Hey, guys. Having fun? I certainly am. Well, here I am with chapter 9. Enjoy yourselves!
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 9: Sketchbook Memories
Late night at the Amagi Inn…
The boys' room sounded awfully quiet. Minato, Minako and Souji were taken to the hospital, drained after the vicious battle against Adachi. Fortunately, they were only exhausted from using too much of their spiritual power so they'll be spending only one night in the hospital to rest, run a few blood exams in the morning and be released in the afternoon, as long as they didn't push themselves too hard.
Junpei sighed. He couldn't drift off to sleep no matter how tired and how sore he was after fighting that son of a gun, Adachi. He still couldn't shake at how pissed he was at the bastard for trying to shoot Souji and Minako, or the anger and fear he saw in Minato's eyes when he tried to pull the trigger. He couldn't really blame his blue-haired leader for feeling like that. Like he himself had said, witnessing someone he deeply cared for being shot was hard and reliving the episode for a third time was too traumatic for anybody. Along with Shinjiro, Junpei himself had been shot by the same person. It was a by a miracle he had survived. A red-headed miracle named Chidori.
Chidori… The girl he had truly fallen in love with. He used to pride himself as a goofball womanizer, but she was the only girl that really had a place in his heart even though she didn't remember him after her revival. Of course, that didn't stop Junpei from visiting her every day when she was still at the hospital. He even asked Mitsuru to get her a place in a prestigious art school after her release.
Before summer vacation, he'd visit her every day to check out her new drawings or to simply chat. Chidori seemed to appreciate his visits, calling him her 'strange funny friend'. Junpei would love to be more than friends, but knew that he should take things slowly. Chidori's health was still sort of fragile after all she had gone through, and he didn't want her to overexert herself just to remember him. He still had her sketchbook filled with pictures of him and one photo with the two of them together. When he felt the time was right, he'd show it to her and maybe, just maybe, she'll remember him.
'I should phone her tomorrow…' Junpei thought. 'Haven't called her ever since I got here, with all the things that happened… It wouldn't hurt checking on her.'
With that thought in mind, Junpei finally fell asleep.
White walls everywhere... Everything was white, but the ground was covered with flowers of all colors and sizes. And walls had several drawings on it. Was it a dream? How did she get there in the first place, anyway?
As the lone female figure dressed in white walked around, the place felt oddly comforting to her. Like it was something she had been looking for a long the time.
Despite the foggy atmosphere and the weird black creatures she spotted every now and then, which she avoided out of instinct, she felt at peace there. It didn't make sense, but right now she couldn't care less about logic or common sense.
A sudden thought crossed her mind. Maybe in this place, she'd finally meet the kind, warm person from her dreams.
"I wish he was here too… He's always been so supportive of me… encouraging me to find that person," she whispered as she moved forward. "Junpei…"
The next morning, after having breakfast, Junpei headed for the outside courtyard. Once he was sure he was alone, he picked out his cellphone and dialed the number of the dorm Chidori was staying in.
"Hello?"came a female voice from the other line.
"Uh… Hi. This is Junpei Iori. Is Chidori Yoshino there?"
"Oh, that weirdo again…" the voice said, rather annoyed. "If you're looking for Chidori, she's not home. And I don't know when she's coming back."
"What do ya mean? Something happened to her?" Junpei asked, starting to worry.
"Like I know or care! Last time I saw that weird gothic loli, she was standing in front of a television at an electronic shop on our way home from grocery shopping, staring at it like a zombie. Next thing I know, she's gone. Jerk…she should have helped me carry the heavy stuff before disappearing like that –"
Junpei cut her off. "When was that?!"
"Huh? Morning I guess. Two or three days ago…whatever."
Junpei paled. That was around the same time the Dark Hour appeared, the same day Minako finally rejoined the group. "Did you call the police?!"
"Why should I? That girl was always a weirdo, scribbling on her sketchbook or muttering junk about meeting someone from her dreams. No one's gonna miss her or care about her anyway. Just drop it, will ya?"
"I care about her, you stupid bitch!" Junpei yelled into the phone, furious at the girl for badmouthing Chidori and not knowing how serious the situation was.
Before the girl could say anything, Junpei hung up on her. It took all of his willpower not to scream. He was angry, but most of all he was worried for Chidori's safety. 'Damn, what if she fell into the TV when the Dark Hour hit?! But she doesn't have her Persona anymore…is something like that possible?'he thought as his heart beat faster. "Wait, what if she was targeted by Shadows like Dojima-san and Nanako-chan?! Oh crap! What do I do?!"
"Junpei-kun?" A voice called softly.
Startled, Junpei spun around. Fuuka was standing in front of him with a concerned expression on her face.
"Oh, it's you Fuuka…" Junpei mumbled, looking away.
"Um… I was looking for you and… um…" Fuuka was trying to find the words. "I heard you on the phone. Something happened to Chidori?"
Junpei sighed. While the twins were his best friends, Fuuka was his confidant, his advisor. She was the one he could talk to about pretty much everything.
"Chidori… She… She disappeared…" he finally said. "I think it was during the Dark Hour when Mina-tan finally rejoined us."
Fuuka gasped. "Oh, my gosh! So that's what Natsuki-chan was talking about…"
Junpei cocked his head in confusion. He knew Fuuka and Natsuki still kept in touch with each other, but this was news to him."What do you mean?"
"She sent me an e-mail around the same time Minako-chan came back, but with everything that happened, I only got to read it today…" Fuuka explained. "She mentioned something about the sky going dark and people changing into coffins while she was out getting medicine for her father. The only people unaffected were her and a red-haired girl dressed in white." She frowned. "It happened too quickly… Natsuki-chan panicked and ran away after she saw the girl touching the TV screen and vanished…"
Junpei's eyes were as wide as saucers. His worst fears had come true "No…Chidori…"
"Junpei-kun…"
"I gotta find her… I can't lose her again!" Junpei said with determination before he made a dash for the Inn's gate.
Fuuka ran after him. "Junpei-kun, wait, where are you going?"
"She's in the Other Side. I'm going after her!"
"All by yourself?! It's too dangerous!" Fuuka tried to reason with him. "Please, let's talk with Minato-kun and the others… I'm sure they…"
"I can't!" Junpei turned to her. "Fuuka, you know that they're in no condition to fight after dealing with that son of a bitch Adachi! I can't risk Minato or Minako or Souji! Chidori's my responsibility! Only I can protect her!"
"Junpei-kun…"
"Sorry, but I gotta do this on my own." Junpei said. He was about to leave the inn when he bumped full force into someone and fell on his butt. "Ow… Man, I can't even make a decent exit…"
It was Yosuke and Teddie. "Ow… my nose…" Yosuke muttered nasally and saw who had bumped into. "Huh? Junpei-senpai? Sorry about that." He helped him up.
"No biggie, Yosuke." Junpei said. "What are you and Teddie doing here?"
"We just came from the hospital after visiting Sensei," Teddie said. "So we wanted to tell Yuki-chan and the others that he, Mina-chan and Mina-kun will be released in the afternoon."
"That's great!" Junpei said with a relieved grin, but his eyes still held concern. Suddenly, an idea hit him. "Hey, Yosuke... Can you and Ted do me a favor?"
The two friends exchanged confused glances. "Uh… sure. What is it?" Yosuke asked.
Fuuka knew what Junpei was thinking about and sighed. There was no other way.
"Let's go to Junes." Junpei looked at them seriously. "I need you guys' help."
Junes' Food court…
"Say what?!" Yosuke nearly yelled. "A girl got sucked into the TV?!"
"Keep it down, dude!" Junpei scolded him. "And yes. From what I heard from Chidori's dorm mate and from what Fuuka's friend told her, I'm sure she ended up in the other side."
"But how? Neither me, Rise-chan or Fuuka-chan sensed her while we were there," Teddie said.
"Chidori's former Persona, Medea, had the ability to conceal others' presences by emitting life energy," Fuuka explained. "Adachi's presence in the TV World could also have overlapped hers because of his power."
"Former? What happened to her?" Yosuke asked.
