Captain Blues: AND HERE IT IS. Season Three of this large tale which started literally six years ago come tomorrow on 10/02/23. Holy shit. Where has the time gone? Enough lollygagging, time to start the show!
Persona V: Reversing the Wheel of Fate
Chapter Seventy-Nine
[Opening Scene: Aoharu City - Sanada Residence (Late Afternoon)
Theme of Season Start - Title From Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE]
Shinji babbled in the highchair beside the sink as Fuuka washed the dishes. Akihiko and Aigis had left the house to shop for their trip to Shibuya. Fuuka was admittedly nervous about her trip. It had been a long time since she had seen Natsuki and it would be one of the few times Akihiko would interact with her.
She really hoped that both of them would get al—
"Lucia…"
[Theme of Unknown Palace: The Days When My Mother Was There from Persona 5]
Fuuka felt the world swim around her and for a moment, she wasn't in her home with her baby.
She was now standing in a pyramid of some sort.
"Something is wrong," Juno's voice echoed within Fuuka's mind.
Fuuka's eyes widened.
That can't be.
How could she hear Juno's voice without the Dark Hour?
"Lucia…" the mysterious voice whispered again from behind her.
Fuuka turned around and standing at the top of the stairs was a girl. She reminded Fuuka of an Egyptian princess but her form seemed to flicker in and out of existence as if there was interference of some kind.
Fuuka shook her head as Juno appeared around her in a sparkling flash of light.
"You don't remember me…do you, Lucia?" The orange-haired girl spoke. "It is of no matter. I-I don't have much time…You must go to Shibuya…A-Arsène and the others…They w-will need your help to navigate my p-palace…Hurry…"
[Theme of Unknown Palace: The Days When My Mother Was There from Persona 5]
Fuuka opened her eyes in alarm as she felt Juno's presence, and the mysterious girl, vanish into the void as the world returned to normal.
"What was that?" Fuuka asked herself.
From the brief moment she was within Juno, she could sense something akin to a persona user…But also something different. This presence was far away, and she doubted it would happen again but she could sense them.
It reminded her of Rise's persona, which was a sensory persona, much like Juno was.
How peculiar…
Before Fuuka could think about it more, the sound of a baby crying caught her attention.
Fuuka lifted the crying Shinji into her arms and held him close to her. "Aw, I'm here, Shinji," Fuuka cooed as she cradled him. "It's okay, I have you," Fuuka whispered, but she couldn't help but frown in concern.
What had just happened and why was it beckoning her to Shibuya?
[Scene Change: Shibuya – Odaiba Construction Site (Late Afternoon)
Theme of Shibuya (Rainy): Beneath the Mask -rain, instrumental- from Persona 5]
Zenkichi despised the rain.
Sure, many people couldn't stand the rain but Zenkichi had an entirely different reason for hating the rain. It had been raining the day he lost his beloved Aoi.
It was ironic.
Water was the element that gave life but it helped contribute to the death of the woman he loved. Well, at least water did give life to something, and that was his daughter's hatred of him.
So he had that going for him, which was rough.
As Zenkichi slowly drove to avoid hydroplaning, he noticed something through the rain. It looked like a large blob walking beside a smaller blob. Zenkichi squinted his eyes and as he got closer, the blob became more defined and revealed to what he was looking at.
It was his and Sae's prime target in the Phantom Thieves investigation, the very haggard looking Amamiya Ren, and he was carrying some girl with a familiar-looking cat walking by his side. How did that little fella get out of his home?
Zenkichi turned and carefully drove beside the sidewalk, lowered his window, and shouted, "Hey! Need a lift out of the rain?"
Startled, Ren turned to see Zenkichi and a hesitant smile appeared on the teen's face.
"Sure!" Ren replied
After getting wet and helping situate the sleeping girl, Zenkichi sat back in the driver's seat with a soaking Ren holding the familiar cat in his arms. "Thanks for this. I really appreciate it," Ren said after the vehicle began its movement.
