Persona 4 FYL

Souji slammed hard against the wall of Youmenaido Bookstore, his breathing quick and heavy, his heart pounding in his chest. The Shadows were gathering all around him, and the increased tension he felt caused him to become more alter, his hands clenching the handle of his swords so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. He heard them moving closer to his position; distant shrieks and roars from the freakish amalgamations. Screams echoed against the buildings, screams of victims that Souji could not rescue, and he cursed himself for his inability to do so. He couldn’t feel the tears cascade down his cheeks as he peered out from his hiding place, watching for the enemies he could hear but not see.

I can’t let myself get discouraged, the silverette said to himself as he looked up the street, noticing shapes moving in the darkness to the north. If I lose my nerve or get distracted, I won’t be able to save anyone. Gotta keep moving…

Souji raised his sword, preparing to take on the oncoming surge of Shadows coming toward him, concentrating to summon Izanagi-no-Okami—

His concentration was broken by the screeching of tires against the pavement behind him. Not bothering to turn, he leapt back into the wall of the bookstore, barely avoiding the front fender of the car that he couldn’t make out in the thick darkness. He heard one of the thick doors open, and a familiar hollow thunk resounded in the black, followed by a howl of pain from the Shadow that had been attacked. The unknown object rolled toward Souji, and he had to place his hand upon it before he realized that it was a soccer ball.

What the he—

“What the hell was that?!” A voice yelled from the direction of the car, and Souji’s heart jumped in his chest as he recognized it.

“Well, it worked in the game!” came the very familiar retort. “I just thought—“

“You’re not Wakka, you dumbass!” returned the first voice in exasperation as the person it belonged to exited the vehicle. They lashed out with a weapon that cracked three of the incoming Shadows as once, driving them away.

“Well, excuse me for trying something different!” shouted the second voice, one of the larger Shadows thrown backward from a heavy impact.

“Kou! Daisuke!” Souji yelled, unable to restrain his joy and relief as he rushed forward to meet them.

“There he is!” Daisuke laughed as he clapped the silverette on the back, and Souji felt the metallic wraps of a brass knuckle on his old friend’s hand. “I was worried we might have missed you or somethin’!”

“Heads up, you two,” said Kou, brandishing a bo staff toward a mass of oncoming Shadows. “As much as I’d have liked this to be a peaceful reunion, I think we have more important things to worry about.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Daisuke with a slight groan. “These things are rude to interrupt.”

“Lets use the car as cover,” suggested Souji, raising his blade to repel an attack. “We can thin out the Shadows more easily that way, but be careful if any decide to jump on the roof.”

“Shadows, huh?” said Kou as he moved to a more defensible position, planting the end of his staff into another Shadow nearby. “I won’t ask how you know about these things, but I’m just glad we got here in time.”

“And you could have told us you were back in town yourself instead of sending an old man to let us know!” rebuked Daisuke. “He really shouldn’t be running errands at his age, especially when it’s so dangerous out here!”

“Old man?” asked Souji, confused.

“He said his name was Hotei or something.”

Souji smiled. Trust Misanori-san to send in the cavalry at the right time.

The three continued to hold their ground, their combined strength and prior experience as a team helping their coordination tremendously. Where one was weak, the other two compensated accordingly. When one stumbled, the other two assisted and picked him back up. Their smooth, well-oiled teamwork kept the Shadows at bay, but even Souji knew he couldn’t keep it up forever.

“Where the hell are they, Kou?!” growled Daisuke as his fist connected with another Shadow.

“She said she’d be here soon!” yelled the black-haired youth, sweeping his staff and knocking two wrestler-shadows off of their feet. “Give her a little more time!”

“Who else—“ began Souji, but another wave of Shadows forced him to cut his question off.

“Just be patient!” reassured Kou after the enemy ranks were thinned out once more. “They’ll be here!”

“Kinda hard to be patient when you’re about to be killed!” retorted Daisuke, but he grinned in spite of the seriousness of his words. “Just like her to drag her feet when the world’s about to end!”

Souji didn’t need any other clues to figure out who Daisuke was referring to.

