Hi! It's Sea of Soul again. Hope ya guys had awesome holidays 'cause I totally did. I passed the first phase of my exams! In two weeks I'll be having my job interview. Wish me luck guys. owo
To celebrate, I bring you guys chapter 14 for you all. But first, as ya know, it's that time again: time to answer some questions/comments!
KO: Izanagi-no-okami, alongside Orpheus Telos and Eurydice Telos, are what I call the World Arcana and Ultimate personas of the Wild Card trio so they aim to become stronger by strengthening their bonds so they can recreate those personas. Kaguya will definitely be summoned by Souji in the nearby future as a nod to his bond to Marie. Magatsu Izanagi… Hm… since I don't consider the Jester/Lust social arcana with Adachi cannon to this plot (Really, as creative as that is, it kind irks me. Plus the fic was on-going when I learned about that link anyway), Magatsu Izanagi will appear summoned by Souji, but in an unexpected way.
Code-Emperor07: Yes, Pharos, alongside Ryoji and Marie, will have an important role in this plot for sure. That's all I can say.
Yuuji Narukami: You're correct, my friend. But when or how this will happen, I cannot say yet.
grandshadowseal: I'm glad you liked it. Hope this chapter fills your curiosity.
Sketchman: Why thank you. This twist was quite fun to work on.
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 14: I'm yourself. You're myself.
Teddie was flabbergasted. "H-how can this be? I thought people like Sensei didn't have Shadows…!"
Said Shadows snickered.
"What a stupid bear," Shadow Minato said. "The three Wild Cards are human. Of course they have Shadows dwelling within them."
"Yeah, but we're just better at hiding it," Shadow Minako added, letting out a creepy giggle.
"If Izanami is gone, then why are you here?" Naoto questioned. "There's no way that you two could have awakened without her help." The others murmured and nodded their agreement.
At that, the Shadows burst out laughing. "You guys don't get it, do you?" Shadow Minako said after her fit. "While it is true that Izanami is no longer here, the both of us have always existed. Even when Aigis gained our power after we became the Great Seal, did you really think we disappeared? Thanks to her retaining that power for us, we were able to return." Her crooked smile sent shivers down their spines.
"We are Shadows, the true self. What part of that statement don't you dumbasses understand?" Shadow Minato taunted. "Think about it this way…why would we need help awakening if that was already done three years ago? Ask Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai…they saw the whole thing." He smirked at Yukari. "Oh yeah, so were you, right Yukari-chan? You were lucky enough to have witnessed it up close."
Akihiko and Mitsuru flinched. So he was aware they were watching his awakening before they were even told about it?
"You mean back in April of 2009, during the full moon…" Yukari trailed off, eyes wide. She then frowned, looking angry. "You're lying! There's no way you can be them! You just aren't! "
"No, they're not lying." Souji held out an arm to silence everyone, his tone calm and firm. "One thing Shadows can't do is lie, no matter how horrible the truth might seem." He gazed at the two Shadows in the form of his surrogate siblings. "I get it now. There's no mistaking it…those two are Orpheus and Eurydice, reverted back to their Shadow forms."
The Investigation Team looked at Souji with disbelief. "How can you be sure, Sensei?" Teddie asked. "Is that even possible?"
"A Shadow and Persona are the same thing…two sides of the same coin. The only difference is that a Persona can be controlled at will."
"Good guess, Souji-kun," Shadow Minato applauded. "But I'm not surprised you managed to see right through us. You've always been the observant one."
"But that's impossible," Junpei said in disbelief. "We kicked your asses in the Abyss of Time. Why are you guys still here?!"
"As for Junpei's question," Shadow Minako began impatiently, "what you defeated back then was a physical manifestation of SEES' grief that took our form after we died." She sneered at Junpei that had him bristling. "We on the other hand are the negative emotions those two have been keeping pent up for so long. Such an unhealthy thing to do by the way… Did you guys enjoy the little memory trip inside their heads?"
Soft moans were heard when the twins started to stir. Slowly, they got to their feet. When they to get their bearings straight and looked at their surroundings, they were shocked to see their own look-alikes.
"So you two are awake now. This is great! Now we can properly finish what we started!" Shadow Minako cheered, clapping her hands. The others cringed; it was rather disturbing to see a Shadow acting so much like its master, slightly on the childish side.
Souji stepped forward and brandished his sword, not taking his eyes off the Shadows in case they did something unexpected. Yukari and Shinjiro rushed to their beloved's sides, checking to see if they're alright.
"Wh-who…what are they?" Minato questioned, feeling uneasy.
"Why, I'm hurt that you don't recognize me," his Shadow said, feigning shock. "I am you, and you are me. The same goes for Minako here."
Minako was confused, looking imploringly at Shinjiro before turning back to her doppelganger. "You…are me?"
"Of course I'm you, silly," her Shadow counterpart giggled. "I know everything there is to know about you. Your thoughts, your dreams, your fears…" She snickered when Minako instinctively gripped Shinjiro's arm. "That's right. Your greatest fear is letting the ones you love go and being left alone again. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows when you were stuck as the Great Seal, wasn't it? All you could do was gaze at your friends below…living their lives while you had to hold back Erebus for all of eternity."
"I… I chose that of my own free will!" Minako tried to sound brave, but the fear in her eyes was prominent. Shinjiro wrapped his arms around her, trying to calm her shaking body.
"Of course you did," Shadow Minato replied sarcastically. "Don't bullshit with me now. Admit it, you were scared as hell at your sudden return. Did ya tell Souji that when he found you in the middle of the street during the Dark Hour?"
Souji raised an eyebrow in confusion, but maintained his stance. "Aniki, what is he talking about?"
"What am I talking about?! I'm talking about how the Seal is weakening the longer we remain in this world. If we don't return to it, then the world will end! Have you idiots not figured anything out yet?!" Shadow Minato yelled. His sudden mood swing caught them by surprise. "Did you ever think that us being here isn't going to have any consequences?!"
"We were freed for a reason. There's no way we're going to give up!" Minato shot back. Yukari was supporting him since he didn't have enough strength to stand upright.
"Aniki is right. We'd do anything to protect our family and friends, even if it means doing it all over again!" his sister added, almost missing the pained look in Shinjiro's eyes.
The black smoke swirling around the Shadows' bodies became thicker. The Investigation Team immediately went into battle mode, readying their weapons. Normally they wouldn't interfere with a Shadow and it owner's revelations, hoping they could sort it out, but it always ended up with a fight. The rest of SEES followed.
'This isn't good,' Souji thought. 'Their emotions are starting to become unstable. The Great Seal is a touchy subject…and their Shadows are making the situation worse. Come on, think! What would make them say these things?' A sudden revelation hit him; a Shadow represents the inverse of a person's arcana. Being a Wild Card meant that the twins and himself have multiple arcanas, but their dominant ones were The Fool, The Judgment and The World. 'According to the book I read about tarot reading, the Inverse Fool represents foolishness, losing the path in one's life, or makong decisions that will end in doom. Could that be related to the Great Seal? They thought that that was all they were good for? Their only purpose?'
