This story is a work of fiction. Any similarities to events or persons living or dead in your world is purely coincidental.
The Fakers Make Their Plans In Shade
Angered To See Their Dreams Delayed
6/15 Sunday
Afternoon
Thorns. Burning. Pain. A world of pain. A universe of it. Embrace it. Become one with it.
Hurtsss...
Dawn.
Or at least, it feels like it's time to get up, Aiko considered in the faint light.
The lingering memories of her own screams aside, waking up back in her dorm bed with the sunlight streaming through the blinds, creating a sense of security and warmth that she had never really appreciated before now. It was infinitely preferable to waking up in that awful thorn-covered brace, and it was now possible to banish the nightmares of it by simply forcing herself not to let those images, the memories of past anguish, crawl back in.
Maybe just a little bit longer, she considered in the muted darkness of the room. Her roommate Mirambela was still sleeping soundly in the bed at the other end of the room, after all. The expression frozen on her face looked far too content- even cute- to risk breaking just yet. Mira...
Maybe it was just the heat of the sheet cover making her feverish, but for a brief moment, it felt is though their usual roles had been reversed, with Mira being the protector, the strong one.
Of course she was, Ai remembered, on the verge of going back to sleep on that thought. They all did. They all teamed up to save me, to protect me. It's because of them that I'm not waking up in Kaneshiro's loving care, trapped in that awful slum of a city.
I can afford to sleep a little longer. It's our day off. No need to get up just yet.
Here, at least, I can feel safe. Yes. Safe and warm and happy with Mira-chan beside me...
She was almost all the way back down into the pillow when her eyes caught a fleeting glimpse of the clock radio on her desk, and all thoughts of further sleep immediately vanished into the ether.
"T-two-thirty?!", she exclaimed involuntarily, sitting up with a start. After finally returning from the gate, they'd barely spoken or done anything except trudge wearily back to the dorms and fall down into bed. That had happened even earlier than the campus' usual curfew.
Meaning that we must have been sleeping for at least fifteen hours. I knew we were all exhausted after all that fighting, but... lucky it was a Sunday, I guess.
Assuming we haven't actually slept thirty-nine hours and it's now Monday. Thankfully, her phone confirmed this wasn't the case.
Still, it was a stark reminder of just how hard they'd been pushing themselves in the other world. Not just physical exertion and injuries, but using up mental energy in order to use our Persona powers again and again.
And the others, she knew, had actually gone through more fights than she had, in order to reach her. Hence why she had been the only one with the energy left to follow after Joker during that nightmarish gauntlet of a fight, and lend him everything she had left in order to finally defeat Ryuken Samesaji's impossibly powerful Persona, Mithras.
Which happened after he beat the stuffing out of us, she noted, feeling dull aches from several hard hits and easily remembering every one of them. Samesaji- Prince Taurus- had just kept on coming after them, soaking up attack after attack without stopping, without ever letting up his own offensive of ice skills and brutal physical power, likely due to his ability to heal himself.
Without Kurusu-kun jumping in to turn that fight around, we all would have died. End of story.
And for his efforts, he'd suffered the worst injuries of any of them, putting him in the care of Tosashimizu general hospital. Have to thank him later, she knew. At least he's getting some more time with Nijima-san, if not exactly in the way he would have liked...
Something made a gurgling sound then, and she realized just how hungry she was. Right. Food first, then wake Mira-chan up.
Can't let this day go to a complete waste.
AK: hey
AK: everyone up?
JR: um, yeah
JR: it's 3:30
MS: we slept in untio 2:30
MS: *until
JR: lol
JR: not hard to guess why
(NV has joined the chat)
AK: when did you get up?
JR: does it matter?
AK: ...
NV: he was up and out of his room at 2:15 i believe
JR: no fair!
JR: you weren't as tired as i was bc you didn't fight!
MS: easy boys, its not a contest
AK: i can't believe it, never felt so tired before in my life 3o
JR: ikr
JR: feeling much better now tho
MS: impossible to tell how long we were in there for. would guess maybe 15 hours, maybe just shy of a full day.
NV: i assume that isn't what you normally do?
AK: no way, that was a one-time only thing
MS: we only stuck around that long because we had to save Tsuruga-chan from the Shadows
MS: if we'd left and come back the next day, who knows what might've happened? she might have become trapped there
NV: oh that's right, the gate only opens in the late afternoon, correct?
JR: right, at the time when then sun sets into the sea, this crazy green flash goes up and the gate opens up
JR: then you only have a few minutes, only we can see it tho
AK: anyways, I'd like to have a meeting today if that's ok
NV: certainly
JR: sounds good, wasn't planning anything else today except resting
No longer blocked off by the obvious restriction of police barriers, the sunlit cave on the rocky shore of Yume Bay which the Voyagers had previously used for emergency clothing changes remained a useful sanctuary for private gatherings. So long as no one was too loud, the cave's lime rock formations could generally be relied on not to carry the noise outside onto the beach and alert any beach-going passerby.
Which was why Mirambela reacted with all due alarm when she heard a whooping laugh emerge from the depths of the grotto mere seconds after Aiko had walked in there, quickly following after her to see what the problem was.
Though she was on the sandy rock floor, her friend didn't seem injured, merely taken by a bout of unforced amusement such as she would struggle to recall.
"Ai-chan, what's hap... oh."
By the time Jiachi made his way inside as well, and Pelagio had swooped in through a glowing fissure in the ceiling, Aiko had recovered enough to speak again, looking up at Noel Vitienne's handsome features with tears not of sorrow as had happened far too often lately, but of genuine laughter.
"Haha... Oookay, I'll bite... why?"
Tall and rigid, as if he was afraid to move around too much, Noel let a shy grin creep onto his face. "Because you seemed as though you needed it, Tsuruga. A good laugh, I mean. My mother once told me that a good laugh can dispel nearly any depression."
None of the others quite reacted to him as dramatically, although Mira did cover her mouth at the sight of Noel dressed up in what was unmistakably a classic 'Senshi' costume, a lustrous blue ribbon in his chest area flaring out from a heart-shaped brooch over a sleeveless white tunic molded to the body with a brief wrap of orange cloth laid over the top and down the back. Behind him, another ribbon protruded, this one bright yellow, and beneath that an orange skirt lay folded around his exposed legs in a V shape. He'd even worn high heeled shoes, and long gloves matching the outfit's design and color.
Julian chuckled at the sight as well, but he sounded more nervous than amused, taking his seat on a rock. "Heh. You're nuts, dude. What if someone had seen you like that and snapped a picture? That's blackmail for life, man."
Noel looked confused. "Truly? Why is that?"
