ALL ABOARD THE CHOO CHOO PAIN


November 22nd, 2009.
Dark Hour.

A thin frame clad in white stands in front of the spiralling tower of doom that is Tartarus. There's only one person who it can be, and as they run closer and closer, they spot long locks of reddish hair. Chidori, but the way she stands, with her arms down by her side and a chain hidden in her sleeves, was evident enough that she was prepared for a fight. In front of her, but a little down the staircase stands Junpei, his dark eyes wide with disbelief as he looks to the girl he was smitten with.

"Chidori! What are you doing!?" He cries, stepping forward with one foot. "Why are you doing this!? You know you shouldn't be out of the hospital yet!"

He takes steps further and further up the staircase, and her deep eyes narrow darkly.

"It doesn't make any sense! C'mon, let's return there together!"

As he finishes talking, one of her hands moves very slowly, the ruffles of her sleeves letting the glint of metal out.

"Watch out, Junpei!" Minato practically screams it out, and the taller junior is able to move out of the way just in time as a large axe on a chain comes flying towards him, grinding against the concrete below them with a loud screech. The chains rattle with each movement, and she audibly clicks her tongue.

His eyes turn from the red axe to the girl. "Hey, that was dangerous! You coulda killed someone there!"

Her tongue clicks again.

"Chidori! Why!?"

She brushes out her skirt, and brandishes her axe in one hand once more. But with the other, she holds up a glimmer of black metal– an Evoker, and that's when the others decide to interfere with this lover's spat. Akihiko runs towards Junpei and drags him back by the sleeves, his hands tight around the shorter boy's arms as he pulls him into what was only momentary safety.

"Stay back, Junpei! It's useless trying to reason with her!" He moves in front of the blue clad teen.

"She's dangerous!" Kotone quickly agrees, and brandishes her naginata in a blocking position as she joins her senior in protecting their most volatile member. "I know how you feel, Junpei, but you're unarmed! Just stay behind us!"

He moves to pick a fight, but is quickly stopped by Minato, who also steps into the front lines. At this point, everyone was just doing their best to protect one of their friends. The girl– their adversary, narrows her eyes deeply and pushes the gun under her jawline.

With only a soft breath on her lips, she pulls the trigger. "Persona!"

A woman with a goat's head, in one hand was a goblet burning with fire, the other a curved blade. It makes an unholy screech, and spouts of fire begin to rain down on the group. All the meanwhile, Chidori screams at them, her once soft voice harsh and her eyes wide.

"Takaya was right! You're a nuisance! The largest of the flames is aimed directly for Junpei, and without a second thought or delayed movement, the auburn haired girl guarding him summons her own Persona, who blocks the inferno without little problems. The attack clicks her tongue. "You're just in my way!"

"Artemisia!" The towering queen of battle tactics is summoned, and her whip spirals around the chained hatchet of their enemy, tugging it away from the girl's clutches and over towards the members of SEES– but despite the fact she's now down her physical weapon, it was clear that Chidori's true strength lied in her abilities as a Persona-user. They can't give her the time to gain the upper hand.

"Caesar!" The imperial ruler swings it's sword down on the woman's Persona, causing it to shatter. She hisses deeply in pain, and only summons her Persona once more.

It's burning blaze directs towards the three standing in front of the man she considered 'only a problem', who tries desperately to stop them from attacking her, although it's to no avail. They've all made up their minds– if she wants to fight, then they'll fight back. Nobody wants their lives to end tonight. It looks as though it'll hit, when Koromaru slides underneath the teenagers' legs, and howls to the moon, summoning the guard dog to Hades.

His own fire collides with Chidori's, creating a storm of winds raining around them, kicking up dirt from the ground. They all shield their eyes desperately, and Medea only continues to strengthen her attacks, sending Cerberus flying; along with the white shiba who summoned it. He hits the ground with a whine, and Ken and Aigis quickly run over to help him up.

"Koromaru!" The blonde cries, and quickly turns her gaze to their enemy. "Attack mode: Fire!"

Her bullets rain down, hitting both the tower behind the woman and soon it seems to finally reach her, only for Medea to get in the way. A stray bullet manages to escape being blocked, and slides open the girl's white sleeve. She screams.

"Chidori!" Junpei yells, and turns his disbelieving eyes onto Aigis, who only aims to fire more.

