Hello! The time has come! Finally we'll know the truth behind the identity of the third Wild Card and her true relationship with Souji and Minato! This will be awesome!
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 after all the two hyperactive cuties of the team X3)
Have fun ya guys. On with the show!
Chapter 6: Wild Card Twins?
The next morning, Souji woke up early. Despite the battle which had occurred the previous day, he managed to sleep peacefully and get enough rest. He took a shower, got dressed, changed his bandages and prodded to the kitchen to make his family breakfast.
'My family…' he repeated in his head. That somehow sounded sweet but at the same time it left a bitter aftertaste. 'What the hell are you thinking, Seta?' Souji scolded himself. He shook his head violently in order to remove the depressing thoughts. 'Unlike Aniki, at least you still have a family right? They're willing to take you in, so be grateful you damn idiot!'
Souji took a deep breath, stood straight, and entered the kitchen. Nanako had refilled the fridge with groceries the other day, so he had a lot of ingredients to work with. There were eggs, green vegetables, red peppers and the leftover rice from yesterday's dinner. He chuckled lightly. "I'm sure Nanako will be happy with today's breakfast menu."
Said girl could smell the delicious aroma as soon she woke up, and a huge smile appeared on her face. Nanako quickly got up and rushed to the bathroom to shower. She could hardly contain her excitement and ran to the kitchen.
"Big Bro!" Nanako shouted, engulfing Souji in a huge bear hug when he turned around to face her.
"Whoa! Easy there Nanako," Souji laughed. "Don't make me drop the food." He carried three plates of omelet fried rice to the dining table. "Do you mind setting the table while I make us some tea?"
Nanako nodded with a bright smile. "Sure thing, Big Bro!"
As the two of them were finishing up, Dojima came downstairs. He greeted Nanako like usual, but there was a slight pause when he saw his nephew in the kitchen.
"Good morning, Souji. It's good to see you up nice and early."
"Oh, good morning Uncle. I had a good night's rest," Souji said, grinning like nothing was wrong with the world.
Dojima couldn't help but smile. He was honestly happy that his nephew was coping well after the tragedy, so he decided to ignore the nagging feeling he had since he returned from work last night.
Nanako was smiling as she consumed her breakfast. It had been months since she ate something her big brother cooked. "Big Bro's cooking is the best!" she exclaimed, earning a grunt of agreement from her father and a proud smile from Souji.
"Say, have you two heard anything about the shrine and shopping district? I got a report from the guys at the station saying mass vandalism occurred there," Dojima said, starting up a conversation. "But the funny thing is, it just happened and there were no witnesses."
"Really? It just happened?" Nanako inquired, eyes lighting up with curiosity.
"That's what the report said. I'm pretty sure a lamp post and a shop's outer wall didn't get busted up like that without some sort of vehicular accident and no one saw or heard anything…" Dojima trailed off when he saw Souji flinch a little, before the teen shoved more fried rice into his mouth.
Dojima would have missed it if he wasn't paying attention.
Despite his calm exterior, Souji was panicking on the inside as he recognized the tone his uncle was using; the one he normally used when he was initiating an interrogation with either criminals or with Souji himself. So he decided to feign ignorance and play it cool. "Nope, haven't heard about it."
The edges of Dojima's mouth turned downwards. "Are you sure about that? I heard from some people who were there that they saw you, your friends and Arisato's group eating at Aiya's Diner just before the sudden destruction occurred."
'Oh shit, he's onto me!' Souji thought. 'Calm down! No one but us Persona users know about the Dark Hour, at least that's what Aniki said…'
He turned to look at Dojima. "Uncle, just because we were there doesn't mean we saw what happened. They do have security footages, right?" Minato had told him the other day that during the Dark Hour, any electrical or electronic devices are not active so he didn't have to worry about the security cameras recording their battle with Shadows.
Dojima's gazed into Souji's storm grey eyes, the same color as his own. The teen's stare was firm, no signs of hesitation or difference in blinking pattern, no shifting his gaze elsewhere, and his body language was solid. Souji was holding his ground and Dojima knew it.
The silverette had been through this before and he would endure it again. His uncle was getting suspicious and he knew what that might result to; a trip to the police station or being separated from his friends and getting interrogated in a dimly lit room. But he could never forgive himself if his uncle or little cousin got in danger like last time. The memories of Dojima wounded badly in that car accident after the chase with Namatame, and Nanako who almost died at the hospital, hurt too much. Deep in his heart, Souji knew that neither Minato nor his friends could save him if he were to lose his family again.
"Are you two fighting?" Nanako asked sadly. She looked at her father, and then at Souji.
Finally Dojima broke his stare and softened his tone. "No we weren't, Nanako. I was just asking him something. Finish your breakfast."
"Okay…" Nanako replied softly.
Souji mentally sighed. At least his uncle was dropping the subject, even of it was temporarily. He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. His eyes widened, and polished his plate as fast as possible. Both Nanako and Dojima noticed this.
"What's the hurry?" Dojima asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My friends and I were supposed to meet Aniki and his friends at the Samegawa today. I can't be late!" Souji quickly finished his meal and went get ready.
"See ya later, Big Bro!" Nanako smiled.
"Take care," Doujima said.
"Sure! Bye, Uncle! Bye, Nanako!" Souji kissed Nanako's forehead and patted Dojima's shoulder before he left.
As soon as Souji left the house, Nanako helped clean up. She and Souji had an agreement that if one cooks, the other one had to do the dishes. Dojima went to get ready for work.
Both of them finished at the same time. Dojima was locking the door and Nanako stood beside the family car, waiting for her father, when she saw someone trying to hide behind a nearby tree. It looked like a teenage girl. Nanako slowly approached the person.
"Um…hello there," she shyly greeted the mysterious teen.
The older girl stuck her head out from her hiding place. "I was that obvious, huh?" she chuckled, much to Nanako's confusion.
"You must be new in town. I never saw you before," Nanako said.
"Yup, I just arrived here. Good guess," the teenager said, and stepped out into the open.
She was about Souji's age, with chestnut brown hair tied in a messy ponytail. She was wearing an orange cutsew top, white skirt and sandals. Her complexion was fair and flawless, despite wearing next to no make-up. She was carrying something long and cylindrical, like a pole, wrapped in cloth and tied with a string. Nanako noticed that the MP3 player around her neck was red, just like the color of her eyes. In short, she was one of the prettiest girls Nanako had ever seen.
"Does Souji-kun live here?" the teen asked.
Nanako gasped. "How do you know Big Bro?"
"I'm his friend from the city. My name is Minako." She held out her hand for a handshake. "Minako Arisato."
The little girl liked Minako instantly. The way she smiled and the friendliness she displayed as Minako waited for her to return the gesture, it made Nanako feel all warm and fuzzy inside. There was something about the way she carried herself that reminded Nanako strongly of her Big Bro and Aniki.
"My name is Nanako. I'm Souji's cousin. Nice to meet you!" Nanako beamed, her cheeks burning up as she returned the handshake.
Dojima approached his daughter and touched her shoulder. "Nanako, what did I tell you about talking to strangers?"
"Relax, Dad. This is Minako, Big Bro's friend from the city!"
"Hi! You must be Souji-kun's uncle. Nice to meet you!" Minako bowed slightly to Dojima.
"That's right. I'm Ryotaro Dojima, nice to meet you. If you're looking for Souji, he just left a few minutes ago."
Minako pouted when she heard this. She wanted to check up on him to make sure he was alright. During yesterday's battle, she noticed that he already had injuries before all of them fought the Shadows to save her and that got her worried. So before she went ahead to meet everyone, she wanted to see how well Souji was doing.
