Act 6
Enter The Investigation Team!
Well. That trailer was… something else.
"This is a stupid movie," Kaito said flatly.
"It's just flat out bullying!" Miyuki's hands balled into fists. "Why I oughta… Someone has to teach those mean dinos a lesson!"
Kaito looked at Miyuki scornfully. "Don't be stupid, Miyu. They're dinosaurs. We can't fight 'em! Besides they're veggie-tarians."
"Who you calling stupid, Kaito?!" Miyuki retorted, jabbing a finger in his face. "They're veggie-tarians but that doesn't mean they can't be scary! Remember Triassic Park?"
"Veggie-tarians?" Anne whispered.
"They still can't… quite pronounce vegetarians," Ken explained.
But the twins weren't done with their bickering quite yet.
"Yeah, well…"
"Ha, I'm right!" Miyuki gloated.
"Why do you have to be a know-it-all?" Kaito grumbled out.
Miyuki stuck her tongue out at Kaito. "'Cause girls are smarter. It's a rule."
"Are not!" Kaito exclaimed, glaring at her.
"Auntie Mitsuru's a genius and Auntie Fuuka is magic with computer and Auntie Aigis is like an enc… enc…"
"Encyclopedia," Ken supplied.
"Uncle Ken's smart too!" Kaito retorted.
Ken sighed. Of course he was getting dragged into this argument…
"That's enough, you two," he scolded. "Or do you want to be left back here while we go in?"
The twins' eyes immediately widened and they shook their heads furiously.
"Oh sure, they listen to him, no matter what…" Ryuji grumbled out.
Futaba rolled her eyes. "Don't be salty, Ryuji, they've known Ken since they were babies."
"But back to the movie…" Haru shook her head before clutching a hand to her chest. "This is just as awful as Kamoshidaman!"
"It seems to operate on majority rules," Makoto said slowly, a frown on her face. "But the minority's say is being silenced. That's… not right."
Anne nodded furiously. "Yeah, that's how people fall through the cracks! We have to change the ending!"
"Right." Ren nodded. "But we need to form the main team first."
He closed his eyes, letting out a thoughtful hum.
"Ken and Haru for sure," he said slowly. "Ryuji. Minako."
"I'll do my best, Ren-kun!" Minako-san cheered.
Though Ken couldn't help but notice that her smile was a bit… forced. When Minako-san smiled, her eyes glowed. But there was no spark in her eyes now.
Someone suddenly tugged at his jacket. "Hey, hey, Uncle Ken, do you think we'll find Mommy and the others here?" Kaito asked hopefully.
Ken crouched in front of him before rubbing the top of his head. "I hope so, Kaito."
Not just for the twins' sake. Minako-san was making herself sick with worry. He was reminded a little of how she was right after Minato-san's death, before they were trapped in the Abyss of Time. She kept pretending that everything was okay, even though she was drowning in her grief. For the sake of everyone else.
"…Ken?"
Ken was snapped out of his ruminating by the sound of Makoto's voice. He quickly shook his head before standing up.
"Sorry," he apologized. "I was just… thinking."
Ryuji abruptly slapped him on the back. "Get your head in the game, or else you'll get left behind!"
Miyuki blinked at Ryuji. "That's not how the song goes."
"What song?" Ryuji asked.
"Do not start," Ken cut in before Miyuki could open her mouth. "Or else you'll get that song stuck in your head for days, I promise you."
"Anyways…" Ren stepped up to the screen, sticking his arm in. "Ready to go in?"
"Nothing like you've ever seen, right, Ken?" Futaba snickered.
Ken rolled his eyes. "I've seen it all, Futaba," he droned.
Haru giggled. "How exciting!"
"Let us begin," Yusuke said. "At your lead, Joker."
It was good to fall back into the usual pattern. The area was bizarre; they were actually in a jungle. The air was hot and sticky. Ken could feel his bangs sticking to his forehead. Not the most pleasant feeling.
Though Ken couldn't help but feel a little tired. He had thought he had recuperated enough at the theater, but…
"Great job, guys!" Futaba cheered. "How's the map coming along, Joker?"
