Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or any content from the Megami Tensei series as a whole. I do not claim to own anything. All contents' right belong to their respectful owners. Once again, I do not claim to own anything.
I appreciate the feedback and comments received on the first chapter by RaidEye. I'll be sure to try to weave the appearances and personalities of new characters into the text for upcoming chapters. As for dialogue, for the most part for major cut scenes from the game, I'll stick mostly to what is written or said, example: Philemon, but I'm going to try to improvise for certain scenes and as said before I'm still going to have to invent my own, not only for Yukino and Naoya, but for the others at times. Now with that aside, welcome to Persona: Be Your True Mind Chapter 2.
Chapter Two: Mikage Hospital
The weight on Naoya's eyes lighten, hearing familiar voices around him.
"So you guys had the same dream?" Mark asked.
"Indeed. It's rather extraordinary." Kei replied.
"Think he's seeing it now too?" Yukino pondered.
Naoya's lunged forward, his eyes snapped open. He realized he was laying down in a rickety bed, a sheet laid on him. Kei, Masao, and Yukino were at the left side of his bed.
"Yo, Nao, you're awake!" Masao gave his trademark smile.
Kei folded his arms and turned his head, his chin put up. He detested Masao and his enthusiasm. The two had equally opposite personalities.
"Did you meet him?"
Naoya touched his face, taking in Kei's words. He gulped.
"Philemon. Yeah"
"He talked about the many selves within yourself?" Yukino asked.
Naoya nodded, recalling the statement previously made by the strange man.
"Oh, Naoya, you've come around!"
The womanly voice came from the other end of the room. Naoya then realized he was in the infirmary. Eriko, Brown, and Ayase probably hailed down a teacher in the hall to carry the lightning-stricken students to the infirmary to be treated by, Nurse Natsumi Yoshino, the owner of the voice who called Naoya's name.
The tall, buxom Nurse Natsumi wore a tight-fitting blouse, her cleavage clearly exposed. As she moved to the bottom of Naoya's bed, she put her lab coat on, and brushed her curly brown hair behind her ears.
"You know, you sure look cute when you're asleep, Naoya."
Naoya blushed. Natsumi was quite the flirt with all male students.
Masao cracked his neck. "Nao doesn't even have to try to get chicks." Of course, Masao all ready had a crush on a specific student at St. Hermelin High. He hoped he'd muster enough courage to confess his feelings to her eventually.
The door to the infirmary slammed open, a blue-haired teacher rushing in. "Naoya! Are you all right?" The teacher panted removing her yellow jacket off her shoulders.
"He's fine Ms. Saeko. He just woke up." Yukino informed.
"Thank goodness! I was so scared when I heard you four had collapsed."
Ms. Saeko Takami was the homeroom teacher of the seven students who played the game known as Persona. She was quite popular with the students in St. Hermelin, due to the fact she was the only teacher on the faculty who liked her students.
"I recommend they go to the hospital for a checkup on the way home." Nurse Natsumi stated.
Ms. Saeko regained her normal breathing rate. She held her hand close to her chest.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with my students, Natsumi."
Masao cringed a little. "C'mon, taking care of students is her job. What's so wrong about us?"
Yukino gritted her teeth. She never liked when people talked back to Ms. Saeko. Saeko Takami saved Yukino during her time when she was a member of a gang. She owed a lot to her, including her own life.
"Mark! You and Brown are the reason why all this happened!" Yukino scolded, her hands clutching the air in the irritation.
Masao playfully half-smiled, scratching the back of his head.
"Come on, Teach, do something!"
"Yukino is right, Masao! I want you to think about what you've done!"
Masao ran to the other side of the bed to prevent Yukino from throttling him.
"Shit! I forgot how scary, Yukino is when she's angry!"
"Anyway, Eriko and Ayase told me what happened. No helping out for the cultural festival preparations today!"
"Do we honestly have to go to the hospital, Ms. Saeko?" Naoya innocently asked.
"Yes."