Mira and Aiko looked at each other and giggled helplessly for a moment. Though he usually spoke the native language well enough, Noel's Japanese often sounded halting and stiff, a reminder that he had only spent a few years in the country with large breaks in between school terms. Here was another reminder that there were still a few things obvious to a lifetime native that he might not fully grasp that seemed obvious.
"And I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with those insults Samesaji made yesterday", Mira quipped once she'd calmed down. "Saying that we were naive, that we were like Magical Girls."
"And Magical Boys", Noel added insistently, still not quite understanding, his hands nervously clasping at the apex of the waist. "Though I must say, this skirt feels comfortably light, but it is rather drafty. I think I'd prefer to sit down."
"Go ahead", Ai waved. "So... you decided to go to a costume shop and buy that because you thought I needed cheering up?"
"Right after I brought Kurusu-kun to the hospital last night", he confirmed. "I passed by the mall on my way back to the campus, and it caught my eye. Was that wrong?"
"No", she assured him, wiping away the last of the tears. "It's just fine. More than fine, in fact. It might be just what I needed after yesterday."
"Me too", Mira agreed. "Though Jiachi is right- you might want to head back to the dorms and change clothes right away when we're done here."
Stretching out, Jiachi gave a lopsided grin. "Heh. Man, you couldn't pay me to wear something so girly like that. Whatevs, on to business."
Making a conscious effort not to stare too much at Noel, Aiko stood up.
"Right. First off, I want to thank you. All of you, for doing what you did yesterday. I know it was hard. The hardest fights that we've ever had, and all in a row like that. Frankly, I'm amazed that we all came out of it okay. I've been told that I can thank Pelagio for that."
Their silver-winged falcon friend briefly puffed his round chest up, but then remembered he had an audience and dialed it back a notch. "Hmph. It was the least that we could do for you, captain. After all, you went to similar efforts to save each of us as well."
Surprisingly, her face fell at the mention of those past achievements. "All the same... I heard that you were the one who rallied the others, even when things seemed impossible for you. You took over as leader in my place, right?"
"Correct", he said a bit more anxiously. "We took what humans call a 'vote'. I was the logical choice, and so everyone except for the brat voted for me to act as leader in your-"
He broke off because Aiko had- very carefully given his small, delicate-seeming stature- embraced him in her arms.
"Oh... oh my."
"Even before all that happened yesterday", she explained, beaming, "I've been taking you for granted, Pela-tori. Here I was, a girl with a completely loyal, capable...", she paused, not wanting to use the obvious words of 'servant' or 'butler', "...companion who looks after himself without any help and only wants to protect me. How many people are lucky enough to get that kind of gift thrown in their lap like that? And you managed to save me. You're not just strong, but smart as well. Thank you so much. For everything."
Peering around, he flew up into a higher, more isolated perch, for once not saying anything.
"I think he wants to say is 'it was my pleasure, captain'", Mira finished for him. "But you're right about that. Without Pela-tori, we'd never have pulled it off."
"Or without our newest member", Julian pointed out hastily. "Vitienne might not fight Shadows with us, but his other skills rock hardcore."
"Yes", Ai agreed, regarding Noel kindly as well. Now that they'd started talking, he didn't seem to find the sensation of the Senshi outfit quite as distracting, instead focusing on her words. "We owe you as well. I guess Mira-chan was right in bringing you along against my orders after all."
"Thank you", he said with a more solemn bow of contrition. "However, the fault may be mine, for failing to share knowledge of my Persona with you earlier, until it was too late. Vergebung, mein kapitan."
Recognizing the last word, Aiko sighed. "Great. Now you're got him doing it too. I told you before, I'm only your captain when we're in the other world."
"Sorry", Julian snickered, looking up at Pelagio, the initial culprit who had started the accidental trend of mentally referring to Aiko as 'the captain'. "It's a habit."
"Maybe", she allowed. "But I'm glad to see you all got on fine without me. That's why... I think it's a good idea to continue it. We'll keep Pelagio in the position of '1st mate'. If I ever get knocked out or something else happens to me that stops me from leading, he's in charge until I'm back, got it?"
Pelagio reacted as though this command were another grand gift presented to him, standing up on his talons and giving a formal bow down to them all. "It is the greatest of honor, captain. I promise to always stand by my duties."
"I know you will", she said confidently before returning to Noel. "As for our new member, I wasn't there when his Persona woke up."
"We weren't either", Julian explained. "There's no freakin' way that was his first time. He didn't even absorb his Shadow the way we did."
"It wasn't my first time", Noel confessed, bowing nervously. "Vergebung. This is what I have been hiding from you all for so long. It started when I was at the hospital, still trying to understand how it was that Furusato-san could be gone."
"I know", Ai understood. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you back then. I'd only just discovered Faraway Lands myself back then, and I was trying to save Mira-chan from her Land."
"It's not a problem", he insisted. "Besides, someone else was there for me then. Her name is Cecille Yumika. The younger sister of Principal Yumika."
They all stared at him in silence, too shocked to speak until Pelagio made a polite coughing noise.
"Your school principal's younger sibling?"
"Ja."
The tall boy's outfit hardly blended with the seriousness of the current subject matter, Aiko noted. "And she... knows about the other world?"
"She does", Noel confirmed. "She brought me there, so that she could show me the truth of what had happened to Furusato-san. That she had willingly entered the gate at Yume Bay, and was now lost forever in a world of her dreams."
They all digested that for a moment. "So she knows about that", Mira pondered. "Do you think the Principal knows?"
"She... would not say", Noel admitted anxiously. "She is quite distant from him, almost never visiting our campus. Instead, she teaches at Shiritzu Primary school, closer to the city."
"I went there", Julian noted, sounding aghast. "Never had her as a teacher though. I guess it was too long ago for that. She's pretty young, right?"
"34 years", he answered, his eyes darkening. "However, she possessed a great deal of experience with the other world. Including her own Persona powers."
"Her own..." Julian froze up, pressing one hand to his head. "Wait, I remember... was she wearing blue crystal earrings? Matching blue hair, kind of bitchy?"
"Two out of three", Noel replied with an unfavorable glance. "And while I would never describe her in such a way, it is true that she was rather aggravated at times, particularly whenever the subject of her brother came up."
"That's it then", Jiachi breathed, his brown eyes wide, scarcely believing their good fortune. "Captain, we've found her. We found Queen Aquarius."
Standing in his freshly-emptied quarters, Ryuken Samesaji fought to find a reason to move.
"I failed", he announced dejectedly to the blank walls. "I wish there was another way to say it, but there it is. I failed. They beat me. I fought with all my strength and still they beat me."