"My dear master, that's a blunt faced lie and you know it," Shadow Minako pouted, becoming childlike once more. "Your memories showed that you didn't have any regrets sacrificing yourselves to protect everyone, but is that really true? Nothing could be done about the Great Seal, as it is our fate to stay there forever. After all, with great power comes great responsibility…right?"
Minako closed her eyes and covered her ears, looking like she was about to cry.
"You guys are just selfish," Shadow Minato annunciated the last word. "Both of you don't intend to go back. Even if it is for the greater good, you guys are too scared to lose the lives you had, the people you love. SNAP OUT OF YOUR RIDICULOUS FANTASIES AND WAKE THE HELL UP! The realities are out of balance because of you!"
Minato was on his knees, holding his head. "No…no! We wanted to protect everyone! We didn't mean to cause anyone any heartache…"
Souji continued to process this information. 'The inverse Judgment represents the inability to move forward. That could be why most of the memories shown were the painful parts of their past. And the inverse World…the refusal to accept the truth. I guess deep, deep down, Aniki and Aneki thought that this chaos that we're going through is their fault. But it isn't! They were definitely freed for a reason!' He wanted to so badly to slice the Shadows and force them back, but he knew it doesn't work that way.
Shadow Minato continued his rant. "These people aren't your friends. What did they ever do to help you, when you guys were suffering in silence? Nothing!"
"SHUT UP!" Minako screamed. "Leave them out of this. They have nothing to do with it!" Hysterical sobs escaped her throat as she fell on her knees.
Shinjiro tried his best to console her, but nothing he said was working as her sobs got harder.
"Minato-kun, please get a hold of yourself," Yukari said softly, rubbing his back. "If this continues, those things will go berserk."
Shadow Minako laughed like a maniac. "Berserk? Berserk?! You're so damn clueless Yukari-chan. None you could even understand the loneliness we felt when we were in SEES, or comprehend the pain of being bashed by Erebus day after day when we were trapped up there! And Shinjiro…you don't deserve any happiness, because you were the entire reason for my heartache!"
Yukari gasped and covered her mouth, while Shinjiro looked like he'd been shot. He momentarily loosened his grip on Minako.
"No…that's not true!" she screamed, shaking her head violently.
"We never thought like that!" her brother yelled.
Souji had enough, and turned to face them. "Aniki, Aneki, stop it! Stop it…please…" His voice got softer. "I know. I understand your pain and loneliness…all of it, because I went through it myself. Of all the people in this room, I understand that the most. Not just because of our Wild Card ability, but because you guys are my family. I wouldn't judge you if you had all these emotions pent up inside, because I have felt it too. So please…don't deny it anymore…I'm here, aren't I? You guys can tell me anything."
His choice of words snapped the twins out of it. "Banchou-kun…" they whispered, slowly calming down.
The others were silent, the Investigation Team even more so. They never knew that their fearless leader was suffering just as much as the Arisato twins, despite their close relationship with him. They were starting to wonder just how much he was hiding behind his calm exterior. But their thoughts were cut off when they heard creepy giggles coming from the two Shadows. Black mist swirled around and engulfed them.
"Too late ~ " the Shadows sang.
The Persona-users could feel the malicious aura they were emitting. "What the…" Yosuke was stunned. "How can this be? Those two haven't completely rejected their Shadows yet!"
"It must be because of their Wild Card powers, so their Shadows aren't like ours," Naoto said, filling bullets into her revolver. "We also can't rule out the overwhelming levels of emotional pain those two have gone through. Our problems were considered normal compared to theirs."
"Ikutsuki must have been the trigger, and seeing Souji get hurt must have made them snap," Akihiko said. "That bastard…wait till I get my hands on him…"
"So it is safe to assume that their Shadows are much more dangerous than any of yours," Mitsuru said. "If so, then expect a tough battle."
Minato and Minako felt their strength being drained and fainted. Luckily, Yukari and Shinjiro caught them before they could hit the floor. The five of them were thrown back as a burst of energy exploded from the black mist. Two tall figures started to materialize and take shape, suspended in the air. One of them looked like Orpheus Telos, except that his metallic body was black and his limbs were white. The color of his skin and hair were disgusting shades of grey, making him look extremely ill. He was carrying silver coffins on a chain like Thanatos, and mounted on his back was a rusty lyre with sharp, jagged edges. The stereo speaker on his chest was rusted as well, vibrating irregularly. His eyes were bluish-milky white, crying tears of blood. The other one looked like Eurydice Telos with the exact same discoloration and accessories as her male counterpart.
"We are Shadows, the true self," they echoed in unison. "We're tired of losing what means the world to us, so we might as well cut off everything away and end the source of the pain…starting with YOU!" The two Shadows glared at Souji, and started to swing the coffins around. When enough momentum was gained, they aimed the attack at the silverette.
"LOOK OUT!" their friends cried.
Souji had to act fast before the attack could cause any direct and collateral damage. He threw himself directly at front and crushed his card. "Ganesha, Tetrakarn!"
The elephant god casted the reflective barrier and Souji expanded it just in time when the coffins made impact. With the barrier activated, the full force of the attack was redirected back to the Shadows. It could have killed them, Souji knew, but the Shadows were seemingly unharmed. Whatever it was, he wasn't about to let them harm his siblings and casted another two Tetrakarns on them for good measure.
"Shit…I never thought that their Shadows were so volatile. And I almost got them to calm down too…" he groaned. But he didn't have time to dwell on it and got up, gearing himself for battle. "Yukari-san…Shinjiro-san…get them to safety. I'm taking both of you out of the fight so that you can protect them." Shinjiro wanted to protest, but Souji gave him a glare so fierce that he was forced to obey. The silverette continued to give out orders. "Ken and Yukiko, you two are our main healers right now. Their attacks are likely to cause a lot of damage, so I don't need you to waste your energy on fighting. We'll fight them as two separate teams; I'll take on Shadow Eurydice and Aigis-san will take on Shadow Orpheus. We have to take them down fast, so don't hold back!"
The others scattered around but stayed close to their assigned sub-group. Fuuka and Rise remained close to Yukari and Shinjiro, scanning the Shadows as quickly as they can.
Souji made his first move.
"Zaou-Gongen, Vorpal Blade!"
Being one of Souji's high level Personas, the Shinto mountain deity's attack slashed Shadow Eurydice with great accuracy. She let out a high-pitched shriek, unsuited for her title as Mistress of Melodies. 'She must have been injured by that reflected attack after all.' Feeling confident, he summoned another Persona. "Surt, Ragnorak!"
"I'll back ya up, parter!" Yosuke said, summoning his card. "Susano-O, Garudyne!"
The giant pillar of magma engulfed Shadow Eurydice, and Yosuke helped amplify its fire power. Koromaru added his own Agidyne to the mix. The female Shadow screamed as she tried to put it out the hell inferno with little success.
Meanwhile, Aigis ordered a full assault on Shadow Orpheus. "Give it all you got!" she told her team.
A flurry of magic and physical attacks hit the male Shadow simultaneously. Though it didn't beat him into submission, it managed to injure him just enough to give Mitsuru an opening to cast Mind Charge on herself and release a powerful ice storm, successfully wounding him even further.