"I've all ready called your respective homes and told them you will be heading to the Mikage Hospital." Natsumi said matter-of-factly.
"Do you really think something is wrong with us, too, Ms. Saeko?" Yukino also asked, taking a shot at Masao.
"Hey!" Masao cried out, slightly hurt by Yukino's words, cutting off his homeroom teacher.
"Let Ms. Saeko speak, monkey!" Kei spat.
Masao bit his lip. Kei had the habit of referring to individuals as monkeys, because he thought his intelligence was higher than anyone elses'. Kei's habit pissed Masao off.
"Shut the hell up, Nanjo!"
The two heated students appeared ready to charge at each other head-first. Naoya being between them, on the bed still, slapped his palms on their chests.
"Stop it you two!" Naoya usually played mediator when Masao and Kei argued.
"Ahem!" Ms. Saeko said out loud, drawing the attention of the students back to her. "I can tell you by looking at you all that you're perfectly sane, but Natsumi and I are worried you might have gotten hurt while collapsing, so go see the doctor."
Speaking for everyone, Yukino replied "Alright, Ms. Saeko, we'll go."
"Mentioning Mikage Hospital," Natsumi spoke up. "Wasn't a student in your class staying there?"
Masao blushed. "You mean, Maki, right?"
Nao rolled his eyes. Masao may not be able to speak his emotions, but his expressions gave them away all the time.
Naoya lived by Maki Sonomura. They were childhood friends, just friends, he personally thought Maki liked him, but it didn't matter to him at the time. Adding to that, Masao liked her, and Naoya and Masao were good friends, so he didn't want to get in the way of a possible relationship. If only Mark could say "I like you, Maki" with his face.
"Yes, that's right. You should visit her while you're there." Ms. Saeko replied. "She's been laid up there for over a year now. I'm sure she's lonesome."
Masao face brightened up. "Naw, Teach! I visit her at least once every month."
"And Maki still hasn't taken notice to his affection?" Naoya thought.
"You're going!" Ms. Saeko ordered firmly, her hands on her hips.
"Let's go cheer her up!" Yukino added. "I can't take being cooped up in her longer."
"Let us be on our way then." Kei said in a commanding tone. "Naoya, hurry up, I wish to be done with this before sunset."
"That's Kei for ya, acting like the big-bad adult in the situation." Naoya thought.
Persona: Be Your True Mind
The four students hit the streets of Mikage. The quiet and peaceful streets. The walk to Mikage Hospital wasn't to far. It would take fifteen minutes total.
Kei hmphed.
"What's the matter, Nanjo?" Masao pulled the straps on his backpack. "Fifteen minutes not short enough for ya?"
"I'm not in the mood for idle prattle, Masao."
Mark flipped him off. "Screw you, Nanjo."
"Why don't we discuss Philemon?" Naoya proposed.
"The little girl we saw in the classroom must be connected to him." Kei reminded them of the crying apparition.
"She said help me." Naoya touched his earring. He usually found doing this helped him focus and calmed him down.
"Wonder what she meant." Masao put his arms behind his head.
"Philemon's words intrigue me." Kei cupped his chin to think. "He said the time where we'll need the Personas will come soon. Perhaps, the little girl wants our help with this upcoming predicament. Purely speculation at this point."
"Fits," Nao paused. "Sorta. After we visit Maki and get checked out, might as well go home and forgot it happened."
"Naoya is right. Maybe the whole event was an illusion."
"Nanjo, friggin' lightning shot out of the ceiling and struck each of us down! How the hell is any of that considered an illusion?"
"Keep walking, monkey."
Masao ruffled his hat, nearly chucking it to the ground. "You piss me off, Nanjo."
"Likewise, monkey."
Yukino and Naoya sighed.
"Well, to be fair, I agree with Masao." Yukino walked in between the two. "I mean, didn't Chisato Kasai and Yosuke Naito go missing recently? Isn't that kinda odd."
"You pose an interesting point, Yukino."
Masao tilted his head, forgetting his argument with Kei. "Wasn't Chisato one of Maki's friends?"