The blood stains the once snow coloured dress, and without hesitation, the girl raises her free hand to her injured arm– and heals the gash. "This pain is insignificant.. It's nothing compared to the pain my heart bears!"

Running forward, Minato slides to a stop and aims his Evoker. "Arahabaki!"

The god of travellers, a large and round stone like monument appears from the leader's consciousness. It zooms forward with a speed she wasn't expecting thanks to it's size, and body slams into the girl's much more slender Persona, causing her to scream in pain. It doesn't take much longer, and Junpei holds his hand out in front of their blue haired leader.

"..That's enough.." He murmurs, and his hands shake as he forcefully takes the Evoker away. "I can't stand here and just watch this!"

The boy who had his summoning tool stolen blinks in confusion. "..Junpei?"

"Please, everyone.. let me handle this... please let me handle this by myself!"

"No, Iori-kun! It's too dangerous!" Fuuka screams.

"Iori, do you want to die!?" Mitsuru's voice is a screech, her maroon eyes wide.

"You think I'd let myself die!?" His clutch on the stolen Evoker only tightens as he turns towards the girl he loved. "And let Chidori become a murderer!? Like hell I will!"

He takes slow steps towards her, and she begins to wander backwards, stopping just shy of the entrance inside of the Tower of Demise. It's entrance glimmered with a soft blue light, but despite it's shine, it felt anything but safe, especially when it was combined with the green glow that filled the air thanks to the Dark Hour. She holds onto her own Evoker tight.

"What do you want?"

"Chidori, just stop.." He leans forward. "You don't want to do this! Why should the two of us fight? It's wrong!"

"It's not wrong!" She counters, her eyes like the dagger her Persona wielded; nothing but sharp and filled with anger. "Because this isn't where I belong! I've known that.. from the very start!"

Medea is summoned once more, surrounded in a cloud of red, and she dives from a large height into the teenage boy, body surrounded in flames and ready to explode, which forces him to quickly shove the barrel of the pretend gun to his head, and pull the trigger, despite the fact his heart was screaming at him to stop. Hermes breaks out of the blue light, and uses it's wings to guard it's summoner; taking the hit directly.

"Junpei!" Both Kotone and Yukari scream his name at the same time, running towards the boy with intentions to help in whatever way possible; whether it was healing or attacking, but they're both quickly stopped by their silver haired senior.

"..Sanada-senpai, why are you–!?"

"He's an absolute idiot.. but he's still a man!" The two girls look up at him with wide eyes as he explains his reasons. "At least let him try to convince her."

"Senpai.."

Minato's grip on his sword tightens. At this point, all they could do was watch. Even if he wanted to help, with his Evoker stolen, he was unable to. He was.. admittedly, terrified of attacking this girl with the weapon he holds in his hand. Unlike Takaya.. Unlike Jin.. She hadn't really done anything to them up until now, had she? She was a member of Strega, but once they took her into custody on that night, she hadn't done a single thing. He doesn't have any reason to attack her directly.
Unlike the Shadows.. Unlike those two men..
Hurting humans who hadn't done anything to him wasn't programmed into his mind.

Flames coat the earth, burning up grass and dirt around them.

"What's wrong!? Why won't you attack? You should just kill me!" Medea speeds forward once again as her summoner screams. "Kill me!"

Hermes catches the other Persona in it's tracks, stopping it midair until the goat like beast creates an explosion directly in between them, injuring the two at the same time. The earth explodes from underneath them, and Junpei is hit with a large slab of concrete that had uprooted itself.

He grasps his injured arm tight. "I couldn't kill you.. I could never kill you!"

"Why not!? I'm not afraid to die!" She attacks Hermes once more, and finally, the boy's Persona hits the ground with a large thud. "Death isn't what I fear. What I'm afraid of.. What I'm most afraid of.."

As Junpei weakly steps up the staircase towards her, dropping the Evoker at the very first step, both Personas disappear– their summoners clearly giving up the will to fight, though their reasons differ. He approaches the girl with each step, and finally, he collapses his arms around her.

"What I'm afraid of is.. growing attached to something." She whispers into his shoulder. "I'm afraid of growing attached to something then losing it. Be it things, or my own life, or anything else.. That's why we need to live and enjoy ourselves only in the present moment! And yet you! You came and gave me pain I didn't need!"

