December 8th Thursday
A 4 a.m. wake up call to be at the train station by 5:30, and a departure at 6. It had been a chaotic morning already. Still, the 4 adults, 3 teenagers, and a cat had made it. Because of Morgana's status as a cat, he had to be put in a cat carrier, much to the feline's chagrin. He was loaded in the top luggage rack next to Ren's and Futaba's suitcases. As the train pulled from the station, Ren could feel the death grip Futaba had on his arm. She was more than a bit nervous about all this but her face reflected her pure determination about the situation. She wanted to do this. What was that saying about being brave? Being brave didn't mean you weren't scared, being brave meant you could still be scared but you did it anyway. That was Futaba in a nutshell at the moment. Ren reached over and pat her head.
"You good?" Ren asked.
Futaba made a noise that was purely a Futaba-like noise. "Yes… It's just I feel I might have forgotten something… Ya know something I may need in Inaba."
"You'll be fine if we forgot something we can get it in Inaba," Ren assured his navigator.
"... Was it scary?" Futaba settled down in her seat and gave him a ponderous look behind her glasses.
"What was scary?" Ren looked at Futaba needing more of a context to her question.
"When you moved to Tokyo… was it scary?" Futaba asked.
Ren didn't have an immediate answer to that question. He had to think about it. It was a bit frightening to an extent. However, the main feeling Ren had coming to Tokyo was just this dull numb feeling. His parents had all but kicked him out, he was left disconnected from everyone he knew back in his home town. He was now a convicted criminal. No, he had felt his life had crashed around him. His old life was no more and the only thing he could do was put on the mask of indifference and struggle through it.
"A bit, but mostly I just felt numb," Ren answered after careful thought.
"Numb? I suppose that makes sense." Futaba yawned and rested her head against his shoulder. Futaba was someone who rarely woke up before 9; one of the perks of being a shut-in who didn't go to school. "Do you regret coming here to Tokyo?"
"Of course not." Ren smiled down at Futaba. "I've made to many memories here, I honestly feel more at home living in Boss's attic then I ever did my own home."
"Good, then don't leave. Ever." Futaba whispered as she snuggled down and yawned again.
Ren wrapped his arm around Futaba and pulled her close. That wasn't something he could promise. The weight of having to leave and go back to his lifeless home was something he kept pushing to back of his head. Would his parents even want him to return? They were so easy to abandon him in the first place. So much had happened this past year, so what was he going to do once his time came to an end? It's not like he could just decide to stay. Ren looked out the window at the passing landscape. It wasn't so much that he wanted to stare out the window it's just the repetitive landscape whipping by letting him think. His mind drifted looking for solutions. Solutions that would let him stay close to Futaba, his friends… to Makoto…
Wait.
His mind suddenly snaps to a realization. Yu had the same problem he was currently facing. He had to leave his friends at the end of his year, but his bonds hadn't broken. He was still friends with them all. He had successfully done what Ren was now trying to rack his brain to figure out. It would seem Ren only needed to turn to the man with all the answers once again. Yu sat across from him on the train. He was currently deeply absorbed in a book. From the brief conversations this morning it was made clear Yu hated travel by plane, and would rather take a train. Which meant if he could he take the train and he was accustomed to the long travel times on this particular mode of transportation. That also meant Ren had plenty of time to gain insight from his mentor.
Ren shifted slightly as he planned to move to get closer to Yu. This unfortunately proved impossible. Futaba had fallen asleep against him. It always amazed him how much Futaba trusted him. Here was a girl that had locked herself away from the world yet the second she stepped out of that tomb she was more than willing to trust again. She bravely took things on even if she was scared and they ended up overwhelming her. He honestly felt like he was Futaba's big brother instead of just a guy that lived in Sojiro's spare attic. Ren carefully shifted himself as to not disturb the person who trusted him so much.
"Hey, Yu-senpai." Ren kept his voice low as to not disturb the sleeping navigator.
