Sea of Soul reporting for duties! owo How is everybody? I'm doing great! My job just started and I'm having a great time! Sure it is kinda tiresome, but I love it. So, be ready for a lot of fun!
Questions time!
KO: Indeed, not a good sign and it is related to Magatsu Izanagi. That's all I'm saying.
Snake King: Shadow kicking and some beach antics are due to happen. Hope ya like it.
Code-Emperor07: Teddie's punishment will have to wait a bit, but you can be sure he will be punished D About Ryoji, not sure if he'd be worse than Teddie as a King, but I know for sure he'd try to take advantage of Minako being too nice for her own good. And Minato wouldn't be happy with that at all ^^;;
13TheAce: Let's say Aigis wasn't the only one protective of Minako when Ryoji was around Gekkoukan. *winks*
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 16: Shadow fighting and beach antics!
Still in their High-Cut Armor and Shirt of Chivalry, along with some weapons they procured, the gang stumbled out into the hallways and chased after Teddie. The bear was waddling towards the direction of the beach, looking frantic.
"Slow down, ya damn bear!" Shinjiro yelled. "When I'm through with you, you ain't gonna have any stuffing left!" The others were also shouting similar strings of threats.
As soon as they stepped outside, the Dark Hour hit. The sky turned dark green, and the only source of light was the eerie glow of the pale yellow full moon.
"Wow, we detected the Dark Hour coming a lot sooner than last time," Minako commented. She shared a look with her brothers that the rest couldn't understand.
Teddie stopped in his tracks at the beach, sniffing around madly. Yukari recognized it as the same area where Minato hugged her for the first time three years ago.
"Fuuka-chan, Rise-chan, do you guys sense anything?" Minako asked.
Fuuka and Rise summoned their respective Personas. "There are definitely Shadows lurking around here. I'll try to expand my radar to get a gist of the surroundings. We never know where they might conceal themselves in this type of environment…" Rise said. No Shadow could hide from her Enemy Radar.
"Good thing we got prepared." Minato said, taking out the evoker from his vest. "I hate to admit it, but I'm glad to be wearing some armor right now."
"And we brought our own stuff for such emergencies," Yosuke said. He lifted up his undershirt to reveal a thin leather belt wrapped around his waist, with sheaths holding his kunais. Yukiko reached for her fan and Naoto brought out her gun.
Akihiko slipped on black leather gloves. "At least I can take out my anger on Shadows." Even the tone of his voice indicated he was still pissed.
"Tch, bear got lucky…" Shinjiro muttered, unhappy that Teddie couldn't be punished right away. He wrapped a terry cloth around his knuckles to enhance the grip on his battle axe.
"Wha…? Not even a 'thank you' for sniffing out the Shadows?!" Teddie gawked dramatically. "How ungrateful!"
"Don't push it, Ted…" Kanji all but growled. The bear whimpered and shook at the evil glare he shot him. He also didn't miss the 'we'll-deal-with-you-later' glower everyone gave him.
The Persona-users tensed when Fuuka let out a sharp gasp. "Guys, I sense about eight of them nearby. There are six Magus and two Musha types," she reported. "I'll scan for weaknesses immediately!"
The Shadows came towards them. They Persona-users could finally see what their enemies looked like: the Mushas wore silver and metallic red samurai armor, their swords encased in ruby-encrusted scabbards. As for the Magus Shadows, they had blue and green stripes on their robes, holding scepters taller than themselves with a pink jewel at the tip.
Minato gave out orders. "Those Magus types are probably prone to physical attacks. Shinjiro-senpai, Metis, Aigis and Chie; the four of you take out those three," he said, pointing to a trio at his left. "Kanji, Junpei, Akihiko-senpai and I will take care of the rest."
"Yukari-chan, Mitsuru-senpai and Yukiko-chan are with me. We'll take out that Musha," Minako commanded, eyeing the targeted Shadow. "They're likely strong or immune to physical attacks so hit it with all the magic you've got!"
"The rest of you are with me. Let's buy Rise some time to complete the scanning," Souji ordered, already summoning his card. "Be careful. From past fights, I'm pretty sure that Musha has plenty of Evasion skills."
"Got it, Senpai!" Rise replied. "Be on your guard though. I can sense that they're stronger than the usual ones we've encountered so far."
Both Mushas released a combined Myriad Arrow attack that rained on the Persona-users. Aigis blocked them with Athena's shield and Souji reflected some with Rangda's Physical Repel while the rest dodged just in time. Some of the arrows ricocheted back to the enemy, but they seem unharmed.
"So they're immune to Pierce attacks…" Minako observed, readying her Evoker to summon a Persona with high magic status. "Byakko, Ziodyne!" The giant winter tiger zapped a Musha with electricity, but it seemed to have little effect.
The girls in her group also tried to hit their targeted Musha with their own magic, trying to figure out their weakness and buy some time for Rise to finish her analysis. But the Shadow was swift so it managed to evade all of them.
Souji distracted the other one the old fashioned way; by challenging it to a sword fight. While it was busy with him, Yosuke, Naoto and Teddie aimed their attack. They had better luck than the girls, but Yosuke's wind and Naoto's Vorpal Blade didn't seem to work either. Teddie quickly healed Souji when his shoulder was pierced by the enemy's sword. Luckily, it wasn't too deep.
Meanwhile, Minato and his group weren't having that much trouble landing hit after hit on the Magus Shadows. What frustrated them however was the Shadows' tendency to cast Tatrakarn on themselves or their comrades. Whenever one of them got too close, they would cast Marin Karin or worse, Sexy Dance. Kanji and Junpei were the unlucky ones who got charmed.
Fortunately Minato thought fast. "Garuda, Amrita!" White light surrounded them before disappearing with a 'pop'.
Junpei blinked in confusion. Kanji snapped out of his trance, a stupefied look on his face. "What the hell happened?!"
"You and Junpei were charmed. Don't worry, it wasn't your fault," Akihiko assured him.
"What's that?" Kanji asked.
"It's a type of ailment that makes you side with the enemy and attack your friends against your will," the former boxer explained. "It's sort of like Confusion, but you can still use your powers to aid the enemy."
"Basically they make you fall in love with them," Minato added, and grinned when he saw the enraged look in Kanji's eyes.
The school punk summoned Rokuten Maoh in a heartbeat. "Damn you…I love Naoto and only Naoto! You shitheads better remember that!" Kanji put all of his rage into a Primal Force and obliterated one Magus. The side effect however was that he used up a lot of energy, and was on his knees after dismissing his Persona.
The other two Magus took advantage of Kanji's vulnerable state and attacked him with Bufudyne. Minato reacted quickly and absorbed it by summoning Alilat. Akihiko casted Marakunda and Matarunda on the Shadows while Junpei released a barrage of Torrent Shots.
Meanwhile, Shinjiro and his group were toughing it out. He was pissed because the Shadows were immune to the Fear ailment but was satisfied that his team had strong physical-based skills. They took out two with teamwork, but they were starting to wear thin. The last Magus standing wasn't about to give up. It let out a maniacal laugh and its scepter begins to glow a brilliant red.
"I have a bad feeling about this…" Aigis said, ready to summon her Persona.
Fuuka finished her analysis just in time. "Everyone, those Magus-types are weak to wind and light! Be careful, it can use Last Resort!"
Rise announced her results about the same time. "Guys, the Mushas have a weakness against Darkness. Their strength is rather high, so even the weakest of attacks could cause significant damage!"
