A/N: Yay! Thanks for the reviews from last time~ I shouldn't be surprised that there are more Aki fans _ But I'm glad about that too~ Okay here's part 2, and the end of block 4!
~Persona 3 Portable~
Date 20: Full Moon- The Stroke of Twelve (2)
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"No no, hold the spear like this—" Ezi raised it higher as Ken was trying to use more stealth with his weapon. "See?"
The others were taking a break on one of the empty floors.
"Ikutsuki-san said he was very impressed by me." Ken was telling her. "He said I do very well… for an elementary student. It made me happy."
"Yeah? Sometimes he can be nice."
"Yamagishi, are there signs of any missing people around here?"
"No. In fact, I believe you are going to hit the block soon before the Shadow…"
"Does that mean we will be at the top of Tartarus?" Wondered Junpei.
Everyone was quiet for a moment, probably in respects to the solemn reality.
It was going to end soon.
"When cornered, an enemy will fight at its fiercest." Aigis stated. "This is a basic premise of warfare. Only one Shadow remains…"
"Yeah…" Yukari agreed.
"I'm sure it will be our toughest battle of all. Please make sure you are all prepared for it."
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The Halloween festival was approaching. One night she sensed a familiar presence in her room.
"…Good evening. It'll be a full moon again in just another week. At last, the 12th piece. Are you ready?"
"I… am…"
"Regardless of how long its been, a lot has happened, hasn't it?"
"It's a bit early to be reminiscing, isn't it?"
He chuckled. "That's what I was thinking… How about I come see you once it's over?"
"I'd like that… it'll be proof that we were victorious in the end, when I see you afterwards."
"Indeed. Be careful."
Pharos disappeared, and she felt mild relief. Still…
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The others seemed serious about the final moon approaching. Even Aigis, who Ezi caught staring off into the ceiling corner of their classroom afterschool.
"Aigis?"
"…Sorry, I was thinking."
"Thinking?" She shouldn't have been thinking Aigis was just a robot and couldn't do these like muse, but she was.
"I wonder if once we defeat the final enemy, that I will be able to keep attending school. I hope so."
"Hope so? You like being a student, Aigis?"
"Like?" She wondered.
"Hey you guys…" Yukari approached them. "Ezi, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Ah, shall I accompany you?"
"Actually, well…" Yukari seemed flustered.
"Uh, everything okay?" Ezi asked.
"Y-yeah! Sorry, I forgot what I was going to say. Should we all head out?"
They walked back to the dorm together, where Fuuka was having issues with Koromaru.
"He doesn't want to eat anything." She told the girls.
"Are you sick, boy?" Yukari asked.
Koromaru whined and rolled over. Ezi gently began massaging his belly, only to feel a long scar on his side.
"When did this happen? When we were fighting in Tartarus?"
Koromaru seemed to shake his head. He didn't seem to talk so Aigis could translate either.
"Could he have gotten it when he lived with the priest?" Fuuka suspected. The dog barked.
"Poor Koro-chan…" Yukari rubbed his head.
"He must miss him." Fuuka added. "Are we good replacements?" The dog swirled back onto his stomach and watched the girls with his tongue out.
"No, he must think of us as his friends."
"Woof." Koromaru stood up to rub onto Ezi's hand.
"What a good boy! We love you too, Koro-chan!"
They decided to take him for a walk to the shrine, and he seemed content, running around, then they rested before the big event that weekend.
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Halloween was on a Saturday.
The night was chilly, and the air smelled of smoked Tokayaki and hot caramel for candied apples.
The Gekkoukan High school Halloween Festival was underway! The front of the school was packed with costumed students and teachers, tents with games to win prizes and candy, trees filled with confetti and colorful wraps, and miniaturized carnival rides.
"This is it!" Junpei exclaimed. "Time to charm some ladies with a spell or two!" Junpei was walking with Ken; they were heading to the stands where the others were volunteering. Junpei was dressed up as a wizard, and Ken was a police officer.
"Trick or treating is for kids, but I guess dressing up is for everyone." Ken decided.
"Yeah, you're lookin like a sleek officer and a gentlemen!" Junpei declared. They approached the cooking club stand, where Fuuka was being helped by the music student to pass out pumpkin shaped cookies and sweet popcorn.
"Hey, Fuuka!"
Fuuka was dressed up as an ancient priestess, with a white kimono top and green pants. "Hey guys! Popcorn's on me if you want some!"
"I-I'll have one, thanks." Ken said.
"Fuuka-tan, you look so great!" Junpei said, slightly blushing.
"Thanks. Mitsuru helped me with it a little."
"Oh, we gotta go check out the others, see you later Fuuka!"
They ventured towards Ezi and Yukari at the Trick or Treat Café stand. They were selling warm coffee and coco, and they had a mini lottery ticket set up for anyone who wanted to win free candy and prizes.
"Heh, I guess that servant costume caught up to you, Yuka-tan."
"Oh, shut-up, Stupei!" Behind the counter, Yukari was wearing the maid outfit she loved so much. "I wanted to dress up as cupid, and instead I get this!" She grumbled. "How embarrassing."
"Hey, check out Yukari!" So many boys walked by and whistled at her, with a few catcalls as well.
"Why did you dress up as a maid if you didn't want to, Yukari-san?" Ken asked.