Yu's eyes flicked from his book to look towards Ren. The older man seemed to examine Ren with his silver gaze. After a second he snapped his book shut and leaned forward. "What's a matter, Ren?" There was a hint of concern leveled against his normally calm voice. Did Yu just read his apprehensions?
"You left your friends and yet your bonds with them are still strong…" Ren tentatively said.
Yu sighed and set his book down on his lap. "That day I left… It was probably the hardest day of my life. I knew I'd return to them one day, but there were so many unknowns. It felt almost wrong when I stood in my parent's living room. I renewed my vow then and there that I'd return to them. Around them was my place in this world. You're gonna have to go through that pain but it's the decisions you make after it that decide what your future will hold."
"How did you return?" Ren asked.
"I kept my head down and worked. The second I could take time off school, I returned to Inaba with the money I made. My uncle was always ready to take me back into his place. This digital age also helps, I kept in constant contact with everyone. When I graduated I got accepted into the same college Naoto was going to join. I had planned out everything that year that I had to be away from them. Planned out how I could rejoin them." Yu glanced towards Rise. "I'll admit I was lucky when it came to Rise, with her idol power she could come to see me between tours. No matter where I was."
Rise seemed to notice the look and pulled down the headphone she had been using to drown everything out. "What's up?"
"Nothing. Just thinking about how amazing you are." Yu answered smoothly.
Rise smirked and leaned over and kissed Yu on the cheek. "You and your silver tongue." Rise's attention suddenly turned towards Ren and Futaba. "What are you two talking about?"
"I wanted to know how Yu-senpai still kept his bonds with everyone even after he had to leave," Ren answered.
"Ah, that was tough." Rise hummed before looking at Ren. "But our bond became stronger because of it. It proved distance didn't matter. We were all connected."
Ren was surprised by that statement. His view on bonds saw that they normally broke with time or distance. Yet here was Rise challenging that simple fact. It caused Ren to think. The bonds he had with his friends in Tokyo were far deeper than any other relationship he had ever had in his life. Even people like Sojiro who weren't part of the Phantom Thieves, he felt like he could trust beyond what he could an average friend. He cared about everyone in his circle, not just his friends. People like Mishima and Iwai.
"There are a lot of colleges in Tokyo and practically every train line will bring you there," Yu suggested.
Yu was correct, there was plenty of ways to return to Tokyo. He just had to find the best ways to get back. It was up to him to make sure his bonds didn't fade. Once he graduated next year the world opened up for him. If he could build these unbreakable bonds in just one year, a simple year away wouldn't be enough for them to be broken. Without realizing it, a confident smile cracked at the corner of his lip as the option seemed to open up before his eyes.
"You're right." Ren nodded.
"Also if you ever find yourself in Inaba, you'll always have a place to stay. You're one of us now." Rise smirked. "Heck even if you're in Tokyo, my condo is always open."
That statement filled Ren with warmth. Never could he have predicted this is how his life was going to turn out when he stepped on that train to Tokyo. He had inadvertently surrounded himself with good people and had changed the heart of some of Tokyo's most horrible criminals. Even flipping one of them to become his good ally. There wasn't anything he would have changed about his fate, even if that meant he'd no longer have a record. This was the best outcome.
"So do you have a better idea of what you are going to do?" Yu asked.
"Yes." Ren nodded. "Thanks."
"I didn't do anything, just showed you the pathways. Speaking of pathways… Do you know what career path you want to take?" Yu questioned.
Ren paused thinking for a second his eyes drifting out the window. "In a way. I want to be like Sojiro. I want to own a diner someplace where everyone can come and eat. A gathering place for those I care about."
"A business degree than will get you far. There are several places in Tokyo you can get one of those." Yu explained.
"Did you always want to be a detective?" Ren looked towards Yu suddenly wanting to know more about his mentor.
Sudden mirth found its way to Yu's eyes. "Nope. Hey Naoto why did I become a detective?"
Naoto who was sitting one row in front of them on the train answered back. "Because you're my sidekick."
"Sidekick?" Ren questioned, Yu didn't seem like the sidekick type. He was the leader of his group so wouldn't it be the other way around?