As the magic attacks and blizzard died down, they watched with bated breath, anxious to know if their opponents had given up. Shadow Eurydice had severe burn wounds and there were shallow cuts on Shadow Orpheus, but that was about it.
They laughed and continued to taunt their opponents. "We represent the arcana of unlimited potential. Did you really think that your measly attacks can hurt us?" Both of them tied the chains of their coffins to their waist and dismounted their lyres.
Souji cursed in his mind when he heard Rise's voice. "Senpai, both of them have very high resistance to physical and magic attacks, and they nullify Dark and Light," she reported.
"Not only that, their evasion rate, strength, defense and agility are at their maximum," Fuuka added. "Please be careful…I sense that they have a few hidden abilities which will be very troublesome in battle."
"This isn't good…" Souji mumbled to himself. He turned his team. "Akihiko-san, I'm afraid you're going to have to debuff their stats constantly. Yosuke, be on the lookout if they buffer up and nullify them immediately. They seem to be attacking in sync, so finding an opening for an All-Out Attack is going to be a huge problem," he said, loud enough for the other sub-team to hear.
"If they are the Shadows of Minato-san and Minako-san, then they also have the knowledge of our Personas and their skills," Metis said. "We are at a disadvantage like this."
"So what?" Kanji interjected confidently. "If they know about yours, then we have the upper hand. They don't know much about ours, and I'm sure Souji-senpai have a few Personas which they don't."
"That may be a good idea, Kanji, but we have to do better than that if we want to defeat them before our energy runs out," Souji reminded him. 'And before they kill all of us.'
A strange, hypnotic melody was being played as the Shadows strummed their lyres. It was soothing like a lullaby, yet at the same time aggravating as the rusty strings vibrated, sending the music across the air.
"So…pretty…" Teddie said, swaying back and forth to the music. Junpei and Yosuke's eyes were getting glassy, and a few of the others seem to be in a trance.
Souji's eyes widen when he realized what was going on. "Cover your ears! Don't listen to the music!" he bellowed. He quickly reequipped his Persona to one with multiple ailment nullifying skills. Those who weren't yet affected plugged their ears, including Shinjiro and Yukari. After what seemed like an agonizing minute, the rusty speakers on both Shadows' chests were vibrating faster, and a loud screech echoed through the small room where the force of it was enough to push them backwards slightly, and silence soon followed.
The silverette's eyes scanned his teammates. Those who covered their ears were fine, but Teddie and Junpei seemed to have been hit with confusion, Akihiko was silenced, and Chie and Koromaru were ailed with fear. "Fuuka-san was right. Their music can cause random ailments, and with that they have complete advantage. This is troublesome indeed," he told the others.
"It will be more troublesome if they can cast Control like Kunino Sagiri," Naoto said. "We can't have anyone stabbing us in the back."
Yukiko knew what she had to do. Since Souji put her on the sidelines, she could better observe those who needed any aid. "Amaterasu, Salvation!"
Those with ailments quickly recovered, able to focus on the fight once more. They sent magical and physical attacks at the Shadows, but whatever the Persona-users sent them wasn't having a major effect. Akihiko was trying his best to lower their status, but he was having trouble avoiding the ice attacks aimed at him by Shadow Orpheus. It was nearly impossible to get close and land a direct hit with a short-ranged weapon. The Shadows also have a tendency to switch positions when the team least expected it, causing confusion amongst them.
"Rise, do they have any passive abilities that you can tell?" Souji asked his team's analyzer.
"Give me a sec, Senpai. Even combining Kanzeon's scanning abilities with Juno's, it's gonna take some time for accurate results."
The Persona-users had to constantly keep their guard up as the Shadows constantly played their instruments, making it worse by amplifying the sound with their speakers. When some of them were distracted, Shadow Eurydice would hit them with a shockwave, followed by powerful elemental spells, specifically targeting anyone with a weakness to it. Ken and Yukiko were kept busy healing their teammates, but even they were close to their limit. And they were also slowly running out of supplies, namely Stimulants, Mouth Washes and Dokudami Teas. Fatigue and mental strain from the surrounding fog were catching on, too.
Meanwhile, Shinjiro and Yukari were trying their best to wake the twins up, but to no avail. Shinjiro had to summon Pegasus a few times to block any attacks coming their way, while Yukari used her wind magic to cushion any of her friends who were about to collide with the gigantic pillars.
After what seemed an agonizing long time, the scanners finally got something. "Senpai, I don't think they have any resistances to Enervation and Exhaustion. Fuuka-senpai said she never even heard of these ailments, so I guess they didn't develop any skills to counter it back in Tartarus," Rise said triumphantly, although there was some tiredness in her voice.
"That does make sense, because the properties of this world are very different from Tartarus," Fuuka added.
Souji smirked. "Thanks for the update, guys. It's time for a strategy change!" As he went through his Personae arsenal, Souji gave the rest of the team new orders. "Yosuke, take over our sub-team and bombard it with any attacks that you can think of. Aigis-san, you do the same. I need you guys to keep them busy while I try to weaken them even further."
Yosuke wasted no time shooting a series of wind spells and physical attacks on Shadow Eurydice, nimbly avoiding her counter-attacks with his acrobatic moves and speed. As he was playing decoy, Mitsuru, Akihiko and Koromaru combined their magic spells and sent it straight to the Shadow when she got too distracted.
"Don't give him any chance to play his lyre! Destroy it if you have to!" Aigis ordered. She boosted her sub-team's speed and accuracy with Masukukaja and proceeded to shoot Shadow Orpheus with her ammo. Naoto pulled her revolver trigger non-stop, hoping to damage his instrument. Kanji, Metis, Junpei and Chie assaulted him with powered up physical attacks while Teddie conjured ice blocks to hinder his movements.
Souji was waiting for the right opportunity to use his special attack as his tarot card spun on his palm. When the twins' Shadows were close to each other and his teammates some distance away, he crushed it. "Shiki-Ouji, Navas Nebula!"
It took Souji a few tries for the Exhaustion effect to kick in, causing the damage done to increase by 50%. The Investigation Team smirked and doubled their efforts in attacking, followed by SEES. Souji wasn't about to stop there now that he knew what his strongest advantage was.
"Alraune, Old One!"
After three tries, both Shadows were enervated, their stats dwindled by half. The damage caused by the Persona-users were starting to show, but it still wasn't enough to take the Shadows down.
"Damn tough bastards…" Shinjiro muttered under his breath as he watched his teammates fight. "I guess that's to be expected of a Wild Card. They never go down easy."
Yukari summoned Isis and casted Samarecarm on the twins, but it wasn't working. "That's one of my strongest healing spells too. I guess until their Shadows are defeated they'll stay unconscious." She dismissed her Persona and continued to watch over them.
"Why…why won't all of you just disappear!?" Shadow Eurydice screeched, banging her rusty lyre to the ground, sending large chunks of the floor to Aigis and Metis who were protected by Athena's shield.