Shinjiro grinned. He nodded to Metis, which she understood. Aigis and Chie readied their attacks just in case.
"Pegasus, Garudyne!"
"Psyche, Garudyne!"
Before the scepter could explode, the double wind attack hit the Shadow just in time and destroyed it, its ashes mixed with the sand in the air.
Minato was glad Fuuka finished scanning when she did. The two Magus looked weakened, but he knew never to judge a Shadow's condition by their appearance alone. "Senpai, lower their evasion rate. I need to make sure my attack would be effective," he ordered, then turned to the rest. "Then all of you stay back. I don't want you guys to get hurt." Akihiko nodded while Junpei and Kanji backed away.
"Cesar, Masukunda!"
"Time to test her out," Minato grinned. "Lailah, Samsara!"
The black angel of conception smiled at her master, before raising her candle and casting the Hama spell. Glowing runes of bright yellow barricaded the two Shadows from all sides, making it impossible to escape. Before they could shriek, the runes dissipated and nothing was left.
"That was close," Akihiko commented. "I wonder how the others are doing…"
Minako and her team were constantly bombarded with pierce attacks by the Musha. Yukari and Yukiko were kept busy healing while Mitsuru and Minako kept attacking. Although their armor helped amplify their magic slightly, it didn't protect them much from breaking skin. When Rise's analysis came through, Minako was glad. Mustering up all her strength, she summoned a Persona with Mudo skills.
"Chernobog, Mudoon!"
After the Shadow was defeated, the girls slumped together on the sand, trying to catch their breaths.
Meanwhile, Souji was having troubles of his own. Every time he tried summoning a Persona to cast a spell, his body would suddenly feel drained. If it wasn't for Teddie or Yosuke healing him, he wouldn't have the strength to even move. 'What's going on?' he thought. 'Why aren't my Personas responding like I want them to?'
At this point, the Musha was pissed. It charged towards the silverette in hopes of decapitating him.
"Partner, look out!" Yosuke screamed. With his speed, he made it just in time and pushed his leader out of harm's way. They were rolling in the sand when they heard Rise's voice inside their minds telling them about the Shadow's weakness.
Teddie and Naoto made their way towards their upperclassmen. "Are you two alright?" the latter asked.
"I'm fine," Souji said abruptly, standing once more. He tried not to show how tired he was. "I'll take care of this. Naoto, that cut on your arm needs tending to. Don't think you can hide your injuries from me," he reprimanded the detective.
Naoto pulled her hat down in embarrassment. Teddie was immediately by her side and tried to heal her.
'Please, let this work…' Souji summoned his card and it spun around in his palm for a while. The Musha was glaring at him, waiting for his next move.
"Alice, Mudoon!"
The little English girl/demon appeared, but instead of a single target spell, a bunch of red and black card soldiers fell from the sky and pierced the Musha without any mercy. However, some of Souji's friends were within its range and they almost got skewered if he hadn't been fast enough to dismiss Alice. The amount of spiritual energy needed for that spell wrung him dry, and he was teetering on the brink of consciousness. Yosuke ran to his side and gave him some Soul Drops to chew on, and he felt a bit better. The Magician's expression was a mix of worry and confusion, but he knew better than to question his best friend in this state.
Yukiko and Minako approached Souji, who was still trying to regain his breath, but kept their distance when Yosuke shook his head.
There was no time to rest however. "I detect a few Fuzz-types heading towards the mansion. Nanako-chan and Ken-kun are in danger!" Rise said, panicking.
"I sense…" Fuuka murmured, still within Juno's womb. "I can sense that their weakness is thunder, and they're strong against wind and fire attacks."
Akihiko stepped forward. "Leave those to me!" He dragged Teddie by his collar, surprising the bear. "You're coming with me as my backup. No excuses!"
For once, Teddie didn't argue. 'Nana-chan is in danger, so I must rescue her like the prince I am!' He waddled behind Akihiko, missing the evil smirk the boxer had on his lips.
"Aigis, Metis, you should go with them. Minako and I will take care of the rest," Minato ordered. The android sisters nodded and went after the two.
The four of them spotted three rotund looking Shadows wearing police uniforms heading for the mansion entrance from the beach. Akihiko wasted no time in pulling out his Evoker. "Maziodyne!"
All three Shadows were hit and they fell on their butts, struggling to get up but failing due to their roundness. Aigis and Metis took over.
"Athena, Akasha Arts!"
"Psyche, Herculean Strike!"
It didn't take long for the Fuzz Shadows to be eliminated. They were basking in their victory when all of a sudden, were showered with bullets. Taken by surprise, all four managed to duck just in time, but some of it grazed Metis' body. Aigis was quick enough to protect them with Athena's shield.
Another Fuzz, bigger this time, appeared from a coconut grove, holding up its gun, prepared to fire another round. They could only stare, wide-eyed as there wasn't enough time to dodge.
"Kala-Nemi, Ziodyne!"
The Shadow became paralyzed by the sudden thunder strike, and was destroyed by a Vile Assault courtesy of Kala-Nemi.
Ken appeared through the gate, armed with an scrubbing brush, Koromaru at his heels. "I saw the whole thing from my room. Are you guys alright?" he asked.
"We are now. Thank you for the help, Ken-san," Metis said, smiling at the young boy. Koromaru whined at the attention he wasn't getting, only to be comforted by Aigis.
Just then, the other Persona-users arrived, making a big commotion by the gate. Souji approached Ken, which the boy noticed that he was limping slightly. "Ken, is Nanako alright?" he asked, panting heavily.
Ken didn't like the silverette's pale complexion, and he was sweating so much that his shirt stuck to his skin, but answered him nonetheless. "Yeah, she transmogrified. We don't have to worry about her being targeted by Shadows." His curiosity got the best of him though; he had to point it out. "Are you feeling well, Souji-san? You don't look so good…"
The twins had worried expressions on their faces. They had noticed something went wrong when they saw Alice perform Die For Me! earlier, but Souji wouldn't say anything about it. Yosuke gave them a look telling them that he would explain later. The others brushed it off however, stating that accidents like that has happened every once in a while.
When Rise assured them there were no more Shadows in the area, Akihiko grinned. 'It's now or never, while the Dark Hour is still active…' he thought. He took out a Lightning Ball from his pocket which he found in the TV World, and threw it at Teddie.
The Lightning Ball activated, a small stream of electricity zapping Teddie's backside, causing the bear to yelp loudly, echoing throughout the deathly silent beach. The smell of burnt fur permeated the air.
Teddie spun around, clutching his bum, trying to locate the culprit responsible for damaging his pride and joy. It couldn't have been more obvious; Akihiko was the only one standing behind him, hands behind his back and looking away, one corner of his lips twitching with mirth.
Shinjiro, who saw the entire exchange, smirked. He never would have thought that his childhood friend would pull off something like that; Akihiko was the good little boy, who rarely gets into trouble while he was the opposite. 'That idiot needs a better poker face…'
"You!" Teddie scowled and pointed to the former boxing champ. "You almost killed me!" he cried.
"What are you talking about?" Akihiko spoke in a sugar-coated tone, smiling just as sweet. "I didn't do anything of the –"
Teddie cut him off. "Of course you did! My Bear-sona is weak to electricity…you want to kill me on purpose!" He threw his arms in the air, being all dramatic about it.
Akihiko kept smiling, which was starting to get creepy. "But I didn't do anything. Ask anybody."