"It's coming." Ren held up the notepad for emphasis. "Still got a ways to go though."
"It really felt like we were dragging when we were in Kamo City," Ryuji said. "Every few steps, Joker would stop and draw. It felt like he and Fox had switched bodies or something!"
Yusuke scowled at Ryuji. "There's nothing wrong with that."
"Yes, don't make fun of Fox, Skull!" Haru chided. "Especially since he's so talented!"
Yusuke flushed. "You flatter me, Noir, but I still have a ways to go…"
"I agree with Noir, actually!" Minako chimed in. "You're really good, Fox! Just look at the sketch you made of Noir and Ace!"
"You sure you don't wanna draw, Fox?" Ren asked teasingly, waggling the sketchpad at Yusuke.
"Delegating, are we, Joker?" Akechi chuckled.
Ken suddenly noticed Anne staring at him. "Is… something the matter, Panther?"
Anne jumped. "U-Uh…" She twirled her pigtail before frowning. "I was just thinking…"
"Wow, that's a surprise," Ryuji snorted.
Anne smacked the back of his head. "Don't be a hypocrite, Skull," she snapped. "I was just thinking about how… your Persona is the same still."
"Oh, that's right…" Makoto said slowly. "What was your original Persona called again?"
"Nemesis," Minako-san supplied. "Why is your Persona different, Ken-kun?"
Morgana let out a growl. "Code names…"
"Stick in the mud…" Kaito whispered to Miyuki, but his "whisper" came loud and clear.
"Kaito…" Ken scolded, shooting him a look. Then he looked down to the ground. "Personas are… a reflection of your heart. If you come to a resolution strong enough, your Persona will change."
"A resolution…?" Akechi questioned.
"So Nemesis changed into Kala-Nemi because of that?" Minako-san asked. "That's amazing, Ken-kun!"
"It wasn't just Ace though…" Makoto said. "Panther, Fox, and Oracle all had a resolution."
"Which is weeks old at best," Ken stated. "I've had Kala-Nemi for years. It's become… more rooted in me, while Panther, Fox, and Oracle did not have that luxury. That's my guess, at least."
Miyuki chimed in, "Nemesis sounds like a bad guy's name, anyways. Like a zombie level of a bad guy."
"Oh! Oh!" Kaito's eyes glowed in excitement. "And he has glowing red eyes, gray skin… and he wields a creepy magic bone sword!"
"That the bad guys brought back to life to sic on the good guys!"
Ken eyed the twins warily. "Has Junpei-san been letting you watch inappropriate movies again?"
"It doesn't sound that bad," Futaba chimed in. "Sounds like something from a rated T game."
"They're six."
Miyuki puffed out her cheeks. "Hey, don't talk about us like we're not here!"
"Anyhow…" Akechi chuckled. "I believe that we've discussed enough for now. Shall we move on?"
After a few more battles, Ren had decided that it was time to turn back. Honestly, it was a relief with how tired Ken was feeling… Though as much as he tried to hide it, Makoto had caught on.
"Ken, you can't run yourself ragged," Makoto said gently. "You should lie down."
Ken rubbed his eyes. "I know but…"
He couldn't help but feel worried. About the twins. Minako-san. Not to mention his MIA senpai…
"No buts," Makoto said sternly. "You made me rest the day we met because I was stressing myself out. You need to rest."
Ken sighed. "Fine…" he grumbled out.
Makoto's expression softened, before she caught his hand and tugged him down to sit by her. "Lie down."
Ken froze. "M-Makoto?"
"I… ah…" Makoto's cheeks flushed a warm shade of pink. "I thought you'd be comfortable if you could sleep on something softer than the floor."
"Are you sure?"
Makoto just shook her head, but she was smiling. "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it."
Ken slowly lowered himself, feeling his face warm up as his head rested on Makoto's lap. It was... soft.
Then Makoto's hand brushed against his cheek. "It's okay," she said with a reassuring smile. "Relax, Ken."
