Rain: Hey guys, Rain and here, and we need to talk. I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter, but there have been some issues that I want to bring up. The first is about the canon-ness of the fanfic.
So while this is a standard "Time travel Fic" I tend to enjoy mixing up this trope quite a bit to keep things exciting for the reader, so while a good bit of this will be canon, there will be some non-canon in here as well due to Ren's meddling.
As for Ren's backstory, we don't really get much for his backstory. We just know he was a criminal due to [REDACTED] happening, and he was set up, so I decided to set his story up a bit more. We'll be delving more into his backstory later.
The second issue is the pairing. Everyone has been asking about this, specifically Ren's. So when I first started this fic, I admittedly was going to go the whole Harem.
But I changed my mind.
I decided that I'm going to keep things small. So Ren will be paired with Makoto and two others. Now apparently, people have been sick to death of the Harem pairings, and I understand that but trust me, I will keep it classy for you guys.
As for who those two are…well, you'll have to wait and see.
Last but not least, my issue is reviews. I'm not too much of a stickler about them, but I do like to hear a lot of feedback about how my fic is doing, and I want to make sure people are enjoying it so please, share any suggestions, criticisms, the works, and I will promptly respond.
With all of that said, let's do it, to it!
Ren: Showtime!
Persona V: Reversing the Wheel of Fate
Chapter Six
[Opening Scene – Palace of Lust (?)
Theme of the Palace: King, Queen and Slave from Persona 5]
"You came back," Morgana said with an impressed tone in his voice. "You even bought the blond one with you, but where is Lady Ann?"
"She couldn't make it, unfortunately," Ren replied with a smile. "So it's just us."
"Yeah, sorry about that, but I'm sure Takamaki misses you," Ryuji said with a grin. "So lil'cat, I've been thinking about what you guys said yesterday about Cognition. I think you guys called it that, right?"
Both Ren and Morgana nodded, with Morgana adding, "I'm not a cat but go on…"
"Awesome. So you guys said that this place is Kamoshida's Cognition. He views the school like his castle, and those inside of it aren't the real people, but what he thinks of them, right?" Ryuji questioned.
Again, Morgana and Ren nodded.
"I know we can't save them from this place, but I have a damn good memory when it comes to faces so, I want to see if we can find any more students like Ikari so we can ask the real versions about how Kamoshida treats them," Ryuji said.
Morgana grinned and looked to Ren and said, "It seems you two had the same idea after all. You were right."
"You thought about this too?!" Ryuji exclaimed in surprise.
Ren nodded and replied, "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"
"Because you're new here, dude," Ryuji said, surprised. "I didn't think you cared enough to want to investigate what Kamoshida was doing without knowing anyone…"
"I'm like that sometimes," Ren said with a smile. "I couldn't look myself in the mirror if I didn't help those in need."
"Whoa…" Ryuji said. "That's pretty rad. I heard the rumors about you today, but with how you saved our asses yesterday and hearing you say that, you're nothing like that say. You're pretty selfless."
"I can say the same to you, Sakamoto-san," Ren replied. "You didn't hesitate to step in front of Ann when she was in danger. Hell, when she was about to give in, you even spurred her on to not give into him, despite getting hurt in the process. That takes selflessness as well."
"Awww, don't have me blush here," Ryuji said with a grin on his face. "I just didn't want to see her hurt, is all."
Both Ren and Ryuji laughed a bit before Ren said, "Come on, let's go find these guys."
"Luckily, we don't have to go far," Morgana said. "After you guys left, I continued with my mission and came across the basement of the castle where more of your classmates were seen. It's called the "Training Hall of Love." Whatever that means."
"Awesome! Let's go check it out!" Ryuji exclaimed before Morgana glared at him.
"Not so loud, you idiot! You'll attract the knights!" Morgana hissed out.
"Aww shit, my bad," Ryuji replied.
Ren laughed and said, "Come on."