"What can I say? Helping a citizen in need is what the police are all about. Well, at least this police officer," Zenkichi replied with a slight grin. He then looked through the rearview mirror at the unconscious girl and asked, "So, what's that about?"
"I was passing by that construction site when I saw her unconscious on the ground," Ren explained with a concerned look at the unconscious girl. "I checked for injuries but thankfully, she's unharmed."
Zenkichi stared at the youth and noticed the various bruises on his face and his torn clothing. He glanced back at the girl and she looked perfectly fine. So at first glance, it seemed they had nothing to do with one another.
Still, it wasn't every day you saw someone so beat up carrying an unconscious girl.
"You look pretty disheveled," Zenkichi noticed with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, that's what happens when you get into a fight," Ren tiredly replied. "Truthfully, you should see the other guys."
"Perhaps I will, If I know who the "Other Guys" were," Zenkichi shot back.
Ren lowered his head for a moment and then said, "You remember those guys who kidnapped Yusuke, Hifumi, and me? That guy sent more of his goons after me."
Zenkichi frowned at this.
Retribution wasn't unheard of when it came to the Yakuza but why were they targeting this boy like this? He shook his head. He would take this to Sae when they met up again tomorrow. "So," Zenkichi began after glancing at the cat in Ren's lap. "Where'd you find this little guy?"
The cat meowed and Ren tilted his head. "I was walking and this little guy followed behind him. He's limping a little bit through," Ren explained.
The cat meowed again and looked at Zenkichi with recognition.
At least, that's what Zenkichi thought.
"I think this little guy is the cat I rescued the other day," Zenkichi revealed as he gently patted the cat on the head. "How did you get out?"
The cat meowed.
"So, where were you taking the girl?" Zenkichi asked Ren.
"I was actually going to take her to the clinic that was nearby Café LeBlanc, the Blue Butterfly," Ren explained a little quickly. "To make sure she was alright."
"I think I can swing you there," Zenkichi told the boy with a small smile.
"Thank you," Ren replied.
Zenkichi eyed the boy for a moment and then shook his head.
It seems this kid couldn't go anywhere without being a hero.
[Scene Change: Shibuya – The Blue Butterfly (Late Afternoon)
Theme of the Blue Butterfly: Butterfly Kiss from Persona 5]
"Ah, it certainly has been a while, Ren. And it seems you've bought the company as well," Tae's dry voice greeted, accompanied by a raised eyebrow.
Ren smiled at the doctor and greeted, "It certainly feels like a long time has passed since I've seen you, Tae-san. We kind of got a little bit of a situation."
"Oh, I couldn't tell by the unconscious girl in the arms of Hasegawa-san," Tae drawled. "Good evening by the way. I wasn't expecting you back so soon after grabbing some medication for your daughter."
"Hello, Takemi-san," Zenkichi greeted. "I was literally on my way home when I saw Ren-san carrying this girl. Figured she needed to be seen."
Tae narrowed her eyes and stood out of her chair that sat behind the counter. "Alright, bring her into my office and let me have a look at her." Tae then walked into the door that sat to her left and moments later, the door to the office opened and both Ren and Zenkichi walked inside.
"Lay her down on the exam table," Tae instructed with a point to the bed. Zenkichi followed her orders and placed Sumire's body on the exam table. Ren watched for five minutes as Tae examined Sumire's body.
"No sign of any injuries," Tae noticed. "Who was the one who found her?"
"I was," Ren answered.
Tae snorted and eyed Ren for a moment. "You know," Tae started as she pointed at him. "Despite the cop being here, I knew it was you that found her, Boy Scout."
Zenkichi laughed as Ren rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly bashful at her amused expression.
After ten minutes of tests, such as blood work and blood pressure, Tae removed her gloves and said, "We'll she's slightly dehydrated and malnourished but nothing a good meal won't fix."
