Catch-22: The Path That We Walk Together
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Together, they walk alone.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.-William Shakespeare
While everyone in the group would say that Ren was the dramatic one of the group (that was debatable because Yusuke could give anyone a run in dramatics), they never saw Sensei in action. Sensei may pretend to be all suave. In reality, Sensei was vicious. He just doesn't rip off a shadow's mask. He cut them down at their knees then ripped the mask off.
After the shock of seeing some many new theaters outside of theirs and Nagi-san….no Enlil changed before their eyes, he shouldn't be surprised that Sensei reacted first.
He was surprised how Sensei did it.
Enlil looked for a moment that she was about to attack them until a wall of roots popped up in front of them.
"Sensei!" Haru shouted.
He watched as Sensei jumped over his wall of roots and went right at Enlil with his sword drawn.
"I TOLD YOU THAT I'M THE CURATOR HERE! ME! You can't stop me!" Enlil shouted
"More like a prisoner warden, Enlil," Sensei shouted back.
"They can leave anytime!"
"Not with you around."
The clash was brief and in a flash. The group watched in horror as Sensei fell to the ground. Enlil disappeared into the labyrinth.
"What the hell, man?! You could have been hurt!" Kanji shouted as he helped Sensei to his feet.
"I'm fine. What did we learn?" Sensei said as he leaned heavily against Kanji and his younger self.
"We learn that you are fucking crazy," Shinjiro snapped.
"Debatable. What did we learn?"
Sensei was clearly hurt but the look in his eyes….
"We learn that we really can't leave," Akechi said softly.
"What?! She said that we could leave," Yosuke said.
"She wasn't telling the truth," Hikari said.
"Yes. More likely she knew our intentions and she wished for us to follow," Makoto added.
"To the source of power or the place that she believes gives us the best chance to beat us," Naoto said.
"But why?" Chie asked.
"Because our hearts…our strong hearts would be an obstacle in her way. We could easily change other hearts as well," Minako said in realization.
"Thus weakening her and her dominion," Mitsuru said.
"Most of all, she will just trap more people. We can't let that happen!" Hikari said.
Everyone in the group agreed.
Then it hit him hard. Something that Saklas said to them.
He would do it willingly and every single time. Just like these poor souls that hang on these hollow walls or travel through the hollow woods. Best of all, the players don't care. They rewind and rewrite. They let their sacrifices do it again and again. The price of the powers you use. The Fool. The Sun. The Aeon. The World. The Wild Card. Infinite possibilities, and utterly empty. You are nothing but an empty shell, my boy. To be thrown away after they are done.
How did he miss this?! The clues were there and he missed them. Sensei is a wild card just like him, Minako and Minato.
The line of thought made him uncomfortable.
Sacrifice.
Sensei was willing to sacrifice himself for them.
Every single time.
Another thought formed in his head.
If he was in Sensei's shoes…he would do the same thing.
Every Single Time.
-P3P4P3-
Minako didn't know Ren or Sensei…or rather older Yu for long. He seemed so mature. He was so polite to everyone and made everyone feel included. She sensed something else. Something…sadder. She would notice that he was glancing over at her and Minato. She did notice that there was tension between Ren and Sensei. She thought that they worked it out but for some reason, the tension was back. Once the group returned to the theater to rest before heading toward the next block, Ren dragged Sensei away for something or other.
She glanced in the direction of the pair. She should leave them alone. It was private.
But….
But….
She felt the overwhelming need to follow them.
Once she approached the room in the back, she heard yelling.
"…Ren, I'm fine."
"…No, you aren't. You're limping and holding your side. Despite the fact, we have healers in our group that could heal you and you could navigate."
Until Ren's cockiness and confidence, she could hear the worry and concern in his voice.
"No, I need to see through to the end."
"And you will but without sacrificing yourself."
"I'm not sacrificing myself. I'm merely gathering…"
"By allowing yourself to get hurt."
"Now, I didn't plan that."
"You could have told us. We're a team."
There was a pause.
"You don't see yourself as a thief, do you? That is why…you are planning to sacrifice yourself."
"My job as your teacher is to protect you, to make sure that you learn and finish what you started as individuals and as Phantom Thieves. If I fall at any point, then I must. If you see it as a sacrifice, then you haven't been learning what I have been trying to teach you."
