Wow, I'm so happy to see everybody so excited about the upcoming chapter. ^w^ Thank you so much for all the encouragement. Oh, answering Crow's statements about Souji, well, he may seem cold and aloof at first, but his time at Inaba and the bonds he made melt the icy and distant facade of his, allowing him to show more his emotions (The P4 anime confirms that.) Besides, family tragedies eventually affect even the most stoic person. That's just my view anyway.
A few warnings: (Yes, I put those before every chapter to avoid issues)
-There will be spoilers for all games! You've been warned.
-The Main characters from each game in this fanfic are called Minato Arisato (P3:FES), Minako Arisato (P3P) and Souji Seta (P4)
-There'll be some cursing. (Anyone that played any persona games knows that some characters on it curse quite a bit.) as well as some heavy subjects.
-Main Pairings in this fanfic: MinatoxYukari, ShinjiroxMinako, SoujixYukiko, KanjixNaoto, AkihikoxMitsuru, YosukexChie.
-Hinted Pairings(in later chapters): JunpeixChidori. (Hinted because Chidori doesn't appear much on this story) KenxNanako (Ya know those little girl's crushes on older boys? It'll be along those lines) FuukaxKeisuke (Other than Minato and Junpei, Fuuka only displayed some sort of close relationship with Keisuke the club president. I found it kinda cute.) TeddiexRise (Just for giggles. They are afterall the two hyperactive cuties of the team X3)
Have fun ya guys. On with the show!
Chapter 4: Reunions.
The train cart they were was oddly empty as the four rode to Inaba. Except for a girl who sat a few seats behind them, they were pretty much alone. Each one of them was lost in their own thoughts, though Minato, who shared a seat with Souji, kept looking at him every now then.
As for the silverette, he kept staring out the window at the passing countryside, just like he'd done last year when he'd taken the train to Inaba the first time. He was feeling a heavy weight in his heart, and he considered his options before making a choice.
Then he started to talk. "It was a car crash…"
Minato, as well as Metis and Shinjiro, turned surprised eyes towards him, but they didn't say anything. They just waited for Souji to continue.
"The accident happened nearly a month ago, I think. Memory's a little fuzzy, from the shock and the concussion I've suffered, I've been told..." Souji's voice was now monotonous, clipped, as he recited the tragic event.
Minato shifted closer to his friend, and he lightly put one hand on Souji's knee, as a reminder to the other teen that he was there, if he needed him. Shinjiro and Metis remained quiet, listening. None of them were aware that the girl had shifted to the seat behind them and she was listening as well.
"We were going home from a family dinner. I remember that night was raining pretty hard… I was in the back seat talking with them about trivial things like school and such…" Souji broke off for a bit, drawing in a shaky breath, and he reached for Minato's hand, clutching it in his. His gray eyes were closed in recollection, and other than the hand he held onto, he seemed unaware of Minato's presence, as well as everyone else.
Minato felt his heart breaking as he could only imagine what had to come next. Shinjiro and Metis seemed to know that as well
"All I remember then was a huge noise and a strong impact, like something huge had hit the car on the driver's side and then… Everything went black. I don't know for how long I was unconscious after that, but when I came to, I was already in the hospital. The nurses told me what had happened." He frowned, and a tear leaked out from his clenched eyes. "My mother had been driving through the intersection on the green light, but there was some stupid, drunk-ass driver in a larger pick-up truck, one of those American models, who ran a red light, colliding head-on with our car. The police caught the guy; still passed out from the crash with only minor injuries; a severe concussion and a whiplash at most."
Souji's grip on Minato's hand tightened and his posture was hunched in grief as he continued to recount the events of that night. "When I asked about my parents, they simply turned away. That was when a police officer walked into the room. He told me I was the sole person the paramedics found inside the car or what was left of it… And that it was a miracle I had survived that crash with only a broken arm, a mild concussion and a gash on my forehead… But when I asked about my parents again, he simply said that they didn't find their bodies or their blood on the car… something about the impact might've been so strong that it threw them out, but nothing was found until then…"
"Souji-kun..." Minato felt a little like crying himself.
"There was nothing more they could do, except to keep looking for them… Nothing at all... The officer gave me a moment, since, well..." He shrugged, the motion stiff. "Everything else seems a little hazy after that."
Minato could only sit there, beside his long time friend, watching as more tears slowly leaked out from the corners of his tightly shut eyes. To be told that your parents were missing and possibly dead in that way, well, that had to be the worst way to find out, and he was at a loss as how to help Souji with this. It was beyond him, and the closest thing in comparison had been his own family's death over 10 years ago. So he did what he had done last night, and he pulled Souji to his shoulder in another comforting embrace. He would do anything for his friend, his brother.
Metis seemed to be about to burst into tears even though she barely knew Souji. She seemed to be a very emotional individual for an android. Also, the loneliness in Souji's voice reminded her of her own.
Shinjiro tried to not show, but he was shocked at that. Sure, he had been an orphan ever since he could remember, but Souji's story made his stomach tie in a knot, something that didn't happen ever since Akihiko's sister, Miki, who was pretty much like a little sister to himself as well, died in that fire back in 1999. He looked away for a second only to see the unknown girl sitting behind them with red, teary eyes and sobbing quietly. 'Her again…' He noticed her tears. 'Why is she crying? Is she… Is she lonely…?'
Minato failed to notice the girl since he was still comforting his friend. After a while, the other teen had stopped crying, but he hadn't moved, so Minato leaned back a bit, still holding him, trying to take a look at Souji's face.
His gray eyes were open, tear tracks down his face, and he looked so sad, so lost that Minato couldn't stand it. "I realize it hurts a lot right now, but everything's going to be ok. I'm here with you, and I'll take care of you." Minato said softly as he gently rubbed Souji's back. He gave him a reassuring smile. "You're not alone. Don't forget that."
Metis and Shinjiro nodded. Souji smiled at Minato and his friends' understanding despite the tears on his face. He hated being so emotional, so out of control, so in touch with his emotions! Before arriving in Inaba last year, he'd perfected his aloof front and distanced himself from everything and everyone around him. But meeting Yukiko, Yosuke, Chie, his uncle Dojima, Nanako and the others had softened him, everyone becoming precious to him. Being with his big brother again helped him realize that there were people that he could open up with.
"Feel any better? Sometimes it helps talking about stuff like this." Minato said quietly, and Souji pulled away, breaking the other teen's hold on him.
"Actually, I do feel better. Thanks for listening, Aniki." He smiled at Minato, then at Shinjiro and Metis. "Thanks to you guys too, Shinjiro-san, Metis-san."
"No big deal." Shinjiro said, shrugging. "Guess ya really needed to let that out."
"Yes… It's okay to still feel sad regarding what happened, but as long as you remember that there are other people looking out for you, you'll be okay." Metis stated.
"Metis is right." Minato smiled a bit. "So, take your time, okay?"
Souji nodded. His gray eyes were heavy, and his heart was still a bit numb, as he felt sleep's grasp reaching for him. Minato yawned suddenly showing he was tired as well.
"Take a rest." Shinjiro told them. "There's still some time until we reach the station."
"We'll wake you up when we arrive there." Metis added.
Both teens nodded. The past two days were really eventful for them and they were more than ready for at least a few minutes of somewhat restful sleep.
The place was fuzzy as Minato and Souji looked around. Fog seemed to envelop everywhere they looked. Trying to glance through the fog, the only thing barely visible was the green grass around their bare, tiny feet. Wait a minute…tiny?
Hearing some rustling noises, they glanced to their right, where light footsteps on the grass were approaching them. It was a little girl with auburn hair.
