Hey guys, Sea of Soul again. I'm done with my residency exams and now I'm waiting for the results. Hope that I'll pass any of them. That'd be the best Christmas gift for me! owo
Speaking of gifts, I bring you guys chapter 13 as my and ohta-chan's holidays' gift for you. But first: time to answer some questions/comments:
KO: I don't know 'Black Cat', but I think ohta-chan does. Read her author notes at the end of the chapter.
God Emperor Of GAR-halla: Hot-springs shenanigans are something common in japanese anime/games/mangas. Personally I find them amusing because girls overreact and the so called 'perverts' get punished for it. Most of times they don't deserve it, it's true, but it's all for laughs. Anyway, everyone's got their own opinion and I respect yours.
Code-Emperor07: If memory serves me Nanako's 7 while Ken's 13-14 I think.
Yuuji Narukami: Thanks for the pointers. They made a lot of sense in a way. You see, Ohta-chan and I prefer to do them calling out their personas like that because it gets closer to the game. Plus when it comes to the Wild Cards, it is a necessity. As for Shinjiro, him turning into a softie is only because he's being influenced by Minako. He's still a badass, that's for sure, but not as much around his friends and girlfriend. We'll get him turning into one soon enough. Also, instead of the moon arcana he had for a social link in p3p, Shinji is reverting back to his original arcana, the hierophant. Expect him and Kanji cursing quite a bit in the future. Regarding Marie, like I mentioned on a previous chapter, I came to learn about her when I was already working on this fic, so she'll make an appearance in later chapters. I need to find some videos of her social link to get better ideas for her, but I assure you she will appear.
grandshadowseal: Good guess, but not really. You'll see who it is soon enough.
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 13: The Tower of Demise returns.
Two days after the Wild Card trio went back to normal, they decided to resume their training routine at Void Quest before moving on with the investigation of the other world.
"It's weak against thunder, Senpai!" Rise said. "Zap it!"
"Time to try out the Minor Arcana cards' power," Souji said. "Izanagi, Ziodyne!"
The Original God emerged and effortlessly eliminated the Shadow with a single spell. Despite the move being executed with perfection, Izanagi lingered around for a bit longer than usual, staring at Souji with his golden eyes as if questioning him or something, before he vanished. The silverette frowned.
"Hey, partner." Yosuke tapped him on his shoulder. "Everything okay? You look kinda zoned out."
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing, Yosuke. Just kinda surprised at how Izanagi's magic improved…" Souji lied.
"If you say so…" Yosuke shrugged. "Well, we're done here. Wanna go back?"
"Sure. Aniki and Aneki must be done by now…" He turned to his other teammates. "Let's go back, guys"
As they moved forward Souji tried to understand what had just happened. 'Izanagi… what's wrong with you?' No answer. 'I'll have to talk with Aneki and Aniki about it.'
At a lower floor…
"It's weakness is fire!" Fuuka said. "Please, defeat it!"
"Hey, Aniki, why don't we try out those new cards we got?" Minako suggested.
Minato replied "Very well, sounds like a plan to me." He drew his Evoker.
The Shadow got closer while the rest of their group backed away.
"Orpheus…!"
"Eurydice…!"
"Agidyne!"
The combined fire spell completely roasted the last Shadow, but just like Izanagi, the Master of Strings and the Mistress of Melodies lingered around longer than usual, glaring at their masters as if demanding an explanation, before they vanished.
The twins exchanged worried glances, when they felt someone tapping their shoulders. They turned around to face Aigis and Metis.
"Is anything bothering you, Minako-san? Minato-san?" Aigis asked.
"You two seem distracted," Metis added.
"No, not at all, girls!" Minako managed to smile. "We're just amazed at how easy that was.'"
"Yes, that went way better than I expected…" Minato said before looking at the rest of his friends. "At any rate, we're done here. Let's go meet up with Souji-kun and the others and head back."
As they walked, both twins tried to understand what had happened. 'Orpheus, why are you not answering me?' Silence. 'Minako seems to be having the same problem… I wonder if Souji-kun knows anything about it. We'll need to talk.'
'Eurydice… You were never one to give me a cold shoulder, so why now?' No answer. 'This is bad…we need to speak to Souji-kun about this.'
Heaven's Pearly Gates...
After the training run, Souji took the twins here while their friends rested. Even though the place brought back some of his worst memories, it also made him feel at peace.
While their friends hadn't noticed, they felt something was off with each other and themselves.
"So… We're all feeling something weird with our Personas, right?" Minato started. "Namely, our starting ones."
"Yes… Eurydice is not talking." Minako frowned. "And she used to be quite a chatterbox, commenting about everything I'd do from inside my head."
"I can't hear Izanagi's voice in my mind either…" Souji sighed. "Battlewise, he remains the same, but somehow… I don't know how to put it… he feels... distant."
"Orpheus too…even though he obeys my commands, his sudden lack of communication bothers me." Minato closed his eyes, holding his chin pensively. "And it all started after we were turned into kids…"
Minako played with the hem of her skirt, looking at the ground. "About that time…after that I started having nightmares…" Her voice barely came out as a whisper, earning surprised glances from her two brothers. She looked back up "What…you guys too?"
At their nods, she looked away. "The dream starts out kinda nice, we were hanging out together with our friends and having fun, but the sky suddenly turned dark and everybody disappeared… I then find myself standing before the Great Seal as if it was calling me… I tried to back away, but chains came out of it and wrapped themselves around me, dragging...I - I couldn't fight, I couldn't scream for help. When I thought I was going to die… I heard Shinji-kun's voice and woke up."
"I… I had that dream too! Same scenario, same feelings… I felt completely helpless…so alone…Only I heard Yukari's voice in my case," Minato admitted.
Souji took a deep breath. "I dreamt about my parents. They were with me, Uncle and Nanako. And then my friends and you guys arrived. We were all having fun…" his voice started to tremble. "Suddenly, fog enveloped the area… I was alone… I couldn't see anything. I called out for help, but no one came. Next thing I knew, something grabs me by my neck and starts choking me… I couldn't shout… I couldn't breathe. Then, everything went black and I thought I heard Yukiko calling me before I woke up."
Minato pinched his nose bridge. "Okay, this is getting seriously disturbing… It can't be a mere coincidence."
"Dreams can tell us about our future… Does that mean that something bad is going to happen to us?" Souji asked. He looked really uneasy.
"Don't say that, Banchou-kun! Nothing bad is going to happen to us as long as we're together!" Minako scolded. She looked up to Minato. "Right, Aniki?"
"You're right, Minako. We gotta keep it together. If we break, the others will fall apart as well and they'll be left vulnerable. We can't let that happen!"
Souji calmed down. "You're right, both of you. We will protect them. If we don't, then who will?"
"Exactly. Let's head to the Velvet Room before we go back," Minato decided. "If anyone can help us with this, it's Igor."
"Great idea, Aniki. Theo-kun and his sisters' antics always cheer me up!" Minako smiled. "I'm sure we can find our way out of this maze of confusion, together."
Before Souji could say anything, another voice rang out from a distance. "A maze, you say? Well, to my 'amazement' you've been doing an astounding job so far."
The twins froze. Not because of the terrible pun, but because they knew that voice. "No way…"
Seeing the twins' reaction, Souji quickly sprung into action and brandished his katana. "Who's there?!"
Footsteps were heard, coming closer. From the gates a figure appeared. It was a middle-aged man with long wavy brown hair and dark brown eyes behind round glasses. He was wearing a black turtleneck under a tan suit.
Both Arisato gasped shocked. "Ikutsuki?!"
"My my, if it isn't the Arisato twins," he tittered politely. "You two look quite well… so lively."
Minako pointed at him with the tip of her naginata. "Don't give me that crap, you asshole!"
"Oh dear, Minako, you had better manners than that."
"Shut up, you good-for-nothing creep!" her twin growled, swinging his sword and pointing it at said creep. "Don't think we've forgotten the things you've done!"
"Dear me, you two became quite naughty while you were away." Ikutsuki wasn't fazed one bit, and looked at Souji. "Perhaps you friend here will show proper manners."
Souji went pale and felt cold, not because he was facing the man who almost brought the end of the world and was supposed to be dead. For some reason he couldn't fathom, Ikutsuki's presence made fear grip his heart like nothing before. 'Wh-what's wrong with me?!' He almost dropped his sword as his hands were shaking so much.
The twins saw Souji's reaction and became concerned. "Souji-kun, what's going on?" Minako asked.