Lady Scorpio always seemed to him to be slightly leaking her emotions through the cracks in her mirrored geisha mask. Even with her face obscured, it was possible for him to intuit her feelings before she spoke.
"Joker defeated you", she corrected sternly. "If the Phantom Thieves had not interfered, then your triumph over those foolish children would have been assured."
"But he beat me", he insisted. "I threw everything I had at him, and he beat me. Legem Naturae. I lost. You're finished when you lose."
Legem Naturae. The law of nature that humanity had buried, that he had hoped would guide the new world that was coming. The lack of which, he had figured, had doomed the current humanity.
"I should have let him kill me."
Her touch surprised him. Despite being covered by a layer of cloth, it felt as warm to him as fresh blood, pulling him into a gentle embrace from behind.
"I have no doubt", she whispered into his ear, "that you fought to the very best of your abilities, as you always do. That is why I couldn't allow you to die yet, why I had King Leo bring the Xibalba retrieve you from there. You are too valuable to us, my Prince. Without you, our Salvation may never come to pass."
Part of him knew that, of course. He was only one of the Masked Circle left who could properly run things here, who could actually go outside and make the arrangements necessary to keep their stylish facade of a nightclub operational. While there had been some fun aspects to the job, much of it was irrevocably boring for him now that he was forced to handle almost everything himself.
That boredom had built up his relish for any possibility of a fight until he could barely focus on anything else. "I miss Queen Aquarius", he repeated. "Half the work feels like a tenth."
"I know. It's been difficult without her", Scorpio soothed him, her voice hushed and motherly. "Perhaps I should take over the training of her replacement more, now that we're certain that Aiko Tsuruga won't be joining us for this."
"No she won't", he admitted. "She's too young to understand the truth. They all are. I thought that Joker might be different, but..."
"Hence why you removed all of this", she understood, indicating the blank walls which had mere hours ago been covered in all manner of Phantom Thieves' merchandise, everything from posters to toys to ancient packages of uneaten Phantom wafers.
"Yes", he said, sagging in her embrace. "The Phantom Thieves... they aren't what I thought they were all this time. They had the power to change the world sitting right there in their hands, just waiting to be used six years ago... and they tossed it away like garbage."
His good hand tightened into a fist, aggravating his wounds, but his anger blocked out the sharp pain. "It makes me so damn mad. All this time, and they're still just a bunch of kids playing dress-up, just like the Dream Voyagers. No one so stupid should have that kind of power."
"It's alright", she promised him, drawing him in closer. "Everything will be alright, my Prince. I've already made preparations to ensure that Joker- that all the Phantom Thieves- will be unable to interfere with our plans ever again."
"Good to hear", he sighed. He wasn't merely lamenting a defeat, but rather the loss of a man. A hero who he'd idolized, even before attaining the power himself. If only he would listen, if only he wouldn't stand against us, if only Phantom Thieves had delivered on what they promised us... Then none of this would be necessary now.
But he'd lived too long to dwell any further on 'if only'.
"Just focus on your recovery for now, Prince", Scorpio whispered. "Leo and I shall focus on dealing with Joker and his successors."
For a moment, he swore he could see Akira's uncompromising face staring back at him through the Lady's mask instead, and closed his eyes. Goodbye. And good riddance.
"Let me just ask this of you", he spoke, his lean face and voice heavy with sorrow... but not sorrow at his loss in battle.
"Don't kill Joker. He's already dead. The man who led the Phantom Thieves, the one who inspired me to be who I am, who got me this far in life... it could be he never existed at all."
The team's reactions to her command were just as varied as their powers in the other world, but Julian was the only one to speak out about it.
"No? Why not? If Yumika really is Queen Aquarius, then we need to get after her, pronto!"
Aiko raised a single thin finger, imploring for his patience. "I understand. You think she's at Shiritzu to try and mold those poor little kids into soldiers for the Masked Circle, right?"
"She would never do that!", Noel protested in fear of a possible confrontation between them and Cecille. "She repeatedly expressed a dislike for Lady Scorpio and her goals!"
"Exactly", she agreed gratefully. "The fact that she's not working at the Karma club anymore is more proof of that; Scorpio specifically said that she was looking to make me a replacement for the old Aquarius. Furthermore, she didn't try to capture Rosea-kun's Shadow when they met up. She tried to drive it off instead, knowing how dangerous it was."
"She didn't stop Samesaji from taking it off her though", Jiachi maintained, still sore about the memories he'd inherited from his Shadow's brief sojourn into the real world.
"Probably because she knew she couldn't beat the Shadow normally if it decided to attack her", Mirambela considered carefully. "And if Samesaji decided to employ the same methods they used before at Nijima-san's apartment and create a 'dimensional space' to use Personas in, they'd end up having a huge, destructive fight right here on school campus, possibly hurting people."
"Don't get me wrong", Aiko emphasized, seeing Julian's initial impulse wasn't quite erased. "I definitely still want to meet Yumika-sensei at some point, and try and get some more information about the Masked Circle out of her... But we have bigger fish to fry right now. No pun intended."
"Kaneshiro", Pelagio chipped in, taciturn as ever.
Mira looked drained at the prospect. "Really? So soon after last time?"
Looking up at the sunlight coming through the fissure, Ai shook her head, immersing her hair in it. This was one part of her plan she wasn't completely confident in yet. "...No. Not 'so soon'. I know better than anyone just how much our last trip took out of us. It'll be days before we're back up to full power, and going after Kaneshiro- after Hayato-senpai's Shadow- with anything less would be suicide."
"But-", Noel began to argue.
"We've still got time", she promised him, knowing exactly how careless such a statement sounded. "I checked the forecast already today. The tide won't start dropping again until the 21st, so we've got at least five days to wait."
"So we just wait?", Jiachi stood up, offended by the prospect. "Just sit here on our asses while Senpai's trapped?"
"We had to take breaks when we were rescuing you as well", Mira reminded him, sounding more than relieved that they wouldn't be returning to the vast noir city right away. Even now, it was difficult to keep her eyes all the way open as she spoke. "Fighting Shadows is exhausting. What we did yesterday went beyond that, in case how late we all woke up this morning didn't clue you in. We need time to recover before we head back in."
Feeling at last like her friend was back after a long absence, she turned and smiled. "I'm actually surprised you're willing to take a break though. I know how much Hayato-senpai means to you."
Aiko nodded back, sanguine. "I might not be here now if it weren't for her helping us out with Kujou. She's... Well, I shouldn't say anything yet until we know the full truth. That's the other reason why I want to wait a few days. We need more information if we're going to pull her out of there. We need to know more about her."
