Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long, readers. I planned on continuing last year, but things happened and I lost track of where I was going with this, but I wrote down some notes to hopefully help me continue this again soon. Anyway, I hope it's ok. Until then...
"You often have an uncomfortable dream when you drift off in school, don't you?" Igor asked with an uncomfortably cynical smile.
"How do you...?" Ren asked, startled, remembering Shiho's voice always yelling out to him from another room.
A sigh escaped, followed by a hummed beam as he gestured, "Your dreams appear to link with the Velvet Room. But let me ask..." He leaned forward, his smirk returning, before linking his hands together as he finished, "Is it really a dream?" His voice turned heavier and lower as if turning villainous for a moment.
Ren could feel coldness sweep through his very soul, stepping back for a split second as he tried to process this whole mishap. His breath hitched from discomfort before clenching his hands tightly out of anger. He felt as if he just snapped as he latched both hands onto the bars with a vise-grip. "What are you stating!?" He jerked the bars.
"Listen to what our Master has to say, Inmate!" Caroline growled while hitting the bars, leading Ren to fall back with frustration.
Ren ended up gripping his hands tightly against the ground, trails of blood followed behind from his finger nails as he growled, trying to maintain his composure in order to not let this slide under his skin and think rationally for none of it to come true. He continued to listen. Yet there seemed to have been some darkness hovering over his eyes while he did. The anger inside of him was boiling, but his heart urged him to swallow the frustration, putting trust into his will power of keeping her safe in the end. But the words still lingered... worrying the back of his mind as he didn't want things to worsen for her. Igor's eerie voice returning him to the present as he continued to listen...
"Let's hope that dream doesn't come true." An eerie smile appeared on his face, making Ren suddenly flinch, as if taking that as a... threat? "Watch carefully, or else her fate still may happen if you take great risks and begin to tread on thin ice."
Before Ren could ask or respond to what Igor had said, he awoke, some stress began to rise, He's kidding... right...? Ren's heart raced when remembering the dream, This best be a joke... He groaned as he got up to get ready and head to school.
"Hey, kid." Sojiro called to stop him.
"Sorry, but I need to get to school. Can we continue this later?" Ren passed him, not giving him a chance to answer.
As he headed straight to school, his mind was filled with outcomes, his anxiety bringing out the worst scenarios. No... no... nothing like that would ever happen to her... right? He was so lost in thought to where he easily got spooked again by Shiho poking him in the back.
"Gotcha again~." Shiho giggled.
"Shiho..." Ren smiled faintly, automatically going in for a hug, relieved to see her still smiling, It's just all in my head. Nothing like that would... ever happen... right? Doubt still crossed him ever since that dream happened. "Um... let's head to class." Ren forced a smile, leading the way.
"Hey... is everything okay?" She stood still before leaning closer to him as she whispered hesistantly, "Is... the castle still bothering you?"
"Huh?" He looked back, completely forgetting the other world. "O-Oh... yeah. Definitely." He lied, trying to get his mind off the dream he had, "Can you believe it?"
"No, I can't." Shiho laughed, "Up for seeing it again?"
"What?" Ren was shocked, "Are you sure you want to go back into that weird castle and face him again?" He asked with a tone of shock, not realizing he shouted right in front of the school gates.
"I'm in." Ryuji butted in.
"When did you get here?" Shiho peeked behind Ren.
"Not long."
"Well? I don't have practice today. And I'd certainly like to give him a piece of my mind." She glared.
"Shiho..." Ren sighed.
The teen with glasses was up for going, but ever since that dream, he didn't want her to get nowhere near as close to Kamoshida as she was before they met. He remembered she was strong and confident in the other world, so he had a bit of faith to return, but concerns still haunted him.
Shiho stood there with clasped hands and puppy dog eyes as she looked adorably up at Ren, almost as if pleading to return.
A deep sigh slipped through as he sunk his head, "Okay... after school let's see if we can return, 'kay?" Ren gave in.
As they headed to class, Ann was there, heading over to Shiho, "Shiho!" She ran up and hugged her.
"Ann..." She breathed out a laugh, giving a soft smile.
"I'll see you later." Ren said, waving as he walked away with Ryuji, giving space, even though he was still a bit stressed.