"Oh my gosh, you look so cute in your shades and police uniform, Ken-kun!" She giggled. She held up the tray she had to cover up most of her costume. "Anyway, it's a favor for the manager at Chargall. I told her I'd do it, and she wants more promotion for the café, so…"
"Well, I'm not complaining!" Junpei declared. "Hey, did you here? Some of the freshmen girls got spooked today at the school and decided to cancel their plans to come to the festival!"
"Seriously? A ghost story on Halloween night? How typical are you, Stupei?"
"I'm serious! They say they saw a black figure in the girl's locker room, and it chased them out! They were running and screaming down the halls!"
"As if!"
Ezi emerged from the back of the stand with a tray of two hot chocolates. "Here you are!" She gave them to the paying students and they went off. "Enjoy!"
"Um… Ezi-chan? What are you supposed to be, exactly?" Junpei asked.
Her make-up was a clown's, and she was dressed in a flabby pumpkin suit with a flat hat for the stem on top.
"I'm a pumpkin clown, Junpei," she stated, "I don't even know what the hell that is, but I'm that."
"Yeesh," He said.
"Oh, that's nice, Ezi-san." Ken said weakly.
"Don't test me, little boy." She sighed. "Hidetoshi got sick and so I have to be the clown for the kids entertainment and pass out balloons and stuff."
"You mean if the kids don't run away first?" Junpei bellowed out a laugh, and Ken chuckled a little too.
"You brats! Be gone! Before I curse you both!" she threw confetti at them.
"Ouch, my eyes!" Junpei cried as they ran away.
"I'm sorry, but thanks for helping me, Ezi." Yukari began brewing more coffee. "It's more packed here than I thought!"
"You're welcome." Ezi looked at the two guys approaching. One of them was Minato, the blue haired student, and the other was his friend from fencing club.
"Hey Yukari." The boy said sweetly. Yukari turned around and shrieked. "Oh! She caught herself. "H-hey guys, what are you up to?"
"Can we get a lottery ticket and two coffees?"
"I'll get it!" Ezi declared. "Keep our guests happy, Yukari!"
"What? No-" Minato approached the counter in front of her to talk. As Ezi waited for the brewing coffee, she watched Yukari chuckle nervously, until her conversation with Minato died down to casual, comfortable talk. His voice was hushed, and he was very relaxed, staring directly at Yukari's face, never her dingy outfit.
"I'll check out the ride with you after my shift!" She called to him as they left with their drinks.
Ezi grinned. "He's very polite, eh?"
"Don't be weird about it!" Yukari and Ezi went back to work. After their shifts, Ezi went to hand out the balloons. A two-year-old cried when she saw her, thankfully that was it; otherwise the kids were more fascinated by the balloon animals than her gaudy face.
She went to the bathroom and wiped the clown make-up off her face as soon as that shift was over. There was silence in the first floor hall in front of the teacher's lounge, but she could hear all of the laughing and partying in the central hall, where they were serving cotton candy and sweets at the lunch booth. She stalked carefully back out to the yard, thinking something might be crawling behind her in the empty hallway, and she was right.
But, when she turned around, nothing was there. The empty presence allowed her to think about the school becoming Tartarus, how there were still people missing, with many Apathy cases roaming around the island, how she would have to fight monsters again—if ghosts and ghouls were stalking her this night, it would only be an eighth of her problems.
Later outside at the tents, Mitsuru had gathered the SEES team.
"The tent company and sponsor's won't be here until tomorrow. I made sure of it, that way they won't be here for the Dark Hour to close up shop. We can clean everything up in less than an hour to make sure no one is on campus before then."
"Nice, work." Akihiko said. Everyone was sitting around the fountain. Akihiko was dressed as a vampire, and Mitsuru was a gorgeous empress.
"We gotta get a photo of us! The festival is almost over!" Junpei declared. Everyone crammed around Yukari's phone and took several photos of themselves. Then everyone ventured around the festival: Fuuka watched the musical guy's mini concert with the Halloween songs, Yukari and Minato played many of the stand games together, Junpei and Ken played with the fireworks and then went to carve pumpkins, and Akihiko and Mitsuru were helping the staff begin to clean up some areas, as well as participate in the raffle.
"Nice work, everyone." Mitsuru announced. "Enjoy the rest of the festival, we can finish cleaning later."
"You sure?" Ezi said. "I'm okay with starting now."
"Do not fret about time and the Dark Hour." Mitsuru whispered to her. "Go have fun."
Ezi nodded, but she didn't know whom to hangout with. With all of the acquaintances she had made on the island, she was alone on one of it's busiest nights.
"Ezi-san," Akihiko was behind her, holding a small pumpkin.
"Hey!" She felt a sudden relief seeing him.
"You're spacing out again; what are you doing?"
"N-nothing! What's with the pumpkin?"
"They're closing up the carving pumpkins stand, want to make one? We could put them in the dorm."
She grinned. "I like that idea! Let's do ittt!"
They carved pumpkins and talked about what they had been doing throughout the festival: Ezi talked about the balloons for the children, and Akihiko talked about how so many girls wanted to take selfies with him everywhere. His pumpkin's grin was carved with vampire teeth, and Ezi made hers with a clown face, despite her lack of appeal towards clowns.
"We could even put different colored lights in these! It'll look like a party!"
Akihiko laughed. "I just realized it's Halloween, so the point of having jack-o-lanterns in the dorm will look weird after tomorrow."