"Oh! Before we go in!" Ryuji exclaimed, only to wince in when Morgana gave him another glare.
"I also remembered I had these bad boys," Ryuji said before he reached back into his schoolbag. After rummaging in it for a few minutes, his eyes lit up before he pulled out a gun, a slingshot, and some medicine with a "Ta-da!"
"Ryuji, you brought a gun here?!" Ren exclaimed in shock.
"Keep it down!" Morgana shouted.
"You too!" Ryuji hissed out, making Morgana cover his mouth with a sheepish grin behind his paws.
"It's not real. Remember what you said yesterday about cognition? Well, I figured what if I bought a toy gun here, right? If we think it's real, it becomes real. Well, since you guys will be fighting those things, they would think the gun is real."
"That's a genius idea," Morgana said. "But you do realize that you only brought one of them, right?"
"Yeah. I couldn't figure out what to get you since we have opposable thumbs, so I got you this slingshot. If they think it'll hurt, it will hurt them," Ryuji replied.
"You thought a lot about this for just discovering this place yesterday. And here I pegged you as an idiot at first," Morgana said with a teasing grin as he grabbed the slingshot while Ren grabbed the medicine and pocketed it.
"Hey, thanks I- Wait a minute, you thought I was an idiot, you smol ass cat?!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"I'm not a "Smol ass Cat!" I'm a human!" Morgana replied in a shout before he grew confused and asked, "What is a "Smol" anyways?"
"It's like the cute version of saying "Small." My mom says it all the time about random stuff. Come to think of it; she'd find you super adorable," Ryuji said.
"I'm not adorable…" Morgana said with a glum tone.
"Thanks for the gun," Ren said, not bothering to hide his amusement as he took the gun from Ryuji's hand. "Come on. We've wasted enough time."
[Scene Change – Shujin Academy (Daytime)
Theme of Bitterness: Confession, Secret (Piano Ver.) From Persona 5]
"I came as fast as I could."
Shiho looked up and saw a somewhat downtrodden Ann looking back at her. 'Something must be bothering her…' Shiho thought with a frown gracing her face.
Ann sat down beside her and asked, "What's going on, and how can I help?"
"I think I should be asking you that," Shiho replied. "You look exactly how I feel."
"Oh…I'm sorry, Shiho-chan. I have a lot on my mind," Ann said before she shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's just me being stupid, that's all."
Shiho frowned and suddenly smacked Ann's arm, which caused her to shriek in surprise. "Don't call yourself stupid," Shiho said with a frown on her face. "You are so far from that; it's not even funny."
"Ow…okay, okay…Didn't have to hit so hard," Ann said as she rubbed her arm with a pout. "And stop trying to cheer me up. I'm here to do that to you."
The two girls shared a small smile before Shiho gripped her wrist in pain, which prompted Ann to frown. "You're injured…" she muttered before she smacked Shiho on the arm and said, "You hit me with your injured hand, you jerk."
Shiho laughed in exhaustion and replied, "I'm ok. This is pretty standard before a tournament. I'll heal…"
"You look exhausted, Shiho-chan…Did you get any sleep last night?" Ann asked.
Shiho sighed and looked down at the ground. "I couldn't sleep last night," Shiho began. "When I close my eyes, I think about a lot of things that I shouldn't…"
"Shiho…" Ann said, taking her friend's hand in her own.
"It's almost time for nationals, y'know?" Shiho continued. "I guess I'm just wondering if I'm truly a star member of the team…I-I mean…All I know how to do is play volleyball. If I can't do that, what good am I?"
"You're just letting nerves get to you, Shiho," Ann said with a supportive squeeze. "Your skills have been recognized, and you try harder than anyone else. I've watched you practice. You leave it all on the field every time."
"I know but practicing as much as I do…It doesn't look like I'm getting better," Shiho said with a sigh.