Saying it that way inevitably reminded her of just how little any of them actually knew about Reiha. Never asked about her family, her interests, why she's so hell-bent on justice, or how she became best friends with Kujou of all people...
Noel suddenly made a desolate expression, putting gloved hands to his face in mortification. "Sheisse. She was knocked out during the battle with Samesaji! We should have grabbed her then!"
"A bad idea, sir Vitienne", Pelagio warned him. "Attempting to take the ruler away from their Land by force always sets off alarms, drawing in every single Shadow there to prevent them leaving and destroying their entire world. That would have included the leader Shadow, Kaneshiro."
"Yes", Aiko confirmed regretfully. "Who we were in no condition to fight after Samesaji. Even Kurusu-kun was depleted and injured after that."
"If we'd been quick about it, used that Breach you used to return to the wharf before..." Noel insisted, still aghast at the opportunity he thought they had missed out on.
"Maybe", Aiko allowed patiently. "Or maybe we'd be all dead if we tried that. Or worse, we'd all be Kaneshiro's 'special guests' back at city hall." The instinctual shiver running through her bones whenever she mentioned that particular Shadow and its cruel habits felt like winter's chill had intruded into summer. "Whatever. It's done with now. We can't rewind time, and thinking about it, it's better to wait than gamble with all our lives."
"Beautiful!", the ringing remark echoed into the sea-washed cavern, drawing their attention to the tiny figure there, who had nearly managed to blend into the darker parts of it with his black fur as he wandered in, looking innocent as if he'd come by mere chance. "That's very clever, for someone so young. You're correct, of course. When a critical failure could possibly destroy your entire operation, it's always best to err on the side of caution! That's Phantom Thief rule number 12!"
Seeing their guest hop up on a rock, Noel and Julian stared in shock while Pelagio turned away, folding his wings up tight as if trying to camouflage himself in the light.
"Um, guys?", Julian asked out loud. "I'm uh, pretty sure this cat is talking to us."
"I hear it too", Noel said, looking just as stunned. "What is this?"
Morgana somehow managed to wring a look of indignation out of a cat's button-nosed face. "What? You still don't recognize me? After I went to all that trouble of healing you before?"
Finally catching the voice, Jiachi calmed down a notch and sat. "...Oh. Right. You're that... bobble-head thing who was with Kurusu, yeah?"
"Thing?!", he exploded. "I ought to scratch you for that! I am Morgana!"
"Calm down please,", Noel held up his hands peacefully. "We were merely taken off guard, you see. We've never seen a talking katze before, although it seems that you two have."
"We have", Aiko confirmed, trying not to laugh too much at their reactions. "He's Kurusu-kun's companion, and another Phantom Thief. He came when Nijima was injured and spoke with us about the culprits."
"So you must be Julian Rosea", Morgana noted more amiably. "I've been listening to your planning session for a while, and I must say I'm impressed. It definitely wasn't easy for Joker to prioritize with so many goals to juggle when we were stealing hearts." Regarding Mirambela with a bright-eyed gaze, he snickered lightly. "Sometimes, I think he put off sending out our calling cards to the last possible moment on purpose, just to mess with the others' heads."
"Shh!", Julian hissed in a rare moment of fright. "Dude! You shouldn't talk about that stuff here!"
"It's alright", Mira reassured him calmly, shifting over to Morgana's rock to begin softly stroking his fur, an act which their guest obviously enjoyed by the look and sound of it. "Just like with Pela-tori, only people who have been to the cognitive world can understand Mona-chan. Everyone else just hears meowing... or, um, chirping, in Pela-tori's case."
"Please", Pelagio's voice came down to them as proof of concept. "I am no mere nesting babe. I do not chirp."
"Nope!", Morgana chortled, "you squawk instead! Like a big annoying seagull!"
"Hmph! Scurrilous feline!"
"Pompous bird-brain!"
"Enough", Aiko called, amazed as anyone else that not only Pelagio but Morgana as well actually obeyed her, stopping their fight. Encouraged by the sight, she nodded to their guest. "It's always good to have approval from one of the Phantom Thieves."
"Not just one of the Phantom Thieves", Morgana corrected her cheerily. "I was their chief tactician! They never, ever would have been able to pull off their heists without my skillful guidance through those Palaces!"
"How wonderful!", Noel remarked, oblivious to any of the skepticism on Jiachi or Pelagio's expressions. "All the better to help us plan out our next moves, yes?"
Basking in the praise, Morgana still seemed a bit thrown when he finally looked at Noel directly. "Wait... why are you dressed up like that? Are you actually a girl as well?"
"It's a long story", Aiko sighed. "I guess you weren't here for that part. Anyway, how is Kurusu-kun doing?"
"Don't worry about him", their guest assured. "He'll be fine. He's survived much worse than that, and he has Nijima there with him. You need to focus more on your own timetable."
"Can't argue with that", Jiachi remarked, leaning back to relax now that he was sure Morgana was no threat to them. "So, Hayato-senpai. What do we know about her?"
Sensing everyone's eyes naturally drift to her, Aiko stood, trying to slowly spin around to regard each of the others in turn as she spoke.
"Well... she's a 3rd year at Koashimizu. From what I've heard her grades aren't exactly the best, but she's a member of the student disciplinary committee."
Noel made a revolted face at that fact, prompting her to explain further. "No no, it's not like that. She might have been Kujou's friend once, but she's nothing like her. Besides... even if it was Kujou herself trapped in that world, we'd still try to rescue her, right?"
"If you say so, captain", Noel acceded quietly. "All must be given a chance to redeem themselves in God's eyes, after all."
"She's just the opposite", Aiko continued, looking at Mira. "Right?"
"Right", Mira seconded. "She's actually helped us many times before, tipping us off about whatever nasty prank Kujou was planning to try and humiliate Ai-chan. She says she's a big believer in justice, and what we saw yesterday proves it."
"Right", Jiachi remembered. "All those Shadows in that Land were ranting about that stuff. They think they're the law and we're the criminals."
"Just like with Palaces", Morgana offered. "The Shadows enforce the will of the Land's ruler, attacking anything that doesn't fit in with their distortion."
"Or in our case, their fantasy world", Pelagio took over without any hint of their earlier feuding. "The Hayato girl's fantasy is that she is the vigilante crime fighter Hex, striking down criminals as a hero of justice, correct?"
"That's right", Mira nodded before her eyes tightened in worry. "But her Shadow, the one that calls herself Kaneshiro..."