"Onii-chan! Banchou-kun! There you are!" she cheered, happy to see them.
Minato and Souji could see she was smiling... but her face... they could not clearly see it. It was out of focus.
"Onii-chan? Why are you and Banchou-chan crying?" The girl questioned, looking sad. "I'm here with you guys… Don't cry…"
Without knowing why, both Souji and Minato hugged the little girl tightly who in turn hugged them back, humming a soft melody similar to a lullaby.
The trio lied down on the grass together and smiled at each other as they drifted off to sleep.
Both teens woke up with a jolt, earning surprised looks from their traveling companions.
"Are you two ok?" Metis asked, confused by their behavior.
Souji glanced at Minato wanting to ask him about the dream, but Minato looked back at him and shook his head, telling him to wait until they were alone to discuss that.
"Looks like you two had a nightmare or something," Shinjiro pointed out. "Well, we're almost at the station so maybe you'll get to rest better when we get to your uncle's place."
Minato nodded in agreement as he adjusted his headphone wires that got tangled while he dozed off. Souji yawned a bit, raising his head from where his chin had rested on his chest, as the train pulled into the station.
The group got off their seats, grabbed their bags and left the train without noticing the auburn-haired girl following them.
While the cart they had been in wasn't full, Yasoinaba station was crowded. Souji, Minato, Shinjiro and Metis decided to stand around a bit; Minato and Souji in the middle, in order to wait until the crowd start to decrease before moving on so they wouldn't lose sight of each other.
Eventually, they didn't notice the girl as she started weaving in and out of all the people on the station, working her way to Shinjiro who seemed to have spotted her as well but made no move, hoping that way she wouldn't vanish like their previous meetings.
When the girl finally caught up with them, she caught Souji's attention for a moment. There was something peculiar about her. 'Who is that…?' Souji thought as the girl smiled warmly at him. It was as if she's trying to comfort him. 'That smile… I've seen it before…'
Noticing that someone made Souji get distracted, Minato noticed the girl smiling at him as well. ' She's…'He kept staring at her as if he knew who she was.
"Huh? Hey, is something wrong?" Metis asked her companions. Following their gazes, she saw who they were looking at. "Who are you?"
The girl simply smiled at Metis, before she hugged both Minato and Souji at the same time much to the two teens' surprise. Shinjiro was also surprised at that and he couldn't help but feeling a slight pang of jealousy in his gut. 'Lucky bastards… What the hell…why am I feeling jealous?'
The girl soon broke off the hug. While Minato and Souji were still stunned, she snuck over to Shinjiro and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she ran off giggling, soon vanishing in the crowd.
"H-Hey! Wait!" Souji tried to stop her, but she was long gone. "That girl…"
"What was that all about?" Metis was becoming more confused as she looked at the three guys who were blushing. "Hey, why are your faces red? Is it because of the heat?"
Realizing what Metis was talking about the trio exchanged embarrassed glances. "Er… That girl caught us off guard… I mean, the way she acted…" Minato replied while scratching his cheek in thought before he glanced at Shinjiro. "Umm… is she someone you know, Senpai?"
Shinjiro had one hand touching his cheek that had been kissed by the girl. "Part of me is confused as hell, but other part feels like I know that girl…" Shinjiro replied with a frustrated groan. "Damn… I don't get it at all!"
Minato crossed his arms. "She acted like she knew Souji-kun, Shinjiro-Senpai and me really well… As if she was really close to all of us…" Suddenly it hit him. "That's it! The Wild Card!"
"Of course…" Souji finally understood. "According to Igor, the third wielder of the Wild Card is a girl that has strong ties with me, Aniki as well as Shinjiro-san. That explains her behavior towards us, although it doesn't explain how she knows us… On the other hand, I can't help but feel happy seeing her…"
"But if she's close to you, why she ran off like that?" Metis asked.
"That I don't know, but it might have to do with why we don't know for sure who she is…" Minato sighed. "First things first, we need to find Yukari and the others and explain to them the whole situation."
"Yeah, after that we can try finding that girl," Souji added. "Inaba is a small town so it won't be that hard finding her if we get everybody's help."
"Fine." Shinjiro said. 'Next time I see that girl, I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind! Then again…it felt kinda nice the way she kissed me…' Shinjiro held back a frustrated growl. 'Gah! What the hell is wrong with me!'
"Come on, guys, my uncle Dojima must be waiting for us already." Souji said as he walked towards the station exit.
Minato and others soon followed after him. The auburn-headed girl watched them from behind a pillar, smiling. 'Aniki and Banchou-kun haven't changed one bit. And neither has Shinjiro-senpai…'she thought with a giggle.
Ryotaro Dojima stood waiting for his nephew in front of the station, smoking a cigarette as he leaned against the front of his car. He looked up, catching sight of Souji and his friends and hurried over to help them with Souji's bag.
"Hi…" Souji greeted his uncle.
"Hey, glad to see you're recovering well." The detective said, patting the boy's shoulder, before looking at the trio that was with Souji. "I'm Ryotaro Dojima. You three are the ones that Souji told me about, right?"
"Yes, sir." Minato replied while Metis and Shinjiro nodded. "I'm Minato Arisato and these are Shinjiro Aragaki and Metis."
Dojima gave a long and hard look at Minato who seemed rather confused. "You're that kid Souji used to play with all the time when he was little, aren't you?"
"Huh? How did you...?" Now Minato was confused.
"I'm a detective. Good memory is part of the job." Dojima replied when his look became distant. "Your folks were pretty close to my sister and her husband…"
"Yeah…" Minato trailed off, unsure of what to say next.
"Does anyone know I'm here yet?" Souji suddenly asked.
Dojima shook his head. "No, I haven't told anyone, but I think that Nanako's made a guess. She won't say anything. I figured that you would want to tell your friends when you were ready, and not before. I do have your friends watching over Nanako since I didn't want to leave her alone after her... ordeal… So they might be drop her off at home by the time we get there."
While Souji was a little nervous to approach his friends, he understood his uncle's concerns for his cousin, especially since her kidnapping. She had only been in the TV World for a few days, but it had severely jeopardized her health afterwards. So he understood and he couldn't fault his uncle for keeping someone with her. "I understand. I'll always be happy to see Nanako, but I'm not ready yet for the others."
"Figured as much. Don't worry. If we do run into them I'll come up with something." Dojima said.
"Thank you…" Souji said barely in a whisper.
Dojima shrugged before he piled everything in the car with Minato and Shinjiro's help. Everyone got into the car and Dojima pulled away from the station. He glanced at his nephew, who was sitting with him in the front. "I know it's hard, and I miss them too, but you'll always be family to us. Remember, I told you before that you're more like a very young brother to me. I don't want you to forget that."
Souji managed to smile weakly. "I remember that. I know."
The car ride was blissfully quiet, and Dojima avoided most of the areas his nephew had frequented, instead taking a more roundabout route back to his home. It wasn't until they pulled into the small driveway in front of the house that he spoke again. "Looks like they're here…"
Looking through the window, Souji and the others saw a group of teens at the entrance of the house. Apparently, they had just dropped Nanako off and were about to leave. Some Souji easily recognized as his friends but the other group was faintly familiar, mostly due to some photos he saw at the dorm. "Aniki… Aren't those…?"
"It's them…" Minato couldn't help but smile and even tear up a little.
Shinjiro only closed his eyes with a small smile. Metis could barely contain her excitement.
Dojima got off the car and went to talk with the group of teens, probably to thank them for looking after Nanako as well as make sure they wouldn't find out Souji had returned before he was ready to talk with them.