Ann stood up from her spot and crouched in front of Shiho and took both of her hands, and said, "Believe me when I saw, you are a magnificent volleyball player. One of the best in our school. Whoever got this in your head that you aren't good is lying to you. Straight up. And you know me, I don't say something like that likely, and if I have to kick the ass of the person saying this, I will."
Shiho looked into Ann's eyes and saw the truth within them, and gave a bitter smile. "I wish you could…B-But…The one who is saying this is Kamoshida-sensei…" Shiho told her.
She noticed that Ann's jaw seemed to clench at that name. "What else has he been saying to you?" Ann asked her.
Shiho looked away hesitantly, but Ann's hand left her own and touched her face and gently, prompting Shiho to look at Ann's concerned face. "What else has he been saying to you?" Ann repeated firmly.
"Shiho-san," Mishima's voice rang out, causing both Ann and her head to swivel towards him.
"It's Kamoshida-sensei…" Mishima said softly. "He requests your presence…"
Shiho flinched before she turned to the sullen teen and asked, "Why?"
"I-I don't know…" Mishima said.
Shiho looked back to Ann and said, "Um…I…I have to go see what Kamoshida-sensei needs…"
"Can't you stay?" Ann asked. "Why don't we try eating some delicious cream cheese puffs instead?"
Shiho offered a small smile and shook her head. "I n-need to see what he needs."
"Ok…" Ann murmured.
"It's ok. It's only a meeting. What's t-the worse that could happen?" Shiho asked, trying to boost up her worried friend's mood.
"Alright…I'll see you later then, ok? Call me the minute you're done," Ann said.
"I promise," Shiho said before the two shared a brief hug.
Shiho then stood up and let out a small sigh before she turned back to Ann and said, "We are still o-on for tomorrow with Sakamoto-san and Amamiya-san, right?"
"Oh! Right!" Ann said, perking up a bit. "We're still on until told otherwise."
Shiho gave her a slightly wider smile and said "Thanks…" before she turned away and walked, her smile fading away into a look of despair.
[Scene Change – Palace of Lust (?)
Theme of the Palace: King, Queen and Slave from Persona 5]
"Oh my god…" Ren whispered while Ryuji and Morgana stared with looks of shock on their face.
In front of them was a large chamber that held all of the male students. Some students ran on never-ending treadmills while others were pelted repeatedly from volleyballs being fired out of a cannon while being hung upside down.
"Man, this is pretty awful. He views these people as slaves in the real world," Morgana said with a frown on his face.
"Fucking Kamoshida!" Ryuji shouted. "Slaves! Is this what he thinks of us? Of his team?!"
One of the students that looked familiar to the pair looked at them and said, "P-Please…Stay quiet, so we don't get executed…"
"I know they are just what Kamoshida thinks they are, but this is too much. Just what the hell is going on at this school?" Ren questioned as he pulled out his phone to take pictures of the teens but frowned when the images didn't work.
Ryuji looked on helpless at the torture of his schoolmates and whispered, "Back when I was on the Track Team, he trained us like this. He trained us to the bone until we were nothing but dust. Hell, calling it training is an understatement. It was more like corporal punishment but seeing it this way. Seeing what he thinks of us. I-It infuriates me."
"Ryuji…" Ren began. "I know Kamoshida is terrible. I get that, but I need to know. What makes you hate him so much?"
Ryuji stayed quiet, his eyes gazing upon the male volleyball students tortured before he shut his eyes.
"I was the Ace of the Track Team," Ryuji began quietly. "One of the best, in fact, but then the school hired Kamoshida. One by one, all of the sports teams were disbanded before he made it ours. He trained us just like this, but none of us gave in. We took the abuse he gave because, to us, track was worth the torture. Until one day, he went too far with his abuse and bad-mouthed my mother."
Ryuji balled up his fists hard enough that blood began to fall from them. "My mother is one of the strongest people in my life. Mom protected me against my dad so often to the point she would be beaten if she protected got in the way. She's the only lifeline that I have in this world."