"Oh my gosh!" They both started laughing. "Damn it! Well it's a damn good pumpkin, so I'll have to keep it up, regardless." She looked up at the dark sky. "We'll have to start cleaning up soon."
"Yeah, might as well get started now." He said. "Thanks."
"For what?"
"Carving the pumpkins with me, I guess. I wasn't sure if you thought it would be silly."
"Not at all." She said. They were walking by the entrance of the school, and Ezi looked in to avoid eye contact with him. As she brushed back the hair on the side of her head, she saw a black tall figure just standing inside of the empty entryway of the school. She gasped, and the figure darted towards the PE hallway.
"Ezi, what is it?"
"That-!" She darted into the building.
"Ezi, where are you going?"
She knew Akihiko was following her, but she couldn't wait for him—she ran into the hallway, and catching herself from sliding, she saw the figure standing at the end of the hallway—it was the same cloaked figure she saw in Tartarus, the same one she saw on the Yakushima island, and before that, too. The figure in the blackness was holding onto the handle of the gym, facing her.
"Wait!" She sprinted after him, watching him fly into the dance party that was occurring inside. The music was blaring when she flew into the dark room, and it was crowded with high school students dancing around and flashing lights.
She brushed and squeezed by black cats, Frankenstein monsters, fairies and ghoulish characters with bloody faces. The masks that people wore reminded her of Shadows, how they wore the masquerade masks to cover their unknown faces. She pulled the Shadow's shoulder down to face her when she saw him—
"Hey! What the hell?" It was just a student dressed up as Dracula.
"Sorry-" She waved him off and continued looking. The music banged in her ears, she could see shadows and masks, dry-humping animals and twisted laughter from flirtatious princesses and clowns- she couldn't find the black figure again—They were all laughing at her, or maybe with her?
"-There you are!" Akihiko grabbed her arm. "What's gotten into you? Why did you run off like that?"
"I—"
"What?"
She couldn't hear him. She grabbed his arm and lead him back out into the hallway. Now there were more people in costumes standing around with punch outside of the gym.
She realized she was out of breath. "Sorry, Akihiko, I thought I saw…"
"What? What would make you run off like that? Ezi…"
There was concern in his voice, but she was embarrassed. Why didn't she want to tell him about the black figure?
"I thought I saw someone familiar…"
"Who?"
"Um…" She griped the sides of her pumpkin costume.
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me now if you don't want to. But, I wish you would."
She looked up. "I saw a black figure run down here!"
He snorted, laughing. "Oh no, not you too. Junpei said some girls got spooked today by the same thing."
"No, I've seen it before, in Tartarus! I'm not just seeing things, sempai! I know it's real, and I know it sounds crazy, but…"
"With everything we've been through so far? Seeing Shadows in the regular time wouldn't surprise me at all."
"Then, you believe me?"
"Sure I do. I'm not one to believe in ghosts or silly things like that, but maybe there's someone following us."
"My thoughts exactly!"
"Heh, you don't have to be shy to tell me these sort of things, okay? It would benefit the team if we all had known this sooner. You can tell me this stuff at least, anyway, and I won't make fun of you."
"Okay." She pouted her lip. "Sorry. I guess I'm trying to still do some things myself. Anyway, I guess he got away again."
"It's okay, we'll keep an eye out for whoever it is, okay? Don't strain yourself about it when we have the last Shadow to fight in two days."
"Yes, sempai, you're right! I'm focused!"
He chuckled. "Come on, let's head back out to help start cleaning up."
She was glad things had become fairly normal between them. The SEES team stayed with the few teachers and student council, clearing everyone out at the end of the festival, wishing everyone a safe night and a Happy Halloween.
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They fought three Champion Knights, a Minotaur, a red tank and standing hourglasses. The SEES team had accomplished many triumphant blows together, as well as an all-out-attack. Theo had warned Ezi about an acquaintance of hers being in Tartarus; Mutatsu had gone missing apparently, and they had found him crouched inside a corner of Tartarus.
They sent the monk back downstairs, and while Ezi felt relief, they had one more floor to get to, where the supposed sealed pathway would be, but Fuuka couldn't sense anything.
"Whoa, are we-?" Junpei and the others walked around the final floor. The golden pillars surrounded them on the pathway, but there was no ceiling they reached, only a dark cloudy night sky with no moon; there were two pillars like a doorway in front of them, but there was no wall beyond them, just open air.
"This must be it… The final floor." Junpei realized. "Its bittersweet, but I'm glad I got to kick ass and destroy the Shadows in this place.
Junpei dared to step passed the pillars and look down below.
"Dude! Don't look down. You can see the rest of Tartarus below."
"Then, we really are done?" Ken reminisced. "This means we'll have to do our best on this final Shadow."
"Yes. This may be the last time we enter this mystical tower." Mitsuru said. Everyone was quiet, probably trying to remember all the sweat and blood they put into making it this far.
"It went by quickly." Ezi said.
"It's been two and half years since I got these powers; you don't hear me complaining." Akihiko said.
"What about you, sempai?" Junpei turned to Mitsuru.
"Me? Yes… I was apart of it before Akihiko."
"Did the Chairman recruit you?" Yukari asked.
"No… I've been aware of the Dark Hour since I was a kid. My father's research team was attacked by Shadows, and my Persona power awakened because of it."
"Back when you were just a kid?" Ezi said sadly.