"I-I…. I d-don't know!" he stuttered. "I c-can't s-s-stop sh-shaking…!"
"Why so scared, little Souji?" Ikutsuki became bolder and took a few steps forward. "You were braver than that when you were a little boy." He gave them a condescending smirk.
The silverette narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?! I don't even know you!"
"Hm… Looks like your memory got a bit jammed. Perhaps you should ask you parents…" Ikutsuki's mocking stare never left Souji. "That is, if they're still alive…"
Souji flinched. How could he know about his parents?
Before Ikutsuki could get any closer, the twins stood in front of Souji with their weapons ready. "Don't you dare get any closer to our brother!" Minato roared. "You already screwed up our lives once! You're not doing it again!"
"Is that so? We'll see it about that." Ikutsuki snapped his fingers.
The loud sound of rattling chains was heard as a male figure clad in black emerged from a void of darkness on the ground. It was wearing two long steel chains, each across its left and right shoulders, forming a cross. Both its hands wielded two long-barreled revolvers, with a face shrouded in bandages, only one ominous yellow eye to see its surroundings.
The Wild Cards tensed. "The Reaper!" They all had bad run-ins with the powerful Shadow: Back when the twins set out to rescue Maiko, who had wandered into Tartarus after she tried to run away from home, they had barely survived his onslaught just stalling himso that their friends could make it to the exit with the little girl. In Souji's case, he encountered Death while searching for Nanako in Heaven, having accidentally opened a treasure chest and the Shadow burst out of it, leaving him with no other choice but to try and stall so his friends could escape without major wounds. He himself barely made it alive. Sure, they fought it again afterwards and won, but they had their friends with them.
"Light and Darkness spells don't work on it, so we'll have to hit him with everything else we got!" Minato warned the other two, who nodded in agreement.
The Reaper stared right into their eyes, as if reading their minds to predict their moves. He started floating towards them.
"Here he comes!" Minako shouted, making the first move. "Surt, Ragnarok!"
The fiery giant casted a giant pillar of flames erupting from the ground, causing the trio to choke on sooty air. Coughing, they removed their hands and stared at their opponent. The Reaper looked unfazed by the assault, advancing towards them slowly.
Souji's mouth formed a small "tch!" before a card appeared on his hand. "I've got this one! Loki, Niflheim!"
Although this time The Reaper shivered from the ice, no noticeable wounds or bruises were taken. Still, the trio refused to give up. Surely that thing had something it was weak against.
"Odin, Thunder Reign!" Minato shouted.
A loud thunder sounded from somewhere as Odin raised his hand. A huge bolt of deadly lightning struck The Reaper and they felt fairly certain that this time it would be affected. They looked up only to see the Shadow stunned, but not quite paralyzed. Sighing with relief, they exchanged glances and summoned their last elemental skill on him together.
"Panta Rhei!"
A giant gust of wind soon turned into a tornado trying its very best to wipe The Reaper off its feet. Looking on with hope, their shoulders sagged to see evil Shadow still in place as though some invisible force is holding it down. Gravity. Was it that strong?
Having enough, The Reaper aimed his guns to the sky and fired several times, unleashing a Myriad Arrows attack. The Wild Cards were unable to dodge, and tried to shield themselves as the shower of bullets fell from the sky with any Persona that had physical resistance.
Wounded, but refusing to give up, they slowly stood up and prepared to fight again.
"If elemental skills don't work, then that just leaves us with physical and almighty skills!" Souji crushed another card. "Futsunushi, Primal force!"
The Reaper looked surprised, a small cut appeared on its arm. At least this made a difference compared to the other attacks, giving them more hope to win this battle.
"Michael, Heaven's Blade!" Minato shouted.
The Reaper only nimbly dodged the Archangel's blade aside, apparently with a smirk underneath all those bandages.
"Metatron, God's Hand!" Minako shouted.
The Persona-users gasped in surprised as The Reaper grabbed the falling hand before spinning like a ballerina to gain momentum, and swung it away.
'You gotta be kidding me!'
There was only one option left. The only skill they had not tried yet- an almighty spell.
However, The Reaper had other ideas. It put the guns away and removed the chains from its shoulder, and began to swing them around. As it gained more speed, it looked as though the chains were multiplying, whipping through the air like they had minds of their own and spreading across the area surrounding the three Wild Cards.
A flying chain missed Minako by a few inches. "What is it trying to do?!"
"I don't know, but I don't like the looks of this!" Minato shouted, narrowly dodging a chain from hitting him on the face.
"We need to get rid of those!" Souji dodged another chain. "Belial, Maragidyne!"
"Surt, Maragidyne!"
"Asura, Maragidyne!"
The gigantic fire spell combo melted some of the chains whilst the rest shattered. However, The Reaper wasn't about to give up that easily. With a roar, it slammed the remaining chains into the ground, like tree roots digging into the earth.
Cautious of their surroundings, the Wild Cards kept their guard up. They couldn't fight what can't be seen.
A thick chain silently emerged from the ground and snaked around Souji's ankle. He fell down face-first into the dirt as more chains emerged and yanked the silverette towards the Shadow, causing the twins to look in his direction. Before he could do anything, the chains were wrapping themselves around his body as he was lifted into the air.
"Banchou-kun!" Minato and Minako screamed.
Souji couldn't even cry out. Chains of various thicknesses were slithering up the bigger chain and wrapped itself around his neck and limbs. The more he struggled the tighter it gripped him, and he felt weaker and sleepier. 'Damn it, this could only mean one thing…'he thought, his vision becoming blurrier.
At the Entrance hall, the others waited for their leaders to return.
"Man, what's taking them?" Yosuke whined. "Something's not right. They said they were only going to talk in private."
"Is it just me or do they looked kinda bothered by something?" Yukari asked.
"Yeah, they weren't focusing on fighting that much earlier," Chie pointed out.
"Um… I'm not sure if I should tell you this but…" Metis started, drawing the group's attention. "Yesterday, Minako-san woke up in the middle of the night and she seemed rather agitated. Her vital signs showed so."
Koromaru barked three times. "Koromaru-san is saying that the same happened with Minato-san as well," Aigis translated. "He seemed really tense about something."
Fox yipped. "Fox-san says that also happened with Souji-san," Metis continued. "During her night stroll, she saw Souji-san standing at his house's back porch as if he was trying to calm himself down."
The gang began to look worried. "First they are turned into kids and now they all have nightmares? Okay, this can't be a coincidence…" Akihiko crossed his arms.
"Shouldn't we go check on them?" Ken asked. "Just in case?"
Suddenly, Fuuka paled and started shaking. "Oh no… Death is near…! It's attacking them!"
That startled them. "What?! Who?!" Junpei asked frantically.
"We can sense it! It's The Reaper!" Rise cried, tears threatening to fall as she clutched her head. "It's sucking out Senpai's life and spiritual force! He's getting weaker by the second! Minako-senpai and Minato-senpai are hurt too!"
The group froze. That was bad!
"No! Souji-kun!" Yukiko sobbed.
"Minako!" Shinjiro drew his axe and ran towards the direction the leaders had walked off. "Hang in there, I'm coming for you!"
"Hey, wait for me!" Yukari shouted after him.
Yukiko said nothing and followed them. "Yukiko!" Chie tried to stop her best friend but with little success.
"Shinjiro! Yukari!" Mitsuru called out in vain. She sighed and turned to the others. "Let's go. If those three are in danger we must help them no matter what!"
Everybody nodded and headed off.
"Hang on, Sensei! We're gonna save you!" Teddie cried out.
Minato and Minako stepped towards The Reaper. The look in their eyes could send shivers up one's spine. They were angry and out for blood.
"Let our brother go!" Minako seethed, gripping her Evoker tighter.
"You're going down, HARD!" Minato readied his Evoker to his temple, with Minako doing the same. A huge swirl of bluish smoke appeared at their feet.
"Shiva…"
"Parvati…"
The Reaper didn't seem impressed at that.
"ARDHANARI!"
A huge burst of fire exploded and started to burn the surrounding chains, instantly crumbling and turned into ash under the intense heat. The fire seemed to have a mind of its own, because while it destroyed the chains and attacked The Reaper, it wasn't affecting Souji. He fell on the ground with a heavy thud as the shattered chains could no longer hold his weight.
When Souji was safe, the twins stopped their Fusion Raid and rushed to his side, panting hard. "Aniki… Aneki…" he breathed out, trying to stand up.
