This chapter is in turbo fluff mode. I repeat: this chapter is in turbo fluff mode.
Aika sighed contentedly as she stirred cake batter in a bowl. Yosuke sat at the table, having dragged his chair all the way to the wall so that he could comfortably rest his feet on the table. "I'm so glad the case is over," he said. "And finals are over too, and break's coming up… Now we can actually relax, and we can go on real dates."
"That would be nice," Aika replied as she set the bowl down on the countertop and pulled the spoon out, shaking the batter stuck on the spoon back into the bowl and handing it to Yosuke. "And then there's, um… New Years…"
Yosuke ran his finger along the spoon and licked the batter clean off. "You know, I think you're supposed to buy Christmas cake."
"Yeah, but the thing about Christmas cakes is that no one wants to eat them after Christmas," Aika pointed out. "This is a normal cake that we'll just happen to be eating on Christmas. No weird restrictions about never touching it again, or anything like that." She smiled as she poured the batter into a cake pan and slid it into the oven.
Yosuke chuckled. "Good luck talking Chie, Yukiko, and Rise out of making one themselves. But I guess you'll be eating this one with your uncle and Nanako-chan, huh?"
"Yeah, but if Nanako overloads on cake, then that might just make her worse," Aika lamented. "And so much cake can't be good for Uncle's physical therapy."
Instead of pulling out another chair, Aika sat down on Yosuke's lap, and he wrapped his arms around her as she leaned into him. "You worry too much," he said as he rested his head on top of hers.
"After what happened, it'd be weird if I didn't worry this much."
Yosuke chuckled. "Then by that logic, I shouldn't let you out of my sight. Who knows when the next psychopath's gonna shove you into a TV?"
Aika laughed in response. "Or when my Persona goes crazy again?" And for several minutes, they sat in contented silence, until a sweet scent filled the air. "Oh, I almost forgot. I got you something." Aika made her way over to the phone and opened a drawer on the stand. She smiled as she handed Yosuke a black box, and couldn't be happier when his eyes widened.
Yosuke lifted a leather watch out of the box. "Wow," he said. "This is…" Before he said another word, he put it on his left wrist. "Thanks, Aika. And, speaking of which, I got you a little something too." His face turned slightly red as he reached into his pocket. "Uh… Don't laugh, okay? Sorry it doesn't come in a fancy box like yours did…" In his hand was a silver bracelet with various charms dangling from it – a sun, a tiny clock, a flower, and a heart bearing the inscription: "What's most important can't be seen with one's eyes." Yosuke looked away, his face turning even redder. "It's, uh…"
"It's perfect," Aika said, smiling at him.
"Oh, uh… H-Hey, we're still on for New Years, right?"
Aika giggled. "Of course."
"G-Great! I mean, uh… Not like I was looking forward to it or anything. Wait, no, that came out wrong. I was looking forward to it. I mean, uh…"
Aika pulled up her sleeve and raised her left wrist. "Can you put it on me?"
Yosuke just smiled. "Sure." And with that, he opened the bracelet and fastened it around her wrist. He sighed contentedly as he leaned against the wall, and Aika leaned against him. "That cake smells amazing."
"All cake smells amazing," Aika retorted, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him. "You know, I never thought I'd be glad that Uncle and Nanako aren't here, because I'm sure Uncle would kill us if he saw us now."
"And Nanako-chan would start asking questions," Yosuke said.
"And blab to Naoto," Aika added.
And as the two just stayed up and talked, Aika could honestly say that this would be the best Christmas she'd ever had.
It felt strange to be sitting in the Junes food court with nothing case-related to discuss. "So, Yukiko-senpai," Rise said teasingly. "Are you excited for your date tonight?"
"Oh, we're not going," Yukiko said simply.
"What?" Chie shrieked. "All that trouble finding a day when you're both free, and now you're not going?"
"Th-That's only because we went yesterday instead!" Yukiko stammered, blushing. "But…" She cleared her throat. "As I understand, I wasn't the only one with a date last night."
"We don't count," Aika and Yosuke said in unison. "I mean, c'mon," Yosuke continued. "You had to know we'd be doing something on Christmas Eve, of all days."
"Not only you," Yukiko said, smiling mischievously.
"Kanji had a date," Rise added.
Naoto sighed irritably. "I hardly think that eating dinner with someone and his mother counts as a date."
"C'mon, Senpai," Kanji retorted. "If we were on a date – which we weren't – it wouldn't be with Ma."
"Oh, I see how it is," Aika said teasingly.
"Sh-Shut it, Senpai!"
"Speaking of which…" Aika said as she reached into her bag. "I have a present for you, Kanji." She pulled out a bento and handed it to him.
Kanji eyed the box suspiciously. "You didn't have to cook for me, or anythin', Senpai."
Aika shook her head and smiled. "Just open it." Her smile widened as Kanji's eyes widened when he opened the lid.
Kanji looked from her to the box. "N-No way! S-Senpai…"
"I felt really bad about what happened at the camping trip," Aika said, "so Yosuke and I sifted through tons of animal crackers. And… we couldn't find any penguins, so we decided to make some. I'm sorry it's not the real thing, but…"
"Nah, this is great," Kanji said. "Thanks, Senpai."
"Chie too," Yukiko said suddenly.
"Huh?" Chie asked.
"You had a date last night too," Yukiko said, almost smirking.
"Going to the arcade in Okina City with Kou and Daisuke does not count!" Chie shrieked.
Rise giggled. "Well it does when Daisuke-senpai ditches you two before you even get there."
Yukiko snorted in laughter. "A-And when Kou-kun hugs your waist when you both ride illegally on a scooter together!"
"So Chie-chan scored with this Kou guy, Yuki-chan scored with that Yu guy, Aika-chan scored with Yosuke, and Nao-chan scored with Kanji!" Teddie concluded.
Just then, Aika's cell phone rang. "Hello?" she said as she flipped it open.
"Hey, it's me," Uncle said on the other line. "Good news – it looks like they're letting Nanako come home for a bit."
