Yu woke up and head to school, same as always. He had dozens of texts from Akechi on his phone, both explaining what happened after Yu stormed off, and offering his apologies. The final text asked if they could meet up after school, and Yu was still debating about his answer. He was torn between two desires; the desire to live and the desire to help. Izanagi was quiet this morning, maybe because he needed to be summoned before he could speak his piece. The god wanted Yu to go and help Akechi and Morgana, but Yu's fear made him hesitate. The sight of Dojima becoming a drunk and almost losing his job, alienating his family, and ruining his life was one Yu had tried to forget with every fiber of his being.
Yu was walking down the street to Shujin right behind two girls when he heard a familiar name pop up in their conversation.
"Volleyball practice was good enough, but the weird part was that Shiho once left to use the bathroom and she never came back."
"Really? Isn't she the goddess of that sport? Why would she skip out?"
"I dunno."
This information sent Yu's brain into overdrive. Was she sick? Did she get hurt? Would she be at school? Did he underestimate Kobayakawa's hunger for control? Did he get his hands on her?
The last question made Yu's blood run cold. If Kobayakawa went after Shiho, it would no doubt be in retaliation for Ann failing to become Yu's friend. An action Yu encouraged her to take. He shook his head. No. There was a perfectly good reason for why Shiho left early. He was worrying over nothing.
Everything was fine. Right?
"Why is he still here?" One student whispered as Yu entered school.
"Didn't he get in a fight? How come he hasn't been expelled yet?" Another replied.
"Don't worry. Once Akechi-senpai ropes someone into his crusade, it'll only be a matter of time before they wind up in the hospital."
"Yea. If he isn't expelled by being a crook, he'll get out because he got involved with Akechi. One way or another, he'll be gone. Think we could hold a party when that happens?"
Yu reached his seat and sat down, getting his notebook out as the rumors did nothing to help his mental state. As school started, he noticed Ann was a bit on edge, fidgeting in her seat and checking her phone every three seconds. She was worried, and it was probably because she heard the same rumors he did. He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered "It'll be ok." She looked back at him, and he could tell she didn't believe him. Hell, he didn't even believe himself. Outside, dark storm clouds were rumbling and the occasional thunder cracked. Something bad was going to happen, Yu could feel it in his bones. As the English teacher, , was in the middle of a lecture, a student stood up.
"Holy shit, look over there!" he yelled, pointing to a window.
"Quiet! Sit down!" ordered.
"Oh my god! Is she going to jump?!" Another student gasped.
By now, the rest of the school had joined in to see the spectacle. Yu was behind most of the students, but he could see what they were looking at; a girl was standing on top of the roof. A beautiful girl with raven black hair tied up in a pink headband.
Yu's body reacted on instinct. Pushing every bit of energy he had, held in reserve, and didn't even know he possessed right to his legs. Sprinting up the stairs and to the roof, his mind and body were on autopilot, working with one single goal in mind. A goal that both he and Izanagi voiced.
Save her.
Flinging the roof door open, Shiho turned around like an animal that heard a noise in the tall grass. Yu examined her, and everything told the story. She had a black eye, several bruises on her arms and legs, and she was clutching her side, not to mention her legs were positioned in a way to relieve the groin area. Her eyes were watery, and if eyes really were the window into the soul, then her soul was shattered. Whereas yesterday was a strong, beautiful person that kicked his ass in volleyball and apologized about it several times, today was a doll that looked like it had been ripped apart by violent children and lazily put back together by indifferent adults using scotch tape. And Yu knew that this wouldn't have happened if he hadn't encouraged Ann to stand against the boxing coach. He had to make this right.
"Shiho…" he croaked out, his mouth going dry at the sight.
"Don't… don't come any closer! I'll jump!" She screeched, her voice cracking.
"I… I know. Please, don't do it." Yu pleaded, his brain scrambling to think of something.
"Why? Why shouldn't I do it?!" Shiho screamed, her tears starting to fall down her cheeks.
"Because you don't have to. I can help you." Yu answered with the first thing that came to mind, and immediately regretted it.
"I don't want your help! Do you know who did this to me?!"
"Kobayakawa." He answered, looking down on the ground as guilt and shame began to well up in him.
"Yes. Do you want to know what he did to me? He…"
Shiho fell on her knees, head in her hands as she sobbed.
