09/17
-After School-
I asked around a little bit at the flood plain, but Yu had proven to be the best at information gathering yet again and called us all to come to Junes. We headed into the TV and Yu told Rise about Naoto being treated like a child and he had an abnormal obsession with the case. Rise used her Persona to find him and then we all followed her over to a place that looked like a bunker of some sort with a couple satellite dishes on top.
"What is this place...?" Kanji asked.
"It's all sci-fi...Heyyyy, doesn't it remind you of those secret hideouts in live action shows?" Yosuke asked.
"Awesome...!" I grinned at the thought.
"Oh yeah...Hehe, I used to watch Featherman all the time when I was a kid." Kanji said.
"I hear that those are really tough shoots. A lot of the actors do their own stunts, like, jumping through fire themselves." Rise said.
"Well, it's every man's dream to do that stuff." Yosuke replied.
"Yeah, I can understand that. They're action-based, like kung fu movies." Chie said. "And just the phrase "secret hideout" has this exciting ring to it!"
"I totally hear you." Yu answered her.
"Actually, when I was a kid, I had my own secret place near the mountain by Yukiko's house. I'd pretend that a legendary kung fu master was teaching me special techniques. Hwataaa!" Chie told him, striking a kung fu pose.
"You got it all wrong..." Yosuke said, then quickly moved on. "But hey, so this secret hideout thingy came from Naoto's mind? I guess our proper boy detective isn't as grown up as he looks."
"Doesn't that make him more interesting, though?" I asked.
"Alright, let's get going." Yosuke looked vaguely annoyed as he declined to acknowledge my comment.
Yu decided to take Yosuke, Yukiko, and Teddie with him on the main team, leaving Chie, Kanji, and I in charge of guarding Rise as we followed behind them. As soon as we entered the place, an alarm noise went off.
"UNKNOWN INTRUDER DETECTED INSIDE FACILITY...THREAT LEVEL: YELLOW. DEPLOYING GUARDS INSIDE THE FACILITY. WARNING! WARNING! ATTENTION INTRUDERS! LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY! I REPEAT: LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!" The defence system said.
"Huh? Intruders...That means us, right?" Rise asked.
"Yep. Looks like it." I sighed.
The first floor didn't take too long to power through, but the stairs went downward instead of up in this place and the defence system started up again on the second basement level.
"WARNING! WARNING! ATTENTION INTRUDERS! LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY! I REPEAT: LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!"
"Does this mean...Naoto-kun doesn't want our help?" Rise asked. "I-I don't really get it, but let's go on for now!"
We continued on to the third floor underground.
"WARNING! WARNING! ATTENTION INTRUDERS! LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY! I REPEAT: LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!"
"Hey Senpai, when Naoto-kun appeared on the Midnight Channel...He said he was going to undergo a "body-alteration operation"...Did that mean Naoto-kun's going to be altered here!?" Rise asked.
"I wonder if Shadows can even do something like that...?" I muttered.
"...Crap, we need to hurry!"
So we did, to the forth basement level where the colour scheme changed a little bit.
"UNKNOWN INTRUDERS HAVE ARRIVED AT B4F. THREAT LEVEL: ORANGE. MAJOR FACILITY AREAS LOCKED. ELIMINATE THE INTRUDERS!"
We had to run around and look for an ID card to get into the research area door, then go down more stairs.
"INTRUDERS WILL BE ELIMINATED! I REPEAT: INTRUDERS WILL BE ELIMINATED!"
We switched up the teams at Yu's request, Yukiko, Chie, and I making up the main force with him now, and continued on to B6F.
"UNKNOWN INTRUDERS HAVE ARRIVED AT B6F. ELIMINATE THE INTRUDERS!"
We found the Research Card to proceed and came to a door where Rise sensed a strong presence behind it. When we entered there was a giant robot guard that looked like an oversized kid's action figure.
"INTRUDER DETECTED WITHIN THE RESEARCH AREA. ELIMINATION PROCEEDING."
It wasn't weak to anything, so we had no choice but to just throw everything we had at it until it went down.
"Yes! You did it, Senpai!" Rise cheered as Yu retrieved a Leader Card from a chest in the back of the room.
Yu then made me switch with Kanji and we went back down to the sixth floor to continue on our way.