Aika almost dropped the phone in surprise. "Wh-What? A-Are you serious?"
"She woke up a couple days ago," Uncle explained. "She's got a good amount of strength back too, so she might be able to leave the hospital for the time being, if all goes well."
"What about you, though?" Aika asked.
"They said I just needed to see a doctor regularly," Uncle said. "So I'm planning on coming home with Nanako today. Sorry I had to stick you with all the housework, especially since you had so much else going on. I'll make it up to you somehow."
"N-No, it's no trouble at all!" Aika stammered. "What time do you think you'll be back?"
"We'll be back in an hour or so," Uncle replied. "Anyway, see you later."
"Wait, what do you mean back?" Yosuke asked as soon as she hung up.
"Uncle and Nanako are coming home!" Aika said excitedly.
"Really?" Yukiko gasped. "I-I'm so happy for her!"
"Me too," Teddie sighed. "I'm really glad… The fog's all gone over here because everyone tried so hard… And now Nana-chan's gotten better!" Teddie sniffled, and Aika could see tears in his eyes.
And Rise picked up on the sentiment. "Sh-She's such an amazing girl…" And then the two started wailing, throwing their arms around each other as they sobbed.
"Nanako's okay…" Aika said quietly. "She's really okay…"
"Yeah…" Yosuke said, putting his arm around her. "I guess this means we can rest easy now."
"You know what that means, right?" Chie asked excitedly. "It's party time! Let's throw a big Christmas party for Nanako-chan!"
"We'll need a cake then," Yukiko said.
"I already made one yesterday," Aika replied automatically.
Rise giggled. "That doesn't count, Senpai. That's just a normal cake. Leave everything to us!"
"And when we say 'leave everything to us,' we mean you're not allowed to help us," Chie said pointedly. "No more repeats of the camping trip and the omelette thing… Now Yukiko, Rise-chan, Naoto-kun… to the grocery department!"
"So, do you like it?" Aika asked Nanako excitedly. They both had their feet tucked safely under the kotatsu, and Aika was more than thankful for the warmth.
"It's so warm!" Nanako gushed.
"So this is the fabled kotatsu…" Teddie whispered in awe, staring at the table and sticking his hands inside the blanket.
Uncle chuckled. "She wouldn't stop talking about it at the hospital," he said. "By the way – Nanako needs to go back for a full checkup early next year, but if they don't find anything, they'll let her go immediately. She's apparently one of the more serious cases of fog sickness."
"Oh, so that's what they're calling it?" Aika asked.
"Yosuke-san said that you got fog sickness too, Big Sis," Nanako said.
Aika raised a questioning eyebrow at her boyfriend. "Did he now?" Still, she smiled at Nanako and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Don't worry, Nanako. I'm fine now."
"Sorry for the wait!" Chie called excitedly from the kitchen.
"C'mon, Senpai," Kanji whispered, poking Aika in the arm. "All you gotta do is whip out that cake you made yesterday, and we might just make it out of here alive." He sighed and cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on. Got my insurance card and everything."
Chie, Yukiko, Rise, and Naoto carried out two plates, each with a different cake – the one Aika had made the previous day, and the one they'd made together. "Try ours first, you guys," Rise said excitedly as Naoto cut one of the cakes into nice, even slices.
Nanako had already gotten some onto her fork. "Wait, Nanako-chan!" Kanji said urgently. "Maybe I should try it first." But then Nanako stuck the fork in her mouth, as if she hadn't heard a word. "No!"
"It's delicious!" Nanako enthused. "It tastes really good!"
"Really?" Aika asked as she tried a bite herself. The cake was a little too sweet, but the texture was good, and the consistency of the frosting was near perfect. "Wow, good job, you guys!"
"See?" Chie shot back triumphantly. "We're not totally hopeless at cooking!"
"Wait, so it actually tastes like something?" Yukiko asked incredulously.
"It's not hot, is it?" Rise asked glumly.
"No, it's great!" Aika replied. "You could've used a little less sugar, maybe, but everything else is good!"
"We did it!" Rise squealed, throwing her arms around Kanji without warning.
"Then again, this is our third attempt…" Naoto sighed.
"I-Impossible!" Yosuke gasped. "This… actually tastes good! Wait, I didn't already pass out, did I? This isn't a dream, right?"
"Senpai's cake is better, so you should try that one as well," Naoto advised everyone.
"Already did," Kanji replied, his mouth full of cake.
"I have to thank you all," Uncle said suddenly. "Adachi confessed to the murders, and he insisted that he was the one who hung the two bodies. There are still things that are unclear about his story, but he's most likely gonna pay for his crime." Aika sighed heavily. Adachi should have been here today, eating cake with the rest of them, celebrating Christmas together. Why did he have to…? "This case has made me think about a lot of things," Uncle continued. "Aika, you've helped us out so much. It was supposed to be the other way around, really. Now that you're staying here for another year, I hope I can finally do some catching up."
"Oh yeah," Yosuke said. "When are your parents coming back?"
"Spring, at the latest," Aika replied. "We have to get the other house ready by then."
"I'll help, Aika-chan!" Teddie announced.
Rise giggled. "We'll all help. You said it's just across the street from here, right?"
"Interior decorating, huh?" Kanji asked. "Let's see, you'll need…" He trailed off, running through a list of materials so quickly that Aika could barely catch it all.
"And Big Sis can come over all the time!" Nanako said cheerfully.
And so, the hours flew by quickly as they all kept talking and talking until it was time for Nanako to go to bed.
"December 31…" Aika said quietly to herself. She, Chie, Yukiko, Rise, and Naoto waited in front of the Tatsuhime Shrine, all of them bundled up in coats and scarves. "It's finally here…"
"Wow, you're really excited about New Years, aren't you?" Chie asked. "Is it the first one you're spending with friends? Is that it?"
"S-Sort of…" Aika replied shakily.
"Sorry we're late!" Kanji, Yosuke, and Teddie cried in unison as they ran up towards the rest of the group.
Yosuke eyed each of the girls almost skeptically. "Oh… You're…"
"We're… what?" Aika asked.