"He showed me a text he got… from Ann."
Shiho stopped crying, sorrow replaced by immeasurable fury, a bubbling cauldron of rage finally tipping over. She glowered at Yu, and he knew that if she had a Persona, it would unleash all of its power on him right then and there. And it probably wouldn't stop until the whole school was a pile of smoldering ash. If Yu was being honest, he knew both deserved worse.
"You know what I'm talking about, don't you? I know there's no way Ann would do that on her own, she would have to be convinced. She wouldn't listen to Akechi, and Ryuji's too stupid to suggest something like that. So, that means she finally got to talk to you, and you told her something like 'he won't dare hurt Shiho'. Am I right?" She hissed.
Yu clenched his fist and looked away in shame, giving only a slow nod in response.
"He beat me. Bruised me. And once he was done using me as his own punching bag, do you know what he did? He… he violated me, Narukami. My first time… was with that monster! I was told… that the first time was supposed to be magical, a thing to look forward to, something… truly wonderful. But… there was nothing wonderful about what he did." Shiho lamented, sobbing into her hands at the horrid memory. But she turned her eyes back to Yu, and the venom returned.
"And after that… he used me however he wanted until he was satisfied. And by then, I barely had the strength to crawl my way home."
"So why kill yourself? Why not take your anger out on me?" Yu asked.
"Because beating you up won't change anything, even if I had the strength to do it." Shiho spat, her anger starting to give way to sadness yet again.
"It wouldn't help anyone. It won't make the pain go away, and it won't return what Kobayakawa robbed me of. There's a voice screaming in my head to jump, that if I go over that edge, it'll all be over. The pain will stop." She explained, this time with all emotion drained from her as she looked at the edge, and stepped up, ready to fall to Earth. Ready to give up.
Save her.
"There are other ways to make the pain go away. Don't listen to that voice."
"Why not?"
"Think of all the people that would be hurt if you died. Think about your parents. Think about Ann."
"My parents don't care about me. I have had tried so hard to see them acknowledge me, but all I got were 'You could have done better' or 'You runt! You're unworthy of the Suzui name!' and 'I'm ashamed to call you my daughter.' They don't care about me, they care about their jobs, their reputations. Why else would they not even mention a word when I stumbled into their house, looking like this?! As for Ann…"
Shiho looked back at the school, at the crowds of people watching the exchange between her and Yu go down, recording the whole thing on their phones, like it was just another form of entertainment to them. Among those crowds, she could see a few concerned faces watching with terrified eyes and hands covering open jaws. Ryuji, Akechi, Makoto, Kawakami. And then there was her, the person who mattered the most to Shiho. She looked almost as broken as the once dignified volleyball champion. Rivers of tears had already streamed down her face, silently begging her friend not to jump. Pleading that the girl would come back to her.
"...she's stronger than I ever could be. She'll survive."
"Do you want her to survive, or do you want her to live?" Yu asked, feeling the same power that called his Persona start to reverberate within him, like a drum that was beginning a song. He felt like Izanagi had merged with his heart, and that caused him to speak what he truly thought and felt.
"What… what do you mean?"
"On the night I was arrested, I saw a man harassing a woman, determined to have his way with her. I stepped in, and as a result, he sued me, and because of that fixed trial, my life was ruined. My father was mocked at work, my sister was bullied at school, and I was expelled. Everyone I was willing to take a bullet for turned their backs on me, disgusted and afraid."
Yu looked her straight into the eyes, his grey orbs seeming to rekindle the fire behind Shiho's brown. His next words were the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
"I know what it's like to have everything ripped away from you in an instant. I know how it feels to be powerless against a force dead set on breaking you. And I know all too well the desire to just end it all. But I didn't give in to that desire. Because I know that there are people in the world that actually still care about me, and how devastated they would be if I left them. And because I knew that I would have happy times with those people again. If you want to give in, if you don't believe you'll ever have a happy day again, then go ahead and jump. I won't stop you."
Shiho looked at the ground, the words of Yu Narukami sinking in. She began to falter, she began to doubt if this was what she really wanted. Yu saw her hesitation, and stepped within arms reach of Shiho.
Save. Her.