"UNKNOWN INTRUDERS HAVE ENTERED CLASSIFIED SECTOR 2...THREAT LEVEL: RED. DEPLOYING INCREASED GUARDS WITHIN THE FACILITY. THE INTRUDERS MUST BE ELIMINATED!"
"Man...It's seriously rejecting us...We'll just have to get ourselves fired up and bust on through!" Rise said.
We continued on fighting our way to the next floor.
"STOP THE INTRUDERS! STOP THE INTRUDERS!"
"Okay! I can sense Naoto-kun nearby! Just a little more to go...Hang in there!" Rise said.
When we got to B9F, it looked like the final area, with the short hallway and then a large door, so we stopped to take a break. Then we headed into the door.
"Naoto!" Kanji called when we spotted the two Naotos standing in front of a horrific operation table with a huge saw blade and such. The one wearing the lab coat was probably the Shadow and was hiding his face in his sleeves and crying like a child.
"Ah. It's about time you arrived." The real Naoto looked at us, as cool as ever. "Dealing with this child has been quite a pain..."
"No! No, no, don't go!" The other Naoto cried, stopping the real one that was walking toward us.
"It's useless speaking with you. I need to go back now..."
"Why? Why're you leaving me here!? Why am I always left alone!? It's so lonely...I don't wanna be alone!" The crying Shadow sounded more girlish than the real one.
"Naoto-kun..." Yukiko said.
"You wear the same face as me...It's as if you're implying we're one and the same." The real Naoto shook his head. "But the difference between me and you is..."
"Why delude yourself? I am you." The Shadow looked angry now. "These childish gestures are no mere affectation...They're the truth. The fools all say it, don't they...? "You're only a child," "Keep out of our business, kid," and so forth. No matter how many cases you spend hours cogitating over, no matter how many crimes you solve, you're a child in their eyes. It's your brain they're interested in. The grey matter locked up in that skull. As long as they need it, you're an ace detective! But once you're done, it's back to the playpen with you. You haven't the means to deal with society's two-faced nature...You're just a lonely child."
"Naoto..." Yosuke said.
"I wanna be a grown-up..." The Shadow returned to crying. "I wanna be a big boy right now...Then they'll see who I am...I...I want a reason for me to stay..."
"That's enough. I can find my own reason for living..." The real Naoto seemed to get affected by that.
"Hah...I'm telling you that's impossible. You are but a child. How can you change that essential truth?" The Shadow went back to being harsh.
"S-Stop it...!"
"At your core, you admire the sort of "strong" and "cool" men who populate detective fiction. But in trying to emulate them, you must know that in truth, you're nothing of the sort-you're a child. There's no avoiding first principles...Admit that you're a child, and admit that there's nothing you can do about it. Now then! Our analysis is complete. Let us begin the body alteration procedure. You have no objections, do you..."Naoto" Shirogane?"
"Stop it!"
""Naoto"...Such a cool, manly name! But a name doesn't change the truth. It doesn't let you cross the barrier between the sexes. How could you become an ideal man when you were never male to begin with...?"
"Wait, what...? Did he...Did I hear that right!?" Yosuke asked in shock.
"Eh, I kinda figured." I sighed with a shrug.
"Y-You did!?"
"H-He's not a guy!?" Kanji seemed shocked too.
"I won't throw a tantrum...That accomplishes nothing...!" The real Naoto seemed to be struggling with this.
The Shadow chuckled. "Hahahaha! How often I've heard those words from the adults. "Throwing a tantrum won't solve anything, Naoto-kun," and other such bilge! They made you cry, didn't they? Yet here you are, mimicking those same men. What exactly are you trying to justify?"
"What...?"
"It's all right. You needn't suffer anymore. That's why you're undergoing this body alteration procedure to begin with. You throw a tantrum, but it fails to change the situation a single bit...I can quite understand the feeling. After all...I am you."
"That's not true!" Naoto shouted.
"Don't say it!" Chie tried to stop her.
"It's kinda late for that..." I muttered, getting ready to break Naoto's fall from the small platform that would inevitably come any moment now.
"It's okay...Let the kid spill the whole thing. If not, Naoto's just gonna keep hurting..." Kanji said. "We'll just do our job and kick the Shadow's ass. Yeah?"
The Shadow started chuckling and gathering power. "Ahahahaha! As if you know anything about me! You'll kick my ass, huh? Fine...Go ahead and try, you lizard-brained imbecile!"