A few minutes later, the group left and Dojima walked up to the car. "Talk about a group," he chuckled before looking at Minato. "You and Souji seem to have a knack for befriending people."
"You might say so, Dojima-san." Minato smiled a bit as he, Shinjiro and Metis got off the car.
Souji was about to get off the car when he saw, or so he thought, the same girl he and the others had bumped with at Yasoinaba Station earlier walking down the street. 'Huh…? Isn't that…?'
Seeing that Souji wasn't leaving the car, Minato looked at him worried. "Souji-kun?"
"Hm?" Souji looked at Minato before getting off the car. "Oh, sorry, Aniki… I just thought I had seen someone… must've been my imagination or fatigue…"
Minato nodded and went to help Dojima and Shinjiro with the bags while Metis chatted a bit with Souji.
"Arisato." Dojima looked at Minato.
"Yes, Dojima-san?" the blue haired teen asked.
"How… How's Souji holding up?" The detective asked looking really concerned.
"Truth to be told, I'd say he's still grieving a bit about the car accident…" Minato said honestly.
"Can't blame the kid for feeling that way…" Dojima sighed. "But he does look better from the last time I talked with him. I have to thank you and your friends for looking after him."
"It's no big deal, Dojima-san." Shinjiro shrugged. "Souji's a nice guy."
Dojima nodded, hauling the last bag out from the trunk of the car. "Yeah, I thought as much." He glanced at Souji. "Let's get inside."
As they opened the door to the house and took off their shoes, Nanako came running around the corner with a smile on her small face. "Dad! Welcome home!"
She paused, seeing Souji there, luggage at his feet and a downcast look in his eyes before rushing up to him, throwing her arms around his waist. He dropped down to her level and hugged her, holding her tightly.
"Big Bro! You're back!" she said excitedly, before she grew solemn. "Did something bad happen?"
Tears pricked at Souji's gray eyes and nodded into her small shoulder. "Yeah, something happened…"
Just at that moment, Minato and his friends walked in, only to face the depressing sight in front of them. Dojima was standing there, looking away from his nephew and Souji was hugging Nanako as though afraid to lose her, and his grief was almost tangible in the small hallway, thick and oppressive.
Nanako looked up and noticed Minato and the others as Souji let go of her and got to his feet, surreptitiously wiping away his tears as the trio came closer. "Um… Hello…" she greeted them shyly.
"Nanako, these are some of Souji's friends from the city," Dojima explained motioning to Minato, Shinjiro and Metis. "They'll be staying here tonight."
"Hi there. I'm Minato. You must be Souji-kun's little sister, Nanako-chan." Minato said with a gentle smile as he bent over to make eye contact with Nanako. "He told me a lot about you, but he didn't say you were so cute."
Nanako blushed a bit. "Thanks… Are you Big Bro's friend?"
"Yep. Souji-kun and I have been friends ever since we were your age." Minato smiled at Souji. "He's like a little brother to me."
"So, you're Big Bro's big bro?" Nanako asked sounding excited.
Minato chuckled at that. "Yeah, it's something like that."
Souji couldn't help but smile at how Minato had a way with children as well as Nanako's thrilled expression at meeting him. "Oh, Nanako-chan, these are Aniki's friends Shinjiro-san and Metis-san." He said, motioning to the other two.
"Hey." Shinjiro said as nicely as he could, hoping not to intimidate Nanako.
"Hello." Metis greeted.
Nanako smiled at both, but she kept a longer look at Metis. "Um… Metis?"
"Yes?" Metis said.
"Do you have a sister?"
Metis was surprised at that. "Y-Yes… I do."
"I knew it!" Nanako smiled happy. "Her name's Aigis, right?"
"Yeah, that's my sister..." Metis smiled softly at hearing Aigis' name.
"How did you know, Nanako-chan?" Souji asked.
"She's one of Teddie's new friends!" Nanako replied smiling before pointing to Metis' red ribbon on the uniform she was wearing. "And the ribbon she's wearing looks just like the one Aigis was wearing."
"I see…" Metis smiled softly as she gently caressed the ribbon. "Sister…"
"As soon as we get the chance, we'll go see them, Metis." Minato told her. "Promise."
"They'll be at Junes tomorrow." Nanako said. "We were going to make a picnic, but Dad asked them to wait a few days. I guess he wanted Big Bro and you guys to join them."
"Gee, Uncle, that was pretty nice of you." Souji smirked at his uncle.
"Heh, thought it'd do you some good." Dojima smirked back. "Especially because you'd be able to hang out with your friends, specifically that Amagi girl."
Souji blushed at that, making Dojima laugh heartily. Minato chuckled a bit himself. Souji had told him about his friends as well as Yukiko, the girl that had captivated his heart.
"Dad…" Nanako tugged her father's shirt, yawning. "I'm sleepy…"
"Oh, that's right…" Dojima picked Nanako up and looked at the four. "You must be tired as well. There's another couch in Souji's room and an extra futon in Nanako's room."
"Then Metis can sleep with me." Nanako giggled. "It'll be like a sleepover!"
"A sleepover… sounds really fun." Metis smiled.
"Yay!" Nanako squealed.
"Alright, then. Time for bed." Dojima glanced at the three boys. "I need to put Nanako to bed, so make yourselves comfortable. G'night."
The three nodded and Dojima took Nanako and Metis to his daughter's room.
"Your uncle is quite the fellow, huh?" Minato said.
"Yeah… He may look and talk rough, but he's reliable…" Souji said with a faint smile before he yawned.
"Alright you two, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get some rest." Shinjiro said. "Minato can use the couch in Souji's room. I'll just crash on this one."
"That works for me just fine." Minato nodded. "Good night, Senpai."
"Good night, Shinjiro-san." Souji said.
"Night." Shinjiro said.
Without another word, Minato grabbed his and Souji's bags and followed Souji upstairs.
The room was exactly as he'd remembered leaving it, barren of anything even remotely personal and, somehow, colder. The futon was still in the corner, out of the way of the dresser and desk. It looked like Dojima had pulled everything out again, once again turning the room into a living space. The rest of Souji's belongings, some furniture and a few other items that could not be easily transported in a suitcase had already been packed up and shipped out to Inaba by Dojima before Souji returned and the detective had already replaced the cheap metal bookshelf Souji' had been using for a medium-sized wooden bookcase.
With a small sigh, Souji dropped the duffel bag he's been carrying on the floor and sank onto the couch, eyes closed. His thoughts had once again decided to replay the latest events; the car crash, the unexpected meeting with Minato, the trip to the Velvet Room, the dream on the train and the strange girl they met at the station.
There was so much stuff he still didn't understand and he still needed to face his friends regarding his sudden return. Even though Minato and the others had helped him deal with a great part of his grief, he still felt nervous about facing them. He just hoped that they didn't flip about why he hadn't told them about his return sooner, especially Chie, Teddie and Rise. He also hoped that Yukiko wouldn't be worried too much about him or gotten angry for not answering her e-mails.
Minato closed the door and looked at Souji with concern. "Go get ready for bed, Banchou-kun. You look ready to pass out."
With a weak nod, Souji wearily rose from the couch and he started digging through his bag for some comfortable clothes while Minato did the same. While rummaging, he pulled out something he didn't expect to see. He didn't even remembered packing it; a framed photo. He glanced at it and gasped. "This photo…" he whispered. "I thought I had lost it…"
Seeing Souji's surprised look, Minato looked at the photo as well and he was quite shocked: the photo showed his parents and Souji's standing close to each other and in front of them were three toddlers: a small boy with dark silver hair in the middle, to his right was a slightly taller boy with blue hair and to his left was a little girl with brown hair. Everybody was wearing kimonos and smiling.