Dojima took another glance at Minako. "Wait a minute, I recognize you. You're that little girl Souji used to play with when he was a little kid along with Minato."
"So you remember me," Minako smiled. "I'm surprised that you still do."
"I'm a detective, it's part of the job," He shrugged, and then smiled. "I remember what my sister used to call you three; the troublemaking trio. How could I forget the way she complained about you guys?" he chuckled.
"So are you like Big Bro's big sister?" Nanako asked.
Minako giggled. "That's right. Souji-kun used to call me 'Aneki', just like he calls Minato-kun 'Aniki'." She then looked at her watch and gasped. "Oh no, I'm going to be late to meet them!"
Dojima furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait a minute…are you the one who they're supposed to meet at Samegawa?"
"Actually, yes. " Minako played with the hem of her skirt as she talked. "I wanted to meet him back in Tatsumi Port Island, but I was released from the hospital a bit later than he did. So I came to Inaba, but we keep missing each other." She giggled a bit. "See, I missed him again by a few minutes. I was hoping he'd walk with me there."
Nanako tugged her father's shirt to get his attention. "Dad, can we give Aneki a ride to Samegawa? Pleeeaaaase?" the little girl pleaded.
The older man was surprised at this. His daughter was unusually shy around people whom she barely knew, and now she wanted him to give a ride to a girl she just met? To add to his surprise, Nanako stood beside Minako and grabbed the teen's hand, as if she didn't want to let go.
"Please, Dad?" she begged again.
"Alright, alright," Dojima said, giving in to his daughter's request. "It's on the way to the shopping district anyway. Just make sure Souji sends you to Miwa-chan's house after that, okay?"
"Okay!" Nanako squealed.
"Thank you, Dojima-san," Minako said, bowing again.
"Get in. I'm almost late for work anyway."
About the same time…
Souji ran into Kanji, Rise and Naoto while he was on the way to Samegawa flood plain. It was a rather cold morning for summer, but that wasn't unusual in rural Inaba.
Kanji wanted to press his luck for one last time. "Can't you at least tell me who she is, Senpai? I promise I won't tell anyone else, not even Minato-senpai."
"Nice try, Kanji."
"But…"
"You're going to have to wait like everybody else," Souji said, folding his arms against his chest. "Just because she's a Wild Card like me doesn't mean I understand the entire situation just yet. We'll know more when we meet her."
"Patience is a virtue, Kanji-kun," Naoto reminded him.
Shoulders slumped, Kanji frowned dejectedly. Rise snickered while covering her mouth with her hand. "It's not that bad, Kanji. We just have to wait until we get there!"
"I'm just worried about her, okay!" Kanji said, a bit flustered. "She did get hurt pretty bad..."
"Speak for yourself. You were the one that got knocked out. It would have been worse if Naoto-kun weren't there to take care of you…" Rise teased.
Both Kanji and Naoto turned different shades of red as Rise's laughter echoed in the morning air. Souji could only chuckle at their antics as he led the way.
As they arrived at the riverside, the others were already there. 'Yukiko must have brought them here after Aniki relayed the message,'Souji thought.
They were greeted by a peaceful, yet amusing scene:
Close to the fishing dock, Minato and Yosuke had their headphones on, and were comparing notes about their favorite music.
Under the tree where Souji and Chie often trained, the martial-arts enthusiast was showing off the new moves she learned from the latest kung-fu movie to Akihiko, who in turn gave her tips on how to land a devastating blow to the opponent.
Yukiko seem to be in a deep discussion with Mitsuru on the bench. Close by, Yukari and Fuuka were gossiping, seated on the stairs that connected the riverside to the flood plain.
Junpei and Teddie seemed to be tutoring young Ken about the fine art of flirting, using both Aigis and Metis as 'target practice'. Souji noticed how uncomfortable the pre-teen was during the entire ordeal as Teddie threw sparkles everywhere. Aigis scowled at Teddie and Metis was giggling at something funny Junpei said.
At the farthest end of the riverside, Shinjiro was seated on a huge rock, staring out at nothing. His hand was absentmindedly rubbing Koromaru's head as the white dog stared intently at the fish swimming in the river.
It was Yukiko who noticed her boyfriend's presence and went to greet him. "Oh, Souji-kun. You're finally here." She gave him a brief hug and Souji entwined his fingers with hers.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around Souji.
The silverette apologized for his tardiness. "Sorry guys. My uncle was interrogating me during breakfast. It turns out that he's in charge of investigating the damage we caused at the shrine and the shopping district." He then sighed. "As usual, I turned up on the top of his suspect list."
"We don't need to worry about that. Anyone without the potential could not have witnessed our battle," Mitsuru stated nonchalantly.
"You don't understand," Yosuke interjected, shaking his head. "The last time Dojima-san was involved with anything Shadow-related, it ended up pretty badly. Because he was indirectly involved, Nanako-chan was dragged into the whole mess."
"Dojima-san ended up in the hospital," Chie added. "And we almost lost Nanako-chan too…"
"He'll just connect the dots, like the previous time," Naoto said. "During the murder investigations, he made all the correct assumptions but still withheld arresting Souji-senpai because he was under his care. I'm not sure what he will do this time though. He's relentless when pursuing a lead." She began to explain about her part of the investigation and the results she obtained when she was called in for assistance.
"That's right. We had to rely on the rumor mill to cover our asses, especiallyfrom Dojima-san," Kanji said. "It's a good thing that the school was pretty much a source for gossip, and it helped cover our trail."
The SEES members pondered at Kanji's statement. Even if they did end up damaging public property during their battles with the full moon Shadows back in 2009, the Kirijo Group was there to cover up for them. Officer Kurosawa also did his part so that their activities remained a secret. They had wide access to weapons and technology the Kirijo Group had to offer, while the Investigation Team had to rely on their wits and limited resources in order to get the job done. Minato's respect for his childhood friend increased tenfold; being a leader in that kind of situation must not have been easy.
"Hey, aren't you guys seriously forgetting something?" Shinjiro grumbled, breaking the silence. "What the hell are we even doing here this early in the morning anyway?"
Minato and Souji, along with Kanji, Naoto, Aigis and Metis were snapped out of their thoughts.
"That's right. There was a reason me and Souji-kun called you guys here," Minato said, rubbing the back of his head. "We're supposed to meet the other Wild Card here. She said that she'll explain everything to us."
Shinjiro forgot to be angry. "Really?" He noticed the eagerness in his tone just in time to cover it with an awkward cough.
"Then where is she?" Ken asked. "We haven't seen anyone here but us."
The group suddenly heard car sounds. "Hm?" Metis looked up at the road. "Isn't that… Dojima-san's vehicle?"
At that everybody looked up as the car parked over. Indeed it was Dojima's car. Souji flinched; that couldn't be a good sign.
Sensing that Souji was nervous, Minato acted. "Play it cool, guys," he told everybody. "Just play it cool."
Everybody nodded and remained silent. Dojima got out of the car and looked at them with a small nod. He was followed by Nanako who waved at them with a huge smile. "Hi, Big Bro!" She then looked back at the car. "They're here!"
The group exchanged confused glances as someone held Nanako's hand. "Thanks, Nanako-chan." Minako smiled as Nanako helped her get out of the car.
That caught everybody off guard. Sure they were expecting her, but didn't expect her to arrive like this.
"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late," Minako said with an apologetic smile while walking up to them, still holding Nanako's hand. She looked at Souji and Minato with a grin."We keep missing each other by minutes, huh? Good thing your uncle and cousin gave me a ride here."
Despite the confusing situation, Minato and Souji smiled back at her. Genuine ones. "Yeah… Glad you finally caught up with us, though," Minato said in a teasing tone.
"About time too," Souji chuckled.
