Yukiko stood above the kneeling Rise. The group swore they could see a massive hannya mask behind her.
"Her anger can manifest a Persona?" Morgana said.
"No, I think it's the same as how you can turn into a car."
"Pretty girls are terrifying?"
"Dude, why is every girl we know horrifying?"
"So you're telling me that you entered the TV World without authorization, without telling anyone, tried to awaken a Persona using an old method, and Ren almost died despite you being able to kill basically anything in there."
Yukiko's aura flared high!
"WHAT THE HELL, RISE?!"
---
"REN!" Orihime jumped awake.
"I'm fine," she heard Ren's voice say suddenly.
Looking to the right of her, she saw all of her friends passed out facing her, Morgana on the end of the bed, facing away as if guarding her.
Ren was sitting in a chair with a tired smile.
"You sure are strong, huh?"
Orihime exhaled a sigh of relief.
'Hm? Strawberry, but not strawberry? Trickster? Oh my, how interesting!' Maria said in her head.
"GHOST!" Orihime shouted with a pale face, then suddenly a huge smile graced her face. "I can hear ghosts!"
Ren just shook his head with a chuckle. This girl was obviously trying to break any tension. He looked at her briefly before she covered her face and groaned.
"So embarrassing."
"It's okay. No one here thinks any differently of you. You will always be the sun of the team, won't you?" Ren said in a rare moment of vulnerability.
'Feeling myself die was scary,' he thought with a shiver. 'I feel a bit strange, though.'
'Ground yourself, mon ami.'
Orihime raised her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She began to explain the circumstances of her brother's death, and subsequently how Ichigo comforted her and dispelled her guilt after she had told her brother she hated him like a spoiled child. She talked about how she was an orphan and had been alone, living on government stipends since her brother died. She was tearing up, so Ren walked over and awkwardly gave her a hug.
"You don't need to tell me everything now. Relax. Ground yourself. Talk with Maria. I am thou. Thou art I," Ren said as he broke the hug.
"HIME!!!!!!"
Ann woke while they were talking and yelled with all her might, knocking Ryuji and Shiho, who were sleeping on her shoulders, awake in a scramble to hug her friend.
For the first time in a while, Orihime felt like she had a family.
---
"Rise, seriously?" Yu rubbed his face.
"You okay, Ren? I've been through similar things. It isn't easy."
"Yeah... I'll be fine..." Ren said somewhat unconfidently.
"Just remember to talk to someone about it." Yu eyed him. He knew Ren wouldn't if someone didn't light a fire under his ass.
'Fuckin' bastards. He isn't a fucking robot butler.'
"Thanks, Yu," Ren said with a wry smile.
"If you need to stay here, let me know, and I'll contact anyone who needs to be contacted. But I am an unknown man, so the girls' guardians may have an issue," Yu said awkwardly.
"No, I can leave," Shiho shook her head. "We didn't even get to fight. We were just knocked down by some crazy pressure from Orihime's Shadow."
"Yeah, that was a strange technique. I want to ask Mitsuru if they've ever come across something like that. Same with the curse element. And whatever the hell that 'Cero' technique is," Rise said with a frown. "I'm sorry you went through that, guys." She added with deep remorse.
"I can head home too!" Orihime said.
"I asked Maria about Cero, and she simply said 'Hollow,' and that's all! I don't know what she means."
"Could be an important clue," Yu noted. "Ann, Ryuji, Ren, do you need to stay?"
"No, like Shiho said, we didn't even do anything," Ryuji said in frustration.
"We just had to watch Ren almost die."
"I feel so weak."
The room was silent.
"Well get stronger," Yu said firmly.
"Right." Ren nodded before looking to his team, who all nodded back to him with rebellious smirks.
Time froze.
Ren noticed Yu had a huge grin, like he knew exactly what was happening.
"I am thou. Thou art I. Thou hast established a new bond. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Fool—F-Fo—Aeon Persona, thou hast—"
The gentle voice glitched and then faded as though it was exhausted.
---