Makoto hummed something under her breath, a tune Ken had never heard before. She gently ran her fingers through his hair. It was… soothing.
"What song is that?" Ken asked, stifling a yawn.
"A song Sis used to sing when I was young," Makoto explained with a soft smile. "She tells me that our mother wrote it when she was expecting Sis."
"I'd like to hear you sing it one day," Ken said sleepily, feeling his eyelids droop.
Makoto just chuckled. "We'll see."
Drowsiness enveloped Ken like a blanket and he was asleep sooner than he knew it.
"You should rest. We'll take it from here."
"Who in the world… are you guys?!"
"Don't worry… we're here to help."
There were flashes. He was with everyone in SEES. But somehow… they were with the Investigation Team? It didn't make sense, since they were their ages back in 2009, but the Investigation Team was their age when they were solving the Adachi case. But there were also a pair of people Ken didn't know, a dark skinned boy and a blonde girl. Seeing them… made Ken feel incredibly sad for some reason.
They were at a school festival.
Then an obnoxiously pink area. He was talking with Yosuke-san, who looked… upset for some reason.
The area melted away, replaced by a haunted area. Kanji-san was suddenly crouching in front of him, mending a… shoelace? He was talking to Kanji-san again, but they were in a classroom, knitting for some reason.
"What if the culprit is a good person? What are you going to do?"
"I'd talk with them, then. I'd talk it out with them until we have nothing left to say."
Then it started to blur. But it finally seemed to clear. They were all gathered in the Velvet Room.
"It is time for us to go as well."
"We'll see each other again… some day."
Ken woke up with a gasp, jerking upwards.
What… What was that?
"Ken? What's wrong?"
He looked at his girlfriend. "A dream. A strangely vivid dream."
Makoto frowned. "Don't lie to me." She reached out, touching his cheek. "You're crying."
W-What?
"I-I…" Ken touched his cheek. "I don't know… I just…"
"Ken…"
Ken shook his head vigorously. "I'm not lying, Makoto, I swear. I'm really… confused about the dream."
Makoto studied him closely, before she sighed. "Well… if you're sure. But you know you can talk to me if you need to, right?"
Ken nodded. "I know."
Though something nagged at him. Why… Why did it feel so much more than just a dream?
Things were not going well. First they had been separated from Yosuke and then Rise been poisoned. Yukiko had tried casting her healing spells several time, but Rise's condition just worsened. Yu had to stop her from trying yet again. They couldn't have Yukiko passing out on them too.
They sat Rise under the shade of a large tree. Rise was sweating profusely. Her usually rosy cheeks were growing paler and paler. Yukiko sat next to her, offering her hand for Rise to squeeze.
He hated this. He hated being so helpless, watching Rise so pained.
"Yu-senpai…" Naoto trailed off for a moment before she seemed to steel herself. Her eyes met Yu's. "We have to seek treatment. We can't go on like that."
"But how?!" Chie cried, panic ringing clear in her voice. "We're in the middle of a jungle for God's sake!"
"We can't just sit here like sitting ducks though!" Kanji argued. "This is serious!"
Chie quickly retorted, "I didn't say it wasn't!"
"Rise-chan can't die!" Teddie wailed before clutching his head. "Ohhh, first Yosuke and now Rise-chan! This is beary, beary bad!"
"Really, Ted?" Kanji snapped. "Now?!"
"C-Calm down, everyone, please!" Yukiko exclaimed, holding up her hands in a calming manner. "We can't panic!"
Yu gritted his teeth. He needed to speak up before his friends continued to squabble further.
"Enough."
Yu had to fight so that his voice wouldn't crack. He couldn't fall apart here. He was the leader. He had to stay calm.
He knelt down, lifting Rise into his arms. Rise laid her head against his shoulder. "I… I'm okay," she rasped out. "I haven't fainted yet."
"Don't talk, Rise." Yu hushed her before his grip on her tightened. "We'll figure something out. We'll find you a cure."
Rise gave a small nod. "Of course. I believe in you, Senpai."