Just as Tae finished talking, Sumire groaned and slowly opened her eyes.
"R-Ren?"
[Scene Change: New York (Blue Hour)
Theme of New York: MAP Sumaru City from Persona 2: Innocent Sin]
Kirijo Mitsuru wouldn't have considered herself a lucky woman.
She had been born into a life filled with faceless suits and beings imbued with supernatural powers, and for the love of her father, she made that life, her life.
As the head of the Kirijo Group and leader of the Shadow Operatives, her life was still filled with faceless suits and fierce battles. But unlike in the past, where she felt that she would go through it as the cold, lonely empress, she was proven wrong.
Mitsuru's brown-red eyes watched as her wife, Kirijo-Takeba Yukari, slept and gingerly brushed a strand of the woman's hair from her face.
Wife.
That simple word seemed to breathe new life into Mitsuru every time she referred to Yukari by that title.
She hadn't expected to fall in love with her, especially not after the rocky start their meeting had. But bit by bit, Yukari had chipped away at the cold exterior Mitsuru had put up, especially after her father's passing.
In Kyoto, it was that day when Mitsuru's feelings for Yukari had blossomed into something more, but she kept it hidden. She knew that Yukari had feelings for Kotone and was envious of her bond with both Ryōji and Aigis, which only grew worse when Aigis took over Kotone's special gift after her passing.
But it was after their battle with Aigis and her Shadow, Metis, that Yukari finally let her affections for Kotone go, but Mitsuru still hid them to give her time to grieve.
It was only after their adventure with the Investigation Team that Yukari admitted her feelings for her.
Despite the anguish, the endless nights, the battle scars, and the nightmares, Mitsuru could never regret taking the road she did, as long as it ended up at this single moment.
"You going to keep staring?" Yukari asked as her cheeks reddened.
"Maybe for a little while longer, Chérie," Mitsuru replied.
"Flirt," Yukari mumbled as she nestled close to Mitsuru and smiled against her neck. "I still can't believe this is real," Yukari whispered as Mitsuru felt the shorter girl's arms slink around her. "I keep expecting to wake up back at our dorm and complaining that this is all a dream."
"Admittedly, I had that same thought when you walked down the aisle," Mitsuru told her with a kiss on Yukari's head. "But this is real. We're real…"
"We're real," Yukari agreed as Mitsuru felt her smile widen against her neck.
(Soon, I'll smile for you
Soon, I'll sing for you)
"You made the song from our wedding your ringtone?" Yukari questioned, her voice soft.
"Of course I did. It reminds me of you. With how busy our schedules will be when we return to Japan, I'll need to keep another reminder of you nearby at all times," Mitsuru replied as she turned away from Yukari to reach for her phone, which sat on the drawer on her side of the bed.
(Gazing at a dream that shines forever
So that I can keep walking and living)
But as she grabbed her phone, Yukari's hands found her face, and before Mitsuru knew it, her new wife's lips were on top of her own in a gentle kiss.
(Soon, I'll smile for you
Soon, I'll sing for you)
Mitsuru shut her eyes and allowed herself to fall into Yukari's affections, returning her soft kiss with one filled with warmth and devotion.
(In that moment when a girl becomes a woman
To keep the light from going out)
Yukari was the first to break the kiss as she mumbled, "You should get that."
With a deep blush on her face, Mitsuru nodded, cleared her throat, then answered the phone with a crisp, "Kirijo."
"Good Afternoon. Or should I say good morning? I'm not sure about the time in New York," Fuuka's voice chirped out.
Mitsuru smiled and said, "It's "Good Early Morning," here, Sanada-chan."
"Hi, Fuuka!" Yukari exclaimed.
Fuuka laughed and said, "Tell Kari-chan I said hi!"
"Sanada-chan says "Hi" Chérie," Mitsuru told her.
Yukari beamed.
