Chapter Text
That guy…
He reminded him of..
Himself…
And her.
Her sister…
It had been so long.
Was she still okay? Was she safe?
He hoped so.
She had been all he had.
Then they’d met their friends.
But his sister.
Kotone.
She was still his rock.
And if he had his way.
She’d be thriving in her element.
2018/5/4
Friday Afternoon
“Give me what you’ve got!”
The young man smirked as he spun the staff in his hand, looking at his trainer with determination. The trainer likewise smiled as she got into a fighting stance, pointing her own staff at her student. The student charged forward with a grunt, spinning his staff as it met hers in the air.
He was forced away as the trainer flicked the end of her staff, sweeping it low and tripping him up. The student fumbled for a moment before falling to the mat, the staff rolling away. The trainer’s met at the side of his head, her smile being accompanied by snickering by the surrounding students. She extended her hand, helping him up.
“You did much better that time! A few more months and who knows, maybe you’ll be at my level,” she teased. The students continued giggling as the defeated student bowed.
“I hope to reach that level one day, Sensei. Thank you,” he said. She just shook her head with a smug sigh as he sat back with his fellow students.
“I hope that taught you all something,” she said as she addressed her class. “Never underestimate your opponent. Whether from above or below, there is always a chance they can surprise you, especially if you get cocky.” Her eyes found their way to a pair of teenage students laughing to one another. “Arai-chan, Kanou-kun, that includes you.” Their comments ceased as attention was directed on them. “You can all go for today. Have a great weekend.”
The students stood and bowed as they went for their bags. The trainer smiled as one by one the students all made their way out of the building, though one person remained. Someone she already recognized immediately. Even if it wasn’t for his white hair and scarred brow, the smile he wore on his stubbled mouth made his familial status easy to ascertain.
“Quite the place you’ve got here, Kotone. Sorry I couldn’t visit sooner,” the man said. Kotone smiled as she walked up to him, lightly punching him in the shoulder. Though he was muscular, he still winced at the hit. “Damn, you still hit as hard as ever.”
“Just because I’m part-time with the Operatives doesn’t mean I slack on my training Akihiko-senpai,” Kotone teased back. The man -Akihiko Sanada- just laughed as he looked around. It was a moderately large room, with training mats scattering most of the floor and a large mirror on one side. TVs stood above it on both the left and right side near the ceiling, playing a muted workout video on handling a two-handed staff. Akihiko kicked one of the fallen staffs up and began twirling it around. “Hey put that back, I gotta pay for those.”
“Alright alright, I’ll put it back,” he said. An exacerbated sigh escaped Kotone’s lips as she moved to her office area. Akihiko followed, sitting in the chair opposite her desk as she typed something onto her laptop. “Like I said though, sorry I haven’t visited.”
“It’s alright Senpai. I can understand why.”
“Y-You do?”
“Says Mr. Kirijo, ” she teased. Akihiko looked away and coughed into his hand, a light pink dusting his cheeks. “Come on Akihiko-senpai, of course I know. Mitsuru-senpai talks y’know.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” he said, absently gliding his scarred hand over the ring that adorned it. “Still can’t believe how it happened honestly.”
“Hearing it from her was hilarious! Was it really at the exact same time?”
“Well you know Mitsuru, always one to surprise me,” he laughed. Kotone chuckled alongside him. She closed her laptop after another moment, her focus shifting to a picture on her desk.
It was an older one, taken back during her second year in high school. It was a large group all gathered around a table that had sat in their coed dorm’s lounge. She spotted her best friends, Junpei Iori and Yukari Takeba, joking around with each other at the table while her other friend Aigis looked on in confusion, blue eyes scanning the scene in front of her. She saw Akihiko and her other Senpai, Mitsuru Kirijo, nearby likewise bantering to one another behind the juniors.
Their navigator, Fuuka Yamagishi, was holding a stack of plates, her teal hair bobbing as she carefully walked them to the sink. The youngest among them, Ken Amada, followed her into the kitchen, their adopted dog Koromaru following the young boy. Then her eyes focused on Shinjiro Aragaki. He had been her senpai as well, but he had also been so much more than that. He was her first love, and remembering this dinner brought back so many memories of their time together. She missed him greatly, but was hoping his spirit was happy wherever it had moved to. Then…
She saw herself, laughing and smiling with the others. But next to her was her brother, the only person she felt she could rely on when first coming to that dorm. He had a small smile on his face, one he was attempting to cover with his hand. She guided a hand over the picture and picked it up, her thumb running over his dark blue hair.
‘ I miss you Makoto. Every day ,’ she thought to herself. He had been with her through it all, from the passing of their parents to the trials of their second year. In the end, he had committed to the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life so they could all live. It was a rough few years after that, but her friends had supported her through her all. The young woman sighed as she set the photo back down.
