Persona 4 FYL

“I remember!!”

Souji's mind burst out of it's shock at the sound of Rise's shriek. Turning, he saw her point at Naoto in a panic, hopping up and down on the balls of her feet.

“I was overseas making the movie, and someone on the set told me about-- But--” The idol stumbled over her words, her brain moving too fast for her mouth to keep up. “I didn't-- I couldn't-- I thought it wasn't--”

“Man, this is some messed up shit,” said Kanji in disbelief. “Naoto, why didn't you tell us about--”

“She didn't want to remember,” explained Souji, causing Naoto to wince again.

“It looks more like Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome to me,” remarked Yukiko sympathetically.

“No,” said Souji with certainty. “It's not all psychological. There's something else.”

“Shut up! Be quiet!!” screamed Naoto, collapsing to the ground, her eyes concealed by her hat. “Don't make me remember! I don't want to listen!!”

“...Shut up?” muttered Yosuke next to Souji. The silverette thought he felt his best friend sit down on the estate's lawn, but he was too focused on Naoto to check.

“Naoto, you have to be brave!” persisted Souji. “Tell us what--”

“I... It's nothing!” the sleuth cried again, almost automatically, her arms wrapping around her waist as though trying to protect herself. “Nothing you need to worry about!”

“...Huh? Why...” Chie mumbled, and Souji turned to see her fall to the grass, holding herself in the same way. He also saw Yosuke sitting on the ground and covering his ears in his hands, his head bobbing to nonexistent music.

What... They're reverting back to how they were!

“I'm fine! I've always been fine!” repeated Naoto, bowing her head lower. “It was... a part of the job! Just part of the job! That's all!”

“..The job?” whispered Yukiko, sitting by the fence with a vacant expression, counting something on her hands and mumbling about different costs and duties for the inn.

“I'm strong enough to handle this...” Naoto tried to reassure herself, shaking her head as though dispelling a nightmare. “I've always been strong enough!”

“Strong...” Kanji muttered, sitting cross-legged on the sidewalk and folding his arms over his chest, taking on a tough appearance.

Dammit, cursed Souji to himself in a panic. What can I... Is Naoto doing this? Does she even realize--

“I'm okay...” whispered Naoto, her shoulders shivering gently. “I'm... I'm lonely, but...”

“...I'm okay...” Rise finished for her, falling to her knees near the Estate door, a fake smile plastering her lovely lips.

“Damn it! Yosuke, get a grip!” Souji yelled, grabbing his partner's wrists and trying to pry them from his ears without luck. “I need you! All of you! I can't fix this by myself!”

“Hey! What are you guys doing?! Get up!”

Souji whirled around to see Teddie staring at everyone in alarm, his expression confused and uncertain. The silverette clenched his hands into tight fists, frustration raging through his entire body. What the hell am I supposed to do now?! Teddie and I can't handle this on our own, and we still don't know WHY everythi--

Souji suddenly knew what he had to do to get the answers he needed. It was simple, perhaps too simple, but if this idea didn't work, then nothing would.

“...You knew,” said Souji to no one in particular. “Why didn't you tell me – tell us – sooner?”

“Wha?” Teddie blinked in even greater confusion. “Sensei, who are you talki-- Oh, hello, Hotei-sensei!”

Souji smiled, turning to follow Teddie's gaze. Hotei stood at the open gate, looking extremely tired, but still smiling.

“It was not the time to reveal such things, as I said before,” replied Hotei, pushing his spectacles up his nose.

“That's right. You said before you were restricted,” recalled Souji.

The old man nodded. “Yes. I am a guide, and therefore my capacity to expose information is limited until the one I guide is ready to take the next step forward.”

“I see...” said Souji, nodding slightly. “Then I think it's time for you to explain as much as you possibly can.”

Hotei smiled wider, his eyes twinkling as they always did. “With pleasure. What do you wish to know, Seta-san?”