Junpei lowered his head. "She… Chidori was part of a group of rogue Persona users called Strega… They more than once tried to stop us from ending the Dark hour…" he started. "We met by chance; before I found out she was part of Strega. During the time she was in the hospital under SEES' custody, we got to know each other better. Chidori's different…not only from the rest of Strega, but from other girls too. Not just her looks or how she dresses, but everything about her is different. She doesn't care about little annoyances like broken nails, or what other people say about her. She's not indecisive, either. It's like she actually knows what she wants to do and exactly how she intends to do it. Something you don't find in girls very often..." He was silent for a few seconds. The events of that fateful night were still hard on him. "One night, during one of those encounters… their bastard of a leader… shot me…"
Teddie and Yosuke gasped.
"Chidori pushed away her loyalties to Strega and attempted to heal Junpei-kun using 'Spring of Life', her Persona's power that allows her to heal other life forms, ignoring the fact that she would lose her own life using this skill as it uses her own life energy..." Fuuka said looking down. "She managed to heal him, but… she succumbed to her death, but not before confessing that she loved him…"
Yosuke could feel his stomach clenching in a mix of shock and sadness. Teddie could only stare at Junpei with wide, teary eyes.
"It was thanks to her Persona and sacrifice that Hermes evolved into Trismegistus…" Junpei continued. "Sometime later… we don't know how, but she came back to life! The flowers beside her hospital bed that she often revived during the days I'd visit her were placed on her body as a tribute. The life force she had given to the flowers apparently returned to her, and she lived. But… she has no memory of the events prior to her Persona's awakening."
"She still has some faint memories of Junpei-kun, but we don't know for sure when or if she'll ever remember what happened," Fuuka concluded.
"That's why I need you guys to come with me to the TV World. With Fuuka's help, we can find her." Junpei looked at both Yosuke and Teddie. "I can't put anyone else in danger because I'm the one whose supposed to protect Chidori, not to mention Minato, Minako and Souji are still recovering… but… I'm not strong enough… I can't do this alone… so… Please, help me!"
Yosuke closed his eyes deep in thought. "She doesn't remember you, yet she means the world to you… You really love her, huh?" he said quietly. "I think I can relate to that…"
Teddie looked at him sadly. "Yosuke…"
Fuuka and Junpei were confused. The brunette sighed. "You guys heard about Saki Konishi, the second murder victim, right? Well… I… I kinda liked her, but… I never got to tell her that…"
"You liked her? I thought ya had the hots for Chie," Junpei interjected.
Yosuke blushed. "A-Anyway… Saki-senpai was the main reason I was so determined to find the killer. Souji helped me deal with those feelings several times… In fact, that was the first time I saw him get really angry at someone…"
…Flashback…
It had been a tiresome day, so Souji and Yosuke had decided head to Junes for a quick bite to eat.
"So, whatcha gonna eat today?" Yosuke asked.
Before Souji could reply, two older female students walked up to them. Souji recognized them as the Snotty and Gaudy students who often nagged Yosuke because of him being the son of Junes' manager, thinking he could pull some strings for them.
"Hey, Hanamura!" the Gaudy student shouted in her annoying voice. She sounded angry.
"…What is it, today?" Yosuke sighed, trying not to sound annoyed.
"How come Kazumi can take the day off and we can't?" the Gaudy student demanded.
"…Huh?" Yosuke seemed confused, having no idea what she was talking about.
"We told you before! We can't work weekends!" the Snotty one whined. "So when we refused, they said they were going to fire us! I don't get this!"
"Hey, I talked to the manager…" Yosuke started. "Senpai… have you been taking absences without leave lately?"
"I-I just forgot to come…" the Gaudy one tried to explain, and changing the subject. "Besides, that's not the point! What are you gonna do about this?! I have a date that day!"
"How come you're favoring Kazumi, huh?!" her friend accused him. "You were like that with Saki, too!"
"What?" Yosuke gasped.
"Don't try to hide it! We all know!" the Gaudy student said. "You liked Saki and treated her special!"
Yosuke said nothing at first. "I don't think Saki-senpai has anything to do with this subject…" he finally added.
"Yeah, it does!" she snapped. "You told the other workers to take it easy on Saki, didn't you? You think you can do anything just because you're the manager's son!?"
"So it's Kazumi now that's Saki's dead!? Don't even bother, she has a boyfriend," the Snotty student said with a spiteful tone. "Didn't you get it?! Saki didn't like you! We heard so from her! She may have acted that way, but…"
The two students started to badmouth Saki. Yosuke closed his eyes tightly, trying to block their voices out.
Souji had had enough of these two pestering Yosuke and talking such nasty things about their senpai. Even if she wasn't a saint, she had died a horrible death and didn't deserve to be talked about so poorly, especially in front of Yosuke who was still reeling from her death and her true feelings towards him. He heard enough inside the TV World to understand how he was feeling.
Without warning, Souji stood up and slapped the table loudly, drawing everybody's attention towards him. "SHUT UP, YOU BITCHES!" His grey eyes were spewing fury.
Yosuke gasped in surprised, if not a little scared. Souji was known for his calm and collected demeanor, but they had managed to anger him. "Souji…"
"Wha-Who are you?!" the Snotty student stammered. "You shut up!"
That was the last straw for Yosuke. He stood up and faced the duo. "You're the ones who should shut up!" he yelled at their shocked faces. "What do you know about Saki-senpai!? She didn't do things half-assed like you! She looked lazy, but she worked hard! She talked bad, but she was good inside! So she hated me? I knew that! She's not here anymore! I'm left behind!" He took a deep breath and looked away. "… Just leave me alone."
"Wh-What the heck…?" the Gaudy student gawked out.
"… Let's go…" her friend said with a blank look on her face.
After the two walked away, Yosuke looked to the ground. "…" He sighed. "I just blurted out a buncha crap, huh?"
"If you ask me, they deserved it." Souji crossed his arms before his expression softened. "Besides, you were just upset."
"N-No, I was just…" Yosuke turned to Souji. He was smiling pathetically. "Damn… Another pathetic display from Yosuke, huh?"
Souji shook his head and gave an understanding smile. "Thanks, though." Yosuke said with a sheepish smile. "Hearing you say that stuff to them… It made me happy."
"Don't mention it."
Yosuke sighed. "I don't want to… I really don't want to, but I'll go talk with Dad…" he said. "At this rate, those two are gonna quit… I should tell him and apologize." He started walking away, but stopped. "I don't know… What do I want to do? I don't get it…even though it's my own future." He sighed again. "Sorry, but I'll see you later, Souji…"
"Take care… Partner…" Souji said as he saw Yosuke off.
Yosuke said nothing as he walked away.
A few days later…
Yosuke had asked Souji to go with him to the Samegawa Riverbed. He looked tormented so Souji agreed.
They wandered beside the riverbed while Yosuke looked pensive. He suddenly stopped. As Souji looked at him, he saw that his friend was holding something.
"I found this. It's a Print Club sticker I took with Saki-senpai…" he started. "When I first got here, she insisted on taking it…" He looked away. "Back then… somewhere inside me, I thought I was above this place… A lot of people saw me as the enemy, because Junes was going to ruin the shopping district…"
He looked at Souji. "But… when I met her, she told me 'Parents are Parents. You're you…' Even if she didn't really mean it… it made me happy," he continued. "Because of her, I started to think maybe this town wasn't all that bad…"
Yosuke went silent for a bit. One could see tears in his eyes. "But then…"
"She died?" Souji finished the sentence as gently as he could.
Yosuke winced. "Why…? Why did she… have to… die?" he said, anger rising on his voice. "It pisses me off… It makes me mad! I wanted to talk with her more! I wanted to get to know her better! But…" He started sobbing loudly. "She's… not here anymore."
"Yosuke…"
Yosuke looked at Souji. "Souji… I get it now… I wanted to forget about Saki-senpai. How she's not here anymore. I wanted to forget that… I was living a boring life in the middle of nowhere." He looked down as some tears fell. "When the murders started, I got excited… I thought there was finally a point to me being in Inaba… I thought I could forget Senpai was gone… and the fact I was such a loser… I jumped at the murders and never once thought about what I was doing… I… didn't even take the first step."
By now Yosuke was freely crying. "I'm sorry… Saki-senpai," he sobbed. "I'm sorry, Souji…"
Souji placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Don't apologize," he said with a gentle smile.
Yosuke looked at him, his eyes red. "But… I got you involved with the case, and all I did was run away from myself… "
Souji shook his head, denying what his friend said.
"But I think I'm awake, now…" Yosuke said still crying a little. "I need to get over the fact that Saki-senpai isn't coming back… That when this case ends…I'll have nowhere to run… and I won't have changed…" He stared at Souji's eyes. "…You made me realize that."