"Shh… Banchou-kun, save your strength," Minako said gently. "It's okay…"
"You're safe now…" Minato whispered, holding on to his shoulders. "We got you…"
Sudden gunshots were heard. The Reaper was using Power Charge followed by Mind Charge. Their eyes widened; that could only mean one thing…
Ikutsuki laughed mockingly. "Let's see you survive a fully charged Megidolaon attack!"
The twins stood up, shielding Souji. "Two can play that game!" Minato grunted.
"Make it three!" his sister echoed.
The Reaper unleashed its spell, and the twins attacked.
"Satan, Black Viper!"
"Helel, Morning Star!"
Bright light pillars and dark crimson orbs fused together, creating a great wave of energy as they collided with The Reaper's purple orb. At first it looked like they were evenly matched, but all too soon, The Reaper's Megidolaon managed to make a tear through the twins' attack, merging with it…and heading straight for them!
They could only stare. Without time to dodge or energy to fight back, the twins did the only thing they could do; they hugged each other, with Souji protectively in the middle. "Please help us…" they whispered. "Messiah…"
A loud explosion happened, sending huge shockwaves all over the place. Flowers and plants surrounding the gates were reduced to ashes, the castle-like walls crumbling down.
The Reaper roared in victory as the smoke cleared. The twins fell to the ground face down, barely breathing while shielding Souji underneath them. Above them hovered a male figure; he looked like Orpheus and Eurydice in facial appearance, but carrying a chain of silver coffins like Thanatos' and a cross like artifact on his back. His complexion was pale as ivory, with red eyes that then vanished.
"Aneki… Aniki…" Souji felt sore, but he understood what had happened. At the last minute, the twins summoned Messiah and used his Enduring Soul ability to protect them from the explosion, only for them to receive the worst part of the attack as they protected him with their bodies.
The Reaper approached the fallen trio, still wanting to fight more when Ikutsuki held up his hand. "That's enough," he ordered brusquely. "We need them alive. For now..." The Shadow grunted, annoyed, but complied.
"No… Don't take them…" Souji whispered weakly, feeling the weight off him as The Reaper lifted the twins.
Ikutsuki stared at Souji with a look of disgust. "You want them back? See if you can save them." The former chairman and The Reaper vanished into the fog, taking the twins with them. "If you survive, that is…!"
As Ikutsuki's laughter faded, several minor Shadows emerged and made their way to Souji, who was still too wounded to stand or fight. "Aniki… Aneki… I…I'll come back for you… I promise…" he vowed before passing out.
The rest of SEES and the Investigation Team rushed towards Heaven when they felt a huge shockwave that nearly knocked them off their feet.
"What the hell was that?!" Kanji roared.
"I'm not sure, but it can't be a good sign," Yosuke said. "Stay on your toes, guys."
Finally they made it to the Pearly Gates, only to find a shocking sight; Souji was passed out on the ground and about to be attacked by Shadows!
"Souji-kun!" Yukiko shouted as the Shadows leapt at the silverette. Her eyes blazed with anger. "Don't you dare! Amaterasu, Maragidyne!"
The Perpetual Sands were burned to a crisp, but the Maniacal Books were still on the loose.
"You're gonna pay for hurting Sensei!" Teddie growled, actually sounding angry. "Kamui, Mabufudyne!" Fueled by Teddie's anger, Kamui's attack eliminated the leftover Maniacal Books. With the path clear, Yukiko immediately rushed to her boyfriend's side, followed by their friends.
"Souji!" Yosuke called out. "C'mon partner, wake up!" Shouts of similar intonation followed from his teammates.
Naoto checked Souji's pulse. "He's still breathing, but is severely weakened," she said, trying not to show nervous she was.
"Hang in there, Souji-kun," Yukiko said, casting Samarecarm.
The soft light covered Souji's body for a few seconds. Slowly the silverette came to and got on his feet with Kanji and Yosuke's help. "Ngh… Wha?" was all he said before Yukiko wrapped him into a bone-crushing hug. "Yukiko…"
"Don't scare me like that…!" she whispered, sobbing into his chest.
Souji sighed and gently caressed Yukiko's head to calm her down.
"Where's Minako?!" Shinjiro demanded, anger and concern clearly written on his face.
"And Minato-kun?" Yukari blurted out, on the verge of tears.
"Seta, what happened?" Mitsuru asked, serious yet worried.
Souji looked down. He took a deep breath and started to explain. "After the whole turning-into-kids thing, we started having nightmares. Izanagi, Orpheus and Eurydice were no longer communicating with us…" Anger and sadness laced his voice. "We were about to go to the Velvet Room and ask Igor about it when this man appeared... they called him… Ikutsuki."
SEES gasped in shock. "The chairman?! What the hell?!" Junpei yelled. "That bastard died when he tried to use Aigis to kill us! How can he be alive?!"
"I don't know, alright?!" Souji snapped, startling everybody. He took several deep breaths to calm down. "Something about him… something about that man frightened me… I've never felt that afraid before. H-he knew my name… he knew about my parents, and how close the twins are to me…" He clenched his fists. "When they tried to protect me, he summoned The Reaper to attack us. We didn't stand a chance… it was so much stronger than our previous fights…"
Souji fell on his knees. He didn't want the others to see him crying, but this was too much. "When that almighty spell tore through theirs, they used Messiah to protect us from harm…" he sobbed. "They… they protected me using themselves as a shield! The Reaper then grabbed them when Ikutsuki said he needed them alive… and they vanished…" The tears wouldn't stop as he pounded a fist on the ground. "I… I couldn't do anything to help them! Some brother I am…"
The group fell silent, trying to soak in what Souji had said. It broke the Investigation Team's hearts to see their leader so broken. The SEES members were also disheartened by the news, but they were also concerned about their own leaders.
"It's not your fault, Souji-san," Aigis said, trying to comfort him while Metis held him steady.
"Damn, right! If anyone's to blame is that damn chairman!" Akihiko said. It was rare to see the boxer so angry, but right now he was about to explode.
"That's right. Even with The Reaper's powers, I doubt the chairman can leave this place without Teddie's help or the Dark Hour being active outside, so they still must be somewhere around in this world." Mitsuru turned to Fuuka and Rise. "Fuuka, I need you and Kujikawa to use your Personas to track down their location. Once we find it, we'll set out to rescue the twins."
"What?! You can't be serious about heading out just like that!" Yukiko protested. "Souji-kun can barely stand! He's in no condition to fight! He needs some time to recover!"
"And what about Minato-san and Minako-san!?" Ken retaliated. "Souji-san said they both were really hurt… If we don't hurry they might die!"
"And if we go off reckless like that, we all are gonna get killed!" Chie shouted back.
"If you don't want to help, that's fine with me, but I'm going!" Yukari seethed. "I already lost the only guy I love and my best friend once. I'm not losing them again!"
"Same here! I'm not letting anything or anyone who hurt Minako and her brother get away with it!" Shinjiro roared.
"Screw you! We'll be in even worse shit if Senpai ain't in the right condition to lead us!" Kanji growled. Once again, the former delinquents had a glare-off.
"I know you are all concerned about the twins' condition and trust me, so are we, but please remain calm!" Naoto tried to reason. "We're not abandoning them! We're just asking for a bit of time to regroup and think on our strategy!"
The atmosphere was becoming really tense, both sides refusing to back down. "We're going," Souji said out of the blue. His voice held high authority. "Yosuke, do you still have any of those Somas we found during the murder investigations?"
"Uh… Sure." Yosuke dug into his pockets and found the vial of Soma before handing him the rare item. "You always said to have one at hand in case of an emergency."
"And this is one of those emergencies." He downed the entire thing, which was supposed to be shared by four people. His injuries instantly healed and his energy returned with impressive speed. "I promised myself I'd protect both Aniki and Aneki. I'm not breaking that promise!"
The Investigation Team nodded. "Then we are all going," Yosuke said. "After all, they're are our friends too."
"Thanks, guys. I'll need your strength. All of it." Souji turned to SEES. "As well as yours."
"You can count on us!" Junpei said on behalf of his team.
Fuuka and Rise nodded to each other and summoned Juno and Kanzeon to scan the area, trying to find the twins' whereabouts. After what seemed like forever, they got something. "A new dungeon appeared," Rise said. "And the twins are still together."
"Something doesn't feel right about that dungeon…" Fuuka said. "It feels awfully familiar somehow."