Many questions raged in Souji's mind, but one came quickly to the forefront of his thoughts, the most important piece of information that would tie everything together. “Tell me about the case you were following two years ago.”

“Ah, so you made the connection.” Hotei looked down at the obituary in Souji's hand, and nodded grimly. “Very well. I shall explain, but you must remember that the case itself did not actually begin two years ago. Instead, it began approximately twenty-five years ago, before Nao-chan was even born.

“I was hired during that period to investigate a string of disappearances and murders that carried a series of ritualistic overtones. With the seriousness of the case, I felt obligated to request the help of two up-and-comers in the profession: my son and his lovely wife. Both of them were outstanding detectives in their own right, but together they were unstoppable partners. My son worked the logical side of each case, processing gathered evidence and putting the puzzles together, while his wife followed her exceedingly accurate intuition, finding the missing pieces and snapping them into place. They were the perfect team, and it was not long before the perpetrator was caught and imprisoned. He was the leader of a personality cult, a foul and loathsome man by the name of Akio Okuguro.

“However, none of us would truly realize how far Okuguro would go to exact revenge upon our family. He was a self-absorbed, demented sociopath, but an intelligent one, his genius crossing the thin boundary into the realms of criminal insanity. It was he who murdered Naoto's parents, leaving her an orphan at the age of one. He had escaped solitary confinement through supernatural designs, and made their deaths look like a mere traffic accident. That was the official story, and the story I explained to Nao-chan, but I knew better. I knew he was responsible for taking my son and daughter-in-law away from us...

“Needless to say, I devoted the remainder of my life to pursuing Okuguro. Oh, not like Dojima-san!” Hotei smiled reassuringly. “I had Nao-chan to take care of, which was no small task in itself, and I'm thankful that Yakushiji was around to assist me with that and other cases that came in. He was my son's best friend and confidant, and took it upon himself to honor him by assisting me with Naoto's upbringing and work as my personal secretary. Yet even as I worked on other cases, even as I watched Naoto blossom into the beautiful woman that she has become, that you yourself assisted in nurturing,” the old man smiled gratefully, “I never gave up on finding information on Okuguro.

“And then, two years ago... we found him.”

Hotei pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose, looking thoughtful as he remembered. “He was at it again, kidnapping innocent people and using them to fuel his pursuit of black magic. Oh, Naoto said that it was superstition, but I could tell that even she had her doubts. The change she experienced five years ago was that profound. But Okuguro's latest base of operations was none other than Yasogami High School.”


“Hurry, Nao-chan. We must make certain he does not elude capture.”

Misanori Shirogane moved much more swiftly up the stairwell than Naoto could have expected. Normally he was so intent on taking his time, on preaching patience. Now, however, her Grampa was acting oddly out of character, and it concerned her greatly.

“Please, Grampa,” she said politely, her silver-blue eyes shining with concern for her grandfather, “don't push yourself too hard. An eighty-year-old man shouldn't force themselves to--”

“Nao-chan, how many times must I tell you that I'm not a child?” said Grampa, his eyes twinkling as he caught his granddaughter's blush. “The situation is most serious, and my health is the least of my concerns at the moment. If this man manages to follow through with his plan, it could spell disaster for the entire world. If I have my say, we'll stop him here and now.”

“But shouldn't we wait for Dojima-san and the police?” asked Naoto, trying to talk some sense into her parent.

“By then, it may be too late,” answered Grampa, looking back up the stairs. The door to the rooftop was visible from where they stood. “His ritual has already begun; the black clouds above us when we entered were proof enough of that. But if the sirens come, he may be alerted to us and flee... and I regret to admit that my pride cannot allow defeat in this instance.”

“But Grampa--”

“Nao-chan,” said the old man sternly, and she blinked at his unusual seriousness. “Please... if anything happens, know that I'll always love you.”

Naoto rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. “Grampa, you know full well that people cannot love if they're dead. So... try your best to live. Please? For Yakushiji-san, if not for me.”