Rise giggled clearly understanding some joke Ren wasn't privileged to yet. Yu chuckled also before speaking. "Naoto's family name is the one on our agency's business cards. It carries quite a bit of weight behind it in the criminal justice world. I had always been interested in detective work as my uncle is a detective, but it was Naoto who gave me the strongest push in that particular direction."
"The two of them have a unique relationship that most people just don't understand. They trust each other and can almost read each other's minds. It was clear from the beginning that Yu had what it took to be a detective and Naoto's insistence for him to join her pushed Yu over the edge. She never wanted to work alone and wanted someone she could rely on. They are a pair, those two…" Rise leaned against Yu. "But most people won't understand your relationship with Futaba either I suppose."
Ren glanced down at the girl sleeping at his side. "She's my sister, that's all anyone needs to know."
"You sound just like Yu." Rise looked up at Yu.
"Speaking of Nanako, Dojima is letting her take a half-day to come and pick us up with Yosuke" Yu spoke up a bit so no doubt the whole group could hear him.
"It'll be nice to see her once we get there." There was a warmth to Rise's voice. Everyone in Yu's group was fond of Yu's sister.
The conversations became more relaxed as the train sped towards Inaba. They talked about various things and Ren felt as if he came to know both Rise and Yu all the better. The time passed quickly and the last hour of the trip Futaba woke back up. After pulling Morgana from the top luggage rank, he too joined in the conversations and in no time at all Ren was collecting his bags as the train was coming to a stop outside the station at Inaba.
As soon as they stepped off the train, a cold gust of wind caught him. It by far held a deeper chill to it than it had back in Tokyo and everything as far as the eye could see was covered in snow. Even as they disembarked from the train light snow was falling all around them refreshing the older snow in a cleaner hue of white. Everyone collected themselves they exited the train station greeted fully by the small-town charm Inaba seemed to hold.
Yosuke had pulled up a large van to the curb outside of the train station. He leaned against it and perked up as everyone seemed to come into view. From the van itself merged a young teenage girl, she grinned at everyone as they walked up her eyes falling upon Yu. Ren could only believe this was Nanako which was confirmed a few seconds later.
"Hey, big bro! Welcome back home." Nanako called to Yu. "Hey everyone!"
"Hey, Nanako." Yu smiled at the younger girl.
Nanako's eyes scanned over the people she was no doubt familiar with before they stopped on Ren, Futaba, and Goro. She blinked in surprise at their sudden presence before a flash of recognition filled her eyes. "Is that Goro Akechi?!"
Goro shifted uncomfortably next to Ren as Futaba ducked slightly behind him. "Hello." Goro quickly put on the air of his media face.
"Nanako, these are my friends from Tokyo," Yu explained.
"So they are Phantom Thieves?" Nanako looked towards Yu.
"How do you know that?!" Futaba called out from behind Ren.
"My dad is a detective and I saw the announcement about Shido. Mask aside, you with the black hair; you look a lot like the leader that was dead." Nanako explained. "Also I know Big Bro and Naoto were looking into the Thieves. With the two of them on the case, I know they'd find you guys."
"She's sharp." Morgana mewed from his kennel.
"I know, she is rather intuitive. Must run in the family." Goro put a hand to his chin his eyes glancing towards Yu.
Ren stepped up to Nanako. "I'm Ren Amamiya, leader of the Phantom Thieves."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Nanako Dojima." She nodded to Ren.
"I'm Futaba Sakura and this is Morgana." Futaba let the black cat out of his kennel.
"Yo! A cat? He is super handsome. Hello Morgana." Nanako reached forward to pet the cat.
Morgana stepped up accepting pets from the young woman. "Someone that appreciates my elegance, I like this one." Morgana purred.
"We appreciate you, Morgana," Futaba knelt next to the cat.
"I know but it's nice when strangers do it. I may not be human yet but I do make for a handsome cat!" Morgana mewed.
"Sure ya do." Futaba grinned as she patted Morgana on the head.
"Are you talking to the cat?" Nanako asked looking a bit confused.