"What a good boyfriend!" Ryuji ruffled Ren's hair, messing with him.
"Oh, be quiet." Ren laughed, pushing him away, "We're not even dating." He whispered to him.
"Seriously?" He stopped, a bit surprised, but shrugged it off, walking to class.
Little did they know... a little bird seemed to have overheard Ren's whisper as Ren headed to class...
"So... it's all just a lie, hm...?" The person who overheard seemed more relieved than expected as they heard the news from around the corner.
After School...
The teens met up after school at the front gate.
"'Sup?" Ryuji arrived last, seeing Ren and Shiho.
"Just waiting on you." Ren said.
"Phone still not workin'?" Ryuji pffted, "'Kay, let's see if it's still here..." He pulled out his phone, automatically seeing the app glow.
"Kamoshida... Castle... Pervert..." His phone said after they typed it in.
Shiho cackled at the words, "Of course..."
The teens ended up right inside the entrance of the castle, leaving them shocked. Ren and Shiho automatically in their uniform.
"Why are you guys back here?" Morgana appeared from behind them.
"It's the b-b-big cat again!" Shiho fell down, still not used to Morgana's presence.
"I AM NOT A CAT!" He hissed.
Ren chuckled then turned around after feeling someone else's presence approach them, "Well, looks like we have company..." Ren glared in the direction of the king walking up to them.
"...You knaves again?" The king growled, "To think you'd make the same mistake again. You're hopeless." He glared, but then turned his head, seeing Shiho stand beside him, "Though, I see you returned with my bunny. So you're not as hopeless." He gave a disgusting smile her way, leading a shiver up her spine.
"The school ain't your castle!" Ryuji took a step forward, glaring at him.
"And we're not your slaves!" Shiho added.
Ren was surprised to see her confidence continued, but smiled, a smirk crossing his face as he glared over at Kamoshida.
Kamoshida noticed and glared with annoyance, but then a smirk appeared when his eyes returned to Ryuji, "It seems true when they say 'barking dogs seldom bite.' How far the star runner of the track team has fallen."
"What the hell are you gettin' at!?" He seemed to have easily hit a nerve, leading him to chuckle as his eyes stayed on Ryuji.
"I speak of the 'Track Traitor' who acted in violence, ending his teammates' dreams." Kamoshida continued.
"Ryuji... don't let him get to you." Shiho tried to calm him down, but it didn't seem to get through to him as Kamoshida continued.
"Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your... selfish act." His evil grin still plastered on his face.
"Ngh..." It looked as though Ryuji suffered a blow after being reminded of his past.
Shiho gripped her hands tightly, her anger and frustration rising by the look of Kamoshida's arrogant grin.
"Track Traitor?" Ren questioned aloud as he looked in Ryuji's direction, noticing him look away in shame as he clenched his hands in frustration.
"What a surprise. So you're accompanying him without knowing anything at all?" The King continued with a chuckle as he looked over at Ren, "He betrayed teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever."
Shiho ended up gripping her hands tightly before her bow suddenly appeared in her hand as she had the sudden urge to already strike an arrow to his head. Letting go of the nock after one quick swoop of the draw, the arrow spiraled and the bullet point ended up skinning The King's cheek, leading it to drip out a thin line of blood. A huff escaped as Shiho ended up drawing another as she held her ground while aiming towards him again, "Silence you treacherous fiend! Enough with your damn lies you pompously arrogant fool!" Her eyes were filled with hate as she could stand him no longer, throwing off Ren and Ryuji, though also impressing them both as Ryuji spoke up after.
"Yeah! That's not true!" Ryuji said as he looked back at Kamoshida's shadow.
"You've come along with this fool and are now going to end up dead... How unlucky of you." The King continued as he glared at the men while liking Shiho's feistiness as he seemed to just grow more excited by her sudden shift in attitude towards him. The King turned away from them as he added, "Go. Kill them all. Don't sully my castle with garbage." Then looked back at Shiho, pointing towards her directly as he demanded, "Except that one. Bring her to my chambers." Before walking off to his room, leaving the team up to the guards that begun their first strike.
"Goddammit..." Ryuji growled as he gripped his hands even tighter.
"Ryuji, move!" Morgana stated as he stood in front of him.