"Save the discussion for later!" Yosuke said as we all got ready.
"Here it comes!" Rise called just before the dark energy burst and I darted to catch the real Naoto that was now unconscious as she was blown back.
"I am a shadow...The true self..." The Shadow Naoto had transformed into a robotic humanoid with ray guns, jet-like wings, and was floating in the air. "What? Are you sick of yourselves too? Very well...Then let's begin the special operation!"
"O-Operation!? I hate ouchies!" Teddie said, as he was on the main fighting team.
"Have you made up your mind? Then let us commence!"
"Hey, is, uh, she...okay?" Yosuke asked me from where he stood in front of Naoto and I, ready to defend against any stray attacks or shadows that might show up.
"Yeah, seems like it." I told him, gently laying Naoto down on the floor.
"...Uh, Kyoka? Can I ask you something?"
"Hm?"
"You said you figured Naoto was a girl...Does that mean, uh, that you're into...Y'know...?"
"...Are you asking me if I'm into other girls?" I tilted my head at his back as he stubbornly refused to look at me for some reason. "The answer is no, I'm into guys."
"Oh, good..." He sighed in relief, his shoulders relaxing a bit before tensing again quickly. "Ah, no! I mean, um...! It's good you don't 'cause...uh..."
"No, no, that will never do. Patients must lie still for me to drill proper holes into them." Shadow Naoto said, distracting us both from Yosuke's stammering. It looked like the others were doing pretty well, since they didn't have to hit it too much more before it said, "Ugh...Why must you struggle so much?" And then eventually, they defeated it.
"So...Naoto-kun was a girl." Chie said after everyone had gathered around the unconscious real one.
"Ngh..." Naoto began to wake up.
"Are you awake?" Yukiko asked as she went to stand up slowly.
"Where am I...?" Naoto sounded kind of hoarse and more girly. "I remember you all arriving, and...That's right...You saw everything..." She looked toward her Shadow that was back to its human form and stood waiting for her as she approached it. "...I lost both my parents in an accident. I was still young, so my grandfather took me in. I was inept at making friends...so I spent my time reading detective novels in my grandfather's study."
"When I grow up...I'm gonna be an awesome, hard-boiled detective...!" The Shadow said in a childish way.
"My parents were proud of their job. I had no qualms about following in their footsteps...An inherited occupation can feel stifling to many, but I welcomed it. I yearned for the day I could be a detective myself...Perhaps I inherited that desire from them as well. I was always alone...Seeing that, my grandfather must have believed it was his duty to help me realize my dream. I secretly aided my grandfather with his clients...And before I knew it, people started calling me Junior Detective. At first, I was delighted. But not everything went so smoothly..."
"What was that you said about "You're only a child..."?" Yukiko asked.
"Not everyone welcomes my collaboration when it comes to solving cases...My status as a "child" was sufficient to offend many of those whom I worked with. Were that the only issue, then it would have resolved itself with time...But though I will one day change from a child to an adult, I will never change from a woman to a man..."
"Do you not like being a girl...? Is that why you always dress like a boy?"
Naoto nodded. "My sex doesn't fit my ideal image of a detective...Besides, the police department is a male-oriented society. If they had the slightest "concrete" reason to look down on me, no one would need me anymore..."
"You don't know that." Kanji said.
"Hey...You must know already that what you yearn for isn't to become an adult or become a boy..." Yukiko said.
"...You're absolutely right." Naoto turned to her Shadow. "I'm sorry...I kept ignoring you, pretending you didn't exist. But you are me...and I am you. You've always been inside me. What I should yearn for...No, what I must strive for isn't to become a man. It's to accept myself for who I really am..."
The Shadow nodded and, in a blue light, turned into a Persona that looked like a little fairy thing with a big sword. It then turned into a card and disappeared into Naoto. Then, Naoto collapsed onto her knees.
"In any event, you're a devious bunch...I can't believe you kept something like this hidden for so long...Haha...No wonder the perpetrator has eluded the police...But it's apparent now...This case is far from over." Naoto said.
"That's right...And you proved it, Naoto." Yosuke replied.
"Yeah. Maybe they'll actually listen to a good point if it comes from an actual detective." I joked.
"Anyways, we can talk more later. We need to get you out of here."
We took Naoto out of the TV and stood around it as she knelt in front of it.
"Hey...Hey!" Kanji was crouched in front of her, worried as she was breathing heavily.