"I don't believe you!" Teddie turned to look at the others. "You guys saw it, didn't you? How he almost killed me?!"
Everyone saw through Akihiko's lie, and were still angry about the King's Game. So they did the only thing they could at the moment – cover for him. "No, Ted. Akihiko-san wasn't the one who shocked you," Yosuke said, trying hard to hold back a grin. "Don't go around accusing him just because he uses thunder-based attacks. That's like blaming Kanji for everything gone wrong."
"That doesn't make sense, asshole!" Kanji roared from the background.
'Nice save, Hanamura!' Akihiko silently applauded.
"That bear deserves a harsher punishment!" Chie growled, cracking her knuckles. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be wearing such a skimpy outfit!" The girls gasped at that and turned murderous in a second. Teddie was shaking in fear for his life.
"Now, now, I'm sure it was an accident, just a fluke of the Dark Hour," Minato reasoned, trying to break up the tension. It wasn't his style to hold a grudge, but after what Teddie did, he couldn't blame the others for wanting to see him suffer. "What do you think, Souji-kun?"
Just then, the Dark Hour disappeared, and they could all breathe easy. Some of them checked their watches and were surprised that it was very late at night.
Souji sighed tiredly. "You know what? Let's just all go inside and get some rest. I'm too tired to deliver Teddie's punishment right now. I'll think of something when we get back."
The Investigation Team members grinned evilly; Souji could come up with something really good if he wanted some time to think about it. The pissed-off SEES members groaned with disappointment, but there was nothing they could do.
Yukiko was by Souji's side in an instant, trying to hold up his exhausted form. "He's right guys," she said, pertaining the others. "Let's get back inside. We'll discuss this tomorrow." Minako went to his other side to help him walk, since Yukiko wasn't strong enough to do it herself.
They all headed back to their rooms to change out of their armors and head straight to bed. Just as they reached the floor of their sleeping quarters, they spotted Nanako. It seems like she was looking for something, or someone.
Souji's gaze softened as he approached her. "Nanako, what are you doing out of bed at this hour?" he asked softly, ruffling her head.
"I woke up to use the bathroom. But then Koro-chan wasn't by my side anymore and I got worried," she answered. "Umm…why are you all dressed in weird clothes?"
Everyone tensed, not really sure how to answer. Ken, who only just noticed, sent them a questioning look. "Oh yeah, why are you wearing those?" he asked, recognizing their attire. "I thought you said you hated them. Well…except for Junpei-san."
Even though the three Wild Cards, who were exceptional with kids, didn't know to get out of this one; the truth was too much for a child to handle.
"Ah, Nana-chan. You see, we were playing this game – Mmphh!" Teddie was immediately smothered by Yosuke and Chie, and got dragged to the back of the crowd.
"You will shut up if you don't want to die tonight!" Yosuke hissed harshly. "I swear I'll do worse things to your bear suit if you ever mention 'that' again!"
Chie glared at Teddie, almost suffocating him with her grip. Not wanting to get injured any farther, he kept his mouth shut.
Nanako sent a questioning look to their direction, but ignored it before turning back to her cousin. "Are you playing dress up? I wanna play too!"
The Persona-users almost fell to the ground in shock. They had not expected the outcome to be like this!
"Sure ya can, Nanako-chan!" Junpei blurted. "We'll let you dress up if Ken and Koromaru here put on a costume as well."
"Really? Yay!" the little girl cheered, clapping her hands.
No sane person would deny Nanako when she smiled like that, so they agreed. Ken looked appalled at being involuntarily dragged in, but acquiesced because it was Nanako's request.
Mitsuru stroked her chin in thought. "I might have something suitable for her to wear. It's one of my dresses from when I was a child." She left the group and headed to her room.
"Let's get back to the karaoke lounge, guys. Ken here can get changed while we wait for Mitsuru-senpai," Junpei said, smiling like there was no tomorrow. The pre-teen glared at him, just like what the girls were doing.
As soon as Ken finished changing, Mitsuru returned with a pink silk dress. She and Minako helped Nanako put it on in their makeshift dressing room, and added the finishing touch by tying a red ribbon around her waist and removing her pigtails so that her hair was free. Minako placed Teddie's paper crown on her head and she was set.
"Give it up for Princess Nanako!" Minako announced, as the little girl strutted down the runway. She twirled around cutely as Teddie and Junpei cheered for her the loudest. Minato couldn't resist taking a picture. Teddie escorted her to his former 'throne', which was just a comfy armchair.
Koromaru pranced along the runway in his doggy tux, basking in the attention and praises, especially from the girls and Kanji. Teddie was slightly jealous that he didn't get the same reaction when he was the King.
Ken followed shortly after, embarrassed at having to wear the Shirt of Chivalry once again. He noticed that Nanako (the dress and hair style made her look a bit more mature, in his opinion) was staring at him intensely than usual, and blushed. He didn't understand why having Nanako's full attention to him made him all flustered.
Souji noticed this, but was too tired to do anything about it. The grandfather clock down the hallway chimed twelve times, indicating that if they didn't sleep soon, they couldn't enjoy their activities for tomorrow.
After the particularly traumatizing King's Game and everything that came along with last night, the Persona-users decided that some physical activity might help them relax. The beautiful beach was beckoning to them; it's calm winds, soft receded tides and clear blue waters made the image too tantalizing to resist. After some light breakfast, they packed their bathing suits and sunblock, and were good to go.
It didn't take the boys long to get ready. They were wearing either swimming trunks or swim shorts of various colors. As they waited for the girls, began to slather themselves with sunblock, chatting as they did so. Fortunately, there weren't many people coming to the beach today, so they had an entire section for themselves.
"Ah…the fresh air here feels so nice…" Yosuke said, inhaling a huge breath. Koromaru sniffed and barked in agreement. "You think so too, huh?"
"Too bad I didn't bring my special camera," Minato said, gazing at the horizon. The white sands and pristine waters of Yakushima haven't changed at all. "The view is stunning! It didn't look like that the last time we were here."
Souji looked around and noticed there were a few people missing. "Hey, where are Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san? And Kanji's also late…"
As if on cue, Akihiko approached the male group, parading in a speedo. Thankfully, he was wearing a white shirt to cover his upper half. "Did someone call me?" he asked.
Yosuke turned around to greet him, and Kanji came along right after. His eyes burned at the sight. Just like Akihiko, Kanji was also wearing the same thing, only black. Not-so-thankfully, his top was bare for the world to see. "What the hell, man?!" he spluttered, turning away instantly. "Oh god, now I'm seeing more than I wanted to see in double version…"
"The hell's that supposed to mean, bastard?" Kanji growled. "This is the only pair I have, and it's black!"
"Uh…Akihiko-san? Why are you wearing that?" Ken looked at the silver-haired senior curiously. "It's even smaller than what you used to wear in the boxing ring."
"Oh, you mean this?" Akihiko gestured to his outfit. "It's for training. Did you know that it reduces water resistance and –"
Souji sweatdropped. He started to wonder if similar tastes in fashion were the only things that people of similar arcana shared.
"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Junpei interrupted, not interested at hearing the same speech for the second time. "What are you guys waiting for? The sun and sea awaits!" He was holding a rubber tube around his midriff, about to dash off to the ocean any second now. His excitement was infectious as Teddie were riled up for it too.
