Author's Notes: Congratulations, America. I can't believe we elected Donald J. Trump into presidency... I hope we're all satisfied with our mistake. Or I can be wrong and he can be the greatest president ever... Please let me be wrong... Anyways, a depressing chapter for a depressing day...
~21 NOVEMBER 2009~
Chidori sighed before frowning at her newly finished picture. "What am I drawing…?" she asked herself. "Why am I…?" The lights around her dimmed and she tensed up. "What the…?" She flinched as the windowpanes broke, tripping the hospital alarm.
A cold chuckle filled the room as the door slid open. "It has been a while…"
"That voice…" Chidori's eyes widened at the dark figure coming in.
Takaya smiled at her. "I am glad to see you once again…" He turned to his partner. "Jin, the instruments, if you would."
Jin walked over to the bed and opened his suitcase. He pulled out some familiar tools and placed them in front of Chidori. "Here," he nodded to the girl. He watched as Chidori only stared at the darkly shining gun before her. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what your Evoker looks like."
Chidori shakily lifted up her gun. Takaya tilted his head to the side as he studied her. "I trust you do not need to be restrained?"
"Takaya…" the girl frowned. Junpei…
"Surely you understand…" the shirtless young man shrugged and shook his head. "There is nowhere for you to go… You must come with us." He sternly looked at the girl. "Death is not to be feared. You need only fear—"
"Yes," Chidori nodded, "I know."
Takaya's smirk grew. "Excellent." He and Jin departed the room as Chidori quickly changed into her old clothes.
The red-haired girl tossed aside her sketchbook and stared at her Evoker. "It's all his fault…" she muttered to herself. "Since the day I met him, I've experienced nothing but pain… And I've become afraid of dying…"
Getting impatient, Jin called out to her from outside. "Hey, hurry up, Chidori."
Chidori lowered her head as she turned her back on her sketchbook. "Medea… Let's go."
~22 NOVEMBER 2009~
After their little trip to Kyoto, Hamuko and Minato continued with their Social Links with their friends. Thanks to Yukari, the twins were also finally able to get the Student Council President to open up to them, giving them access to the Empress Link. The older girl still had some reservations relying on them, but after only a few minutes of spending time with them, the heiress of the Kirijo Group finally understood what it was about the twins that drew people towards them.
"You're just as stubborn as nii-san is when it comes to responsibility, Mitsuru-senpai," Hamuko shook her head with a sigh. "You can't carry every burden alone."
"That's right," Minato sternly nodded. "Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection," he crossed his arms.
"Minato?" Mitsuru stared at the junior in surprise.
"Isn't that the motto of the Kirijo Group?" Hamuko asked Mitsuru with a smirk.
"Hamuko…" The senior watched as the twins chuckled to themselves. Mitsuru finally cracked a smile as she understood what they were trying to convey to her. "Of course… The two of you have always been able to overcome every obstacle SEES has faced because you've always been together…" She lowered her gaze to the ground. "Despite being the one in charge of SEES, I suppose there is still much for me to learn from our leader and co-leader." The redhead nodded to herself in determination. "Very well. I will take my first step forward today in finding harmony. I request that you both instruct me on the proper etiquette of dining in a ramen restaurant."
"Um… what?" Minato stared at the older girl in confusion.
Hamuko laughed though as she grabbed the Student Council President and her brother. "Leave it to us, Senpai!"
"Wait… we're really doing this?" her brother nervously asked.
Mitsuru enjoyed their company, but she finally also understood why Minato was always so wary around his sister. The senior never quite had a friend like Hamuko. The bouncy, energetic junior made every conversation lively, but never before had Mitsuru been so persistently pressed about her private life and thoughts. Hamuko relentlessly asked the redhead about what SEES was like during middle school and it ended up resulting in Mitsuru having to describe what Akihiko and Shinjiro were like in the past.
The brunette was adamant about taking the opportunity to understand the original SEES team better and after a while, Hamuko managed to complete the Star Link with Akihiko. The boxer also decided to give her a Rabbit Doll since it reminded him of the red-eyed girl. "You know, you really do remind me of Miki," he told her with a slight frown. "And Minato kinda reminds me of myself… To be honest though, I'm a bit jealous of your brother… He has the type of strength I want… and I definitely don't want him to end up like me or Shinji." The senior shook his head. "I'm tired of losing what's important. I have to work to protect what's precious to me. And that means everything precious…" The boxer wore a determined smirk. "I'm not your brother, but I know how devastated he'll be if anything ever happened to you. So from now on, I hope you don't mind if I see you as my little sister too. That said, you should know that if you're ever going through a hard time, I'll be there for you."