Souji just kept his hand on his shoulder, understanding what Yosuke meant.
After sometime, he spoke up. "Souji… I think I'm all cried out."
Souji smiled gently. "It'll be okay," he said, hugging his best friend.
Yosuke was surprised at that, but didn't fight against it. "You dumbass… that's for girls…" he complained half-heartedly before he started crying again. "It hurts, dammit…"
Souji stood by Yosuke's side until he stopped crying and walked him home, after making sure he'd be okay.
…End flashback…
"That day, I realized how much I cherished the people I had met: Souji… Chie… Teddie… everybody," Yosuke said with a distant gaze. "Even if I'm not strong enough, I want to protect those dear to me with the power I do have."
Junpei was surprised. "Yosuke…"
"Yosuke-kun…" Fuuka whispered.
He looked at Teddie, then at the two college students and smiled. "You still have a chance with Chidori-san, right?" he winked at Junpei. "Well, we're not here to play hero, so let's go find her and get out of there in time to get home before Souji and the others notice we're gone."
"Yosuke… you're so brave!" Teddie exclaimed, gaining a new respect for him. "And smart too!"
"Heh, thanks Teddie. I try." Yosuke gave the blonde bear a little noogie. "What do you guys say?"
Junpei could only grin in gratitude. "Thanks, dude. You're one heck of a guy." He looked at Fuuka. "You're with us?"
Fuuka nodded. "Of course, Junpei-kun. Let's go."
The four made their way to the electronics department.
Inside the TV World…
Once they got to the Entrance Hall, Fuuka summoned Juno and started scanning.
"Since you both know her we shouldn't have trouble locating her," Yosuke stated. "Rise-chan and Teddie often needed to learn more about the person in question before they could track them down."
"I found her!" Fuuka exclaimed after some minutes of searching. She's pointed to a certain direction after dismissing Juno. "That way… She's not too far."
"Great! Let's move out, guys!" Junpei said, broadsword in hand.
"You got it, Junpei!" Teddie said, his clawed glove already set.
The four walked for fifteen minutes until they reached the entrance of a huge building. It looked like a hospital, the white walls sporting drawings with bright colors and dream-like surroundings. Flowers of all sizes, scents and colors covered the ground.
"Wow, this place is really beautiful…" Fuuka said in awe.
"But, a hospital?" Junpei looked around. "Why that of all places?"
"This place was created from Chidori's heart. This means that the many feelings she had kept well-hidden came into being in the form of this place," Teddie said. "Maybe even feelings she herself isn't aware of created it…"
Junpei frowned. "The best times we spent together were in the hospital…"
"Fuuka-san, can you tell us how big this place is?" Yosuke asked.
"I think it has four floors…" Fuuka said. "There are several Shadows in the area, but they don't seem to be as strong as the ones from Adachi's dungeon."
"Good, that'll make things easier," Yosuke said. "Before we go in we need to plan what to do."
"I agree," Junpei said. "We've got wind and fire magic and physical attacks so we take the front lines." He looked at Teddie. "The Ted-meister can help us with ice and healing magic if we need it. You'll also protect Fuuka while she's doing her job."
"Aye-aye!" Teddie made a little salute.
Junpei adjusted his baseball cap and readied his sword. "Alright, let's do this!"
The others nodded and they walked in.
On the inside, the place Chidori's imagination and hidden feelings had conjured up a paradise. The drawings on the walls were so bright, every corner of the garden bloomed with flowers and the doors were decorated with exquisite taste. It was like they were walking through a dream palace. But even if it was disguised as a beautiful paradise, it was somehow empty. It lacked something that they couldn't place.
Suddenly, girl's voice floated through the air. "My funny friend came to visit me yesterday. I was so happy. We talked about a lot of things, and I even showed him my latest masterpiece. The smile he gave me was worth the hard work I put into it. But why does it hurt when I see him smile like that? And why does it seem so familiar, like a faraway dream?"
"Hey, that's Chidori's voice!" Junpei exclaimed. "Does that mean she's nearby?"
Yosuke shook his head. "I doubt it. What we're hearing is her memories, or her subconscious thoughts. This often happens when somebody is trapped in a dungeon."
"Last week something strange happened. In the middle of the day, the sky turned green and the full moon appeared. How is this possible? What really shocked me was that the people suddenly tuned into coffins. I'm supposed to be scared, right? Then how come I'm not afraid? Why does this seem familiar somehow, like someone is calling out to me...I remember the flowers he gave me, they're starting to wilt…I can't seem to put my finger on it though. This is so confusing it's making my head hurt…"
"It seems like her memories before her 'death' are waking up slowly," Fuuka said. "But I don't know what will happen if she regains all her memories in her current state."
"She's always been fragile, even back then." Junpei's voice shook, looking at the floor. "We have to save her no matter what!" His eyes burned with determination, and charged forward.
Yosuke was right behind him. "Dude, wait up! Don't go running around like that, you never know when –"
Before he could finish his sentence, a small group of Shadows pounced on Junpei from the corridor on his left. He swung his broadsword just in time to block a slash attack. The Shadows came into full view when Junpei backed away. There were three of them; one looked like a baby crawling on the ground on all fours, its skin a mossy green with a bright yellow flower on its head. The other two looked like rag dolls from Hell, with sharp teeth and claws despite the cute red dresses they were wearing.
Fuuka wasted no time in analyzing the Shadows.
"Leave this to Teddie!" the bear said gleefully. "Kamui, Mabufudyne!"
Three ice blocks appeared and trapped the Shadows, completely immobilizing them. It didn't last long when the two doll Shadows melted the ice, and made their way to the four.
"Okay, I think it's safe to assume that those doll things use fire," Junpei gulped. "Fuuka, are ya done yet?"
"Almost. Just distract it a bit longer."
Since Yosuke was faster and more agile, he successfully dodged the fire spells casted by the rag dolls. When one of them tried to swipe him with its claws, he ducked and slashed its mid-section with his kunais. He smirked in satisfaction when it screeched in pain, staining the red dress with black goo. He then used his critical attack, Yosuke Strike, and almost gutted another rag doll.
"Yosuke, get out of the way!" Junpei shouted, placing his Evoker at his temple. Yosuke heard the warning and used Garudyne to propel himself from the floor, evading another swipe from the Shadow's deadly claws. He did a back flip mid-air and landed ten feet away. When the other Magician was at a safer distance, Junpei pulled the trigger. "Trismegistus, Vorpal Blade!"
The multiple slash attack hit all three of the Shadows causing heavy damage.
Fuuka finished her analysis. "I now know their weaknesses! The Dolls are weak to wind and light, and the Bambino is weak to thunder!"
"Leave those to me!" Yosuke grinned. He readied his tarot card and slashed it in half. "Susano-O, Magarudyne!"
Because the Shadows were already weakened by Trismegistus' physical attack, Susano-O obliterated them with his powerful gust.
"That was close!" Junpei panted, his hands on his knees. That didn't last long as his enthusiasm returned. "Alright, onto the next floor!"
Fuuka didn't inform them exactly how big the dungeon was. There were so many corridors and hallways, like a giant maze. In some parts of the maze, the odor of antiseptic and chemicals dominated their sense of smell, just like in real hospital.
The Shadows here seem to have a similar theme; children's toys. So far, they have encountered killer clown puppets with blowpipes that shot poisonous arrows, alphabet blocks which behaved like the Dice-type Shadows, and vicious teddy bears who nullified physical attacks (Yosuke made a lame pun directed at Teddie which had the human Shadow annoyed). One would think that being toys they should burn easily with Junpei's fire, but as with all things Shadow-related, common logic doesn't quite apply here.
"Alright, now I'm beginning to regret not bringing the others," Yosuke complained. "We seriously didn't think this through. How the hell are we supposed to defeat Shadows that are weak to electricity when we don't have any thunder skills?"
"I agree with Yosuke," Teddie said, panting hard. "We should head back."
Junpei only gave them a serious glare. "So you're saying we should chicken out and leave Chidori here to suffer? Over my dead body!"
Yosuke somehow understood that it was pointless to argue with his fellow Magician when their leaders weren't here to help him. All he could do now was hope for a Shadow to knock some sense into that thick skull of his.