"After all these years… I've forgotten all about this photo…" Minato whispered. "We took it in 1999… during the Summer Festival, right?"
"Yeah…my parents had gotten the day off from their work just for our families to be able to spend the festival together…" Souji smiled fondly at the memory. "Playing games… eating cotton candy… trying to catch a goldfish…"
"And don't forget watching the fireworks too." Minato grinned. "We got scared at the noise, but we couldn't get our eyes off them…"
"Shooting stars trying to return to the sky… She used to say that's what fireworks were," Souji said as one finger caressed the little girl's face on the picture when he realized something. "Aniki, that dream we had on the train and that girl we saw at the station… Do you think she might be…?"
"In normal circumstances, I'd say that's impossible…" Minato looked at the window and sighed. "But since things are hardly normal when it comes to us, I can't entirely rule out that possibility. For now, let's keep this between the two of us."
"Agreed." Souji nodded and put the photo on his desk. "Let's just go to sleep. Something tells me we'll have a really long day tomorrow."
Minato nodded. They brushed their teeth and got ready for bed. Souji slipped into his futon and Minato lied down on the couch, both sighing as sleep descended almost immediately.
Next thing they knew, both teens were back in the Velvet Room, where Igor was waiting for them, like he always was. Elizabeth, Margaret and Theodore sat next to the small, strange man, and they acknowledged the two with small nods.
However, to their surprise, the girl they saw before was also there, sitting between the two boys and smiling at them as if she expected to meet them there. Before they could ask her anything, Igor spoke up.
"Welcome. We are here in your dreams, so do not worry. However, we came across some information that I felt I should inform you all at once." Igor said.
"This threat that has appeared... Its actions are creating a large rift between the Shadow World and the Real World." Elizabeth spoke up, folding her delicate hands on her lap. "This rift is causing a
shifting in the balance that keeps both worlds in check."
"What does that mean?" Minato asked.
"The balance of the two worlds is essential to each world's survival, meaning that should one be destroyed, the other will follow." Margaret was ever calm, though Souji was aware of her affection for him. "The balance needs to be restored, or your world will destroy itself, despite your efforts to allow humanity to live according to its own will and by humanity's choice alone."
"So we have to defeat this threat to restore the balance?" Souji questioned.
"And for that the Wild Cards must work together?" the girl added.
"Correct. You will find a way, and we will most certainly assist in any way that we can. I have very little desire for my own existence to cease." Igor smiled that creepy smile of his.
"Can you tell us what we should be aware of for the effects of this rift? What signs should we look out for?" Minato asked.
"Things will start out small, and harmless." Theodore answered. "Odd lights and shapes, especially around spiritual or ancient places. Anything and everything that would be considered as out of the ordinary are likely to happen. The severity might worsen as time progresses, until, possibly, you'll be trapped in a hellish nightmare."
'Well, that is very reassuring…'the three Wild Cards thought.
"So," It was Igor again, "Now this is where the mystery truly begins. Where did that threat come from? What lies ahead for everyone?"
Minato and Souji looked at each other and at the girl, for they were thinking the same thing: 'Stop with the damn questions!'
They couldn't argue with Igor though, because he had a point. All of these questions needed answers, and they were the only ones who could do it. No, they had their friends, and they would answer it together. With their minds set on the right track, Igor spoke once again.
"Now, I must remind you that this mystery should not overshadow your lives. Enjoy your time with your friends, and when the time comes, your adventure shall begin. As always, my services for fusing Personas are available, and you can access your Persona Compendiums through my assistants."
Minato and Souji looked at Elizabeth and Margaret, respectively. "No more requests?" they asked in unison.
The two sisters looked at each other with a slight blush across their faces. Theodore tried to suppress a chuckle though he was failing badly. The girl looked at him, giggling, and he stopped chuckling, seemingly blushing faintly.
"No, it's alright," said Elizabeth.
"Yes, no more requests," replied Margaret.
"Now my children," started Igor. "Let us not dwell on your precious time any longer. Until then, pleasant dreams."
As Igor's voice faded out, blackness consumed their sights and they drifted off into true slumber.
Next morning, Minato and Souji were awakened by Nanako knocking on the door. "Big Bro! Aniki! Breakfast's ready!"
"We're coming…!" Souji replied with a yawn when he glanced at the clock. "Ten A.M? We really slept in…"
The two friends quickly changed and headed downstairs where they were greeted by an amusing scene: Metis and Nanako were at the coffee table; the little girl was teaching Metis the right way to eat fried eggs, Dojima sat at the dining table drinking some coffee while reading today's paper while Shinjiro just finished cooking breakfast.
"Oh, you two are finally up." Dojima said to the two teens. He was probably on his day off. "Looks like you two really needed some rest. How's your arm, Souji?"
"It's better, Uncle. Some cuts hadn't fully healed yet, though." Souji said, rubbing his arm. He wasn't planning on telling his uncle that those cuts were gained while fighting Shadows with Minato and Shinjiro. "I'll just change the bandages after breakfast."
Dojima nodded and resumed reading his paper. "Oh, by the way, since today is my day off, I'm taking Nanako to Junes to buy some groceries in the afternoon, so after you're done unpacking I can give you and your friends a ride there. Your friends will probably be there too."
"That'd be wonderful. Thank you, Dojima-san." Minato said, grateful for the offer.
"Don't mention it. Now you two sit down and eat something," the detective said.
Breakfast was soon finished, with everybody praising Shinjiro's talent for cooking. While Metis helped Nanako with the dishes and some other chores, the three boys went to Souji's room. Minato and Shinjiro had offered to help Souji unpack his stuff.
After getting his bandages changed, Souji unpacked his clothes while Minato helped him with the more personal items he'd brought from his house, filling his desk with some of the mementoes his parents had brought back from their various trips and excursions, as well as placing the photos of his and Souji's families on the drawer, Shinjiro was getting all the books he'd gotten in the last year, a few favorite DVDs, and a couple of small framed photos for variety in the bookcase, doing their best to turn Souji's room into a comfortable living space.
They had just finished and in silent agreement, headed downstairs to get something to eat for lunch, finding Nanako and Metis playing cards while Dojima was watching TV. It was rather funny seeing the android and the little girl playing as they couldn't tell who was having more fun.
After lunch, they went to Junes. While Dojima and Nanako were buying the groceries, Souji led the other three to the Food Court where he thought his friends would be with Minato's. All they could hope was that the reunion wouldn't cause too much commotion.
At the Food Court…
"This is a 'special headquarters?'" Metis asked as the group sat down. "I thought it was more like the dorm…"
"Well, you gotta make do with what you've got. Besides, this place is the nearest to the entrance to the TV World." Souji shrugged. "My friends and I usually hang out at the third table on the left and I'm sure they're over there with your friends. I'll go ahead to make sure everybody is there. When I find them, I'll call you guys."
"Got it," Minato said before he put on his earphones and turned on his MP3 player.
Souji left and headed for the favorite spot of his friends. He had to grin when he saw that his hunch was right. The two groups of Persona users were hanging out together chatting about the abilities of each other's Persona or simply about trivial things. Everybody seemed to be having an overall good time.
"By the way, Rise-chan, Nanako-chan will be coming to see us today?" He heard a soft voice that belonged to Fuuka.
"I'm not sure, Senpai." That would be Rise. "Dojima-san said he and Nanako-chan were gonna go shopping for groceries today, so maybe she'll come over after they're done, but I don't know."
"You think my Nana-chan won't come to see me? That won't do at all!" Souji had to grin at Teddie's drama. Good thing that some things never changed.