"But it is far too early here, Sanada-chan. Is everything alright?" Mitsuru questioned.
"Well, Aigis finally found the location of Kotone's nephew, Amamiya Ren," Fuuka explained.
Mitsuru smiled. "I am glad that she was able to locate him since she finally decided it was time to keep her word," Mitsuru said.
Yukari leaned off of the bed and for a moment, Mitsuru hoped that the blanket that sat tastefully against her wife's bare chest would slip off. "She found him?" Yukari whispered.
"She did," Mitsuru whispered back and then said to Fuuka, "This should be good news then. So why the call?"
"I feel bad that I have to tell you this because it may ruin your honeymoon with Yukari-chan but….I called because while Aki-kun and Aigis were out getting supplies ready to go to Shibuya, A presence similar to a Sensory Persona reached out to me, beckoning me to Shibuya…."
Mitsuru's eyes widened.
"What?"
[Scene Change: Shibuya – Shibuya Streets (Late Afternoon)
Theme of Shibuya (Rainy): Beneath the Mask -rain, instrumental- from Persona 5]
"We really should have bought an umbrella," Oribe sighed as Eleonora, Eiko, and herself walked down the street. It was pouring so hard that she could barely see anything in front of her face.
"We can always shoot into a store and buy one," Eleonora offered as she walked ahead of the group.
"Anything would be better than getting soaked like this," Eiko complained with a frown.
Oribe watched as her best friend looked around and grimaced. "Of course, there are no stores around here," Eleonora grumbled. "Let's just try to make it back to your place as best as we can until the storm passes, Eiko."
Eiko nodded and said, "My place is four blocks away."
"Better than nothing, let's go," Eleonora commanded.
The trio walked ahead in silence for a few moments before Eiko grumbled, "If I had known it was going to rain, I would've said that we should've stayed at Makoto-chan's house…"
"Makoto-chan?" Oribe teased.
Oribe watched as a look of shock and then a blush appeared on Eiko's face. "W-What of it?!" Eiko exclaimed. "She's my friend, isn't she?"
"Friend," right," Eleonora commented. "Every time I've seen you two together, you're always pressed close against her. If I was reading a script of every scene you and Makoto were together, I bet it would have something to the effect of the romantic lead gazing at her partner with affection. Aka, you staring at Makoto."
Oribe giggled as Eiko stammered without forming a cohesive sentence. Oribe then turned to Eleonora, bumped her hip to hers, and said, "Now, now, stop teasing," Oribe chided with a smile.
"I'll stop when I'm dead," Eleonora responded with a grin on her face.
Oribe opened her mouth to respond but stopped when she really caught what she was looking at. Her best friend's platinum blonde hair clung to her face and her bright blue eyes seemed to radiate warmth.
Oribe felt her heart flutter at the sight.
What was that?
"I hope we're getting closer. I'm going to be so soaked when I get home," Oribe heard Eiko whine as the sound of car doors opening and footsteps splashing against the water was heard behind them.
[Theme of Immediate Danger: Disintegration from Persona 5]
Oribe watched as Eleonora turned her head, along with Eiko and Oribe watched their faces twist into terror. Oribe began to turn around as Eleonora and Eiko screamed in alarm but without warning, she felt something hit her on the back of the head and everything went black.
Captain Blues: The Season starts off with a bang. And yes, I did hint at Persona 5: Dancing Starlight and Persona 3: Dancing Moonlight being canon in the world our Original PT/New PT Personas/Shadows came from.
The next chapter will have us firmly in Shibuya as Ren and Sumire talk and Ryuji and Makoto getting the news of what happened. But before I go, I just want to thank everyone for this labor of love between three people who adore this game and the persona series at large. And while things have been crazy and pretty sad a lot of the time, thanks to sticking by this crazy thing.
Hopefully, either Vi or I will be able to stamp a "The End" on this bad boy and not have it take six more years lol.
Until the next chapter, Time to set sail.