The journey to find the stairs was long and frustrating. Not only navigating the maze was a pain in the ass, fighting the Shadows started to wear them out. By the time they found the stairs, they were gasping for breath. Junpei was already climbing said stairs, much to Yosuke and Teddie's dismay because he still wasn't heeding their warning.
"We have to be extra careful here," Fuuka said softly as she scanned the floor before they moved any further. "The Shadows here are different from the ones on the first floor."
Yosuke sighed. "And how big is it this time?"
"Pretty much like the last one," she answered. "Though I do sense a much stronger one in the middle, but then again something is amiss. I don't know what though."
"Most probably a guardian," Teddie supplied. Then he frowned. "We should really head back. I don't think we're strong enough to fight this thing on our own. Besides, we're tired enough as it is."
"Teddie-kun is right," Fuuka said. "Junpei-kun, I know you're worried about her but we can't help her if we get defeated ourselves."
Junpei remained stubborn. "I'm not giving up until I know Chidori is safe!" He charged forth once more, only to be ambushed…again. This time, there were five of them; three Cupids and two Tables.
"The Cupids are weak to thunder and nullify wind, and the Tables reflect magic attacks. Don't let your guard down!" Fuuka warned.
Yosuke was trained to be polite and helpful, but that was in the Real World, in a place called Junes. He muttered a string of curses when he kept missing the cheeky Cupids, who dodged the end of his attacks effortlessly and shot him with their arrows. He threw the kunais at them, hoping it would damage their wings but missed, and became more irritable when one Cupid casted Makajam on him, rendering him unable to use Susano-O's magic. Teddie couldn't help because he was busy trying to freeze the elusive Shadows but was unsuccessful.
Junpei wasn't faring so well either. His fatigue was the main reason he couldn't dish out as much damage as he wanted to. One of the Tables successfully dodged his sword and tripped the cap-wearing teen, sending him sprawling on the floor.
What came next wasn't what Junpei expected. A girl with short brown hair appeared in front of him and did a spiral kick on the Shadow, sending it flying far, far away. Another guy with light silver hair pounded the other Table with his fists so fast and furiously until there was nothing but splintered wood afterwards.
In Yosuke and Teddie's case, they were saved when a dark purple seal glowed beneath their enemies, engulfing them in a darkness spell. They were too dumbfounded to say anything before the caster wagged his tail and licked Yosuke in the face.
When the three of them finally regained their composure and slowly stood up, they didn't expect what came next, not by a long shot; Yosuke was punched in the gut, Teddie got a karate-chop to the head and Junpei was kicked in the shins, causing them to keel over in pain.
"What do you have to say for yourselves?!" a girl's stern voice scolded. Junpei felt someone pull his ear and he was face to face with none other than Minako Arisato herself, and she wasn't pleased.
"Do you know how many ways you could have been killed just now?" Minato questioned, glaring at Teddie.
"I expected better from you Yosuke," Souji scolded, towering over his best friend. "You of all people have a lot more sense than this!"
Teddie shivered under the intense gazes of the Wild Cards. "B-b-but Sensei, we c-can explain…"
Yosuke wanted to say something but the mute spell hadn't worn off, so he communicated the only way he could by moving his hands and mouth like a pantomime. Ken had to hold back his giggles by covering his mouth with his palms. Souji too would have laughed if he wasn't so angry. He threw him a bottle of Mouth Wash and patiently waited for an explanation.
"Mina-tan, let go!" Junpei whined, tears threatening to spill from the corner of his eyes. "We can explain so please let go!"
He winced and rubbed his red ear when Minako finally released him. She tapped her foot impatiently as Junpei tried to get a hold of himself. Before he could say anything, Chidori's voice filled the air once more.
"I met a strange boy today. He was wearing a cap and had a goatee, and he seems to be my age. He looked bored, judging from the way he kept pacing in front of the movie theatre, saying something about summer vacation about to end. He then apologized to me for standing in my line of vision. It was weird, usually people just walk away from me but I never really cared about what they think. He stayed for a while to ask me what I was drawing. It was actually pretty sweet..."
The team looked surprised. The SEES girls blushed a little and whispered amongst themselves, looking at Junpei and pointing at him. He felt a bit like a zoo exhibit.
"What the hell…" Shinjiro muttered. "That was Yoshino's voice wasn't it?"
Ken perked up. "Yoshino? As in Chidori Yoshino?"
"What's going on here?" Akihiko demanded.
Fuuka told them the whole story, about Chidori's disappearance, Junpei's suspicion, her conversation with Natsuki and their meeting with Yosuke and Teddie.
"So even without the power of Persona, a person can enter this place during the Dark Hour without aid. Then that means there's an overlap between worlds precisely at that time," Naoto concluded, earning nods of agreement from everybody.
"Who's this Chidori person?" Rise asked.
"Junpei's girlfriend," Minato answered. "Or, she used to be before she lost her memories." He then told the Investigation Team about Chidori and her role in Strega, including how she sacrificed her life to save Junpei's and how she was brought back to life. Light sobs were heard amongst the Inaba girls after Minato finished his story.
"That…that was so sad and beautiful at the same time," Yukiko sniffled. "If only there was a happier ending."
Fuuka approached Rise. "I'm so glad you brought everyone in time, Rise-chan. I didn't know how long we were going to last in here."
Rise smiled at her through watery eyes. "No problem, Fuuka-senpai."
Junpei couldn't believe his ears. The teal-haired girl had sold them out! "Fuuka, how come these guys know we're here? I thought we promised not to tell anyone!"
"I texted Rise-chan before we entered the TV," Fuuka said. "I'm sorry, Junpei-kun. You have to admit that your plan was pretty reckless. We could have died."
Souji sighed. He couldn't stay mad at Yosuke now that he understood why he wanted to help Junpei after listening to Minato's story, so he'd let this go. He reached out a hand to help his buddy stand up. "Come on, let's get this over with and rescue Yoshino-san."
Yosuke accepted his hand and got to his feet. "Yeah," he said, grinning sheepishly. "I deserved that though." Then his expression turned worried when he noticed the slightly dark circles under Souji's eyes. He turned to the twins and sure enough, both were rather pale and looked exhausted. "Are you sure you're up for this, partner? You don't look so good…"
Souji simply grinned. "Hey, I may not be 100% but I can still fight. You guys owe us big time after this though."
Minako sent a sweet smile with hidden intentions to her own best friend. "That's right, Junpei-kun, you owe us. I want you to treat me and my brothers to grilled steak and ramen after we're done ~ "
Junpei inwardly cried for his wallet; he wasn't going to have enough spending money after this.
Mitsuru had a different opinion. "You three may be the leaders but you are still in no condition to battle. I suggest you hold back while we do the rest of the fighting."
The Wild Cards couldn't agree to that, but they will let the others fight the small fries on their behalf. Minato volunteered to be the main leader under Mitsuru's supervision since Souji's arm was still injured, and Shinjiro wasn't about to let Minako go to the frontlines until she was fully recovered.
Fighting Shadows became a lot easier with the entire gang on board. Thanks to Fuuka's scanning, Rise managed to update her Shadow database. It didn't take long to find the door hiding the next staircase. It was huge, like a giant palace gate. It was adorned with carved flowers and leaves, painted in exquisite, rich colors. Despite all the beauty, the strong stench of the hospital was unmistakable.
"I think the guardian is inside there," Rise said. "Are you ready?"
Kanji raised a questioning eyebrow. "What do you mean ya 'think'?"
"I have a bad feeling about this," Fuuka said. "But if we want to rescue Chidori we have to proceed."
Before they went in, the group discussed and chose who would be going into battle, since everyone couldn't fight all at once. Minato took Yukari, Akihiko, Aigis and Koromaru in his team for good measure. The rest would stay out of their way to take care of Yosuke, Junpei and Teddie, and also fight off any Shadow that tried to disturb them.
Instead of a hospital room like they expected, they were now standing in front of Port Island monorail station. Everything was covered by fog, but they could make out a few shops in the distance; Raflessia, the movie theatre and the outdoor café. Despite the lack of light, flowers of different colors were blooming everywhere.
"This is where Chidori and I first met," Junpei said. "Although I don't remember all the flowers."
"Chidori-san must have held this place close to her heart, even if she doesn't remember its significance," Ken supplied. "Is it possible that all of these are her suppressed memories?"