"Yes. Perhaps if I hadn't awakened to this power, you all wouldn't have to bare this burden…"
"It would have happened to someone eventually." Akihiko said. "Maybe it was good it fell upon us to take care of this. We're all strong enough to handle it."
"Yes, that's what I was thinking." Ezi recalled how Igor had told her there had been other Persona-users in the past.
"Yes. You're right." Mitsuru smiled wryly. Everyone seemed to be having quite a passionate moment, and they would hold onto it until the full moon.
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It was cultural day, and the team stayed in the dorm until the Dark Hour of the night of the full moon. Fuuka used Juno to locate the Shadow's presence on the south side of the Moonlight Bridge. The 12th and final Shadow. Ikutsuki wished them luck as they ventured through the dark streets to the bridge; a rather long pathway resembling the Golden Gate Bridge.
Takaya and Jin, the two remaining members of Strega, were waiting for them on the blood dripping concrete.
"You know the significance of today, do you not? You claim to hunt the Shadows to prevent the disaster they bring… yet, countless lives are lost each day without their intervention. You foolish children! Erasing the Dark Hour would be to erase yourselves."
"I can see the Shadow…" Fuuka whispered to her team.
"Let's split up!" Akihiko decided.
"Yeah… girls, come with me!" Ezi decided. They started marching to the other end of the bridge.
"Get back here!" Jin snapped.
"You've talked enough!" Akihiko summoned Cesar first, and Jin summoned his Persona: Moros, a satellite, robotic thing with one arm. The zio casted on it was absorbed by Moros, and it slung the electricity back. The others moved out of the way, and Aigis used Palladion to absorb the attack before she could receive damage.
"It appears you have more than just luck on your side… So be it!" Takaya crouched on the floor in pain, and raised his arms up to summon his Persona: Hypnos. The green humanoid dangled from two weird, wire-like wings and summoned fire. It encircled Ken and Akihiko, but Koromaru's Cerberus blew away the fire and embraced the flames.
Hypnos summoned an all mighty power, something they hadn't seen before exactly, and it encircled the two boys in the flames. They summoned their Persona's for protection before the megidola explosion could reach them. Junpei summoned Hermes to grapple with Hypnos as the girls moved forward.
They saw it in the sky, and there were three small stone statues that resembled the Virgin Mary standing tall below it. The Shadow was latex like black body, strung up by its stretchy skin to a metal cross, which was attached to a circular propeller with angel wings keeping it afloat. Its head was twisted backwards and it had a white mask on its head facing upwards towards them.
It wasn't the Shadow itself, but the entire setting seemed familiar—
"Leon-san!" Mitsuru cried. The Shadow had used wind, and it cut her up and she rolled onto the ground, unconscious.
"Be careful!" Fuuka said to the others. Mitsuru went out to strike the Shadow with bufu, but the statues absorbed all of their energy attacks when they aimed for the Shadow in the sky. Koromaru was licking Ezi's face, but she didn't wake up yet.
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How could I have been so distracted all of a sudden?
"Maybe, you're still afraid…"
She was sitting in a chair that reminded her of the Velvet Room, and she could sense Pharos standing behind her.
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Akihiko used Cesar to block the fire attacks from Takaya.
"I'll be damned if I have to face Shinji before I defeat the likes of you!" He was marching tiredly towards the two enemies.
"Yeah! Aragaki-san, I won't give up!" Ken joined him.
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"You want to be strong for your friends, but you're still afraid. Afraid you'll fail them like you did him…"
"Pharos…"
"The fall is still coming, you have that to be afraid of as well, I suppose…"
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Mitsuru stepped forward and slashed at the statues with her rapier, and Aigis shot at them. Lo came down and smashed two of them, and the Shadow above began to shake like it was going to fall as they defeated it's support. Cerberus was summoned, and the dog used its fiery breath to melt the remaining statue.
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"Unfortunately, I cannot do much to help you in this, accept to say that I be by your side when it happens… The rest and how you face it will be up to you…"
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Ezi woke up.
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Jin was carrying an injured Takaya to the edge of the bridge.
"Don't do it! You'll die!" Junpei exclaimed.
They watched as the Strega members fell into the water depths below, probably to their deaths.
"Sempai!" Yukari cried. Mitsuru had flown back from a strange yellow power that come down on them like an explosion. Ezi wobbled back up, and wondered who she was for a moment, then she walked up to the others.
"Ezi!" Aigis was a bit static from all the hits she had taken, but she continued to fire at the hanging Shadow above.
"Are you okay?" Yukari asked, shooting her arrow at another statue that had been summoned by the Shadow.
"Yes… thank you all." She put the evoker to her head and summoned Rakshaa, the powerful warrior of red mist, and it smashed with the powerful strike of the Shadow like two fists colliding. As it was distracted, Aigis began to climb the bridge's architecture with her inhuman ability, and began to fire at the propeller angel wings keeping it up in the sky. The Shadow roared as it crashed into the bridge.
Lo used a powerful wind she had not mustered before, and Penthesilea used ice to; Cerberus used his fire, and Aigis continued to shoot—then Ezi summoned Siegfried to help with the finishing blow, stabbing and then slashing into the large Shadow with an amazon blade and clearing the bridge of its darkness.
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"…Is it over?" Junpei and the boys gathered with everyone else.
"Mission Complete." Aigis told them. "I believe we need a victory cheer. Ezi-san, what shall it be?"