"I can't give back what Kobayakawa stole. I can't undo the damage that wrong has done to you. But I can do everything in my power to help you get better. If you believe you can have another happy day, if you want to see Ann smile again, and if you don't want to see Kobayakawa win, then take my hand. If you do, I promise, I will help you, no matter what."
Yu extended his arm, and Shiho looked at it like it was a bear trap. She then looked back at the school. Then she looked at Ann. Finally, she turned back to Yu, and with a shaking hand, accepted his offer. As he pulled her close, he could hear the cheers and applause from everyone all the way on the rooftop. Shiho began to cry into his chest, and Yu heard a voice.
I am thou. Thou art I
Thou has acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth.
With the birth of the Empress Arcana,
Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power
"Come on. Let's go." Yu suggested, and Shiho simply nodded.
The two students hobbled their way downstairs, and waiting for them were Ann, Ryuji, Akechi, Makoto, and Ushimaru. Ann bolted immediately to Shiho's side, hugging the girl tightly as the waterworks went full force.
"Oh my God, are you ok?! You had me worried so much! Thank God you're alright! Don't ever scare me like that again!" She yelled rapid fire as the two friends embraced each other. She looked at Yu from the corner of her eye and mouthed 'thank you'. Ryuji joined in on the hug on the other side of Shiho.
"Don't worry, we're here for ya. Anything ya need, just ask." the boy offered, a sincere smile on his face. He turned to Yu and whispered "Nice work dude."
Akechi and Makoto walked up to Yu.
"Well done Yu-kun. Your father would be proud, and no one could have done that better." Makoto started.
"I agree. Narukami-san I owe you an-" Akechi began.
"No. It was unfair of me to explode at you for events out of your control. Meet me after school so we can talk about it."
Akechi gave a gentle smile and simply nodded while Makoto looked confused as to what they were talking about. Ushimaru walked up to the group and cleared his throat.
"Excuse me, I don't mean to intrude."
Everyone turned their attention to the principle.
"First off, Suzui-san, you are head immediately to the hospital to treat your injuries. I've already called an ambulance, so they should be here shortly. You are to take two weeks off to get the help you need, and you will not be required to make up any homework or tests that you miss in that time."
Shiho gave a weak smile as Ushimaru turned to Yu.
"As for you, Narukami… well done. I certainly didn't expect you of all people to pull that off, but I am grateful nonetheless. You stopped a student from ending her own life, and in doing so, gave her a second chance. For that, you have my gratitude. If you need one favor, I will grant it, so long as it's within reason, of course."
Guess that means no firing Kobayakawa.
"I see. Thank you Ushimaru-sensei."
"You are most welcome. I've already dismissed the rest of the school, and canceled all club activities. There's no way anyone will be able to concentrate after that. Feel free to leave whenever you wish."
The students simply nodded and headed out while Yu walked back up to the rooftop. By now, the ambulance pulled into the school Yu watched the girl get in, her friends undoubtedly promising to come visit her. He smiled. He would have to talk to Akechi soon, but first…
Izanagi. I'm ready for your question.
His Persona materialized from thin air in front of him.
Very well. Remember, you answered this question before. If your answer has changed, then I and the other Personas within you will vanish and never return. You will also lose your ability to enter the Velvet Room, and most likely, the Metaverse. But if your answer stays the same, then I will remain by your side to the end of your journey and beyond, and you will have decided to commit to finding the truth and delivering justice, no matter the personal cost. With that in mind, are you ready for the question?
I am.
The silence was deafening as Izanagi stopped hovering and walked to Yu. He looked his user dead in the eyes, and his question seemed to echo across the world.
Were your actions that night a mistake?
Yu looked back at the god, his grey eyes never breaking visual contact with the yellow orbs. Any doubts he had before had vanished. He finally understood why Akechi was so determined to see this through. He understood that Kobayakawa wouldn't stop unless someone made him. And he understood that no one else could do it but him and those like him. He felt a surge of thoughts at that moment.
'Kobayakawa. There are many words to describe him. Merciful is not one of them.'
'Kobayakawa will know the price of what he's done.'
'Right the wrongs of this world!'
'Are. You. In?'
I'll ask once more. Were your actions that night a mistake?
No. And neither were any of my other actions since I got here.
Are you sure you wish to travel the path of freedom? It will be a long, grueling journey, one that will hold many dangers.