"Aww, you guys never change!" Minako giggled.
As Minako talked with the other two Wild Cards, everybody could only watch them, still quite confused at the situation.
Shinjiro could only stare at her as she smiled like she didn't have a care in the world. When he finally found his voice again, it only came out as a whisper. "You..."
Minako heard him anyway. "Hey, Senpai." She stared at him, red eyes meeting brown-grey ones, a warm smile on her lips and a light shade of pink dusting her cheeks.
There was something about her voice and her smile that made Shinjiro's heart flutter. 'That feeling again…' His heart began to beat faster. He finally realized what it was. 'I'm such a dumbass…'
Minako and Shinjiro kept staring at each other, conveying their emotions through their gazes. For them it felt like an eternity as the world around them faded.
Minato and Souji exchanged amused glances at the scene.
Suddenly, the three Wild Cards felt something coming, something evil. 'Oh God, no… Please… Not here!' Souji was close to panicking. 'Not now!'
The sky suddenly turned dark and the eerie full moon appeared. The group was startled by that, but what surprised them most was that neither Nanako nor Dojima were changed into coffins.
"What the hell is going on?" Dojima yelled.
Nanako clutched onto Minako's arm, really afraid. "I'm scared…"
"What the hell?" Yosuke shouted. "What's going on?"
"No way…" Minato whispered. His eyes widened in shock.
"They weren't transmogrified? But that means…" Yukari froze.
"They were targeted by the Shadows!" Mitsuru concluded. There was a tinge of fear in her voice as well.
Before Dojima could ask what they were talking about, several giant knight-like Shadows appeared before them.
"Hell Knights!" Fuuka gasped as the Shadows charged at the group with full force. "Be careful! They're going to attack!"
"Everybody, scatter!" Souji ordered as he grabbed his uncle by the arm and made a run for it.
No one needed to be told twice as they all ran in several directions. Minako and Teddie quickly grabbed Nanako each one holding one of her hands to protect her.
"Souji, what are those things? What's going on?" Dojima queried, irritation clearly in his voice.
"Sorry Uncle, no time to explain!" Souji said. "Please, just trust me for now."
Dojima growled. His detective intuition worked at full speed. He never truly believed Souji's story about the 'other world', Shadows and what-not, about how they were connected to the murders and the kidnappings, even after his nephew and his friends rescued Nanako and put the real culprit behind bars. But now, seeing the creatures and how Souji and his friends handled the situation, he had finally put everything together: the strange weapons and armors Souji kept buying at Daidara's and that dubious shopping channel every Sunday, the mysterious injuries he claimed to be from either practicing soccer, basketball or both at school, or from playing with the kids at the daycare he worked part-time at. All if it finally made sense. Every word he had said was the truth. And they had gone through all that danger to save other lives. To save Nanako.
"Souji-kun, look out!" Yukiko called out to him.
Souji looked behind and froze. One of the Shadows was heading for him and his uncle, ready to skewer them with a Vile Assault attack! Without any time to block or counter, he shoved his uncle out of the way and stood in its way.
Dojima watched in horror as his nephew pushed him out of harm's way, only to put himself in danger. The look of defiance on Souji's face rivaled his own. He snapped out of his stupor just in time as his police training kicked in. He whipped out his gun and fired an entire round at the Shadow. "Don't you dare hurt my family!" he roared.
Six shots rang through the air as the bullets pierced armor, causing medium damage to the Shadow Knight. It screeched in pain as black goo oozed from its wounds. The horse bucked in response, trying to throw off its rider. The Shadow lost focus, therefore the intended attack never made it to Souji as it was stopped in its tracks. Unfortunately, one of the bullets ricocheted back and grazed Dojima's right shoulder.
Souji almost panicked seeing his uncle hiss in pain and on his knees. "Uncle, are you alright?"
"It's just a small flesh wound. Don't worry about it," the older man grunted.
"I'll heal it for you, just – "
"Souji-kun, look out!" Minato shouted from somewhere behind him, causing Souji to snap back to attention and turned around.
The Hell Knight managed to control its horse once more and prepared another attack. Even though Shadows have no faces to show emotion, the roar it was letting out indicated that it was royally pissed at the person who shot it.
"Senpai, its gathering energy for a Power Charge!" Rise informed him, already summoning Kanzeon. "You need to guard yourself, and fast!"
The teen cursed softly, and furiously searched his Personae arsenal for a suitable one to block physical attacks. 'Got it!'he thought, and smirked a little.
A glowing blue card materialized in his hand as he stood directly in front of his uncle. Dojima winced again, and before he could open his mouth to scold Souji, the boy had beaten him to it. "Don't worry, just stay down. I'll protect you for sure this time." He looked at his uncle, giving him a soft smile.
There was nothing Dojima could say to counter that.
After screaming out a battle cry, the Hell Knight reeled back its lance and charged once again.
Souji crushed the card in his palm. "Siegfried!"
A knight wearing ancient Germanic armor appeared before Souji, readying his sword and shield for a fight. Souji crossed his arms in a defensive manner, mentally ordering his Persona to defend. Siegfried lifted his shield just in time to block the lance, taking full brunt of the assault. Siegfried's shield was tough, but the charged attack was too strong. Souji gritted his teeth as he tried to stand his ground and protect his guardian.
The sound of shattering glass echoed behind him. "Skadi, Niflheim!"
The air around them turned cold as the Snowshoe Goddess appeared above Souji and Dojima. The Hell Knight and its horse were encased in a huge pillar of ice and became still.
Souji dismissed Siegfried as he collapsed on his knees, exhausted and out of breath. Minato and Yukiko rushed to his aid.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Persona users scattered on the flood plain, where they saw the entire river had turned into blood. They were pondering over the difficulty of battle as they didn't bring any armor or weapons. The area was too small for them all to fight at once.
"Fuuka, are you done scanning?" Akihiko asked the SEES analytic support, while adjusting some athletic tape wrapped around his knuckles.
"All I know that it's strong against physical attacks. I just need a little more time to find its weakness," Fuuka stated.
"Don't do anything rash, Akihiko," Mitsuru warned him. Despite her cold tone, she was worried for his safety knowing what a hothead he was.
"I can always use my Megidolaon, but that would cause too much damage to the surroundings," Naoto said, assessing the situation. "That would spell trouble for us if this place is torn apart beyond recognition."
"And we can't use any spells willy-nilly either," Yosuke said. "This Dark Hour is becoming a pain in the ass!"
The only ones who brought their weapons were Yukiko, Aigis and Naoto, because theirs were the easiest to conceal. Rise hadn't finished scanning yet, so going for the offense was to too risky.
Nanako however, was squirming in Minako and Teddie's hold. "Dad! Big Bro!" she yelled. Her eyes were filled with tears when she saw both her father and Big Bro on the ground and defenseless. She was worried and scared, and wanted to be by their side right now! With the strength that she didn't know she possessed, Nanako forcefully yanked herself out of their grasps and ran towards her family.
"Nanako-chan, wait…Come back!" Minako screamed, and chased after her. The little girl was fast!
"Nana-chan!" Teddie cried in dismay, trying to catch up.
Nanako was too distracted to listen. All she could think about was being with her father and all she wanted was for Souji to hug and comfort her. She didn't see nor hear the Ziodyne aimed for her, casted by another Hell Knight that suddenly appeared within the vicinity.
The others did, including Souji and Dojima but they were too far away to do anything about it.
"NANAKO!" Dojima and Souji screamed.
They could only stare helplessly as the thunder attack almost hit its target. But before it could do so, a figure appeared and shielded the little girl with its body. It was Teddie!
"Teddie?" Nanako cried.