"It hurts…" Shadow Orpheus cried, mounting his lyre on his back to use his chain of coffins once more. "The pain of lost…IT HURTS SO MUCH!" He started attacking Yosuke and his group, everything about his movements wild and reckless, without any sense of purpose but to destroy.
"Even with their stats halved, they are still very resilient," Fuuka said, starting to sound worried when the dungeon began to rumble. "Guys, I don't think this floor will hold out much longer. They are causing too much destruction. You have to defeat them quick!"
Thinking furiously about how he should weaken the Shadows further, Souji had an idea. Popping a few Soul Drops onto his mouth, he readied his next Persona to be summoned from the sea of his soul. "Trumpeter, Debilitate!"
The archangel of the Last Judgment materialized, blowing his trumpet at the direction of the two Shadows. They started to become slightly weak, their movements sluggish. Koromaru and Yosuke took advantage of this and casted Masukukaja on everyone, doubling their speed to avoid getting injured by their opponents. The rest combined their attacks to maximize the damage.
Souji changed his Persona to Yoshitsune. He planned on using him for his final and strongest physical attack to end this fight.
"Power Charge! Heat Riser!"
The ancient Japanese General appeared, casting a golden light on his master. Souji felt stronger, his senses more alert. "Get out of my way!" he yelled to his friends. "And take cover…I'll end this once and for all!"
Without needing to be told twice, the Investigation Team and SEES scrambled out of range. Shinjiro carried Minako while Junpei helped Yukari with Minato and took them to safety behind a pillar. The rest also took shelter behind the other pillars.
"Yoshitsune…" The Persona nodded, readying his twin daggers. "HASSOU TOBI!"
Crimson rays shot up into the sky, followed by a rain of arrows, piercing the Shadows at every angle possible. They screamed in pain, an unearthly cry filled with sorrow that vibrated through the air like a melody from Hell. Their lyres and coffins shattered, leaving them defenseless as they fell to the ground in an unceremonious heap. A puddle of blood oozed on the floor as they started to sob, twin streaks of red liquid streaming from their eyes.
The Arisato twins were beginning to stir, and the others finally knew that the Shadows have been defeated. All that was left to do was for them to accept the darkest side of themselves, but that was another thing altogether.
"Aniki, Aneki!" Souji made his way to his siblings, panting hard. Aside from Adachi, that was the toughest battle he had endured. "Are you guys alright? Are you hurt?"
"Just my head…" Minako groaned, being helped to her feet by Shinjiro.
"What happened to the Shadows?" Minato asked groggily, supporting his weight on Yukari.
"About that…" Souji began, giving them a stern look. "I don't need to say this again, but I'm sure you're aware that if you reject them once more they will go berserk and attack us." He suddenly pulled the twins into a hug. "I'm sorry…" he said shakily, gripping them tighter, "for not being aware about your pain. As your brother, you guys can tell me anything. You don't have to go through that alone anymore, because I'm not going anywhere." His gaze met that of Shinjiro, Yukari, and the others who were starting to crowd around them. "Correction…WE are not going anywhere." He gave them a sincere smile.
The twins broke away from the hug and approached their Shadows.
"I wanted to deny you guys so bad," Minato said to Shadow Orpheus. "But I knew you were telling the truth, every single detail. You were right, all I could focus on when I was the Great Seal was how my friends have moved on, and eventually they'll forget about me. Just because we didn't have any regrets doesn't mean it wasn't painful. If you really are me, then you must have felt the same pain. I'm sorry…I really am."
"When Aniki and I returned after the reality merge, I was so happy that I got to meet everyone that I held dear. It was a dream come true," Minako admitted to Shadow Eurydice. "But it also scared me that if I was forced to return, I'd lose all that again. That's something that I don't want. I held onto it desperately, even if it meant that I couldn't move on…remaining fixated to the past." She began to cry. "I apologize for causing you so much pain."
From their positions on the floor, the Shadows looked up to their respective masters, and held out a hand. Both twins grasped them and smiled, letting them know that they no longer rejected their existence. The four of them were surrounded by soft blue light as the bulky forms of the Shadows reverted back to Orpheus, the Master of Strings and Eurydice, the Mistress of Melodies. As the Personas returned to the sea of their souls, the twins felt as if a heavy weight was lifted from their chests.
Feeling dazed and tired, they were about to faint again but luckily were caught by Shinjiro and Yukari.
Souji saw the look of content on his sibling's faces. 'I'm glad that they accepted their other selves and moved on. I forgot that they also have another dominant arcana – Death. The inverse of that represents a mentality of being stuck in life, unable to mourn any loss and cannot accept changes that come with the future. I couldn't blame them for that. They've gone through and sacrificed so much, it's only human to feel that way. Hope…is really a wonderful thing.'
Taking charge once more, he addressed the gang. "Let's get out of here. Aniki and Aneki are gonna need a lot rest after that ordeal, and so do the rest of us."
The trip back to the Inn was longer and quieter than usual. The Persona-users were exhausted from the vicious battle and immersed in their own thoughts. Shinjiro carried Minako on piggyback with Akihiko doing the same for Minato, Yukari silently walking beside him. Both twins were fast asleep. Souji kept looking at them every now and then as if to make sure they were both okay.
Once they arrived, both twins were taken to their rooms. Due to the late hour, Mitsuru decided to call a doctor in to check on them, to confirm they hadn't suffered any major injuries that couldn't be seen or healed with their magic or the Fox's leaves. After a thorough examination, the doctor didn't find anything wrong with either one of them, only that both were exhausted with a few bruises. He prescribed some multivitamins and painkillers in case they had headaches, instructed Shinjiro and Yukari to help them change bandages often and told them to get some extra sleep.
After both twins were tucked in and left alone to get some well deserved rest, both groups headed to the lounge. There weren't a lot of people around, since most of the guests were enjoying dinner in the dining halls.
"So, what do we do now?" Junpei asked. "The chairman is still on the loose…"
"Yes, as long as he's around with The Reaper to do his bidding, he's a menace to all of us," Mitsuru said in a serious tone. "It seems obvious that he has a role in the return of the Dark Hour and the series of events involving the twins and Seta."
"First Adachi and now Ikutsuki. They're using our old enemies against us…" Akihiko narrowed his eyes in anger. "I don't like where this is going."
Souji closed his eyes in thought. "I understand what you mean, Akihiko-san. The stakes are higher now and things are bound to get more dangerous. But for now, the best we can do is to get some rest and allow both Aniki and Aneki to recover. Once we're in better shape, we can discuss more properly what to do regarding that man."
No one could argue with that. They were all physically and mentally drained, definitely not in the condition to discuss such a serious topic.
SEES left for their rooms, leaving the Investigation Team by themselves at the lobby. Souji was about to leave when Yukiko tugged on his arm. He turned to face her. "Yes, Yukiko?"
"Souji-kun… about what happened in Tartarus… I mean, about what you told Minato-san and Minako-san when we faced their Shadows…"
"Yes?" Judging from his sigh, Yukiko knew he was way exhausted.
"Never mind. We can talk tomorrow." She looked away. "You should go home and rest... Dojima-san and Nanako-chan will worry about you if you're late."