“I miss him too,” Akihiko’s voice cut in. Her eyes snapped open to her friend’s statement, his own eyes on the photo now. “Both of them. They’d be proud of you y’know,” he encouraged. She smiled at his care. Akihiko, for all his physical strength, was also a rock that supported her and others.
“Thanks Senpai. I know they’d be proud of you too.” Akihiko smiled at her comment, her eyes drifting back to her brother’s blue eyes. Her brother…Makoto Yuki. “They’d be proud of all of us.”
It was late by the time the car pulled up to the apartment. It was fairly large, but Kotone’s job as a martial arts trainer paid well, plus her girlfriend’s job. She smiled as she lifted her bag out of the back seat.
“Thanks again for the ride Senpai. I appreciate it a ton. Still a little weary of the subways after what happened a couple years ago in Shibuya,”she thanked. She could remember those times well, scrolling on social media and trying to find any evidence of what had caused the strange cases of mental shutdowns in those bizarre few years. Trains in Tokyo especially became massive hubs for the outbreak, every other day another incident injuring many and even killing some.
“No problem. I just need to remember to park it in its spot.”
“Afraid Kikuno will hit it again?”
“I have a right to remain silent,” he quipped back. The two friends laughed as Kotone hoisted her bag back up. “Alright, see you later.”
“Bye Senpai! Tell Mitsuru I said hi!” she called. Akihiko nodded his chuckling head as he pulled out and drove down the street. Kotone turned back to the light brown apartment complex in front of her, walking into the building as the once full moon began the cycle of fading to new again.
She fished the key out of her pocket and opened the door. There were all manner of machine parts as she entered, littering the living area’s coffee table. A young woman was working diligently on something at the center of the mess, her tyed back hair swaying as she yanked out another cable.
“Honey, I’m home!” she called, a bright smile adorning her face. The woman looked up from her project and smiled back. Kotone walked over and knelt down beside her, setting her bag by the door. “How’s my favorite engineer doing?”
“Kotone-chan, stop!” she said, her giggles betraying her. Kotone just smiled as both women’s attention returned to the project on the table. “Kirijo-senpai wanted me to take a look at one of the group’s computers to see if anything could be improved. I’m not sure why she went to me over her main team though.”
“A team you helped found. Come on Fuufuu, you’re great at this. That’s why Mitsuru-senpai asked for YOUR help. You’ve got this!” Kotone reassured her. The other woman -her girlfriend, Fuuka Yamagishi- smiled at her.
“Thank you Kotone. You always know what to say, don’t you?”
“It’s a gift,” she said, a blush spreading to her cheeks. She picked her bag up again, heading for their shared bedroom. “I’m going to go wash up.”
“Okay! Dinner will be ready when you get out,” Fuuka said. Kotone smiled. If something could get her mind to relax, it was always her girlfriend’s cooking. She’d thankfully gotten much better at it, thanks in no small part to her own intervention as well as their friends’. Kotone dropped her bag off by her bed and made her way to the shower, stepping in and letting the water run down her sore body.
It wasn’t like it was a new thing. Ever since she had opened her dojo a few months ago, she would come home with her muscles all tied up in knots and her joints aching. But she wouldn’t trade her position at all. It helped prepare young people to defend themselves if the need arose, something she had when she was their age and was very thankful for. It helped her keep her mind at ease as well, especially the last two years.
She hadn’t been in Tokyo during that eventful year, nor did the string of incidents the following summer ever reach Tatsumi Port Island. Even still, that group…something felt off about them.
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
Mitsuru and her shadow operatives had attempted to act, but they were blocked at every avenue they tried. Somebody really didn’t want the group becoming involved with the Phantom Thieves case. But when news about representative Masayoshi Shido’s change of heart came through the network, it had been over.
And the string of changes of heart all across the country had been examined by the group, but they couldn’t pinpoint much. Public Security made sure they never got close enough to the locations to make any moves. And even when they finally let up, it had been over again anyway.
It was undeniable the group may have had ties to Personas. Given the supernatural nature of these changes of heart and what the group had found out, it was easy to see the mystical nature of it. But it seemed to be over. The Phantom Thieves had retreated to the shadows once more, and life continued on.
Kotone stepped out of the shower a moment later, changing into more comfortable clothes before meeting her girlfriend in their kitchen. It was a fair size, not like Mitsuru’s of course but it worked for them. She sat at the modestly decorated table as a bowl was deposited in front of her.
“Thanks hun. You always know how to brighten up my day,” Kotone said. Fuuka giggled as she began eating her own food. The former leader thanked the good lords above for blessing her with a woman who could make a damn good katsudon.
