Together, we Conquer

Back Into Waiting

The group decided to take the nature trail again. Yukino looked back to see someone surveying them.

"Hold on."

Yukino stared back at the person. Madran noticed that the lady stood motionless, but wasn't able to see her too well.

"It seems that you have found me. Farewell..."

The lady slipped away into the shadows. Madran noticed that she had a highly feminine, robot-sounding voice but without the metallic interference.

"Yukino?"

"That lady... she's a persona user. When I stared at her, I saw an image of many people, including her, sitting at a table. They, um..."

Yukino appeared to strain her memory.

"Eh, I forgot. I guess I'll just keep a few eyes behind us."

Madran looked around to see that there weren't any people anywhere around them.

"Well, since that happened, I have something to say."

"Yes?"

"Well, once, I and the rest of the group figured out that someone was following us. After I used Nightingale to spy, I found out that his name was Junpei, and he was communicating with a lady named Fuuka, possibly by a persona. Do those names ring any bells?"

"Hmm... oh, right, that Fuuka!"

"Yeah?"

Madran looked over at Elia.

"Remember when you and your classmates got to interview college students, or, well, ask them questions back at around 2012?"

"Um, yeah?"

"Well, one of the students you talked to was someone named, um, Fuuka Yamagishi. She was taking up engineering."

"Oh, yeah, her! She was kinda nervous..."

"So, you can remember a random chick, but you can't remember Maya."

"Maya IS a random chick!"

Maya nodded.

"And, Junpei was one of the people I interviewed when I investigated the murders in Inaba. That was when I figured out he had his persona, Trismegistus."

"Bless you."

"Nope, that's what it's called."

"Oh."

Madran snickered. They then began to walk along the trail, and chatted more.

"So, Maya?"

"Yes?"

"What can you tell me about Philemon?"

There was silence. Yukino clenched her fists, and Maya stared into the distance before looking back at Madran.

"He... isn't who you think he is."

"I think he's nice."

"Exactly."

"But, like, what did he do to you?"

"..."

Maya dipped her head down, and the persona aura surrounded her. Artemis rose out of her.

"Philemon... a once friend, turned to bitter foe. From the ashes of humanity... one may not wish to speak of the horrors that he may show..."

Artemis went back into Maya, and she looked back up.

"I don't wish to talk about it."

Madran grew frustrated, outwardly and inwardly.

"But... why? I was willing to talk all about dad, so what's with her?"