Morgana groaned, "Ngh... we're surrounded!"
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you 'cause King Kamoshida told us! I'll kill 'cause that's what he wants!" The first guard stated as he reared up and started his first attack while the other two follow pursuit into lunging out or head butting into each trio.
The trio tried to strike back with their abilities before Morgana said with a groan and low health, "There's more of them? This is bad..."
"No... we... can't give up now!" Shiho stated with a grunt before getting struck again, leading her to her knees.
As the trio tried to fight back, before they knew it, they all ended up on the ground in pain, leading Morgana to groan as he utters, "Rgh... you piece of-" The King ended up stepping on his back, while Ren tried to struggle his way back up, and Shiho ended up lying on the ground, her energy beaten out of her.
"I bet you simply came here on a whim and ended like this. Isn't that right?" The King asked as he looked in Ryuji's direction.
He was on his knees as he shook his head in horror of the condition of his allies, as more guilt ran through him before saying, "No..."
"What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly..." The King chuckled as he shook his head, "How dare you raise your hand at me. Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising track practice?"
Ryuji slammed his hands to the ground as he shouted, "Wasn't no practice-It was physical abuse! You just didn't like our team!"
"It was nothing but an eyesore! The only one that needs to achieve results is me!" The King sneered, "That coach that got fired was hopeless too..." He chuckled with that remark, "Had he not opposed to me with a sound argument, I would've settled it with only breaking his star's leg."
Ryuji, stunned by that statement, raised his head as he looked up, "...What?"
"Do you need me to deal with your other leg too? The school will call it self-defense anyway!" The King chuckled with a raised brow, almost as if stating that as a threat.
"Dammit... Am I gonna lose again...?" Ryuji groaned as he gripped the red carpet. "Not only can I not run anymore... The track team is gone too 'cause of this asshole...!"
"So that's why..." Morgana said as he looked over at Ryuji.
"Once these ones are dealt with, you're next." The king said with an evil grin as he eyed Ryuji as he released a maniacal laugh.
"Ryuji!" Morgana called out.
"Don't let him win!" Ren added.
Shiho groaned as she looked up in Ryuji's direction, speaking in a weak tone as she said, "Please... d-don't let... this scumbag of a coach drag you down... like he has to my teammates and I... D-Don't let him... win..."
Ryuji looked up as he responded, "...You're right." He said, "Everything that was important to me was taken by him... I'll never get 'em back...!" He stated.
"Stay there and watch. Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you." The king chuckled.
"No... That's what you are. All you think about is using people... You're the real scumbag, Kamoshida!" He stated as he struggled his way up to his feet.
"What are you doing? Silence him!" The king said with a look of shock as he saw him stand up and approach him with a look of determination.
"Stop lookin' down on me with that stupid smile on your face!" Ryuji stated as he pointed his index finger while staring daggers at Kamoshida.
"You made me wait quite awhile." A voice stated with a chuckle, leading Ryuji to grip his head as he began to groan from pain while falling to his knees, "You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact." The mysterious voice continued, "Since your voice has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc?" He continued as Ryuji struggled on the floor in pain, "The other you who exists within desires it thus..." As Ryuji closed his eyes tightly, the voice continued his vow, "I am thou, thou art I... There is no turning back... The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!" The mysterious voice finished with a wrathful tone of justice as a skull mask flared upon Ryuji's face as he looked forward with determination.
The knight that was about to execute Ren looked over at Ryuji, "Hmph. What can you do?" As he readied his blade towards Ren's neck, "Cower in fear and watch!"
Ryuji struggled his way to tear off the mask, as he succeeded, the top half of his face bled as he screeched out the pain before a burst of blue flames soared it's way to the ceiling as he cried out the top of his lungs like a battle cry, the flames pushing back the King and the Knight.
Behind Ryuji... stood a pirate, standing on his ship like a skateboard. An eagerly looking grin crossed his face as he looked slyly towards the enemy.
"Ugh... This one as well!?" The King snarled with regret and hatred as he looked back up.
"Right on... Wassup, Persona..." He looked at his hands with satisfaction, before his eyes returned to their enemy again, "This effin rocks!" He shouted with excitement, "Now that I got this power, it's time for payback..." He grinded his knuckles into his hand as he nodded his head, "Yo, I'm ready..." As his teammates stood up from the energy he gave off from his summoning, he smirked as he positioned himself, "Bring it!"
