fade.
It would take some time for Niijima to truly earn that forgiveness, not just from Ann, but from all seven thieves, including Miku even if she wasn't here. But, for now, she had earned a tentative one.
"…Huh?" Niijima asked as she looked up, her eyes wide.
"I'm the same. It's just like you said before; I was closest to Shiho, but I didn't do anything…" Ann admitted, self-hatred glowing in her eyes as her shoulders tensed. Goro stepped closer to her as his eyes landed on her. "Besides, Kamoshida's the one to blame. Shiho understands that…and I do too."
"Takamaki-san…" Niijima whispered in shock.
"You didn't have a place to belong either…isn't that right?" Yusuke asked, his voice a small offering.
"Me either…?" Niijima repeated, confused.
"This isn't a free pass at forgiveness." Goro stated. "However, all of us do understand how you feel, we won't deny that."
"And we won't let anyone fall victim again." Ann swore.
"So, for now, we're giving you a peace offering. If you still want to help, of course." Akira said.
"Now, what should we do from here?" Ann asked.
"I'll do something about the money…!" Niijima promised. "So can we please just drop the case with Kaneshiro?"
"No can do. We're all caught up in this." Ryuji shook his head.
"And regardless of our personal feelings, we do have a strict moral code when it comes to protecting people from those like Kaneshiro." Goro added.
"Also, we can't have you rushing things on your own anymore and making the situation worse." Yusuke stated.
"If only we could do something about that bank…" Ryuji mumbled to himself. Unfortunately, it was loud enough for Niijima to hear, causing the five thieves to startle.
"Ryuji…!" Yusuke scolded.
"Sorry, bud." Akira shrugged before he punched the blonde boy in the shoulder.
"Geez, if your girlfriend ain't here, do you have to take her job, man?" Ryuji whined as he rubbed his shoulder.
"How else will you learn?" Goro and Akira asked in unison.
"Bank…?" Niijima cut in, redirecting the conversation.
"Oh, right, the bank…!" Morgana suddenly gasped as an idea obviously hit him. "She isn't useless at all! She may be our key in! Hear me out, you guys!"
"Our key in? What do you mean?" Ann asked.
The thieves ignored the confused and worries glances Niijima shot at both them and Morgana.
"A cat…? Um, are you all okay…?" She asked worriedly.
"Don't worry about it, senpai." Akira shushed the girl.
"We've become Kaneshiro's targets. That means we've become customers of Kaneshiro's bank!" Morgana reasoned.
"I see. The reason why we couldn't enter before was because we weren't considered his customers…" Yusuke trailed off in realization.
"And wouldn't you say that she in particular is a special customer?" Morgana grinned. "Let's take her with us. She is responsible for our current situation."
"Whoa, I don't follow this at all…" Ryuji shook his head, confused.
"Kaneshiro considers his targets as customers in his cognition." Goro explained. "And by becoming his current targets, we and Niijima-san would be considered customers to him as well."
"So, just as Madarame's cognition changed to let us in that door, Kaneshiro's cognition has changed to let us in the bank." Akira finished.
"And Niijima-san risked her life doing something so reckless. At the very least, she has the right to know." Yusuke added before he turned to Niijima. "Won't you come with us?"
"What?...wait. To where?" Niijima questioned, very much lost.
"You'll see." Akira allowed a Joker like smirk to form on his face.
As he looked at his friends, he could see their Metaverse selves peeking through as well: Ryuji had an ecstatic grin that spoke of his readiness, Ann had a sly smirk that spoke of her deceit, Morgana had a cat got the cream smile that spoke of his cockiness, Goro had a sparkle in his calculating eyes that spoke of his cunning and Yusuke had a fire in his cold eyes that spoke of his understanding.
With that, the leader led the five thieves and the president to the same alley they had used the previous day. And just like then, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching, just out of sight.
The world warped before he could so much as glance around.
When the train stopped at Iwatodai, Miku was surprised at how many people were waiting for her as she stepped off.