"What?" Teddie yelled. "Where are your kimonos?"
"Why would I be in a kimono?" Rise asked. "We aren't going to be out long enough to bother with putting one on."
"Besides, it's freezing," Aika added.
"Um, shouldn't we be mindful of the time?" Naoto asked. "If we don't hurry, we'll have to do the countdown right here at the entrance."
"You guys…" Chie said. "I'm glad we were all able to celebrate today here peacefully." They all strolled in together, and Aika entwined her fingers with Yosuke's as they walked side by side. "Okay you guys, one minute!"
"One minute?" Aika and Yosuke repeated in unison. "A-Are we still on for…?" Yosuke asked shakily.
"Um… I guess so?" Aika replied, suddenly feeling extremely anxious.
"You sure?" Yosuke asked. "We can always—"
Aika shook her head furiously to clear it. "Yeah, I'm sure."
"Ready, you guys?" Chie asked.
"Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!"
Aika and Yosuke faced each other and leaned toward each other. Everything was perfect… until Yosuke's nose knocked into her forehead and his lips touched the bridge of her nose. "Wait, wait, wait…" Yosuke said. "L-Let's try that again."
"This can't be happening…" Aika mumbled, pulling away from him quickly, her face turning a furious shade of red.
"Wait, were you two…?" Yukiko said slowly.
"Aw, that's so romantic!" Rise squealed.
"It's a minute past midnight," Naoto said bluntly as she raised her cellphone to show the traitorous 00:01 blinking almost mockingly, completely ruining the moment.
"DAMN IT, ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Aika and Yosuke yelled in unison, earning weird stares from passersby.
"Come on, you guys," Chie said. "It's not the end of the world! Just try again!"
"You simply misjudged the height difference," Naoto said. "Be more careful this time."
"And… this is getting less and less romantic by the minute," Aika deadpanned.
Yosuke let out a noise halfway between a whine and a scream. "Turn around! We can't do it with all of you watching!"
"All right, already," Kanji muttered as the group formed a sort of circle around them, with their backs to Aika and Yosuke.
Yosuke sighed. "Ready? Hopefully we'll get it right this time."
"So you come down, and I'll come up to meet you?" Aika asked.
"Or you come up first, and I come down to meet you," Yosuke replied. "Either way, we'll be meeting each other halfway."
"W-Wait, so who's going first?" Aika asked shakily. "You or me?"
"Just do it already!" the rest of the group yelled simultaneously.
"Okay…" Aika whispered, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes and stood on her toes, raising her head. And then Yosuke's lips were on hers, and for a moment that seemed to last forever, everything was perfect… and then she came to a realization that neither of them were doing anything at all, except having their lips touching, as neither of them knew what exactly to do. They drew away at the same time, and Aika felt like her face was melting off, her heart hammering in her chest. "I-It could've been worse…"
But Yosuke just laughed and wrapped his arm around her. "We'll work on that."
"You guys are dorks," Chie said bluntly as she turned around, though she looked like she was dangerously close to outright laughing at them. "Only you two would epically fail at your first kiss."
"C'mon, Senpai," Rise said. "It wasn't a total fail. Besides, it's the thought that counts."
"Is kissing like scoring?" Teddie asked. Yukiko started laughing and didn't stop for a long time.
Aika couldn't help but laugh as well as she looked up and smiled at Yosuke. There was something white in his hair, which she brushed off with one hand. It was cold, and as she looked up at the sky, she could see snow falling. "Wow…"
"Yeah, now we can finally see it!" Chie cheered.
"Do you think it'll pile on the ground?" Rise asked.
"Let's all make snowmen and snow angels!" Teddie suggested.
"So this is what they call a white New Years, huh?" Kanji asked.
"No one calls it that," Yosuke deadpanned.
"It's a new year, but you're still Moronji," Rise said simply.
"Moronji, hm…?" Naoto echoed, chuckling. "Oh, I see."
And as everyone laughed, Yosuke grabbed Aika's hand and squeezed it tightly. And it that moment, she decided to try something different – she tugged on his sleeve to get him to bend down a little, and then she stood on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.
"Sorry I'm late," Aika said as she walked as quickly as her kimono would allow her toward Yosuke.
Sure enough, he was standing there, facing the shrine. He turned around as she spoke up, and his eyes widened almost comically. "Wow, you're, uh…" He cleared his throat and looked away, his face turning red. "You're kind of…"
Aika giggled. "Thank you."
"Isn't it, uh… hard to move?" Yosuke's voice cracked.
Aika sighed. "Is it really that obvious? I was so hopeless at putting this on that Nanako and Uncle had to help…"
"Really?" Yosuke asked, clearing his throat. "He's actually good at that sort of thing?"
"He's had tons of practice with my mom," Aika said. "Apparently, she used to be way worse than I am at wearing these." Yosuke's face was almost the exact shade of Aika's obi. "Yosuke, are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" he squeaked. He cleared his throat. "I just feel like you're gonna throttle me if I look at you for too long."
Aika crossed her arms and stared flatly at him. "What do you take me for? Chie?" But he still refused to look in her direction, so she grabbed his head with both her hands and turned it to face her. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" His face turned even redder, and Aika let him go, huffing in annoyance. "You're hopeless."
Yosuke slapped his cheeks twice, squeezing his eyes shut. "Okay, Hanamura. Get a grip. Your girlfriend's looking totally gorgeous in a kimono, and is not going to kill you for looking."
When he reopened his eyes, Aika tilted her head to the side and smiled at him. "Better now?"
He grinned, and didn't look away this time. "Let's just say that the only thing that's stopping me from kissing you right now is that I'll screw it up and it'll be yet another awkward experience for both of us. So I say we start small. How about we make our New Years wishes together?" He held his arm out to her, which she took gratefully, and the boy walked toward the shrine. Once there, Aika closed her eyes and bowed her head, putting her hands together in prayer as she made her wish. "So, what did you wish for?" Yosuke asked her a few seconds later.