"Are you sure that you should carry Rise-chan, Yu-kun?" Yukiko asked tentatively, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Yu inhaled. "It'll be fine. But Yukiko… please look after her if we run into any Shadows. And Teddie, I need you to play as mission control right now. Can you do that while you're fighting?"
"Got it, Sensei!" Teddie nodded furiously. "I'll do my best!"
He closed his eyes. "Kanji, Naoto, I want you to be on the active team," he announced.
His two juniors nodded before taking their spots right behind Yu.
"Let's make haste," Naoto said. "The sooner the better."
"Agreed," Yu said. "Let's move out!"
Teddie did their best to guide them but it really was a maze. Yu couldn't help but feel frustrated. And he grew more and more anxious as he watched his girlfriend's face become even more clammy. Green began to tinge her complexion as well.
"Sensei, wait!" Teddie yelped, waving his arms so hard that he resembled a windmill. "I sense a lot of people coming!"
"Wait, people?!" Chie gasped, eyes wide. "How's that possible?"
Naoto frowned. "Are you sure that they're not Shadows, though?"
"I'm positive, Nao-chan!" Teddie began to sniff the air. "They've definitely got Personas! There's…" He gasped. "Holy cow… that's a lot! Like… eight… nine?"
"Holy crap, that's a lot!" Chie gasped. "But… are you sure they're enemies?"
"We don't know if they're friends either, Chie-senpai," Naoto pointed out. "We're in new territory. We can't operate like we do back at home."
"Get 'im, Senpai!" Kanji flexed his arm. "Show 'em how badass you are!"
"Senpai… no!" Rise weakly shook her head, grasping his sleeve. "Y-You can't—"
"We have to get you medicine, Rise." Yu shook his head. "We can't go on like this. We'll have to power our way through. I'll be fine."
And he needed her to be fine too…
He carefully set her down and waited for Yukiko to support her, her arm around Rise's waist. His hand then grasped the hilt of his sword, drawing it out.
"Your sword, Senpai?" Naoto asked with a frown. "Not Izanagi?"
"No." Yu shook his head. "This will be quicker."
He then shifted into his usual stance. There was a rustle in the bushes before a black blur leaped out.
"HA!"
Yu swung his sword, blocking the blow. Wait… was that a gun? Never mind that!
"Get out of our way!" Yu snarled out. "I mean it!"
"GET 'IM, JOKER!"
"YEAH, KICK HIS BUTT!"
Wait, what? Yu looked over to see two blue haired children cheering on his enemy. That made him kinda wish that Nanako was here to cheer him on—
Wait, what was he thinking?! Nanako would be in danger if that happened! And he had to focus!
This Joker looked shocked, but Yu wasn't going to complain about the opening. He darted forward, swinging his sword once more. He had his opponent on the defensive. He was barely able to block Yu's blows, until Yu was finally able to send his adversary's gun flying.
"Joker!" a blonde girl cried as he stumbled backwards, falling down.
"Stand down!" a curly haired girl cried. "W-We're not enemies!"
"And I'm supposed to just believe that?" Yu snapped.
"ENOUGH!"
There was a clang. Another person had interfered, blocking his sword with his spear.
Yu gritted his teeth, pressing forward. But his new opponent shifted his weapon, before he suddenly jerked upwards. Yu's sword went flying.
"He just… how did he…?" Yukiko gasped.
Yu just stared, before his opponent dropped his spear with a loud clatter.
"We are not your enemies," he stated. "What made you think that?"
Something… nagged at Yu. There was something about the spear wielder that made him feel… déjà vu. A strong sense of déjà vu. But why?
"Can you blame us?!" Teddie demanded, snapping Yu out of his thoughts. "You're wearing masks! Like villains!"
"Joker!" A blonde pigtailed girl clad in red ran up to Joker, dropping down to her knees. "Are you okay?!"
"I may have a couple of bruises that need to be kissed," he quipped, smiling up at her. "Will you do the honors, my lady?"
"…Really, Joker?" the spear wielder deadpanned. "Now?"
"I'm not the one who made out with his girlfriend during a battle, Ace," Joker retorted.