Souji slowly approached the group who was really distracted before revealing himself. They hadn't noticed him at all, yet.
"Actually…" Several heads whipped around to stare at him in shock. "Nanako's not the one visiting you today."
"SENPAI!" Rise and Naoto both squealed before colliding with him in bone-crushing hugs, knocking the air out of him, and he just barely managed to stay on his feet from the onslaught, despite his arm's protest.
"Talk about a warm reception…"Souji thought with a smile.
"SENSEI!" Teddie squealed, jumping at the trio.
"Okay, I spoke too soon…"Souji blinked up at the sky before casting his smile at the three people on top of him. He was now stuck on his back, on the floor, having narrowly missed hitting a table on his way down with Teddie's extra weight. His arm was going to feel that for a while, but he was so happy that he didn't care.
"Come on, let Senpai breathe! You can maul him later!" Kanji saved him, as he and Yosuke pulled the girls and Teddie off, giving him some room to breathe again.
"Dude, you sure know how to make a surprise!" Yosuke grinned as he helped Souji back to his feet. They high-fived. "Nice to see ya again, partner."
Souji grinned back at his best friend. "Same here, buddy."
"When did you get back? Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Chie asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet in her excitement.
"I got back yesterday and well, if I had told you guys it wouldn't be a surprise anymore." Souji smiled at his friends. How terribly he had missed them.
Suddenly, Souji caught sight of Yukiko who watched him from afar with red cheeks and a warm smile. With a smile he walked up to her. "Hey…" he started, a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry I didn't answer your e-mails. Some stuff happened and…"
Yukiko shushed him by gently placing her index finger over his lips. "I understand. I'm glad you're alright…and I'm glad you're here…with me…" she said quietly.
Souji just smiled and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze to say he felt the same way. Their fingers interlocked, and they looked at each other, happy that they were in each other's company again.
There was no awkward moment at all, as everyone around them could sense the deep connection the two possessed between each other, and simply smiled.
While Souji talked with his girlfriend and his team, the members of SEES kept on watching him with sad smiles. The way he held himself; cool and aloof at first glance, his calm demeanor and quiet voice, yet there was a warm, trusting and friendly aura around him with an unshakable, confident determination and that strongly, no, fiercelyreminded them so much of Minato that they almost stopped breathing.
Finally, Souji glanced at the group and smiled. "Oh, hello." He gave a short bow. "Pleased to meet you all. I'm Souji Seta."
"Yo, what's up, Dude?" Junpei grinned. "I'm…"
Souji raised one hand with a grin, interrupting Junpei. "Junpei Iori, right?" At Junpei and the others' surprise, Souji continued, glancing at each member of SEES. "Let's see… Mitsuru Kirijo, Akihiko Sanada, Fuuka Yamagishi, Ken Amada, Koromaru and… Last, but not least, Aigis and Yukari Takeba. Did I get everyone's names right?"
"Wow, Sensei, you can read minds?" Teddie said amazed.
"How do you know who we are?" Mitsuru questioned.
"Some friends of yours from Port Island came with me on my trip to Inaba," Souji explained.
Yukari raised an eyebrow. "Friends?"
"Yep. Might as well let them do the explanations." Souji turned towards some more distant tables. "Hey, Aniki, guys, get over here! They're all here!"
Everybody exchanged confused glances when they heard someone talking back to Souji. "Tch, easier said than done. He dozed off. Must be those earphones."
While the voice was unfamiliar to the Investigation Team, it wasn't for SEES. However, they hadn't heard that voice in years and they didn't think they'd hear it again.
"That voice…" Ken gasped. "No way…!"
Koromaru started barking excitedly, his tail wagging happily. "Huh? Are you sure about that Koromaru-san?" Aigis asked, looking surprised.
"Huh? Ya can understand dogs, Aigis?" Chie asked. "And what' Koro-chan is saying?"
"Somehow," Aigis replied. "And he says that he smells a dear friend's scent and that voice we heard belongs to him."
"A dear friend…?" Akihiko's eyes widened. "You gotta be kidding me…"
"Jeez, Aki, you look like you saw a ghost." The voice said again with a hint of amusement as its owner got closer to them.
As the group caught a glance of the stranger, except for Koromaru, all members of SEES were shocked to see the newcomer. However no one was more shocked than Akihiko and Ken.
"S-Shinji?" The boxer was at a loss of words as he saw Shinjiro. "Is… Is that you?"
Shinjiro stood there in front of them as if expecting them to be surprised. Mitsuru and the younger members of SEES were at speechless as well as the Investigation Team, except for Souji. "Hey… Been a while, huh?" Shinjiro shrugged, a small smirk forming on his lips. "You guys seem to be doing well."
No one dared speak until Koromaru walked up to Shinjiro. The white dog sniffed him a few times and then let out happy barks while running around him, truly happy. Shinjiro grinned at that and dropped to one knee to pat Koromaru. "Hey, boy… How've ya been, Koro?" He patted Koromaru, which the dog answered by licking the beanie-wearing teen's face. "Heh, glad to see ya too."
"Oh my… It IS Shinjiro-senpai!" Fuuka exclaimed with teary eyes. "Koro-chan proved that!"
"Dude, he's alive! That's awesome!" Junpei exclaimed in a mix of disbelief and joy.
Ken shyly walked up to Shinjiro. His eyes were brimming with tears. "S-Shinjiro-san… I… I…" he whispered, trying to muster up his courage.
Shinjiro stood up and looked at Ken. He was showing a rare yet warm smile. "If it's about saying you're sorry, save it, kid. Already forgave ya a long time ago." He placed a large hand on Ken's head. "Now, will ya just forgive yourself already?"
Ken's eyes widened at that. "Shinjiro-san…" He smiled as he could no longer hold back his tears. Without warning, Ken buried his face into Shinjiro's chest and hugged him, sobbing loudly. "Thank you…"
Shinjiro gently rubbed Ken's head as the kid cried, still smiling.
Even though everybody was still confused, the heartwarming scene brought a smile on everyone's face.
"Heh, never thought I'd see that soft side of yours, Shinji." Akihiko smirked weakly as he walked up to Shinjiro.
"Keep the wisecracks to yourself, Aki." Shinjiro smirked back at his friend as Ken let go of him.
Both friends slammed their fists together, smiling sincerely at each other. "Welcome back!" Akihiko said with a sincere smile and eyes brimming with tears.
"Thanks." Shinjiro grinned at him before noticing Teddie watching him with curious eyes. "Huh? What's with him?"
"Hm… He doesn't look like a ghost…" Teddie stated as he poked Shinjiro's arm a few times. "He's solid and I can't see through him…"
The Investigation Team's eyes widened at Teddie's antics. "Teddie!" Yosuke hissed before grabbing the smaller blonde. "Cut that out!"
"But Yosuke…it's true!" Teddie whined. "He's one of the guys from Ai-chan and the others' story, right?"
"W-Well, yeah… but that doesn't mean you can say that!" Yosuke rubbed his head, trying to find the right words in order not to offend or anger the taller and intimidating teen. "I mean…"
"No sweat about that." Shinjiro told them. "Kinda expected that to happen."
"Expected?" Mitsuru stood up. "Shinjiro, does that mean…?"
"Yup. It's exactly what you're thinking, Mitsuru." Shinjiro shrugged. "Don't ask me about how I got back because my guess is as good as yours. One minute, I felt like I was sleeping, next thing I know I bumped into Souji."
Everybody looked at Souji who smiled sheepishly. "That was pretty much what happened," he said. "But before you guys ask further questions, I think Aniki would explain things better."