Before anyone else could add something to that theory, a loud shriek could be heard and the ground started to shake a little. A figure appeared before them; it was distinguishably female, tall, and lanky, and she wore what looked like a red and black jumpsuit with yellow markings. She was holding a dagger in one hand, and a bowl of fire in the other. Her head was a sheep's skull and her hair was made of the legendary Golden Fleece.
"No way!" Junpei breathed. "It's Medea! How is this even possible?"
"Just like last time, I couldn't sense her presence that well," Fuuka said. "This is one of her unique abilities, and her most troublesome."
Rise summoned Kanzeon. "Fuuka-senpai, I don't think that's a Persona. It's a Shadow that takes the form of Medea."
"Of course, that makes perfect sense," Souji said, snapping his fingers. "Ken was right. This dungeon is made up of her suppressed memories, but since her Persona fused with Junpei-san's then only thing that this place can create is a copy."
Minato stepped up and took his place as leader. "Alright guys, my team and I will take her on. Just make sure Junpei doesn't get in my way or other Shadows for that matter. I need Fuuka as analyzer because she's done this before." Yukari, Aigis, Akihiko, and Koromaru stayed while the rest backed away.
Wasting no time, Minato gave out orders. "Koro, I need you to block any fire and darkness spells Shadow Medea will throw at us. Me, Aigis and Akihiko-senpai are on full assault. Yukari will multitask ask long range attacker and healer. Understood?"
"Roger!" they all replied. Koromaru barked twice instead.
"Good. We're going to rescue Chidori no matter what it takes."
Shadow Medea attacked first by casting Maragidyne, which Koromaru thought fast and casted Masukukaja on his teammates. They successfully dodged the attack, giving them the opening they were waiting for.
"Dionysus, Ziodyne!"
"Caesar, Ziodyne!"
"Athena, God's Hand!"
The triple onslaught worked very well, as Shadow Medea took heavy damage. But she wasn't about to give up easily, because the fire in her bowl glowed a bit brighter as she casted a debuff spell on the team. They felt unusually weak after that.
"Guys, defend yourselves. She's charging her next attack. It's going to cause a lot of damage!"Fuuka warned.
"Shit!" Akihiko cursed.
"Aigis, quick! Increase our defense before she releases whatever she's gonna cast on us!" Minato ordered.
Aigis complied and casted Marakukaja, a few seconds before Shadow Medea released a powered up Maragidyne spell. Akihiko was glad that Minato put Mitsuru out of the fight, because all of this fire could have hurt her a lotsince it was her Persona's weakness. Koromaru managed to protect their blue-haired leader from getting burned while the rest evaded the attack by a hair's breadth. Yukari healed them all immediately.
"Time to finish this," Minato said firmly. "Norn, Panta Rhei!"
Yukari joined in. "Isis, Garudyne!"
The wind spell worked well against Shadow Medea, but it seems she still had a few tricks up her sleeves. The flowers around them began to shrivel up and die as she sucked their life force and fixed her wounds.
"Tch! Just like Yoshino," Akihiko said, readying his stance. "What are we supposed to do now, Leader?"
"Just because those flowers helped heal her doesn't mean she's completely fine," Minato said. "We're just going to have to attack her relentlessly until she's beaten. Show no mercy!"
Shadow Medea didn't stand a chance when everyone blasted her with a combination of wind and thunder after Aigis buffed up their strength. By the time they were done, the Shadow and the flowers around them disintegrated into ash and smoke. The stairs to the next floor was revealed to be the escalator to the monorail station.
After the battle, Minato went to check up on Junpei, Yosuke and Teddie. They were doing much better after consuming some of the Fox's leaves which Souji purchased earlier and healed by Yukiko. Rise was not far, scanning the next floor for Shadows or any other strong enemies. After a few minutes of rest, she reported that the next floor had nothing but normal Shadows, although she did feel a strong presence on the top floor.
They navigated halfway through the third floor when Chidori's voice could be heard again, but this time accompanied by the voices of others which none of them recognized.
"Mister, why didn't Aya-chan and Tora-kun come home last night? What happened?"
A man's deep voice rang out."It is none of your concern, Yoshino. Go to bed like a good little girl and stop asking unnecessary questions."
"But the orphanage keeps getting emptier and emptier by the day. Where did everybody go?"
"Don't make me punish you again, you insolent brat! Go the bed!"
A woman's voice came this time. "It is time for the testing. Where is the remaining female subject?"
"Please, I don't want to go through there again. It hurts so much! Let me go!"
Chidori continued to cry as if she was kicking and screaming.
"You will do as you are told, girl!"
The sound of a hard slap was heard.
"Kirijo-sama and Ikutsuki-san will be most pleased with the experiment. Three children have made it this far, but the losses will be worth it if they survive the next phase."
"Excellent. With the administration of the drugs, they will be able to control their power once the whole thing is complete."
No words could be used to describe the looks on the SEES members' faces, especially the ones on Mitsuru, Junpei, Shinjiro and Minako. As if he could read his twin's mind, Minato also wore the same expression as her.
"More memories that she doesn't remember…" Junpei said, trying to hold back his anger. "She did say that she didn't remember much from her childhood, except being surrounded by white."
Akihiko couldn't stand it anymore when Mitsuru's shoulders shook and she began to sob into her hands. He knew that she wanted to keep their relationship a secret, but seeing her in this fragile state was unacceptable. So the former boxing champ did what he could; he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Shhh…" he whispered soothingly in her ear. "It wasn't your fault. You and your father were never at fault in this. Don't blame yourself."
"I know, but I just can't help it!" Mitsuru said, her voice muffled by her hands. In the back of her mind she was going to get Akihiko for this later, but she was too busy basking in his comfort to care.
Shinjiro snorted softly at his friend's public display of affection, but caught himself when he looked at Minako. He also took the same damn pills like Chidori did when she was in Strega, and remembered the one time he was forced to take it in front of Minako when his coughing went out of control. It felt like a knife stabbed him in the heart when he saw her expression of pain, but because she understood him better than anyone else, she kept it a secret from the others. He would have to make it up to her one of these days.
The Investigation Team was at a loss at what to do. Souji knew what was going on from what the twins had told him, but he was going to pry the details later. Right now, they had to move fast if they wanted to rescue Chidori. "Come on guys. We have to hurry!" he prompted, leading the way. Mitsuru hastily regained her composure and followed.
Fighting their way through even more nightmarish-looking toys, they finally found the stairs to the top floor. They stopped to assess their situation and plan their next step.
"I sense two Shadows up there," Fuuka said. "It feels familiar, but at the same time different."
"The energy readings are like Shadow Medea's," Rise reported. "Most likely something her memories created, but it's stronger this time."
Souji was still not allowed to battle, so Minato and Minako took their role as leader. They slowly made their way up the stairs.
Just like the second floor, they are standing in the middle of the square in front of Port Island monorail station. However, instead of daytime it was the Dark Hour. Chidori was chained to a lamp post not far away, but what had SEES agitated were the two figures guarding her. One was tall and bone skinny, deathly pale and wasn't wearing a shirt, showing off the tattoos on his body. He had long, white, wavy hair and was holding a long-barreled revolver. The other one was slightly shorter and wore glasses, holding a suitcase in one hand and tossing a ball in the other. He had cropped blue hair and looked like a nerd. Both of them had the trademark Shadow's golden eyes, and grinned maliciously at the Persona users.
"Damn it, what is that hippie Jesus and the cyber freak doing here?" Shinjiro said through gritted teeth. The scars on his chest began to throb at the sight of the gun.
"These are Chidori's memories, remember?" Ken said, readying his spear. "Although, it will be a pleasure to take them out for a second time."
Minato took charge once more. "We'll divide into two groups for each Shadow. Aigis, Metis, Mitsuru-senpai and Ken are with me." He turned to his sister and gave her a nod. "You take the second group. Your call."
"I'll take Kanji-kun and Yukari-chan," Minako said. She then looked at Shinjiro and Junpei, biting her bottom lip. "I want to know if you two can handle this?" she asked them in a serious tone.
Shinjiro merely cracked his knuckles. "Are you kidding me? After that bastard shot me and put you through hell, I'm more than ready to kick his ass!"
"I don't care if he's already dead, as long as I get to do the honors this time," Junpei said, determination burning in his eyes.
"Souji-kun, I need you and the others to get Chidori to safety once we create an opening," Minato told his brother. "These guys aren't going to give in without a fight."