"She helps to enforce the fantasy", Aiko clarified, trying with all her might not to let her voice crack. "Just like with your Shadow, but much more brutal. She tortures Shadows until... until they break. Until they're willing to obey and help further the illusion that they're police helping 'Hex' catch criminals. I doubt the real Hayato-senpai knows about that part."
And not just Shadows, she considered, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the dampness of the cavern or the breeze coming from the sea. Would that have been my role too, if I had broken? Another brainwashed enforcer of her 'justice', perhaps a lieutenant in her reign?
She shuddered at the thought of it.
"And the criminals are there too", Morgana carried on, sensing her disquiet. "When we first arrived there, we met a cognition of Joker."
"Of Kurusu?", Noel noted in surprise.
"Don't panic!", Morgana threw up a paw hastily. "He was weak- he couldn't even use a Persona. I only fought him for a few minutes before he disappeared into smoke. Nothing at all like the real Joker."
"Why?"
"Because he's a criminal too", Mira explained resignedly. "At least, in Hayato's eyes. Apparently, she's not a big fan of the Phantom Thieves."
Morgana smirked at that. "A lot of people never understood what we were really about. There's technically still a 30 million yen reward out for us, but no one tries collecting it any more."
Julian gaped, almost drooling at the figure. "30... million...?"
"Don't even think about it, brat", Pelagio ordered tersely. "The Phantom Thieves are no more true criminals than we are. They used the cognitive world to change the hearts of corrupt and dangerous humans in society, just as we use it to save the souls of those who are lost in the sea of dreams before their time runs out. As we have previously established, anyone who does not follow the 'laws' set down by a Land's master is declared to be a criminal there. It is, to put it bluntly, a dictatorship."
"Maybe", Noel mused unhappily. "But what about in our world? How would the public view our resolve if they knew of the Dream Voyagers?"
Moving back, Aiko pressed a comforting hand to his shoulder. "No need to worry about that. The only time that normal people can see our... let's call them 'after school activities' is when they're asleep, dreaming. Even then they only get brief flashes. That's why we use code names, just to be absolutely sure no one recognizes us."
Not quite convinced, Noel looked up at her. His outfit did nothing to hide his inner doubt. "But I did. I saw brief snippets of you and Sorano-san; your battles, your travels. You were in some sort of a desert, fighting Shadows. And before that, you were in some sort of advanced technological... forest. That was what caused me to begin to suspect that you knew of the other world as well."
"That was only because you already knew about it and made the connection", Mira dismissed his fear furtively, trying not to let it affect her as well. "A regular person who saw that wouldn't know what it meant, just as nonsensical as any other dream they have. Even if someone else from school saw us, so what? It's completely normal to see people you know in dreams."
"We'll be fine, man", Jiachi said, smiling confidently. "No one's suspected us yet, have they? Only you. If they told the cops, they'd just laugh it off. They still don't know the real truth about the Phantom Thieves, yeah?"
"That's right", Mira concurred with a bemused smile. "I... actually told the police the full truth of what happened to me when I first went through the gate, and they just assumed I was hallucinating it all. Only Nijima-san believed me."
Breaking the pause which followed, Morgana spoke up. "Most humans- adults mainly- can't accept the idea of the supernatural. It's just too much for them to process, the concept that there's an entire other world they don't know about created by human thoughts, and filled with vicious Shadows. Their own world is already scary enough."
"It truly is like a hell", Noel realized sadly. "But if it is hell, then where is its opposite? Where is heaven?"
Morgana's eyes drooped at the question. "Um... sorry, I don't know. I'm not really into religion."
More worry clouded the tall boy's blue eyes, but after a moment he recovered he earlier confidence, standing back up to nod wistfully at Morgana. "That's alright. Just because none of us have found it, that doesn't mean it's not there. It could be hidden away somewhere, in the farthest reaches of that world."
Aiko watched him, briefly shocked by the realization. "So that's why you wanted to come along with us. So you could try to find a 'heaven' in the other world."
Looking embarrassed again, he nodded, sitting back down with his hands clasped. "That is one objective, yes. Much more urgent is your goal of saving Hayato."
Her face remained troubled however. "All this time, I thought your goal was going to be saving Furusato-san."
His gaze turned back to blank. "If a miracle presents itself, certainly. However, Yumika-sensei was very clear that it would impossible to bring her back." He released a full-body sigh, trying to expel the feelings within his chest. "I have... tempered my expectations on that front. I have accepted that she will never return. That she is gone." His eyes closed, his mournful voice barely audible. "Auf wiedersehen, meine liebe."
"She was correct about that, I'm afraid", Pelagio said, compassion in his raptor eyes for the first time of the day. "It is impossible to recover one who is lost at sea. They have embraced their new reality as the only true one, and their soul cannot leave. I am so sorry, sir Vitienne."
"I know", he whispered bleakly before recovering. Somehow, his outfit did nothing to change the gravity of his poise. "However it's also true that world still has many dark mysteries yet to be unraveled, even by the Phantom Thieves. If we were to discover the ultimate truth about it, perhaps that might lead us to..."
"No matter why you're with us", Aiko took over, trying not to let the sadness that had permeated the cavern drag them all down. "We're glad to have you with us. And I'm sorry for not sharing all this stuff with you earlier, when you were in pain."
He smiled up at her. "You are forgiven, captain."
"Ooh!", Morgana yelped, doubtless as eager as any of them to defuse the gloom. "Is that what you call her in the other world, because she's your leader? That sounds neat!"
"They should call me Saber over there", Aiko explained with just a twitch of annoyance. "But no matter how many times I tell them not to, especially here in the real world..."
Mira chuckled, releasing Morgana. "If it bothers you that much, you should stop being such a great beacon for the rest of us. Why do you think we were so desperate to get you back, Ai-chan?"
Shrugging in exasperation, she stared at Morgana. "Did Kurusu have to deal with this too? Your team looking up to you, insisting you're the boss no matter how much you know you don't deserve it?"
"I'm afraid so", the cat snickered. "But you shouldn't be ashamed! That just shows how much they trust you if they call you captain! It's the sign of a good leader!"
"Better than calling you 'my lady'", Julian snarked.
"Quiet, brat", Pelagio growled.
"Then", she considered, chuckling, trying to hide her own relieved smile. Thanks, everyone... "Then it's the captain's orders that we need to get back on topic. What else do we know about Hayato-senpai?"
No one could offer much- as expected, she was the one who knew Reiha best. "She goes to the fitness club a lot to work out", Jiachi suggested mildly, already knowing that information was probably useless. "That's the only time I see her, really."
"'Work out'?", Morgana sounded surprised. "That sounds more like something that Ryuji would do. I didn't think the people in this country liked muscular women that much. Although... I guess that would make sense if her dream is to be a crime fighter."