Not only were Ken and Koromaru there, Raven Schwann, his wife Judith (Judy for short), Yuri Lowell and his dog Repede were all waiting for her.
"Hi everyone." Ken greeted as the girl, two women and robot reached the group.
"Did…Chika tell you guys I was coming…?" Miku asked hesitantly.
"She thought you could use some more familiar faces to pick you up." Judy explained as she tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear. Judy had long purple hair that she usually kept up in a bun and light purple eyes. Even though she was a married woman, and had been for many years now, she still wore a dark blue crop top with a matching in length white short sleeved jacket, a dark blue miniskirt with a gold design and knee high dark blue boots.
"And who better than ol' Raven, eh?" Raven grinned brightly as he nudged Miku's arm in jest. Raven had long curly brown hair that he kept in a messy pony tail and mischievous blue green eyes. Raven was dressed lazily in comparison to his wife, wearing a dark purple jersey, blue jeans and plain tennis shoes. Miku was almost surprised he wasn't wearing sweatpants and his favorite lazy purple coat.
"I'd say Repede-chan." Yukari snarked as said dog approached Miku and began to kiss her face as she knelt down. Koromaru joined in right after as Raven flailed at the 'wound the beautiful actress struck!'
Repede was a dog Yuri and his husband, Flynn, had raised from puppyhood, after they found him injured and alone outside their orphanage one winter evening. The dog had a habit of carrying around a pipe wherever he went and had had one eye for as long as Miku had known him. He was a sweet and protective dog, especially when it came to Chika.
"Hey, kid, you okay?" Yuri questioned as Miku slowly stood up.
"I've been better." Miku smiled the slightest bit.
"Come 'ere." Yuri gestured, gathering the girl in his arms. Yuri had long dark purple hair, which he usually kept in a pony tail these days, and gray eyes. He wore a black t shirt under a dark purple short sleeved jacket that had a single crescent moon design on it (made courtesy of Shiki for Christmas one year, Miku remembered), black jeans, black tennis shoes and a gold bracelet with a ruby on it. Growing up, Chika told her he was practically the mom of the orphanage kids to Flynn's dad. Miku didn't doubt it, considering how he treated her and the two kids he and Flynn had adopted several years ago.
"Chika-san's waiting for us back at the dorm." Ken said as Yuri pulled back. "She said to go straight back once you got here."
"Right, it's too late at night to go visiting people, after all." Yukari nodded in agreement.
"Then let's be off." Mitsuru smiled as she gestured towards the well-known path to the dorm Chika lived in.
"Follow me then." Aigis nodded as she took the lead, holding Miku's bag in her hand.
And so, Miku returned to Iwatodai and, for the first time in years, did not visit Minato's grave right as she did so.
Once they appeared in the Metaverse and explained everything to Niijima, once she stopped confusing Fox for a canine and Mona for a monster cat of course, the thieves, plus Niijima, began to make their way to the floating bank. And, sure enough, the bank came down as Niijima approached it, a ramp forming to allow them entrance.
Joker honestly wasn't too sure about bringing Niijima into the bank, even if she did have training in aikido, that wouldn't help against supernatural beings like Shadows seriously, but if they wanted to get to Shadow Kaneshiro, they probably had to bring her. He just hoped this wouldn't be like with Fox.
Of course, as soon as the thought crossed Joker's mind, Niijima stumbled and placed a hand on her forehead.
"You okay?" Skull asked.
"Just a bit dizzy. I'll be fine." Niijima shook her head.
"Based off of my experience, we won't have long until being in the Metaverse starts bringing worse symptoms." Fox noted.
"I can confirm that, it took a while for my symptoms to fade before I Awoke." Crow added.
"Alright, then I want Mona and Panther on Niijima-senpai." Joker instructed. "You're our strongest and second strongest healers, so try and combat the symptoms you can. Everyone else, be prepared to protect Niijima-senpai so she doesn't get hurt, she can't handle the Shadows."