"Just like with Shadow Medea, they still have the same properties as before," Fuuka reported. "Please be careful. They're still dangerous."
Minato zeroed in on Shadow Jin and tried to slash him. Aigis joined him by shooting ammo from her fingers. Shadow Jin evaded both attacks successfully. While running, he pulled a grenade out of his pocket, pulled the safety pin with his teeth and threw it at Minato. Aigis summoned Athena just in time to protect him with her shield.
"Artemesia, Bufudyne!"
"Psyche, Bufudyne!"
With Shadow Jin trapped in a giant ice block, Ken took the opportunity add more damage. "Kala-Nemi, Ziodyne!" His thunder spell struck the ice block with Jin inside it, causing medium damage.
Furious, Shadow Jin summoned his Persona, Moros, and aimed an Agidyne spell at Mitsuru.
"I expected that!" Mitsuru said. "I summon thee, Artemesia. Bufudyne!" The ice attack neutralized the fire spell before it could hurt her. Mitsuru then proceeded to slash him repeatedly.
Just like last time, Jin would target his opponent's weaknesses and use it to his advantage. Minato had to act fast. "Odin, Thunder Reign!" It didn't miss, much to his relief.
Shadow Jin was paralyzed after getting hit. Minato didn't waste any time by ordering an All-Out Attack, causing heavy damage.
Meanwhile, Minako and her team were busy fighting Shadow Takaya and his Persona, Hypnos. They didn't have trouble taking a swing at the hippie when he paused to cast Mind Charge. The only problem was when he casted elemental or almighty spells on them, it would cause a lot of damage to the surroundings. Fearing for her friends and Chidori's safety, Minako attacked him relentlessly with power charged physical attacks. Shinjiro and Junpei weren't holding back either. Kanji didn't like Shadow Takaya the moment he set eyes on him and fought with all his might.
"Chi You, Primal Force!"
"Pegasus, God's Hand!"
"Rokuten Maoh, Vile Assault!"
The triple combo of heavy physical attacks was devastating to Shadow Takaya to say the least. It managed to piss him off enough to distract his attention away from Chidori. Minako was pleased when she saw from the corner of her eye that Souji and his team managed to free Chidori and take her away to a safe distance.
"You'll pay for what you did to her, damnit!" Junpei hollered. "Trismegistus, Agidyne!"
Yukari wasn't about to be left behind. "Isis, Garudyne!" Her wind spell boosted Junpei's fire. They attacked him again and again until he was burnt to a crisp.
Minato and his team defeated Shadow Jin about the same time. Both teams made their way to Souji and the rest, where they were guarding a sleeping Chidori.
"Is she alright?" Junpei asked frantically.
"I think she's just exhausted because of the fog," Yukiko said. She rummaged through their bag of supplies, took out a packet of Revival Beads and popped one into Chidori's mouth.
Chidori began to stir a few moments later. Her dark brown eyes blinked rapidly, trying to make out the faces in the fog. Chie kindly took off her glasses and placed them on the red-head's face. "There, much better!" she said, smiling.
As Chidori looked at every single person around her, she smiled when she saw one familiar face; Junpei's. A tiny blush made its way to her cheeks.
"Chidori, are you okay?" Junpei asked, taking her hands in his.
"I'm fine Junpei," she answered, still smiling. "I knew you'd come for me."
Junpei's face turned red as a ripe tomato. "O-of course. I did promise I'd protect you, didn't I? Not that you'd remember..."
"Of course I remember, silly. You told me that at the hospital, where you would visit me after school."
If Junpei's eyes could open up any wider, they did at this point. "Wait, what? You remember?"
"I remember everything, including all of you…and Tartarus…" she said the last word in almost a whisper. She then looked at the faces of the Investigation Team. "I don't know any of you though."
Mitsuru was now stroking her chin thoughtfully. "This is fascinating. After we defeated the Shadows of those two, she regained every memory that happened during the Dark Hour back in 2009."
"But how come she didn't get a Persona after we defeated the Shadows?" Rise inquired.
"Because Izanami isn't here anymore to awaken a person's inner Shadow," Souji answered her. "The ones we fought were merely Yoshino-san's memories."
"That's right," Teddie interjected. "The nature of this place is to reveal a person's heart. I guess once we defeated her inner demons that Chidori-chan's memories were awakened easily. Then again, you said she used to have a Persona."
"This is fine and all, but can we please get out of here?" Chie said, interrupting everyone's thoughts. "We should probably take her to the hospital anyway."
"I agree," Naoto said. "We should take every precaution to ensure that Yoshino-san is in a stable state."
Junpei vigilantly stayed by Chidori's side until they made it to the Entrance Hall. Yosuke helped lead Chie by holding her hand so she wouldn't fall behind. After they exited the TV World, Junpei took Chidori to the hospital, accompanied by Mitsuru and Akihiko.
The rest decided to head back home after having a meal at the food court; at Yosuke, Teddie and Junpei's expenses, of course.
Chie jogged on her way back home, distracted by her thoughts. She was glad things turned out well, and though she felt kind of angry at Yosuke for being so reckless and dragging everybody into that mess, she couldn't really stay mad at him once knowing his reasons. She only wished he would be over Saki's death and realize that she cares about him more than just a friend.
However, what Chie wasn't expecting to see was Yosuke, sitting near the river, staring blankly at the water. For a minute, Chie simply stood and watched him. His headphones were over his ears; she assumed he had music blasting on, as usual.
A light breeze passed by and ruffled his hair around the headphones. Chie found herself staring much longer than she intended. She sighed. 'I can't believe I fell for an idiot like him. Does that make me an idiot too?' Even with his knees pulled up to his chest, he managed to look handsome.
Chie dared to take a few steps closer. "Yosuke?" she spoke hesitantly.
There was no response. 'Figures…'She rolled her eyes. She was about four or five feet behind him, standing so she was just barely able to see the frame of his face – it was narrow without being skimpy, and masculine without being creepy for her tastes.
Again, she sighed. 'I suppose now is as good a time as ever.'
"Um, Yosuke, I know you're probably not listening at all, but I just thought you should know…" She froze as she saw him move, looking at his MP3 player for a few minutes before resuming his staring contest with the water.
Chie let out a breath of relief before continuing. "Well, I-I know what you're thinking, and I'm not being a wimp for not actually saying this to your face, it's just… nerve-wracking to have to face my feelings like this because I… I do like your company." She laughed nervously. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that… I like you, Yosuke… and I have for a while. You're an idiot, but you can be smart sometimes. You're so loyal too. But you were, are, and always will be too preoccupied with Saki Konishi to pay me any mind at all, s-so it's alright…"
It hurt her immensely to say this, but she knew it was true. Looking at Yosuke again, she bit her lip. 'The unattainable guy… for me, at least. He's not even listening, anyway…' Chie sighed. 'Why do I even bother saying the first thing that pops into mind?'
Turning on her heel, she began to walk away when she heard a voice break the silence.
"You really think that, Chie?" She gave a squeak and whipped around to see Yosuke, headphones off and around his neck, standing and facing her. He looked perplexed.
"W-w-were you listening t-to that whole thing…?" She counter-questioned, causing him to look away and scuff his shoe against the ground.
Yosuke rubbed his neck. "Well, let's just say I never had any music playing…"
Scowling, Chie stormed up to Yosuke and punched his shoulder harshly. He let out a wail of pain. "Ow, what the hell, Chie?!" He rubbed his shoulder, sitting down where he was before. "What was that for?"
"You could have said something instead of making me look like a moron!" Chie fumed, her cheeks red out of anger and embarrassment.
"I didn't know that you wanted my input!" he retorted, closing his eyes and rubbing his pained shoulder.
"D-does it hurt that much? Jeez, I'm sorry… I guess I don't know my own strength." She moved her hand to massage his shoulder, but it ended up right on top of his. Both third-year students blushed.
"N-now will you answer my question?" Yosuke whispered.
Chie blinked. "What?"
"Do you really think that I'm still yearning after Saki-senpai?"