Ezi was still trying to process everything. "…Let's eat!"
"1…2…3… Let's eat!" Aigis declared.
Yukari laughed. "W-what was that?"
"Good call! Sempai, you're gonna throw us a party tomorrow, right?"
"You don't waste anytime, Iori-san. Well, I suppose I could arrange something. How does sushi sound?"
"I haven't had it in a while." Akihiko smirked. "I got dibs on the halibut and sea urchin!"
"I want the fatty tuna!" Yukari said.
"You're divvying it up already?" Fuuka judged. "I want the salmon then, please!"
"No fair!" Junpei yelled.
"I reserve the shrimp, scallops and eel." Aigis stated.
"That's not fair, you don't even eat!" He insisted.
"You should all be ashamed… fighting over sushi…" Ken shook his head. "Sempai, could you order some tomago for me? I'd love to compliment the chef if they can cook the eggs right."
Mitsuru was smiling with amusement. "Okay, okay. I'll have the very best delivered tomorrow…" She looked up into the sky, and the others seemed to join. "…I guess, it's time to say goodbye to the Dark Hour. Even though it seemed like a curse, I'm reluctant to let it go."
"Yeah… We really did it, didn't we?" Ezi smiled. "I guess its sad because we've all bonded through this experience, even if it was difficult."
"Yes. We saved the world, even if no one knows it." Mitsuru concluded.
The battle was over. The Dark Hour was at its end.
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She wanted to scream, seeing Pharos in her room the next morning.
"Good morning."
"Ah! You're here! In the daytime! But, I thought I couldn't see you in the daytime!"
"I know. It's the first time we've talked during the day."
For a moment she wondered if someone would walk in and see the mysterious boy, and maybe she wouldn't feel so manic over the fact she was the only one who could see him.
"Nice weather, isn't it?" He continued. "It is indeed a new day, for both of us. You seemed to overcome your fears, and all the fragments of my memory… They've finally come together."
"What?"
"I know my role clearly. The time has come."
"Pharos, you have to let me know who you are…"
"As difficult as it may be, I must tell you something…"
"Yes?"
"I'm afraid, this is goodbye."
"Goodbye?" She frowned. "Because we defeated all the Shadows, you're just gonna leave?"
"Yes. I want you to know… for me, our friendship was a miracle. But, miracles don't last forever. If only they did." He sounded truly disappointed by this fate.
"Its like you told me before… everything has its end." She pondered. "So, I won't get to see you anymore?"
"I shall treasure our conversations always. Even if today is the end, the bond between us can never be severed." He looked up at her with teary, wet eyes. "…Remember that."
She jumped out of bed and knelt down to hug him. Even though he looked pale and dead, he was as warm as the sun coming in from the window.
It was overwhelming. She wanted to cry, but she didn't, and she smiled at him as she let go of him.
"It was fun while it lasted." He said. "Farewell… my dearest…"
She may have been seeing things before, like the figure in black, but she knew he had been real.
She blinked, and Pharos was gone.
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Ezi felt glee as she attended her regular classes in the day; everything seemed brighter now that the Dark Hour was gone. She was indeed yearning to battle again, under less strenuous circumstances, but for now, the peace would have to do.
Akihiko asked that they walk home together, before the party that evening would begin. They were walking to the dorm together, but ended up at the shrine instead. They had conversed about their adventures in Tartarus, particularly, the larger shadow fights, and how accomplished they felt in having kept almost everyone safe or far from serious injury, and defeated so many monsters. When they got to the shrine, Akihiko settled himself in by resting on the stair rail of the jungle gym. Ezi could see the spot above him where she and Shinjiro had spent the night there.
"Um, first of all, thank you for coming with me." He scratched the back of his head, looking down.
"I'm happy to be here." She said sweetly. She could tell he was troubled by something, which was odd since they had just defeated the last Shadow.
"I-I see," He responded, "why are you always so..?" He faded off to his musings.
"So..?"
He seemed at a lost, still facing the ground. "Okay, I haven't been able to arrange it all in my head, but…" He took a deep breath, and began slowly, "I've told you before about Miki, right?"
"Yes."
"I was the only person she had. There weren't any kids her age at the orphanage, so she didn't have any friends. She'd always play with me or Shinjiro, always calling me big bro…" He bit his lip, a notion, Ezi realized, was him trying to be strong.
"…Why, did she have to die?"
Ezi's heart squished together, a melting sensation that felt horrible and elated in her chest.
"She never knew her parents' faces, or had good food to eat, or got to have any toys. She had nothing, and yet she never got a chance…"
"Akihiko…" She wanted him to be okay, not to be suffering like this.
"Isn't there some saying? Like, about how living is a kind of sin?"
"Akihiko…"
"She's dead and gone, I can accept that, but, I can't do anything about this anger and sadness that I feel for the rest of my life…"
Anger and sadness… it came up every once in a while, the times she was alone or listening to music, but she tried to ignore them.
"Here's what I wanted to tell you. I thought I wanted you to bear that burden with me, like we were connected, and I know that's a terrible thing to ask of you… I'm sorry."
"Hey—" She grabbed him by the shoulders. "Don't do that. Don't blame yourself about Miki! I know it hurts, I know, and you can't feel bad about wanting me to help you with how you feel. We are connected, okay?"
He looked shocked, but he continued to stare at her, intently.