"It's, um…" Aika mumbled, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I-It's kind of cliché…"
"Can't be more cliché than mine," Yosuke said. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours?" Aika nodded. "Okay. I wished that… Don't judge, okay? I wished that we could just have a peaceful, happy year where we can all just have fun and enjoy ourselves." And at that, Aika couldn't help but laugh. "Hey! I'm being serious here!"
"I-It's not that," Aika giggled. "I wished for the same exact thing."
"What, seriously?" Yosuke grinned. "You know what? This is a sign." He looked to the left and immediately rushed toward a box of omikuji a little ways a way. "Hey, let's draw fortunes!"
"Wait up!" Aika called as she hobbled over to him as quickly as she could. They drew slips of paper one after the other, and Aika smiled down at hers as she opened it. "I got a medium blessing."
"Small blessing for me," Yosuke said smiling at her. "So I guess that puts me a step behind you, huh? That's okay. That way, it's easier for me to watch your back… Metaphorically, I mean… or literally, I guess… It's not like I have a weird fetish for staring at your back or anything! I meant that, like, when we're beating the crap out of Shadows and stuff… well I guess we won't be doing much of that anymore…"
"I understand," Aika said, smiling at him.
"You do?" Yosuke asked, sounding relieved. "That's good. I mean… wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea…"
For some strange, inexplicable reason, they leaned toward each other. And when their lips connected without any of the awkwardness of the previous night, everything felt right. It wasn't until Aika pulled away that her stomach flopped nervously. "D-Did we just…?" she mumbled dazedly.
"We did…" Yosuke said faintly, sounding equally dazed. Something seemed to clear in his eyes. "We did it!"
"Wait, we actually did it?" Aika asked, barely moving as Yosuke hugged her tightly in joy, not quite sure that she wasn't dreaming.
"We did!" Yosuke said excitedly. Without warning, he put one hand on her waist and took her hand in the other, and it was all she could do to grab his arm with her free hand for support as he practically dragged her into a waltz. "It actually worked!"
"H-Hey, slow down!" Aika said as she struggled to keep up. And although Yosuke slowed down to a snail's pace for her sake, they still danced – most likely horribly and completely wrong, not to mention the fact that Aika could barely keep up and kept tripping on her kimono – for what felt like almost no time at all. When they finally stopped, Aika was left almost breathless. "Th-That was…"
"Holy shit…" Yosuke muttered, sounding mortified as he buried his face in his hands. "I guess now's as good a time as any to tell you that I have no idea how to dance. At all."
"Same," Aika said. "It was still fun, though. And it's not like anyone's here, so we didn't exactly embarrass ourselves…"
To her surprise, Yosuke laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. "You're something else, you know that?" When he finally released her, he took both Aika's hands in his, swinging them back and forth. "Do you have some more free time? Let's see if there's any shops open."
Aika giggled. "Okay."
They held hands as they walked out of the shrine together, into the marketplace.
Naoto sneezed. "So much dust everywhere…"
Kanji let out something halfway between a growl and a scream. "Get outta here! Goddamn spiders…"
"Kanji, that's a broom, not a sword," Aika said without even looking in his direction.
Yosuke groaned. "Why…? Wasn't your uncle supposed to make sure this place didn't die or something?"
"Yeah," Aika replied as she swept clumps of gathered dust into a dustpan. "My aunt was the one who actually took that seriously, so when she died, Uncle never really showed up here."
"So how long do you think it'll take to finish cleaning?" Chie asked.
"Judging by the size of this house and the amount of dust and dirt accumulated, I'd say… at least a week," Yukiko answered.
"There's dirt in my fingernails…" Rise complained.
"So hungry…" Teddie whined. "Let's take a break!"
"We took a break fifteen minutes ago!" Chie yelled. And that was how the former investigation team spent a warm spring afternoon, shortly after the school year had ended, cleaning up the house into which Aika was soon going to move. "We're on break… This is slave labor."
"It's like the camping trip all over again…" Yosuke added.
"I guess I'm finally doing my share of that," Aika said.
"Oh, hey," Yukiko piped up. "When we're done for the day, why don't you all come over to the inn? There are some open rooms today, so we can have another sleepover! And we'll bring Nanako-chan too!"
"No slip ups this time," Chie said warningly, glaring at Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie.
"Hey!" Kanji yelled indignantly. "That was Yukiko-senpai's fault!"
"With all due respect," Naoto said suddenly, "to maximize efficiency, we should clean one room at a time. And I see that we are almost done with this one."
"Let's do the rest tomorrow," Yosuke suggested.
Aika sighed tiredly and leaned against the wall, wiping sweat off her forehead. "Yeah… Let's call it a day."
As everyone left, after making quick plans to meet at the Amagi Inn later, Aika decided to ride the scooter around Inaba, if only to feel the fresh air and relax. When it suddenly started raining, she groaned. Might as well fill up on gas before I head back… So she made her way to the gas station before heading home.
An attendant standing at the front smiled as Aika approached. "Hi there," the attendant greeted. "Did you need something?"
"Yeah, I wanted to fill up on gas," Aika replied as she dismounted the scooter.
The attendant smiled at her, and she shivered. "Of course." Aika shook her head to clear it as the attendant did her work. "So, it looks like you liked it here after all."
"Hm?"
"We've met before," the attendant said simply. "Around this time last year. You came in here with your dad and little sister—"
"Uncle," Aika corrected absentmindedly.
"Right," the attendant said. "I was working here at the time. I told you to come back here for some part-time work, and…" Suddenly, the floor tilted, and Aika collapsed to her knees, suddenly feeling extremely dizzy and sick. In her mind, Kaguya was screaming. "Hey, if you aren't feeling well, then you should head home."
But the near crippling dizziness was familiar – it was all like… "Wh-What did you do to me…?" The dizziness subsided slightly, and Aika seized the opportunity to stand up, though she still struggled to do so, and her legs threatened to give out under her.
"Nothing at all," the attendant replied in a smooth voice. "All I did was shake your hand and welcome you to Inaba when you first moved here… Much like I did with that council secretary and serial murder suspect."