"Yeah." Naoya answered, knowing how much time Chisato and Maki spent together. "Yosuke was her boyfriend." Yosuke was also Maki's crush, much to Chisato's dismay.
"The school said they haven't showed up to class for a month and their parents last saw them back around the same time." Yukino informed.
"It is entirely possible the two eloped." Kei suggested.
"Or it might be related to what happened."
Masao turned his head to agree with Naoya, noticing a book under his arm.
"Nao, where'd you grab the book."
Naoya looked down, almost not recalling why he brought it along.
"Yuko ask me on the way out to return the book to Maki."
Yuko was another good friend of Maki's. The two would share many different objects and intimate secrets.
Masao examined the book, titled The Gates of Paradise and colored white. "The Gates of Paradise, huh? Maki loves this book."
"She painted a painting based on the book for the art contest, too." Yukino added.
"Yuko borrowed it like two months ago." Naoya chuckled a bit.
Masao blushed a little bit, inside he was green with envy. "Lucky bastard. I wanted to do something nice for Maki, like giving her back her favorite book."
Naoya put the book in Masao's open hand. "Maki loves me enough. We're childhood friends, but Mark can probably use this chance to make her happy."
"You give it to her, Mark. She'll like it."
"Thanks, Nao. I owe you one, man." Masao extended his hand.
"You owe me more, but whatever." Naoya gave Masao the high-five.
Persona: Be Your True Mind
Mikage Hospital's atmosphere was pleasant. The dozens of benches in the lobby were not filled with sickly Mikage residents. The air was fresh and the mood homey, a adequate feeling.
The four St. Hermelin students checked in and sat together on one bench by the automatic doors to wait to be called. Afterwards they would see Maki in her room.
The automatic doors, made a mechanic noise, indicating their opening. An aged man in butler attire bolted into the hospital. He veered towards the bench were the students were seated. He halted in front of Kei, tears pouring out of his eyes, visible through his thick framed glasses.
"YOUNG MASTER!" He yelled in a throaty voice.
Kei blushed, his eyes expanding. "Yamaoka!"
"Young master, I'm at an adversity. I thought your safety was compromised, young master."
Kei rose to his feet, aggravation clearly displayed on his face. "I told you to stop calling me that many times now!"
"Young master, even if you say you're with your friends, if your condition is so serious that you need to be checked out in a hospital, how can I possible go home by myself!" Yamaoka continued to sob, his sorrow frankly exhibited.
"As a butler of the Nanjo Family, this Yamaoka, has been appointed to take care of Young Master Kei for seven-teen years already! There hasn't been a moment where I wasn't concerned for your well-being! Please don't ask me to do something so shameful!"
Much to Kei's chagrin, Yukino and Masao laughed till there faces turned red.
"Young master!" Yukino covered her mouth, trying to stifle her uncontrollable mirth.
"That is friggin' hilarious, Nanjo! Young master! Fuckin' priceless!" Masao obnoxiously sustained his laughter.
Kei's face crimson, swung open a door in the lobby to a hallway. "Todo, I don't care anymore! We're seeing Maki, now!" Kei's usual cool and sophisticate tone had shattered, replaced with a creaky, discomfited tone.
Kei absconded to the lobby, ordering Yamaoka to stay there.
Yukino followed, with Naoya right behind her, dragging Masao, still hysterically laughing, by his backpack.
Yamaoka dried his tears with a handkerchief, sniveling, and then proceeded to twiddle his thumbs.
"Young master,"
Persona: Be Your True Mind
At the highest floor of Mikage Hospital, in room 302, a brunette teenage girl dressed in pink pajamas laid in bed, her skin a unhealthy pale shade. A chair was placed beside the bed in case of a visitor, but instead the chair was occupied by a teddy bear.
The bear, bought by her friends to help cheer her up, emulated Maki Sonomura, except it sat instead of laid. Maki felt trapped inside her body, in a stuffy hospital room, in her sicken form, unable to move, and no longer aesthetically pleasing. Her rosy cheeks no longer a rouge. Her painted lips, arid and cracked. Her brown hair, currently with split ends and lacking the red ribbon she usually tied. Her boisterous and bubbly personality killed and lost.