As if knowing what was worrying her, Souji gently kissed her forehead. "Don't worry. I'll take care of myself. Nothing's gonna happen to me. I promise."
"Souji-kun…" Yukiko smiled, feeling more at ease. "Thanks."
"You take care too, okay? I love you." Souji kissed her again before heading home. "See you tomorrow."
With Souji gone, Yukiko sighed. "So you couldn't ask him about it either, huh?" Yosuke said as he and the rest of the Investigation Team walked up to her.
She sighed again and shook her head. "I didn't have the courage to. After everything that's happened today..." She turned her gaze towards the direction that Souji left. "He's exhausted…physically and emotionally."
"I know…I didn't have the guts to ask him about that either." Chie frowned. "But what he said… about him understanding their pain because he felt the same thing…"
"Makes me wonder how well we really know Senpai…" Rise said morosely. "He understands us so much, but do we really understand him?"
"But Senpai is such a straightforward guy… does he really have anything to hide?" Kanji asked.
"Wild Cards are better at hiding their inner feelings… that's what their Shadows said," Naoto stated.
Teddie sniffled. "Does that mean that the reason Sensei understands us so much is because he feels more pain and sadness than we did?"
Everybody turned to the blonde Shadow. "Maybe that's the case, but I don't think Souji's ready to talk about any of that right now," Yosuke said. "Whether or not he's hiding his pain, whether or not he does have a Shadow like Minato-san and Minako-san, he needs his time. What happened today really shook him up. You saw how worried he was about the twins. The only time he was that worried was when Nanako-chan…" He sighed, and stretched his tired limbs. "Anyway, we should bring that up only after things have settled down for a bit. Let's go home and get some rest. I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat."
That was something they could all agree on.
Yukari and Shinjiro quietly made their ways to the rooms where the twins were resting. Everyone else made up excuses not to go to bed yet: Junpei was going to get himself and Koromaru something to eat; Fuuka wanted to help Aigis and Metis fix some minor damages they had suffered in battle; Akihiko and Ken went to the hot springs to soothe their sore bodies; Mitsuru had to make some phone calls – family business, she claimed. That gave them both a chance to check on their loved ones without being bothered.
Yukari quietly entered the boys' room and looked around. Minato was fast asleep in his futon with a soft expression on his face. He looked so peaceful in his slumber inside the dark room that he reminded her of those ethereal guardian spirits from old fairy tales. She smiled and knelt beside him. It didn't take long as her eyes began to water.
"Minato-kun… I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I was so self centered that… I never understood what you were going through. I'm your girlfriend and I still…Oh, I'm so sorry…" She started to sob, wiping some of her tears. "I couldn't do anything right on my own, and I never saw how much pain you were in. You've always been this amazing leader and hero… if you weren't by my side… I – I wouldn't know what to do…"
Hesitantly she reached out, gently brushing Minato's bangs away from his eyes. "I always felt close to you…because you understood me, cared about me and listened to me more than anyone else did when I was so lonely. When you left us, I took it really hard. But after seeing all those memories… I came to realize that life was way harder for you and Minako-chan."
"I'm so sorry, Minato-kun…" The tears wouldn't stop. She was about to get up and leave when something reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. Yukari squeaked, frozen in her spot.
"Don't go…" Minato whispered, slowly opening his eyes. They still showed exhaustion due to the day's events. "Please, Yukari… don't…leave me…alone…"
Yukari's eyes widened as she watched a tear trail down his cheek, something which she had never seen before. He had heard her all along. He released his grip on her wrist as his hand dropped back on the futon, but she stayed frozen where she was, her heart rapidly pounding as she stared at her boyfriend. In the dim lighting of the room, she could see more tears stream down his face.
"I was always protecting Minako, and to do that I took everything on my own. The same applied when I became leader of SEES. It never occurred to me that I didn't need to shoulder my burdens alone…I – I didn't want to worry you or the others… I felt it wasn't right to bother you with my problems when you were going through so much on your own…"
Inhaling deeply, Yukari swallowed as she listened to his confession. It was beginning to make some sense now, why he seemed so upset when he thought she was leaving. For that one instant, what she saw then was Minato at his most open, his most vulnerable…she had seen him unguarded, witnessed a side of himself that he hardly showed anyone. She could tangibly feel how lonely he really was.
"It's okay." She pulled the covers and slid herself inside his futon, snuggling her face in his chest. "You can talk to me about anything you want. This time… I'll be listening."
Minato wasn't sure how to handle the understanding gaze in Yukari's eyes. It was an entirely new experience for him being comforted rather than comforting others. He tentatively wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Something in his chest throbbed, making the whole situation awkward for him, leaving him uncertain and confused.
But as Yukari's warmth enveloped his body, Minato found that for now, he didn't really mind. In fact, he could get used to this warm feeling. They chatted for a while until he eventually fell asleep in her embrace.
At the same time, in the girls' room…
Shinjiro quietly stepped inside the dark room. Minako was asleep in her futon, with a gentle smile on her face, her free auburn hair messily splayed on the pillow. Witnessing his girlfriend sleeping like that was a rare event and Shinjiro was taking it. It probably sounded cliché – heck, it still is – but Minako looked like an angel.
Carefully, Shinjiro seated himself at the edge of her futon. His fingers slipped between hers, her warmth spreading in his cool palm.
Minako shifted at his touch, turning onto her side towards him. Shinjiro's heart lurched as he recalled the words from Minako's Shadow.
"You don't deserve any happiness, because you were the entire reason for my heartache!"
He may not have showed it (or so he thinks) but he felt rather broken-hearted at the Shadow's statement. "I was such an ass back then… I caused you so much grief, Minako. I kinda deserved that as much as it may have hurt hearing it…"
He felt his eyes stinging, but he fought the urge to cry. "You changed me for the better. You helped me come to terms with my pain… my past. You gave me a reason to yearn for the future…" He closed his eyes tightly. "And I… I never thought about how much pain you and your brother were going through, because I'm a selfish bastard who can only think about himself. Hell, you're only human… I'm sorry... Really..."
Not realizing his grip on her hand had tightened, Minako whimpered in her sleep. Hearing the sudden gasps, Shinjiro immediately let her seemingly fragile hand go. His move was too hurried, causing her sleep-induced breaths to become irregular, as if trying to break free from a dream. Shinjiro sensed her about to wake, not wanting to be there in case he caused her more pain. Just as he was about to get up, the left sleeve of his coat was pulled back.
"Shinji-kun… Don't go…" Minako pleaded softly, slowly opening her eyes. Tears pooled in her eyes. "Please…. Please, stay with me…"
Shinjiro took his place again by her side, gave her a reassuring smile as he kissed her cheek. "I ain't going anywhere."
"Good…" She sighed and closed her eyes. "I thought it was easy to just smile and hide what I felt, so that Aniki didn't have to worry about me all the time. I – I didn't want to burden him. I did the same thing when I joined SEES so I wouldn't worry the others and help them… I never realized that others could do that for me too…"
As he listened, Shinjiro caressed her forehead, running his fingers through her hair. Feeling a strong urge to be close, he lied down next to her, propping his elbow up to support his head. Without thinking he lowered his head and pressed his nose against her hair, inhaling deeply. 'Good god, she smells so good,' he thought. It was a cross between strawberries, honey and sunflowers; a scent he was not likely to forget any time soon.