"Morgana is a very special cat. The Phantom Thieves can understand him." Yu explained.
"That's super cool. Can you understand him, big bro?" Nanako looked towards her brother.
"Of course I can. I'm now a Phantom Thief, I'm sure you'll understand him when you meet him in the other world." Yu smirked.
Nanako's eyes went wide. "I want all the details!"
"Later," Yosuke said. "It's cold out here and we should get everyone dropped off. Come on everyone climb into the warm van. Rise, Kanji. I'm dropping you two off first so put your stuff in last."
With that said everyone started to load their stuff into the running van. The van was warm. Just as Yosuke had said and against the dropping temperature of Inaba in the winter, it hastened Ren's eagerness to get in. He had packed fairly light but on a 4-day trip, there was a bit of expected baggage for that length of stay. The weight of his packed bag was definitely over his limit for carrying for his side, but Ren didn't bother to mention such a thing. Futaba had been already struggling with her bags as she became mentally overwhelmed with the idea of leaving something behind. Ren and Sojiro, with Rise on the phone, had managed to help Futaba pack for the trip almost 2 days prior.
As Ren climbed into the large van, his phone suddenly started to go off. The sound was quickly echoed by several other phones around him, telling Ren it was the Phantom Thieves' group text that was blowing up. Ren settled down in the farthest seat as Futaba joined him before he pulled his phone out of his coat pocket. An explosion of text greeted him. To his left, Futaba had also pulled out her phone and angled it in such a way that Morgana who climbed on to her lap could also read it. Scrolling up Ren found the start of the text exchange it was lunchtime at Shujin Academy and Makoto, not wanting to disturb anyone's studies, had started the chain.
Queen: We got a new student transferred into our class today.
Skull: Yeah so?
Noir: He knew who me and Mako-chan where.
Skull: Like that, we are Phantom Thieves?
Queen: It's a strong possibility.
Panther: Wait what? We also got a new student too. She is sitting in Ren's old spot.
Queen: The new student is calling himself Ken Amada. He requested to see me after school.
Noir: He is also following us.
Panther: Now that you mention it, the new kid is following me…
Panther: Wait she wants to talk to me…
Skull: Ann where are you? I want to talk to this new girl. What's her name?
Panther: By me and Ren's homeroom. Her name is Aigis, she doesn't have a family name which is kind of odd. I told her to wait, you all want to meet up?
Queen: Sounds like the best idea. We can use the student council room on the 3rd floor. I have a feeling we'll be followed but it would appear if they know who we are and it would be best to talk to them in private.
Fox: Be careful everyone.
Ren heard Yu sigh deeply from the front seat as he also had his phone in his hands. Ren glanced back down at his phone and the 'Kingpin is typing' appeared at the bottom of his screen. After a second or two, Kingpin's message appeared within the chat. Naoto also had her out her phone as well.
Kingpin: Aigis and Ken are both Persona users. You can trust them.
Skull: For real?!
Agent: They are good people and have connections to Yu and I's employer. They have probably read my report on everyone. It doesn't surprise me they already know your names and will probably know a bit about you.
Queen: You are employed by the Kirijo group, correct? What do 2 high school students have to do with that group?
Kingpin: It's a long story… Let them explain it for themselves.
With that, the chat went silent as if the others had met up and were dealing with things on their end. Ren, however, was left in the dark. Aigis? Ren had heard that name before but he couldn't quite remember where. Yu had mentioned her, had he not? His mind bubbled trying to remember where he heard the name before.
"Aigis is a robot. She's a wildcard holder. Ken was a kid when I last met him, I think he was 13 years old. Super mature for his age but he is also a Persona user. The two of them worked with some others to end the dark hour almost 7 years ago. Ken must be 18 so he'd fit into your school just fine. Aigis I'm surprised took the second year route, then again she looks young enough…" Yu explained.
"Wait did you just say robot?!" Futaba shouted.
"Yeah," Yu explained with a shrug. "She doesn't look like one at first glance but if you get to know her you might be able to tell, but it's hard. If she wears the right clothes it's impossible. Naoto should we call Mitsuru and get the full rundown?"