Hamuko gently smiled at the older boy as she accepted the doll. "Thanks… Aki-nii."
"Aki-nii?" His grey eyes widened before he wryly smirked to himself. "It's been a long time since I've had anyone call me that, but… I like the sound of it…"
"Good because as my older brother, I'm going to be teasing you from now on!" Hamuko laughed.
"Well, good luck with that," Akihiko smirked as he openly challenged her. "I'm not like Minato." He punched the air a few times to warm himself up. "There's nothing you can do to faze me!"
"Really?" the red-eyed girl evilly smiled. "So what do you think Mitsuru-senpai would say if she found me sitting here in your room?"
"You wouldn't dare…" the boxer said, face growing pale.
The junior only laughed at him as she sensed Helel appear before her. It would be a long while before she would be able to the test the Persona, but she was glad to have the seraph's blessing.
The next Social Link Hamuko completed was with Koromaru. The brunette was a bit surprised the albino alpha handed her a Dirty Collar, but the girl instantly cherished the offering. "Am I your master?" Hamuko knelt down and pet him. The dog whined a bit and shook his head. "I can hold onto it?" Koromaru happily barked and began licking her face. The girl fell backwards and laughed. "I love you too, boy… Don't worry… The priest is still watching over you. I know I can't see him anymore, but he'll always be with you." The girl hugged the dog. "Thanks for always being there for me too…" Koromaru licked her cheek once more.
When they returned from the shrine that night, Minato smirked as he sensed a change within the loyal dog. "So Koro's entrusting himself to us…" he muttered with a smile. The blue-haired boy cooked the pair a special meal and shook his head. "Strength is a lot of things," the older twin said as he sat next to Koromaru and pet the happy dog eating from his bowl. "But true Strength is something you've always had, huh, Koromaru?" Minato laughed as the dog yipped in response.
As soon as Hamuko tested out Siegfried's power in Tartarus, the red-eyed girl sensed that her brother was also close to completing his own Strength Link with Yuko. After all of the hard work Minato and Yuko put into training the young fourth graders, the kids managed to achieve a stalemate with the sixth graders that they had challenged to a race. Minato was actually more proud that Yuko finally discovered something she could devote herself to though.
"You really did a great job with them," Minato told her as they went out for some celebratory coffee. "Between coaching them and taking care of Kaz, you really are dependable. I don't see how Ekoda could ever think that you're a slacker."
The Track Manager blushed at his words before frowning. "Well… I don't deserve all the credit you're giving me…" She lowered her gaze. "Back when Mr. Ekoda reprimanded me, I just wanted to graduate and go to a community college… But after coaching those kids, I started to realize something…" She brightly smiled at Minato. "I enjoy helping people who are willing to give it their all."
"Really?" Minato's eyes widened in mild surprise. "So… are you going to be an instructor?"
"Close!" Yuko smirked at him. "You've almost got it, Mr. ex-Assistant Coach." She laughed and shook her head. "I'm thinking of becoming an athletic trainer. You have to monitor each athlete's diet and help them plan their training schedule. I'll go to professional school once I graduate, and work towards earning my certification. Between the general education requirements and the classes for my major, it adds up to over 350 hours. That's why I'm gonna start studying right away." She smirked as she thought of what brought this change. "I learned a lot from those kids, but I also learned a lot from you too. So, thank you."
"Come on," Minato shook his head. "What did I do besides help you coach them?"
"You helped me find my true calling, Minato," Yuko continued to smile at him. She reached into her bag and took out a letter. "Oh! Before I forget, this is for you. The four of them each wrote something for us. They're kinda mouthy, but they have their moments…"
Minato opened up the Kids' Letter and smirked as he went through it. "Not really…" he shook his head. "They'll have to keep working if they intend to get stronger."
"Wow," the girl laughed, "you're tough to please… I bet you'll be a strict father when you have kids with Fuuka-san."
"H-huh!? What?" Minato blushed.
"But you'd also be a good dad too," she continued to laugh. "You're a really nice guy, Minato… Maybe if I didn't have Kaz and you didn't have Fuuka-san, I probably would have fallen for you."
"So… you like Kaz?" the blue-haired boy frowned.
Her face went red. "Well, someone has to watch over that idiot!" Yuko shook her head and chuckled. "But… I want to support him too. He told me the results of his surgery and I'll be there to help him with his rehab. It's strange but I feel that the two of us changed because of you. I'm so glad you joined the Track Team and met us…"
"I'm glad I've made such good friends, too," Minato nodded in agreement. "My health and stamina would never have improved as much as it did without you and Kaz coaching me. I'm grateful to you both as well."