"Jeez…even after all these years, you still haven't matured." A female voice drawled somewhere behind them as Yukari appeared in all her pink glory. Fuuka and the rest of the girls followed behind her. Aigis and Metis didn't wear swimsuits; instead they covered their mechanical bodies with sundresses. Aigis was wearing sky blue and Metis wore pastel orange.
"Oh come on Yuka-tan, loosen up. Man, talk about a feast for the eyes!" Junpei leered at the girls, taking an eyeful of their attires. "And you girls from Inaba…I never would have thought that you'd look this good in bikinis." He waggled his eyebrows for emphasis.
Rise giggled, not bothered by his perverted stare. "Of course we do! We're not country bumpkins, ya know."
"Teddie thinks so too!" the blonde Shadow agreed gleefully. His happiness was short-lived when everyone present glared at him. It felt worse than being sunburned. He squeaked and ran for cover behind his only ally, Junpei.
Souji turned to Yukiko and smiled, his mood changing rapidly at the sight of her. Her blush almost rivaled her headband.
"Now I wish I really brought my camera," Minato commented, giving his girlfriend a sly grin. Yukari's face turned pink like her bikini top.
Chie blushed when Yosuke slung his arm around her shoulders. "I hope you won't push me in the water again when I say you're one fine lady!" he grinned playfully.
Kanji stopped playing with Koromaru to greet the girls, ignoring their gasps of shock and noticed there were another three people missing. "Where's Naoto, Nanako-chan and Minako-senpai?"
"Minako and Nanako are helping Shirogane with her outfit," Mitsuru answered. "Akihiko, why are you wearing that?" She narrowed her eyes dangerously at her boyfriend. "What happened to the swimming trunks I got you? What did I say about indecent exposure?"
"Huh? What are you mad at me for? Tatsumi's wearing the same thing!" Akihiko accused.
The others backed away and minded their own business, not wanting to get caught in a soon-to-be argument between silver and red, the former gulping in nervousness. Yosuke and Junpei raced with Aigis and Metis to the water. Yukiko and Chie, along with Fuuka and Yukari, went ahead to find the perfect spot for sunbathing. Kanji and Ken took turns playing fetch with Koromaru. Souji and Minato stayed to wait for the rest. Rise and Teddie, nosy as they were, wanted to watch.
Before the argument could go very far, Shinjiro showed up, not looking pleased. "Aki, you asshole! How dare you run off with my clothes!" he growled, striding menacingly towards them in a pair of swimming trunks that reached a few inches above his knees. It was black in color, with red and green flames on the sides.
"Hey, if I didn't do that, you wouldn't have put those on would you?" Akihiko pointed to the trunks, smirking. "Besides, I don't think it's that bad. You look decent."
Shinjiro snorted at his friend's irony. "Who the hell picked this out for me anyway?" He glared at the offending item. "They have poor taste."
A sniffle from somewhere behind them caught their attention. Minako, in her pink and white striped bikini, stood motionless, her red eyes watering and bottom lip trembling. Holding her hand was Nanako in a bright yellow one piece with frills on the waist. Behind the two, Naoto was trying to make herself appear smaller. She was looking down at her blue flip-flops, ears an unearthly shade of red. The cause for this was the metallic blue bikini, paired with a white sarong, that she was forced to wear by a certain idol.
Without warning, Minako let go of Nanako, turned around and ran off in the opposite direction.
"Minako?! Wha…" Shinjiro stared after her dumbly. Everything took a turn for the awkward.
It was lucky that Kanji defused the situation, having fainted from a nosebleed after his brain finished processing what Naoto was wearing. She, along with Ken, Akihiko and Mitsuru came running to his aid. Rise and Teddie pulled Nanako away and offered to help her build a sand castle with Koromaru. Nanako, being young, didn't understand the circumstances much and happily accepted the distraction.
Minato and Souji on the other hand, were furious. The wind around them seemed to have picked up speed, crackling with charges of electricity as they unconsciously summoned Beelzebub from their psyches and released his intimidating aura, slowly stomping towards Shinjiro. The senior felt as if his lifespan shortened a few decades, but managed to keep up his tough guy facade.
"You had to go and say that, didn't you?" Minato hissed, as he and Souji cornered the tall teen.
Shinjiro might be one fearless fighter, but that doesn't mean he was stupid enough to go against these two at the same time, with or without Personas. 'Damn it, of all the times to open my big mouth!'
"Did you know how hard it was for Aneki to find a pair your size? That was the only one left!" Souji glowered, poking the older teen's chest with each syllable. Shinjiro could have sworn his grey eyes turned a blackish hue. "You better go apologize before we kick your ass."
Shinjiro didn't need to look back to see that the two were watching him as he hastily made his way to the direction Minako ran off to, hoping that she's okay. He got away far enough so that the oppressing air wasn't suffocating him.
Following a small footpath connecting the beach to a more secluded spot, Shinjiro found Minako leaning her palm against a giant boulder and hunched down, trying to catch her breath. He saw her back stiffened, meaning she was already aware of his presence.
"Look, I'm sorry about what happened. It just came out…" Shinjiro began. Minako didn't say anything, just gave a loud 'hmph!' and crossed her arms, her back to him, nose stuck in the air. He gave a huge sigh. Under normal circumstances, he would have found this cute. 'Is she always this bipolar? She should know by now I'm not good at this kind of thing…Damn it…' Unless he wanted to lose his love and his life, he better get this over with. He slowly approached her, and hugged her from behind. He didn't miss the surprised gasp which escaped her lips.
"Please don't turn away from me…" he whispered in her ear. "I know I can be inconsiderate and insensitive, but I can't stand to see you upset. I said it before, didn't I? You look best when you smile…" He tightened his hold, afraid he'll lose her again.
Minako's face softened. Hearing him talking like this, so sincere and intimate, was enough to turn her legs to jelly and her heart melted. She turned around slowly and pulled him into a hug, placing her forehead against his bare chest. "Sorry…I didn't mean to make you worried…" she mumbled.
"Why are you apologizing, idiot?" Shinjiro said gruffly, without meaning any of it. "I was the one who hurt your feelings, even after I promised I wouldn't do anything of the sort." He pulled her closer. "I'm sorry. If I'd known how much trouble you went through to get me this, then I would have just kept my freakin' mouth shut."
He felt a bit disappointed when Minako released him, but kept his fingers entwined around her waist. "Does it still hurt?" she asked timidly, touching the scars on his chest.
Shinjiro tried not to flinch at her question, but he couldn't blame her; he was topless after all. "Sometimes…when the bad memories come once in a while," he answered. "So, have I earned your forgiveness?"
"On two conditions…" Minako grinned cheekily. "The first one iiiiisss….to give me a kiss!"
Shinjiro couldn't say no to that. After all that's said and done, Minako was willing to forgive him, and that was all that mattered. He dipped his head and gave her what she wanted.
After pulling away, she looked proud of herself. "If I could get you to kiss me like that all the time, then I would have to sulk more often," she giggled, her cheeks turning pink.
He was about to snort and give her a small lecture until he looked down and saw, really noticed, what she was actually wearing. He blushed. In all honesty, Shinjiro never saw his girlfriend in a bathing suit. It barely covered anything! Her skin was soft and smooth under his hands, the two-piece did a very good job of showing off her curves. The expectant but innocent puppy-eyes she gave him flooded his brain with impure thoughts. Memories from last night's King's Game only added fuel to the fire. 'Like hell I'm turning into a lightweight like Tatsumi!' he growled inwardly when his nose felt funny. 'And why does she have to be so damn cute…Shit, I better not be ogling her the entire day…Who knows what Minato or Souji might do to me…'
"Shinji-kun, come on…" Minako whined, tugging his arm, pulling him to the direction where the others were. "Let's go for a swim. You can buy me ice cream after we're done playing."