"Yeah, yeah, you two both can't keep your hands off your girlfriends."
Yu jumped as an apparition of a long haired girl appeared, as Ace began to sputter.
"Can we move on now?" the girl asked impatiently.
"Never mind that!" Chie interrupted. "Rise-chan, hang in there!"
Rise just let out a pained whimper, grabbing Yu's attention. She was swaying, even with Yukiko supporting her. Yu winced. This was not looking good…
"Do you have any medicine?" Yu said, unable to keep the urgency out of his voice. "What we had… It's completely ineffective."
"But what's wrong with her?" an auburn haired girl asked. "She's so pale and she's sweating buckets!"
"She's been poisoned," Yukiko said, rubbing soothing circles into Rise's back.
A dark brown haired girl winced, before shaking her head. "I apologize but we don't have any antidotes for poison…"
"Dammit!" Kanji growled out before he lashed out and punched a nearby tree. "The hell are we supposed to do?! And who the hell are you guys?"
"You're Persona-users, are you not?" stated a brown haired boy in white, contrasting with the spear wielder who was decked out in mostly black. "We are in a similar situation."
"We need to get her outta here," another boy with bleached hair said. "Maybe the people in the movie theater will know what to do."
"Movie theater?" Naoto asked. "What are you talking about?"
"Never mind that now," Yu cut her off. "We can ask questions later. What matters is if we can get Rise the help she needs."
"I—" Naoto sighed. "…If you believe that's best, Senpai."
"Let's get moving then," a blue haired boy stated.
After they returned to the movie theater, they were greeted by another denizen of the Velvet Room. Two, in fact. One of them was an elegant woman with the same pale hair and golden eyes as Theo. And the other… was a girl named Marie, with black hair and gray eyes.
The steel gray haired teenager was acquainted with both. Margaret-san took the nearly unconscious auburn haired girl, claiming that she would get her to sorts.
"Rise…" the boy sighed with a frown.
"Rise-san will be okay, Yu-senpai," the blue haired boy comforted, a hand on his arm.
"Y-Yeah, before you'll know it, she'll be clinging to your arm again!" the bleached blond said. "And annoying the crap outta me…"
Minako just sighed. They were Persona-users but not her friends. Though Ken… had an odd expression on his face as he watched the group of strangers.
"B-But anyways…" the brunette girl smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about all this. We just…"
"You were just worried about a friend," Makoto said, shaking his head. "There's nothing to apologize for."
"I mean, he looked mad enough to chop off RenRen's head…" Ryuji grumbled.
"I-I assure you that's not the case." The silver haired boy winced. "I apologize for that. It's just…"
"Hey, it's no problem," Ren reassured with a smile. "She's your girlfriend, isn't she?"
"I… er…" The boy just blushed in response.
"Sheesh…" The brunette in green shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder how you and Rise-chan hide it around other people, Yu-kun."
"To be fair, it's not normal circumstances, Chie," the elegant dark haired girl stated. "But um… should we introduce ourselves?"
"It's the least we can do," the silver haired boy agreed with a nod. Then he pressed a hand against his chest. "My name's Yu Narukami. I'm a second year."
"Chie Satonaka, second-year, at your service!" the brunette cheered with a fist pump. "Nice to meet ya!"
The dark haired girl just laughed, before bowing. "My name is Yukiko Amagi. A second-year, as well."
Wait a minute… that sounded familiar.
"Ah!" Minako gasped. "Amagi?!"
"Auntie Mina…?" Miyuki asked.
"Amagi!" Minako repeated before pointing at the girl, who just looked bewildered. "I stayed at your inn this past summer! We were have an exchange thingie with Yasogami!"
"Wait what?" Chie frowned. "That's news to me…"
"Didn't that occur… two years ago…?" Yukiko asked. "I believe that's the case. I remember there was a ruckus in one of the rooms, because of some trouble with the lighting? Mother could never figure out what the problem is."
Oh. That. Whups…
Ken narrowed his eyes. "…What exactly happened?"