“Oh, how little you know, Nao-chan.” The old man chuckled as Naoto blinked in confusion at his response. He turned and strode up the length of remaining stairs and pushed the door open, and Naoto followed her grandfather out into the raging tempest out upon the roof.

In the center, standing on the raised portion of the roof, the place where Souji had eaten lunch with his friends so many times before, stood Akio Okuguro, his thin, sinister face accented by lightning that cracked from the skies above. His long, wiry gray hair fell down his back, and the robes he wore seemed too extravagant for him, making him appear more like a televangelist than a magician. In his right hand he clasped a wicked-looking dagger that dripped with blood. Naoto paled as she noticed a fallen body behind Okuguro, a pool of blood expanding from beneath, dripping down the edge of the raised floor like rain.

“You're under arrest, Akio Okuguro,” said Misanori with calm authority. “There's no escape, so come quietly.”

The magician turned to look at the old man, his thin, beady eyes wide with malice, and a leer crossed his thin lips. “You're too late, Shirogane! The powers that have been set in motion this night cannot be stopped!”

Grampa took a step closer in spite of Naoto's inaudible protest. “Cease this foolishness at once, Okuguro. Put the dagger down and come with us.”

His words only proved to increase the dementia displayed on the magician's face. “You don't believe me, do you?!” His thin hand shook violently as he tightened his grip upon the ceremonial dagger. “Well, then, maybe I should provide some proof?!”

Misanori knew what was coming, and tried to move forward to stop the man as he raised his dagger in the air. “No, don't!”

But Okuguro swung the dagger down and thrust it between his ribs into his own beating heart. A loud scream erupted from his pale lips, but it turned into an evil, mocking laugh that chilled Misanori to his core.

“It... cannot be stopped!” gasped Okuguro, veins pulsing in his temple as he continued shuddering with laughter. “Suffer for my indignities, Shirogane, as your granddaughter becomes the herald of my new era! She will be the Crux of... of...” The middle-aged cultist coughed up blood, unable to finish his rant.

Misanori, suddenly panicked, turned to Naoto as she let out a pain-filled scream, her thin hands clutching at her head as she fell down to her knees.

“No! NO!!” Naoto shouted above the din of the storm above, shaking her head in an effort to banish the pain plaguing her mind. “STOP! STOP!!!”

Grampa turned back to Okuguro, determined to save Naoto from whatever plan the cultist had devised. He withdrew a long piece of paper from inside his suitcoat, a Shinto tag he had requested especially for this situation. Moving as quickly as he could, the old man ran forward and held up the tag toward Okuguro's chest, causing the priest to howl in shock.

“Nao-chan... live! You must live!”

“What are you--” The beady eyes fell upon the tag, which suddenly burst into flames. “You stupid old fool! You'll ruin everything!!”

Naoto barely managed to open her eyes as she heard her Grampa's last words, her eyes barely making out the two men grappling with each other before she was blinded by a bright flash of white light. The force of the blast knocked her backward, tumbling over the concrete rooftop before coming to a stop near the door leading back down into the school.

The detective tried to stand, weakly readjusting her cap with one hand as she looked up at where her grandfather and Okuguro had once stood. Her eyes widened as she noticed that a large, black scorch-mark was all that remained of their struggle.

What... Why did...

Naoto stood shakily, her legs shivering as she moved closer to the smoking black cinders, too stunned to do anything else.

Why...? You still had so much to live for... You didn't even get a chance to meet... to meet...

Naoto fell to her knees again at the edge of the scorch-mark, tears pouring down her pale cheeks as she was finally hit with the full force of her loss.

“Grampa... don't leave me... Come back..! Please come back! I don't wanna be alone!”

She wrapped her arms protectively around herself, but her grief increasingly overwhelmed her senses. Finally, she could no longer bear it. She had to scream, to let it out, to shout her pain to the heavens that could only listen, but never comfort.

“GRAMPAAA!!!!”