The amount of pain Teddie felt from the direct Ziodyne spell was unbearable. Without his bear suit to block some of the damage, he let out an anguished ear-splitting scream and collapsed on the ground.
"TEDDIE!" his teammates screamed. The SEES members gasped in shock. Akihiko and Shinjiro wasted no time attacking the Hell Knight, just to divert its attention away from the others.
"Be on the lookout for more!" Mitsuru ordered the rest.
Souji forgot his pain and exhaustion and rushed to Teddie's side as his cousin ran into her father's embrace. He was followed by Minato, Yosuke and Yukiko.
The silverette fell on his knees beside Teddie, who was barely conscious. Worry and sadness were evident in his grey eyes as he looked into Teddie's blue ones. "Teddie… Why…why did you take that direct hit?" Souji asked him in a choked voice. His tears were threatening to spill out. "Everyone knows your Persona is weak to thunder…you could have died!"
"I know, Sensei…" Teddie said softly. "But I made a promise didn't I?" He coughed a bit before continuing. "Back then in the hospital, before Teddie disappeared…I promised you…and myself…that I would always protect Nana-chan." He looked like a mess; his clothes were charred beyond recognition and there were burn marks all over his fair skin.
"You idiot…" Yosuke whispered, "Think before jumping in, dumbass." He wasn't angry at Teddie, but worried about him. Memories of his times with Teddie flowed through his mind. Sure the bear could be a handful, but life was never boring with him around. His parents loved him so much they 'adopted' him, giving him the name of Kuma 'Teddie' Hanamura and enrolled him in Yasogami High, where he surprisingly scored well enough to be in the same year as Kanji, Rise and Naoto on the admissions exam. Needless to say, school life became quite interesting.
"It's okay, Teddie. Thanks for protecting her. You can rest now," Souji told the little blonde, but deep inside he could feel his anger rising. He got up and faced Yukiko. "Please heal him, and make sure he doesn't pass out." It wasn't a request, it was an order.
"I understand. I'll do everything I can," Yukiko answered. She summoned Amaterasu and began healing Teddie.
Minato also felt the same as Souji. Anyone who hurt his friends must be severely punished. The grip on his Evoker tightened.
Since the Ziodyne spell wasn't successful, the Hell Knight opted for a physical attack instead. It slipped past Shinjiro and Akihiko down the slope, and charged at the two Wild Cards. The other one which Minato trapped in the ice pillar had broken free, and charged as well.
Before both boys could do anything, a Persona that had a man's body and the head and wings of an eagle, appeared and casted Magarudyne on the two Hell Knights. The gust was so powerful that it tore the Shadows' bodies into tiny pieces, and soon dissolved in the air.
"What the…" Souji said, flabbergasted.
"Who…Garuda…how?" Minato stuttered. They looked at each other in confusion.
Footsteps were coming from behind them and they turned around to see who it was. Minako approached them while holding her naginata in one hand and gripped her Evoker in the other.
'Oh right, I forgot there was another Wild Card here…'Souji and Minato thought at the same time.
"Guys, I sense more Shadows heading our way," Rise said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "There are about three of them!"
And sure enough, three more Hell Knights appeared from the other side of the river, straight towards the Wild Cards.
"Bring it!" Minako hissed. Her crimson eyes were burning with pure fury as she swung her naginata around, ready for action. "Of all the places, of all the times…. They had to show up here and now? I've waited for so long to meet you guys, and it had to be ruined by Shadows! I'll make sure they all pay!"
The venom dripping from her voice caused Minato and Souji to shiver, and those within hearing distance shuddered.
"I finished scanning!" Fuuka's voice rang out. Everyone perked up and paid extra attention. "They reflect thunder, and are strong against physical attacks. And their weakness is wind!"
Without delay, Souji sprang into leader mode. "Kanji! I need you to guard Yukiko while she's healing Teddie."
Kanji was by his upperclassman's side in seconds. "But Senpai, you know I can kick their asses better than the next guy!" he protested.
"Don't argue with me, Kanji. Your Persona has immunity to thunder making you the logical choice to shield them. Besides, you haven't fully recovered from your head injury and I don't want you pushing yourself too much."
"Alright Senpai. I'm trusting you on this!" Kanji said. He grabbed a flat slate rock beside the riverbed and stood in front of Yukiko. At this point Yukari, Mitsuru, Ken and Aigis have joined her to heal Teddie's various wounds. Yosuke acted as a look out to make sure nothing would creep up on them.
The Hell Knights spotted their two targets, and made a beeline for them.
"NOT SO FAST!" Minako yelled, standing in their way. Her reflexes were remarkable as she dodged two consecutive Ziodyne spells. She placed her Evoker at her temple and pulled the trigger. "Norn, Panta Rhei!"
A marble white figure with three beautiful maidens holding a large clock appeared with a powerful gust of wind, even stronger than a Garudyne. One of the Shadows was hit and its remains dissipated in the air, just like the previous one.
"Don't think I'm not letting you off easy!" The murderous glint in her eyes had the other Persona users shaking in fear.
Souji and Minato sighed; at least her bipolar tendencies haven't changed as long as they had known her.
"Don't just stand there!" She barked at the two. "Help me out here!" It sounded more like a demand than a request.
Souji chuckled at her. "I kinda missed your bossiness, you know that?" Another tarot card materialized in his hands as it spun around slowly. "Aniki?"
"Whenever you two are ready," Minato said, grinning as he readied his Evoker.
"Norn…"
"Odin…"
"Norn…"
"PANTA RHEI!"
The three separate wind spells begin to merge, creating an extremely powerful tornado. The two Hell Knights didn't stand a chance as they were sucked into the swirling vortex. The tornado was spinning around violently, the wind and various pieces of shrapnel it picked up slicing them to shreds. It rose higher and higher from the ground and scattered the remains of the Shadows into the dark sky.
The trio stopped their attack and fell on their hands and knees, panting heavily.
"And that's that!" Junpei cheered. "Just remind me to never piss them off…"
Meanwhile, Ken casted a Mediarahan spell to cure any external injuries on Dojima and Nanako. Teddie seemed a little better, but he was still dazed.
"Umm...guys, you might want to get ready for another battle," Rise said nervously. She hadn't dismissed Kanzeon yet and was still scanning the area. "I sense a huge group of Shadows coming this way!"
"What? More!" Chie shouted.
Shinjiro and Kanji started swearing profanities while Koromaru growled loudly, baring his fangs.
"Start scanning for their weaknesses immediately!" Minato ordered, slightly out of breath. "If we let them escape into town they might cause a lot of damage."
"Aniki is right," Souji groaned, the battle taking its toll on him. "They're looking for us. Might as well give them what they want," he smirked.
Kanji seemed to perk up by his senpai's words and pumped a fist into the air. "You said it, Senpai."
Minako giggled weakly and mimicked Kanji. "Yeah!"
"Heads up!" Naoto warned, readying her revolver. She never goes anywhere without it. "It looks like they got here early."
Like Rise said, a huge group consisting about thirty Halberie-type Shadows started flocking them. Immediately they were overwhelmed.
"Dammit, when did Shadow groups get this huge?" Yosuke complained, blowing some away with Garudyne."We can't exactly fend them off without weapons!"
Two Shadows tried to sneak up on the group that was healing Teddie and looking after Dojima and Nanako. Luckily, Koromaru was paying attention and howled upon spotting them. He summoned Cerberus and roasted them with Maragidyne.
"Atta boy, Koromaru!" Ken praised him before he summoned Kala-Nemi to attack the Halberies.
"Well, that's two down and twenty eight to go… Stay still, will ya?" Akihiko said, trying to punch another one with little success.