"I'll be fine." Niijima protested.
"No offense, Niijima-san, but you do not know what the Metaverse is like, while we have experience with it." Fox cut in.
"Our leader, in particular, had the most knowledge of it outside of Mona and is the most knowledgeable on how to handle this world." Panther added.
"So please, trust us when we say that you cannot handle this world and must be protected." Crow finished, his glare daring Niijima to protest behind his mask.
They may be kinder to her right now, but this was a tentative peace. Joker knew not a single thief trusted Niijima right now. She was simply giving them a hand right now, she wasn't their friend.
"Very well." Niijima agreed. She already looked paler than when she had first entered the Metaverse, now that Joker thought about it.
Of course, when she tried to challenge the security Shadows as soon as they walked in, Joker felt like face palming…or feeding her to the Shadows so she'd just listen to someone else for once, God damnit!
Thankfully, Skull, Fox and Crow were able to diffuse the situation and they were able to convince Shadow Kaneshiro, somehow, to meet with them. Not a single Shadow attacked on their way to the reception office, which only put Joker on edge more than anything.
Once they reached the office, however, they froze on sight.
There was a mountain of cash in the center of the room.
"How many beef bowls could I eat with this…?" Skull wondered to himself, practically drooling at the thought.
"Not the time, Skull." Crow sighed, shaking his head fondly. Just then, they were all cut off.
"Unauthorized entry, property damage, and other disturbances." Shadow Kaneshiro's voice listed off. "That comes to three million yen total. You're here regarding that, correct, Miss. Beautiful President?"
The thieves turned towards the TV in the room and watched as Shadow Kaneshiro turned to face them. Compared to the real world, Shadow Kaneshiro had purple skin and wore a neat silver suit, his hair neat unlike the real world and he even had a mustache.
If it weren't for his ridiculous looking purple skin, and it was ridiculous he looked like a GRAPE, Joker would almost consider him the most normal looking Palace ruler yet.
"It must be quite tough gathering so much money. I'd be willing to give you a loan, you know." The Shadow offered.
"You gonna call it off then?" Skull asked.
"No-a loan. The interest rate is 10% a day." Shadow Kaneshiro shook his head.
"10% interest a day…um…uhh…that means…one day is…" Panther tried to do the math.
"It's three hundred thousand yen." Crow and Niijima answered in unison, sharing a look in surprise before Crow turned back to the Shadow Banker on the screen.
"There's no need to be alarmed." Shadow Kaneshiro cut off Skull, Mona and Panther's cries of shock. Joker, too, was shocked, but he hid it well. "I have a more manageable option for people like you."
"That was your plan from the beginning, wasn't it?" Niijima demanded, her voice disgusted.
"Quite the impressive insight…" Shadow Kaneshiro smirked, pleased with himself. "Niijima-san…or should I say, the younger sister of the beautiful prosecutor Sae Niijima?"
"How do you know that…!?" Niijima demanded as the thieves all turned to her with wide eyes.
"Please don't underestimate our intelligence network." Shadow Kaneshiro scoffed. "My, what wonderful goods have come falling into my lap."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Panther cried.
"Young women are so useful. They lack physical strength and are dumb." The Shadow Banker stated, as if that was a fact. "It's as if they only exist to be devoured by the strong. That just might be the rule since the dawn of history."
Joker was almost sad Raven wasn't there at that moment. She'd prove Shadow Kaneshiro wrong with a single punch in his good-for-nothing-face. Or drown him. Or let Panther burn him and then drown him. Whatever was easiest and depending on how pissed this ass made her.
"You truly are despicable…" Fox spat, his eyes and voice both as cold as the ice that no doubt ran through his veins at this moment. Mona seemed to share the sentiment, baring his teeth at the TV as his fur stood on end.
"I almost pity you, going up against two strong women who will happily kick your ass for those comments." Crow commented offhandedly. Panther herself was shaking in pure, unadulterated fury, flames practically jumping off her fingertips in response to it.