“You knew that might happen.”

Hotei nodded at Souji's observation, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes tiredly before replacing them upon his nose. “I don't enter dangerous territory without first performing the required research. I made absolutely certain that I knew as much as I could before I proceeded forward, and not just about Okuguro's personal history. I also found it prudent to understand enough about his organization: the Cult of the Brilliant Male.”

“The Brilliant Male?” asked Souji, never hearing of such a religion before.

“It is an obscure sect of religious fanatics, but quite rare. You might know it better as the Order of the Ama-no-Kagaseo.”

Souji recognized the translation, but the true meaning of the phrase prodded the back of his mind, his old Mythology classes a blur as he sought to keep his mind focused on the here and now. “But why is that ritual affecting my friends so much more than Teddie or me? What did Okuguro actually do to Naoto?”

“He established a link to evil powers using his own life-force, and chose Naoto as the anchor that ties that link to this dimension,” said Hotei, his face etched with sorrow. “The term 'Crux' is meant to denote a deep, puzzling concept, so I believe that it reflects Naoto's high importance in this entire affair. However, I feel my sacrifice, made in order to protect her and save her, became a double-edged sword, and her pain and torment, her acceptance of blame for my death, multiplied exponentially. Your friends, through dealings in their own lives and their association with you, were forced to reflect one of the facets of Nao-chan's pain. They each carry a small portion, but it affects them all quite profoundly. It is this parallel between them all that has caused the chains of their social links to rust and corrode, the consequence of Okuguro's dark magic.”

“...He turned our social links against us.” Souji cursed violently. Not even crazy old Igor would have seen this.

“But why am I still okay?” asked Teddie, genuinely concerned. “I felt the same way a long time ago too, but I didn't change.”

“I think,” said Hotei speculatively, “it is because you are not of this world, or perhaps you have merely been away too long. Another possibility is that the stronger social link you carry protects you, the one you share with your Sensei.”

“And me?” asked Souji, though he already knew the answer that was coming.

“You are the Anomaly,” said Hotei grimly. “You are the one thing that the enemy cannot fathom or predict. You are the inconsistent variable created by one like itself, yet the Hope that you always carry with you grants you the elements of surprise and protection. It does not understand Hope, you see, and that makes you its most potent threat to its efforts.”

“You speak of the Ama-no-Kagaseo,” said Souji, and Hotei nodded in reply. “Then that means that the Aspects...”

“...are the three facets of the Kagaseo,” the old man finished for him. “But Okuguro is a fool. He believes he can assume the mantle of the Kagaseo and rise to godhood as the Brilliant Male himself. In actuality, he is a mere pawn of forces beyond his understanding and control.”

“He still exists.” Souji noted Hotei's use of present tense.

“For the moment. But who knows what will happen... Gods can be very fickle beings.”

Souji turned toward the hill, the Rift seeming to shudder with power as its internal darkness seemed to deepen. “...The Fear Aspect is there, as well.”

“Without a doubt,” confirmed Hotei.

Souji turned to the old man, determination reflected in his silver eyes. “Is there away to end this without further sacrifice?”

“Perhaps. I cannot say.” Hotei looked into Souji's eyes with deep understanding. “That particular choice is not yours to make. You have already made yours.”

The silverette nodded. “I will save Naoto. No matter what it takes.”

“I know, and I'm grateful,” whispered Hotei, moving toward Souji and extending his hand. “I wish it could be different for you.”

Souji returned the handshake politely, smiling with pride at Misanori Shirogane. “You hold no blame, sir. You did what you thought was best at the time, and you shouldn't have any regrets.”

“I've been tormented by the 'what if's for quite some time, my boy,” said Hotei sorrowfully, “but I think even I can move on now... but not until I see this through to the end.”

“Then I'll be sure to end this. For Naoto's sake, and for everyone else's.”

“Sensei?!”

Souji turned as he let go of Hotei's thin hand, watching Teddie run toward him with panic in his blue eyes.