"I'll do it once I get back to the estate and pass it along. I guess that Mitsuru wants to get the shadow operatives involved now that she had total confirmation that the other world is involved." Naoto sighed. "We could be pulled off the case if that is the plan."
"Off the case?" Goro's tone was tentative as the gravity of Naoto's words hit Ren.
If Yu and Naoto were indeed off the case then that meant they had no reason to be in Tokyo anymore. Which would mean they could stay back here in Inaba when Ren and Futaba had to head back. Ren didn't like that idea. He had grown to accustom to Yu mentor-ship and his powerful fighting style. Without them what would happen next? They had defeated Shido, so maybe it was time now for the adults to call it quits. They had helped the Thieves reach far for the short time they had been there, and only Mementos remained as the biggest mystery. Still, the more Ren thought about it, the more he didn't like it.
"Don't worry, we'll end the case once we decide it's over." Yu boldly claimed. "We'll head back to Tokyo with you guys even if we aren't paid for it."
"My condo is always open." Rise chimed in relieving all of Ren's doubts. "Well here's our stop Kanji."
The van pulled up to what appeared to be a small-town shopping district, with it Rise and Kanji got out and pulled some of their stuff from the back. They waved to everyone before breaking off in separate directions. Ren watched them disappear as the van pulled away before turning his attention back to Yu and the others.
"Alright Naoto's stop is next, then we'll swing by the Amagi inn. Yu I take it I'm dropping you off later?" Yosuke asked.
"Yep, I'll get Ren and Futaba settled then head home. I'll drop you off to Nanako once I'm done." Yu affirmed looking back at Ren and Futaba.
"Sure thing big bro," Nanako smirked.
"Will you tell me more about this robot?" Futaba asked.
"As much as I know. I'm sure you'll meet her if she did reach out to your group. Oh, one more very important thing while you are all here. Don't touch any TVs in this area. You'll get sucked in probably because you are Persona users. We'll bring you into one later." Yu nodded.
"TVs?" Goro sounded unsure.
"Yes, it's how we access the other world from here. Unlike your MetaNav, we just enter from a TV. But the other world over there is large and one could easily get lost if you don't know the way back." Naoto explained. "There is one we all prefer to specifically use. A long time ago we used the one at Junes department store, but since then we have begun to use one at Yosuke's place. He lives closest to Junes." Naoto carefully explained.
"Yep, I own the largest TV in town and I only use it to let people get inside of it." Yosuke seemed to bemoan.
The rest of the conversation drifted over Ren as he opened a private text directly to Queen. The fact two people who knew about them had just appeared didn't sit well with him, even if Yu had said they were fine. He wanted to be there for his friends but he was currently halfway across the country in Inaba. So the best he could hope for was to leave things to Makoto and have her keep him in the loop. Futaba glanced over at his phone and seemed to realize what he was doing.
Joker: You're in charge while I'm gone. If the others question it, I'll talk to them.
There was a brief pause before a return message appeared in the chat.
Queen: Okay, but why me? Ryuji has been a thief longer than me.
Joker: Ryuji? Really? Think about that. You're my advisor which defaults you to second in command.
Queen: Point taken. I'll give you the rundown once we get out of this meeting. Kingpin was correct. Ken and Aigis are both Persona users. They want us to bring them to Mementos.
Joker: Mementos? I suggest you guys let them.
Queen: If you say so leader but I was kind of leaning that way myself. Either way, call you tonight.
Joker: I love you.
Queen: I love you too.
Ren smiled to himself as he slid his phone into his pocket. A warm feeling spreading across his chest. He trusted Makoto to take care of everything in his stead. She was a capable leader in her own right, just needed the right push in that direction to take over for the Thieves. After all, she was the student council president. Ren had no worries for the group as long as Makoto was leading them. All he needed to worry about was about this vacation.
So about that thing about only being a sprinkling of p3... I might have lied. Honestly with a name like mine you know P3 is my favorite out of all of them... I couldn't help myself.