"You better be ready, Kaneshiro! We're gonna snatch your Treasure from you!" Skull taunted the Shadow, his eyes lighting up like his own lightning, with anger.
"And we will change your heart, I can promise you that." Joker vowed, his fists clenched tightly as his nails dug into his palms. It was almost as if…without Raven here, he had less control over what he did unless he reminded himself through the pain of his nails in his palms that Raven would want him to be rational, not a tsunami like she is.
"Don't make me laugh, you petty thieves!" Shadow Kaneshiro scoffed. "My citadel has the highest security installed in it."
As if in response to his words, several Shadows suddenly appeared. Instantly, the thieves were on guard and Niijima was pushed to the center, so she would stay out of danger. Being in the Metaverse was taking an obvious toll on her, she looked like she could fall over at any moment.
"Anyone will do anything for money. I'll rob you of your lives as easily as I breathe air." Shadow Kaneshiro smirked before he laughed. "…get them."
The Shadows charged and the thieves had to practically fight tooth and nail to escape, there was no end to them! By the time they made it out of the actual room, Joker felt a migraine coming on and he was sure Niijima wasn't going to last much longer, she was practically leaning on Panther and Fox for support.
Briefly, Joker remembered the first time he'd seen Raven in the Metaverse, wearing her thief outfit and unconscious from having been forced to fight so many Shadows alone…he tasted bile and, despite his mostly unfavorable feelings towards her, prayed that Niijima didn't end up like Raven did.
Of course, as soon as they reached the entrance, even more Shadows appeared to block their way.
"There's no end to them…!" Panther cried as Crow caught her after she almost fell at the sudden stop.
"Dammit…" Joker hissed, angry at knowing he and his friends and Niijima were trapped and overpowered. There was nothing they could do, lacking one team member as they were.
"Guys!" Niijima cried in worry and fear, her voice shaking as she struggled to continue standing. It didn't help that she was a regular person and, therefore, having her energy sapped by being in the Metaverse for as long as she has been. They needed to get her out, soon.
"You seem to be in quite a pickle…"
The thieves and Niijima turned, only to see the smirking Shadow Kaneshiro walking up towards them.
"How dare you sneak around, Kaneshiro…!" Mona cried, trying desperately to buy the thieves and Niijima time.
"Those would be my words." The Shadow Banker scoffed. "However, I do thank you for providing me with such wonderful goods…it's time you disappear."
He snapped his fingers and more Shadows appeared to surround the group. Niijima gasped in fear, her breathing highly irregular. At this point, Joker imagined she had been in the Metaverse longer than Fox the first time. This was getting too dangerous for her, and yet they couldn't leave!
"Managing a bank is tough-that's why I make it a case to kill troublesome customers." Shadow Kaneshiro explained. "Having one impertinent brat disappear is enough to set an example in that other world."
"Please stop!" Niijima pleaded, her legs giving out on her and her skin as pale as a ghost.
"I'll eliminate others besides my goods. You've no need to worry." Shadow Kaneshiro brushed her off. "Your sister is quite a beauty though. I'll make sure to make her my personal slave. Once I get bored, I'll just sell her off. Oh, poor Sis…she could've been successful, if only her younger sister wasn't so dumb."
Suddenly, Joker caught movement in the corner of his eye. Sparing a moment, he turned towards it, but saw nothing in the bank's shadows. Someone was watching…and the words the Shadow Banker had just spoken had gotten a reaction out of them to allow Joker to spot them.
"My sister has nothing to do with this!" Niijima protested, drawing Joker's attention once again as her words ended with a cough.
"Then you better start taking customers tomorrow." Shadow Kaneshiro stated. "All you gotta do is endure it and do what you're told."
"Endure it…do as I'm told…" Niijima whispered weakly, hanging her head as she remained on the ground.
"You'll earn three million yen in no time." Shadow Kaneshiro said. "Although your life and everything along with it will be a complete wreck by then! Gwahahahahaha!"