“You're not going there, are you?! You'll be killed! Or worse!”

Souji reached down and lifted his sword from the lawn, examining it briefly before twirling it around in his hand with great skill. “I have to, Teddie. I have to end this... to set all of you free from this trap.”

“But we can go with--” Teddie began, but fell silent as he noticed the sadness in Souji's eyes.

“Look at them,” said the silverette as he drove the blade into the ground, motioning to his six friends. “They haven't even heard a word we've said. No, they need time to remember the commitments they've sworn to follow. You need to stay and protect them until they remember.” He placed both hands on the bear's small shoulders, the blond youth looking as though he might cry at any moment.

“But Sensei... going there alone? That's just... crazy!”

“Then follow me when everyone's come to their senses,” smiled Souji, giving the bear a strong hug. Teddie returned it with interest, tightly embracing his friend. “But I... I'm the only one who can stop this. For better or for worse, I have to try. I won't just stand around and wait for the end to come.”

“Sensei...” Teddie sniffled, but nodded slowly. “I... I understand. Just be careful, okay?”

“I will,” Souji promised, taking one last look at his friends – his gaze lingering longest upon Naoto's quivering form – before lifting the sword from the ground and hoisting it over his shoulder.

“Live,” said Souji, looking at his friends with deepest sadness. “All of you... Please live.”

With that, the silverette turned around and exited the gate, dashing quickly down the road and cutting into a nearby alley. The back roads would be the safest route to take to the school, and Souji remembered each and every one of them.

Teddie shivered, staring after his Sensei as though he were a ghost. “But... protect them? How...? What good is one bear in such a big world?” The youth blinked as he heard Hotei chuckle fondly next to him, and he turned to stare into those eyes that looked so very much like Naoto's.

“One bear's determined actions can make all the difference in the world,” said the old man sagely. “Do you remember the last few times that has happened?”

“I...” Teddie blinked, shocked by Hotei's words. He remembered two instances in particular. One involving the rescue of Rise five years ago... and the other involving the battle with a fearsome and terrible goddess of the Underworld.

“...I do remember!”

Hotei smiled kindly at the bear as he faded into the all-encompassing darkness. “Then do what you believe is right, my friend. Seta-san believes in you... and so do your friends. Have confidence in yourself.”

Teddie's eyes gleamed with ferocity as he turned to the others, looking between their self-pitying expressions. “There's only one thing to do!”

The bear strode over toward his friends, picked one of them, and then threw his fist out as hard as he could.

It connected with a jaw, knocking the person over backwards.

“OWWW!!” Kanji's yell pierced the darkness, and he held his face as he sat back up, glaring menacingly at Teddie. “What the hell was that for, ya stupid bear?!”

Teddie glared down at his friend, not at all apologetic. “Are you awake now?”

“I wasn't sleepin', dammit!” howled Kanji, ramming his fist into the ground. “I was--” He suddenly paled and rubbed his forehead, which seemed to hurt even more than his jaw at the moment. “Aw, shit... What was I doin'?”

“Huh...?” Yukiko looked up as though drifting out of a daydream, staring blankly at Kanji. “Kanji-kun? Why are you shouting?”

“Wait, where the hell's Senpai?!” Kanji stood up, whirling around and trying desperately to locate Souji. “Shit! SHIT!! I can't believe I-- Where the hell did he go, Teddie?!”

“Wait, wait!” Yukiko leaped to her feet, her hand on Kanji's arm. “What were we just doing? I... Oh, no...” Horror filled her dark eyes as she remembered. “We just... Oh, no! Rise! Chie! Wake up!!” She moved toward her two friends, grabbing their shoulders and shaking them violently.

“Yosuke, get a grip, man!” Kanji growled as he tried unsuccessfully to pry Yosuke's hands from his shoulders, and ended up ramming his forehead into the brunette's out of exasperation.

“YEOWCH!!” Yosuke howled in pain, clutching his head. “You didn't have to hit me THAT hard!”