"We'll just have to see it for ourselves," Souji said. "Everybody ready? Let's move out!"
"Of all places they could create, it had to be this?!" Yukari said in dismay. Her SEES teammates were surprised as well.
They recognized the front door of the dungeon that their twin leaders had created in this bizarre world – the entrance to Tartarus. Although it wasn't as tall, it's as spooky and intimidating as it was in the past.
"So this is the infamous Tower of Demise that you all have spoken about…" Naoto said, looking upwards. "I remember specifically that you said it has more than 250 floors. How come it's so…small?"
Rise spoke up next. "This isn't exactly the real tower of Tartarus. It has the same concepts of Chidori-san's dungeon, and I can sense a lot of emotions coming from inside. I never felt anything like this before with the other dungeons."
"According to my readings, this place only has seven floors. Each floor has a different structure, but other than that it's exactly the same as Tartarus," Fuuka reported. "I wonder what it means?"
"What are we still doing out here?" Shinjiro growled. He looked like he wanted to kill somebody. "The twins are inside that damn tower. Let's go in and rescue them before they get seriously hurt!" He shoved Yosuke and Junpei out of his way, but Akihiko grabbed his shoulder and spun his friend around to face him.
"Calm down, Shinji. We can't just rush in like that!" he said "I want to rescue them as much as you do, but we have to consider what Souji saw. Ikutsuki is back, and more likely a hell of a lot dangerous…probably even more dangerous than Adachi. We have to think this through!"
Shinjiro calmed down a bit and cursed under his breath, looking away. He let his anger and worry get the better of him for a moment there, which was ironic since he was comforted by Akihiko.
"He's right, Shinjiro. Something about this whole mess is much too organized to be a random attack, and I don't like it," Mitsuru said. "Seta, while Fuuka and Kujikawa scan the tower, let's go over our battle formation to reach the top floor."
Souji nodded. "That's a good idea. Fuuka-san, Rise… use everything you got to scan every floor, and while you're at it, try to scan the Shadows in there as well. We need every advantage we can grasp so the enemy doesn't overpower us. Aigis-san, since you have been team leader before, so you'll be representing Aniki and Aneki."
"I understand."
There wasn't really much discussion for the team formations. Just like in Adachi's dungeon, they formed two sub-groups, only Aigis and Souji are the leaders this time. The dividing of members were still the same as before. After Fuuka and Rise finished their scanning, they pushed open the tall crystal door and entered the tower.
Unlike the real Tartarus, there was no entrance hall or a large clock in the middle of the floor. SEES recognized the structure of this particular floor – it was Thebel, the first block they encountered in Tartarus.
"So this is what it looks like inside…" Yosuke commented, side-stepping a puddle of blood. "It's damn freaky, but less scary than Adachi's dungeon."
"Tartarus…a type of hell in Greek mythology," Naoto mused. "I still find it hard to believe that this tower manifested every single day at midnight in the past. It makes me kind of glad that I didn't have a Persona back then."
The Shadows in Thebel were the exact same ones they have fought in the past, but were much stronger than they remembered. It was still relatively easy for the Persona-users to fight them because Fuuka still had the data.
When they reached the center of the maze, there was a giant, glowing golden door with strange hieroglyphic-like carvings. On each side, a tall torch with bright red and blue flames stood proudly, giving it the extra creepy factor.
"This…this is just like the Abyss of Time," Ken said. There was a slight concern in his tone. "Fuuka-san, do you detect anything behind this door?"
"No, I don't sense any threatening presence behind that door," she said. "If this is anything like the Abyss of Time, then there must be a memory projection behind it. There is no other explanation, but we won't know until we open it."
Yukari tried to push open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Junpei, Yosuke and Teddie tried next, but it still won't move. Akihiko, Shinjiro and Kanji had the same results as well.
"Damn piece of shit," Kanji and Shinjiro cursed before giving up.
Finally, it was Souji's turn. His fingers simply brushed against it and the door swung open, engulfing them in a bright white light.
When they opened their eyes, they were in what seems to be a theater room and the movie was playing. Yukari, Junpei, Mitsuru and Akihiko gasped. They recognized this place; the Kirijo mansion in Yakushima, and the scene being played out in front of them was familiar as well.
Yukari fled the room after the video showing her father's confession and how he died ended. Mitsuru sighed, understanding that the young girl needed some time alone to sort out her thoughts. But she was still worried about her.
"Can either one of you go after her?" she asked the twins.
Minato was reluctant at first since he wanted to give Yukari some space, but his sister nudged his ribs so hard he thought they might break. She gave him a look which meant "What are you waiting for? Go after her, you dumbass!"
In return, he raised an eyebrow at her. He then gave a bored expression which meant "You're a girl, you go."
Minako rolled her red eyes, and then shot him an angry glare. Her brother replied it with a shake of his head, his features softening, silently telling her to leave Yukari alone for the moment. She then used her secret weapon, the puppy-dog eyes'. Minato returned her stare for about a minute, sighed in defeat, and went after Yukari.
The others who were watching the two remained silent. Only after Minako had gone off to check on her brother and best friend did they start to speak again.
"Okaaay, did any of you just understand what they were telling each other?" Junpei asked. "It was like…they were mentally communicating or somethin'. Freaky…"
"I think that is to be expected," Fuuka said in a quiet voice. "Some psychologists believe that twins have the ability to communicate telepathically with one another. And from what I can see, their bond is strong enough to allow them to do just that."
"Iori, what are you waiting for?" Mitsuru chided the cap-wearing teen. "Go and accompany her. It's too dangerous for a young lady to be wondering around this late at night." She narrowed her eyes to emphasize that this was an order, not a request. Junpei gulped and ran off after Minako.
Akihiko sighed. "Damn, that was depressing. I feel bad for keeping this from Takeba."
"We lost a lot of good people in that explosion," a man wearing an eye-patch said. He sat down on the sofa, looking wearier than when he came in and exhaled loudly. "I wished every single day that I could go back and change everything…but I don't have the power to stop it. The only thing I can do is support you youngsters in the battle against the twelve Shadows."
The scene ended there, and a stairway appeared before them. The ones who were actually there when the event happened were befuddled, because it didn't play out the way they remembered it.
"That was...before the summer vacation started, when we went to Yakushima," Yukari said. She then proceeded to tell everyone what happened during that night, what was on that tape and what happened after she ran off.
"Wait a sec…how come both of them were there? I don't remember anything like that," Junpei stated.
"I think that's because when the two realities merged, it changed past events," Souji answered. "Aneki mentioned that her memories were fused with Aniki's, and that the past altered to include both of them in it. Perhaps none of you remember because your memories hadn't caught up yet." He was thoughtfully silent for a while before speaking again. "They used to do that a lot you know…when we were kids. They could never hide secrets from each other, and on rare occasions I could read their minds too." A smile formed on his lips as he reminisced. "I guess that's one reason why we're so close. We've been inseparable since I was born."
"But those two already have the power of Persona. You said that only those who haven't awakened to their power are whose innermost thoughts could be heard in their dungeons," Metis said. "How can this be happening, and a memory projection at that?"
Akihiko stroked his chin in thought. "Back in the Abyss of Time, it showed us the how we awakened to our power. Do you think it's trying to do the same here?"
"That's a good question," Aigis said. "Perhaps we will know more once we ascend the tower."
Souji walked ahead. "Let's go, guys."
The second floor had much more blood puddles than the previous one, where the walls were purple and had faces carved into them. Yes, it was the Arqa block. In short, it scared the hell out of the Investigation Team. Rise even screamed and nearly suffocated Teddie in a vice grip. The team had little trouble battling the Shadows here despite them being slightly stronger than the ones in Thebel. Just like the previous floor, a door waits to be opened, and the only one who could do that was Souji.
Their surroundings began to blur as the projection started. This time, everyone recognized where this was – the Moonlight Bridge.
A loud explosion just occurred in the distance. The sky tuned an eerie green, and the area surrounding them was covered in smoke and dust, before turning quiet as a grave.
A lone car was on the middle of the bridge. The back door opened, and two small children stepped out – a boy with blue hair and an auburn-headed girl. They gasped when they saw two coffins in the front seats where their parents sat. Feeling frightened, the girl began to cry. Her brother pulled her into a hug, trying to put on a brave face.
The explosions got louder and closer. "Aniki, what was that?" the girl whimpered.
"I don't know…but we're not leaving Mom and Dad!" His voice was slightly shaking, despite his effort to sound fearless.