"I've been listening to you go on and on…" Niijima said as her hands clenched into fists and she slowly, and shakily, pushed herself to her feet once again. She was pale and sickly in appearance and yet she still yelled with all her might. "Shut your damn mouth, you money-grubbing asshole!"
"Huh?" Shadow Kaneshiro asked, surprised.
Even Joker was surprised, he hadn't seen this coming in a million years. He almost thought Raven would be proud of this…
Suddenly, Niijima bent forward, grasping her head in pain. It wasn't long before an iron mask appeared on her face and she ripped it off with a scream.
"What the hell!?" Shadow Kaneshiro shouted as blue flames surrounded the area.
When the flames cleared, Niijima was wearing a dark blue and gray thief outfit and…had a motorcycle Persona.
…Joker suspected his dad would be jealous if he knew about all of this.
"A Persona…?" Fox asked.
"No, dude…that's a bike…" Skull protested.
"I don't think there's much of a difference, since yours has a pirate ship." Panther commented.
"Still…this is quite the surprise…but also not entirely unexpected…" Crow stated flatly.
"This is extremely interesting." Mona smirked, ideas already spinning behind his eyes.
"I can feel it…" Niijima said. "My 'self'…me…! Gun it!"
In response, she shot forward and took out two of the Shadows, similar to how Goemon had done when Fox first summoned him.
Shadow Kaneshiro looked plainly terrified for a few seconds before he straightened his suit and turned to the two remaining Shadows.
"You better earn your keep, or else I'll kill you!" He threatened as he stood back and the Shadows charged.
"I will not lose heart again, ever." Niijima swore. "I will go full speed, non-stop! Right, Johanna!?"
"This doesn't change much in regards to our truce." Joker said as he stood by Niijima while the rest of the thieves lined up. "But we will accept your help here if you're offering it."
Niijima nodded in agreement before she turned to the Shadows that now stood before them.
"Don't get all cocky just because I normally behave myself! I am DONE playing nice!" Niijima sneered. "Let's go, Johanna! Full throttle!" Instantly, she casted Mafrei, taking down the Floodbringer Demon to its knees and damaging the other Chivalrous Fiends in the process.
"The enemy's agitated! Take them down and make an opening!" Mona advised as he quickly healed everyone, Panther assisting where she could.
"Remember, we're lacking Raven, so we have no water elemental!" Joker warned as he began to fire his pistol, to not that much avail as the Fiends resisted it.
The thieves all gave off an affirmative noise as Niijima looked them over, seeing how easily they fell into a routine.
"These two guys've got physical and gun resistance!" Skull reported as he jumped out of the way of one of the Fiends' claws after he attacked it.
"I don't see an ice resistance either." Fox commented as he casted Bufu on the Fiends one after the other. Considering right after, the Demon casted Mabufu on all of the thieves and Niijima, sending Panther to the ground in the process, it wasn't worth it to test Bufu on him.
"I don't think we're going to find any weakness outside of Nuclear right now for the Demon." Crow said as he had Robin Hood cast Kouga on the Fiends, protecting Panther from them and the Demon.
"I hope you have a strategy in mind then." Niijima said, only for Skull to pull her out of the way of the Floodbringer Demon's incoming staff, Skull's reflexes being faster than Niijima's. "Thanks."
"It's nothin'." Skull shook his head before he casted Zio to get the Shadows grouped together. "Mona, you got Panther up yet?"
"All done!" Mona answered as Panther came to. "Lady Ann, are you alright?"
"Just fine, thanks Mona!" Panther grinned as Crow helped her to her feet. "Joker, what's the plan?"
"We need to take these Fiends out." Joker stated as he barely avoided an incoming claw and quickly called on Arsene in retaliation. "Mona, healing duty! Everyone else, attack these Fiends with whatever magic you've got so we can get that Demon on its own!"
"Right!" The thieves chorused while Niijima stayed silent.