"Well, we'll always be here for you if you need us!" Yuko cheered him on. "No matter what happens, just give us the word and we'll do our best to support you however we can."
With Strength completely tamed, Minato moved onto finish another Social Link, this time with the Photography Club President Keisuke. The senior had been on the fence with wanting to become a doctor or pursue a study abroad program for photography, but after an incident where Minato nearly got a concussion, Keisuke knew he didn't want to just standby and let his important friend die. To the entire club's surprise, Keisuke announced that he was leaving the club and nominated Minato to take his place as Club President.
Fuuka looked at the curly-haired boy in surprise. "Wh-why? This is all so sudden…"
"I have to study for my entrance exams," Keisuke said with a smile. "I'm going to med school to become a doctor!" he confidently told them.
A male club member shook his head. "Did your dad tell you that you had to quit because you have to take over the hospital?"
The senior shook his head. "My dad doesn't have anything to do with this. I made the decision on my own." He laughed. "Anyways, that means I also won't be studying abroad. But since I'm beginning my studies so late, I'll have to pull all-nighters to make up for the time I've lost. I really enjoyed being your club leader." Keisuke bowed to them. "Thanks for all your hard work."
A girl in the club smirked as she whispered to the students around her. "He's definitely changed. It's like, he's someone you can depend on now."
"H-hey," Keisuke crookedly grinned as he heard her, "what's up with all the compliments?" He slyly winked to his successor. "Right, Minato-kun…?"
The blue-haired boy shrugged. "You're still the same to me, Senpai," the junior stated, his tone light and humorous.
After the club ended though, Keisuke took Minato to the roof one last time. He wanted to give the junior his award letter. Noticing Minato's look of confusion, Keisuke explained himself. "Studying for the med school entrance exams is going to be hard, and this would only distract me…" He frowned as he realized something. "This will be the last time I ask you for a favor."
"Huh?" Minato looked up at him oddly. "What do you mean?"
"I'm always complaining to you and asking things of you but you never complained to me about it once…" Keisuke shook his head as he stared out over Iwatodai. "You're so much more mature than I am, Minato-kun… I want you to know that I really respect you." He frowned as he looked back at the blue-haired junior. "You're also strong… Toriumi-sensei told me about what happened to your parents. I can't even imagine that. My parents are always there for me. Maybe I take them for granted… But seeing you lying in the infirmary because of something I caused… It made me think of how it must feel to lose someone you're close to…"
Minato paused as he understood the pain and fear very well. "Yeah… It's hard… and it hurts…" He clenched his fists. "That's why I do all I can to protect the people important to me."
"Seeing your resolve makes me want to be able to do the same," Keisuke smiled at him. "You're an important person in my life and you have important people in your life too. If they died, you'd never be able to see them again… That goes for everyone in this world. If I think that way, I want to be able to help as many people as I can. So that's why I'm becoming a doctor." He nervously smirked at the junior. "D-does it seem like I'm showing off?"
Minato shook his head. "No, not really."
"Okay, good," the brunet sighed in relief. "I'm just trying to act more like a senpai." He shook his head and wryly laughed. "I feel like I just went around in a huge circle… But I'm not becoming a doctor just because my dad's a doctor… I'm becoming a doctor because that's what I want to do." He placed a hand on Minato's shoulder. "If you ever need an emergency operation, I'll perform the surgery. I won't let anything happen to you while I'm alive…"
Those sentiments carried over to Norn as Minato relied on the Persona for its regenerative abilities. When testing his power in Tartarus, everyone was surprised by their leader's new destructive wind spell, Panta Rhei. The Fortune Persona was a force to be reckoned with and Hamuko found herself considering her own progress with the Fortune Arcana.
The brunette had barely known Ryoji for a month, but somehow, she was starting to fall for the charming flirt. She couldn't quite understand it herself, but there was something about the raven-haired transfer student that was so familiar. She couldn't quite place what it was that gave her these feelings, but if Ryoji felt the same way, then maybe their meeting was fated. Whatever it was though, everyone was glad to see Hamuko able to cheerfully smile and laugh again. It was an expression they had missed from her ever since they had lost Shinjiro, so nobody was surprised when the red-eyed girl quickly left to Chagall Café to meet with the scarf-wearing junior for another date.
Ryoji let out a light chuckle as their drinks were finally brought out to them. "Going to Kyoto was fun," he told the girl sitting across from him. "Going out with everyone, seeing and eating so many different things…" He stared at his coffee cup and wore a small smile. "Then we'd go to bed and wake up and do it all over again the next day. It was amazing." He partially hid his face behind his scarf. "It was a lot of fun…"
"I had fun too," Hamuko nodded to him. "There was never a dull moment with you and everyone else us."