The next explosion shook the ground. A feeling of protectiveness prompted to boy to pull his sister and hide behind the other side of the car, which was a good thing. Seconds later, a giant blast engulfed the bridge. The shock sent them tumbling back, at a distance that was considered slightly safe. When they came to, the car was nothing but a burnt crisp, including those inside it…
"MOMMY!" "DADDY!"
The scene suddenly shifted. Dark clouds were floating in the sky; it looked like it was about to rain and thunder could be heard in the distance. The only people standing before the fresh graves were a man, a woman, and three small children. Everyone recognized the children to be the Wild Cards. The man was about Souji's current height, and quite handsome, with messy dark-silver hair and dark brown eyes, almost black. He was wearing half-rimmed rectangle glasses and a black jacket over a green shirt, and a pair of jeans. The woman was slightly shorter than the man with a slender build. She had long black hair, tied in a French braid, and soft, grey eyes. She wore a black knit cardigan over a white blouse paired with a black pencil skirt that reached below her knees.
Little Souji held on to his surrogate siblings' hands as they mourned over their parents. When their crying got too loud, the adults would comfort them.
Souji gasped. "I remember this…their parents' funeral, back in 1999. After they were released from the hospital, my parents took us to visit their graves."
"Are you saying those two are your parents?" Yukiko asked meekly. She used present tense instead of the past so as not to offend him, because she knew that deep down Souji was adamant that they were still alive, even if the odds were against it.
"Yeah…" he tapered off, not wanting to bring up that particular topic.
Everyone was saddened to hear that, but they remained silent as they focused on the vision in front of them. The scene shifted from the cemetery to a small house somewhere in Iwatodai. Souji commented that this is where his family lived before they moved away.
The children were gathered in an almost-empty living room. They spoke in small, hushed tones that made it difficult for the others to make out what they were saying. That was before the twins started wailing.
"What do you mean you're moving away?" little Minako squealed, bawling her eyes out. "You can't move away…you just can't!"
"I'm sorry…" little Souji mumbled. "Daddy and Mommy just told me yesterday."
"But…who's gonna play Featherman with us, or go on super secret missions, or take care of our secret base?" Minato whined. "Who's gonna hide the candy when you're not here anymore?"
"First Mommy and Daddy, now you…" They sniffled. "We don't want you to go!"
Souji remained silent, guilt and sadness reflected in his eyes. He didn't want this anymore than they did. The three of them embraced each other in a group hug, never wanting to let go.
Mr. Seta entered the living room, and cleared his throat to get the children's attention. They looked at him, startled at first, but then their eyes began to water simultaneously. It was so heart-breaking that he had to look away, as if he knew what they were talking about before he came in. "Souji, go upstairs and pack your things. Our departure to Osaka was long overdue. We have to leave tomorrow."
"But I don't wanna go!" Souji sobbed, hugging Minako.
Loud voices could be heard in the kitchen, before Souji's mother entered the living room, her pale cheeks red with anger. She was followed by an older couple, but the expressions on their faces weren't exactly friendly. The woman had an uptight smile on her lips, and the man just looked bored. Despite wearing rather nice and expensive clothing, their aura was that of hostility.
"Minato, Minako, this man is your mother's cousin and this is his wife. They will be taking care of you as of now," Mrs. Seta said, trying hard not to look annoyed at the other couple. "They live two cities away, so you'll be going with them."
The twins gaped at the older man in pure horror. They didn't like the way he looked, and immediately hid behind Mrs. Seta, cowering in fear.
"Aunty, we don't wanna go with them," Minako whimpered, hugging the woman's right leg.
"Can't you and Uncle take us with you?" Minato begged.
Mrs. Seta kneeled to look at them in the eyes. "I'm sorry, but that would be against the law. The only people who are legally bound to take you in are your blood relatives." She tenderly wiped their tears with her thumbs. "I really wish we could take you two in with us after what happened to your parents, but we can't. These people will take good care of you instead."
"Now come with us, you two," said the other woman with fake sweetness. "The car is already waiting outside, and your things are all packed up. We'll be leaving after you say your goodbyes to your friend." Her husband grunted, probably having nothing polite to say to the children.
"Aniki, Aneki, I don't want us to be apart!" Souji cried, hugging them tightly. "You guys are the best brother and sister ever!"
"We feel the same way Banchou-kun," Minako said. She then brightened up. "Then let's make a promise! Let's promise that we will never forget each other."
"And that we'll meet each other again someday," Minato added. He held up a pinky to seal the deal.
They returned the gesture, curling their little pinkies together, singing the nursery rhyme that goes with it. "We promise. And you'll always be our little brother, Banchou-kun." They embraced each other one last time before their distant uncle had enough and dragged the twins to the car.
Souji didn't want to let go, so his parents had to pry him away. He pressed his face to the front window, hoping to catch a glimpse of them one last time.
"They told me that they've been shifting from relative to relative while growing up," Souji said, continuing the story. "Apparently, the relatives didn't want them, and some weren't even treating them properly. When they were forced to separate from each other, they ran away to an orphanage a little while before coming to Gekkoukan." His friends gasped at this.
"First their parents, and then they were forced to separate from the people who truly cared…" Junpei said. "Now I kinda understand why Minato was cold and distant when he first moved into the dorm."
"That's the same impression I got from Souji-kun when he first moved to Inaba," Chie informed.
"But Minako-chan…she's so cheerful, so I never really understood why she was like that after knowing what they've gone through," Yukari said, looking down. "They never really said anything about it either."
"I guess she was hiding her pain behind her smile," Fuuka said. "It's just like her to not let anyone worry. Minako-chan is too kind for that."
Not wanting them to feel guilty about something that's happened in the past, Souji quickly spoke up. "Come on guys, don't let it get you down. If Aniki and Aneki are willing to forget all this, then so should we. They've moved on and that's all that matters." The grip on his sword tightened as he walked purposely to climb the stairs while the rest followed.
Mitsuru smiled, a bit of pride in her eyes. "Wiser words have never been spoken."
Shinjiro clenched his fists. 'I'm such a selfish bastard. They watched their parents get killed by Death, went through some serious shit and still moved on with smiles on their faces. They even forgave Death after that! While I…I made Minako's pain worse by throwing my life away...' He couldn't help being angry at himself, but shook that thought away. Now wasn't the time to get distracted. What's important however, was to kick Ikutsuki's ass and get those two back.
The Persona-users fought their way through Yabbashah and made it to the third door, followed by the usual drill. Souji opened the door and once again, saw a vision of the past.
It was raining cats and dogs in Iwatodai, which the Arisato twins dashed through to get back to the dorm, holding their bags over their heads. Minato had to finish some paper work for Student Council while Minako organized the files. They didn't realize it was raining until it was literally pouring outside. As luck would have it, Minato forgot his umbrella and Minako's was damaged beyond repair by the strong winds.
They finally arrived at the dorm, soaking wet and miserable.
"So you guys were too slow, huh?" Junpei teased after Minato forced the door shut against a strong blast of wind. The rest of SEES were hanging out in the lounge, sipping hot chocolate.
"Shut up, Junpei!" Minako scowled, and let out a powerful sneeze. "Ugh…I don't feel so good…" she moaned.
Minato was panting, his face rather red. "Make that two." He shivered as he took off his soggy jacket. Both of them went upstairs to take a hot shower and change into something dry.
Shinjiro was sitting at the kitchen counter, observing the twins as they ascended to their rooms. A worried frown was etched on his face, which was carefully hidden behind his mug as he drank its content. Yukari was a lot more obvious as she furrowed her brows, sensing something wrong.
After an hour, the rest of the dorm residents were getting anxious when both of them didn't come back downstairs. Usually they would hang out with the rest while having dinner or watch TV.
"That's weird…those two are usually here by now," Junpei commented, slurping his cup of instant ramen.
Akihiko looked across the room at his best friend, who was squirming in his seat, pretending to read a magazine. A smirk made its way to his lips. He whispered something inaudible to Mitsuru, who was reading a book beside him on the couch. She sneaked a glance at Shinjiro and hid her own smirk behind her book.
"Aigis, do you mind checking up on them?" Mitsuru requested the android. As much as she enjoyed watching Shinjiro's discomfort, the twins' condition was more important. "They looked like they were not feeling well after they returned." Akihiko gave her a look of disbelief, but she didn't miss the relieved exhale from their beanie-wearing comrade.
"I will do as you wish," Aigis replied monotonously, making her way to the stairs. "My utmost priority is to be with them."
