Chapter Text
"Aigis!"
The voice calling for Aigis, a shadow-fighting robotic human, made her and the Koromaru, the dog by her side, turn to Mitsuru, a sigh leaving her as she saw the rest of the team.
"What is going on?" Akihiko asked, crossing his arms as he stared at Aigis.
"I..." Aigis, resting on the couch said "Felt a presence, not too far from here, that was almost identical to him."
"By him you mean..."
"Yes." she answered, nodding as she looked up at the shocked Yukari "The leader of S.E.E.S., Makoto Yuki."
"But after his fight with Nyx he..."
"I know." she, once again spoke, this time cutting Junpei off "But ever since a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been feeling this... Presence coming ever so close to this town."
"What do you think, Mitsuru-san?"
The red-haired girl turned to Fuuka, sighing as she saw the look on the team’s faces "I...Don’t know, but we shouldn't rush..."
The sound of thunder clapping outside cut the girl off, her attention, as well as the rest’s, turned to the door that was suddenly opened.
"WHO..."
Akihiko’s voice was cut short at the sight of the boy standing at the door, his yellow eyes staring at them.
"You..."
"STAY BACK." Aigis, preparing her weapon, aimed at the one at the door, now rushing to stand between him and the rest of the team "Identify yourself immediately or you’ll be naturalized."
"Koromaru, to my side." Standing behind the team, Ken called the growling dog, making him run to the boy’s side.
They all stood there, their eyes watching the boy close the door behind him, the sound of thunder clapping outside did nothing but fuel the tension in the air as the boy stared back at them.
It’s been years since they fought Nyx, however, none of them could help but let the nervousness, the same one they felt back then during that fight, show on their faces as they watched the boy taking off his hoodie.
However, unlike that time, it wasn’t just nervousness they were feeling, there was something else, a hint of warning, as if there was something around them telling them to keep their guard up.
"I..." The boy finally spoke with a deep voice that did not match his face, taking them by surprise as he stepped closer to the light, showing them what looked like a high school student.
"My name is Ren, Ren Amamiya, I was hoping to stay here until the storm weathers down." he made his way in, his bag falling off his shoulder to the ground "If there is no problem with any of you."
"Aigis, what do you think?" The red-haired girl whispered, now moving closer to Aigis.
"He's suspicious." Agisi whispered, her eyes still focused on the boy before her "We should..."
"Worry not." he spoke once more, cutting Aigis off and turning his eyes to the storming sky "I won’t stay long."
He turned back to them, a sigh escaping him as he saw the worried looks on their faces "I’m just looking for someone, it’s just so happened I got caught in the storm searching for him."
Noticing the silence that overtook the place, Ren, with a sigh, grabbed his bag "If it’s too much trouble, then I’m sorry." he turned to leave, however, before he could, he was stopped by Mitsuru "Aigis, please escort him to one of the free rooms up."
"HUH?!" the entire team turned to the red-haired girl "Are you sure about that?"
"Are you asking me to kick a kid out in this kind of weather, Akihiko?"
"I’m not...sigh I mean...You’re right."
"Also, we have more than enough rooms on the third floor." she continued, now looking at Aigis "Please take him up."
"Very well." resting her weapons down, Aigis moved to the side, freeing the way for Ren "Please follow me."
"...Thank you."
With a nod from Mitsuru, Ren followed after Aigis up the stairs.
"You can stay here in this room." opening the door for one of the third floor’s rooms, Aigis moved to the side, inviting Ren to go in "It has all the necessities a human would require."
"Mind if I ask you something?!"
"Hmm?" He turned his eyes back to the girl at the door "Something wrong?"
"It’s just...Something feels off about you." she said "You’re not from here, are you?"
"...Is it that easy to tell?!" grinning as he noticed the look on her face changing, Ren nodded "I come from Tokyo."
"Tokyo?! That’s quite a distance, wouldn’t you say?"
"Well...It’s gonna be worth it in the end."
"You’re... Friend." she continued, confusing Ren "It wouldn’t happen to be..."
The girl suddenly stopped, a sigh escaping as she turned around to leave "Please, you must be tired, rest well, and I hope you find your friend sooner rather than later."
"Thank you...."
Aigis closed the door behind her with one final nod, now moving to join the rest of the team down.
"So this is what the last shadow suppression weapon looks like... This should be fun finally."
"Now then... Should we begin?"
"We’ve been looking everywhere ever since he died, but there has not been even a single sign of him, and now all of a sudden you’re saying she feels someone like him?"
"Yukari..."