"It's always going to hurt, you're never going to get over the pain completely, and you don't need to apologize for it, especially not to me. You don't need to get over it, but you can live with it, alright? You can't tell me that everything we've done in the Dark Hour wasn't a good enough reason to be alive. Living is not a sin, okay?"
He looked at her hands gripping his arm. "I'm sorry-"
"Stop apologizing!" She almost shook him. "I understand your pain because of what happened to my brother, Luke, too. He was murdered by robbers; I always think that if I was there, then I could have done something, and now I'm always trying to protect you guys, my friends, but I can't do it alone. It's okay."
"Thanks, Ezi-san. I don't know why I wanted to tell you, I guess you sort of remind me of Miki- No, that's not it. Then what is this feeling..?" He was speaking slowly, still. "Hey, you still miss Shinjiro, right?"
"Of course I do. But, he wouldn't want me to be missing him and not living my life, just like I'm sure Luke wouldn't be, and the same goes for Miki with you. Shinjiro… " she swallowed, "…liked me, but he didn't want me to be with him. He had other plans that he decided upon because of the regrets he had. I know you want to think that was the right choice he made, but his regrets plagued him, and now he's…" She looked down, and let go of him. "I don't want you to do the same thing because of your sadness, Akihiko. Regret is a hard thing, but we have to live with it, and do the best thing we can with it for others, together."
"Yeah, you're right. I'm… not sorry, but I felt I needed to say it. Even though the Shadow is defeated, I still have this ache within me…"
"You can talk to me any time, you know that." She grinned. "We've all been through enough together!"
"Yeah." He smiled. "W-we should probably head back for the party."
They met almost everyone back at the dorm to have their sushi party. She and Akihiko prepared the table with a cloth and plates and drink, Ken and Junpei sort of cleaned up the lounge and dining room, and Mitsuru and Yukari went to pick up the sushi.
Fuuka returned late, around 9, and Ken and Junpei began harassing her about her date with the music man.
"Did you guys smoochie-smooch?" Junpei asked.
"I'm curious too! But, only if you want to tell, Yamagaishi-san." Ken said nicely.
"Guys, leave her alone!" Ezi chided. "We're all having a good day, don't ruin it!"
"T-thanks, Ezi-chan…" Fuuka blushed.
Yukari and Mitsuru returned with many groceries, all containing the gourmet sushi that made an elaborate, colorful display on the dining table. The finest sushi was placed on the table.
"Where's Aigis?" Akihiko asked.
"She and Ikutsuki-san went to the lab to make some adjustments on her, but he said they'll be back for the party."
"Great!" Let's dig-in until they get here!" Junpei decided. It was then that Mr. Kirijo appeared through the front door, his serious exterior halting any form of excitement.
"Oh, hello," Ezi said hesitantly.
"Father, I'm glad you could make it." Mitsuru said.
"I just wanted to congratulate you all on your victory, and more importantly, I wanted to say… thank you. With your efforts, this shadow business can be put to rest, finally. You fixed the mistakes of the Kirijo Group where I could not."
"Don't put so much blame on yourself for your father's mistakes, sir." Akihiko said.
"Yeah, what he said!" Junpei declared.
Mr. Kirijo clasped Yukari's hands. "I owe you a special thanks. Thank you for lending us your power until the very end."
"Oh, it's no big deal." Yukari seemed sheepish.
"The SEES team will be dissolved as of midnight tonight."
"Dissolved?" Junpei echoed.
"No longer will you need to risk your lives in battle. Tomorrow, you can triumphantly return to a normal school life."
Everyone was quiet until Mitsuru spoke: "Alright, everyone, your feast awaits you."
"I've been waiting for this!" Junpei declared. "Come eat sushi with us, s-sir!"
Mr. Kirijo actually smiled, sincerely. "Alright, I suppose I could…"
"The tuna's mine, though!"
The team engaged in a long party of dining and drinking refreshments upon their entrees of fresh sushi and rice dumplings and egg rolls. They played a few card games while they sampled their eats, despite becoming fuller and fuller by the hour.
"I wonder what's taking Ikutsuki-san so long," Ken said thoughtfully, chewing on a roll.
"Man, I wanted to take a picture before midnight!" Junpei carped.
"Its not like we can only take one picture, Stupei!"
"Hey, you're right, Yuka-tan! But, the cameras won't work during the Dark hour. Let's take one now!" Junpei scrambled through his pack for a camera. "I borrowed it from the photography club while I was investigating your stalker!"
"Oh, how convenient," Ezi said sarcastically.
"Sir, would you mind talking a photo of all of us here? We can take another one when Aigis and Ikutsuki-san are here!"
"Alright," the man said, adjusting to the camera as if it were a foreign object. As he was fixated, the SEES team gathered around in the lounge to take a photo.
"Let's make this quick." Mr. Kirijio readied the camera. "Say… cheese?"
"Everyone squeeze together close to me to fit in the picture!" Junpei teased.
"Does that mean me too?" Akihiko asked.
"Uh… no… not you…Wait! I want the camera to get my good side!" Junpei tried to force his way to the front of the group, but Mitsuru and Yukari both kept there place, and he lost balance. As Mr. Kirijo took the photo, Junpei was sent falling backwards, and the picture was of everyone else's horrified faces as they turned to see Junpei on the floor.
"Well, that was splendid." Ezi took a bite from her sushi. Ken was laughing, and Akihiko had been the only one posing for the picture.