Besides the bear, Maki was lonesome. No one had come to visit her lately. Her mother, Setsuko Sonomura, an incredibly diligent worker at SEBEC, worked so many hours, she didn't have any time to visit her daughter. As the number of days that Maki would be put in the hospital throughout her sixteen years of life increased, the number of days Setsuko could see her daughter were abated.
Maki never realized during the huge amount of times she had to stay months in the hospital, how enervating it could be. She sighed, hopeful for something extenuating to happen, to elevate her spirits, fortify her current state of mind, and rid her room of the mundane environment.
Maki's ears perked up. The door to her room opened, revealing the smiling faces of Masao, Naoya, Yukino, and Kei.
Maki's dry lips parted in a minor smile. "Naoya! You all came! Thanks! You're so thoughtful, Masao!"
Masao raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" Kei asked.
"I told Masao I wanted to see everyone when he was here last time. Isn't that why you all came?"
Yukino approached her, feeling disgusted at their own motives. "Yes, it is. Oh, and Masao has a book Yuko borrowed."
"Oh, yeah! Here, Maki." Masao handed her the book.
"Oh, thank you, Masao!" Maki wanted to hug him, but her body ached too much to lift her back or limbs. "I love The Gates of Paradise. I've read it so many times, I almost have it memorized."
"So, how've you been?" Yukino wanted to change the subject. "You doing okay?"
Maki, inside, lost her smile. She didn't want her friends to worry. She decided to lie. "Uh-huh. I'm doing much better. I wonder if it's because of that good dream."
"A good dream?" Naoya asked.
"It's hard to remember, but I keep dreaming of a really nice man. He's like a father…"
"A father," Nao repeated. "Maki lost her father in a car accident."
"We met your doctor to help us find your room." Yukino explained. "Is he like the man in your dream? He seemed nice."
Maki's head sunk. "I don't like him."
Masao looked concerned. "Did he do something to ya! If he did, I'll kick his ass!"
"No, not at all, Masao. I just don't like doctors."
"Well, let's talk about other stuff, then?" Yukino proposed.
Maki nodded and Masao sat on the side of the bed. "Hey, how about your mom? How's she doin at SEBEC?"
Maki squinted. "She's not my mom!" Her tone became more powerful and louder. "She cares more about her job than me! She doesn't care at all about me!" Maki became mute and lowered her head again.
"S-sorry." Masao stuttered.
"Oh, it's all right, Masa-" An explosion of coughs erupted out of Maki's mouth. She grasped her heart, hacking phlegm and spittle on her sheets.
Maki's hunched forward, the coughing ceasing. Masao grabbed her by the shoulders. "Maki, Maki! What's wrong? Hey!" He shook her leisurely.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed.
Maki remained motionless.
"Shit! This isn't good!"
"Somebody call a doctor!" Yukino wailed
Surges of pain, shot through out the muscles of Maki's anatomy. Her heart beat rapidly, feeling like it would burst out of her chest. She heard the cries of her friends, but screamed an objective "No" to the pain. The pain in her heart amplified, like her heart and soul was being penetrated, invaded, and then dug out like a mining shaft.
Persona: Be Your True Mind
Tried my hand at added and improvising, trying not to be too stale in describing, but it's a hospital, nothing really special. Now, next chapter is action time, or should I say awakening time, as well as the end of Mikage Hospital "dungeon." And if you might see I changed some things around, nothing really important, but feedback and criticism is still appreciated. It's kinda difficult to capture certain parts of the game into a novelized format. The Yamaoka scene for example I kinda took straight from the manga mostly and in Chapter 4, I'll be taking material from the manga, not only to introduce Reiji and Tsutomu, but for Ayase's awakening. So, I hope you enjoyed Chapter 2 of Persona: Be Your True Mind, and I'll see you next time for Chapter 3: Awakening.