"So you…" Aika swallowed hard. "Y-You're with Ameno-Sagiri… It's your fault that…"
"A handful of strangers was more than enough to stimulate a small place like this," the attendant continued, "but I suppose it was stimulated a little too much – enough to cover the town in fog, and then lift it." She raised her eyebrows at Aika, who clenched her fists and struggled to stay conscious. "Well? Happy? That's all there is to it, really."
"N-No… I-If you're really responsible for everything, th-then I have to…"
Something hardened in the attendant's expression. "The fog has lifted, and you still are not content? Why such greed? I guess it's the foolish nature of being mortal…" She closed her eyes and chuckled darkly. "And to think, all this happened because I gave your powers just a tiny little push." The gas station attendant smirked, and Aika shivered. "Just like… this." Without warning, she grabbed both of Aika's hands, squeezing them tightly, and all too quickly, the dizziness was back, only it was even worse than before, and Aika's vision darkened rapidly. "If you want the truth so badly, then come to the other side. This time, I will pit my full strength against you. But in return… you must come prepared to follow through in your futile resistance. I'll be waiting…"
And with that, the last of Aika's consciousness faded.
"Aika, are you okay?"
"What happened? You were fine a couple hours ago!"
"What the hell happened?"
Aika pinched the bridge of her nose, wishing that her headache would just go away. "Guys… not all at once." She'd woken up on the couch barely half an hour ago to a worried Nanako ("Big Sis, are you okay? That lady at the gas station said you fainted!") and a furious Uncle ("If you weren't feeling well, then you should've just stayed home!"), feeling dizzy and sick to her stomach – like she'd just braved an hours-long ride in the back seat of a car on the bumpiest road in Inaba. For less than a minute after she woke up, Uncle ranted to her on end and Nanako fussed over her, and Aika interrupted them both by admitting that she was going to be sick. Unable to make it to the bathroom, she ended up throwing up in a washbowl Uncle had given her. Now, a bucket was lying innocently next to her, in case she had to throw up again.
"Are you feeling okay, Senpai?" Rise asked.
Aika groaned as she rolled over onto her side so that she was facing away from her friends. "No… That stupid gas station attendant did something to me."
"Something Persona-related?" Naoto asked.
"She said she gave my powers a little push," Aika said quietly. "Back when I first moved here. Either she did the same today, or she messed with them, or something like that. That's why I could go into TVs before awakening to my Persona, back at the beginning of the year. Same thing with Adachi-san and Namatame-san."
"But for her to be able to do that…" Yukiko said. "… that would mean she's responsible for everything that's happened this past year… That would put her on the same level as Ameno-Sagiri. Maybe even higher…"
"Either way, we now know for sure that the case is still not over," Naoto said solemnly. "The killer may have been caught, but if we do nothing and ignore what has just happened, then history may repeat itself."
"So…" Kanji muttered. "You're saying that some poor schmucks are gonna have to deal with the crap we went through…?"
"More or less," Naoto answered. "Ameno-Sagiri did mention that he would come back one day."
"So we just… go like always?" Chie asked. "Go in, beat the crap out of this person, and save the world?"
"No!" Aika shrieked, bolting upright and ignoring the rush of vertigo. "We don't stand a chance, Chie! She told me to come to the other side and find her! That means she's ready for us!" Aika fell onto her back. "We could barely handle Ameno-Sagiri as it is…"
"You should go," Uncle said suddenly. "You guys are the only ones who can do anything about it, right? You'll regret it if you don't do anything." Everyone stared blankly at him. "What? What do you want me to say? That it's too dangerous and you shouldn't go?"
"Dojima-san is right," Naoto agreed. "I know I personally would never forgive myself if the same thing were to happen later, and I could have done something to stop it."
"Big Sis, it's ready!" Nanako called as she and Yosuke came from the kitchen.
Yosuke handed her a steaming mug of tea. "Sorry for the wait. We messed up a couple times with the whole tea leaf thing."
Aika blew on it to cool it down and then took a sip. The tea was a little on the bitter side, but she smiled at Yosuke nonetheless. "It's good," she told him.
"Yes!" Yosuke cheered, high-fiving Nanako. "Anyway, about this whole psycho lady thing… We don't have to make a call right now. I say we go in tomorrow, assess the situation, and see if we even have a chance of winning. If we don't stand a chance at all, then there's really no point in throwing our lives away."
"Hey, Yosuke actually had a good idea!" Chie mock gasped.
"I always have good ideas!" Yosuke shot back.
Aika just laughed as she continued to sip her tea, and at that moment, she couldn't be more thankful for her friends.
"You were right, Senpai," Rise said the next morning after using Kanzeon to scan the TV world. "I sense a tremendous presence unlike anything we've ever fought. But…" She released Kanzeon. "It doesn't look invincible. I think we can defeat it."
"Okay, so we'll put an end to it," Yosuke said. "For real this time." He sighed. "Let's hope things actually stay ended this time around…"
"But we haven't even come in here since December!" Yukiko protested. "We're really out of shape!"
"No!" Rise cried. "Stop being so negative! We'll never defeat that lady if we don't think positive! Come on, you guys!" She took a deep breath and said something in English: "Let's positive thinking!" Everyone stared at her blankly.
"Oh, I know where that's from!" Aika gasped. "MUSES…?"
"Honestly, Senpai, if you didn't know where that was from, after all the lessons I gave you, then we'd have a serious problem on our hands here," Rise replied.
"You know…" Chie sighed. "If all goes well this is gonna be the last time we do something like this. I know this sounds weird and all, but it was kind of fun."
"That's because we all strove together toward a common goal," Naoto said. "There were many things we believed in without questioning them. The culprit's identity, their motives… there were many occasions where we nearly gave up."
"It may have been easier if we just looked the other way," Yukiko pointed out. "But we didn't."
"Even if we had to fight every inch of our way…" Yosuke said, smiling. "I wanna go on feeling, seeing, touching, and thinking for myself."