Then it's a good thing I won't travel alone.
The god chuckled dryly, satisfied with Yu's answer.
It will not be easy-
-but nothing worth doing ever is.
I am thou.
Thou art I.
The two figures nodded to each other, Yu's resolve now steeled for the coming storm as Izanagi vanished into Yu's heart once again. He remembered his promise to never forget how good freedom felt, and he made another. He vowed that he would change Kobayakawa's heart, as penance for getting Shiho into the current state she was in. He heard the door open and saw Akechi poke his head through the cracked doorway. Yu tilted his head to signal that it was ok for the detective to come through.
"Hello Narukami-san. You wanted to talk?"
"Yes. After giving it some thought, and, considering what happened today, I've changed my mind. I want back in. And this time, I'm here to stay."
Akechi let a massive grin form on his face and did a fist-bump in the air.
"YES! That's excellent news, Narukami-san. I'm sure that Morgana-san will appreciate it. When will we resume infiltration of the Palace?" Akechi asked, hopeful and happy.
"Later. If this is going to work, we can't afford a repeat of last time. We'll have to prepare, rather than rush in without a plan. We already have intel, so now we need equipment. Since you have a Persona, we will need guns to balance the playing field among us. We also cannot completely depend on Morgana healing us, so we also need medicine. And we don't know if we'll encounter a block like the locked door, so gadgets are a must as well."
"I can get us the guns, but for medicine and gadgets, I'm afraid you'll be on your own."
"That's alright, we work out the details later. As for right now, I want to go home and try to think about our strategy. Come and get me in about two hours."
"Understood. I'll text you when I've arrived."
"Got it."
The two made their way out of Shujin, the other students having left already. It was still midday, and the sun was blocked out by grey storm clouds, but the foreboding was gone now. As the two teens went their separate ways, Yu called out to his new partner.
"Hey Akechi."
"Yes Narukami-san?"
"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier."
"And I'm sorry for giving you the wrong impression. Let us make it up by having each other's backs in the Palace."
"Sure thing."
The two left each other, and Yu felt his bond with Akechi grow stronger. Boarding the train and heading to the apartment, Yu went inside to find Makoto studying. Upon noticing him, the younger Niijima gave him a warm smile.
"That was a good thing you did today Yu-kun. Not many people would have done what you did, especially for a stranger."
"It was nothing."
"Saving a person's life isn't 'nothing' Yu-kun."
"Yea, that's true. Hey, Akechi and I are going out in a few hours, so I'm going to try and do my homework before then, ok?"
"Alright. I'm glad that you and Akechi-kun settled your differences. This keeps up, you two might be inseparable."
"Heh, maybe." Yu chuckled as he went into his room. He pulled out his probation diary and began to write. If Sae decided to read this, he'd pass it off as a game he and Akechi played.
Dear Diary…
Well, this probation sure hasn't been boring. I discovered a place called the Metaverse, a dimension that lets me enter and alter the hearts and minds of people who are so cartoonishly evil that they can literally distort said dimension into a spot called a Palace. One of these Palace's is called 'Shujin Nation' which is basically an even more messed up version of Shujin Academy. This Palace is ruled by a guy called Kobayakawa. He's basically like the cops at a frat party; nobody likes him, he thinks he's doing something good, and he makes life difficult for everyone involved. Also, there are these hidden demons called Shadows in them, and I get to open a can of whoop ass on them in the form of my inner self; Izanagi.
On a more serious note, I don't exaggerate when I say that Kobayakawa has made Shujin hell on earth for everyone there. He leaked my record, so I now have zero chance of making any friends outside of Akechi. And trust me, leaking my record is probably the least of his offences according to what Akechi told me. Apparently, he and Kobayakawa have been fighting for the past two years, and each time Akechi came close to ousting Kobayakawa, something would go wrong and those who helped Akechi would suffer. But now, we have a way to fight back, and after some reflection, I'm committed to that fight. Next time I write in here, it'll be to tell you that we nailed the SOB.
Yu decided to stop there, refusing to mention Shiho's suicide attempt, as he really didn't need a reminder of that event. He didn't need to remember how broken she was, or that he was indirectly responsible for breaking her. No, no thinking about that. If he went down that path, he might never stop, and guilt wasn't something he needed if he was going to steal Kobayakawa's heart. He let out a mix of a sigh and a groan. Then he remembered something important. He got up and pulled out his phone, scrolling down until he found what he was looking for.