Minako drew her Evoker once more. "Okay, Eurydice, time to show why you're the Mistress of Melodies!" she said before pulling the trigger.
A figure similar to Minato's Orpheus appeared above her but she sported long brown hair, a golden torso instead of the platinum one Orpheus adorned, and the lyre she carried as a weapon was heart-shaped in structure.
"That Persona… Looks just like Minato-kun's!" Yukari was bewildered and so were the remaining members of SEES.
"The missing piece of the puzzle…" Minato grinned while summoning Orpheus.
"Like there was any doubt by now, Aniki," Souji smirked as he summoned Izanagi.
"Ready? Swift Strike!"
"Assault Dive!"
"Cleave!"
The trio of Persona lunged for the Shadows and attacked. Eurydice's attack hit three while Orpheus and Izanagi's finished two more off.
Aigis shot the other Shadows, but they kept dodging. "Elusive targets…"
"Ngh… They're quite tenacious as well," Naoto grumbled as she also missed her shots.
"They have a very high evasion rate," Rise informed. "They don't have any weakness, but no specific resistance either."
"That'll make the battle more difficult…" Metis said, trying to strike another one without much luck.
"Stay down, ya little bastard!" Shinjiro grew frustrated as he couldn't hit a single Shadow, and so were the others.
"Relax, I've got what we need right here," Minako said with a cocky little grin.
Minato raised an eyebrow. "What do you thinking?"
"Hit them with an Almighty spell," Minako said. "Not as strong as Megidolaon, but I think it'll take care of those loudmouths just fine without damaging the area."
Souji smirked."I like where this is going. If we focus our power to summon a single Persona rather than as separate entities, even a minor spell can still do significant damage."
"Very well, count me in!" Minato said before turning to the others. "All of you, stand back, we're taking them down with a single shot!"
The rest of the Persona users stopped what they were doing. At first they were confused at why their leaders were telling them to back off, but when they heard 'a single shot,' they understood immediately and ran away as far as they could without losing sight of the trio. Shinjiro and Akihiko helped Dojima move while Yosuke carried Teddie on his back and Ken led Nanako out of harm's way.
Standing in a circle facing each other, Minato, Souji and Minako closed their eyes and started to focus. Slowly they released their spiritual energy and began to focus on one Persona in their psyche. They then began to merge their energies as the twins readied their Evokers while a tarot card formed in Souji's hand.
"Alice…" they whispered in unison. Minako and Minato pulled the trigger while Souji crushed his card.
The rest of the team watched in awe as the usual eerie, bluish smoke appearing at their leaders' feet began to merge. A creepy childish giggle reached their ears and they shivered as a Persona, taking the form of a pale little English girl with blonde hair wearing a blue dress, appeared in the center of the trio; the child demon, Alice.
The Hableries were frantically surrounding them, attracted by their spiritual energy. They got closer and closer when…
"MEGIDOLA!"
The blonde little girl spun around cutely and pointed a finger to the sky. A huge orb of purple energy appeared above the Shadows. It exploded suddenly and sent out a shockwave, decimating them in an instant. The sudden burst of energy almost knocked the group off their feet.
The trio stood still as if waiting for more enemies to come. As sudden as it came, the Dark Hour ended. They were safe…for now.
At the same time, the Wild Cards sighed heavily and slumped to the ground, out of breath.
"Okay… remind me… not to try that again… anytime soon…" Minako panted.
"I'll… keep note… of that…" Minato wheezed.
"No… kidding…" Souji added.
The trio exchanged looks and burst into laughter. They were truly relieved at the battle was over and the others were safe.
Slowly their friends approached them. "That was wicked, Senpai!" Kanji exclaimed in awe. "You guys okay?"
"Yeah… Just out of breath…" Souji smiled as Yukiko and Kanji helped him up. "Everybody okay?"
"No problem-o!" Junpei grinned as him and Yukari helped Minato up while Shinjiro and Metis helped Minako stand. "Quite a show you guys put out, huh?"
"Yeah, well don't expect an encore anytime soon, Junpei-kun…" Minako giggled. "That can really take a lot out of you."
"You can say that again," Minato said.
"That can really take…"
"Not literally, silly." Minato shushed her by placing two fingers on her lips.
Minako stuck out her tongue at him before they both started laughing again. It was an unusual sight for the SEES members, seeing their leader so happy.
Souji could only smile at the other two Wild Cards before he shifted his gaze to his left. Yosuke had put Teddie down once the danger was over and went to check on him. He truly looked at lot better after being healed multiple times.
Nanako and Dojima also approached him. Teddie smiled at her. "Are you okay, Nana-chan?"
Nanako just smiled and hugged Teddie tightly. "Teddie…" She looked like she was about to cry.
Teddie just smiled and hugged her back. Dojima smiled weakly at them. "Thanks for looking out for her, Teddie."
The blonde nodded with a small smile when he felt a hand patting his head. He looked up. "Sensei?"
"You were really brave, Teddie. I'm so proud of you." Souji smiled warmly at him.
Teddie could only blush at being praised by his sensei. "I feel all fuzzy inside. Like I had eaten ten topsicles…"
"Well, at least we know he's gonna be okay." Yosuke rolled his eyes, amused. "He's already talking about food."
The rest of the Investigation Team could only laugh at that.
Without warning, Nanako let go of Teddie and hugged Souji. "Big Bro!" There was a mix of relief and happiness in her voice.
"There, there… Nanako. It's okay." Souji hugged her tightly, truly relieved she was safe and sound.
"The monsters are gone. They'll never bother you again, Nanako-chan," Minako said with a soft smile.
"That's right. And if they do come back, we'll teach them a lesson," Minato added, giving her a cheeky grin.
Nanako beamed. "Okay!"
Dojima looked at the trio and their friends. "Souji…" he started, using his interrogative tone again.
Souji looked at the other Persona users, who nodded in understanding. He then motioned for all of them to sit down on the grassy field and took a deep breath in preparation for the interrogation that was waiting for him by Dojima.
"Tell me what's going on. Now!"
"Those things? They're not normal; you could see that. They're called Shadows, beasts that arose from human emotions that came from the Other World that is affecting ours." Souji looked at Dojima directly in the eyes, daring his uncle to contradict him. "I know you had suspicions last year, that my friends and I were somehow connected with the serial murders. Well, you were right."
Souji stopped for a bit and took a deep breath. "What I told you last year, about being able to go inside the TV was real, the truth, and that's where the killings were taking place. Adachi shoved the first two victims into the TV himself, and convinced Namatame that he would be saving them if Namatame pushed them in, his first 'rescue' being Yukiko. It's entirely convoluted, and full of manipulation on Adachi's part, but right after the reporter's death, I found out that I had the power to enter the world inside the TV."
Dojima shook his head in denial. "That makes no sense. That's... that's impossible."
"The TV was only a portal, a connection made by Izanami, and the world inside is the representation of people's hearts. We traveled there to rescue all the victims, fighting for our lives to protect those around us, to protect our friends. Yukiko, Kanji, Rise, Naoto and Nanako would all be dead if Yosuke, Chie and I hadn't found the way inside the TV, met Teddie and discovered the means to fight the monsters that were there, which were killing the victims," Souji spoke calmly, legs crossed and hands on his knees. Dojima could not hear a word of a lie in anything his nephew was saying.
"But if those 'Shadows' are from that other world, then how did they..?"
"That's because of the phenomena known as the Dark Hour." It was Minato's turn to explain. "During the Dark Hour, the outside world is totally altered, mostly with respect to atmosphere and color. The buildings, the night sky, as well as the moon would assume a sickly green color, while bodies of water turn crimson. Puddles akin to blood pools will form in random surfaces as well, and all electrical appliances will cease to function. Normal humans will transmogrify into coffins and become oblivious to what is happening."