At that (somewhat?) innocent statement, Shinjiro let his imagination get the better of him, and he had to mentally slap himself. 'I just hope that those two aren't mind readers…'
They met Minato and Souji halfway to their destination, casually leaning against a large tree.
"Aniki! Souji-kun!" Minako waved at them, a huge smile on her face.
Shinjiro gritted his teeth, trying to contain his annoyance. "You didn't have to spy on me, you know…"
"I know…" Minato shrugged, grinning. "We just wanted to make sure you didn't screw it up."
Souji grabbed Minako's hand. "Come on, Aneki. Yosuke and Junpei-san just challenged Akihiko-san to a volleyball match and asked us to join."
"Then let's team up, the three of us!" Minako said excitedly. "We'll totally kick their asses! Go Team Wild Card!"
Taking a break from the volleyball game after two rounds, Souji sat down next to Nanako. The little girl was busy filling a small glass bottle with sand and sea water. "Hey, Nanako, what are you doing with that?"
"Oh, I told my friend Pharos-kun I'd bring him and his brother a bottle of sea water and beach sand."
Souji raised an eyebrow. His cousin had told him a while ago about her strange stripped-pajamas friend, but this was the first time she mentioned he had a brother. "His brother? When did you meet him?"
"When you were out with Aneki to help her find swimming shorts for Shinjiro-san."
…Flashback…
"A trip to the beach?" Pharos asked curiously. He and Nanako were at the vegetable garden beside her house when the little girl brought up the topic.
"Uh-huh. We're going tomorrow. One of Big Bro's friends has a house at a really beautiful place called Yakushima!" she explained. "We're gonna have a lot of fun there."
"That's really nice." Pharos smiled at Nanako's excitement. "What's a beach like?"
"It has really pretty white sand and the sea is so huge with sparkling blue water! The sky is always blue and the sun shines really brightly!" Nanako described, her enthusiasm growing with every word.
"Oooohhhh…. That sounds so beautiful! I wish I could see it!" Pharos' eyes began to sparkle.
Nanako had an idea, the proverbial light bulb shining. "I know! I'll bring you a bottle with water from the sea and sand from the beach. That way you can see what it's like!"
"That's a great idea!" a voice interrupted them.
Surprised, the kids turned around. A black haired teen wearing a long yellow scarf walked up to them.
Pharos smiled. "Hello, big brother!" He went up to greet him and smiled at Nanako. "Nanako-chan, this is my older brother Ryoji."
"Hey, there. So you're the cute little girl my brother keeps talking about?" Ryoji smiled, bending down to Nanako's height. "Nice to meet you."
"Hi! Nice to meet you too, Ryoji-san!" Nanako returned the greeting, making a little bow.
Ryoji chuckled softly. "Wow, you sure take after Souji-kun."
"You know my big brother?"
"Yup! We met at the hospital some time ago. I also know Minato-kun and Minako-chan," Ryoji grinned. "They're close friends of mine, but I didn't have the chance to talk with them ever since Pharos and I arrived in Inaba." He looked around. "Speaking of which, they wouldn't be around here, would they?"
Nanako shook her head. "Big Bro and Aniki went to Junes with Aneki to buy a swimsuit for Shinjiro-san, but they'll be back soon. You can wait for them."
"Thanks for the offer, but I've got some work to do." Ryoji playfully ruffled Nanako's hair. "We'll probably bump into each other soon enough. In the meantime, have fun at the beach."
"Okay! I'll bring the bottle to you and Pharos-kun!" Nanako said.
"I know you will." Ryoji turned to Pharos. "Come on. Time to go." Seeing Pharos pouting, he smiled. "Wanna buy a Topsicle on the way home?"
"Sure!" Pharos brightened up and then proceeded to hold Nanako's hand and kissed it. "See you soon, my dearest Nanako-chan. Have fun!"
Nanako blushed at that, but quickly recovered. "Bye, Pharos-kun! Bye-bye, Ryoji-san!" She waved them off.
Ryoji chuckled and both 'brothers' walked away.
…End Flashback…
Souji was silent after Nanako finished her story. 'That guy with the yellow scarf… It's gotta be Ryoji-san, but Aniki and Aneki never said he had a brother… And who is this Pharos kid? And why did he befriend Nanako? If he's with Ryoji-san then I can trust him, but still… there's a lot of things going on here…' So many questions left unanswered.
Nanako gently poked his arm. "Big Bro?"
Souji snapped out of his thoughts. "Yes, Nanako?"
"Aneki and Aniki are calling you for another game." She pointed at the twins who were indeed, calling him.
"Oh, right. I'm coming!" Souji walked up to them. 'I'll have to ask them about Pharos later.'
After God knows how many rounds of beach volleyball, those who participated were completely worn out, except Chie, who was hassling Yosuke for another round. After cooling off in the sea, Yukiko called out, "Hey, isn't it about time to start breaking the watermelon?"
"Watermelon! Watermelon!" Nanako cheered.
"Then we better get started!" Souji said. "I'll get the watermelons from the cooler. Yosuke, can you help me get the blindfolds and hitting stick from my bag?" Happy to have an excuse to get away from Chie for a while, Yosuke obliged.
Minato, Junpei and Akihiko left to get some snow cones from a vendor. "Damn, I'm gonna be sore for weeks. You could have toned it down, Senpai," Junpei complained as they walked.
"I was fired up. And I don't back away from a challenge!" Akihiko retorted.
"Come on you two. I'm tired and it's getting hot," Minato grumbled. "We should rest up. Mitsuru-senpai told me that we'll be heading to the village next. We didn't get a chance to visit back then."
The three of them chatted as they hung around the vending cart, gobbling a few snow cones for themselves before buying some for the others.
"My my my, what do we have here?" A seductive female voice echoed behind them. "I'm sure three good looking boys like you didn't come to the beach by yourselves. Do you want some company?"
Shivers ran up their spines. The hot weather suddenly turned ice-cold. And that voice…sounded oddly familiar. Too scared to look, Minato, Junpei and Akihiko slowly turned around.
A busty woman of questionable age wearing a rather revealing black swimsuit stood, hand on her hip, attempting to pull off a sultry pout. When she got a look at the three boys, recognition hit her. "Oh…if it isn't the three delicious cuties I've had the fortune to meet three years ago. My my, you haven't changed one bit!"
The three guys tensed when her voice lowered to a husky whisper. "What brings you here? Could it possibly be that you came all the way here because…you want me?" It was followed by a suggestive wink.
Memories flooded Minato's mind. Now he remembered who this woman was. 'Shit, she doesn't even remember the part where Junpei insulted her!' he realized, frantically looking around for an escape. Unfortunately, not many people came to the beach today, so he couldn't call for help and their friends were rather far away. He noticed the look of despair Junpei and Akihiko wore. 'Looks like they remembered too...'
Meanwhile, Souji was walking back to the group, carrying four large watermelons in net sacks. Yosuke was walking beside him, blindfolds and a stick in one hand another watermelon in the other. "Man, I can't wait to give this thing a good whack!" Yosuke said, eyeing the melons.
"Easy there, partner." Souji grinned. "Nanako gets the first honors. You know that." They approached the girls and handed them the fruits. "By the way, where's Aniki? We shouldn't get started without him," he asked his cousin.