"Ehehe…" Minako scratched her cheek. "That's a secret for me, Rio-chan, and Yuko-chan, I'm afraid."
"So… you're from 2009?" Yu asked. "We come from the year 2011."
"Just me," Minako informed. "It looks like this is like, a hub for time travel!"
Anne gave a nervous laugh. "It's 2016 for us."
The bleached blond gaped at them. "Damn, that's like five years in the future!"
"We can all do math," Morgana grumbled.
"Morgana, don't be mean!" Kaito snapped.
"Oh, you're adorable!" Chie gushed before she suddenly picked up Kaito, making him yelp in surprise.
"Me next, Chie!" Yukiko exclaimed.
"Grr…" the guy in the costume fumed. "Why are Chie-chan and Yuki-chan falling head over heels for a kid?!"
"Uncle Kennnn! Help!" Kaito whined as Chie started to cuddle him, drawing a few laughs from the Phantom Thieves.
"A-Ah, Chie-san, please put him down…" Ken trailed off.
"Chie-san?" Chie blinked as she set Kaito to the ground. "You don't have to be so polite. You're older than me right now, aren't you?"
"Don't mind him." Ryuji poked Ken in the side, making Ken scowl. "He's all polite and formal. Took us three times to convince him to drop last name basis."
"I believe we're getting sidetracked…" the diminutive boy sighed with a shake of his head. "I'm Naoto Shirogane and I'm a first—"
"NAOTO-SAN?!" Miyuki shrieked at the top of her lungs.
"That can't be her!" Kaito shook his head adamantly, jabbing a finger in Naoto's direction. "She doesn't have boobies!"
Wait. That's a girl? Oops…
"I… ah…" Naoto stuttered out, her cheeks turning bright red. "I-I beg your pardon?"
"KAITO!" Ken snapped, glaring sternly down at the little boy. "Apologize to Naoto-san. Now."
Kaito winced, before shuffling his feet. "S-Sorry, Naoto-san," he mumbled out.
Naoto coughed, though her cheeks were still red. "It's okay. Really."
"But how the hell do you know so much about Naoto?!" the blond demanded.
"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko exclaimed. "No swearing in front of children!"
"I… uhhh…" Kaito stammered out.
"Kaito is a fan of you in the future," Makoto cut in. "Isn't that right, Kaito?"
He nodded vigorously. "Uh huh!"
"Close call," Futaba mumbled underneath her breath.
What was this about…?
"Ahh, I see." Akechi rubbed his chin. "You're the original Detective Prince. It is a honor to meet you."
"Oh…?" Naoto tilted her head.
"Akechi-kun is known as the second coming of the Detective Prince," Haru explained, before she dipped her head. "It's a honor to meet you, Shirogane-san."
"Please, there's no need to be formal," Naoto requested. She was smiling almost sheepishly; she was an awkward one, wasn't she? "After all, you are older than me, no?"
"What's with the kids though?" Yu asked.
"They're the children of my senpai," Ken answered. "Kaito and Miyuki. They ended up here as well."
"I see…" Naoto frowned, rubbing her chin. "How odd. There would be a commonality if we were Persona-users, but the children are an anomaly."
Chie then cleared her throat. "Um, let's not focus on that, yeah? You haven't introduced yourself, Kanji-kun!"
"Uhh… right." Kanji rubbed the back of his neck. "The name's Kanji Tatsumi. A first year like Naoto. Nice to meet ya."
"And I'm Teddie!" the guy in the costume shouted. "I'm totally ready to score with all you lovely ladies~!"
"And two of them are taken," Anne interjected.
Haru shook her head. "I also have no interest in you, Teddie-san."
Teddie gasped. "Ohhh, you ladies are so beautiful but cold…!"
Minako couldn't help but giggle. He was funny, at least.
"Ahem!" Yukiko cleared her throat. "So… how did you get here?"
"We were exploring the Shadow nest we've been looking into," Morgana stated. "And then something weird happened and we all got sucked into a portal!"
"I still don't understand that…" Makoto shook her head with a sigh. "When I pressed on the brakes… it did absolutely nothing."