Yukari rolled her eyes at the android's often spoken statement, but followed her anyway.
After a few minutes later, both girls returned to the lounge. "I have unfortunate news," Aigis said, drawing everyone's attention. "Minato-san and Minako-san are incapacitated with a cold. They are unable to join us tonight."
"I hope it's okay for them to share a room temporarily. We don't want to risk infecting anyone else, and I doubt they'll want to be separated while they're sick," Yukari added. "Aigis and I agreed to place them in Minato's room for the time being. It's easier to keep an eye on them if they're together."
"Good thinking, Takeba." Mitsuru said. "While they rest, we have a lot of work tonight to reinforce the dorm. I expect all of you to pitch in."
Junpei started to complain about how lucky the twins got sick that night so they didn't have to do slave labor, unlike himself, which earned a lecture from Mitsuru and a threat from Yukari that she'll throw him out of the dorm to suffer the typhoon if he didn't shut up soon, which he did.
"Oh, that's too bad," Fuuka said, disappointed. "I was hoping Minako-chan would help me with our Cooking Club project." Koromaru whimpered when he heard the word 'cooking' come from her mouth. Ken gulped in horror.
That night, Shinjiro made rice porridge for their sick leaders. Yukari and Aigis went to prepare Minato's room to become a temporary sick bay for two. Mitsuru had assigned Yukari and Shinjiro as caretakers while the others helped reinforce the dorm. Despite the scowl on his face, he didn't complain.
In Minato's room, the twins were lying on thick futons laid out on the floor. A tray of dirty bowls, a jug of water and two glasses were placed on the bed.
Yukari put a wet cloth on Minako's forehead and proceeded to do the same for her brother. They immediately fell asleep after taking their medicine.
Shinjiro placed a hand on Minako's damp forehead. "Shit, it's so hot." Her face was red and she began to pant softly.
"Senpai, her fever is getting higher. You have to keep her cool so that she'll feel comfortable," Yukari reminded him. She replaced the damp cloth on Minato's forehead when it got too warm, and pressed a cool pack she often used for sports injuries on his neck. He calmed down a bit after that.
"I know, I know…jeez!" Shinjiro did the same thing, but he felt awkward. It wasn't like he never took care of a sick person before, but it was different when that person was Minako. She was the reason he often felt hot and bothered every time he thought about her.
"Ma…mommy…daddy…" Minako began to mumble in her sleep. She started to whimper, possibly from pain.
Shinjiro wondered briefly whether or not to comfort her with Yukari in the same room, but seeing Minako in pain wasn't something he could push aside. He gently held her hand, and placed his other on her forehead, rubbing his thumb at that one spot between her eyebrows. "Hey, take it easy, alright?" he whispered.
"Nnh…no…don't…don't leave…me…" Minako's grip on Shinjiro's hand tightened.
For once, he let his guard down. "I ain't going anywhere." His face softened at her sigh of content.
Minato was also having feverish dreams. "Ban…chou-kun…wait…don't go…"
Yukari frowned. ''They must be dreaming about their parents, but who is this 'Banchou-kun'?' she wondered. Her thoughts were cut off when Minato began to cough, his expression showing he was in pain as well. Yukari ran her fingers through his hair and began to massage his scalp, whispering soothing words. "Shh... It's okay. I'm here... you're not alone. I'm with you. I won't leave you. I promise, it'll be okay..."
The girls from the Investigation Team cooed at Shinjiro's display of affection – it was painfully obvious that he was in denial of his feelings back then. The scene flash forwarded to the next three days, when the twins' fevers were starting to let up.
According to Minato's digital clock, it was way too early in the morning. A snick of the door was heard and it opened, revealing Aigis. "Door unlocked in 92 seconds…My time has improved." There was a hint of pride in her voice as she slowly approached the makeshift bed the twins were sleeping in. They were oblivious to her presence, slumbering peacefully side by side.
She kneeled and inspected each twin, her face so close as if about to kiss them. "Surface body temperature reads…98.7 degrees…No fever." She straightened up. "At this rate, they should make a full recovery by morning. The pillows I prepared in the freezer will not be necessary." Aigis nodded to herself. "…I mustn't stay too long, or Yukari-san will reprimand me again…or Shinjiro-san for that matter."
Aigis stood up, about to leave when a sudden thought hit her. "There are 4 hours and 12 minutes until sunrise…" A pause. "I need only sneak out again before morning." She turned around, and sat on the floor at the foot of the makeshift bed, staring at the twins intently. "I…will keep watch over them for a little while longer."
A pregnant silence followed after the vision ended. The staircase that appeared was temporarily ignored.
"What the hell, Aigis?!" Yukari exploded. "How many times had this happened? Even after I told you not to enter their rooms without permission!"
Junpei shivered. "I kinda understood her need to be close to them…but this…I never knew that Ai-chan was this much of a stalker!"
The others murmured their agreement.
"What? Wait…I'm not like that anymore!" Aigis protested, waving her arms in front of her face. "It is true that I sneaked into their rooms a few times, but that was before I remembered that I sealed Death inside them."
"Before you remembered…" Yukari spluttered. "That means you've been at it for four months?!"
"Please do not judge her too harshly." As always, Metis will defend Aigis. "My sister only had their best interests at heart. She did her best to protect them."
"Wait a minute…how can they remember this if they were unconscious at that time?" Ken wondered. Fuuka shrugged.
A vein in Shinjiro's forehead threatened to burst. "What the hell are all of you bitching about?" he said in an eerie tone. "We still have four more floors to go. I'll be damned if Minako and her brother gets killed while all of you are arguing about stalkers!"
Souji gripped Shinjiro's shoulder. "I agree with you Shinjiro-san, so please calm down." He felt tension in the senior's shoulders loosened a bit, and he turned to the others. "Let's save this topic for after we rescue Aniki and Aneki. We can't afford to waste any more time."
The others were quiet, ashamed at themselves for forgetting their main objective. They followed the Wild Card up to the next floor.
Tziah was a lot more challenging to fight through. The Shadows were growing much more powerful after every floor, and they had to be careful with their restorative items. Luckily, Souji purchased leaves from the Fox in advance to replenish their energy. He ordered everyone to stop and rest before opening the next door; they were not leaving the TV World until they rescue the twins.
The scenery was now inside of a classroom. Everyone recognized it to be class 2-F of Gekkoukan High.
The bell rang indicating that school session was over. Minato stood from his seat and immediately pulled his sister out of the classroom. In one hand she held a bag, which contained something very precious to her. The twins made their way to the monorail station, where the streets were filled with couples and lovebirds celebrating the special day of Christmas Eve.
"I…I hope he likes it," Minako said softly, her voice muffled by her red scarf. She clutched the bag closer to her chest.
"I'm sure he will," Minato replied, patting her head softly. "You're the one who made it for him after all."
They reached their intended destination; Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. Minako wanted to see Shinjiro and give him his gift. Minato would help her sneak into his room since he wasn't allowed any visitors.
Inside the waiting area, decorated Christmas trees were placed in every corner. Streamers and cards hung on the walls, and mistletoe hung from the ceiling, filled with messages of encouragement and wishing everyone a happy holiday. However, none of that was enough to lift their mood.
The two of them took the elevator to the sixth floor, where the private room Shinjiro was being held at was located. They knew where it was and how to get there; Minato asked Keisuke-senpai a few days ago to check it out for him as a favor. They stealthily walked through the hallways, making sure not to attract the attention of any doctors or nurses.
A huge sign saying "No Visitors Allowed" was ignored by the twins as they silently entered the room. The patient Minako wanted to see lay on the bed, so still as if lifeless. The only thing indicating he was alive was the beeping of the heart-rate monitor.
Minako stood by his bedside, and lovingly brushed the hair out of Shinjiro's face. "Senpai, I finally made it." She tried to smile, though some of her tears were threatening to spill out. "Onii-chan is with me, but he has to go soon. Don't worry, I'll be here the whole day to keep you company."
It broke Minato's heart to see his sister like this. He knew she wouldn't be broken that easily, but right now she was so emotionally vulnerable that it might not take much for her to snap. But he had faith that Shinjiro will pull through, for both their sakes. He pulled Minako into a gentle hug and kissed the top of her head. "I'll be going now. Yukari's waiting for me at the mall," he whispered into her hair. "Make sure to get back before curfew, alright?"
"Okay, I promise. Thanks for helping me out."