"I mean... I was also hoping, but..." the girl fell back to the couch, suppressing her anger as much as she could "We all saw it..."
"Mitsuru-san..." their eyes turned to Aigis descending the stairs "He’s resting in the second room to the right on the third floor."
"Thank you." the red-haired sighed before she turned back to the rest "As I have said before, I have no idea how accurate Aigis is, but I..."
"You want us to stay here for a while?"
"Yes, Junpei." she nodded "Since this presence is coming closer here, and If it turns out it is him, then I wish for all of us to be here for it."
"Mitsuru... But how would we even know if he’s even the real one?" Akihiko asked "It’s been years since his supposed death, and if all we’re holding on to is hope, then..."
"It’s not just “hope” as you call it, Akihiko-san." moving closer to them, Aigis cut the white-haired boy off "For weeks, I’ve been sensing someone coming closer, someone who feels just like how he felt, and although it’s been getting weaker for a while now, I can tell, he’s still on his way here."
"But why now?"
"Yukari?"
"It’s been 6 long years, and all of a sudden you’re telling me he’s back?" with a tired sigh, the girl looked back at the rest of the team "If he was alive all this time, don’t you think he’d at least contact us? That at the very least he'd let us know alive?"
"Why don’t you stop with that?" a sigh escaped Junpei sitting next to her "If he does turn out to be alive, shouldn’t you be happy that he’s coming home rather than getting angry over..."
"I... Think she has a point."
"Fuuka?"
"Mitsuru-san, don’t you think it’s a bit odd, I don't know, it feels like..."
"Is something on your mind?" Mitsuru asked, earning a wary look from the girl sitting across from her "I... Don’t know, I also want to be happy that there might be a chance he’s alive, but I can’t shake the feeling that something is off about the whole thing."
The sound of footsteps descending the stairs took them by surprise, making them all turn with Aigis preparing her weapons, only for them to be lowered again at the sight of Ren descending the stairs.
"I... Hope I’m not interrupting something."
"It’s nothing." the red-haired sighed, now getting from her seat to face him "Is something wrong?"
"Actually, if it isn’t too much to ask, is there something to eat?"
"Thanks to the storm, I haven't been able to get anything to eat." he continued with a sigh that escaped him as he turned to the window "I was aiming to sleep on it for the night, but that seems to be impossible."
"I... See."
"Now that he mentions it." Junpei, with a grin, said "We all come here in a hurry, so I wouldn’t mind getting a bite as well."
"I wouldn’t mind that either." a chuckle escaped Akihiko "It’s been a while since we all ate together after all."
"Hey, did you forget that it’s storming outside, where in the world are we getting something to eat?"
"Don’t worry, Amada-san." Aigis, with a smile, got up "I always made sure to stock up on food in case anyone needed to stay here."
"You’ve been staying here?!"
"Did I not mention it before?" Mitsuru, with a hint of a smile, asked, now looking at the confused boy "The dorms now belong to Aigis."
"Since you decided to move out to your own place." she continued "I needed someone to take care of the dorms."
"Wait, does that mean Aigis own this place?"
"Not entirely." Aigis answered, turning to Fuuka with a smile "Legally, this place is still under The Kirijo’s ownership, but..."
"Verbally speaking, I have given Aigis full ownership of it."
"Would you look at that, Junpei?" Yukari chuckled "Even Aigis got a house before you two."
"Hey, you also don’t..."
"Sorry, but... About what I asked..."
The voice speaking from behind them cut the two of them off.
"sigh... Don’t mind them too much." Fuuka, with a smile, got up "Please wait for a bit, I’ll make sure I make something nice to..."
"W-Why don’t you let us take care of the cooking?"
The confused girl turned to Ken and Koromaru by his side "But Ken, you’re..."
"Since I’ve moved to my own place, I’ve been learning to cook." he turned to Ren "It’s nothing special, but I’m sure it’s gonna be good enough."
"Amada-san, you don’t have to, I’ve been dying to cook something for you all ever since..."
"I’m sorry, Fuuka, but... I think it’s better I do it." taking off his blazer, the boy looked down at the dog by his side before making his way to the kitchen.
"Wow, someone acting all grown up now that he’s a bit taller."
"I HEARD THAT..."
A laugh escaped Junpei as the shout came from the kitchen "Sorry."
"Still the same old Ken."
"Akihiko?"
"I’m just reminiscing about old times." with a satisfied smile, the white-haired boy crossed his arms "Please pay me no mind."
"Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask." with a grin, Junpei turned to Ren "You’re in high school, ain’t you?"