"Thank you all so much," Aika said sincerely. "When I first moved here, I was so ready to just… keep to myself and not really do anything, since I thought I was going to move away soon anyway. And… Well, I'm not moving now, but even if I was, I wouldn't have given up this past year for anything."
"We all grew so much…" Yukiko mused.
"And we have our Shadows to thank for that," Chie added.
"No…" Yosuke refuted. "We have ourselves to thank for that."
"Ew…" Teddie said suddenly. "Yosuke always has to try and make himself look all cool… But he's so pathetic, he makes my skin crawl."
"Don't be mean, Teddie," Aika said sternly.
"Probably just fleas," Yosuke said, barely affected by Teddie's jibe at all. "I spilled juice on you earlier."
"No wonder I smell of orangey freshness!" Teddie gasped. Everyone laughed at that.
"Ready?" Yosuke asked. Everyone nodded. "All right… Let's do this."
"It's so foggy here…" Yosuke complained. "Even with the glasses, I can't see a thing!"
"Hang in there, Senpai!" Rise said. "We're almost there. I can feel it."
"I've been here before…" Aika mused.
"Huh?" Yosuke asked. "How? When?"
"It was in a dream…" Aika said quietly, putting her hand on a red and black wall nearby. "Back before all of this started…" She exhaled slowly. "Come on. We need to finish this. I can't let whoever's responsible for this whole thing repeat everything with other people."
The group stepped into a clearing, and, sure enough, the woman from yesterday was floating above them, dressed in white robes. "Congratulations on making it this far."
"Okay…" Aika said slowly. "We're here. You said you'd tell us the truth if we came."
"Very well…" the woman said, closing her eyes. "What would you like to know?"
"Who are you?" Yosuke demanded. "What are you?"
"I am Izanami," the woman said placidly. "Ameno-Sagiri, ruler of the fog, is merely an aspect of myself that was born long ago. You had awakened to a power I had not imagined, and then you forsook it. And now you stand here before me. Why?"
"Why…?" Kanji growled. "'Cause we're sick of you messing with us, that's why!"
"I understand now…" Naoto said quietly. "You granted certain individuals with the power to enter TVs, and you created the Midnight Channel as well. And now I will ask you this: what is the Midnight Channel? Why did you create it, and why did you spread awareness of it?"
"This 'Midnight Channel' you speak of…" Izanami said. "It is indeed a device to draw hearts into this world. But it was always your individual wills that would determine what appeared on it. Humans ache to expose their suppressed sides, while the prying eyes around them are curious to see them laid bare. The want to show, and the want to see… I simply created a window that catered to both. That is all."
"Everyone wished to know more about the people who became famous through the media…" Naoto mused. "And the Midnight Channel was there to grant their wishes."
"That's why the victims always appeared on TV before they were taken…" Aika whispered. "And once they came here, they appeared so much more clearly."
"I don't believe this!" Rise shrieked. "Are you saying all you did was let Senpai and the others awaken to their powers more easily, and then just watched things unfold? And the rumors spreading, things going wrong… We're to blame for all that's happened?"
"So people's curiosity was at fault?" Yukiko asked, sounding irritiated.
"Everything was for your sake," Izanami tried reasoning with them. "To create a world that mankind so wanted. You can only truly know a finite number of people within your lifetime… but humans disregard this fact and try to know more people than is possible. Only by comparing yourself to others can you define yourselves. The ensuing anxiety causes you to see only what you want to see and believe only what you wish to believe. As I said… your desire is for a world enshrouded in fog!"
"That's not true!" Aika cried. "A lot of people might be like that… but that's just wrong! What makes you think you know what's best for us?"
"We don't want a world like that!" Chie exclaimed.
"If we were fine with the world you're making, we'd never have come this far, dammit!" Kanji yelled.
"We will continue to live in our world with everyone else," Yukiko said.
"As long as the truth is out there, we'll keep looking for it," Yosuke declared.
"We all will," Rise amended. "Together. And we'll decide our own fate!"
Izanami chuckled darkly as fog seeped from her robes. When the fog cleared, a large figure with long, flowing dark hair was there in her place. "Knowledge of the truth is not everything," she said. "Yet drunk with truth, you exceeded your role, and became too involved… Now learn for yourselves whose wrath you have brought down! Come, sinful sons of man!"
"Get ready, you guys," Rise warned. "She's really, really strong. Stronger than Ameno-Sagiri. But we can defeat her! I know we can!"
Aika slammed her rod down on her Persona card. Delibitate! "Persona!" Kaguya twirled upward, and Izanami staggered.
"Let's go, Yukiko!" Chie called.
"Right!" Yukiko replied. They summoned both their Personae, and Chie's struck Izanami with a physical blow as Yukiko's engulfed her in flame.
And the rest soon followed suit – but no matter how much they attacked her, how strong their attacks were, she refused to go down. "Can you not understand?" Izanami taunted. "It is impossible to defeat me."
"Wh-What the…?" Yosuke panted. "Our attacks are barely affecting her at all!"
"I-I don't know what's wrong…" Rise stammered. "Your attacks are hitting her, but nothing's happening!"
The answer came to Aika surprisingly quickly, as if it was given to her by some higher power. "It's not real," she whispered. "This isn't the real you… is it?"
Izanami chuckled. "Congratulations, little girl. Well then… Allow me to show you my full splendor." There was a flash of bright light, and a giant red and black creature with multiple arms and flowing black hair took the old enemy's place. "I… am a god… Did you children come here knowing that you would be fighting God's will? Very well, then. The time has come for us to end this. Goodbye… Accept the reality of your death!"
Darkness swirled in front of Izanami, and everything grew cold. "Wh-What's happening?" Rise mumbled.
Darkness swirled by Aika's feet. "Senpai, look out!" Kanji yelled, shoving her out of the way. Hands sprung up from the darkness, dragging him down until Aika couldn't see him anymore.
"N-No…" Aika whimpered.
"Aika, don't just stand there!" Chie yelled, pushing Aika just like Kanji had. A few more seconds, and she was dragged down as well.