"Yeah," Ryoji brightened. "You were laughing a lot." He merrily laughed as he played with a thin ring on his finger. "Did you see this?" he asked her, showing her the accessory. "I bought it at one of the souvenir shops."
"I didn't notice at all," the red-eyed girl tilted her head as she stared at it. "Why'd you get it?"
"I guess…" the blue-eyed boy fondly smiled at it, "it's proof of the fun memories I've made. I felt like I wanted a reminder of those times. And then I saw this in the store…" He tenderly caressed the ring as he continued. "Rings are mysterious… When you get used to wearing one, it's as natural as if you were born with it. At the same time, it feels constricting…" he frowned. "But when I look at it, it reminds me of the good times I had… I think that rings are things that bind memories to the people who wears them."
Hamuko fondly smiled as she played with her watch. "I think I get it."
Ryoji chuckled again and soon it became a peaceful laugh. "This is my treasure," he nodded as he let the ring alone. "I hope I'll get more and more treasures as life goes on… I'm sure that will be the case…" he looked up towards Hamuko, "if I'm with you…" He smiled happily at her and Hamuko grinned back at him. The boy immediately paused though and lowered his gaze from her red eyes. "Are you the one I've been waiting for all this time…?" he asked himself. "I know you… I feel like I've known you for a very long time…"
"I feel the same way, Ryoji-kun," Hamuko frowned. "I wonder why…" She continued to stare at the boy who resembled her brother before they decided to speak of other things.
A loud alarm blared throughout the dorm, jolting Minato awake. He sat up and looked around in confusion. "Fuuka?" he asked as he sensed Juno's presence upstairs.
"Minato-kun? Are you awake?" Fuuka's gentle voice entered his mind.
Minato quickly fumbled with his headset. "Y-yeah… I'm still trying to reorient myself."
"Sorry to wake you," Fuuka apologized to him.
"It's fine…" Minato shook his head. He quickly grabbed his school uniform and put it on. "Is something wrong?"
"Um, I'm not sure how to say this, but…" the girl faltered but the urgency of the situation demanded their attention. "You need to go to the 4th floor… and please hurry!"
"I'll be there soon!" Minato told her, quickly straightening out his jacket. When he finally got to the command room, he blinked as he realized he was the last one to arrive.
When Yukari was sure everyone was present, she turned to the senior sitting at the control panel. "What's going on!?"
"Yamagishi sensed something!" Mitsuru nodded to the team. "Other Persona-users. They're outside Tartarus!"
"Other Persona-users…?" Ken frowned. "Don't tell me it's…"
"Strega," Akihiko nodded. "They're still alive."
"Those bastards…!" the young boy clenched his fists.
"First, the Dark Hour won't go away," Yukari frowned, "and now Strega is back!? What's happening!?"
Minato felt himself beginning to shake. I had a feeling they weren't gone but just what are they up to now?
"How many are there, Yamagishi?" Akihiko sternly asked.
"There's only one, but…" Fuuka looked over towards Junpei. "I thought she was in the hospital…"
Junpei tensed up at that. "Huh?"
Hamuko and Minato turned to the capped boy in concern. The younger twin gave her best friend a frown. "Junpei…?"
Minato was about to question his friend when he noticed Fuuka beginning to shake. "F-fuuka?"
His girlfriend winced. "No… she's…"
"Fuuka!" Minato hurried to her side. Dammit… what's going on!?
"She's inside…" The teal-haired girl clutched her head and painfully screamed.
"What's wrong!?" Mitsuru asked, standing from her seat.
"Fuuka!" Minato tried to calling out to his girlfriend as she suddenly fell silent and remained still inside her Persona. The girl opened her eyes but the boy noticed they weren't focused on him. He pressed his hands against Juno. "Fuuka! Are you okay!? I'm right here! Please say something!"
She didn't respond to him as she looked past the blue-haired boy, towards Junpei. "Long time no see," Fuuka spoke in a voice that wasn't her own.
The capped boy tensed up. "Chidori!?"
Mitsuru's eyes widened. "She's speaking through Yamagishi!?"
"I can't stand the sight of you all anymore…" Fuuka continued. "So, I've decided to do something about it." She continued to stare straight at Junpei. "Come to me…" Fuuka winced and Juno vanished. Minato quickly caught her as she collapsed into him. "Ngh…"
"Yamagishi!" Mitsuru watched in worry.
"Fuuka!" Minato tightly held her.
"I'm… all right…" the teal-haired girl tried to give her overprotective boyfriend a reassuring smile but felt him shaking. Minato-kun?