Minako giggled at the sudden display of affection. She felt a large hand cup her cheek, turning her face to his direction. Her heartbeat suddenly sped up tenfold as she looked into his gentle eyes, sinking into his touch, the warmth radiating from his hands making her vulnerable and safe at the same time.
"Don't hide anything from me anymore," he said, rubbing her cheek gently with his thumb. "When I promised I'd make it up to you, I meant every single word of it. And I'll be damned if I break that promise."
She gave him a small smile, filled with love and a myriad of other emotions.
Shinjiro shifted to make himself comfortable, pillowing her head with his arm and taking the actual pillow for himself.
Minako blushed as he gingerly wrapped her inside his oversized coat, where both of them fit in snugly. He encased her in a hug for more security, warming her up at the same time. Nothing was said between them as she fell asleep, all her fears washed away just being in this man's embrace.
Once Souji finally got home it was already evening. Dojima was already home, reading his paper while Nanako was watching TV. The usual scene. "I'm home…" he announced, almost whispering.
As both father and daughter noticed his presence, Nanako quickly went hug him. "Welcome home, Big Bro!" She greeted him with a smile, but frowned upon seeing her cousin's worn out expression. "Are you okay? You don't look so good…"
"I'm okay, Nanako. Just had a long day." He slumped on the couch and sighing heavily.
Dojima got up and put his paper away. "Nanako, can you please get Souji's futon ready?"
The girl nodded and went upstairs. Dojima sat next to Souji, the sofa groaning slightly. "Long day, huh? Does it have to do with those things?"
Souji looked down. He didn't have to hide things from his uncle anymore, but today's events were still bothering him, specially the run-in with Ikutsuki. "Yes… more related to Aniki and Aneki actually…" He explained to his uncle what had happened, giving him the bare facts.
Dojima narrowed his eyes as Souji finished explaining. "Okay… I can almost understand you and the twins transforming into kids, but a dead guy coming back to life? That's going a little too far…"
"Yeah. He tricked them in the past, almost leading to the end of the world as we know it, and died in the process. But it isn't that part that bothers me the most… it was the fact that he knew my name, and that something happened to my parents."
Dojima frowned in concern. He knew Souji wasn't entirely over his parents' disappearance although he was recovering from the trauma. "Your parents are good people. That guy is probably lying to try and get to you." He put a comforting hand on his nephew's shoulder "What matters now is that you kids are safe."
"Yeah, you're right." Souji gave him a smile of gratitude. "Thanks, Uncle."
Dojima grinned and patted Souji's back, just as Nanako came back down. "The futon is ready," she said.
The detective nodded at his daughter and then turned to Souji. "You, go have dinner, take a shower, and sleep. You look almost dead."
As his nephew made his way upstairs followed by Nanako, Dojima began to contemplate. Something about all this didn't sit well with him. His detective's intuition kicked in, churning out all sorts of questions: Just how well did he know his own sister? What about her husband? The Arisato family? Now that he thought about it, he lost contact with his sister for over ten years before he got a surprise call from her, asking him to look after her teenage son for a year during their overseas business trip. What exactly happened during that gap? Did this Ikutsuki person have anything to do with it?
He was determined to find out.
The next morning, Minako woke up to the tantalizing smell of warm pancakes. Her tummy growled loudly, demanding to be filled. Yukari's smiling face greeted her as she opened her eyes.
"Good morning, sleepy head!" she chirped.
Minako yawned. "Mmm…morning. What time is it anyway?"
"Still early for Junpei's standards, and that's telling how late it is," Yukari snorted, laying the tray down beside the futon. There was a stack of pancakes, a bowl of fresh fruit, a glass of milk and a cup of tea. "Hope you're hungry. Shinjiro-senpai woke up early and made everyone breakfast with Souji-kun's help. He asked me to bring it to you since you're still tired from yesterday."
"Souji-kun's here?" Minako asked, already stuffing her mouth with pancakes drenched in syrup and butter.
Yukari sweatdropped. Her friend's gluttony never ceased to amaze her. "Yeah, he wanted to check up on you guys. Shinjiro-senpai should be with Minato-kun right now, serving him his breakfast." She then grinned slyly. "Although I have a sneaky feeling that he wanted to personally serve you, but Mitsuru-senpai would kill him if he sets foot in this room again."
Minako was enjoying her food too much to even blush.
Meanwhile, in the room the guys were staying, Shinjiro was feeling rather annoyed. 'Damn Mitsuru and her stupid rules. She couldn't even cut me some slack this one time,' he thought grumpily as he watched his girlfriend's twin eat with incredible gusto. "Slow down, you moron. The food's not going anywhere. Chew properly before you swallow!" he snapped.
"Hey, don't get all pissy at me just because you couldn't serve my sister breakfast," Minato shot back, pointing a fork to Shinjiro's face. "Besides, I'd be happier if Yukari was here but you don't hear me complaining."
The tall brunette blushed. "Wh-whatever. Just finish that up before Aki gets back. That idiot will get all whiny if he saw I made you guys pancakes and he didn't get any."
Minato shrugged, not in the mood to argue with his senpai. But one thing is for sure, the man was an awesome cook.
Shortly after breakfast both twins went to take a shower and got dressed. They decided to take a stroll in the garden together, wanting to get some fresh air and collect their thoughts.
"Ah, this feels great!" Minako smiled as the warm sunlight showered her and her brother. "It's like all of our worries were washed away."
"I know… my body feels so light," Minato stated, stretching his muscles and grinned at a satisfying 'pop' from his backbone. "I've never felt so… alive."
Minako giggled. She was about to inhale the scent from a rose bush when a glowing blue butterfly flew past them, followed by another one, then another, and another. Soon enough an entire swarm of butterflies were flying above them. She blinked, surprised. "Okay… you don't see that everyday…"
"That's not natural…" Minato said, warily backing away. He wasn't moving an inch however, as his whole body felt stiff. "What the?! I can't move!"
It was like some invisible force was holding them down, causing Minako to panic. "Aniki, I… I can't move either!"
The butterflies landed before them, swirling around and merged into a human-like figure. A tall, slender male with dark brown hair tied on a short ponytail, wearing a black turtleneck underneath a white suit and polished black shoes, appeared before them. His face was concealed by an elaborate butterfly-shaped mask that showed his golden eyes.
"Who are you?!" Minato questioned.
The man said nothing as he calmly walked up to them. Minako glared at him. "What do you want with us!?"
Once again the man remained quiet as he stood before them. The twins tensed at first, but upon gazing into his eyes, they didn't sense that this mysterious stranger was a threat, instinctively knowing he meant no harm. He gently placed two fingers on each of their foreheads, soft blue light emanating at the tips. The twins calmed down despite being unsure of what was going on. A feeling of light-headedness took over, as if surrounded by a blanket of fuzz, falling into a trance.