"Oh!" Chie turned to look at Yu. "Yu-kun, that was kinda like what we had to do…!"
Yu nodded. "Except we basically just fell in when we went to explore the TV world…"
"And then we got separated from Yosuke-senpai…" Kanji muttered. "I hope he hasn't gotten eaten by a dinosaur."
"Ohh, don't remind me!" Teddie wailed. "Who's gonna buy me Topiscles when I want them now?!"
"That's what you're concerned with?" Ryuji sighed.
"Topsicles are quite delicious," Yusuke stated. "I do not blame him for his concern."
Futaba snorted. "Of course you would, Inari."
"Why you—" Yusuke began, only to be cut off by Chie.
"Hey! Don't say that, Kanji-kun!" Chie cried. "Yosuke will be okay! He's gotta be!"
"I'm a bit surprised that there are other places where Shadows gather, though," Yu stated with a frown. "I thought the TV World was a unique phenomenon."
"Nope!" Ryuji shook his head. "We've been dealing our situation since April."
"Perhaps this was fate," Minako offered. "A gathering of Persona-users!"
And hopefully her friends would be gathering around here too soon…
"We should probably introduce ourselves as well, though," Makoto stated. "Ren?"
"Putting me on the spot, huh?" Ren adjusted his glasses. "Uh… the name's Ren. Ren Amamiya."
"Going all James Bind on us, huh?" Anne teased.
Ren just smirked in response. "Then maybe we shouldn't have marathoned a couple of his movies last date night then. It was your idea."
The others introduced themselves and when it was Minako's turn, she introduced herself as well. They also explained that they were the Phantom Thieves. And it turned out that Yu and his group of Persona-users called themselves the Investigation Team, dedicated to solving the murder mystery that plagued their little town.
"That sounds so cool!" Chie enthused with a bright smile. "I'd love to be a Phantom Thief."
"But you're always so loud, Senpai…" Kanji said.
"Hey, I could learn!" she protested with a pout.
Morgana interjected, "I mean, I taught Ryuji and he's loud and brash—"
"Aw, shuddup, Morgana!" Ryuji snarled.
Then the sound of footsteps approached. It was the auburn haired girl, along with Nagi and Hikari.
"Rise-chan!" Chie cried. "You're okay!"
"Yep!" she cheered, doing a little twirl. Then she flashed a peace sign at them. "Rise is back and better than ever!"
"Thank goodness…" Yu sighed. "Rise, look, I—"
"Oh, stop, Senpai!" Rise chided with a frown. "Don't beat yourself up for this… I'm doing okay now." She winked. "Cute as ever! And we'll save Yosuke-senpai too. You'll see!"
"A ball of optimism as always," Naoto chuckled.
She quipped, "Someone has to." Then she winked again. "Especially with you around, Naoto-kun."
"I-I beg your pardon?!"
Her friends all gathered around Rise, voicing their relief. Minako couldn't help but smile sadly. Would her friends react in the same way?
"Minako-san?" Ken asked.
Minako forced a smile. "H-Hey, we should trade info, yeah? Just to make sure, y'know?"
She couldn't think about how much she missed her friends. Not when there were things to do…
Maybe… if they were lucky… they'd find this Yosuke along with her friends…
Ren stared mournfully at the pile of yen bills stacked on the counter.
"Stop being so dramatic, Ren," Ken scolded.
"I'm going to be broke, Ken."
Ken just huffed, before rolling his eyes.
"And you can't just mug the Shadows for money like in the Metaverse?"
"No guns, remember?" Ren reminded him.
"That didn't stop you from trying to take on Yu-san with yours."
Ren waved a hand. "Different circumstances, Ken."
"Riiiight…" Ken deadpanned with an unamused frown.
"Is something the matter?"
They both turned their heads as Yu approached.
Ren answered, "Just paying for some new weapons."
Yu smiled apologetically.
"Sorry, I know it's… a lot."
"Seriously…" Ren grumbled. "Why the hell is a fan so much?!"