"Oh, Aniki said he's going to buy me some ice cream," Nanako beamed, but then she pouted. "But he has been gone a while…"
"Why don't you help the others set up? I'll go look for him."
"I'll come with you," Yosuke offered. "I kinda want some myself."
As the duo made their way to the vending stand, they spotted who they were looking for…and another who they weren't even expecting. "What the hell…?" Yosuke squinted to get a better look. His eyes widened a second later. "Dude, is that who I think it is? Holy crap, it's really Kashiwagi!"
There was no mistaking it. She was wearing the same swimsuit that burned retinas in the Beauty Pageant, and her flirty body language was unmistakable. "You're right…" Suddenly Souji wasn't feeling so well. "Wait, what the heck is she doing to Akihiko-san?!" The silver-haired boxing champ backed away when Kashiwagi attempted to feel up his biceps. She did the same with Minato, but it didn't look like they could avoid her for long.
Junpei spotted them immediately. "Dudes, over here!" he shouted. "Help us!"
'Why does he have to be so loud?' Yosuke and Souji thought, sweatdropping. There was no turning back now. Kashiwagi was looking straight at them.
"If it isn't Seta and Hanamura…couldn't stay away, could you?" She winked at them again.
The two teens were instantly reminded of the room mix-up incident back home. 'It's nothing like that at all!' they screamed in their minds.
"Oh dear, so much eye candy and so little time…"
"H-h-hey there, Kashiwagi-sensei…" Souji greeted, feeling extremely uncomfortable already. It wasn't helping that they were all shirtless, and their former homeroom teacher was drinking it all in with her eyes.
"S-Sensei!?" Junpei gagged, close to freaking out even more.
"Hanamura, I never knew you had muscles under that uniform. And Seta…" Kashiwagi made her way towards them. "…yummy as ever, I see." She grabbed his arm. "Why don't we go have some fun?"
Minako dragged Shinjiro along to get some snow cones. He doesn't seem too keen on the idea, but complies anyway; a promise is a promise after all. Suddenly he felt her stop. "Hey, what's the matter?" he asked.
Her eyes were wide, staring out at something. Shinjiro followed the direction of her stare and saw what looked like a group of young men, whom he recognized as his friends, being sexually harassed by an older woman. Before he could swear, Minako ran towards them.
She got close enough to hear what the old hag was saying to her brothers and friends. "Come now, Seta. Surely you don't mind spending time with your dear teacher, do you?"
"I…I'd rather not…" Souji said brokenly.
"Don't be shy…" Kashiwagi tried again. "I rented a room at a chalet not far from here. You can even invite your friends." Her voice got huskier. "Nobody will interrupt us."
Souji tried to pull his arm away, but Kashiwagi had a tight grip. From the look on his face, he'd rather be skinned alive. Yosuke tried hard not to puke. The others gagged.
Minako had enough. "You old bag!" she shrieked. She stomped towards the older woman and snatched Souji away from her, who winced in pain at his arm almost being ripped out. "Go hit on someone your own age!"
Kashiwagi scowled. "Wh-who are you calling old bag?!"
"You! Stop hitting on my brother!"
While the two started arguing, the guys made their escape and took refuge behind Minako. That pissed Kashiwagi off. "Speak for yourself, you immature jailbait. You must be some kind of playgirl to have this many boys take your side. I wonder what kind of deceitful tricks you used…you're even worse that I am."
Before Minako could lash out, Shinjiro was already at her side. "Hey, what's going on here?"
"Oh, and who do we have here?" Kashiwagi's interest turned to Shinjiro. She eyed him from head to toe. "A delinquent, I see. I don't usually go for bad boy types, but I'll gladly make an exception for you~" she purred.
For once, Shinjiro was unable to defend himself. There was something about the way this woman stared that made him feel so…so violated. "Get the hell away from me!" he shouted, swatting the older woman's wondering hands away.
"You pedophile slut!" Minako seethed. Tendrils of hellish, black aura was emanating from her body, causing the Persona-users to gulp in fear. Minato and Souji recognized which Persona she had unconsciously summoned; Thanatos. Thank the heavens she wasn't able to use him right now, or else Kashiwagi would have died on the spot. "Bullshit! You say that I'm immature, but what about you? Preying on younger men, making them scarred for life…you're just compensating for your lack of confidence, thinking you can get an image boost by snagging a boy toy!"
"Hmph, a little bitch like you…You're a hundred years too young to be lecturing me!" Kashiwagi scoffed.
Souji noticed that his teacher was starting to lose her calm composure. 'Uh oh, this is gonna get bad…' he thought. Judging from Minato's face, he was thinking the same thing. "Kashiwagi-sensei, I think you should leave us alone now," he suggested, trying to defuse the situation.
Too bad she was too stubborn to listen.
Minako's deadly aura was getting heavier. Without warning, she lunged at the older woman, intending to claw her eyes out. "STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY MAN!" she screeched.
It was a good thing Shinjiro was standing beside her before any damage could be done. He wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's abdomen, trying to ignore the way she wriggled against his body. Minato and Souji also took action by restraining her arms.
Around the same time, Kanji and Teddie were heading their way. After Nanako informed them that the other guys were going to get some frozen treats, they wondered if the vendor sold any Topsicles. Arguing over which flavor was better, they stopped in their tracks when they saw what was going on. Topsicles forgotten, they ran back to the girls and hid under a pile of their belongings, unceremoniously interrupting their second sunbathing session.
"Hey, what's the matter with you two?" Rise questioned their odd behavior, lowering her sunglasses. The other girls were slightly miffed at the intrusion, but curious nonetheless.
Kanji and Teddie wrapped themselves in towels and tried to blend in with the pile. "I'm scared…" the blonde shivered.
"It's Kashiwagi-sensei. She's here," Kanji answered. "Apparently she said something that ticked Minako-senpai off. Damn, that girl's scary when she's mad."
"Really?" Rise said, her eyes gleaming.
"If Kanji's this scared of Senpai, then I wonder how Kashiwagi must fare?" Chie had an impish grin on her face. "Let's go and watch!"
The Inaba girls were all too eager to do so. Wondering what the fuss was all about, the SEES girls tagged along, leaving Nanako, Koromaru and Ken to comfort a whimpering Teddie.
It wasn't disappointing. Minako was restrained by her brothers and boyfriend, looking like a pissed hellcat than anything else, spewing out threats and curses. Kashiwagi's looked terrified, mostly because nobody had ever stood up to her like this before. The stall vendor was nowhere in sight.
"Akihiko, what's going on here?" Mitsuru questioned. "Why is Minako acting like that?"
The boxer sighed. He told his girlfriend everything that happened. By the time he finished, Mitsuru had a tight smile on her face, scaring the guys even more. The surrounding temperature dropped. Apparently, Minako felt it too and ceased her struggling.
"Excuse me, Miss." Mitsuru stepped up to the high school teacher. "I believe you should leave before I report your indecent behavior towards my friends."
Regaining her composure, Kashiwagi frowned. "And who are you to tell me what to do?!" she sniped back.
"My name is Mitsuru Kirijo, and I believe you were harassing my friends. Leave now before I personally execute you," Mitsuru said in her most authoritative tone.
Kashiwagi narrowed her eyes and turned to leave, cursing under her breath. There was no way she was going against a Kirijo.