Minako continued. "Shadows become active during the Dark Hour and will attempt to lure humans out of their coffins in order to feed on their psyches, giving them a condition called Apathy Syndrome. Those affected with the syndrome suffer from debilitating levels of apathy. When it strikes, the inflicted will collapse in a heap wherever they happen to be and become unable to move, feed, or care for themselves. If an ordinary human survives the Dark Hour without being attacked by a Shadow, their memories would be erased instead. Of course there cases of humans that can remain awake during the Dark Hour without having the power we do."
"Only those with the potential to invoke a Persona are able to stay fully active during the Dark Hour and resist Shadow attacks," Souji added. "We who have the power to call forth our Personas, are the only ones who can destroy Shadows."
"Persona? Those creatures you summoned?" Dojima asked. "What are they?"
"You might say that a Persona is our alter ego or our inner self," his nephew answered. "I mentioned that the world inside the TV was the manifestation of what is inside the hearts and minds of people. We were to release our Personas for the first time in that world, so our Personas reflect a part of us deep inside our hearts." He then motioned to Minato, Minako and himself. "The three of us have a unique ability known as Wild Card. We can summon and carry multiple Personae and switch them in battle."
Silence.
Dojima closed his eyes in deep thought, soaking what Souji and his friends had just told him. Feeling that the information was too much, he let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his temples. "So… what happens now, Souji?"
"Now? Nothing's changed. I will still fight, just like I always have since coming here, and I will get to the bottom of what's affecting the balance of our world and the other, with the help of my friends and the Personas we wield," Souji said with determination. "Now that your eyes have been opened to the truth, you can help us, on the public side of things. Since your wounds are healed, you can go take Nanako to her friend's house and go back to your job like always, or you can deny everything I've just said, and have me committed, because it does sound insane, and you'll doom us all."
Dojima glared darkly at his nephew. "Great endorsement of the faith you have in me, Souji. Thanks."
"Sure thing," he said, grinning at his uncle impudently. It disappeared a second later, replaced by a frown. "But seriously, I don't want you or Nanako to be involved in this so..."
Dojima stood up. "I won't get in your way, since you and your friends are the only ones that can do anything about this nonsense. But I want you to promise me one thing…" he said with a stern face. "Take care of yourself ok?"
Souji nodded and stood up. "Of course, Uncle. I promise."
Dojima looked at Nanako. "Let's go. I'm gonna be late for work."
Nanako, who was listening to the entire story, nodded. "Big Bro, I'll see you later?"
"Of course, Nanako," Souji said with a gentle smile before hugging her. "I'll see you at home. I promise I'll make ya something delicious for dinner, so no take-out today, okay?"
"Yay!" Nanako squealed. She hugged both Minato and Minako. "Bye, Aniki! Bye, Aneki! Let's play together next time!"
"Sure, Nanako-chan!" Minato and Minako said in unison. "See ya soon!"
Nanako bid the other Persona users farewell and after some more hugs and good-byes, both father and daughter left.
Minako smiled happily. "That ended well."
Shinjiro glanced at Minako with his arms crossed. "You don't plan to run away again, do you?"
She shook her head. "Nah. I'm done running away." She stood next to Shinjiro, smiling at him. "There's no more need for that."
Shinjiro, despite himself, returned the smile. "Is that so?"
"Yep!" Minako then turned to Souji and Minato. "Oh I almost forgot one thing." Without warning, she hugged both teens like she had done at the station. This time however, Minato and Souji returned the embrace, smiling so wide that their eyes closed.
The group was surprised, but for some reason, Yukari, Yukiko and Shinjiro didn't feel jealous at all. However, the same couldn't be said about Rise. "Wait a minute!" she pouted. "Just what is your relationship with Senpai?"
Minako looked at Rise with a sheepish smile and then at the other two Wild Cards. "Should I tell them or do you tell them?" she asked. "I mean, I have no problems explaining everything, but I think the shock could be a little too much."
"I think it'd be better if Aniki started," Souji replied. "Then we take turns explaining."
"I don't mind doing that." Minato took a deep breath. "Guys, this here is Minako Arisato… my twin sister."
The silence that followed Minato's sentence could only top the silence that was brought when the older group found out about his return. Soon after, pandemonium broke loose.
"WHAT?" everybody yelled.
"I'm Minako Arisato, Minato-kun's younger twin and Souji-kun's surrogate big sister," the girl giggled while bowing.
"Ya gotta be kidding me!" Junpei's jaw dropped. "You have a sister?"
"That explains everything…" Aigis suddenly said. "The strange feeling I got when meeting you… How Metis acknowledged you as someone important to me… You… you were that other child…"
"Other child?" Mitsuru questioned.
"A memory of mine only Aigis knew about," Minato said. "When she sealed Death, she did it on two children that had survived a nearby car crash. However…" His expression grew darker. "One of the children passed away due to the wounds inflicted by the accident shortly after that."
The group exchanged shocked glances. "P-Passed away?" Chie gasped. "S-So…"
"I'm not a ghost, Chie-chan, so no need to freak out," Minako said, sweatdropping. "Let me put it this way; have you guys ever heard about a theory that world-altering events could lead to the creation of alternate realities?"
The group nodded. "When the Dark hour was created, our reality was split into two with similar sequences of events," Minato continued. "The only difference during that night was that in one reality Minako was the one that passed away while in the other it was me who died."
"From that point on, the chain of events happened equally for both realities," Souji picked up from where Minato had left off. "From both Aniki and Aneki joining SEES to the formation of the Great Seal. The only significant change that happened was regarding Shinjiro-san."
"You talking about Minako finding my pocket watch and it deflected the shot that otherwise would have sent me to the grave?" Shinjiro asked incredulously, looking at Minako who was slowly turning red.
"Well, yeah, but there's more to it." Minato noticed that his twin was blushing. "You created a really solid bond with my sister in that reality. A bond that literally saved your life."
"Are you talking about Castor?" Shinjiro asked a bit surprised.
"Yes, you probably felt that, didn't you, Senpai? By bonding with Minako, Castor's violent tendencies were greatly reduced during our battles in Tartarus. You see, Personas thrive on emotional bonds with others. The reason yours often went out of control back then was because you cut off all emotional ties with people after the accident with Ken's mom and secluded yourself. Have you noticed that you didn't need to depend on those suppressants as much as before whenever you're around her? And the time you spent in the hospital during your recuperation helped you detox, so you no longer need that junk."
Shinjiro could only nod at that.
"Wait, wait, so you're saying Mina-tan was really Shinjiro-senpai's girlfriend?" Junpei blurted out.
Everybody looked at Junpei and then at Minako and Shinjiro. Both were blushing like mad.
Minato sweatdropped. "Yes, Junpei, that's one way to put things…"
Both Shinjiro and Minako glared at Junpei, who gulped.
"Well, that explains how Shinji came back, but still doesn't explain why the two of you are alive in the same reality," Akihiko inquired.
"Let's say we have Souji-kun and his friends to thank for that," Minako said.
"Huh? Us? How did we do that?" Yosuke questioned.
"You beat Izanami and with that you lifted the fog of deceit from mankind's heart," Minato explained. "With the elimination of the Fog, humanity is no longer blinded by its own lies and illusions, including the illusion that death equals salvation. Therefore, part of the power that kept Erebus strong was gone and the need for a Seal to contain him lessened."
"With the end of the Dark Hour and the Fog lifted, the two realities could finally merge together," Souji continued. "That means that the seals created by both Aniki and Aneki were fused into a single Great Seal."
"And with that it needed only half of mine and Aniki's souls. That's what released us and brought us back to life and Metis awakened as well but … something went wrong. Something from that side of Erebus leaked from the Seal."