A surge of flame brought the silverette out of his reverie. Instinctively ducking behind the car, Souji looked back up to see several Shadows falling and melting away within a field of flames in the center of the road that had not been there before.

“Dude, I hope he’s careful with those around the shops,” muttered Kou under his breath. “His parents would rip him a new one if they were forced to pay for collateral damage.”

“Don’t tell me…” Souji was torn between laughing and groaning.

“Yeah, that was Naoki,” said Daisuke with a smirk, though his eyes appeared serious. “Never thought his new idea would work, though. He’s always full of surprises.”

“Leave it to Naoki Konishi to take the family business in another odd direction,” laughed Kou, taking out a nearby Shadow that strayed too close to them.

Molotovs, thought Souji, his palm connecting to his forehead with a dull slap. Should have expected it eventually, I guess…

Another loud explosion rocked the street, and Daisuke swore vehemently as he turned to a pale blond male that had slid next to him behind the car. “Dude, watch it with those things! I still have payments to make on this thing!”

“I was more concerned about the gas station,” admitted Naoki, his left hand adjusting a satchel which clinked with the movement of glass bottles within. “I’d rather not see those kinds of fireworks, myself. But here’s the good news – Ai’s almost here.”

“About time!” replied Daisuke, looking around at the regrouping Shadows to the north. “I don’t think she understand the exact meaning of ‘hustle.’ She never—“

“Would you shut your mouth for five seconds, you idiot?!”

In spite of its irritated, snarky edge, Souji couldn’t have been happier to hear that voice.

A loud crack resounded through the street as three female figures emerged from a nearby alley flanking the almost recovered Shadow horde. In the firelight remaining from the detonated molotovs, Souji recognized his other school friends: Ai, her golden hair reflecting the firelight as she tossed throwing knives into the throng of foes; Yumi, her dark hair longer and tied back into a ponytail, using a whip to strike down and scatter the enemy; Ayane, who looked the same as ever, though Souji was quite shocked to see her using a bow to great effect. The silverette smiled fondly as he realized that the meek, soft-spoken girl may have finally found something she was good at after all.

“Is Senpai okay?” asked Ayane over the battle noise, her voice almost imperceptible.

“He’s just fine!” replied Kou as he and the others moved out of their defensive position toward the girls. “We got here a few minutes ago and helped him hold them off!”

“That’s a relief,” said Yumi with a charming smile. “I was worried we wouldn’t make it.”

“Well, excuse me for not getting a cellphone signal!” said Ai irritably. “It’s a lot easier to coordinate stuff when there isn’t a blackout going on!” She flushed slightly as she noticed Souji looking at her, and she turned away under the pretext of examining the remaining Shadows. “N-not that I was worried or anything!”

“Liar,” grinned Naoki, earning a suppressed laugh from almost everyone else. “You were more worried about Senpai than the rest of us put together. That’s why you—“

“Sh-shut up!!” squeaked Ai, glaring at Naoki in rage, though her face betrayed her with a deeper blush. “He… he doesn’t need to know all that!”

“At least Daidara-san came through for us,” said Ayane, gazing fondly at her bow.

“Doesn’t anyone find it odd that he carried these weapons with him, though?” mentioned Yumi, looking anxious. “That’s a little creepy.”

“I don’t know,” said Souji, his mind wandering to Hotei and wondering if this might have been his work as well. “I don’t believe in coincidences myself.”

“It doesn’t really matter,” interjected Kou, readying his staff for what appeared to be a renewed assault. “Souji needs to get to Junes with the others anyway.”

“Sorry, but I have things I need to do.” Souji knew this would provoke a negative reaction, and his instincts didn’t fail him… even though he wished they would have. He didn’t like seeing the looks of shock and hurt on their faces.

“But…” Yumi blinked in confusion. “We need to get you to safety! If it’s about your other friends, we can find them and—“

“I need to get to the school,” interrupted Souji, wincing as his mind wandered to the ones he left behind. I hope they’re okay… “Please. This is important.”
“Like hell it is,” growled Daisuke, but he looked torn. “The school’s gone, man. There ain’t nothin’ there but that rip-thing now.”