After she was long gone, the guys could finally exhale a breath of relief. Rise was the first to break the silence and gave Minako a tackle-hug. "Senpai, that was amazing!" she squealed. "That old hag has been giving us nothing but trouble ever since Naoto-kun won the Beauty Pageant by a landslide. Serves her right!"
Soon Minako was surrounded by hugs and praises from Yukiko, Chie and Naoto. "You're our hero, Senpai!" they chorused.
'Wow, who knew Aneki was the possessive type,' Souji thought, amused. Then he remembered Nanako. "Hey guys, aren't ya forgetting something? Let's get the watermelon party started!"
The whole beach fiasco was forgotten after they cracked a few melons, and the mood returned to normal. They decided to take the scenic route back and rented scooters to go explore the villages and sample their specialties. They even stopped at a restaurant for a late lunch.
When Chie suggested they go for a short hike, Mitsuru guided them to a small hill not far from the mansion. Chie openly challenged anyone to race her to the top of the hill. Akihiko took it a little too seriously, stating that the loser has to buy the winner beef bowls for the rest of the week. Everyone sweatdropped as they were left in the dust of the two muscle maniacs.
Souji and the twins were walking at the back of the group. Halfway through the trail, Izanagi started acting up again. This time, images were of black blobs and his parents' concerned faces. His headache became unbearable, causing him to stop in his tracks.
The twins noticed his pain and tried to comfort him. "It's happening again, isn't it Banchou-kun?" Minato asked, handing him a bottle of water.
"Yeah…" Souji groaned, still trying to calm his Persona down. When he finally did, he chugged down the entire bottle.
"Tell us what's wrong. Maybe we can help," Minako offered. Her little brother can be quite stubborn sometimes.
Souji sighed and told them everything. By the time he was done, the twins looked surprised. "That's weird. How come we don't feel that? We've been through the same thing…" Minato wondered aloud.
"Now it's your turn to talk. What are you guys hiding from me?" Souji demanded.
Minato and Minako sighed. They told him about Mitsuru's suspicion and the labs located on the island, including Aigis' theory about what took place here three years ago.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" the silverette muttered, rubbing his temples. "But still, the biggest question is how Ikutsuki knew me and my parents. I just hope we find the answer to that soon."
"We hope so too, Banchou-kun. We hope so too…"
"Big Bro!"
Nanako's voice snapped the three out of their revelries. Having felt a bit better, Souji jogged to his cousin's side. It turns out the little girl had captured a kabuto beetle and was sharing her find with Yukiko. She was excitedly telling Souji all about it, flailing her arms about. Ken came to join them and she had to tell the story all over again.
Having seen the distraction, with Souji out of hearing distance, Yosuke approached the twins. "So how is it going with Souji, guys?"
"He's seems to be doing okay now, but I dunno…" Minako answered him with uncertainty.
"What exactly happened last night, Yosuke? When he performed that spell, something went wrong. I could sense it," Minato stated, his tone serious. "Knowing him, he wouldn't risk something like that over a single target."
"I thought it was unusual too. I could have sworn when he summoned that little girl Persona of his, he was commanding her for a Mudoon spell." Yosuke shrugged. "Maybe I heard it wrong…"
Minako shook her head. "His Personas have been giving him headaches recently. Did he ever tell you guys about any of that?"
"Knowing Souji, he wouldn't even speak about his problems unless withholding any info could put us in danger," Yosuke sighed. "This happened before you know…during our fight with Kubo…"
Minato raised an eyebrow. "The copycat murderer? What about him?"
"When he got trapped in one of Kubo's mind tricks, I saw him crushing card after card but couldn't summon even a single Persona. The weird thing was…those cards were blank. Usually, it would be glowing blue and has a picture of our Personas on it. I overheard Kubo saying something about Souji being empty like him. I managed to pull him out of there before that lunatic strangled him." Yosuke shuddered at that. "He was so angry at Kubo, we were afraid he would snap and lose control of his power. We didn't think much about it after that because thanks to his frenzy summoning, we were able to defeat that Shadow."
The twins looked at each other and then at the ground, biting their bottom lip. Yosuke found it funny how much they look alike at this point, despite their polar opposite appearances. Then a thought hit him. "Hey guys, I was wondering about your Shadows. Do you think –"
"Aneki, Aniki, Yosuke! If you don't hurry up, we're leaving without you!" Souji called them over in the distance. They were almost out of the small forest and the mansion was in sight.
Heading back together, they followed the rest of the group from the back. The twins' stomachs growled. "Oh yeah, it's almost dinner time," Minato grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"I wonder what Shinji-kun is gonna make tonight?" Minako thought aloud, and then turned her attention to their soon-to-be schoolmate. "Oh right, what was it you wanted to ask us, Yosuke-kun?"
He shook his head. "Never mind, it's probably nothing. I must be over-thinking things…" When the twins turned their backs to him, he frowned. 'I guess I have to ask them some other time."
Dinner was the most memorable event of the day. Souji and Shinjiro prepared the skewered meats, fish and vegetables for the barbeque while Junpei and Yosuke fired up the charcoal grill. The girls set up the area and made drinks. They were having a picnic under the open sky, at the mansion's deck facing the sea. Shinjiro didn't trust the girls to watch over the cooking food except for Minako. Kanji and Minato assisted him with the meats and fish while Souji took care of the vegetables. He even taught Nanako how to grill her own eggplants. For dessert, Minako treated everybody with homemade smores.
After an amazing meal, the girls laid out straw mats on the deck, where everybody could sit or lie down. The sky was cloudless that night, making it perfect for stargazing.
"Damn, that was some good food…" Kanji commented as he lied down and propped his hands behind his head, staring at the sky. Everyone agreed as they did the same, some sitting down on the mats, enjoying the salty, soft breeze of the ocean.
"This is the best vacation ever!" Nanako beamed, hugging Koromaru who snuggled up beside her. "I wish my dad was here though…"
Sensing her loneliness, Minako brought up the topic of their next activity. "Hey, since we're outdoors, does anyone know any campfire songs? Ooohh, better yet, ghost stories!"
"No way!" Yukari and Chie shrieked as they buried their faces into their boyfriends' backs.
Minako giggled. "Relax, girls. I was only kidding."
Nanako tugged her cousin's shirt. "Big Bro, the stars are pretty. Do you see any constellations?"
Souji looked up to the sky. "Hmm…I think I see the Dipper over there. I'm not sure if it's the big one or the little one though. " He pointed to a group of stars slightly to the right. When he lied down to get a better view, Nanako nestled by his side to join him.
"My science teacher said that's part of a bear. Is that true?" she asked.
"Yeah, the big bear is called Ursa Major, and the little one is called Ursa Minor," he answered.
Yukiko elegantly sat by his other side, and pointed to three brightly shining stars in a row. "I think I see Orion's belt, although I could be wrong…"
Seeing how comfy those three were, everybody wasted no time in pairing off to partake in the activity. Teddie and Junpei were kicked away from Rise's group, which consisted of the two scanners, Koromaru and Ken. Feeling dejected, the two went off to one corner to sulk.
The Persona-users never knew that stargazing could be so relaxing, and helped calmed their minds from all that has happened during the summer vacation. They hoped that they skies were just as clear when they got home, so they could do it again.
After a few more hours of stargazing and chatting about trivial things, Nanako fell asleep. That was the cue to end their activities for the day. Souji carried Nanako to her room and Minako tucked her in while her twin handed her the Loveline doll Kanji had make to her.