"And that's what caused the Dark Hour to appear at random times," Mitsuru concluded.
"And the fog to cover the other side," Naoto added.
"Yes…" Minako frowned. "But, I don't know what it is and neither does Theo-kun…"
"Theo?" Ken asked.
"The Velvet Room resident called Theodore," Aigis explained. "Like Elizabeth-san helped Minato-san with his Journey, Theodore-san helped Minako-san with hers."
"That's right. He and his sisters found me and Metis after I was released and took us to the Velvet Room," said Minako. "Metis was unconscious so that's the reason she didn't see me or knew who I was. They'd probably have done the same with Aniki and Shinjiro-senpai if Souji-kun hadn't run into them and the Shadows hadn't attacked them. They told me what they knew about the new threat and so I set out to find you guys."
"That explains all but one thing," Yukari said. "Why didn't we remember you from the start, Minako-chan?"
"Side effect from the reality merging process, I think." Minako shrugged. "My memories also changed a bit. Instead of only remembering things from when only I was alive, I also remembered things as if Aniki was also alive and we faced everything together. I think past events changed because of that as well."
"Maybe...maybe that's how things are supposed be," Shinjiro said.
Everybody looked at Shinjiro and smiled. "Definitely! Things are much better now that both Minako-chan and Minato-kun are with us," Fuuka said.
"You guys have no idea how much I wanted to be with you all!" Minako looked like she was about to burst into tears.
"There now, Sis. We're together now…at long last." Minato hugged her with Souji doing the same.
Yukari was the first to wrap Minako in a warm embrace after her brothers, followed by Fuuka, Mitsuru, Aigis and Metis. Koromaru rubbed his head against her leg. The guys exchanged glances and nodded. Junpei went first, followed by Ken, Akihiko and last but not least, Shinjiro.
The Investigation Team smiled at the warm reunion. They heard Minako calling them. "Hey, you guys are part of the team too! Join us!"
"Huh? A-Are you sure?" Yukiko asked.
Minako giggled. "Oh come on, Yukiko-chan, don't tell me you don't remember me from the Gekkoukan High tennis team? We came for the fellowship with your school three years ago. I admit you changed quite a bit from when I last saw you, but I must say, long hair sure looks good on you. Souji-kun really found a nice girl for him."
Yukiko and Souji blushed. "Aneki!" Souji protested.
"Aw, ya know it's true, Souji-kun. Just like Aniki and Yukari-chan," Minako said with a mischievous grin. "I'm glad my brother is in love with my best friend. They were meant for each other."
"Minako!" Minato and Yukari shouted embarrassed as they broke up the group hug.
"Snrk…. Hahaha… Hahahaha!" Yukiko burst into laughing, earning odd looks from the older group.
"Here we go again…" Chie rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised how Yukiko hadn't had a laughing fit in a while."
"Well, now that things have settled down, a little laughter is not bad." Yosuke smiled. "So partner, what's the plan now?"
"We get some rest and recover. We'll meet tomorrow for some training on the other side," Souji said.
"Now that our team is complete we've got to find out who or what is behind the Dark Hour and the Fog." Minato said.
"And stop them for good!" Minako added. "You guys with us?"
"Yeah!"
As the group discussed the situation, Minako and Shinjiro exchanged glances. With silent nods, they walked away, Minako holding Shinjiro's arm.
"Hey, where are Minako-san and Shinjiro-san?" Ken suddenly asked, noticing that the two were gone. "They were here just a minute ago."
They looked around. "Oh, don't worry about them, Ken-kun. Those two probably went to a place where they could talk alone." Yukari replied winking at Minato, Yukiko and Souji. "I think they have a lot to talk about."
Minato chuckled silently while Souji and Yukiko simply smiled.
Shinjiro led Minako to the Tatsuhime Shrine.
"Gotta love shrines… they bring a feeling of peace to you," Minako said as they stood by the offertory box.
"True…" Shinjiro glanced at Minako, unsure of what to do next.
"Um… Senpai?" Minako suddenly looked shy. Her cheeks were pink. "C-Can I…?"
Shinjiro smiled at her, understanding what she was trying to say. "C'mere…" He pulled Minako into a warm embrace.
Minako smiled into Shinjiro's coat, returning the hug. "This is even better than a dream…" she whispered, about to cry. "It's real…"
"Come on, don't cry…"
"I'm sorry… I know I promised I wouldn't…" Minako said, gripping tighter as if afraid to lose him again. "But I'm so happy… You're here… with me… I missed you a lot…"
"I… I missed you too…" Shinjiro held her gently. "I can't believe I forgot all about you… again! But in my dreams… all I saw was you. Your laughter, your tears, your kindness… Your smile… You were all I had in my mind…"
"Senpai…" Minako smiled before kissing him on the cheek. "I love you…"
"Minako..." Shinjiro looked at her ruby red eyes. "Dammit, I can't hold back anymore… I… I love you too…" He cupped Minako's warm face and kissed her passionately. She was caught off guard, but readily kissed him back. They conveyed all their pent up feelings for each other through the kiss, not holding anything back.
After a while, they broke off the kiss for air. "Senpai… Will… will you stay with me… with Aniki, Akihiko, Ken… all of us?" Minako asked him.
"I ain't letting go of you ever again." Shinjiro looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm not gonna lose you again. We'll fight together, along with the others."
Minako could only smile as she rested her head on Shinjiro's chest, feeling content. "Thank you… Senpai…"
Shinjiro could only smile as he cuddled Minako, his only love, in his arms. For the first time in ages, he felt truly at peace. 'Now I have a reason to live. Aki… Ken… Souji… Minato and Minako… the others... We'll fight together and I'm gonna protect them. No way in hell I'm gonna screw up again!'
Suddenly, Shinjiro felt a rush of energy running through his body. Castor appeared above him and started to glow brightly. He stared wide eyed as his Persona transformed from a metallic horse and its rider into a giant winged horse with glittering wings, silver-white fur, a brown mane, wearing red and black armor pieces protecting its body and wings.
"Pegasus…" Shinjiro whispered. The figure vanished as sudden as it appeared.
Minako smiled. "Your new resolve awakened a new Persona. Congrats, Senpai!"
"Heh, so I got a bit stronger." Shinjiro smirked a bit as he stared back at his girlfriend.
Minako simply hugged him again, smiling warmly.
At the temple entrance, Minato and Souji smiled at the scene before them. They had sensed the change in Shinjiro's Persona and went to check on him and their sister.
"I'm happy for Aneki and Shinjiro-san," Souji said.
"Me too. He's helped her. Probably much more than she's helped him," Minato said. "I haven't seen her this open, or smile that bright since the night before... before our parents died."
Souji noticed that Minato had said the last part more quietly, so he put a hand on his shoulder as a comforting gesture.
"Well, he probably should know what he will be facing if he ever hurt her, so I'll keep it quiet for now," the older of the two chuckled with mirth. "C'mon, Banchou-kun. Yukari and Yukiko are waiting for us. I don't think those two are coming back to the inn anytime soon."
Souji nodded and the two left their sister and her boyfriend to enjoy each other's company.
The next day…
Before they met up with their friends, Souji led Minato and Minako to the hill overlooking the town of Inaba at their request. It was one of his favorite places, and perfect for them to have some time to talk in private.
It was a nice day out, too. All of the pressures they felt; their worries and fears just seemed to melt away under the warm heat of the sun, drifting along the gentle summer breeze passing by.
Souji sighed, a little wistfully, a contented smile gracing his lips, and he felt better than he had in a while. But even with his current good mood, he knew it couldn't last forever. But that wasn't going to stop him and his siblings from enjoying it while it lasted.