And so they went to work, Panther taking the first strike for knocking her down with a well-placed Maragi that left a few burns on the Fiends' faces. Right after, she high fived Skull, passing the baton to him as he casted two Zios in quick succession. Crow and Joker teamed up afterwards, letting loose a Kouga and an Eiga on one Fiend each. Fox and Mona finished the job with a quick Bufu and Garu to each Fiend, followed by a Media from Mona.
"Whoa…" Niijima whispered as the two Chivalrous Fiends vanished, destroyed by the combined efforts of the Phantom Thieves.
"Niijima, now!" Joker and Mona cried in unison.
"Right! Let's go, Johanna!" Niijima nodded as she summoned her Persona and let out one last Frei, causing the Floodbringer Demon to fall and the thieves to surround it, Niijima standing back as she had no gun yet.
The thieves flew at the Demon from all directions, so fast it couldn't even land a hit in retaliation. The barrage of attacks, however, wasn't enough as the Demon was still standing.
"This. Is. For. Knocking. Me. Out!" Panther cried, hitting the Shadow with her whip in time with every word. And on the final hint, the Shadow dissolved.
"Now! Let's get outta here!" Mona cried. Without another word, as Niijima looked ready to collapse at any moment, the cat transformed into a bus and all the thieves were loaded on, Panther supporting Niijima in and though she looked concerned, she also looked distant from the situation.
With that, the Phantom Thieves and Makoto Niijima escaped from Kaneshiro's Palace in one piece (thank God…Joker thought they were screwed for a moment there!).
Miku collapsed on her bed as soon as she reached her room after dinner. She was exhausted, from school and not getting enough sleep and riding a train most of the afternoon and then, finally, having dinner with ten other people who were all different levels of outgoing.
Miku could admit that she was ready for a long, overdue nap. And it seemed Repede and Koromaru agreed, if their jumping onto bed with her was any indication.
Those dreams were dashed, however, as the laptop she had set on her desk lit up with a video chat request. With a groan, Miku sat herself up, made her way to her desk, sat down and accepted the invitation to video chat. Usually, she didn't use her video chat very much, unless Futaba decided that she wanted to see Miku's face while she was away, so this was a new occurrence.
Her questions were answered, however, as five windows popped open, each one revealing the face of one of her friends, with Morgana sharing Akira's.
"Mikumo!" Ann greeted her with a bright grin. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, I guess. What's up?" Miku asked, tilting her head so her silver hair fell down her right shoulder in a waterfall, the result of removing the braided cord that kept it in a braid all day.
Of course, the action caused Akira to gulp and two of the seven friends (coughRyujiAndMorganacough) to grin in a shark-like fashion.
"We thought you would like to be informed on what happened today." Yusuke said, cutting off whatever smart aleck remark Ryuji and Morgana had planned.
"That is, if Yukari-san, Chika-san and Mitsuru-san hadn't forbidden us from doing so." Goro added.
"Don't worry about it, just don't mention what Kaneshiro's Palace looks like. Besides, they're giving me pet therapy, as you can see." Miku smiled weakly.
On cue, Repede and Koromaru walked over and barked in the camera. Repede stood to Miku's right and Koromaru stood to Miku's left, the two dogs resembling guards meant to keep her safe rather than pets. Even so, she reached out and scratched both dogs behind the ears.
"Aww, they're so cute! What're their names?" Ann asked.
"This is Koromaru-chan and this is Repede-chan." Miku introduced, petting each dog as she said their name.
"They seem like good dogs." Akira smiled as Ann cooed and Ryuji teased Morgana about how he should be running from the dogs.
"They are." Goro confirmed.
"Considering Koro-chan here is like us, yes." Miku giggled as the teenagers all fell silent as their mouths all gaped.
It was a solid minute before all six shouted in unison,
"WHAT!?"
Miku almost collapsed onto the floor, she was laughing so hard.
"You didn't mention that last time!" Akira and Goro added.