"What is that?"
"Divided we fall, together we stand. What you will face will expect nothing less."
There was another pause.
"What if our Sensei wouldn't stand with us, then what happens?"
There was silence.
She didn't hear the rest of the conversation because she heard Ren moving to leave. She moved quickly to hide in the next room. She pressed her ear against the door to hear Ren's footsteps going down the hallway. Slowly, she stepped out of the room and glanced over to the other room. The door was left open. She could make out Sensei sitting at the breakroom table with his jacket thrown off onto a chair. He was leaning over with his elbows on his knees and rubbing his nose.
He looked bad…tired….pale.
She realized that he hadn't been resting like he should. He made sure everyone else was alright. Checking in.
She nearly jumped out of the sound of her name.
"Come in, Minako," Sensei said.
"Ekkk…I am SO SORRY! I just…"
Sensei chuckled softly.
"I know. We, Wild Cards, are a nosy bunch."
She felt her entire face turn red.
"You know…You know…hmm…they really care about you!" She said eagerly.
"I know."
"No…no…you don't understand! They worried about you! They worried about you being in another movie…or trapped somewhere. They…."
How could she get him to understand?! HOW?! She didn't think younger Yu was this hard-headed. No, he was stubborn! He thought that he would have to carry this burden alone.
MEN!
"They think of more than their Sensei. They think of you as a teammate! They…"
"I know."
"You don't know!"
"I do. I'm very aware of my students' feelings."
"Then…Then…"
"Minako…I don't want to watch my students fall. Ever. I don't want any of them to fight in any life-or-death tournaments. I don't want to see them drag into the underworld. I don't want their bodies at my feet. So, my question is…would you rather fall or your friends?"
She stopped talking and stared.
And…she would do anything to protect her friends…her little family.
And….Sensei was the same way.
He would do anything to protect them even if means costing him his life.
And…she understood.
She understood so clearly.
She burst into tears and threw her arms around Sensei.
She cried for herself…
Most of all, she cried for Sensei.
-P4P3P5-
Most people say that Minato doesn't pay attention to his surroundings. They would say that he is always listening to some podcast, audio book or music.
They were wrong.
He paid attention to everything and everyone. He knew that Ren was upset after meeting with Sensei. Minako looked like she was crying after her meeting.
Instead of approaching him, he decided to do something about it.
While each group was running around and trying to get Hikari's film together into the projectors. Well, the unedited version to show to other theaters. He was waiting and watching.
People watching.
More like Sensei watching. He was an enigma in his own way.
He understood more of him than he understood his younger counterpart because he sees a lot of himself in him.
He didn't bat an eye when he saw everyone's personas even if it wasn't from his team. Then it hit him later when he talked about working with the others from time to time. So, of course, he would know what their personas look like. The only one that he reacted to was his persona but he looked more amused than anything else.
"Interesting color palette," Sensei remarked.
That statement was slightly confusing.
When the groups faced the different maze bosses, he looked a little distant. He was still paying attention and deflecting attacks with the tap of his cane.
He would like to note that it was kind of cool.
"And interesting attacks as well," Sensei noted.
"The Unison Attacks?"
"Yes. It reminds me of the Showtime attacks in the other world. They are quite amusing and effective."
"It is. You know…you could do it too," He noted.
"Possible. Oracle and the other navigators talked about me joining theirs. I declined."
"Why?"
"Don't really fit in that sort of attack. Not much of a healer unless it comes up in the cards."
"Huh…makes sense. It sounds rather random."
"It is but like Fox said…it is part of the motif," Sensei said with a chuckle.
"I guess it does but sounds annoying."
"Oh, yes. I told Veles that but I think that it is payback."
"Payback?"
"For me not listening to him in the beginning. He can hold quite the grudge."
"Huh?"
Sensei chuckled.
"Oracle calls him GOMP and it fits."
"GOMP?"
"Grumpy old man persona."
"Heh…it fits," He said.
The persona did look old.
"And now, he is pouting."
"Your personas sound like a lively bunch."
"Can be. I adjust to it over the years. Although, I'm surprised by Ren's Satanael for a moment then in reflection, it rather fits."
"How? I don't really know much about him."
Mitsuru was more into mythology and lore about their personas than he was. She shared some interesting things about their persona in relation to their personalities.