It's her words that make Junpei realise something, that Chidori is so very similar to their leader. Deeply afraid, and now faced with things they care for, desperately trying to rid themselves of those feelings. It was plain obvious. His arms tighten around her.

"Chidori.."

"I told you.. to not touch me.." Her voice is so very weak, so different from the screaming girl who attacked with a fury earlier. "When you're with me, Junpei, I start fearing all the things I didn't fear before.. Now, I'm afraid of loss.. The truth is, I'm even afraid of dying.. And I'm afraid of the moment when our time together ends.. That's why I.."

He never lets her go. "I'm sorry, Chidori.. I'm sorry for making you feel afraid. But.. it's the same for me. I'm scared of losing you too. Nothing scares me more than the thought of not being able to be with you anymore. That's why.. That's why we should be together, don't you think?"

She can't hold it back anymore, and tears begin to flow out of her amber eyes.

"Because we're both scared of being alone.. we care for each other so we don't lose one another."

Her voice cracks. "Junpei.."

"Chidori.." The two fall to their knees, never breaking their hold on each other.

The two stay like that for goodness knows how long, and without another missed beat, Kotone leans her head onto her senior's arm, her soft lips forming into a small smile. She wasn't sure how to think when this fight started, if she were being honest. But now she knew all too well.. Chidori was just like the rest of them. She only needed someone who loved her, and people who would care for her. And she got that in Junpei, just like how she and her brother got that with SEES.

Minato seems to understand this too, as his face breaks into a barely visible smile. "They're right.."

Time seems to barely move in those moments, the two only hold each other close and cry out their feelings until finally they all seem to finally relax. Evokers are slid back into their holsters, the presumption that the battle is finally over in their heads. The two finally stand up, and time stands still.

An all too familiar sound of a gun firing fills the air.

At first, nobody knows what's going on, but soon all their gazes travel to Junpei, who stands there with eyes wide and blood splattering out of a fresh wound on in his chest, and he falls down the flight of stairs, leaving blood on each step like a cruel path to hell. He hits his head on the concrete just after the final step, and the blood begins to pool up, both from his brand new gunshot wound and the large gash that the fall creates on his crown.

The screams of the girls ring out in the cold and empty night.

Suddenly, like the devil's shown it's ugly face, an all too familiar sigh reaches their ears. "Chidori."

Chidori begins to whimper, her hands reaching for her ears as if to block out everything that was going on. Her shoulders heave up and down, her breath becoming hyperventilation as Takaya and Jin reveal themselves from their hiding positions, just beyond the doors into Tartarus.

"It looks like you're beyond help now." The man holds his smoking gun still. "You've been poisoned by those people."

"You sons of bitches!" Akihiko yells, and runs up the staircase towards the two, being followed closely behind by Mitsuru and Kotone, the latter slams the blunt end of her naginata into Jin's stomach as the boxer firmly smashes his fist into the long haired man's jaw. Mitsuru's Persona charges up for an attack, which ends up being the best possible choice as Takaya clutches his head and summons his own Persona.

Artemisia attacks with a fury of icicles as the rest race for Junpei.

Yukari brings him close to her, and quickly begins to check his pulse. Her voice is a shiver as she gasps when her hands trace over the area of his neck, and her shoulders shake.

"He's not breathing.."

Their leader takes the taller boy into his arms, and shakes him desperately. "Junpei!"

"No..!" Fuuka's eyes well up with tears.

Chidori stands over them, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stares down at the man she loves– bleeding out all over his friends. Her voice is soft at first, but soon her voice becomes a horrified scream as it sinks in.

"Nooo!"


He awakens in a warm bed, with the gentle rays from the sun pouring through the windows. The curtains move softly with the quiet breeze, carrying the scent of lilies with it's dance. Despite the fact he knows where he is– a hospital– he doesn't feel afraid. His eyes scan the room, until she comes into his peripheral vision. Her sweet smile and bright eyes look down on him, and he feels safe.

"I'm so happy you're awake.."

"..Chidori..?" He's not sure why he's here, he doesn't feel any pain.

"You know, it was only after I met you that I started thinking for the first time.. about what I, myself, wanted to do." She takes his hand in her small ones, and holds them tight. "I want to be with you, Junpei. I want to be with you always."