"Thank goodness you're safe…" he muttered under his breath as he refused to let her go.
Yukari frowned. "What the heck!? I thought she was…" The brunette turned towards the capped boy beside her, hoping he had some answers. "Junpei, do you know what's going on!?" He only lowered his gaze and remained silent. "Junpei!"
"No, dammit!" the tall junior snapped at her. "I have no idea!" He quickly turned towards the door. "Just leave me the hell alone!"
"J-junpei?" Yukari was surprised he ended up running off. "Junpei, wait!"
"This is most likely a trap," Mitsuru frowned. "But, we're dealing with Strega, so we must pursue this. And if we confront them, we may gain some insight into our current situation."
Minato took a deep breath before finally helping Fuuka up. "Then let's move out as soon as we can," he nodded to Mitsuru.
The teal-haired girl gave Minato's hand a comforting squeeze. "Please be careful," she told him. "I only sensed one person, but the other two may be nearby."
"Indeed…" Mitsuru nodded as she looked between the twins. "Minato, Hamuko. We have no idea what they're planning, so choose your allies wisely. We'll go after Iori once you've made your decision."
Junpei shook his head as he carefully approached Chidori as she stood at the top of the steps leading into Tartarus's lobby. The girl blankly stared at him as she tightened her grip around her weapon. The capped boy stood still and frowned. "Chidori!" he tried to call out to her. "What's going on!? Why are you doing this!?" He tried to take a few steps forward but watched her tense up. "It doesn't make any sense! I mean, I know I'm not that smart, and I've done a lot of stupid stuff…" He clenched his fists. "But, we shouldn't be fighting like this!" He approached her again.
"Junpei-kun!" Fuuka's voice called out from behind him. "Look out!"
Chidori swung her weapon at the capped boy and he dodged to the side. "Whoa…!" He glanced back towards the armed redhead and saw her frown.
"Tch…" Chidori sharply pulled on her chain to retrieve her hatchet.
"Junpei!" Hamuko stared at her best friend in worry as they all gathered behind him.
"Stand back!" Junpei held out his arm to stop them from coming any closer. He refused to look away from the girl before him. "Chidori…! Why!?"
Akihiko shook his head as he tried to get to his side. "Get back, Junpei! It's useless trying to reason with her!" Junpei ignored him as he inched closer towards Chidori.
"No!" Fuuka cried out. "It's too dangerous!" She paused as Minato grabbed her arm. "I know how you feel, Junpei-kun! But please, just back up!"
Minato tensed up as the redhead slowly pulled her Evoker up to her chin. "Junpei! Get back!"
"Medea…" Chidori muttered as she summoned her Persona.
Junpei flinched as the Persona tried to lunge at him, but another Persona wielding a fiery sword protected him. The junior felt someone pull him backwards. He landed on the ground and looked up to see Minato take a step forward. "You okay, Junpei?"
Hamuko lowered her Evoker as Surt disappeared. "We'll do our best to not hurt her, but you'd better stand back, Junpei!"
"You two…" Junpei frowned to himself and pulled his cap down. "Thanks…"
"Fuuka has your sword, so I'm counting on you to protect her," Minato told him. "Everyone else!" he called out to the team. "Let's move! Our only goal is to disarm her! Any injuries on her and you'll have to deal with me personally!"
"We hear you!" Yukari cried out as she armed herself with a toy bow.
Chidori shook her head as she watched the SEES members swarm her. "I don't belong here… I…" She raised her weapon. "I've always known that!" She threw her hatchet towards Minato only to have Hamuko deflect it with her naginata.
"That's not true!" Hamuko cried out as Medea appeared again. "Junpei really tried to reach out to you… Even when you were pushing him away!" The brunette summoned Surt to combat the other girl's Persona. "You can't turn your back on him now!"
Medea faded away as Chidori dodged all of Akihiko's punches. The senior finally managed to land a light blow on her arm, causing her to drop her weapon. His grey eyes widened though as she still had her Evoker. He dodged to the side to avoid the powerful fire spell she was trying to aim at him, dipping to the ground to pick up the dropped hatchet. As soon as he was safe though, Chidori slammed her Evoker against Akihiko and called for Medea to ram into him, sending him flying from the stairs.
Aigis quickly caught the boxer and carefully set him down. "Akihiko-san is badly hurt!" she called out to anyone who could heal him before casting Masukukaja and Marakukaja on the team.
"Akihiko!" Mitsuru lifted her Evoker. She hesitated between healing the boxer and attacking the girl. She shook her head as she went with the former.
"Thanks!" Akihiko told her as he tried to get back to his feet. "Minato!" He tossed the chained hatchet he had to their weapons master.