With a last wave, Minato left the room. Minako pulled a chair and sat beside the bed. Being careful not to touch his torso, she grabbed his larger hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Hey Senpai, I hope you're dreaming of nice things. If Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai found out that I came here, I'll be executed for sure." She gave a small laugh before continuing. "I made you a present. My friend from Fashion Club helped me out with it. Since I didn't know what your favorite colors are, I put in some of mine." Minako rummaged the bag she was holding and took out the handmade scarf. It was orange with maroon and white stripes. She wrapped it around his bare arm. "I figured that you must be cold being in the hospital all by yourself. And knowing you, you're probably complaining about the food on a daily basis. But…I like you that way. Don't ever change, ya hear me?"
She could no longer hold back her tears when the senior didn't respond.
Shinjiro could only stare at the scene. There she was, the girl he loved more than his own life, crying her eyes out for him and looking so broken. He wished he could turn back time and undo that one event, but knew he was powerless to do so. The only thing he could do now was to fulfill the promise he made to her.
The other felt uncomfortable at the vision. It felt like they were intruding a private moment.
The scene shifted again. They were still in the hospital, but it was already night time. "I should be going now. I don't know when I'll be able to see you again." Minako stood up and leaned down, gently pressing her lips on Shinjiro's stiff ones. "Merry Christmas, Senpai. I love you, and always will." She smiled at him one last time before leaving.
When Minako got back to the dorm, she was greeted by the livid faces of Mitsuru Kirijo and Akihiko Sanada. "Arisato, where have you been?" the former questioned. The tone she's using was especially reserved for interrogation purposes.
"Senpai, what are you –"
Minato came down just in time. "Leave her alone! She didn't do anything wrong," he said, making his way to his sister.
"Watch your tone, Minato," Akihiko warned. "Mitsuru got a call from the hospital saying that Minako sneaked into Shinji's room. Do you know anything about that?"
"Even if I did, I don't see how that is any of your business," Minato retorted, shielding his sister from view. "It won't affect our performance as leaders if that's what you're worried about."
Mitsuru narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "You both know the reasons why the doctors isolated him. His condition is so serious that even the slightest excitement could kill him. Is that what you want?"
Minako flinched at the accusation, looking down as tears pooled in her red eyes.
"I don't give a shit about what the doctors think!" her brother hissed venomously. The others in the dorm backed away. They could sense that their leader was furious and overprotective; a deadly combination. "Look at it from Shinjiro-senpai's and my sister's perspectives. Do you think that what they're going through is easy? We're about to face the fight of our lives and she couldn't even go see the guy she loves? That's a load of crap! I shouldn't even be hearing this from you, Akihiko-senpai. I know that you've also been sneaking into his hospital room for some time without permission."
Akihiko was taken aback. "How did you…?"
"It doesn't matter. Confirm with the doctors of Senpai's condition if you must." Minato looked away. "I just wanted to help him and my sister. Is that so bad?"
"Onii-chan… It's okay… please…" Minako pleaded.
"No it's not! It's not fair for you or for Shinjiro-senpai either. C'mon…" He grabbed his sister's hand and ushered her upstairs. The loud sound of the door slamming was heard shortly afterwards.
The vision ended there. Some of the girls started crying.
"Now I remember," Mitsuru said glumly. "I actually did contact the doctors that night. They told me that Shinjiro's condition remained unchanged, but there was a slight improvement. He showed minor signs of movement, as he was gripping that scarf tightly and was also smiling. I guess they did the right thing after all."
"After seeing that, I feel like a total jerk right now." Akihiko sighed, running a gloved hand through his silver hair. "I was pretty insensitive to Minako's feelings. I think Minato was ready to kill me back then too."
"This memory must have been important to both of them, even if it was unpleasant," Metis commented. "In fact, all of the memories we saw must have had huge significance in their lives before becoming the Great Seal."
"That would make sense since this is the dungeon that their hearts have created," Teddie said.
Another stairway materialized before them. The group took a deep breath and composed themselves, preparing for what other important memories that lie ahead.
Wails and groans of frustration could be heard when the two teams arrived at the fifth floor, which happens to be the disco-themed Harabah block.
"I thought it was impossible for another place like Void Quest to exist," Kanji moaned as they made their way to through the maze. By the time they reached the giant door, everyone was either rubbing their eyes or temples, trying to readjust their eyesight from the bright colors.
"Teddie feels like throwing up a neon rainbow," the Junes mascot said, his eyes turning into swirlies.
"That doesn't even make sense…" Yosuke sweatdropped.
"Shut up, you guys!" Chie scolded. "It's about to start!"
The others sweatdropped at her statement. She made it sound like they were watching a movie.
This time, it was inside someone's room. The SEES members recognized it to be Minato's dorm room.
The twins themselves were sitting on the bed with blue covers. The auburn-head was crying her eyes out on Minato's shoulder, as he patted her back in attempt to comfort her, but the look on his face was anything but peaceful. His eyes reflected fear, panic, and mostly sadness as he stared out of his bedroom window.
"Did…did we make the right choice?" Minako sniffled, her tears soaking the fabric of her brother's school jacket.
He sighed. "To be honest, I have no idea." He rubbed gentle circles on his sister's upper back, while his other hand ran through his blue hair. "But I'd be lying if I told you that I'm not scared."
"Why? Why us?" she asked no one. "All this happened just because we were crossing the Moonlight Bridge with Mom and Dad all those years ago…"
"Hey, look on the bright side…" Minato said in a cheery tone. "At least we're still together, right? I mean, Mom and Dad are gone but at least I still have you. Doesn't that count for something? Either one of us could have died that night."
Minako stopped sobbing as she lifted her head. Despite the rumors at school saying that Minato was gloomy and rarely smiled, they just assumed that he was pessimistic as well. That wasn't true at all. Her twin brother's calmness was like an anchor to her impulsive nature, keeping her grounded and most importantly, out of trouble. At times like these, he always managed to find a silver lining. "Y-you're right, Aniki. At least we're not alone. Despite the crazy year we had, I wouldn't exchange it for anything." She smiled and caressed the strap of her wristwatch. It was becoming a habit lately. It made her feel better whenever she was sad or angry.
"You and I both know why we chose this. We want to protect the people who are precious to us," Minato said, but then a little smirk made its way to his lips. "You haven't called me 'Aniki' for almost ten years. It's nice to hear it again."
"You think so?" his sister giggled. "You're right though. I do want to protect everyone. I don't want the world to end. In a way, we'll be protecting Banchou-kun too, right? Even if he'll never know what we did."
"Yeah, we will. And this way, I can keep my promise to Mom and Dad to always stay together with you."
Minako smiled. "Do you think we'll get to see Banchou-kun again? I miss him so much. Does he even remember us?"
"I think so. Even if he is far away, he'll always be our little brother. And someday, we'll see him again."
The two of them continued reminiscing their childhood until late in the night. Minako spent the night in her brother's room.
After the vision ended, the atmosphere turned grim.
"Tch, why do they have to smile like that?" Junpei said, voice strained. "They decided not to kill Ryoji that night, knowing that the world was gonna end, yet they still didn't complain…They were scared like all of us, but continued to fight."
"I'll never forget how they floated up to the moon and singlehandedly defeated Nyx," Akihiko added. "They knew that they would become the Great Seal and die, but they did it anyway."
Ken nodded. "I really admire what they did back then. None of us could have made such a sacrifice."
Souji closed his eyes. 'Even after ten years of being separated, they still remember me? And they had me in mind when they made that decision?' His respect and love for them grew. He had no doubt he would have done the same. 'Please, let us make it in time…'
The white and polished silver surfaces of Adamah made the already cold atmosphere drop a few more degrees. Everyone was shivering their asses off, slightly glad that they decided to wear their winter school uniform.
"Will we find the twins at the top?" Shinjiro asked, heaving his giant battle axe on his shoulder. The cold wasn't really bothering him.
"They should be," Fuuka said. "I sense them up there. There should be one last door before we can reach them."
Wasting no time, everyone fought their way to the center.
"Hopefully this is the last door," Souji said. "I get the feeling that they're trying to tell me something…but what?" He pushed the door open, and the group was engulfed in white light.
The scenery was the rooftop of Gekkoukan High. There were three people there; a blue-haired boy, an auburn-haired girl, and a blonde robot, sitting on one of the stone benches. The boy and the girl rested their heads on each the robot's shoulders, tired and out of breath.