Ren's eyes softened as Ryuji took a sharp breath then continued with, "And when that fucking asshole talked bad about her, I snapped. I attacked him. In turn, I destroyed the Track Team. My mom was so hurt about it all; she blamed herself…"
"You can't blame yourself for that," Ren said.
"I know," Ryuji replied. "But I do. For many of us, myself included, the track team was our way to getting into a good college. I ruined that for them, and I take full responsibility for it."
"That's a pretty good reason for hating him," Morgana said, his tone sad. "He goaded you into attacking him…But why?"
"Looking back at it all, it's obvious that Kamoshida wanted the Volleyball team to be the top sports team in the school but to see him treat his team like this after sabotaging everyone else sickens me to my core," Ryuji said with a frown on his face.
"We'll have to prove he's doing this in the real world," Ren said as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. "No one is going to believe we saw his abuse in his palace, and since my phone is not working in here, I'm going to assume yours won't either, which makes it that much harder to prove."
"I know. The odds are stacked against us, but no matter. I'll just have to remember the faces we see here and then talk to their real-life versions at school tomorrow," Ryuji said with a determined grin on his face.
Morgana observed the tortured students as he said, "Seeing this makes me realize something. If he treats the male students like this, I wonder how he treats the female students."
Ren's mind suddenly flashed to a smiling Shiho before he felt a sudden sickness in his stomach. "We need to get out of here fast," Ren said with urgency in his voice. Ryuji and Morgana nodded, but without warning, three knights spotted the trio down the hall.
"Intruders!" The first knight shouted as he pointed his blade at him.
"Damn it, time to jet!" Ren said as he started to run.
"Run, Jesus, Run!" Ryuji shouted as he perused Ren.
"Wait for me!" Morgana exclaimed as he followed the two.
The three managed to slip past the three knights and ran back towards the foyer, but once they entered the area, four knights fell from the sky and surrounded them.
(Theme of Danger: Troubled from Persona 3)
"Awww fuck man," Ryuji drawled out.
"It's you again," Kamoshida's voice rang out from the second floor of the castle, prompting the three to look at him. Beside him, on his left was the bikini-clad Ann with pink cat ears, and on his right was a bikini-clad Shiho with black cat ears.
"Ann!" Ryuji shouted in anger.
"Shiho…" Ren murmured, a burst of anger filling his veins at the sight of the two females beside Kamoshida.
"Remember, guys, they are just cognitions of them. Not the real thing…" Morgana whispered.
"I didn't realize you three would be so idiotic to come back after I let you leave," Kamoshida said with a cocky smirk. "It doesn't matter. Trespassing is already an executable offense, and I don't seldom give second chances to people like you."
"Get fucked, Kamoshida!" Ryuji shouted. "We got you figured out. Once we find proof of the shit you pulled, this castle is going to crumble all around you!"
Kamoshida laughed boisterously at Ryuji's words and said, "Do you truly think anyone will listen to the fallen Ace over me, The Olympic God of Shujin?! You have proven to be more of a moron than I originally thought."
Ryuji scowled.
"If anything, they will kick you out of the school the moment I whisper your name! A fitting end to the killer of the Track Team," Kamoshida said. "Do your friends even know what you did? Do they even know why your name is reviled in my kingdom?!"
"What does it matter?!" Ren shouted. "You sabotaged the track team to fall by provoking Ryuji just so the Volleyball team can take precedence!"
"Ah, so he did tell you," Kamoshida said with amusement. "They deserved to fall like all of the others. I did what I had to do to Shujin's sports team stars because only I get to hold the world's spotlight! People like you, Sakamoto, don't even deserve the scraps that I leave behind. "
Ryuji gritted his teeth and shouted, "God damn you, Kamoshida!"