"You knew!?" Ann shouted.
"Okay, okay, back up!" Ryuji cut in. "Miku, run us through the whole thing."
"Sure." Miku nodded with a giggle.
Akira and Goro blinked repeatedly at the silver haired girl's lack of reaction to her nickname being used by someone she previously did not allow to use it. It…said a lot about Miku's growth.
"So, apparently, my cousin and all his friends were Persona users. That includes the dog, Koro-chan." Miku explained. "Now, most of them are members of a group called the Shadow Operatives. That's the short of it."
"There's more Persona users in the world…interesting…" Yusuke commented.
"Wait, we got off topic!" Ann cut in. "We were supposed to tell her about Niijima-senpai!"
"What about Makoto?" Miku asked, her voice now flat and her eyes narrow.
"She got reckless and found Kaneshiro. And since he is trying to scam us out of three million yen and to sell Niijima off…she ended up being considered Kaneshiro's 'customer' and allowed us to get into his bank." Akira explained. "And she…kinda…Awoke to a Persona…"
Miku threw her head back with a loud groan, her hair falling past her desk chair as it did her shoulder.
"Seriously…?" She sighed as she sat up again.
"Yep, it's for real." Ryuji confirmed. "It was so cool; her Persona is a motorcycle!"
"Please tell me you all didn't forgive her just for that." Miku begged.
"Of course not." Goro reassured. "She apologized to all of us, Ann especially, and is willing to make amends, but she also understands that we aren't ready to forgive nor trust her yet."
"Right now, she's just an ally." Morgana piped up. "With her sharp mind, she'd be a valuable addition to the team as an advisor, but that's only if we can trust her."
"She has a lot to make up for, especially to you, Goro and Ann. Don't worry, no decision has been made." Akira reassured her.
"Thanks, but she has to make it up to you too." Miku stated.
"Yeah, man, she almost screwed you over with your probation!" Ryuji agreed.
"True, but you guys come before I do." Akira shook his head.
"Hate to break this up, but Miku here has to get some sleep." A voice cut in. Turning, Miku's eyes widened.
"Yuri-ojisan!" Miku cried in surprise.
"Who's that? Why're ya telling us to get off?!" Ryuji demanded. Yuri made his way to stand behind Miku's chair and bent down so the teens could see his face. He had let his hair out of its pony tail, so the dark purple locks spilled past his shoulders and onto Miku's own.
"Because Chika will get mad if she's on too long." He answered simply with a smirk.
"Who're you, if you don't mind us asking." Akira asked. "I'm Akira Kurusu, Miku's childhood friend-"
"And boyfriend." Ann cut in with a smirk.
"and she's never mentioned an uncle named Yuri that I can remember." Akira finished, ignoring Ann's comment.
"I'm Yuri Lowell and I'm Chika's older brother, that's how I'm Miku's uncle." Yuri explained.
"Chika-san is an orphan, she, Yuri-san and a few other orphans were all raised in the same orphanage together." Goro explained. "They consider themselves siblings and act as such. And you never heard of Yuri-san, Akira, because he only became 'Yuri-ojisan' after you lost contact with Miku."
"Oh…" Akira trailed off.
"Mikumo getting rest is in relation to her mental state, correct?" Yusuke asked.
"That's right and if you kids want this kid to get better and come home, then you need to leave her alone for the night." Yuri nodded.
"Ah, sorry, uh…" Ann trailed off.
"Just Yuri is fine." The purple haired man cut in.
"Okay, Yuri-san. Sorry we kept Miku up, we didn't mean to." Ann apologized.
"It's fine, just let her get some sleep for now, kay?" Yuri smiled.
"Sure thing, Yuri-san." Akira nodded. "Miku, we'll contact you again soon, okay? Don't worry about our project, just focus on yourself."
"Right, gotcha leader." Miku saluted with a smirk.