“Yeah, it’s suicide,” agreed Naoki, shaking his head. “We couldn’t possibly let you do something like that.”

“Take my wheels, Seta.”

Everyone whirled around to stare wide-eyed at Ai, who tossed a set of keys to Souji, who caught them deftly in his left hand.

“Wait!” said Kou in shock, evidently prepared to debate the action.

“Wait for what?” asked Ai, cutting across Kou before he could begin. “If anyone can take care of this mess, it’s him. We should trust him! At the very least, we should make sure he goes on his way without worrying about these freaks chasing him!”

“You’re sure about this?” asked Souji in spite of already knowing the answer.

“Well, yeah, it’s a sacrifice,” said Ai with an unconcerned smile, “but if anything happens to it, Daddy can always buy me a new one.”

“Just make sure you don’t go down with it, idiot,” said Kou, still looking concerned, but obviously accepting Souji’s decision.

“Yeah,” said Yumi, giving the silverette a quick hug. “There’s only one of you, and you’re irreplaceable.”

“Hey, break it up!” yelled Ai, gently pushing the two of them apart, though her expression was kind. “He’s taken, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” sighed Yumi, an exaggerated pout crossing her lips as she muttered “lucky girl” under her breath.

Before Souji could reply, he felt a strap being fastened across his shoulder. Looking around, he saw Naoki smiling smugly at his friend as he made sure the satchel was closed securely.

“You’ll be unarmed,” said Souji, ready to remove the bag, but Naoki held up a hand.

“There’s a lot more where that came from,” reassured Naoki with a soft laugh. “Besides, you may need them more than I will.”

“Hustle, Seta!” yelled Ai, pointing toward the street where she and the other girls had come before. “It’s down that way! Now move your ass!”

“Be careful, you guys…” said Souji as he began to move toward the side street. “And thanks!”

“See ya later, buddy!” called Kou, waving to him.

“Kick ass!” yelled Daisuke.

“We believe in you, Senpai!” said Ayane as he passed her, and he didn’t look back as the sounds of battle renewed themselves.

Souji smiled as he ran down the dark alley. Everyone’s changed so much, yet they’ve also kept a lot of the same qualities that define them. It’s odd, but they’ve become better people because of their experiences. It’s just all the more reason to do what I can to guarantee them a future.

He turned a corner and stopped, looking around in the thick darkness at a few vehicles parked behind the buildings. Instinctively, he grasped Ai’s keychain and pushed the button to deactivate the alarm, a distinctive beep echoing nearby. Turning toward it, he felt his heart sank as he realized which vehicle had emitted the noise.

Souji was really beginning to hate motorcycles.

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“I don’t believe it!”

“What happened?” asked Naoto, moving toward Rise in concern as soon as she spoke.

“Kou-kun!” Rise squealed happily, hopping on the balls of her feet as she continued to scan with Himiko. “And Daisuke-kun!!”

“Seriously?!” yelped Yosuke in surprise.

“Don’t tell me…” began Chie, unable to take the suspense.

“Kicking Shadow butt!” yelled Rise, raising her arms exaltedly. “Woohoo!!”

“That’s a relief,” sighed Yukiko, relaxing a little.

“Whoa, Naoki-kun?!” gasped the idol in shock. “Whoa, I never thought you could use sake like that!”

Kanji chuckled. “I think I might know what he did.”

“What are the Shadows doing, Rise-chan?” asked Teddie, wrinkling his nose.

“They’re fighting back, but they’re being driven aw—Oh, good grief!!” Rise stamped her foot on the ground angrily. “Piggy-hara’s there!”

“Hey, she got better!” said Chie, giving Rise a chastising look. “You don’t have to be so mean to her.”

“You never got verbally assaulted just for saying hi to Souji-kun, though,” remarked Rise irritably. “She acts like a spoiled little piggy…”

“Well, she goes on the defensive whenever she’s with a guy she thinks is cute,” said Yukiko logically. “Especially if she considers the girl in question a rival.”