"Aniki? Who are you talking about?" Yukari asked, before she gasped as a thought crossed her mind. "Wait… Don't tell me…"
Souji just smiled gently at Yukari. "All I can say is that you're really important to him, Yukari-san." He turned his glance at Shinjiro who nodded. He then looked to his right. "Aniki, come out now. And bring her too. I think she's too shy to come out on her own."
"Okay, Souji-kun..." A soft voice replied before yawning. "We're coming…"
Startled by this, everyone turned around and looked in shock at what, or who, was in front of them. Unable to speak, they just stared at the two newcomers when out of nowhere Yukari found her voice again. "M-Minato-kun! And Metis?"
For a moment, time stood still: two groups standing on opposite sides, facing each other. Minato, Shinjiro and Metis staring at them; the other members of SEES looking right back. The Investigation Team, save from Souji, watched everything in complete and utter shock while the silverette simply smiled.
'It feels like forever since I had last seen them…'Minato thought as he smiled at his team.
It was a while before anyone spoke again. Finally, as if he knew it was his time to chime in, Junpei spoke. "Dude... Are you… are you guys for real?"
The tension surrounding the atmosphere lifted with Junpei's simplistic remark. Everyone seemed to have lightened up, and they were waiting anxiously to find some answers.
Minato chuckled slightly at his best friend's statement. Leave it up to Junpei to lighten things up. "Yes, it's me. And that goes for Metis and Shinjiro-senpai too."
Everyone's eyes were wide as glass orbs, still shocked at this miracle that stood before them.
"But, how is this possible?" Minato focused on the newest talker, and found Mitsuru staring back at him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in astonishment.
"First Shinji, and now you and Metis appear out of the blue." It was Akihiko this time.
"This is just so hard to believe…" Ken added with his quiet voice.
Minato held up a hand, and everyone went quiet. "I know this is a big shock to you guys. Trust me, it's a big shock to me and the others too. I'll keep it short; something has broken through my seal, releasing my soul." Leave it to Minato to say so little, yet so much at the same time.
As if the shock of Minato's return hadn't shaken them enough, this new statement brought confusion, shock and fear.
"How is that possible? Nyx has returned?" Fuuka cried out.
"Wait, what?" Chie yelled. "Ya mean the world is gonna end!"
By now, both groups were close to completely panicking. Luckily Junes Food court was still empty so no one was listening to them.
"Please, stay calm, everybody!" Metis suddenly said, drawing everybody's attention. "The Great Seal wasn't destroyed, so Erebus can't reach Nyx even if he was at full power. Don't forget, mankind's wish for death was built over during countless centuries so I don't think it'd be strong enough to break through it so easily only two years after its defeat."
"Metis…" Aigis said after finally getting over the shock. She smiled a bit. "You… You're right…"
"Sister…" Metis said, barely audible. She had been so eager to see Aigis again and now that she had finally found her, she didn't know what to say or how Aigis would react upon seeing her.
Aigis walked up to her and gently adjusted Metis' ribbon on the uniform. "You… changed. And yet, you didn't." She smiled. "I missed you…"
Metis' eyes widened. "You… missed me?"
Aigis nodded. "I missed hearing your voice… I missed having you around. Even though you were always with me…. I missed talking with you…"
Metis couldn't contain her tears as she hugged Aigis tightly, crying out of happiness. "I missed you so much too, Sister… I wanted to talk with you more… I wanted to spend more time with you… But most of all, I wanted us to live like real sisters…Together."
Aigis smiled softly as she cuddled Metis. "I know… I know… I'm so happy…" A few tears of joy ran down her cheeks. "You're here… Minato-san and Shinjiro-san are here too… I don't care how illogical or impossible this may seem… I'm just happy things are the way they are now."
The other members of SEES watched the sisters' embrace happy. "Dude, I don't remember seeing Ai-chan this happy." Junpei grinned. "By the way, is it just me, or does Metis kinda act a bit like Aigis now?"
"Now that you mentioned it, Iori, you seem to be right." Mitsuru stated. "I'd say that they have gained personality traits from each other over the time they haven't seen each other."
"That's not really surprising, if you consider that Metis came from Aigis' emotional side." Akihiko shrugged.
"Eh? She was born from Ai-chan's emotions?" Teddie gasped surprised. "So Metis-chan…is like Teddie?"
Everybody looked at Teddie. "Well, in a way, that's right Teddie." Souji replied, patting the blonde's head. "She was born from Aigis' emotions, but she gained her own personality and a Persona shortly after. While she's not exactly a Shadow, you and Metis do share similar origins."
"Awesome!" Teddie squealed happily jumping up and down.
"Gee, Souji-kun, you were right about Teddie." Minato chuckled. "This little guy is really funny."
"Souji-kun…" Yukari finally spoke since her outburst when Minato first arrived. That had been the first time she had heard Minato calling a guy that way. Not even Junpei, his best friend, was addressed as such.
Minato made eye contact with Yukari. Their eyes lingered together for what seemed like centuries, pouring their emotions to one other. Minato looked at her, with sadness in his eyes, feeling guilty about not being there for those past two years for her…for everyone.
Minato's stare made Yukari blush, which made her mind to run frantic. 'Why am I blushing? I knew I loved him, I guess I still do, but we thought he died... Now, suddenly he's back...this is too confusing…'
Luckily, only Minato spotted Yukari blushing through her inner turmoil, so he walked up to her and gently held her hand. "I know things are confusing, and what I'm about to say will probably sound weird, but..." Minato pulled Yukari into a comforting hug. "I missed you, Yukari…"
That was all it took for Yukari to smile with red cheeks and teary eyes. "I missed you too… Minato-kun…" She whispered, hugging him back.
Souji just sighed as he wrapped one arm around Yukiko's waist. The black haired girl looked at him, both with smiles on their faces. "I'm happy for Aniki and Yukari-san…" he said before looking at Yukiko. "And I'm glad to be with you again."
Yukiko simply blushed before giving Souji a soft kiss on his cheek. "Me too…"
Mitsuru watched the scene, along with everyone else, and smiled. However, there was something she needed to know and she wasn't the only one wondering that. She turned to Souji. "Seta, right? You seem to be a long time acquaintance of Minato. Care to explain to us how the two of you know each other?"
Souji and Minato looked at Mitsuru then at each other and nodded. "Of course," Souji replied as he took a seat, smiling as Yukiko claimed the seat beside him on his left, while Minato and Yukari sat on his right.
"My parents and Souji-kun's were long time friends, having attended the same college and majoring in Psychology," Minato began to explain. "Since both couples married and had children between a short time period, Souji-kun and I pretty much grew up together. Since I was two years older, he usually called me big bro or simply Aniki."
"Due our parents' careers they had a very limited circle of friends, so we usually spent the day at a daycare playing with each other." Souji continued. "Holidays, vacations, outings… our families usually did all that together."
"Until 1999…" Minato looked down for a bit. The memory of the car accident would always hurt.
Aigis looked at him with sad eyes, feeling a sting of guilt in her heart. Seeing that, Minato looked at her and shook his head. "What happened to them was not your fault, Aigis, so don't blame yourself for that please…"
Aigis silently nodded. "I know…"
"On the same night the Dark Hour first manifested in this world, my family was heading home. We were crossing the Moonlight Bridge when the car went out of control and there was an accident. Shortly after that, I met Aigis for the first time. I suppose you guys already know what happened next right?"
Yosuke and the others exchanged glances and nodded.
"Yeah… You don't need to go through that part if it makes you feel uncomfortable…" Kanji replied.
Minato nodded. "Thank you..." He glanced at Souji. "Souji-kun?