"Good night." The teens all said one after the other before they all signed off. With that done, Miku returned to her bed and collapsed. Without a word, Yuri placed a blanket over her and allowed Koromaru and Repede to jump up and sleep with her.
"Night, kid." He whispered before he turned off the lights and left the room for the night. Miku was asleep within minutes of laying down.
Hours later, long after everyone had either left or gone to bed, Chika stood by the window in her room, her sightless eyes staring up at the sky.
It was a full moon tonight.
As if on cue, her cell phone rang and she answered it without hesitation.
"Hello?"
"It's me. You feeling okay?"
"You ask me that every full moon. I promise, I'm fine."
"Why don't I believe you then?"
"Probably because you're the only person alive that knows me like the back of your hand."
"Still…I worry about you, especially when I can't come and see you."
"We both know exactly why you can't."
"And yet you still track the cycles of the moon without fail."
"I did it for so long, it's hard to break the habit…and…"
"It reminds you of them, right? Me too. I miss them just as much as I miss you."
"I feel the same way. But…we're almost there, we just need to wait a bit longer."
"I know, don't worry. Soon, everything will be right and we can all be together again!"
"Exactly. Hey…you know I love you, right?"
"Of course, silly! I love you too!"
Chika chuckled to herself as she continued talking on the phone, the positive and ever present voice of her girlfriend calming her down as their conversation turned to a less depressing one.
Out of sight to both women, one in Iwatodai and one in Tokyo, two spirits watched over them, one with deep blue hair with headphones on his shoulders and the other with black hair wearing a long yellow scarf.
And there we are!
First things first, our brand new characters! Yuri, Repede, Raven and Judy, as well as Flynn and the rest of the characters connected to them, are from the video game Tales of Vesperia. I have planned their involvement from a LONG time ago as a tie in to Chika's backstory. Their names are unchanged and their clothes are a modern version of what they wear in game because I want to show that these characters are exactly the same. The game known as 'Tales of Vesperia' is a series of books in this universe, written by Chika and based off her friends. When I eventually get to Chika's full backstory, this will be elaborated on more.
The chapter's title comes from one of the songs in Tales of Vesperia, Fury Sparks. This is the music that plays during the boss battle between Yuri and Flynn (no, Flynn is not evil, this boss fight was for Yuri's growth in the game but I'm not getting off track!). I felt it was fitting because Makoto gets freaking pissed in this chapter, with good reason, and our new characters are from Vesperia, so why not reference one of the most famous songs from it? (I'll probably be including the opening, Ring a Bell, at some point but probably not in this story. But stay tuned on that!)
Now, some of you must've noticed the changes in Makoto's Awakening. This was done to tone down the Mary Sue-ness I felt she gave off and to have her be similar to the other Awakenings rather than different: nobody else called their Persona, nobody else was only exhausted outside the Metaverse and nobody else was continuously praised as she was throughout this scene and arc and a bit beyond. I will be toning it down quite a bit, as it irked me. So, in this universe, Makoto was not praised for catching on quickly because she really SHOULDN'T have. But I digress, cause I'm not here to write an essay on why she annoys me sometimes.
The video chatting scene was a lot of fun to write and was meant to show how Miku is changing and growing: Ann, Ryuji, Morgana and Yusuke have now joined the ranks of those to see her at one of her lowest points and thus have been given a bit more of Miku's trust, thus her not saying anything when Ryuji and Ann slip and call her Miku. The idea is that they didn't catch it but Akira and Goro did. Yusuke is the only one who will have to be TOLD to call her Miku, honestly.
And the last scene! Honestly, when I was writing this chapter, I was curious as to when the full moon was in 2016 so I could put a special scene in. Ironically enough, it WAS June 20th, the day Makoto Awoke to her Persona. So of course we get a special scene and the moon boys (yes, they are now the moon boys, don't argue with me XD) having a cameo!
And that's everything for now...I hope everyone has a fun week, because next week we're confronting traumatic memories. Time for Miku to step on her own path to the Answer, after all.
See you later!