"Sheesh...She really put her life on the line for this..." Chie said.
"But without her efforts, we'd never have realized...that Kyoka was right and the culprit is still at large." Yukiko said.
Everyone nodded and Kanji stood up and said, "You're too frickin' reckless, dammit..."
"I never doubted that you'd all come for me..." Naoto said, looking up and giving me a small smile when she met my gaze. "Although the reality turned out to be far beyond what I'd imagined."
"Tch...What a dumbass. You're no genius at all." Kanji said. "We were tearing our hair out over you..."
"So you did worry about her, Kanji! Awww..." Rise grinned at him.
"Shuddup! M-Mind your own damn business!" Kanji snapped at her, blushing a bit.
"I'll take her home." I volunteered.
"It's all right...I can-" Naoto started, but Rise cut her off.
"No way, missy! Don't think that doing everything on your own is the "adult" thing to do! C'mon, let's go. Grab on!"
"Rise, you're being too pushy." I laughed, waving her off as she offered her hand to Naoto insistently. "I'll make sure she gets there, don't worry. Besides, Naoto and I are basically the same height, so it'll be easier for me to support her."
"...Alright." Rise pouted at me, but seemed to realize that Naoto had already reluctantly accepted my help in getting up.
Once we parted from the others, I was still lending Naoto my shoulder to walk as we headed to her home. That's when Naoto decided to break the silence.
"You told them before...That it wasn't over with Mitsuo Kubo's arrest...?"
I nodded slightly and sighed. "Of course, they didn't want to listen to me. Not that I can blame them, considering I've thrown around quite a few theories with no real proof before. So, I have to thank you for proving it, even though I do think it was stupid to use yourself as bait without telling us your plan before it was already too late."
"So when you understood what I meant back then...It was because we were on the same page to begin with." She smiled slightly as she lowered her head a bit and sighed. "I should also thank you...For reassuring me that you'd come for me and letting me go through with it. I never would've believed you if you had tried to explain. However...I am a bit embarrassed that you had to see that side of me..."
"It's alright. We've seen a few Shadows by now."
"I see..."
"...Hey, by the way...I know it isn't your ideal because you grew up reading those detective stories that centre around guys, but...I think there can be great female detectives too. I'll look for a good story with one for you. And if I don't find one, I'll try to write one. I'm not promising it'll be any good, but...I'm pretty sure at least one story exists with a great female detective that's all cool and everything."
She seemed surprised by that, stopping our slow walk to look at me for a second before she gave a small, almost inaudible chuckle. "You don't have to do that...But thank you."
"I know I don't have to, but I want to do at least that for you. I mean, I think you're cool already, but I know you're right about the police being a male-oriented society, so it's probably hard for you to see yourself as a successful female detective in such a place." I said, and then we started walking again.
"...Kyoka-san, there was something I wanted to ask you."
"Yes?"
"Back when we had the school trip...You ran off with a pelt saying something strange. The others told me you were just acting strangely like the other two, but it's bothered me. Did that...Have anything to do with what's going on?"
"Yeah. It's kinda hard to explain, but I think it was because I absorbed my Shadow instead of it becoming a Persona like yours and everyone else's did. I don't remember that particular incident really, but that's just the feeling I got. Sorry, I must've seemed completely insane at the time."
"No, I originally thought it may have been connected to your disappearance, because you claimed not to remember anything, but..."
"Well, technically, it was."
"You mean, you...?"
I nodded. "I fell in and was stuck in the TV world when I disappeared back then, before the murders even started. But...I knew no one would believe me. I hardly believed it myself at the time."
"Strange...But now it makes more sense why there was no trace of kidnappers and the like. However, you spent months in that world...? That would also explain the state you were in when you were found. It would have been a great shock to be back after so much time in such a strange place."
"You looked into it that far, huh?" I laughed a little with embarrassment. "Sorry, but there's still mysteries that don't seem like they'll be solved even if I tell the truth. The person who gave me the power to enter the TV, how exactly I survived being merged with a shadow, and how I got the tattoo on my back being a few of them..."
"Well, perhaps we can look into it when I'm feeling better...I am quite curious about all of it."
"Okay, but make sure to rest properly before looking into anything in particular." I replied as we neared the large house Naoto lived in. It might've been a mansion, but I didn't stick around too long after making sure she got inside okay.