Not too far from there, Souji, accompanied by Yukiko, Yukari and Shinjiro, entered the garden, looking for the twins.
"I'm really glad Aniki and Aneki are recovering so well from yesterday," Souji said, sighing happily. "In every way." Despite still being tired, he wanted to come by early and check up on them personally.
"Yeah, I was worried about them after what they went through, but they picked themselves up and seem stronger than ever," Shinjiro commented.
"I think that's because they have such great friends with them, Shinjiro-san. Your support, along with Yukari-san and Souji-kun's means a lot to them." Yukiko smiled. "They must've felt more at ease after you two went to see them last night."
Yukari smiled back. "Yes… What?!" she nearly shouted, her face a deep shade of pink. "Y-You mean, you saw us going into their rooms?!"
Yukiko nodded, and realized what she just said. "O-oh, I was going to my room when I saw you and Shinjiro-san heading there." She started to blush. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to spy on you!"
Shinjiro grunted, annoyed and embarrassed, but before he could say something, he spotted who they were looking for. "There they are." His eyes narrowed when he saw the stranger. "Who the hell is that freak? What is he doing to them!?"
Souji's protectiveness kicked in. "Aniki! Aneki!" he shouted.
The masked man, startled by the sudden arrival of the group, quickly backed away from the twins. They swayed slightly at the disconnection, sinking to their knees.
Souji and Shinjiro stood protectively between them, while Yukari and Yukiko supported them.
"Who are you? How did you even enter this place?" the raven-haired girl asked in anger. An intruder in her family's Inn was something she'd never tolerate.
"What are you trying to do with Minato-kun and Minako-chan?!" Yukari demanded.
Shinjiro got into a fighting stance. "Stay the hell away from them, you creep, or you'll be dealing with me!"
"If you tried to hurt them, I'm gonna make you pay!" Souji threatened. Even though he didn't have his sword at hand, he was more than willing to fight whoever tried to hurt his family.
Without warning, the man turned around and took off in a swift run. "Oi, get back here!" Shinjiro shouted, sprinting after him.
"Shinjiro-san, wait! Yukiko, stay here with Yukari-san, Aneki and Aniki. I've got a weird feeling about that man."
"Please be careful!"
Yukari drew her cellphone. "I have to tell the others…" She dialed a number. "Mitsuru-senpai, we've got a problem!"
Meanwhile, Souji and Shinjiro were still running after the masked man heading for the Inn's main gate.
"You ain't getting away, bastard!" Shinjiro growled.
The stranger almost reached the gates when the remaining members of SEES blocked his way, giving Souji and Shinjiro enough time to catch up and surround the him.
Akihiko cracked his knuckles. "Going somewhere, wise guy?"
"You're gonna pay for trying to hurt Minako-san and Minato-san!" Ken said. Koromaru growled, baring his fangs.
"Are you working with the chairman?" Mitsuru asked coldly. "If so, then expect no mercy!"
The masked man remained silent, instead turned around to face Souji, his expression unreadable. The silverette cocked his head in confusion. 'Why is he looking at me like that? Do I know him?' Before he could say anything, the stranger's body started to glow, disintegrating into blue butterflies. The butterflies flew all over the place, blinding them for a few seconds. When they reopened their eyes, he was gone.
"What the hell?! Where did he go?" Junpei shouted, shocked. "How did he do that?"
"That man…was not human," Metis stated.
"But he's also different from any Shadows we've encountered so far," Aigis added. "Why do I get the feeling that I've seen something like that before?"
"What could he possibly want with Minato-san and Minako-san?" Fuuka questioned.
Shinjiro huffed in annoyance. "If he's connected to the chairman, that can't be a good thing."
"I'm not sure that's the case…" Souji interjected, holding his chin in deep thought. This earned him skeptical gazes.
"What makes you so sure, Seta?" Mitsuru questioned.
"When he stared at me… I don't know why, but something about him felt odd… Almost nostalgic…" Souji looked up to the sky. "I can't explain it, but something inside me tells me he's not a threat. And I also have a feeling we haven't seen the last of him."
"Tch, whatever. If that guy tries anything funny, I won't answer for my actions," Shinjiro said, unconvinced.
"Anyway, we should go back to Yukari-san and Yukiko to check on them…just in case."
Back to the garden…
The twins had finally recovered from their daze, finally able to stand up when Souji and the others arrived. "Aniki! Aneki!" He rushed to their side. "You two okay?"
"Yeah. Head feels kinda light though," Minato said, shaking his head to snap out of it.
"What happened to that masked man?" Yukari asked.
"You're not gonna believe it, but he turned into a bunch of butterflies and disappeared," Junpei said, making elaborate gestures with his hands.
"Actually, we do believe that, because he appeared from a bunch of butterflies…" Minako said, holding on to Shinjiro's arm to stay steady.
"Did he try to hurt you?" he asked. His eyes scanned Minako's body for any injuries he might have missed.
"No. All he did was touched our foreheads," Minato said. "But when he did, I heard a voice. It wasn't from Orpheus or any other of my Personas though."
"That also happened to me and I'm pretty sure that wasn't Eurydice or the others talking…" Minako closed her eyes in recollection. "'I am you, and you are I… I am always within you, watching over you.' That's what the voice said. Right, Aniki?"
Her twin nodded. "That's correct. I'm not quite sure what to make of it, but that man didn't feel like a threat. Call me crazy, but there was something… nostalgic about him."
Souji grinned. "I know the feeling."
"Looks like Souji was right about that man after all," Akihiko said. "Still, we gotta be really careful for now. No way I'm gonna let anything happen to you two under my watch."
"Akihiko-senpai is right," Fuuka said. "We don't want you two to be in any more danger."
"After yesterday, we saw how much we took your feelings for granted," Mitsuru said. "Yes, we treasure the bonds we have with you two, but it never occurred to us how much of an importance it means to you."
"From now on, we'll always be by your side, not only in battle, but in life as well," Aigis said.
"We'll never leave you," Metis said.
"In the times of joy as well as sadness," Ken said. "Just like you've been there for us."
Koromaru barked, wagging his tail happily. "Koromaru-san says that he'll stand by your side until the end," Aigis translated.
Junpei grinned. "That's right, dudes. I'm with you two for the long run too."
Yukari hold Minato's hand with a warm smile, Shinjiro doing the same with Minako. There was no need for words. Their eyes said it all.
"Everybody… thanks…" Minato smiled, his eyes closed.
"From the bottom of our hearts," Minako added.
Yukiko and Souji just smiled as the group walked back into the inn, smiling and laughing together.
In the small confines of the meeting room that Mitsuru was able to book last minute, SEES and the Investigation Team were squeezed in together. The red-head herself was standing at the front of the room, in her no nonsense business-like manner.
"I thank you all for coming on such short notice," she began. "Since summer is about to end, this matter can no longer be delayed."
"I believe you're talking about the second semester of school starting next week," Naoto said. "I too, was wondering what your future plans are since you're only staying here temporarily."