“Yeah, ya can’t really blame Senpai…” Kanji shook his head, looking thoughtful. “But she ain’t really been lookin’ for a boyfriend since he rejected her. She respected his decision to stay with…” He coughed, and Naoto pulled her hat down to hide her blush. “…Uh, well, she just ain’t found anyone like him yet.”

“Wow, even Yumi-chan and Ayane-chan are there!” Rise interjected, grinning widely. “All of them are holding the Shadows back now!”

“Thank goodness,” said Naoto, her gaze moving toward a vehicle speeding in their direction down the street. “Ah, here comes Yakushiji-san.”

“Sorry I’m late, Naoto-sama,” said the secretary as he exited the four-door vehicle. “I thought I would fill the tank just in case.”

“Thank you,” replied the sleuth as she moved toward the driver’s door. “Please barricade yourself inside the Estate until everything has been taken care of.”

“You’re going after Seta-san, then?” asked Yakushiji, adjusting his glasses.

“Naturally,” answered Naoto. “I won’t lose him. I couldn’t bear it if I lost him now.”

“I understand. Please take care of yourself, Naoto-sama.”

“Nothing to worry about!” said Chie as she moved to the left rear door. “She has us around to help her!”

“Yeah,” agreed Kanji, his fist connecting with his open palm. “It’ll take a lot more than this to stop her.”

“You give me too much credit,” said Naoto, but she smiled anyway. “Now everyone get in. We’re wasting time.”

“Uh…” Yukiko moved forward, but showed signs of hesitance. “We won’t fit in there, Naoto-kun.”

“Some of you will have to sit on someone else’s lap,” said Naoto with a slight blush. “I apologize, but I need the passenger seat open in case something happens to Souji and he needs to be picked up.”

“Well, why can’t he sit on someone’s lap when we catch up to him?!” demanded Yosuke, who turned pale when Naoto turned and looked up at him calmly, her silver-blue eyes boring into his.

“Because I’m driving,” she said simply.

“I’ll handle this,” whispered Chie to the sleuth, and the martial artist moved closer to the brunette, looking slightly disappointed. “You… don’t want me to sit on your lap, Yosuke?”

“Wh—I didn’t—“ stammered Yosuke, blushing profusely. “All I meant was—…Aw, hell.” With a sigh of resignation, Yosuke climbed into the back seat and sat in the middle.

“Wow,” said Chie in pleasant surprise as she joined Yosuke inside. “I didn’t think it’d work!”

“I told you it would!” giggled Rise.

“You set me up?!” yelled Yosuke in outrage. “How could y…” His voice failed him, suddenly realizing that Chie really was sitting on his lap.

“Any more complaints?” asked Chie, smiling as she snuggled closer to the brunette.
Yosuke could only grumble incoherently.

“Um…” Yukiko turned to Kanji, a soft blush gracing her own cheeks. “May I please… sit on your lap, Kanji-kun…?”

“Uh… S-sure, I guess,” stuttered Kanji, rubbing the back of his neck nervously before climbing into the back seat. “You don’t need to ask permission, though.”

“It’s only polite,” replied Yukiko as she followed him, gracefully climbing onto Kanji and moving in far enough for him to shut the door.

“I guess that just leaves us, Teddie!” giggled Rise, climbing into the opposite side of the car. “You can sit on my lap!”

“Yeah!” cried Teddie as he followed Rise, snuggling against her as she shut the door. “I get to score!”

Yukiko gave the blond bear a dirty look as she muttered, “…Not before me, you don’t.”

“H-huh?!” exclaimed Kanji, taken aback by her words, a blush creeping into his face.

Yukiko yelped, realizing Kanji had heard her, her own blush matching his. “N-nothing!!”

Rise hid her giggle in the bear’s white shirt.

“Well well,” said Naoto as she looked in the rear-view mirror. “You all look very comfortable indeed.”

“J-just drive already!!” yelled Yosuke, unsure of how long he could stand to be so close to Chie like this.

Naoto put the car in drive, a part of her wishing dearly that she could have been back there with Souji. It’s fine. I’ll simply make up for lost time when this is concluded… Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea.