My Key Item (Joker X Futaba) Persona 5 Royal

Chapter Twelve - Mom

I walk through the portal after Ann, Morgana and Akira. He spins around, jumping for joy, as the strange sensation of exiting the Metaverse washes over us. Akira runs to me.

"RYUJI! SLAP ME!" I club him across the face almost instantly. It's a guy thing.

"RYUJI!!" Ann helps him up. "Why did he need to do that?" Akira wraps Ann in a hug, laughing for the first time in weeks.

"IT'S REAL! THIS WAS REAL! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Ann grins, hugging him back.

"I know! After all this time you finally have her back. Come on, let's go talk to your folks!" I grab Ann's arm, pulling her back in.

"Hold on. I may not always be the smartest person, but shouldn't we get our story straight? We can't tell them that we went into an alternate reality where space and time don't matter and met up with a girl a full day's train ride away. So what do we say?" Morgana hops onto the bedside table, sitting in a patch of sunlight.

"That's surprisingly smart for you, Skull, but I think the answer is pretty simple. Futaba called him during the day and confessed to him. Now he wants to go visit... and maybe say that afterward, Sojiro called and said he misses him and wants him to come back? I don't know..." Morgana yawns and puts his head down on his paws. "I'm sleepy..."

Akira walks over to him and scratches behind his ears, making Morgana purr. "I didn't know he could purr..." Ann whispers.

"He's been acting more catlike recently. I think he's finally accepting that he really is a cat." Akira stands up, takes a deep breath and walks toward the door. Just before he exits, he turns back to me and Ann. "Come with me?" I nod, and walk to the door with him, Ann picking up Morgana and following closely behind. Akira hesitates for a moment, and slowly walks into the living room. "Hey mom."

Mrs. Kurusu turns around from her spot on the couch and smiles at us. "Hello dear! Are you and your friends going out?" Akira sits in an armchair, Ann settling Morgana in his lap, and taking her spot behind him, on his left, myself on his right.

"Not quite mom, you see..." He begins to pet Mona, taking a deep shuddering breath, "I want to move back to Yongen-Jaya." Morgana jumps awake as Mrs. Kurusu's teacup shatters on the floor.

"WHAT?! BUT YOU JUST CAME BACK!!"

"Mom, I-"

"I won't have you running off to that man again. I can't pay him any more, so you're just going to stay right here!" Akira's fingers start to twitch, and I glance at Ann. She's noticed too.

"But Mom, If you would just-" But she keeps screaming, her face beat red.

"I CAN'T LOSE MY LITTLE BOY AGAIN, SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO STAY RIGHT HERE AND-"

"I WASN'T ASKING FOR YOUR PERMISSION!!" Akira stands suddenly, Morgana flying off his lap, the world around us flickering red in a shockwave of energy, the aura of power he had shown in Maruki's Palace once more flickering on his body.

"HEY!!" Morgana yelled from the floor. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!? I WAS COMFYYYYYYY!!!" Mrs. Kurusu's hands fly to her mouth.

"That cat just spoke... That CAT just SPOKE!" I blink in surprise.

"Wait, you heard Mona? You heard him talk?" I stretch out my hand, William starting to flicker into existence, then fading as the red tint fades from the room. I look up at Akira. What the hell just happened?!?

*******

"But Mom if you would just-" She keeps screaming at me, her face beat red.

"I CAN'T LOSE MY LITTLE BOY AGAIN," My head... It hurts... "SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO STAY," I won't I won't I won't I won't lose her. "RIGHT HERE AND-" I WON'T LOSE HER AGAIN!