"I-I can't find them anywhere…" Rise said, her voice breaking. "No… Are they… gone…?" Naoto, Teddie, and Yukiko were next, and Aika couldn't breathe. "Stop it!" Rise cried, running in front of Aika. "I won't let you—" She screamed suddenly as she was dragged down.
Aika was shaking now, unable to do anything but stand there and watch. She barely even felt it when Yosuke gave her a violent shove soon afterward, sending her crashing to the ground. When he started disappearing too, something jolted in her mind. "No!" she cried, reaching out to him. And the worst part was that he was smiling at her, like everything was going to be okay. She was crying by now, but she had no idea when she'd started at all.
"It's unfortunate that our battle must end this way," Izanami said mockingly. She threw her head back, and darkness swirled by Aika's feet.
Aika felt a jolt of burning, searing pain in her chest. It wasn't so much that she was dragged down, but rather that she collapsed and fell. And for a long while, that was all she did – just fall, lower and lower, through the fog. From far away, she could hear Margaret screaming. "Get up! You cannot fall here! I will never allow you to be another Master Makoto!"
What's the point? Aika wanted to say. Her friends were gone, and they weren't coming back – it would have been better if she'd never come to Inaba at all. If she got up to fight now, then she'd have to go back alone – and there was no way she could let that happen. Was it really so bad, just staying on the other side, where she didn't have to face a reality without her friends?
"Do you really wish for it to end this way?" Aika, somehow lying on her stomach, managed to lift her head and look up. A familiar man in a porcelain mask stood before her, crossing his arms as his long ponytail swayed in the wind. "If you give into despair," he said, "then all that you have fought for this past year will have been for naught. You forsook my gift of power because you wished to remain true to your friends. Do not let their efforts be in vain." Philemon held his hand out to her. Aika closed her eyes and took a deep breath before taking his hand and standing up. There was a flash of bright white light, making it impossible to see.
I will lend you my strength. Come. End this farce.
When Aika opened her eyes, darkness was swirling by her feet, just like before. And at that moment, Aika felt warm – like there was some sort of light shining within her. "Impossible…" Izanami whispered.
And then, all Aika could feel was unbelievable pain. But she stood her ground. She wouldn't fall to Izanami now. "You can't knock me down!"
"Why?" Izanami demanded, as she struck Aika again. "Why don't you understand?" One more blow. "It's impossible for humans to grasp the truth with their own hands…"
Aika couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't passed out already. She didn't feel pain anymore – only a strange numbness and weakness that covered her entire body. Then, she could suddenly feel her Persona card in her hands, and she couldn't remember when she'd summoned it in the first place. She stared at the XX printed on the front. Her heart hammered in her chest as she closed her eyes and clutched the card tightly with both her hands, pulling it to her chest. "Per…so…na…" She crushed the card with all the strength she could muster, and she could feel Kaguya flying up and out of her.
Our light will illuminate the truth.
Izanami was engulfed in a bright white light that expanded and filled the entire area, and Aika could no longer see anything. "Very well," Izanami said. "Then try to live your way… Power enough to erase my existence… You have already exceeded what I thought humanity to be capable of. You have lifted the fog in this world, as well as the fog in your own… and whether that will lead to happiness or not… rests on your shoulders. Children of man… Well done!"
Aika smiled faintly as she relaxed. It's over… It's finally over… It became impossible to stand for any longer, so she collapsed to her knees. As if from far away, she could her friends' voices.
"Aika!"
"Senpai, are you okay?"
"Hang in there!"
Someone seemed to have caught her as she fell, since she could feel arms around her. "It's okay," Yosuke's voice said, soothing and gentle. "You can rest easy now." And with that, the last of Aika's consciousness faded.
She woke up in the Velvet Room, to Igor and Margaret smiling brightly at her. "How marvelous," Igor said with a chuckle. "You have driven back a godly being and brought about a new world… My dear, I can now say with confidence that you have successfully completed your journey."
"It's really over?" Aika asked in a disbelieving tone. "There isn't anyone above Izanami who'll come in and screw everything up?"
"Soon the fog will lift, and our destination will become visible," Margaret said. "We will be arriving shortly." She closed her eyes and smile. "I commend you for not giving into despair when victory seemed impossible."
"This journey was a fruitful one," Igor continued, "worthy of marking a turning point in your destiny. Many a time along the way did the fog of lies prevent you from moving forth. Yet in every instance, you overcame the temptation of easy exits and false terminals." His smile widened. "And my heart danced with delight to see you succeed. I am most honored to have borne witness to such a wondrous journey."
"Our destination is close at hand now," Margaret said.
"Well then…" Igor said. "We have finally come to your journey's true end. Our contract has been fulfilled. On behalf of Master Philemon and myself, congratulations. You were truly a remarkable guest."
"Oh…" Aika said slowly. "Um… Th-Thank you…"
The car drew to a halt, and Aika noticed for the first time that everything was clear outside the windows. "Now…" Igor said. "Go and see with your own eyes. See the world you have won… The bright, magnificent future… And… Though your journey is complete, my dear, do come and visit, from time to time."
Aika smiled and nodded. "Yes, of course."
Margaret stood up and opened the door. "Go on," she urged. Everything outside the Velvet Room was white. Aika stepped outside…
… and her eyes fluttered open, only to find a clear blue sky above her. She felt sluggish and disoriented and tired, but was otherwise unharmed, and she pressed a hand to her forehead as she sat up. Rise giggled, practically bouncing into view. "About time you woke up, Senpai."
"Geez…" Chie grumbled. "How long were you planning to sleep for?"
"Oh, just let it go," Yukiko chided them gently. "That was a tough battle for all of us."
Aika was still in a daze when Yosuke helped her up. "You're okay…"
"Of course we are," Naoto said, smiling.
"You didn't think we'd go down that easy, did you Senpai?" Kanji asked almost teasingly.
Yosuke put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "I'm sorry…" she mumbled. "You didn't have to carry me out of Junes."
"The thing is…" Teddie said slowly. "We're still on the other side."