"Well, that's another thing about Hayato", Aiko considered, trying not to giggle. "She doesn't care much what other people think of her, particularly with the way she dresses. The only reason she tries to stay on the SDC is so she can keep feeding us information."
"And now that information is gone", Mira lamented. "Aren't you worried about Kujou striking back?"
"Not really", Ai shrugged. "Besides, Hayato-senpai will be back with us soon enough." Seeing a lack of enthusiasm for that, she emphasized. "We'll do it. We are going to save her... we just need a few days to rest up and prepare first."
Morgana nodded, purring as though he knew exactly what she meant by having to rest and prepare for a battle soon to come. "I'd be happy to come along as well when it's time", he offered. "I might not be at Joker's level, but I can still show those Shadows who's boss!"
Aiko smiled. "Thank you for the offer, Mona. But we need someone to keep an eye on Nijima and Kurusu. Now that we've beaten the Masked Circle in a battle, I'm worried they might try something in this world that we can't fight against."
The cat eyes narrowed. "Oh! You mean like when they attacked Makoto?", he realized. "Those bastards... I actually saw the crime scene there. They used a portable humidifier unit to distribute the 'special' water into her apartment before she got home. Talk about low-tech!"
"But it still worked", Mira acknowledged grimly. "They've prevented Nijima-san from investigating them any further- it's impossible to prove they're the culprits when no one else believes in Personas. That's why we need you to be on guard duty, Mona-chan. If they create a 'dimensional space', you'll recognize it, and even be able to fight back with your Persona if they attack. Can you do that for me?"
Though not his first choice, Morgana puffed up in satisfaction as Mira continued petting his neck. "I... O... Of course I'll do it, Lady Mira! You can count on me to protect them!"
"Good", she nodded with gratitude. "And once we've saved Hayato, then we can try to figure out a way to neutralize their threat."
"Yeah", Jiachi agreed, taking a spot next to them. "Meeting Samesaji in person sealed the deal for me too. Those Masked Circle d-bags have to go. They're using their Personas to hurt people, and they even tried to kill us. Taurus, Scorpio, and Leo... I don't give a damn how powerful they are. Some day, we'll bring 'em all down."
"Some day", Aiko agreed, Noel also standing to move next to the others. "But first, there's some other things we need to do... like homework."
"Awesome", Jiachi drawled. "Starting with the toughest thing first. Yaay."
Laughter filled the cavern, even Morgana's.
Daisuke Kujou always presented a striking figure and worse, he knew it. His forked dark hair had been carefully coiffed to appear smooth and fresh, even lustrous and smelling of pressed lavender, successfully concealing the biggest signs of an age approaching 50.
Personally nearing the time when that became an issue himself, Tetsuo Yumika understood it was more than mere vanity. Someone with the elder Kujou's job had to be much more than just a compelling voice and argument, but present the very picture of the most trusted icons in his country's long storied culture. His suit and tie could have been taken from a million other high-ranking managers in the upper echelons of Tokyo, but he had done something to it to make its black shades even darker than usual, the white and gray shades popping out even in the hazy afternoon light.
This wasn't the first time the man had visited his office with a bone to pick, and the principal of Koashimizu academy doubted it would be the last.
"You've been very busy", he tried to start out friendly against all evidence from previous encounters pointing the other way. "Making speeches in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ueno... even Osaka."
Kujou gave a long sigh, a peculiar trademark gesture of his that could rumble counter tops in a way that made Yumika suspect that it was a deliberate inflection, not something actually wrong with his throat. "Correct. I have been very busy, Mr. Yumika. You know I can't rest until all of Japan wakes up to reality."
To your reality, Yumika thought privately.
"Which is why", the older man continued on, "I must apologize. I can't help but feel aggravated that urgent matters have brought me back to Tosashimizu island during such a critical time. Forgive me."
"You are forgiven", the principal notes, adjusting his glasses as though he thought that would actually be the end of it. "However, my earlier response still stands. The purpose of the student disciplinary council is to provide a strong, guiding hand to students from their most responsible peers. If many of those trusted peers feel that one of their own is abusing the power and trust they are given, is it truly my place to ignore them and override their desires?"
Continuing to pace the office- he never once had taken a seat, even when offered, Daisuke regarded him with a shine of danger in his eye. "It is your place as the director of this school to recognize acts of cowardice, and give voice to the truly responsible students at your institution."
Yumika removed the glasses, placed them on his desk. A useful trick, that. He didn't need to be able to see perfectly clearly for this, and not being able to see every hair in the man's snorting nostrils might leave him a bit more resistant to his usual intimidation tactics.
"I apologize if you disagree, Mr. Kujou, but I believe I have been principal long enough to recognize responsibility in students. I consider Mr. Kohru Tatsunoko, not your daughter, as loyal as she may be, to be the most promising of those students... and he was the lead proponent of this case. They were friends as I undestand, and yet he still vouched for her expulsion from the committee, along with the majority of the others."
"I have met Mr. Tatsunoko", Daisuke argued, his features of out focus as desired. "Both of them, in fact. The elder brother, a loyal soldier serving in our military, and the one here. The Tatsunokos are indeed capable, strong examples of true Japanese citizens... but they are not leaders. They are followers. I would think one with the qualities of leader would be able to recognize that."
Yumika looked into the ceiling lights and wondered if there was a way out. There was nothing to do but endure the man's veiled insults and insinuations, as always.
"Without proper leadership or direction, the body flails about, a useless expenditure of energy without purpose or vision", he enunciated every word, drawing it out as though Yumika were a mere child he was trying to educate.
"Prime Minister Tamagami's words, I believe", Tetsuo remarked, for once mildly intrigued that the man was using a line from someone else's speech instead of his own.
"Minister Tamagami is a wise, forward-thinking leader", Daisuke stated, a note of concern creeping into his hard tones. "Unfortunately, age can make fools of even the best of men, and my recent encounters with him suggest to me that his years are finally catching up to him."
That, Yumika knew, was the inevitable consequence of having to pick the second in line from a victorious political party after the original, much younger choice, had suddenly stepped down under the weight of a vast multitude of self-confessed scandals. Tamagami hadn't been bred to be the active, young-seeming face of the United Future party. That responsibility should have been entrusted to Masayoshi Shido, but it was also impossible for him to lead after being found guilty of murders and worse.
Still, for a long time it had seemed like Minister Tamagami was capable of rising to the task. Despite his advanced age he scheduled just as many announcements and conferences as his former boss had, making sure his words would reach out to every corner of Japan. Only now, five long years after his inauguration, was he finally slowing down. A good run, considering the chaotic start his administration had been born from.