Chie tried looking at many places; the ground, the grass, the river, his shoulder, their hands, anywhere but his eyes. She soon realized that when the two were this close, eye contact was actually the least awkward. "Well, y-yeah, I guess…"
Yosuke's shoulders slumped, causing him to wince. "Chie…" he started, massaging his shoulder, which was when Chie stopped holding his hand and instead opted to sit next to him, opposite the shoulder that was in pain. "While it may be true that I did have something of a crush on Saki-senpai for a little while, I…I came to realize that the feeling wasn't mutual. I had always suspected it, so it wasn't too difficult to get over her. Especially after what went on in her dungeon before I fought my Shadow." He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "Besides, if it weren't for a certain girl, I'd probably still be visiting her grave on a daily basis…"
That piqued Chie's interest. "You like someone, Yosuke? Who is it?"
Yosuke looked away from her. "She was never someone I'd even think about falling for, but one day, she ran off ahead of the rest of us and I was really worried about her, so I did everything I could to get to her in one day. And while Saki-senpai caused me more emotional grief, this girl definitely causes more physical pain." He continued to tend to his shoulder, even though it didn't hurt that much anymore.
Looking over at Chie, he could see her gears ticking. His eyes widened upon realizing what he had just said, so Yosuke quickly moved the conversation forward. "B-but enough about that! It's getting late and we both should be going home. I don't wanna get you in trouble." Standing quickly, he made a run for the stairs. "I'll see you tomorrow!"
Chie raced after him. "Wait, Yosuke!"
He stopped, turning to her. "Y-yeah?"
She gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing the pair to go scarlet. "T-thanks…"
He smiled warmly. "N-no problem, Chie…"
"Oh, and Yosuke?"
"Yeah?" Their voices were nearing whispers.
"I'm glad that our feelings are mutual," Chie smiled, her blush growing darker.
Yosuke smiled and leaned down to capture Chie's lips in a quick, sweet kiss. "Me too, Chie... me too…"
Not too far, a certain silverette and a raven-haired girl watched them from behind a tree with pleased smiles, glad their best friends had finally found love in each other.
Inaba Municipal Hospital, evening…
After thorough tests on Mitsuru's insistence, the doctor didn't find anything wrong with Chidori, only that she was exhausted. He prescribed her some multivitamins and told her to get some extra rest.
"That went surprisingly well," Akihiko said, relieved the whole ordeal was over. "The only problem is where she will stay for the night."
"Indeed. I guess she will have to stay at the Inn with us for the time being," Mitsuru said. "But you will have to sleep in a single room. Ours is crowded right now."
Junpei held up one of Chidori's hands. "Ya hear that, Chidorita? She's gonna let you stay with us!"
"B-but, I don't want to burden you!" the red-head squeaked, eyes wide. Then she looked annoyed, slapping Junpei's arm. "I told you not to call me that!"
Mitsuru's expression softened. "Please, I insist. It's the least I can do for you right now." The guilt of having Chidori suffer under her family's brutal experiments was still eating at her.
Not having the energy to argue, Chidori reluctantly followed Junpei and the two seniors to the Amagi Inn. Junpei wouldn't stop chattering the whole way, at one point Akihiko had to smack him because it was getting on his nerves.
Chidori's nervousness ebbed away at the hilarity of it all. Despite gaining the bad memories that she would rather forget, all of that didn't matter as long as she was by her beloved's side.
They were greeted by the rest of SEES including Souji and Yukiko. After Mitsuru and Akihiko explained the situation, Yukiko left to take care of Chidori's room arrangements.
After they had dinner, the girls practically dragged the gothic-loli to their room, much to Junpei's displeasure. The guys didn't bother to stop them since they wouldn't be caught dead being involved in the dreaded 'girl talk'.
"So Chidori, how long will you be staying here for?" Yukari asked, already changed into her sleepwear. So did the rest of the girls.
"I don't know," Chidori answered. "Mitsuru-san told me I have to leave soon because she doesn't want me to get in danger. You guys are still fighting Shadows, aren't you?"
"Y-yeah, I guess she does have a point," Fuuka said.
"Then stay until the Summer Festival is over," Minako suggested. "I'm pretty sure Junpei-kun wants to spend more time with you, and why not have some fun while you're at it?"
At the mention of the Summer Festival, the girls got excited and began to talk about their plans during the summer, what games they would play and food they would eat. Girl talk ensued right after; shopping, clothes and gossip.
Yukiko poked her head in. "Excuse me guys, Chidori-san's room is ready."
They were a little disappointed that their 'girl time' had to end so soon, but they understood Chidori's need to rest. Minako and Yukari were more than happy to loan her some of their clothes and even offered to help her get settled in.
After helping Chidori, Yukari had a sudden idea. "Hey, let's take a quick dip in the hot springs then we can go to bed. It's been a long day."
Minako brightened at that. "Why not? I don't feel sleepy right now anyway."
The two girls took all their necessary bathing items and head for the hot springs.
It wasn't long before Yukari felt sleepy and she was ready to hit the sack. Minako decided to take a walk in the garden before doing so, still clad in a yukata. Her hair was let down for it to dry faster.
An almost-full moon was out tonight, and illuminated the garden with its pale light, but not as bright. Fireflies were dancing among the trees and bushes around the koi pond, adding an extra touch to the atmosphere. Minako felt her worries melting away as she stared at the beautiful scenery.
Footsteps could be heard somewhere behind her. Minako turned around and saw Shinjiro walking towards her. He was wearing his usual black turtleneck and pants, without his coat and beanie for once.
"Hey," he greeted, standing beside her.
"Senpai, how did you know I was here?"
"I saw you walk out of the hot springs with Takeba. Aki challenged me to a ping-pong game earlier…that guy doesn't know when to quit," Shinjiro complained, rubbing the back of his head. "It went on for a while because your brothers decided to join in."
"Oh…" was all she said before staring at the koi fishes swimming in the pond, admiring how their scales glittered like jewels under the moonlight.
Shinjiro could only stare at her in awe. 'She's gorgeous...'he thought. It was rare to see her hair let down like this, and he preferred it like that. The moonlight was shining down on her face at all the right angles, making her look more like an ethereal being than human.
"Senpai, is anything wrong? You're awfully quiet," she said, looking up at him.
Minako's voice snapped Shinjiro out of his stupor, making him blush. 'Crap, I hope she didn't catch me staring at her!'The last thing he needed was being labeled as a lecher. "I…I was just thinking about something, that's all," he answered. It was true in a way, as he suddenly remembered the monologue he had with himself when they listened to Chidori's memories of her childhood back in the TV World.
"What kind of stuff?" Minako asked shyly.
He wasn't going to lie anymore. "I was just thinking about how to make it up to you. For saving me from myself and staying by my side even after all the things I've done, after all I put you through," he said, lifting one hand to cup her right cheek. "Three years worth of time, I swear I'll make it up to you…and the others as well."
"Senpai…"
Shinjiro chuckled lightly. "You don't have to call me that, you know." He paused for a bit. "Shinji is fine. And only because it's you."
Minako's entire face turned crimson, which Shinjiro found to be oddly cute. "B-b-b-but…"
He now had his hands out of his pockets and held her face with both, silencing her with a kiss. Shinjiro knew this was out of character for him, but because they were alone, and only in front of her that he could let his guard down this much and expose all his emotions.
When he pulled away, Minako's face was burning. Feeling proud of himself, Shinjiro decided to tease her some more. "By the way, you look hot in a yukata. I can't wait for the Summer Festival," he whispered in her ear.
Minako let out a squeak and did the only thing she could to cover her embarrassment; bury her face in Shinjiro's chest. "The guys aren't going to let you live this down, you know…" she mumbled through his sweater.
"I don't care," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "As long as I get to stay with you."
They stayed like that for a while, watching the fireflies. When Minako didn't move, Shinjiro realized that she had fallen asleep in his arms. 'Only you…'He smiled for a bit, before picking her up and headed back inside the inn.
"Hey, have you guys noticed how Junpei didn't make a single perverted comment to us last night?" Yukari questioned the SEES girls over breakfast the next morning. They invited Yukiko to join them, which she gladly accepted. It was rare for her to have breakfast with friends, so she very much enjoyed the company.
Fuuka put down her chopsticks, and looked deep in thought. "Now that you mention it, he was rather quiet." She then waved her hand as if to brush the statement aside. "No way, that can't be. He's Junpei-kun, always loud and noisy."
"That can't be right," Minako said. "Not a day passes by without him making one dirty joke."
"He and Yosuke-kun are very much alike. But the only person he's like that with is Chie…" Yukiko commented. She gasped when the other girls turned sharply to look at her.
"That's it!" they cried out in unison, but quickly sat down when they were shushed by the waitresses.