His cheeks flush. "U-Um, I, uh... I feel the same."

"But.. It's painful. Because we only have a little time before.."

"Before what?"

"We're not like the rest of you. I've known it since I first received a Persona.. For us members of Strega, the day our life ends is.." She looks away, and he knows what she's trying to say. Despite that, she never lets go of his hand. "It was only after I met you that I realised death could be scary. Because if someone dies, you can never see them again.."

She leans down, and holds him close to her.

"That's why.. That's why you can't die here, Junpei."

Her body begins to glitter and glow, with that soothing like that surrounded everything that she healed. From those flowers, to the wounds on her own body.. Yet this time, this time he could feel that power going into him instead. And he realises why he's in this hospital room. It's not reality, anymore, is it? He was shot.. he was punching his ticket and joining everyone else who'd died over the past year.

But she wouldn't let that happen.


Caesar duels it out with Takaya's Persona, but it's only as the fight continues to rage on that Akihiko realises that his enemy's gotten stronger than he was the last time they thought. It shows on his face, and the man bursts out into mad laughter. His Persona flies high into the air, and attacks the boxer's own with little remorse or mercy, destroying the creation of his consciousness and sending the silver haired teen to his knees, grabbing at the sides of his head in pain.

"Sanada-senpai!" Kotone screams, and leaves her spot slashing endlessly at Jin, dodging grenades with graceful movements.

She moves to the man she loves' side, and holds him close to her, carmine eyes a glare at the leader of Strega, who only continues to laugh with wide, unfeeling eyes.

"I find it endlessly amusing.. that fate should let us, who have no attachment to life, be the ones to live!" His endless mad howling only continues as he dodges attacks from each member that was able to fight– slashes from the swords of Minato and Mitsuru, arrows fired with precision by Yukari, bullets from a robot designed to destroy.

Fuuka, Ken and Koromaru stay by Chidori and Junpei's side, watching her with wide eyes as she heals him. They all watch as the wound in his chest begins to cover up like it had never occurred, and Koromaru whines a little as the teenager's eyes begin to move slightly, and open wide. He stares up at Chidori, who holds him tight in her arms, face lit up from the warm glow of her power.

His voice is hoarse and weak, but he speaks. "..I'm..?"

"Junpei-san!"

"Oh.. I see.." Fuuka murmurs, her lips pursed slightly. "Her Persona's power is the opposite of mine.. It doesn't sense life.. it emits it.."

Once that realisation comes to her mind, the next one strikes her like a baseball bat to the stomach. In order to revive someone.. in order to resurrect someone from the dead, she would have to.. She doesn't want to believe it.

Once she stops healing, Junpei pulls himself up and finds himself catching his saviour in his own arms, who sighs and smiles with nothing but relief.

"Thank goodness.. It worked.. I did it.." He holds her tight in her arms, and she rests her head in the crook between his neck and his shoulder. Her small hand traces the line in the ripped shirt where the bullet had entered, until it stops just over his heart. "I can hear the life pulsing through you.. it's saying 'Badum, badum'..."

She giggles, and Junpei's eyes widen in shock.

"Now, I'll live on inside of you, Junpei.. We'll always be together.." Her eyes begin to close, and she falls into a resting position in his arms.

He can't believe it. He shakes her desperately, not wanting to believe what he's seeing. "Hey, Chidori!? What're you saying..!? Chidori!? Stay with me!"

"From here on, I'll protect you, Junpei.. Always."

"I-I'll protect you too! So, please..! Don't leave me!" His voice quivers with each word, his eyes tearing up as she continues to blink slowly, her eyes opening and closing for what he can only presume could be the final time.

A weak chuckle. "It feels so nice when I'm with you, Junpei.."

"Chidori!"

Her hand raises to his cheek. "I love you, Junpei.. Thank you.."


hey who said that this part of the game was ok?
this is major leagues fucked up painful

saved this file under: things that are NOT okay

i actually? really like this chapter tbh
its a very sorrowful chapter, but..
its one that i feel as though i've done well with

... it still hurt tho

so anyway,
on todays episode of im depressed and all my children need help,
we have... yet another death

WELL.. i hope y'all liked this chapter!
like i said last time, this chapter was much easier to write!

i hope y'all enjoyed and i'll see y'all next one!