"What?" Aika gasped. "B-But…" And when she turned around, she saw it – a clear blue lake, with trees and mountains off in the distance, and so many different flowers of different colors blooming everywhere. It was like something out of a children's book. "Th-This is…"
"I guess this is what people's hearts are really like on the inside," Chie said.
"It's so beautiful…" Yukiko whispered.
Yosuke wrapped his arms around Aika from behind her, and she leaned into him. "Thank you…" she whispered to everyone.
"You know, you didn't all have to come," Uncle grumbled, though he didn't sound unhappy in the slightest. The entire investigation team, plus Uncle and Nanako, had gathered at the train station, eagerly awaiting the moment that Masami and Fuuji Nakamura would arrive.
"The same could be said for you, Dojima-san," Naoto said. "There was no need for you to retrieve from Junes yesterday afternoon."
"That's different," Uncle retorted. "If you guys are gonna throw your lives on the line, jumping into TVs and saving the world and all, there's no way in hell I'm gonna just sit by and do nothing. And you guys were dead tired yesterday, too – you crashed in the living room as soon as you got back!"
"Dad, can I save the world someday too?" Nanako asked earnestly.
"No, you can't!" Uncle snapped, but immediately backtracked when he saw her crestfallen expression. "Uh… I mean… Yeah, you can save the world. But only in a nonviolent… non-dangerous way that doesn't put your life in danger at all. Got it?"
"Okay!" Nanako said cheerfully.
"But that still doesn't answer why you're all here," Uncle continued nonchalantly.
"Give us a break, Dojima-san," Kanji retorted. "We cleaned their house. The least they can do is let us come pick 'em up from the station."
"Are you forgetting that their house still isn't clean?" Chie reminded him.
"I believe the fate of the world takes precedence over a home, no offense to Aika-senpai's parents," Naoto quipped.
"Oh, are you like the Featherman Rangers?" Nanako asked earnestly.
"That, we are, Nanako-chan," Yosuke said earnestly. "That, we are."
"So which ones would we be?" Teddie asked excitedly.
"Red Falcon for me," Yosuke said, "White Swallow for Aika, Yellow Owl for you, Black Condor for Kanji, Green Finch for Chie, Pink Argus for Yukiko, and Blue Swan for Naoto."
"What about me?" Rise asked pointedly, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him.
"You're…" Yosuke said uncertainly. "Uh…"
"You're the commander!" Aika said helpfully.
"Oh, okay!" Rise said cheerfully. "That sounds cool!"
"WE'RE HOME!" came the loud, enthusiastic voice of Masami Nakamura. "Masami and Fuuji Nakamura have arrived!"
"They're here!" Nanako enthused.
Aika's parents practically swooped down from the top of the stairs. Her mother looked no different from when she'd visited in December, her (greying) blue-black hair pulled into a messy bun with glasses sitting on top of her head. Her father looked a little older, however, with more wrinkles and more grey hair. "Nana-chan!" her mother squealed as she crouched down and tightly embraced the smaller girl. "It's so good to see you not in the hospital! And…" She straightened up and looked around absentmindedly. "I can't find Ryo-chan anywhere. All I see is this weird old man here."
"Ha ha," Uncle fake-laughed. "Very funny. You're not exactly the crowning example of youth yourself."
"S-So cold!" Mom mock-gasped. "Ryo-chan, I'm appalled at you! I happen to be your big sis!"
"What am I?" Uncle retorted. "Nanako?" He earned a swift kick in the shin from his daughter for his trouble. "Ow! I'm sorry!"
"Welcome back to Inaba, Nakamura-san," Yukiko said politely, bowing to both of Aika's parents.
"Oh, there's no need to be so formal, Yukiko-san," Dad assured her. "I can only assume that you're here for Aika's sake and not as part of a welcoming committee from the Amagi Inn. Whenever you're off duty, feel free to just... not act so formal."
"Actually, even when you're on duty, come to think of it," Mom amended. "Any friend of Aika-chan's is a friend of ours! Speaking of which…" Aika gave a yelp of surprise as her mother suddenly hugged her, lifting her into the air. "You're okay and you're not half dead!"
"Yeah, I'm not," Aika replied with a giggle as her mother put her down.
"Yes!" Mom cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "The Dojima-Nakamura legion is back in action!"
"Dojima-Nakamura?" Dad echoed, raising a disbelieving eyebrow. "I was under the impression that it was Nakamura-Dojima."
"Eh, we outnumber you two to one," Mom retorted nonchalantly.
"Low blow, Sis," Uncle muttered, though he didn't sound bitter or irritated in the slightest. Mom slung an arm around his neck and pat his head for his trouble. "Ow! My back's still—Masami!"
"So shall we go?" Dad asked, smiling.
And so, they all made their way out of the train station, just laughing, talking, and smiling. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, times were peaceful, and everything was exactly as it should be. All was well.
… AND IT'S DONE! Thank you so much to all of you who hung on during this crazy ride. No, seriously. The fact that you'd take time out of your day to read this just makes my day. And now that it's done, I don't know what I'm going to do with my fanfiction-writing life…
… wait. Actually, I kind of do. What you guys have to look forward to (if you so desire): Persona 1 with a female protagonist, Persona 2 with a female protagonist, Persona 3 with a female protagonist (which I kind of already started in a failed NaNoWriMo attempt that I'll most likely take down and rewrite), and maybe yet another Persona 4 with a different female protagonist.
Scenes that didn't quite make it into this fic: a moment in the mental hospital where the investigation team goes to visit Adachi (complete with Kanji growling and yelling at Adachi and threatening to beat the shit out of him a la Shizuo Heiwajima and Izaya Orihara – get it? Because the guy who voices Adachi voices Izaya and Kanji has his hair dyed like Shizuo, and… okay. Stopping now.); basically every extra scene from Golden sans the Marie ones; more Yu/Yukiko fluff; more Yosuke/Aika fluff; more Dojima/Nakamura family fluff; the list goes on.
So once again, thank you so much for sticking with this until the end, and I love you all to death. Thanks for reading!