"I am sure they remember the promise we made," Aigis said to the twins, looking at them lovingly. "They should be here soon." She grabbed each of their hands and squeezed gently.
"Minato-kun!"
"Minako…!"
The door slammed open to reveal Yukari and Shinjiro. The latter looked like he'd seen better days as he just escaped from the hospital. He was clutching his chest and coughing. Hanging around his neck was an orange scarf with maroon and white stripes.
Yukari slung Minato's right arm around her shoulders and helped him stand up. She stumbled to the next bench, supporting her boyfriend's body as best as she could and helped him lie down, resting his head on her lap. She played with his hair as she talked. "Minato-kun…I finally remembered! About you! About us! We... we're like boyfriend and girlfriend weren't we…? I really...truly... love you... more than anything…and you….you returned my feelings… I can't forgive myself for forgetting it... I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry..." She started to cry while holding him close. However, she smiled when she saw the strap she had given to him neatly attached to his MP3 player, close to his heart. "You look exhausted. Right now, you can stay like this. I'll always be with you… I'm not letting go of you ever again."
Yukari smiled when she heard footsteps. "Listen! Everybody's almost here." She gently kissed Minato's forehead. "Just... just… stay with me for a little while… I love you, Minato-kun…"
Aigis kindly picked Minako up bridal style and placed her on Shinjiro's lap, seeing he was in no condition to carry anything. She then walked away to stand by the door to give the couples their privacy.
Shinjiro let Minako's head rest on the crook of his neck as he tried to catch his breath. He cradled her body gently in his arms, her slow breath tickling his skin. "Minako…" he said softly, panting a little. "Hah... That hospital can't hold me forever..." He finally managed to catch his breath and looked down at her. "Looks like I forgot about everything… it's kinda pathetic of me. And even then... my feelings… your feelings never changed." He let out a weak laugh. "Hah... I really don't deserve you. In my dreams...I saw you, the girl of my dreams... That was you. You were crying and laughing like usual. You really do love a horrible person like me. Haha…"
He suddenly embraced her tightly "Ah...this ain't a dream. You're really here…" he whispered, a rare smile on his lips when he heard the voices of the others approaching and chuckled. "Geez, those guys sure know how to ruin a moment." He turned his gaze to Minako and kissed her cheek gently. " I'm so glad... that I met you… I love you… Minako…"
In the warm sunlight and the warmth of their loved ones' arms and with their friends getting closer, the Arisato twins felt at peace. They had fulfilled their role. The world and the people they loved so much were now safe.
There were faint voices in the background, loud enough for everyone to hear. They looked around to find out whose voice it belonged to, and realized that they were hearing the twins' last thoughts.
"I'm sad to leave everybody, but I wouldn't change this year for nothing in the world… Neither would Aniki…" Minako said. "We kept our promise to our friends… And I got to say good bye to Shinjiro-senpai… I just feel bad for not being able to see Banchou-kun one last time… Love you all, guys… please take care of each other…"
"Guys… Thank you… For everything you guys gave me and my sister… Without you, our lives would have been meaningless… Despite everything we went through, it was worth it…" Minato said. "The promise we made, we fulfilled it. Yukari… I got to be with her for one more time… I only regret not doing the same for Banchou-kun… Take care of yourselves, guys… I'll never forget you…"
With smiles in their faces, they closed their eyes and let themselves fall into a deep slumber.
Yukari fell to her knees when the vision ended. "I…I never knew…that they felt that way…about us…" she murmured, tears streaming down her face. "Minato-kun…Minako-chan…it must have hurt them to leave us that way…a lot more than it hurt us when we lost them."
She wasn't alone. Koromaru began howling to the ceiling. Metis was crying. 'No wonder Sister was so full of grief when she came to the Abyss of Time. Now I understand why she was so desperate to see them again, even if it meant undoing the past and breaking the Seal,' she thought. 'Those two are more than just her friends…they were part of her world…her reason to live.'
The back of Shinjiro's eyes stung as he saw, once again, his girlfriend closing her eyes, only to never open them again. 'Damn it, Minako,' he thought, gritting his teeth. 'Of all the memories you made, you had to cherish this one? You really are a piece of work…'
"Snap out of it you guys!" Souji shouted, startling everyone. He tried his best not to tear up. "I promised myself that I would protect them, no matter what. Whatever happened in the past should stay that way. I won't let that happen again!" The force of his voice shook everyone to the core. They hastily wiped their tears and composed themselves.
"Damn straight!" Shinjiro said. "I also promised myself to make it up to Minako. I won't disappoint her again." He swung his axe back on his shoulder, looking confident as ever.
"Let's go!" Souji said, leading the way.
With a new found determination, the Persona-users moved forward.
The final staircase materialized and Souji had difficulty keeping his cool, but forced himself to walk slowly and conserve his final reserves of energy. The same could be said for Shinjiro and Yukari. Slowly but surely, they made their way up the spiral staircase leading to the top floor.
"Hey, do you think their Shadows are waiting for us up there?" Yosuke had to ask. All of their past adventures in each other's dungeons led up to that point.
"I don't know Yosuke. If you think about it, since Izanami isn't here anymore, there's nothing that could awaken their inner Shadow," Souji said. "But we have to be careful. Whatever's waiting for us up there…I have a bad feeling about it."
"Knowing that bastard, he's gonna keep them guarded," Akihiko said. "There's no telling what it is, so we should stay on our toes."
Everyone kept that in mind.
The top floor looked like one gigantic room. There were puddles of blood on the floor, the walls with color schemes of grey, black and red. Four tall pillars resembling the Greek Parthenon supported the entire structure at each corner. SEES recognized it as Monad Depths, the mysterious block where the twins faced Elizabeth and Theodore all by themselves. In the middle of the room were two figures slumped on the ground, unconscious.
Souji, Shinjiro and Yukari recognized them immediately.
"Aneki! Aniki!"
"Minako!"
"Minato-kun!"
They rushed to be by their sides. Before they could even get close, they were thrown back by a strong gale.
Shinjiro cursed a string of expletives under his breath. Souji readied his katana while Yukari took out an arrow from her quiver. "Who's there?!" she shouted.
"So you guys finally decided to show up?" a strange but familiar male voice said.
"Took you long enough," a feminine one added.
From behind the two pillars opposite the group of Persona-users, two figures wearing the Gekkoukan High uniforms emerged. They gasped in disbelief; those two looked exactly like the Arisato twins! The only difference was the color of their eyes – golden and devoid of emotions.
"But…how can this be?" Yukiko stuttered.
"This must be some kind of sick joke…" Kanji said, readying his fighting stance. "How the hell can their Shadows manifest if they already have Personas?!"
The Shadows only gave them a creepy smile.
Things just got serious. What sort of mess our heroes got into, huh? You guys probably have tons of questions in your minds, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the upcoming chapters to understand how that happened or what's going on here. Expect an epic battle on the next chapter.
Oh btw: Ohta-chan has some words for you guys:
OhtaSuzuke's A/N:
I know what you're thinking…it's so cheesy and cliché that a destructive and powerful attack like Ardhanari kills Shadows but doesn't harm a person in the line of fire. Let me explain how I think it works. During the game, that particular Fusion Raid annihilates anything in its way without leaving a trace, but doesn't seem to click with me that such a destructive attack using a combination of Hindu deities Shiva AND Parvati would be so brutal. Sure, Shiva is the deity of destruction and considered to be powerful and all (hence the awesome fire power) and Parvati is his wife so why wouldn't they go together? Here's the thing…Parvati is the deity of love and life, which contradicts destruction. So maybe if the Arisato twins love someone enough, then Parvati would protect them, that person being Souji. So Shiva's destructive fire eliminates everything ('cuz why in the hell would the twins love Shadows?) while Parvati protects. Makes sense to me anyway.
Regarding the previous chapter, I wrote that as a rough draft way back before I contacted my buddy Sea of Soul. When we joined forces, I showed it to her. She loved it, but it wasn't until we got to discuss the really serious plotlines that she decided to use my draft as part of the story. It fit well into a much bigger puzzle that we have planned out, which I think was Fate at work hehe (^_^)v Anyway, it was inspired by this drawing on DA, called 'Babysitter Shinji' by orcatea. I have watched the anime 'Black Cat' before, but it was a long time ago, so I guess the coincidence was all subconscious…? Weird ideas popped into my head when I saw the drawing and a possible cause and cure of their chibi-ness, which led to the hotsprings (=.=)"
Have fun and don't forget to Read and Review!