"Thank you, father." Mitsuru said, taking the camera. "We'll just wait for Aigis to show up before we take more."
"Where are they?" Junpei rubbed the bump on his head, "It's almost midnight for crying out loud!"
"Yeah…" Ezi looked out the window.
Midnight. It was going to be a regular night, but she couldn't help but wonder if the sky would still change. Still, she spent a moment of relaxation with her battle-weary friends.
"I have to head back to the office," Kirijo said. "Thank you all again for your hard efforts."
They said goodbye and began to clean up a little, leaving some of the food that was left out. They hung out for another half an hour, Fuuka and Ezi cleaned dishes and cleaned off the table tops while they relaxed.
Tick, tock, tick…
The clock on the mantel, above the lounge desk. She pictured the first night she had met Pharos, how the contract had been signed, how he was smiling at her now.
12:00.
The sky was green and the moon was larger and brighter than the yellow sun. It shone across the island, blood from unknown origins trickled across buildings and street blocks. Coffins aligned in hotels and train stations, and the shadows of the night roamed around in agonizing threat.
"No!" Fuuka gasped.
"It's… the Dark Hour?" Ken sounded so sad, so distraught. "H-how can that be?"
"I-I don't know…" Mitsuru kept a serious glare as she looked out the window, but she was just as petrified as everyone. Ezi felt excited, somehow, as if she knew it wasn't going to change.
"But, we defeated all of the Shadows, how?" Akihiko clenched his fist. "I knew I had a strange feeling still!"
"Do you hear that? It sounds like a bell, but where's it coming from? What should we do..?" Yukari asked no one particular.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Mitsuru finally said.
"Yeah," Ezi said quietly. "We have to go to Tartarus to get to the bottom of this."
The confused and anxious bunch scurried over to the entrance to Tartarus. There was Aigis, at last, on the night they were supposed to be celebrating. She was standing beside Ikutsuki-san above the stairs on Tartarus, on the entranceway. Something was amiss, indeed, and Ikutsuki knew what it was.
"Ikutsuki-san, Aigis, why are you here?" Yukari asked.
"Mr. Chairmen, you know what's going on, don't you?" Mitsuru scowled. "Tell us!"
"She's here merely to fulfill her role as a weapon." Ikutsuki began, smiling.
"What the hell is this all about?" Junpei demanded.
"You said the Dark Hour and Tartarus would disappear if we defeated the 12 Shadows." Akihiko recalled. "That's why we fought so hard! But now—"
"What is your intention?" Mitsuru demanded. "It was all a lie, wasn't it? You knew the Dark Hour wouldn't disappear!"
"Excellent deduction, Mitsuru." The sinister Chairman said. "Unfortunately, your realization has come too late."
"You tricked us?" Ken cried out.
"Bastard, what the hell is this?" Ezi couldn't believe it. How had she not seen this coming?
"…Soon, the poisonous flowers will bloom. One in your own garden, and three in the garden opposite yours..."
She thought it had been a dream, but Pharos had warned her about this long before. Maybe, she had known something was still amiss all along…
"Everything is as I planned. I never intended for you to rid the world of Tartarus and the Dark Hour… quite the opposite, actually. The 12 Shadows were destined to be reunited, and that was accomplished in no small part, thanks to your efforts. Soon, Death, the almighty, shall rise and bring forth the Fall…"
"No… it can't be… Pharos?" Ezi thought of the boy who had mentioned the end to her as well; but at the time, she thought it meant the end of the Dark Hour?
Death was coming…
"What are you talking about?" Akihiko snapped.
"The end of all shall come and free this world from despair. The death of everything… but also the beginning."
"He's out of his mind…" Yukari said aloud.
"All those years ago, I too was a scientist for the project we've spoken of. I was there when the Dark Hour was born. The experiment manifested the many Shadows as it was meant to. That is why your grandfather, Mitsuru, gathered so many Shadows… to bring about the Fall."
"That can't be true…" Mitsuru was frozen.
Shuji Ikutsuki gave a wild smile to all of them. "People have filled the world, yet turned it into a void of pain and destruction! You all know this too well… in your time of living, surely you've faced pain and anguish dealt to you by others who corrupt this world! The only hope for salvation lies in ruin!"
"Psychopath…" She almost believed him, thinking of the thugs that attacked her friends, the death of her brother and lover, and the accident that took her parents away…
"According to the prophecy… the Fall will be orchestrated by the Prince. And once the Prince has delivered us all, he shall rule the new world as a King! The man who tried it ten years ago failed; but I will not—I SHALL SUCCEED!"
"He's lost it!" Junpei said angrily.
"If you follow me a bit longer, you too shall find salvation."
"What's going to happen?" Ezi screamed. "What did you make us do?"
"You'll soon see for yourself…"
Yukari stepped towards him. "My father's video! He told us to defeat the Shadows; was that a lie too?"
"Ah… he did record himself. Of course, I had to make some video edits and modifications."
"You doctored it?" Mitsuru said.
"I corrected it! Your father was a brilliant scientist. I truly respected him, but he could not comprehend the magnificent potential of the Fall…"
"What?" Yukari was trembling.
"He left that recording at the expense of his life! How could you?" Mitsuru defended.
"It would seem so… but it did prove useful in the end. I'm sure he's happy."
"You were behind it all? You used me, and my father?"
"It was for the sake of the world, so how could it be wrong?"