The blue-haired fighter quickly tossed his own sword aside and caught Chidori's weapon of choice. "Got it!" he easily shifted his stance to match his battle style to the new armament but he didn't immediately attack their target quite yet. Minato carefully watched and waited until he could take advantage of an opening to restrain the renegade Persona user while the others continued their assault.
Yukari used Garudyne to dispel Medea and the powerful gust knocked Chidori back against a wall. The redhead watched Ken charge towards her and quickly pushed his weapon aside, making him lose his balance. She fired her Evoker again, but her Agidyne was intercepted by Koromaru. She cast a spell on herself and watched as Koromaru tried to attack her, only to have his strike rebound on himself. The dog whimpered as Ken tried to reach him.
"Koromaru!" The young boy cast a healing spell but left himself completely open.
Chidori lifted her Evoker again but a chain quickly wrapped around her arm, binding her. She glanced over towards Minato and glared at him for using her own weapon against her. "Ken!" the blue-haired boy called out. "Get Koromaru to safety now! Everyone else, stand your ground! I've got this!" He sharply tugged on the chain to pull the girl towards him.
"Takaya was right…" Chidori scowled at him. "You're a nuisance!" She worked to free herself and managed to get her Evoker in position to fire it once more.
Minato let out a roar as he wouldn't allow her the chance to use it against him. "Give it here!" he called out as he tackled into her. They fell to the ground as the boy struggled to take the Evoker away from her.
"Why aren't you fighting seriously?" Chidori glared at him as she finally freed her arm from the chains. "You do realize I intend to kill you!" She slammed the hatchet into the ground, barely missing Minato's head.
"You're important to Junpei…" Minato let out a wry laugh as he tossed aside the weapon so it was out of their reach. "I told you before… It's only because of him that I'm holding back!"
"Nii-san, look out!" Hamuko ran towards them, but was too late as Minato and Chidori tumbled down the stairs.
"Minato-kun!" Fuuka winced as the blue-haired boy purposefully made sure he was the one falling over each step.
"I'm okay!" the SEES leader called out as he slowly rose to his feet. Minato triumphantly smirked at the Evoker in his hand and looked towards Chidori. "We both are…" He offered the girl his hand to help her up, but she slapped his arm away.
"Why!?" the redhead shook her head as she tried to get up on her own. "Why won't you leave me alone!? I just don't get it, Junpei…" She dropped to her knees, prompting Junpei to run to her side. Minato slowly backed away to give them both some space.
"Chidori!" Junpei cried out. Without thinking, he gently held her up.
"I told you…" Chidori shook her head. "Don't touch me…"
He refused to let her go though. "Chidori, please…" the capped boy looked into her eyes. "Tell me why you're doing this…"
Chidori hesitated when she noticed the pain on Junpei's face. She quickly lowered her head as she felt torn over whether to remain in his arms or push him away. "What I fear most isn't death," she shakily began. "What I fear most is… attachment." She glanced up towards Minato and noticed Fuuka had reached his side. "Once I become attached to something, I fear that I will lose it. That's why we only live for the moment…" She sadly glared at Junpei. "But you… you brought me pain… Pain that I didn't want… Pain that I never asked for…"
"Huh…" Junpei frowned.
"When I'm with you, Junpei, I fear everything…" The girl finally worked up the courage to look into the boy's grey eyes again. "I fear loss… I fear death… I fear that my time with you will end…" She sensed the cold dread of Death that was always present around her. "That's why I…" Her eyes widened as she felt another presence around them, resulting in a gasp.
"Chidori…?" Junpei's eyes widened. "What's wrong?"
Minato felt his girlfriend tense up beside him. "Fuuka…?"
The SEES navigator looked around them in worry. "I'm sensing…"
"What?" Mitsuru turned towards the teal-haired girl. "What is it?"
"It's the others from Strega!" Fuuka warned them.
Takaya sighed as he emerged from inside Tartarus with Jin beside him. He glanced over towards Minato and watched as the SEES swordsman visibly tensed up.
Ken scowled at the two renegade Persona-users. "So then…"
"There you are, you sons of bitches!" Akihiko glared at them.
Takaya ignored them all as he looked down on Chidori with a regretful expression on his face. "Chidori… I see that it is too late. You've been poisoned by them…"
"What the hell does that mean, you friggin' ghost!?" Junpei blew up at the shirtless young man.
This only resulted in the Strega leader laughing. "I am no ghost… Fate permitted me to live, even though I wasn't attached to life…" A maniacal smile appeared on his face. "You might say I was… chosen."