"Look at him," Kamoshida said to both Ann and Shiho. "Getting all emotional. Just like old times." He then looked to Ann and caressed her face with the back of his hand. "The last time you did this, your leg became broken, and you lost your career on track."
"He broke your leg?" Ren asked in shock.
Ryuji hadn't mentioned that part at all.
"Oh-ho-ho, looks like you didn't mention all of it. That's right. The minute this little asswipe swung at me. I took him down and broke his leg. It's truly pathetic too. I would have only disbanded your precious track team without injury, but your loser of a track coach had to make a sound argument about keeping it around. He forced my hand, so I had to take drastic measures to get what I want. By breaking his star athlete's leg!" Kamoshida taunted, his eyes locked on Ryuji's stunned face.
Ryuji lowered his head, his hair hiding his eyes as Ren stammered out, "You p-planned it all…"
Kamoshida smirked. "Like I said, only I get to hold the spotlight…No one else."
"You truly are a despicable person," Morgana said, openly aghast. "You so need your ass kicked!"
Kamoshida laughed at this and gleefully replied, "Unfortunately for you, that day will never come because you all die here! My knights, kill them now!"
[Scene Change – Unknown (?)
Theme of Unknown: The Voice of Someone Calls from Persona 3]
"So, we finally meet, huh?"
Ryuji's eyes snapped up.
Instead of being in the foyer of Kamoshida's castle, he found himself in a black void, but when he turned around, he found himself staring at himself, but his eyes were an eerie yellow color, and they were glowing.
The same as Kamoshida's.
"What the hell is this?" Ryuji asked.
"This?" His doppelgänger asked. "This is your awakening. I've been waiting a long time for us to meet, and I have to say, you disappointed me up to this point."
"Like I haven't heard that before from my teachers," Ryuji said as he looked away, but without warning, his doppelgänger grabbed his shirt and pulled him forward.
"That's just like you, you coward. You knew what the volleyball team was going through from the start, but you didn't stop it, Did you?!" the doppelgänger shouted out.
"Get off my back!" Ryuji shouted as he pushed the doppelgänger away. "I already let down my mother enough by striking that shit head and destroying not only my career in track but everyone else's. I couldn't get in trouble again. I couldn't let her down again…"
The doppelgänger smirked and said, "This isn't just about your mother, and we both know that. This is about how he reminds you of your father."
Ryuji paused. "W-What did you say?"
The clone smirked and said, "You heard me. Kamoshida abused you, just like your father, and you let him. Not only because of the team, but because you feared him, and it was only when he brought up your mother that you grew a spine."
"But even after that, you feared him because he broke your leg. You cursed his name to the heavens, but in the end, words are meaningless!" With that shout, the clone's fist collided with Ryuji's face, sending the blond to the ground spiraling to the ground.
Ryuji groaned as he stared at the ground as he clone said, "You hid away behind your newly minted delinquent reputation, dyed your hair blond, and kept running away from the truth that you feared him like you feared your father. You let even more fall into his grasp! You could have stopped this if only you were brave enough to do it!"
Ryuji sat there, absorbing the words the doppelgänger had said to him before he whispered, "You're right…As much as I hate to admit it, while the Track Team was one of the reasons I refused to fight back against the abuse, the main thing was that I was afraid…Just like I was when I was younger…
Ryuji let out a bitter laugh as he turned his body to stare at his clone and murmured, "He reminded me so much of my father that I couldn't help but run…It's all I knew how to do. But no more."
Ryuji rose to his feet to face his doppelgänger head-on, a determined look in his eyes as he said, "No more will I run away from this. It's time a stand up to him and knock him on his ass with all I've got!"
The doppelgänger smirked and said, "Good…Then I believe it's time to hoist the sails to your awakening!"
[Scene Change – Palace of Lust
Theme of Awakening: Awakening from Persona 5]
"Y-You…You truly are a lowly wretch," Ryuji whispered.