He'd had detractors from the very start, many of them beginning with the proposal that the entire United Future Party had in fact been irretrievably tainted by Shido's evil. But this was hardly the first time such grousing had resulted from a scandal and it rarely led to anything happening, simply because destroying the careers of hundreds of others in response to one bad egg wasn't feasible. Others, whose connections to Shido's illegal activities could be undeniably proven, had faced trial and imprisonment, but a solid core of respected politicians remained left over.
And it was clear to him now that Daisuke Kujou was quite interested in adding his name to that core, no longer content with being a mere spokesman for the JCAP. It could very well be that everything he'd done up to this point had been mere practice for this bold play.
Which begs the question why he's tipping me off about that. Unless this is some other form of intimidation, warning me that in the future, he might have the power to have me replaced if I don't do as he asks?
While relatively new to the profession, Yumika was a fast learner. It had inevitably taught him much more about how power structures and politics worked than he had ever wanted to know. While technically the 'highest' position in a school, it also put him into contact with his superiors outside of it, such as the board of education, and those in charge of deciding funding. Such as politicians who took interest in changing the nature of education offered in Japan.
It certainly didn't help that many of the older teachers here such as Mr. Noriyama or Mr. Amatano considered him too young to hold such a position to start with.
Perhaps if he were to promise me something concrete, such as more funding for the school, I might actually be willing to listen to his requests. But he's not in a position to offer that yet, and might never be.
He managed a courteous smile. "Elections aren't starting for another year. Surely you didn't come all the way here to secure the allegiance of one voter?"
"No", Daisuke snorted. "This is about an unjust crime committed against my daughter, and how the duly appointment head of her school is going to respond. Am I to assume the answer is 'nothing', then?"
"It is not my place to do so", Yumika maintained cordially. "Mr. Ishinagi, our guidance counselor, has already handed out appropriate punishment to the guilty party. I assume it has had the desired effect, since the responsible student, Aiko Tsuruga, has not had any further violence-related incidents since then. In fact, she's been a model student since that time. Results like that are why I prefer to avoid overly excessive micromanagement of my staff."
The older man's gaze narrowed. "Yes, Ishinagi is an old friend of yours, isn't he? How convenient that must be. I wonder, how often are you required to quash the rumors about him?"
Oh. So that's what you're doing? Fine.
"I would think that a politician, or at least someone in training to become one, would know the value of idle rumors."
"Rumors are one thing", Daiksuke maintained, leading Yumika to wonder how much he really knew about Mr. Ishinagi's past as a psychological profiler. "But concrete proof is much more worthy of consideration."
"Yes. And I have confidence that the SDC would not have expelled their veteran leader of three years without concrete proof of indiscretion. If that will be all, Mr. Kujou..."
Of course it wasn't. A man like that always had to have the last word, and he swore he could see the change in the man's posture as he shifted back to 'speech mode'.
"I should think a high school principal might try to remain aware of events happening outside his own campus."
He shrugged, smiling innocently. "Admittedly, I sometimes am a bit too dedicated to my duties for that. I've always sought to keep Koashimizu academy a neutral ground, a place of peace and tolerance no matter what may be happening in the greater world outside of it."
"I understand", Kujou said flatly. "An adequate reason. In that case, allow me to enlighten you. The world, as we currently know it... is doomed."
Pausing, Yumika carefully returned his glasses to the bridge of his nose, the better to try and spot if perhaps the JCAP orator was drunk or something of a similar nature. He'd always been one for mass hyperbole, but that line sounded beyond even his usual exaggerations of fact.
"Doomed", Kujou repeated empathetically. "It's difficult to understand, I know. Recent survey reports indicate that the shortages experienced in other nations over the last few years will only continue to worsen. We've reached the point where our world's resources can no longer support all humans on Earth. Thus, the time has come for the most responsible of us to decide which lives should be preserved... and the United Future Party, of course, is working to ensure Japan and her true people will survive the coming flood."
For once, the principal had no idea what to say to that. For the first time, he wished he recorded conversations in his office.
"You seem unwell, Mr. Kujou", he tried, gesturing to his candy dish. "Would you like something to eat perhaps?"
"You jest", Daisuke scorned him. "But you haven't seen the reports. I have. The coming decades will see many countries throughout the world collapse in on themselves, no longer able to feed their people and thus dooming themselves to the anarchy that follows. We are determined to see to it that Japan will not be lost to the great flood. Those nations who are able to survive it will be blessed with new opportunity, new land- something which I'm sure even you know we are in dire need of at present."
Yumika stared back, looking bored to hide his alarm. You're not just here to get me to reinstate your daughter. You're here to practice your speeches for the future.
"We will survive", Kujou promised. "Only we, who have not yet completely forgotten the divine rule of harmony, deserve to. In order to ensure that survival, we must regain that harmony, and become a fully unified nation."
That statement, at least, was somewhat familiar. One of the various things the United Future party had promoted both before and after the time of Masayoshi Shido's arrest was the importance of unity at any cost, eternally trying to make amendments to the laws to make consensus easier and arrive at legislative decisions more quickly. History had taught anyone who cared the power of voting in a 'block', and that lesson had been passed on to JCAP's charismatic leaders, directing that block of supporters into the same thinking.
"And if our great nation is to survive the flood to come, Kujou finished dramatically, "any and all obstacles to that harmony must be removed".
What felt now like a lifetime of dealing with the ire of unruly parents prevented Yumika from speaking his mind, but something must have showed through. "I don't believe it will be safe for true Japanese students at this school for very much longer, with the way things are going. I'll be taking Benihime away from here soon, and to a school back in Tokyo which respects the proper guiding principles of our country."
Tetsuo said nothing as the man left in a huff. There was no point. Perhaps there never had been. Nothing he said was going to turn Mr. Kujou away from the course he'd decided on before arriving in Tosashimizu from the JCAP gatherings in Tokyo, no less than any force on Earth might convince him to stop doing those same speeches and whipping the crowd into a frenzy that far too often led to violence... none of which could ever be traced back to him, of course. It was always the perpetrator's crime, and so the perpetrator would be the one to suffer imprisonment and disgrace. All because they lacked the energy or education to think for themselves.
No one had ever told him that being a principal would be easy, and he considered it a valid observation that the actions of both Daisuke Kujou and his daughter had raised that difficulty by an order of magnitude. Despite the bad publicity for the school he knew would follow, he couldn't help feeling glad to see the man go.
He also knew it might not end there.
Glasses glinting in the afternoon light, he reached for his personal phone. "Put out an appointment request for Mr. Ishinagi please", he requested of the energetic secretary waiting for him on the other end. "I'll need to speak with him about something tomorrow."