“Wha...?” Chie blinked as Yukiko managed to rouse her, staring at her arms that clutched tightly at her torso. “What happened, you guys?!”

“We went back to how we used to be!” said Kanji guiltily. “But it ain't natural! It's like a comp... compil... no, that's not it...”

“Compulsion?” suggested Yukiko, though the idea made her shiver.

“Yeah, that!” Kanji cursed to himself, kicking at a stone on the ground. “I can't believe I did that... Man, I owe you big time, Teddie. Thanks for knocking some sense into me.”

“I wish I didn't HAVE to do that, Kanji,” admitted the bear, “but I needed all of you to help me go after Sensei! He--”

“What happened to Souji-kun?!” yelped Rise, getting quickly to her feet as Souji was mentioned. “Where did he go?! What--”

Teddie turned toward the Rift, and everyone began yelling at the top of their lungs all at once.

“What the hell's he thinking?!”

“That idiot! What if he gets killed?”

“Souji-kun... Why are you...”

“Dammit, Senpai!!”

“No! NO!! Why?!”

“That's where the bad guy is!” exclaimed Teddie, hoping the simple explanation would be sufficient for now. “Sensei went there to finish this for good! We gotta follow him!”

Rise shook her head, muttering to herself as she strode toward Naoto, grabbing the sleuth's shoulders and lifting her into the air.

“Wha?! H-hey!!” Naoto yelped at the unexpected contact, her eyes widening as though she only noticed Rise standing there for the first time.

“Come on, let's get going,” ordered Rise.

“...Going?” said Naoto blankly. “Going where? I...”

Rise rolled her eyes in exasperation. “To save Souji-kun! Duh!”

“Sou...” The name seemed foreign on her lips. “Souji...?”

“Yes! Sou-ji-kun!” Rise's voice rose as she spoke each syllable. “He needs our help! He needs YOUR help! Are you just going to let him go?!”

“I... What?” Naoto shook her head, unable to think.

“C'mon, kid! We can catch up to him if we hurry the hell up!” said Kanji, looking frantic.

“Please, Naoto-kun,” said Yukiko, worry etched on her beautiful face. “You don't want Souji-kun to die, do you?”

“...Die?” The word crossed the sleuth's tongue, but she didn't quite hear it. Souji..? Die?

“Man, we really screwed up this time,” muttered Yosuke, looking at Chie with worry. “How did we ever get like that?”

“Hotei said it was because of a... connection or something,” said Teddie, looking back and forth between Naoto and the Rift. “We gotta go, though, or Sensei will be too far ahead!”

“Yeah, you're right. Who cares how we got back that way as long as we stay focused and make sure we DON'T go back that way a third time, right?” Yosuke moved to Rise's side and extended his hand to clasp Naoto's quaking shoulder. The sleuth seemed ready to topple back to the ground at any time again.

“No more of this now,” insisted Yosuke, looking into Naoto's frantic eyes. “We need you to focus. We need your help. Come with us. Souji needs you.”

“Souji..?” Naoto's eyes seemed to sparkle with clarity at long last. Once more, her logic functioned enough to process the information she knew at present: Souji had decided to go to the Rift before them. Something had incapacitated the others. They were no longer inhibited, and they were planning on going to help Souji.

But... does he really need our help?

The thought crashed into Naoto's mind, a genuine possibility. He managed to succeed so many other times when she had worried he might fail.

But... what if he does need me? I still need him, after all. I... I love him.

“What are you waiting for?!” shrieked Chie, moving next to Yosuke. “You're not just going to stand there and let Souji-kun do it all himself, are you?!”

Naoto gazed up at her six friends, torn between logic and emotion, reason and instinct, what she knew she wanted and what she believed was necessary and proper.

She had a choice to make. Once her decision was made, she knew there would be no turning back. She would have to take responsibility for the consequences of that choice.

Naoto closed her eyes... and made her decision.

“I...”