Home.
Holding his phone up, he waited as the tone rang and rang, until…
"Hello?" Someone asked, and Yu's eyes almost popped out. He didn't recognize this voice.
"H-hello. Is this the Narukami residence?" Yu asked, having a mini panic attack at the idea that his phone had somehow been tampered with, or a complete stranger in his house.
"It is." The voice was male, perhaps a teenager, but it sounded completely disinterested and dead inside.
"I'm Yu Narukami."
"Oh… you. Dojima-san told me about you. You his son or something?" The voice asked. Under normal circumstances, Yu would assume this guy was a punk talking like that, but something told him that this person was just being friendly. Or at least his definition of friendly.
"Yea. So, who are you and why are you at my house?"
"Hmm? Oh, right. Forgot to introduce myself. I'm Minato Arisato. And I'm staying at your house because I transferred to the school here in Inaba." He continued, still monotone.
Why does that name sound familiar?
"I've never heard of you."
"Neither did your dad until a few days ago. Guess it runs in the family."
Yu rolled his eyes. Somehow, he knew that Minato wasn't trying to be rude, but that didn't make it any less irritating.
"Is he there?"
"No, he's working. But there's someone else here."
Yu heard the boy shout, somehow sounding emotionless at doing that. The next voice he heard brought a smile to his face and a tear to his eye.
"Big bro! You called us!" a little girl cried from the earpiece, joy overflowing in every syllable.
"Hey Nanako. How have you been? Have the bullies still been bothering you?"
"No, not as much as before. Emo Elmo really helped!"
"Emo… Elmo?"
"She was being bullied and I stepped in. They called me emo. The day right before, I talked to Nanako as a sock puppet named Elmo." Minato explained. They must have the phone on speaker.
"Oh, I see."
"Yea! Thanks to Emo Elmo, the bullies have stopped being mean!" Nanako chipped.
"I see. Thanks… Emo Elmo." Yu said with a coy grin.
"Sure thing." Minato replied. If he was angry at the nickname, he didn't show it.
"How's dad been?"
"Daddy's fine. He's been playing with me more ever since he and Emo Elmo went away for a few hours!"
"That so? What happened Emo Elmo?"
"You'll have to ask your dad about that." Minato answered, almost a little too quickly.
"... Alright. Be sure to tell dad that I'm doing alright, and I've already made a friend."
"Yaay! What's his name?"
"Goro Akechi. He and I have been getting along well."
"Yaay! I'm glad you're making friends. Does anyone know about… that night?"
"No, they don't." Yu answered, then paused. He waited for a few seconds, but much to his surprise, Minato didn't say anything. Why? Any normal person would be mildly curious.
"Aren't you going to ask about what we mean?" Yu questioned.
"No. Should I?" was Minato's bored response.
"Well, it's just, I thought that you'd be curious."
"No. It's your business, which I'm pretty sure it is not that interesting."
Oh, if only you knew what has happened to me since then. If only you knew.
"Alright. I have to leave now, so you take care Nanako. Be sure to tell dad that I'm doing ok, and be good for him, ok?"
"I will. Goodbye big bro!"
"This won't be the last we talk. You can be sure of that." Minato warned.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means we'll probably talk again. Nanako said that you'd call often, so I'll probably have to answer. Why? What did you think it meant?"
"Oh. Uh… nothing. Goodbye." Yu said with a huff, ending the call. That Minato was something else. He looked at the time and knew that Akechi would be dropping by anytime soon, so he decided to get dressed in more casual clothes. Flinging on a simple grey t-shirt and jeans, he got a knock on the door and a call from Makoto. Going through to the living room, he saw Akechi, who had also changed his attire. Instead of his pea coat uniform, he wore clothes that looked like they belonged to an old man. A sleeveless sweater with blue and grey colors in a diamond pattern on top of a white button-up shirt. Standing next to him was Morgana, who wore her yellow scarf on top of her head like it was a headband. She was also dressed in a white t-shirt with a yellow paw on it that barely covered her navel area and jeans that clung to her lower body and were held up by her 'V' belt. She gave a small wave which Yu returned.
"Hello Narukami-san. Ready?"