"We are here to correct the mistakes of the past," Mitsuru held her evoker to her head, "so, I won't let you do this!"
"I'm with you!" Ezi exclaimed.
"How disappointing…" He sighed, "…but, you are just children, after all. I suppose it can't be helped. Aigis! It is time for you to fulfill your role: capture them and prepare them for the sacrifice!"
"Understood." Aigis said robotically; her eyes were a dull blue, like she was in a trance. "Energy output… at maximum."
"Aigis, no!" Fuuka cried, but Aigis took a battle stance, and blasted the earth with her guns, causing a blinding light. Ezi heard everyone scream, and then it was too late-
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Ezi couldn't breathe, and there was a pain in her stretched out arms.
When she woke up, she was being crucified.
The others were bound around her as well, waking up.
"What the hell?" Akihiko said.
Yukari shrieked.
"Let us down, please!" Fuuka cried.
Oh no. She hadn't been fast enough. They were all caught in Ikutsuki's web now, being chained to crosses, on the balcony of Tartarus, outside.
"Aigis, help us!" Ken yelled. But Aigis stood beside Ikutsuki, motionless, the light gone from her crystal blue eyes.
"Father!" Mitsuru was trying to lung towards them. Aigis had the man restrained before their very eyes.
"I had to rework Aigis a little, now she only listens to me." Ikutsuki explained, mockingly.
"What are you planning to do with them?" Mr. Kirijo was wiggling his shoulders, but Aigis was too strong.
"The Prince that will bring the Fall will need sacrifices to begin his ascension, then, all will be well."
"You nut job! Let us go!" Ezi tried strangling free of the chains, but to no avail.
"You son of a bitch!" Junpei was frustrated. "I'm gonna tear your head off!"
No. Everything was falling apart again-
"I should have known you'd do something like this, Chairmen." Kirijo said, irritated.
"The Kirijo Group are saviors; they unleashed the Dark Hour that could be revealed to bring upon the End of everything. You should all just embrace it, there's no stopping it! What a shame his own son can't accept his fate!"
Damn. What could she do? Ikutsuki's madness had been unexpected, but still, she should have been ready. Now, they were going to die. If only she could remember—the blue, the power, anything she had lost in her memories, to get out of this-!
"Aigis! Go ahead and give this man his honorable deliverance!"
"Wait, please! Aigis! Nooo!" Mitsuru was screaming frantically, straining at her bonds.
Aigis hesitated to shoot, and she just stood there.
"What are you doing, Aigis?" Ikutsuki snarled.
"I… Am…" Aigis lowered her guns in confusion.
"Fine! I'll do it myself!" Ikutsuki had a gun in his pocket, a real gun. "Fourteen long years I've waited! I'm not like your father, I won't make any exceptions!"
Mr. Kirijo freed himself from Aigis and pulled out a gun, suddenly. Both adults fired, both falling backwards into the floor.
"FATHER!" Mitsuru cried.
"A-Aigis-!" The injured Ikutsuki grunted. He'd been shot in the stomach. "Finish the sacrifices! Let's end this!"
Aigis pointed her machine gun towards Ezi.
"NO!" Junpei screamed. "Snap out of it!"
"Aigis, please don't!" Akihiko was straining himself to get free.
Ezi said nothing. She felt her heart stop as she looked into Aigis' cold blue eyes.
"Aigis… You said you'd protect me, no matter what, remember?" She whispered.
"Ezi-san… Ezi…" Aigis sounded like she was crying.
"Finish them, Aigis!" Ikustuki coughed up blood.
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The robot kept her gun forward, and she shot.
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The bullets aim was perfect, and the SEES team dropped down from their crosses, unharmed. Aigis had aimed at the restraints that had bound them.
"Father!" Mitsuru ran to her fallen parent, trying to wake him by shaking him.
"You're all alone now, and you're injured on top of that." Akihiko said to the Chairman proudly.
Even though he was on his knees, dying, he managed to laugh. "You don't get it, do you? It's useless to search for hope or reasons to live in this pathetic world! It must be started over from the beginning! I will rule over the new world!" He laughed weakly, and stretched his hand out towards the sky. "I was… so close…" He tried to grasp the moon in his grip, and slowly fell.
…They stood, unsure of what to do, as Mitsuru cried helplessly over her father's body.
The night was cold.
"My father swore something to me." Mitsuru was rocking as she held him in her lap. "He swore that he would atone for endangering our generation, even if it cost him his life… But I… wanted him to live… I became a Persona-user to protect him…" She was sobbing uncontrollably. Mitsuru, their senior who was usually so composed even in the roughest battles, was now slumped on the floor, crying like a child.
Everyone was at a loss for words. Akihiko picked up the stunned Mitsuru.
The Dark Hour was reaching another end. But, maybe it would never truly end after all.
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THE END
OF BLOCK 4 (finally, phew!)
I kind of wish it was close to Halloween so I could have posted this close to the holiday. I know they don't really celebrate Halloween in Japan (I guess its mostly an adult/commercial holiday... not that they don't celebrate it at all), but I figured since they're on a man-made island technically it's not Japan so there haha. I couldn't miss a chance to insert parts for that non-canon festival!
Just like this last block I may have to break the next few chapters into parts, but I don't think it will be as bad as this last one... well, There's a lot to fit into this one too, so it might actually take some time. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one! See you in Block 5!
Farewell, My Dearests~