A chill ran down Minato's spine. Chosen…? For what? Is this more on the Fall? Do they know something?
Junpei's shouting managed to pull Minato out of his reverie. "You bastard…" The capped junior tightened his hold around Chidori. "I've made up my mind! I won't let you do this to her anymore! I'll protect Chidori with my life!" He looked down at the girl in his arms. "Chidori, don't stay with them! Come with me!"
Takaya pulled out his revolver and laughed. Akihiko's eyes widened as he tried to reach out for his friend. "Look out, Junpei!"
Junpei stood up just as Takaya fired. The junior's eyes widened as he looked down at his chest. "Huh…?" He put a hand to his wound before dropping to the ground.
From where she sat, Chidori's face fell as she stared up at the boy slumping over. "Jun…pei…"
Hamuko let out a sharp gasp as she stared at her best friend's limp body. "Junpei!"
"Nooooo!" Fuuka screamed.
"Junpei!" Minato stared at his friend in disbelief before he began to shake in anger. He quickly picked up his friend's heavy sword and charged at the two Strega members. "Takaya!" he furiously roared.
Junpei opened his eyes and found himself lying in a hospital bed. He looked over to the side and smiled at Chidori as she sat in a chair beside him. The capped boy paused though as something wasn't quite right.
Chidori gently smiled at him. "I'm so happy you're awake…"
He quickly bolted up into a sitting position. "Chidori…?" He looked down at his chest. "Huh…? I-I thought I was …"
The girl took his hand and frowned. "I… I was wrong… I was scared… and I blamed you for my heartache," she sadly apologized to him. "I never felt that way before I met you, Junpei… And for the first time in my life, I… I realized what I wanted…"
"And, what is that?" Junpei asked her.
"I… I want to be with you, Junpei," she said, staring into his eyes. "Forever."
The junior felt his face growing warm. "I, um, I…" He relaxed a bit. "I want to be with you, too…"
"But, it could never last…" Chidori lowered her gaze. "I'm different from you… Since the moment I gained my power, I've known the day I was going to die."
"What…!?" Junpei's eyes widened.
"Knowing that scared me…" the girl admitted to him, "because I had never really thought about dying… And it made me realize that I wouldn't be with you anymore…" She reached for his other hand.
"Chidori…" Junpei frowned.
"That's why this is how it should be…" Chidori told him with determination. The capped boy looked at her in surprise as he remembered those words were spoken by someone once before. "You can't die here, Junpei," the girl adamantly stated.
"Die…?" Junpei noticed a flash of light erupt around him, blinding him. "Huh!?" His vision slowly cleared and he noticed Chidori and the rest of SEES gathered around him. "Ah!"
"Junpei-kun!" Fuuka's face immediately brightened as Medea disappeared.
Yukari was smiling too. "Junpei!"
Hamuko let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Thank goodness… Junpei…"
The capped boy didn't know what was going on as he looked up at Chidori. "I…"
The red-haired girl smiled at him. "It worked…"
"She revived him…" Akihiko said in awe. "I can't believe it."
Fuuka nodded. "Her power is the opposite of mine. Her Persona doesn't sense life; it emits life…" She frowned as she sensed the cost that would have to be paid for Chidori's wish. "But, in order to revive a person, she must…" The teal-haired girl couldn't bring herself to say anymore.
Chidori suddenly fell into Junpei's lap, causing him to hold her in worry. "Chidori!"
"I can hear the life pulsing through you…" the girl smiled up at him, chuckling. She fondly placed a hand over Junpei's beating heart.
"Huh…?" The boy could feel the tears beginning to well up.
"Now I will live inside you," Chidori nodded to him, "and we'll be together… forever."
"Wh-what're you saying…!?" Junpei shook his head. "Chidori… Chidori!"
"I'll protect you, Junpei…" the girl continued to smile at him, "always…"
"I-I'll protect you too!" the boy cried out. "Please… don't go!"
She held up her hand and the boy quickly clasped it. "It feels so nice to be with you…"
"Chidori…!" Junpei choked back a sob.
"Thank you…" Chidori weakly said. "Jun…pei… I love you…" Her hand went limp as it dropped to the floor.
The capped boy held her close to him and began shaking. "This can't be happening… Chidori… Chidori, answer me…" He clenched his teeth. "Chidori…!" He let out an agonized wail.
Minato slightly turned his head away from his opponent. "N-no way… She didn't…" the blue-haired boy frowned to himself. This wasn't supposed to happen again…
Takaya used the swordsman's opening to strike him to the ground before looking up at the scene before him. "What a pity…" he sighed as he kicked Minato away from him. "Such a meaningless death…"
"Meaningless…!?" Junpei angrily asked. He gently set Chidori's body onto the ground and stood to face the shirtless boy.