"Ngh... Don't mock me, you brat!" The Knight declared as he lifted his sword, exposing his true form.
"Blast him away... Captain Kidd!" He ordered with his steadfast smirk.
"What troublemakers that bother King Kamoshida with trifle matters!" The Knight said with frustration.
"Kamoshida's cognition ain't changin', right? Then I'll act like the troublemaker I am!" He positioned himself for battle as he called out, "Let's do this, Captain Kidd!"
The Knight summoned more allies to his side as hope resided in Ryuji's teammates, except for... Shiho!? Ren and Morgana were too distracted by the sudden winning streak by Ryuji's assistance with his Persona to realize Shiho was suddenly being dragged away again!? But by who and to where and why!?
A weakened Shiho faintly peeked her way up to who was dragging her away, yet all she could see was a blur of a... feminine-like body? Though in a groggy state, she mumbled, "Wh-Who... are you...?" She gripped her head as she tried to summon her Persona, yet with her state of mind... she couldn't summon her! What was going on!? Is this something Igor meant!?
As the trio were finishing the battle, Ren tried to look over at his teammates, but noticing one was missing, he fell into a panic as he asked his teammates, "Where's Shiho!?"
Ryuji looked around, along with Morgana after finishing their strikes on the enemies, falling into worries along with Ren as they noticed her suddenly missing. Ren ended up seeing pieces of her uniform ripped up again as it left a faint trail behind. Morgana, after catching a scent and following the trail, he noticed she was once again dragged away, but this time it ended up leading to the tower? But why there? He began to wonder while trying to remember what it led to.
As they followed the trail up towards the tower, the enemies they were facing were becoming more and more difficult to handle to where Morgana ended having to put his foot down that they needed a break. Seeing a break room they came across, Ren just grew more and more antsy, but tried to endure it as he knew they needed to strategize this whole thing.
Ren ended up biting the nail of his thumb as he tried to think of a way to make their way up, but with little to no experience so far, it was close to a suicide mission.
"As stressful as this may be, you may end up having to return tomorrow with needed materials to make it through to the tower, Joker..." Morgana brought up, though he could easily sense, Ren did not want to do that to a teammate, especially not Shiho.
"He's got a point ya know...?" Ryuji brought up, though feeling just as guilty by the idea and frustrated at that as he felt he was doing the same thing all over again with his old teammates from his old track team, "As much as I'd love to barge my way through, we got no idea who we're gonna be facing less we play this right..."
"After all... we are thieves. We do this with style, not recklessness." Morgana added.
A groan escaped Ren's lips as he nodded in understanding, "We need to at least find a closer safe point so we'll have enough energy to blast our way through to reach her though, you know?" Ren brought up as he peeked his head out the door. "Morgana, you think you can infiltrate the area for us to get further in first thing tomorrow seeing as to how it's a weekend for us?" Ren asked.
"You're gonna end up owing me more for this, but I'll try my best to find a safer way through to get closer to her." Morgana brought up with a nod. "Get well rested, first thing tomorrow, we're gonna end up saving her. I promise you that."
Though Ren's frustration may have grown more, he tried to keep his cool as Ryuji used the portal back to the real world.
Exhausted by this misadventure, the two boys returned, Ren feeling deflated while Ryuji was exhausted.
"We're meeting right here, first thing tomorrow, right?" Ren asked for clarification.
"Yep, first thing tomorrow." Ryuji answered before stretching as he was heading in the opposite direction.
Ren nodded, a long sigh escaping as he headed back home.
Several Minutes Later...
"Evening, Sojiro..." Ren said exhaustingly.
Sojiro nodded, seeing that Ren made it back home at his usual curfew, feeling he gets to deserve the key soon, but left him be as he noticed how tired he was.
A groan escaped this time as Ren felt he was about to have some struggles sleeping tonight. And just as he guessed that... there he was, tossing and turning in his sleep as he was in and out of slumber. The dream returning and becoming more and more vivid as the screams from Shiho became louder this time...
"No... not again..." He mumbled in his sleep.
"I warned you... Didn't I?"