Officer Makoto Nijima woke to a faint, steady beep, trying not to let how familiar the sight of the hospital room was becoming bring annoyance to her face. I don't want the doctors to think me impatient, after all.
Even though I am.
The storm had passed, as all storms must, and with it the creeping sensation in her heart that her recent acquaintances were in severe danger out there in the other world. Scattered rain followed, but bearing with it none of the earlier foreboding which had brought her such anxiety before.
Or perhaps, she considered earnestly, she had merely given into the moodiness common to the injured and entertained the worst possible types of scenarios.
The sound of a bedpan's wheels snapped her out of her musings, drawing her attention to the far window where another sheet-clad patient was being moved through the 2nd floor hallway. To her dismay, it was a young-looking girl, dark hair strung out across the pillow suggesting a lengthy sleep, if not catatonic.
"Depressing, isn't it?"
The familiar voice brought her gaze back over to the other side, staring into eager face of Akira Kurusu... confined to a bedpan as well, his left hip engulfed in fresh white gauze.
"This is why I could never work in a hospital", he continued on as if his being here was no surprise at all. "Even Takemi-san preferred her clinic over one of these places."
"K-Kurusu...?"
"Nah", he snickered, dropping any trace of formality in his voice to make it sound like he was some kind of Tokyo vagabond. "Ya got the wrong person, lady." Stretching back across the pillow to show his arms at least weren't injured, he smirked back. "When I said I wanted to spent more time with you, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."
"H-how did...?" The other shoe dropped, and she focused up. "What happened?"
Gently tapping the knot of gauze as if testing it, he reacted as if seeing it for the first time. "I don't want to go into it too much here, but... Prince Taurus happened."
She stared back, awestruck. So it was true. There were some battles in the other world yesterday. And it sounds like he was right in the middle of it.
"He injured you in the other world", she observed, alternately shocked and mortified that Akira had been taking such risks while she'd been helpless to do anything. "So much that it carried over into this one."
That had never happened during their time as the Phantom Thieves. They'd always managed to come out of a Palace with their worst injuries abraded by healing skills or items. Perhaps if they'd returned to the real world immediately following the brutal beatdown they'd taken from Yaldabaoth shortly before that malevolent deity's own defeat, the injuries might have carried over as well. It said more than anything else could have about how savage the battle had been, and how close it had brought the Phantom Thieves' respected leader to death.
"Hey, he got it worse than I did", Akira protested innocently. "But, yeah... big problems with my hip until the bone heals."
Relief transitioning into worry, she tightened the corners of her lips, remembering to keep their exchanges about such matters comfortably vague. "Because you rushed into it without thinking."
His good humor left him in turn, though only temporarily. "If I hadn't those kids would've all died. Bastard ambushed them, waiting until they were all tired out... and he was tough, even for me."
She felt her hand trembling against the rail of the bedpan, brought it under control. "So they're even willing to target those kids... Damn it."
"Do my ears deceive me?", he asked in mock innocence. "Or did I just hear Makoto Nijima swear? I don't think you did that even back when-"
"Enough", she cut in, wishing more than anything that she could just rip her way free of the bed, march out of the hospital and give the Masked Circle a piece of her mind.
Of course, even uninjured, she was not likely to be the one to come out of such an exchange.
She sighed in defeat. "So there really is no choice for them. They must fight. Like we did."
"Afraid so", Akira shook his head, sharing in her anxieties. "They want Persona-users... but Persona-users who are loyal to them. And as you can see, that puts us on their hit list too."
"Why?", she asked of the sterile room's air. "Didn't we change people's hearts? Didn't we end the distortion?"
Akira gazed back at her silently, knowing that he didn't need to say anything, that she would be able to quickly puzzle out her rhetorical answer as soon as she was thinking straight again.
And of course, he was right. She swore she could see the domino mask covering his rakish features for a moment, the sheets replaced by Joker's stylish garb.
She willed the illusion away. That was Akira, not Joker. Akira, who was just as fragile as any human. His current injury proved that much.
"...Distortions aren't something that can be permanently fixed", she reasoned quietly. "The current problems in the world are proof enough of that. And we couldn't change every corrupt heart. That's a part of humanity too. To erase that would rob people's free will."
"And these people might not have developed their distortions until recently", Akira finished. "I didn't find much out about how Samesaji and those others with him got so twisted."
"Or how they got the power in the first place", Makoto considered. Explanations of how that had happened didn't seem forthcoming any time soon. "I have some theories, but nothing concrete yet."
Leaning back, Akira stretched an arm out to take her bedpan rail. "Don't strain yourself too hard now. I told you... this is the Dream Voyagers' fight now."
"The Dream Voyagers", she scoffed at the name and all it implied. "A bunch of teenagers."
"Just like we were", he maintained. "Sure, their leader's kinda young... but I've seen the fire in her now, fought beside her. She's got the gift. Reminds me of..."
"It doesn't matter", Makoto interjected, not wanting to hear which Phantom Thief Tsuruga reminded him of the most. Particularly since she felt like she already knew the answer. "No matter how much I resisted, they're still trying to be like us."
"What's wrong? Scared of being a role model?", he teased.
"A little", she admitted. "I mean... when it was us, if we failed it would be our own fault- mine in particular since I was our tactician. If these kids get into trouble, then there's nothing I can do about it."
For a moment, the room's white walls seemed closer than normal... and then she felt her hand gravitating into Akira's eagerly accepting its warmth just as much as the support in his voice.
"We have to trust them to survive, Nijima. Believe it or not, doing that might actually be harder than taking down a Palace."
"There's no contesting it", she declared without hesitation, realizing only after that he was joking. "This is certainly the more difficult mission."
"Maybe it is", he acknowledged sagely. "Do you think you're up to it?"
Taking his hand, she regarded him fondly. There were certainly worse ways to spend an afternoon in a hospital. "I suppose I'll have to be, won't I? Very well. I accept this mission."
Accepting her grip- strong for someone who had been injured- he smiled back at her in equal confidence. "I had a feeling you would."
Persona Profile #12: Matador
Arcana: Death
Strength: Wind (Null)
Weakness: Electricity
Abilities: Psi, Andalucia, Sukukaja, Garula, Null Dizzy, Trigger Happy
Background: A Spanish Grim Reaper born from the aesthetics of killing. Derived from the late Latin word matare, which means to subdue or kill. It is also the name of the toreros that perform in the bullfighting events famous in Spain. Matador is one of the toreros, and the word literally means "killer," as it's the matador's job to kill the bull.
o