"I'll continue from there. As fate would have it, after the Dark Hour ended my parents and I were crossing the same bridge. Once my parents realized who had gotten into the crash, they called for help…" Souji sighed. "I still remember how sad they were when they heard about Aniki's parents… We'd visit him in the hospital every day until his wounds had healed and he was sent to live with some distant relatives. After that, my parents got transferred to another city because of work and I never saw him again… Until 3 days ago..."
"So, how exactly did you run in with Minato and Shinji?" Akihiko asked.
"That's the hard part to explain…" Souji scratched his head before starting to retell the events.
Both groups were listening intently to Minato and Souji's explanation. Shinjiro and Metis also helped. The group went over the sudden manifestation of the Dark Hour, the run in with the Shadows, the talk in the Velvet Room, meeting Metis, explaining the new threat, the question behind Minato and Shinjiro's return, as well as the third owner of the Wild Card ability.
"So, there's a girl that has the same power you two have?" Junpei asked.
"And she's here in Inaba?" Chie added.
"We have strong reasons to believe so." Souji replied.
"How do you guys know all that?" Yosuke asked.
"Someone I've known ever since I first joined SEES and Souji-kun also knows told us…" Minato looked down, embarrassed at his explanation, feeling like the others would think him crazy.
"Do you mean...the Velvet Room?" Aigis asked softly.
Minato looked up, rather surprised. "That's right. Silly me… I forgot Metis told us you were familiar with that place." He chuckled.
"Excuse me, but what is this Velvet Room you speak of?" Naoto asked. "You speak of it as if it was a place that cannot be reached easily."
"Let me put this way: the Velvet Room is a room located between consciousness and sub consciousness." Minato explained. "Very few people can enter that place."
"Wait, there's something wrong." Yosuke commented. "Where is that room exactly? We never saw Souji leave into a place nobody knew of."
"That's a little hard to explain. Remember the corner in the TV World entrance hall I always go to?"
"Yeah, what about…" Yosuke started to say before he realized what Souji meant. "Wait, are you telling me that…?"
"Exactly." Souji nodded. "You probably saw me just standing there, but I really was in the Velvet Room at those times. My mind was there anyway…"
"So from us only you could go in Senpai?" Rise commented. "That's too bad. I wonder what it looks like…."
"You can always ask Teddie. He was there once," Souji said.
"Wait, I have?" Teddie asked. "But when did that happen?"
"Remember that bleu room we talked in at the start of December? That was it. Incidentally, Igor mentioned that no normal Shadow could enter it," Souji explained, refreshing Teddie's memory.
"Really? Then that means… Teddie is a bear-y special Shadow! Yay! Go me!" He exclaimed happily while doing a little victory dance.
"Oh great…" Yosuke groaned, knowing he would hear Teddie repeat this for the rest of the day; and likely for a very long time.
"You all also met a resident of that place once." Souji continued.
"A resident…? Wait, ya don't mean that lady dressed in blue that fought you?" Chie gasped.
At Souji's nod, the younger group exchanged shocked glances. They all recalled when Souji faced Margaret all by himself before they went after Izanami. They only found out what Souji had in mind when the battle had already started. It was an intense battle, but Souji forbade them to interfere. Eventually, Souji was the winner, but he had a few close calls along the way. When questioned about why he did that or who Margaret was, he simply answered that she was someone he knew, who sought an answer through battle so he helped her. He also told them he was searching for his own answer in that fight: to prove to himself he had what it took to find the truth. That didn't stop Yukiko from nearly slapping him for worrying her before kissing him, though.
"Dude… That's crazy…" Kanji said. "She really gave Senpai a run for his money that day…"
"If she is like her sister Elizabeth, I can imagine that." Minato said recalling his own duel with the younger Velvet Room sister. His victory had been a narrow one on the night before the confrontation with Nyx. He needed to prove to himself that he could lead his friends to victory. Of course, that didn't stop Yukari from scolding him for fighting alone, before hugging him and crying out of concern. "They pack quite a punch…"
"No kidding…" Souji grinned sheepishly. "Well, we kinda went off on a tangent here so let's get back on topic."
"Regarding this new threat you mentioned, you said it was meddling with both worlds." Mitsuru started. "Please elaborate on that."
"As far as we know, its actions are affecting the other world and this one, disturbing the balance between worlds and the effects will gradually show up." Souji explained. "We haven't been out much since we got here, so I have to ask; have any of you seen anything... strange, recently? Even remotely out of the ordinary, no matter how silly it may be."
The others glanced amongst themselves, looks passing between the two groups as they silently asked each other that question.
"Anything?" Minato asked.
"U-Um…" Yukiko started fidgeting her fingers.
Souji looked at her, frowning slightly at her sudden nervousness. "What is it, Yukiko?"
"Um, well… I-I've only seen it once, in the hot springs at the Inn, and it was getting late, so I thought I'd only imagined it, but I did see some odd lights the other night. Like how the old myths and legends talk about lost souls." A nervous blush was settling in on her features. "There were only a couple, and they disappeared quickly enough, but the rest of the staff at the Inn had seen them as well."
"I-I've seen those too!" Fuuka suddenly said, drawing everybody's attention. "On the first night we arrived! I… I didn't say anything before because I thought I was just too tired from the trip…"
"I… I saw those too…" Yukari said quietly, feeling really uncomfortable at the idea of seeing ghosts.
"That's the start, then." Minato pointed out.
"It also means that soon enough we'll probably see changes on the other side as well." Souji said. "I'd like you all to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, and please let us know about anything you see or hear."
"You got it, Sensei!" Teddie grinned at him, eager to help out his friends. "I'll try my very best!"
Souji smiled at the Shadow in human form. "Thanks, Teddie."
"Yeah, we can do that!" Chie nodded once, firmly in agreement.
"Count me in too, dude!" Junpei said. "I'm always up for some action!"
"Heh, I could use some extra training." Akihiko smirked. "I'm in too."
The others nodded as well. "Very well, it's decided. We'll work on our strategy as more unusual sightings are detected. Venturing into the other side should provide more information as well as a way to train ourselves in case we need to fight." Mitsuru decided.
"Right! We'll get to the bottom of this mystery." Minato said.
"Together!" Souji added.
Everybody stood up. "Yeah!" They cheered in unison. The two groups were now one, determined to work together to find the truth and protect their world and the other.
"Oh, all that talk reminded me about the Summer Festival at Tatsuhime Shrine which is coming pretty soon." Yosuke recalled. "You guys think something might appear there?"
"It's possible. Spiritual places seem to be more sensitive to things like that." Minato pointed out. "What do you think, Souji-kun?"
"Maybe…" Before he could continue, Souji's hand immediately pressed to his temple as a sudden image flashed in his brain. He had seen himself as a young boy, watching the fireworks during the festival... and he had not been alone. Two people were holding both his hands... One was Minato the other was a girl… The image disappeared as soon as it came. As the image faded, he started to feel dizzy. His arms suddenly turned weak and his vision was shaky.
"Souji-kun? Souji-kun!" Yukiko shook him worriedly, noticing something wrong with the silverette.
Without warning, Souji collapsed, much to everybody's shock. Minato and Yosuke quickly reacted and grabbed him before he could hit the ground.
"Souji-kun!" Yukiko cried.
"What the hell! Souji?" Yosuke got a bit scared. "Partner, you ok?"
"H-Hey? You okay?" Chie gasped.
"Senpai?" Naoto and Rise cried.
"Senpai, are you okay? Senpai!" Kanji started to panic.
"Sensei! Sensei!" Teddie cried.
Souji groaned. "I'm okay… I just feel a little faint…" he whispered, trying to steady himself.