"Good morning, ladies!" Junpei greeted politely. Chidori was walking right beside him, and they were holding hands. "Don't wait up for us. We're heading out to Junes."
"Bye!" Chidori waved. The girls snickered behind their backs when the two of them left the inn.
Yukari cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention. "I rest my case. He's officially whipped! Now let's focus on another topic. Minako-chan, why was Shinjiro-senpai carrying you back to our room last night?" She grinned when her best friend's face turned cherry red.
"N-n-none of your b-b-business!" Minako shrieked, ignoring another reprimand from a waitress.
Girlish laughter ensued at her expense. The guys entered just as it died down.
"Good morning. You girls look like you're having fun," Minato greeted. The girls scooted over to let the guys join them.
"Mind sharing with us?" Souji asked. He noticed Minako's red face and concluded that the other girls were making fun of his sister.
Shinjiro smiled at his girlfriend when he took a seat beside her, but it was replaced with a scowl when the other girls were staring at him, expecting something. He didn't like it one bit. "What?!"
"Nothing," Yukari said sweetly, resting her chin on interlaced fingers. "Just some friendly interrogation is all." The other girls smirked at her statement.
Not wanting her boyfriend to go ballistic in public, Minako hastily changed the subject to Dojima and Nanako's return to Inaba, turning the awkward mood cheerful once again.
Chidori wanted to buy some art supplies and basic clothing since she didn't bring anything but the clothes on her back. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a white blouse which Yukari and Minako let her borrow. Her long red hair was tied up in a high ponytail with a cute butterfly clip on the right.
This style was entirely new for Junpei. He never saw her in anything but that white Lolita dress and the dagger headband she used to wear. She was cute in that get-up but this…she looked stunning! All he could do was stare at her while she browsed the aisles of the stationary department.
After shopping, the two of them went to the food court to rest. As Junpei was paying for their drinks, the smell of grilled steak caught his nose. He cringed when he remembered just how much his friends ate the day before, and how thin his wallet had become. Luckily, there was still enough to buy him and Chidori a decent meal on their date. 'Technically, this can be considered a date, right?' he thought sheepishly.
They walked pass the Samegawa flood plain before heading back. Chidori was so entranced by the beautiful scenery, she decided to stop at the gazebo and use the new items she bought to paint a picture.
Again, Junpei was mesmerized. 'If only she realizes how pretty she is right now…'he sighed mentally.
Halfway through her painting, Chidori put down her work and decided to speak up. "You've been staring at me the whole day, you know."
"Huh, what's that?" Junpei said, blinking dumbly. If Yukari and Minako were here, they would have made fun of how stupid he looks right now.
"Is there something wrong with my face, or what I'm wearing?" Chidori asked.
"What? No way!" Junpei scoffed. "What gives you that idea?"
"It's just that I'm not used to wearing these kind of clothing," she admitted shyly, looking at the ground. "Do I look weird, Junpei?"
Junpei took off his cap and scratched his head, trying to find the right words. "Uhh…no, you're not weird at all, Chidori. You actually look good wearing normal clothes. It's refreshing."
Chidori's pale cheeks turned a healthy shade of pink. "You think so? Everybody just calls me a freak, and I don't think I can fit in anywhere…"
"I don't think you're a freak," Junpei assured her. He remembered the conversation with Chidori's dorm mate on the phone yesterday, and frowned. "But you are different than other girls. I guess that's why I'm attracted to you in the first place," he added.
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
"Are you sure you didn't pick that line out of a movie?" Chidori teased, the edge of her lips tugged upwards into a sweet smile.
"Hey, I resent that!" Junpei retorted playfully. He began to fantasize about seeing that smile every day when he wakes up in the morning. 'I'd be the luckiest guy on the planet!'
Chidori returned to painting her picture, not minding that Junpei was staring at her again with a goofy grin on his face.
Surprisingly, he was the first to speak up when she finished. "You know…about what you said earlier. You don't have to worry about fitting in anywhere," he said.
"Why do you say that?" Chidori questioned, looking at him with curiosity.
"Do you remember when you sacrificed yourself for me, and how Medea fused with Hermes and created Trismegistus?" Chidori nodded. "Then that's your answer right there. You have and always will belong here." Junpei touched his chest above his heart. "You're a part of me now, Chidori. Don't worry about what others think."
Stunned, she just kept quiet.
"I don't think the others blame you for what happened. I'm sure Mina-tan, Yuka-tan, and the whole gang already accepted you as our friend. So, whatever it is that you're having trouble with, we'll try our best to help. Don't forget that." A huge and sincere smile made its way on Junpei's lips.
He was disappointed when Chidori's reaction was the opposite of what he expected. Instead of the clichéd doe-like eyes staring at him with admiration, the red-head was laughing so hard she was clutching her stomach. "Haha…I never thought…hehe…that you'd be the one…hehe…t-to say something so wise…hahaha…!"
"Chidori...you're mean!" Junpei pouted. Suddenly he felt a soft pressure on his right cheek, and turned a bright crimson when he realized that Chidori had just kissed him.
Said girl was blushing as well. It was obvious she had never done it before and hid her face behind her hands. 'Oh my god I can't believe I just did that!'she repeated in her head again and again.
"Ya know, I just realized something…" Junpei said boldly, all hints of shyness gone now. "You probably never had your first kiss, haven't ya?"
"Wh-what are you t-talking about?" Chidori stuttered, feeling very small all of a sudden.
Junpei was a winner when it came to recklessness, so naturally the next thing he did was on pure impulse. He bent down a little and captured Chidori's lips with his. The gothic-loli gasped in surprise, unsure of how to react next. She was a bit disappointed when he finally pulled away though.
"There, I took your first kiss and you took mine," the cap-wearing teen smiled. "Now we're even."
"You idiot…" Chidori chided, but smiling at the same time. "But I love you all the same."
He gently bumped his forehead with hers. "I love you too, Chidorita."
Nanako was sitting in front of her house. She was so happy to be back home, even if she was away only for two days. She missed her big brother terribly, so she couldn't wait for him to come back. Dojima even decided to buy them a special dinner; sushi. So when Souji returns, it'll be a pleasant family reunion.
"Lovely day today…" a boy's voice called out. "The sky is so beautiful and the sun feels so nice…"
Nanako stood up, trying to find the voice's owner. She found him resting his body against a nearby tree, looking at the sky. It was young boy around her age with a very pale complexion, short faded black hair and bright blue eyes with a mole under his left eye. He was wearing black-and-white striped pajamas and sandals.
"Hello?" Nanako called.
"Oh, hi!" The boy smiled at her. He looked kind of lonely to Nanako for some reason. "Sorry if I startled you. I was just admiring the sky. I haven't seen such a beautiful day in a long time."
"Oh… are you new here? I've never seen you before," Nanako stated.
"… Yes… I've just moved here…" the boy said a bit hesitantly. "This place is so different from where I came from." He became silent and was no longer smiling.
Nanako had a feeling that he probably didn't have many friends back at his previous place. "Do…do you want to play with me?" she asked shyly.
With a brief glance around - he looked like a jailbird, with his stripy pajamas - and then nodded, with a finality that seemed a bit too much for a child simply agreeing to a session of play. "Okay!"
Nanako smiled and grabbed his hand. "C'mon! Let's go!"
The boy was surprised at the sudden gesture, but felt warm inside as Nanako took him to play near the tree.
They exchanged smiles as they played into the hours; tag, hide and seek, hopscotch, all sort of games. Nanako was enjoying herself, but the boy seemed to be having fun like there would be no tomorrow.
As the sun started to set, Nanako frowned a bit. "I have to go home…it's getting dark. Dad and Big Bro should be back soon."
The boy frowned too. "Me too… My… brother…is probably waiting for me," he said before looking at Nanako. "Can I…can I see you again?"
"Of course!" Nanako beamed. "Oh by the way, my name's Nanako. What's your name?"
He gave a tiny smile. "My name is… Pharos." He took Nanako's hand and gave it a light kiss. "We're gonna be great friends, Nanako-chan."
Nanako smiled and blushed a bit at that. "Sure, Pharos-kun!"
With that, they parted ways.
This is getting good huh? BTW, for those wondering about Marie, yes, she will show up later. That's because when I heard of her I already had a few chapters done and I couldn't find a way fit her in. But she will show up. I promise.
If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask.
Don't forget to Read, Review and Enjoy!