Mitsuru nodded at that. "Yes, that's true. At first, we were only here on vacation and to confirm the internet rumors which Iori told us about. After all that's happened, I'm positive that the TV World is the source of all the Shadows' activities, and might hold the key to solving this mystery. For that, I have decided for SEES to set base here in Inaba."
The others murmured amongst themselves.
"But what about our life in Port Island, especially college?" Fuuka questioned. "And as for Ken-kun, he has school to think about."
"I understand your concern, Fuuka. I took the liberty of negotiating with your professors to allow all of you to study long-distance, myself included. Since it was such an unusual request, a few of them demanded a couple of extra-credit assignments depending on your majors," Mitsuru explained. "As for Ken, I have submitted the paperwork needed for his transfer to Yasogami Middle School. When the school session starts, he will be attending there."
"So does that mean I don't have to wake up early and go to class?" Junpei asked with a stupid grin on his face. "That's awesome!" His excitement was short-lived when Yukari and Minako smacked him.
"Long-distance study doesn't mean you can skip the studying, you dumbass!" Yukari reprimanded. Minako's glare shut him up completely.
Everyone else looked at Ken, who had an unreadable expression on his face. He then gave them a small smile. "I don't mind," he said. "In fact, I kind of saw it coming to be honest."
"What about me and my brother, Mitsuru-senpai?" Minako asked. "We didn't even start our senior year at Gekkoukan High, so technically we're still high school students."
"According to Officer Kurosawa and our friends from school, we were in a coma for over two years. As far as the world is concerned, our lives have stood in a standstill," Minato stated.
"I was waiting for you to bring that up," Mitsuru said. "Yes, both of you are correct. I found medical records from Tatsumi Memorial Hospital confirming that story. Using those, I managed to secure you two, Shinjiro and Metis a place in Yasogami High. Well, for Metis's case I used the foreign transfer student angle. They informed me that the four of you will be in the same class as Seta. Despite our secret activities, I expect all of you to do whatever is needed to blend in."
Minako stood from her seat and cheered. "Did you hear that Souji-kun? We're gonna be in the same class!"
"I sort of missed going to school," Minato grinned. "Now I'm getting all excited! I wonder if there's a photography club in Yasogami?"
"I shall cherish this experience," Metis said, clapping her hands. "If my sister managed to do it, then so can I."
Beside her, Aigis smiled proudly.
Junpei pointed at the twins, horror-struck. "Are you guys serious? Dudes, you're not normal!" he screeched. To him, this was a new level of crazy.
Shinjiro resisted the urge to clean his ears. Did he just hear that correctly? Him? Enrolled in Yasogami High as a senior? For once, he agreed with Junpei. "Wait just a damn minute!" He slapped the surface of the table and stood up, startling the others. "Why the hell do I have to go to school? I'm twenty frickin' years old! I don't belong there anymore!"
Mitsuru glared at him in return. "Shinjiro, you are aware that you yourself have not even finished your senior year?" she stated in a menacing tone. "I don't care how long it takes, you will graduate." As she said this, the temperature in the room dropped dramatically.
Akihiko took this opportunity to tease his best friend and calm Mitsuru down in the process. "You can't argue with that, Shinji. But look on the bright side; now you can watch over Minako at school instead of waiting for her to come back to the dorm like you used to." A broad smirk appeared on his face as he watched his friends blush madly.
"Think of this as a chance to redeem yourself, Senpai," Yukari said. "You're given a rare opportunity here. You better use it wisely."
"Shinjiro-san seems like the delinquent type that often skips school, like Kanji-kun did before we rescued him," Yukiko pointed out thoughtfully. "Thank goodness for the mandatory attendance policy. Otherwise he'd be in such big trouble."
"As if he wasn't in trouble enough," Rise snickered.
"Yeah. Kanji is always getting in trouble for not wearing the proper school uniform," Chie smirked.
"Don't remind me of that, Yukiko-senpai," Kanji groaned. "That's just some stupid law the school made up to torture the students."
Shinjiro bit his tongue to prevent himself from spewing curses. 'I'm so screwed…and why the hell are they comparing me to Tatsumi?!'
Minako gripped his hand which got him to sit back down. "Don't worry about that, Shinji-kun. My friend Saori-chan from the Health Committee was two years older than I am when she enrolled as a junior back in Gekkoukan. She did have trouble fitting in at first, but that was because she didn't have any friends back then." She gave him a bright smile. "Besides, I think you'll fit in just nicely."
He considered his options, re-thinking about the perks Akihiko just mentioned. 'I guess it wouldn't be that bad…'
"So where are we going to live?" Ken inquired, "It's not like we can stay here forever."
Mitsuru opened her laptop and plugged in the projector. "When Iori told me about the internet rumor that took place in the countryside, I did some research on a few of the real estate here." She clicked the mous a few times, and the projection screen showed a rather old stone mansion near a hillside. "I found this house by pure chance, and confirmed the purchase two weeks ago. I originally wanted to use it as a vacation home, but under the current circumstances it is being remodeled into a dormitory for SEES to use. It has three floors and exactly twelve rooms. Granted, it might not be as big as our previous dorm, but all the facilities are there. The entire place is scheduled to be completed in three days time. I have also arranged for your things back in Iwatodai Dorms to be shipped here and expect them to arrive in the next five days. Any questions?"
Her teammates' jaws dropped, but no one dared say anything. 'Just how long has she been planning all this?' they thought simultaneously, rather shocked. 'As expected of the Kirijo Group heir…' She showed everyone a picture slide of the interior and exterior of their soon-to-be home, earning a few impressed murmurs and nods.
"I hope you can all understand why I made this decision without consulting you all first," Mitsuru said. "Whatever is causing the disturbance of balancebetween the worlds is no laughing matter, and takes top priority. Until we can find out what's causing all this chaos, we shall remain here to deal with it. Not to mention that Seta's friends and family are likely to be endangered if this keeps up."
The others were silent after that piece of information. Souji looked guilty, but was comforted by Minato and Yukiko.
"I'm surprised that Senpai managed to arrange all that in such a short time," Minako muttered. "Her foresight is amazing…"
"Don't worry, Mitsuru-senpai. I agree with you completely, and adjusting to life here shouldn't be that hard to do." Yukari said, earning nods of agreement from SEES. They made a vow to protect everything they held dear, and were willing to sacrifice, if only temporarily, their lives back in Iwatodai to deal with the problem.
"Now I remember where I've seen that house…" Kanji said suddenly. "That place is not far from the Ichijo Estate. It had been abandoned for a long time, but it's a nice place even if it is a little secluded."
"We'll help out any way we can. I'm pretty sure there's still a lot to do when you guys start moving in." Souji offered.
"Now that that's taken care of, I have one more announcement." Mitsuru was smiling wide. All sense of formality had dropped, and there was a playful glint in her eyes. "Who's up for a trip to Yakushima?"
Phew… That was intense. Hope ya guys enjoyed this one. Ohta-chan and I had a blast making this chapter.
Oh, by the way, can any of you guys draw? Ohta-chan and I are curious to see how you guys picture Minato and Minako's Shadows to look like. Just PM us your link to where you posted it and we'll have a look.
Have fun and don't forget to Read and Review!