“You’re too kind Kotone-chan,” Fuuka said. The two ate in relative silence, just appreciating each other’s company. “Oh, by the way, Mitsuru-san called earlier and asked if you would meet with her tomorrow.”
Kotone perked up at that, a bit confused. “Sure I can, but what’s the occasion? We only met up a few days ago.”
“She didn’t say much since she had a meeting soon after, but apparently she had some new intel she’d like to go over with you.”
“Really? Aren’t you more in the intelligence field with our whole secret club?”
“Yes, that is true, but I think it’s more…supernatural in nature. So she wanted our old leader to help out.”
“I see. Sounds like a plan!” she said, a bubbly smile returning to her face. Truth be told she was kind of excited. After being absent for the first few years of Mitsuru’s shadow operatives being active, she was raring to get her head in the game again.
“Are you sure, Kotone-chan? I know you usually like to have weekends open,” Fuuka worriedly said.
“It’s fine Fuufuu, I’m always ready to see a friend and help out. Besides, I still feel bad about missing out on so much work for you guys. I gotta get my act together.”
“Ko-chan, you don’t need to do anything like that. You’re an incredibly valuable member of her team, even if only part time. You’re part of the reason we’re all as strong as we are.”
“Thanks Fuufuu. I appreciate that,” Kotone finished. She cleaned the rest of her bowl and stood up, taking her girlfriend’s empty one along with her. I’ll do the dishes if you want to head to bed. I’ll be there in a bit.”
“Okay. Thank you honey,” Fuuka said, standing up and stealing a kiss from her girlfriend before moving to their bedroom. Kotone had a sappy smile on her face as she placed the bowls in the sink and began running the water.
Once all the dishes were put away, she quickly moved to her and Fuuka’s shared room, her girlfriend already deeply entranced in her book. Kotone smiled as she plopped down next to her, snuggling right beside her girlfriend as she read. “What’cha reading about?”
“What technology could look like in 100 years. It’s truly fascinating what can be done if the right steps are in order. Or maybe it’s just a fantasy that we’ll ever get this far.”
“Fuufuu we literally know a living machine. I think ‘possible’ has beaten ‘impossible’ more times than not,” she said. Fuuka giggled.
“Perhaps you’re right,” she said. She put her book down and switched off the lamp near their bed on the dresser. “I think that’s enough for tonight.”
“Aww, no fun times?” Kotone teased with a pout.
“You want to walk again tomorrow, don’t you?” Fuuka teased back. Kotone blushed at the insinuation. Behind closed doors, her girlfriend certainly had become more confident.
“G-Good point,” she stuttered out. She kissed her girlfriend as she went deeper into the covers. “Goodnight Fuuka. I love you.”
“I love you too Kotone. See you tomorrow,” she said as she matched the other woman’s position.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Kotone’s eyes opened to see herself in a field. It was unlike anything she’d seen before, a certain mysticism about the location. She stood and walked through, taking note of her old SEES uniform adorning her body. There wasn’t anything for what seemed like miles beyond a figure standing far away. Seeing no other option, Kotone moved towards it.
However, as she did, the figure began walking away. Kotone felt compelled to follow, picking up the pace and entering a light sprint as she followed. The being didn’t change it’s pace, walking the exact same as it tried to make distance without increasing speed.
Kotone caught up to the figure. It wore a dark gray and blue suit adorned with a cape, some kind of helmet encasing it’s head. As she turned to move in front of it however, there was no face.
Just an empty hole, pitch black through it’s concealed head with no features at all. Kotone jumped, falling back and landing on
Tiles.
Now the scene resembles her old high school, Gekkoukan High. the rooftop to be specific. There was another figure standing there, but this one she could immediately make out. She’d had dreams like this before, so she hesitated. He was gone. He wasn’t really there. It couldn’t be.
Makoto Yuki was dead.
It wasn’t an easy reality to accept, but one she had done regardless. With the help of her friends of course, she’d been able to move past her grief even if the memory always stuck with her.
She simply walked up to him, but when she got a view of his face, it was blank. Like the figure in the field. It was just…empty, a black void to which no light shone, no feature could be made out.
Kotone didn’t understand, skeptical as she was once more transported to somewhere she also knew all too well.
The Great Seal.
Broken open.
Without her brother holding it closed.
Without Makoto.
Chains dangled from where they’d held his spiritual form. The seal had crumbled away like it was nothing, but she didn’t feel despair. She felt…peaceful. Like an enormous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. But it didn’t make sense. The Seal needed to exist, or else humanity would fall.
But she couldn’t hear anything. And when she looked closer, pieces of the Seal had been scattered along the astral plane around it. As if they’d been blown away. But just as she stepped closer to inspect what she saw…
Her eyes shot open.