Kamoshida looked at Ryuji and said, "He finally speaks. I was afraid I wouldn't get to hear you beg and plead for the lives of your friends like you did for your track team."
"That all you got?" Ryuji asked. "If so, you're going to have to do a lot more to get under my skin…" Ryuji opened his eyes, and a flicker of lightning streaked across his irises, a deadly expression on his face.
"You feel that?" Morgana asked, who merely smirked in reply.
Kamoshida leaped down to the ground and motioned his knights to move aside grinned. "Well then, Sakamoto, let's repeat history. Come on," Kamoshida goaded as he smacked his right cheek. "This is the spot you hit me when I called your mother a gutter whore."
Ryuji's eyes widened another streak of lightning going across his eyes.
"Come on…Strike me again, and I promise you, I won't just stop at breaking your other leg!" Kamoshida said, his grin widening as Ryuji clenched his fist.
"From the moment I met you…You had that stupid grin on your face…" Ryuji said, a biting edge to his voice. "Even when I punched your lights out, you had it on…And now I know why…"
Ryuji's head snapped forward, revealing his now bright yellow irises.
Ryuji launched himself towards Kamoshida at a speed that surprised the man and with a shout of "Now I get to wipe that damn grin off your face for good!" and nailed Kamoshida in the face as hard as he could, streaks of lightning crossing his fist.
Kamoshida flew backward from the blow and rolled against the ground before he turned to face Ryuji, who now had a skull mask on the upper half of his face.
"I fucking hate you, Kamoshida…everything that's wrong is because of you!" Ryuji roared.
It was then a pulse of energy shot through his body.
"You made me wait quite a while," a cocky voice said from within his mind. Almost instinctually, Ryuji reached up and grabbed the mask in alarm, scratching at it to remove it.
"What? Don't tell me he is one as well?!" Kamoshida shouted as Ryuji began to tug at the mask sharply.
"You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact. Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc? "The "other you" who exists within desires it thus..." The voice said as Ryuji began to tug at the mask harder, feeling the mask pulling at his skin.
Ryuji could feel the mask ripping off his skin as the voice said, "I am thou, thou art I...There is no turning back. The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!" Ryuji let out a scream as he removed the mask, causing a burst of energy to explode around his body, causing the entire area to shine.
When the light faded, Ryuji now wore a matching black leather jacket and pants with knee pads, a red ascot, combat boots, a pair of yellow gloves, and he wore a smirk on his face. "Whoa…"
Behind him were a ghostly figure of a skeleton wearing a blue shirt with black armor around his shoulders and neck, a red cape that was torn in two, a yellow glove on the left hand and a cannon as his right hand, black pants, and white shoes with a captain's head with the pirate emblem in the middle.
And the persona was standing on a pirate's ship that held a grinning spiky face with red and yellow eyes.
Ryuji punched his left palm with his right fist as he said, "Let's fuck them up, Captain Kidd!"
Kamoshida rose to his feet while he wiped the black blood that had dribbled from the corner of his mouth and sneered. "This won't change anything! Kill them all!" Kamoshida shouted at his knights.
The knights exploded into shadows before reforming. Three of the shades became a horse-like figure with two curving greenhorns, while the fourth shadow was a prominent figure with crimson armor and white fur around the shoulders and a yellow flowing cape with a lance in its left hand, sitting on top of a black horse with a white mane.
Ren and Morgana leaped beside Ryuji, who asked the pair, "You guys ready to rock?"
"Anytime, anywhere!" Morgana said with a grin.
"Let's get it done!" Ren exclaimed.
Ren: And that is the end of this chapter. So Ryuji, you are now a Persona user!
Ryuji: Badical! I can't wait to see what type of ill shit I can do. Although…I'm not pleased that my past is all out there.
Ren: Look on the Brightside, at least my past will be out in the open next!
Ryuji: Oh yeah…
Morgana: The next chapter will be out soon all so until then…
Ann: Stop the show!