At the top of the large hill, Minato was leaning against the fence with his arms folded across his chest, eyes closed as he listened to his music. His foot was tapping to the unheard beat while Minako sat on a nearby bench also listening to her music, humming a soft yet upbeat melody.
Souji smiled. His older siblings had always loved music and he was glad that hadn't changed. He wondered if they played any instruments so they could form a band.
Minako suddenly turned her MP3 off and stood up. "Wow, the view is great!" she said looking at the scenery. "You can see the entire town from here."
"It's so quiet and secluded, too." Minato said taking his headphones off. "I can see why you like this place, Banchou-kun."
"I came here lots of times, either with my friends or to work at the daycare." Souji smiled at the memories. "Inaba has lots of peaceful places, but this is definitely one of my favorites."
"Speaking of friends, tell us more about Yukiko-chan and your friends, Banchou-kun." Minako smiled. "They all seem like wonderful people."
"Fine, but only if you guys tell me more about Yukari-san, Shinjiro-san and your other friends, too," Souji replied with a smirk. "I can sense they all mean a lot to you."
"Heh, fair enough." Minato grinned while Minako giggled. "Now, where do we start…?"
They first talked about their fellow members from SEES and the Investigation Team, and then proceed to talk a little about many, inconsequential things for a while, enjoying the other's company and the scenery around them.
They were so absorbed with each other that they failed to notice someone else making their way up to where the three teens were.
"Minato-san! Minako-san!" The group heard Aigis and Metis approaching them.
"Oh, hey Aigis, Metis," Minako greeted. "Are you two enjoying exploring Inaba together?"
"Yes!" Metis said with a huge smile. "Everything is so different from Port Island."
"Everything we see here is a truly invigorating experience for me and my sister," Aigis added. "I must thank you Souji-san for suggesting several places for us to explore."
"Don't mention it Aigis-san." Souji smiled. "You guys should check this hill when the daycare is on. You'll find it really amusing."
"Daycare? Nanako-chan said it's when parents bring their children for caretakers to look after them while they're occupied with other activities, right?" Metis said. "Sounds really interesting. Can we do that, Sister?"
"I don't see why not." Aigis smiled. "Children are always nice to watch."
"Right! Thanks, Souji-san!" Metis said with a smile when she recalled something. "Oh, I found this while my sister and I were exploring. Teddie-san once said you really liked these so we thought you should have it."
Souji took the small item Metis handed him. It was a paper crane made from light blue paper and white butterflies printed on it. "Wow…this is really well made." Souji smiled. He truly loved making paper cranes and origami because they always made nice gifts, but receiving one as a gift, felt truly nice. "Thanks, both of you. I really appreciate this."
Aigis and Metis smiled warmly at him. Souji could feel a bond forming with both sisters as a strange card flashed in his mind; it was a bird holding a staff as if it was a herald to something. A familiar voice rang out.
Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…
It brings thee closer to the truth…
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Aeon Arcana…
Souji was surprised by that. After his time in Inaba, he started reading about Tarot cards and its arcanas, but he hadn't been able to find any info regarding the Aeon before. He looked at his two older siblings who simply smiled, understanding his confusion.
"It's time to go," Aigis said, snapping Souji out of his thoughts. "The others are expecting us."
"You two go ahead and tell them we'll meet them at Junes," Minato said. "We'll be there shortly."
The android sisters nodded and left.
"Aeon Arcana…" Souji said out loud, after those two were gone. "Aniki, what do you know about that arcana?"
"The Aeon is the trump of time and the changes dictated by the times. It addresses finality and destruction as well as liberation, hope and redemption. The Aeon demands honesty and sincerity. Facing The Aeon uncovers lies and corruption," he explained. "It's a rare type of arcana, only found in some Tarot decks replacing the Judgement."
"Who would've thought Mr. Edogawa's classes on the Kabala would come in handy," Minako chuckled. "That arcana sure fits Aigis and Metis, huh?"
"True. To find oneself… To understand oneself… The true understanding of the circle of life, of growing and fading…" said Souji. "Aigis-san learned about that and now is helping Metis-san understand that while she herself goes through new experiences…"
As Souji reflected on that, he remembered someone; a girl with fair skin, black hair reaching the end of her nape and strong, gray eyes. Her face was slightly made-up with eye-shadow and pink lipstick. Her outfit was sleeveless white shirt, a short black necktie with various safety pins and a checkered skirt along with a black belt and a fancy, golden buckle which resembled a heart with wings. Additionally, she wore black-striped red protective sleeves and black-striped white stockings, dark gray heeled boots (checkered as well), a special designed collar with a lock-styled pendant and carrying a deep blue bag, adorned with golden designs, matching her deep blue officer's cap with a golden button, a V gravure engraved on it. 'Marie… Now I finally understand her Social Link's Arcana… It truly fits her…' His smile disappeared when he realized something. 'What became of her? She wasn't at the Velvet Room when we came to visit. Maybe… maybe she found her answer and left that place like Elizabeth and Theodore did to find Aniki and Aneki. I hope I'll get to see her again someday.'
Minako looked at Souji curiously. "Watcha thinking about, Banchou-kun?"
"Oh, just a friend of mine. Her name is Marie. She used to hang out at the Velvet Room with Margaret and sometimes would ask me to show her some places in Inaba and Okina," he explained. "I just found it odd that she wasn't there anymore…"
"I'm sure you'll meet her again soon," Minato reassured him. "Your bond with her will certainly bring you together one day."
"You think so?"
"Of course! Like we met up with our school friends, you'll certainly find Marie-chan again. It's a small world after all so ya never know what life has in store for you." Minako patted his back earning a smile from Souji.
"Yup. Life is a never ending cycle so we all learn something every day," Minato concluded. "Well, shall we go?"
Minako and Souji smiled and nodded. Each one of them took Minato's hands, about to leave together.
Something flashed in their minds. It was a card but this was different from any card they have seen. On it was as a young hermaphrodite figure surrounded by what looked like an angel, a bull, an eagle, and a lion. The familiar voice echoed in their heads.
Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the World Arcana…
They exchanged glances and smiled. "The World Arcana…" Souji said. "The Arcana that is a representation of the world, the totality of it, a symbol of fulfillment, wholeness, harmony…"
"Guess we now have established the 'Wild Card Social Link','" Minako giggled.
"True." Minato chuckled before turning serious. "But that also means it's time for us to visit Igor and the Velvet Room. We need more information."
They agreed and walked away. Little did they know that a shady figure was there, hiding, watching their every move.
"So…there are three little Fools now?" An evil smile. "Very well, soon enough they'll learn they can't stop the end of the world."
With an evil snicker, it vanished into the shadows.
Hehe, that was fun, wasn't it? X3
Well, time for some explanations:
1 – Minako's inicial persona is called Eurydice instead of Orpheus to tell it apart from Minato's and because I felt it was more fitting for her. Also, her title 'Mistress of Melodies' is a nod to how the Eurydice from Mythology was the inspiring muse of Orpheus as he dedicated several of his melodies to her directly or not.
2 – Shinjiro's new persona, Pegasus, was not created by me, but by a fellow persona fan and fanfiction writer, LadyStarwing, who kindly allowed me to use it in my story. I highly recommend you to look at her page on both and Deviantart for her amazing artwork and her incredible stories.
3- Yes, Marie will appear in this fic. It'll take a while for her to reveal herself since I'm waiting for P4 the Golden to be released to gather for more info about her, but in the meanwhile she'll be mentioned here and there. Be on the lookout for surprises. :3
If you guys have any other questions, feel free to ask =3 Next chapter will be packed with suspense!
Don't forget to Read, Review and Enjoy!