It…explains a lot.
"Satanael is a demon lord that rebelled against the god, Yaldabaoth."
He frowned.
"Hmm…kind of see it and kind of don't. Since the whole Phantom Thieves thing is an act of rebellion but it doesn't fit Ren's personality."
He watched Sensei's face break out into a grin.
"Oh, I think that it does."
"And yours?"
"Veles or Izanagi-no-Okami?"
"Uhh… Izanagi-no-Okami?"
"Oh, yes. It has only become more profound as I have gotten older."
"And Messiah and I?"
"I am not sure. We never met in the future. From what I have been told, I believe that you are out of the country at the moment."
"Oh."
He paused.
That was sort of strange.
Why would he leave Japan? Probably, Mitsuru.
Most likely, it is Mitsuru.
Sensei tipped his hat.
"It looks like you are ready for the final battle. It is time for me to get into my position."
He snorted.
Sometimes, he thinks that Sensei has way too much fun with this.
-P4P3P4-
Hikari has never been so afraid in her life.
But….
But….
Never so strong.
She had friends that stood beside her! Laugh with her. Listen and learn with her. Struggle with her. Saw her as she truly was.
"Such a pity…If you hadn't clung to hope…you wouldn't have become so lost," Enlil said as she waved to her staff and a bright light washed over the group. One member of their group vanished.
"Do you realize it now? Humans truly are powerless. The only salvation for such weak beings is through surrendering to my world. Thieves like yourselves are nothing but dangerous anomalies that disrupt my order. Thus, you shall be extinguished by my own hand."
She waved her staff again and another…and another….and another until she was alone.
She heard the navigators shout in her mind…asking for everyone. She took off and ran toward Enlil.
She could hear them protest and scream for her to come back.
"All is nothing but dust before my wind…Your actions are useless."
"NO! They're not useless!'
Enlil paused for a moment.
"I know it's true! I've watched them all this time! They never gave inside those movies, not even once! No matter how hard it was…or how painful…" She shouted back.
She nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Sensei standing there.
"Show them your unyielding heart."
She shouted into her microphone and nothing happened.
"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. Tell her that and let them hear that…," Sensei said softly.
"But…they aren't here…."
"Not here physically but they are here," Sensei said as he tapped his head and then his heart.
She felt herself burst with emotion.
"We haven't lost yet! I know their power! I believe in them!" Hikari shouted again.
"Why can't you understand?! Your beliefs were nothing more than false images projected on a screen. You knew they were all illusions, yet you still accepted this world, no?" Enlil replied.
"It's because I've finally remembered…Thanks to everyone, I remember! They helped me remember what matters in life. That's why I remember them so much in them! They'll never lose-not to you!" She shouted.
"Shout like your voice will reach them because you know in your heart that your words will," Sensei said softly.
She screamed with her entire body into her microphone.
Nothing happened. No, she won't be discouraged! Sensei was here! The other girls were here! She was here! She won't give up! The others will be here soon too!
"Hikari…" Enlil said.
"I won't give up! They've supported me, so this time…it's my turn!" She shouted.
"Show them your feelings," Sensei said.
She screamed into her microphone again.
"You've overcome every kind of problem you've faced…You never ran away! I believe…I'm positive that you can do this! Please, everyone!" She shouted.
Suddenly, Minako showed up next to her.
''I heard your voice, Hikari-chan!" Minako said
Then another….and another….
She knew it! They came!
Sensei squeezed her shoulder softly then leaned over and whispered.
"You have this!"
She grinned.
Yes…they did.
-P4P5P3-
Once the battle was done, Enlil disappeared into the abyss.
"Dude…why didn't you get sucked into nothingness?"
Yu shrugged his shoulders.
"Gone to hell a few times. Once, you get out the first time, it is surprisingly easy to get out again."
A moment of pause before the group screamed.
"WHAT!?"
End of The Path That We Walk Together
Next Chapter: The Path We Walk Alone
A/N: One more chapter and we are finished with the PQ2 arc. YAY! :D I will neither confirm nor deny any future events. I will tell you what I have written… Yu's social link has been update twice(and I think that you guys will like the effects). I have also started playing Persona 4 Golden which has been a blast. I am not sure if I will incorporate any of that content but we will see. Read and Review if you wish.