"A tessen isn't exactly your typical paper fan that tourists get suckered into buying," Ken said dryly.
"Just let me whine for a minute."
Ken quipped, "Only a minute?"
Yu just laughed, his eyes dancing in laughter.
"I feel that I'm in good hands."
"Oh?" Ren raised an eyebrow. "Though… I'm surprised that your friends haven't pushed you to step up as leader."
He couldn't help but think of what Yu had done—would do? Ugh, time travel was confusing.
Yu just shook his head, a slight smile coming across his face.
"Even then, I would've refused the nomination," he stated.
Though Yu's eyes flickered to Ken for a moment. He gave a small frown for a moment.
"But anyways… From what I hear, you're doing a great job. I look forward to working with you."
"Uh… likewise."
Then a sudden cry.
"NOOOO! YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE MY TEDDIE FUR STICKY!"
"Oh boy," Yu sighed with a shake of his head. "I better see what's going on…"
He then ran off towards Teddie. Ren could feel Ken's eyes on him.
Ren groaned, before hanging his head. "I know, I know! 'You need to stop beating yourself up'. 'You're a great leader. Handsome, too.'"
Ken's lip twitched for a moment. "Well… I wouldn't say the last part."
"Are you calling me ugly then?!" Ren gasped, clutching a hand to his chest. "That stings, Ken. Really, it does."
"I'm sure you won't lose any sleep over that," Ken snorted.
Ren then looked at his friend seriously.
"But… do you know what's up with that? He looked at you funny for a moment."
Ken was silent, his expression pensive.
"I… don't know," he said slowly.
Ren frowned. "Why am I hearing a but?"
"I don't know… it'll probably sound crazy," Ken muttered.
"Ken, we're in a magical movie theater where we can change the ending of crappy movies. Try me."
Ken then pursed his lips together. He was quiet for a long time.
"Right after our first trip to Junessic Land, Makoto made me take a nap. I had a really weird dream. I recognized the area as Yasogami High—the school that Yu-san and his friends attended. I was there with everyone, the ages we were in 2009. And Yu-san and his teammates were there as well. But they had their Personas too."
"Time travel again?" Ren guessed.
"I don't know," Ken said with a frown.
He then let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his jaw.
"It's been bothering me. It was a dream but it felt so… so real. And then the Investigation Team showed up and… I just—I just don't know. We have bigger things to worry about, anyways."
"Are you sure back in 2012 is the first time you guys met? Maybe you guys had an adventure together."
"And then what?" Ken asked, raising an eyebrow. "We magically forgot?"
"It's just a theory," Ren laughed. "Don't worry too much about it."
Ken sighed. "I'll try not to."
Despite his reassuring words to Ken, Ren couldn't help but feel... confused. What was going on?
They had higher priorities though... They had to rescue this Yosuke guy. (Though it was going to be weird, since he and Chie were the only ones that he hadn't met out of the Investigation Team.)
Not to mention changing this crappy movie... They had their work cut out for them...
I apologize for the wait, but I hope the Investigation Team's entry was worth it!
But anyways, here's my explanation on why Ken has Kala-Nemi, while the PTs don't have their ultimates. Ken's resolution to live has been ingrained in his mindset for so long. While Anne is the first to gain her ultimate but she gained hers about a month and half before the PQ2 fic began.
I know that some people want Nanako to appear, but… I'm just not really feeling that, I apologize. I adore Nanako—she's my baby girl—but there's already a TON of characters already.
And yes, I'm kinda implying a déjà vu kind of deal? Like, I understand why they opted to not have SEES and the IT remember the events of PQ, so players of P5 can jump in and not be in the loop. HOWEVER… I adore PQ so much. I especially loved Kanji and Ken's relationship in the P4 route. I wanted to reference it.
The Junessic Land arc will probably be around the same length as Kamoshidaman's, maybe slightly shorter. It's looking like a filler chapter next, then Yosuke rescue, then the boss fight chapter. And then we can jump into A.I.G.I.S! *rubs hands together* I've got a lot of ideas for that arc…