The next morning, everybody had full reign on their time and were free to do anything they wished. One thing's for sure, no one wanted to set foot on the beach again. They were content at just walking around the mansion's gardens or lounging about before they had to leave after lunch.
Mitsuru took Fuuka, Aigis and Metis to the labs, the one where Aigis was sleeping in before she mysteriously reactivated and joined SEES. She wanted to find out if anything has been tampered with, or taken.
"Senpai, I found nothing in the database about Souji-kun or his parents," Fuuka said, looking away from a gigantic screen. "Even going through the past files, I got nothing."
Aigis came back with Metis. "We checked the inventories, every single one, but we found nothing out of place," Aigis reported.
"We even checked the abandoned basement where Sister had been sleeping before she reawakened, but there was nothing there," Metis added. "What are we looking for exactly?"
Mitsuru sighed. "I'm not entirely sure myself. So far, we found no evidence of anything being tampered here. Even if these laboratories no longer support Shadow research, I doubt that they've discarded everything after the explosion back in '99. We just have to look a bit harder." That said, she turned back to one of the computers and began typing.
"Senpai, if you would give me permission, I'd like to check something on the mainframe computer," Fuuka said. "There might be some sort of clue there that could point us to the right direction."
"Then take this with you." Mitsuru pulled out a shiny black card and handed it to Fuuka. "It's my master key. It will override all the security protocols and give you full access to anything you might need. Hack if you deem it necessary. I'll take full responsibility. We don't have much time left before the ferry arrives to take us back."
"I understand," Fuuka replied, taking the card and headed to another room.
A thought occurred to Aigis, when she suddenly remembered the time they fought the Justice and Chariot Shadows in an underground basement. "There are places we haven't thought of looking yet," she said. "Are there any blueprints of this place when it was first built? There might be a few nooks and crannies that others aren't aware of. Someone might just be smart enough to hide something there."
"You do have a point." Mitsuru stroked her chin in thought. "Yes, I can get those for you. Just be as thorough as you can." A few keystrokes later, she put the old blueprints on screen. Aigis memorized them and headed off, Metis following close behind.
Another two hours later, the four gathered in an empty office. Fuuka opened her laptop and typed furiously while Mitsuru shuffled some papers, sighing disappointedly. Aigis and Metis were sorting the contents of a rust-proof box they had found.
"I discovered nothing on my part, but I have blocked all access for Ikutsuki and changed all the passwords," Mitsuru declared. "If he does try anything, I will know of it."
The other three turned to Fuuka. "I haven't found much as I dug through the entire system, but I did find some anomalies in the data, and blanks that were not made recently. It's possible to reconstruct the erased information, but it'll take a while."
"Then I'll confiscate anything you need," Mitsuru told her. "Aigis, I hope you and Metis had more luck."
"It's not much," Metis answered. "Only this air-tight box hidden in an old air vent located in the basement's drywall."
Aigis looked at the box's contents displayed on the table: a few pieces of paper and a hard disc drive. "Whatever it is, someone took the time and thought to keep it hidden and preserved. Judging from the manufacturing date of the disc, I'd say this thing is more than 12 years old…"
"Around the time of the explosion," Mitsuru concluded. She looked at her wristwatch. "We should wrap this up. The ferry will be arriving in three hours and I haven't packed yet. There's still enough time for lunch with everyone before we head back."
Fuuka also asked if she could have all of the remaining gadgets developed for use in the Dark Hour. They left the labs carrying three big boxes.
The long train journey back to Inaba lulled everyone to sleep, except the three Wild Cards. Souji was spacing out a lot and this worried his surrogate siblings.
"Banchou-kun, is anything wrong?" Minato started. "I noticed that you haven't been yourself…"
"Is Izanagi giving you trouble again?" Minako asked, sounding worried.
"Huh…No, no, I was just thinking about what Nanako said to me at the beach." At this, Souji turned away from the window and stared at the twins. "Tell me, who is Pharos?"
The twins were silent at that.
"Apparently he's Nanako's new friend who often plays with her in the evenings. She told me that his brother, Ryoji-san, came to pick him up the other day when we were out shopping for swimwear."
Minako looked at Souji as if he'd grown two heads. "Pharos can manifest himself in this world like Ryoji can? And Nanako-chan can see him?"
Before Souji could question her any further, Minato quickly answered. "Pharos was…is…the Death Shadow in its incomplete form. He's like a six-year old version of Ryoji, only more cryptic and a lot less talkative. He would often come and visit us in our rooms during the Dark Hour before the full moon appears, and after an operation. We never saw him again after the twelve Arcana Shadows were defeated."
"What do you mean by Nanako could see him?"
"Well, Pharos-kun lived within our minds, since Aigis trapped him inside us, so it only makes sense that me and Aniki are the only ones who could see him," Minako said. "But still, he's not a bad person if that's what you're worried about."
Souji pressed his back further into his seat, arms crossed. "If Pharos and Ryoji-san are the same being, then how come both of them can exist at the same time?"
The twins mimicked Souji, crossing their arms in thought. "It must be the same case as Aigis and Metis. They're like two sides of the same coin. Despite being one and the same, they are two entirely different individuals with different personalities," Minato said. "Maybe that's why he calls Ryoji his brother, just like Metis claims Aigis is her sister."
"But why would he approach Nanako though? She's not involved in any of this." A pained look crossed Souji's face.
Minako tapped a finger on her chin. "This is only a theory, but… maybe Pharos is attracted to Nanako-chan because they're in the same age group, and she has a strong bond with you? He…he might be trying to look after her, just like what he did with us."
"I'm sure Ryoji is aware of how important Nanako-chan is to you, Banchou-kun. Unlike Yukiko, she can't defend herself using a Persona," her twin added. "Remember what Margaret said; the strength of our powers lies within our bonds and emotional stability. Nanako-chan is the key that hold yours together."
"I guess you're right," Souji sighed, calming down. "I just hope Ryoji-san can explain everything if we ever see him again." He stretched and yawned. "I dunno about you guys, but I'm gonna take a nap for a while."
"Sounds good," Minato yawned, followed by his sister. "We still have a lot of stuff to think about…" They fell asleep in a matter of minutes.
Unbeknownst to them, Shinjiro, who sat behind Souji facing the other way, was eavesdropping on their entire conversation. 'Tch, things are getting a lot more complicated…' he thought. 'First Aigis and Metis, now this Pharos kid and 'Ryoji'. Oh right, he must be the Mochizuki guy Aki was telling me about… But why didn't they tell anyone about this?'
The gears were starting to click in his head. 'Wait just a damn minute…the guy who had the balls to ask Mitsuru out…the same Mochizuki who, according to Iori, was considered a playboy among playboys…?' He remembered Minato's explosive reaction towards Teddie during the King's Game, and could only come to one conclusion. 'The same bastard who got too touchy-feely with Minako… MY Minako!?'
A silent growl escaped his lips. 'If that playboy so much as looks at her inappropriately, I'll beat him up so bad he'll go crying back to Nyx!' With a satisfied grunt, Shinjiro closed his eyes drifted off in light slumber. There was only one tiny problem though; he had never even laid eyes on the guy.
'Shit!'
Hahaha… This chapter was even funnier to write than the other one. Especially the part with Kashiwagi. God I hated her in the game, even more than King Moron. Anyway, hope ya guys like the battles, funny moments, romance cuteness and the mysteries arising from this chapter. ^w^ More to come soon!
Have fun and don't forget to Read and Review!