"Yes, what of it?"
"I’m just wondering, do you know Ken? I mean, he’s only in middle school, but he’s part of the student council, so his name’s already been going around in Gekkoukan I’m sure."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not from Gekkoukan."
"Oh... Are you perhaps not from the area?"
"He said he’s from Tokyo."
Hearing Aigis, the entire team turned to Ren with shocked faces "From Tokyo?! What are you doing all the way here man?"
"I already said I’m looking for someone." he answered with a sigh "I've been told he's in this town, so I had no choice but to come and get him."
"Who is he?" Fuuka asked, making Ren turn to face her "Perhaps we can help."
"There is no need." he answered, turning to face the door leading to the kitchen "I’ll go get him soon myself, I just needed a little help from you all."
"Since that’s the case." Mitsuru said, making him turn to see the girl crossing her arms sitting on the couch "You’re free to stay here for as long as you need."
"Since you’re from Tokyo, do you happen to know where..."
"He seems a bit odd, doesn’t he?"
"I guess, but it doesn’t look like he’s that bad of a kid." Akihiko answered, turning to Mitsuru with a sigh as Ren made his way up the stairs, leaving them all behind.
"I don’t mind him, he can stay as long as he wants."
"You’re just saying that because he told you your food is nice."
"Excuse me?" with anger in his voice, Ken turned to Junpei "I’ll have you know that I’m not that easy to persuade."
"I don’t think he’s that bad of a person." A small chuckle escaped Fuuka "Besides, we have a more important matter to attend to."
"She’s right." Mitsuru nodded, now turning to Aigis "Any news?"
"Not as of yet." Aigis replied, now sitting down next to the rest "I’ll keep looking in case he gets even closer, but since his signal is getting weaker, I can’t be too sure I’ll be able to tell how far or close he is."
"You said you’ve been sensing him for weeks now, don’t you know his place?"
"No." she turned to Akihiko "I tried to pinpoint it, but I can’t..."
Before Aigis could even finish her sentence, the entire team was taken off guard by the entire place quaking.
"WHAT IS..."
"Mitsuru...Look..."
Mitsuru, as well as the rest of the team, turned to Akihiko, confused for a second as they saw the horrified look on his face, however, as they followed his eyes that were looking outside, their faces matched his.
"Is that..."
Outside of the window, the team all watched as the once stormy sky was now glowing in a green light reflected from the moon.
However, their eyes were quickly turned to focus on the tower emanating in the distance, cutting the sky as it stood tall, a tower they were very familiar with.
"What in the hell is going on?"
"How is it possible."
"It’s the same as it was back then."
They all stood there, in the middle of the tower they watched from outside minutes ago, their eyes looking around, the familiar sight of the stairs leading up the tower sending shivers down their spines.
"How is it back?"
"I... Can feel it." Fuuka’s voice made them all turn to see the girl holding her hands in front of her "My persona, it’s..."
"Palladion."
Their eyes turned to Aigis, watching in shock as her persona stood behind her.
"We... Have our personas back?!"
"Mitsuru, what is going on?"
The red-haired girl turned to Akihiko "I don’t know, I..."
"Koromaru..." Ken turned to the dog at his side "Is your persona back as..."
"So this is Tartarus?! What a sorry place to be locked in."
A voice spoke from behind, a cold shiver running down their spines as they turned to the sound of footsteps.
However, they all couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as they saw Ren walking in.
"What are you doing here?" Yukari asked, moving closer to Ren alongside the rest of the team, all but Aigis, Akikiho, and Mitsuru "It’s dangerous."
"Dude, go back to the dorms, it’s really bad out here."
"Amamiya-san, what you see here is..."
"How are you able to be here?"
Akihiko’s question stopped the team in their tracks.
"Err... What are you..."
"Did you forget?" he asked, cutting Junpei off as he turned to the confused team "Only those with potential can be in this..."
"Everyone, stay back..."
The moment Mitsuru’s voice filled the place, the entire team was taken off guard by the shockwave that sent them all flying near the bottom of the stairs behind Aigis who summoned her persona, Palladion, to protect them.
"That Igor, really wasting my time." a chuckle escaped Ren as his entire body was engulfed in the blue flames.
"WHAT IN THE..."
With piercing yellow eyes from behind the flames, a laugh escaped Ren as the flame died down from around him, leaving behind a white mask that covered his face as the rest of his clothes changed.
"Now then..." he spoke, his eyes staring at the team from behind the mask "Let's see about unlocking that door."