"Hm?" Takaya tilted his head to the side.
Junpei let out an angry scream as he summoned his Persona. "Thou art I," Hermes declared as another Persona emerged at his side.
"Medea!?" Jin's eyes widened in confusion.
The two Personas merged into one. "And I am thou. From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. I am Trismegistus, the Thrice-Greatest God. Behold the power born from the love in your heart."
"Burn in Hell!" Junpei roared.
Takaya watched as the new Persona unleashed a powerful blast of fire towards him. "What!?"
Jin quickly intercepted the attack but was knocked back. "Gah!"
Junpei shook his head as he gasped. "I refuse to… ugh…" He dropped to his knees as everyone else gathered around him.
"Junpei!" Akihiko knelt by his side.
"My…" Takaya shook his head. "That was quite a spectacle. Now, allow me to reciprocate." He pulled out his revolver but Jin grabbed his other arm.
"Takaya, don't!"
"Wh-what is the meaning of this!?" Takaya grunted as he tried to pull his arm free from his friend. "Release me!"
"Don't forget about your mission!" Jin scolded him. He nodded towards Minato, who was beginning to pick himself back up. "This is just a waste of energy!"
Takaya's gold eyes widened and he nodded. Strega watched as the SEES leader got back on his feet. Minato spat out some blood and shook his head. "D-damn you… You just lost your friend… Don't you even care!?"
The shirtless Strega member shrugged. "As I said before, it was a meaningless death. If she had never been poisoned by you, she would still be alive. You of all people should understand, Minato Yuki. You're the same as us after all…"
"Like hell I am!" the junior furiously cried out. "Chidori loved Junpei…" His blue eyes flashed with anger as they filled with hot tears. "She gave up her life for him! She died for him! Trismegistus is proof of that! I won't let you trample over that bond!" He charged at Takaya once more only to have his enemy dodge his heavy sword.
Takaya sighed as he was getting tired of dealing with the fury-blinded swordsman. He punched the younger boy in the stomach and slammed his revolver against Minato's head. When the SEES fighter staggered a bit, he pointed the gun at the blue-haired boy. "You are a remarkable fighter, but your emotions blind you," Takaya shook his head. "I would eliminate you now, but I have something much greater to accomplish… And since you have no means of destroying the Dark Hour, I will let you be…" Takaya swiftly kicked Minato back towards the rest of SEES, "for now." He grandly stowed away his weapon before laughing at the team. "But know that the day I shall finish this is soon approaching." Takaya nodded to Jin and his partner immediately threw out a smoke bomb, allowing them to both seamlessly escape back into Tartarus.
"Wait!" Junpei called out.
"Stop!" Akihiko pulled on the junior's arm.
"Let go! I…" Junpei stumbled to the floor.
"She entrusted you with this life!" the boxer scolded him. "Don't waste it."
Junpei clenched his fist at that. He slowly turned back to face Chidori as tears fell from his eyes. "Chidori… Chidori, I…" He closed his eyes. "I… This is so hard… But… It's not just my life anymore…" The capped boy began to cry.
"Junpei…" Yukari frowned at the ground.
Hamuko placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Junpei…" she gently rubbed his back. "It'll be alright… Chidori will always be with you…"
"That's right…" the capped junior tried to laugh, but a choked sob came out instead. He put a hand on his heart as his new Persona beat within him. "Chidori…"
Final Notes: Poor, poor Junpei... I really like his side story. He grew up so much... The movie ruined it a bit since I feel it lacked depth. They only give us what, one or two scenes of Junpei and Chidori actually interacting before killing her off? Junpei never even got a chance to give her the souvenir he bought for her in Kyoto... But I guess it's time for me to focus on the other Social Links. Let's see... Akihiko seems to be the 'default' lover for Hamuko but I'm not all that attracted to him. He's handsome but other than that, I kinda see him like I see Yukari. At least he's not forced down my throat. Koromaru is Koromaru. Who can dislike him? It's too bad he doesn't really have much bearing on the plot except for when he kinda attacks Ikutsuki. Yuko... I didn't see her Social Link romantically cuz I thought she was dating Kaz. Unlike Rio and Kenji, I actually see Yuko and Kaz ending up together eventually. She was pretty cool though. As for Keisuke, I kinda always had the impression that he was a bit spoiled. He has the resources and talent to do whatever he wanted but he kept blaming his dad for his own indecisiveness... Hrm... That's all for now. I'm kinda sick so sorry if my thoughts were harsh or jumbled. Election results don't really help much... so yeah.