"Help me sit him down!" Minato told Yosuke and Kanji. "Someone get him some water now!"
"I'll get it!" Rise said as she quickly made a dash for the nearest counter.
Carefully, Minato, Yosuke and Kanji sat Souji on one of the seats while Yukiko held his hand.
Rise quickly returned with a glass of water. "Here you go, Senpai. Drink this, you'll feel better.'"
Souji took the glass and took a few gulps. "Thanks, Rise…"
"Souji-kun?" Yukiko called softly, worried.
"I'm fine now, Yukiko…" Souji said as he kept his eyes closed as the dizziness stopped. "I'm sorry I scared you guys…"
"It seems your body is not fully adapted to Inaba's weather yet, Souji-san." Aigis stated. "Your body temperature seems higher than a human body should normally be."
"Huh? What does that mean?" Teddie asked, worried and confused. "Is something wrong with Sensei?"
"Aigis means that Souji-kun's got a heatstroke due to the summer heat, Teddie-kun." Fuuka explained to calm the little bear down.
"Big surprise. Dude's wearing a black jacket in summer!" Junpei said. "Take that off, man, and you'll feel a lot better."
Souji involuntary flinched at Junpei's suggestion. His arm was still bandaged up and he was sure some of the wounds he had gotten from the battle against the Shadows had reopened when his friends knocked him down. The sight of the blood would definitely freak them out and force him to tell them about his parents.
"Senpai… You're hiding something from us, aren't you?" Naoto asked, staring him in the eye, surprising everybody. "You're favoring your other arm and it's not like you to wear this kind of clothing in plain summer, either..."
"It was foolish of me trying to deceive a detective…" Souji sighed in defeat. "Fine, you win…"
Carefully, Souji removed his jacket, revealing his left arm covered in bandages from his shoulder to his wrist. Some fresh blood stains could be seen seeping through. As he expected, his friends were shocked at the sight and so were Minato's friends.
"D-Dude, what happened with your arm?" Chie nearly shouted.
"Someone did this to you, Senpai? I'm gonna crush them!" Kanji growled. He looked ready to beat the crap of whoever had harmed his leader.
"Guys, calm down." Souji said calmly. "It's okay. My arm's already healed. The blood is from a few cuts I got fighting Shadows when I bumped with Aniki and Shinjiro-san. I think they reopened when I greeted you guys."
As his words sank in, the others settled themselves around the table, and he sighed, not really wanting to talk about the crash.
"Something happened, didn't it? That was the reason you didn't answer to anyone's e-mails?" Yukiko asked while giving Souji's hand a soft squeeze.
Souji looked at her and nodded with a sigh before he explained about the accident, giving them the bare facts. All people present, including the ones that didn't know Souji that well, were saddened by the news.
With a choked sob, Yukiko hugged Souji tightly, in an attempt to comfort him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Chie looked about to cry, like Rise and Teddie were doing. Fuuka was also on the verges of tears.
"How are you holding up, Senpai? I know that the loss of your parents is always hard and difficult to deal with, even at the best of times." Naoto's soft concern reminded Souji that she, too, had lost her parents, albeit when she was much younger.
"Actually, if it wasn't for Aniki and his friends, I'd probably still be a wreck right now…" Souji replied while smiling at Minato, Shinjiro and Metis and then at Yukiko and his friends. "Besides, I'm not alone, so I'll be okay."
"That's right. We've got your back so if ya need anything, you know you can rely on us, partner." Yosuke grinned at him patting his back.
"I know that." Souji nodded smiling. "Thanks, guys."
The rest of the day was spent with everyone talking about past memories. As the sun was close to setting, they suddenly heard Nanako's giggling drifting to them, and Souji could make out the distinct tones of his uncle's voice as well.
Then they saw Nanako walking towards them, her little arms wrapped around a shopping bag, vegetables poking out the top, with her father right behind her carrying the rest of the obvious shopping. Her face lit up at the sight of all of Souji's friends as well as Minato's. "All of Big Bro and Aniki's friends are here! Are you visiting that place today?"
"Sorry, Nanako-chan, but maybe next time. We were just talking with your big brother." Yukiko flashed her smile at the young girl, rising to her feet quickly.
Nanako pouted for a minute as she thought about it. "Okay, I guess. But you promise to play with me again, right?"
Koromaru barked in response. "Koromaru-san says he'd love to play with you again anytime, Nanako-chan." Aigis said glancing at Metis who seemed happy at the idea of playing with Nanako. "My sister and I will play with you as well."
Metis looked at Aigis surprised, but nodded happily. "Sure!"
Teddie leapt to his feet, veritable sparkles dazzling everyone. "Of course, my Nana-chan! I'll come back really soon, and we'll go play lots together with Ai-chan, Metis-chan, and Koro-chan too!"
Souji smiled as his younger cousin laughed and nodded. He caught the amused look on his uncle's face, turning his smile into a teasing grin, which earned him a mock-scowl in return.
"Okay, thanks for checking on him, but I'm taking him home now." His grin belied the bluntness of his words as he turned to Minato, Shinjiro and Metis. "The three of you are probably gonna need better accommodations from now on."
"Accommodations?" Mitsuru turned to Yukiko. "Amagi, would it be too troublesome to arrange for Arisato and Aragaki to stay in the room with Akihiko and the others and for Metis to stay with me and the girls?"
"Not at all, Mitsuru-san." Yukiko smiled. "I'll personally take care of that."
"Sweet! That means me and my buddy here…" Junpei came beside Minato and swung his arm around him. "…can catch up on what's been happening by taking a dip in the great hot springs at the Amagi Inn! Akihiko-senpai, Shinjiro-senpai, Ken and Koromaru can come too!"
'Typical Junpei.He never misses a chance to lighten the situation,'Minato thought with a smile on his face.
"Uh, I don't think that hot water would be good for Koro-chan," Ken pointed out.
Junpei looked crestfallen. "Dude, ya had to remind me of that…?"
"Junpei, I'm sure that he's tired, but we can all talk after we get back at the Inn." Yukari said with a laugh, looking at Minato with her bright smile which made his heart skip a beat.
"Yeah, I would like some rest for now." Minato smiled back at her. "But I'd like to hear about how you guys have been doing."
"Um… We'll be sleeping in the same room?" Metis asked. "Like a sleepover?"
Aigis nodded with a smile while Yukari giggled. "Sure, Metis. I'm sure you and Aigis got a lot to talk about. That reminds me, we'll have to go shopping for some new clothes for you some other time."
"Hey, if ya need some help on shopping, count us in." Rise giggled, glancing at Naoto. "We were thinking about taking Naoto-kun to go shopping for some cute outfits for her this summer."
Naoto blushed furiously. "R-Rise-san! I told you that I have no interest in…"
"Aw, c'mon, it'll be fun!" Rise pouted. "Oh, I know! We can first stop at Kanji-kun's family's shop and ask his mother about a yukata for you to wear at the festival." She grinned mischievously at Kanji. "I bet Kanji-kun would like to see you wearing one…"
"Wha? HEY!" Kanji shouted, his face turning red as a pepper. Naoto blushed as well.
Everybody laughed at that. Souji chuckled at their antics. It was good to be back. "Alright, enough teasing, guys. Let's call it a day. We can talk more tomorrow."
And with that, the group went their separate paths, failing to notice a certain brown haired girl watching them the whole time. With a small giggle, she skipped off, longing for the time to experience the same feeling of reunion Souji and Minato felt. Despite everything that still didn't make any sense, things were looking up.
Oh yeah, this is so exciting I'm almost blowing up with excitement. X3 Don't forget to Read, Review and Enjoy!