Wild Cards [AkiraxAkechi P5]

Chapter Seven

    At some point, the prison walls were gone. Akira laid in a warm bed, no longer feeling the uncomfortable weight of the chains. He sat himself up and gazed at the comfy room with wooden floors and large windows that showed the moonlit beach outside. Akira let out a happy sigh and laid down again to take in the subtle warmth and admire the paper ceiling fan.

"So you've finally calmed down," Arsene sat nearby, staring out the window, "you took a little longer than last time. I was worried for a moment."

   "I feel fantastic. You don't gotta worry at all." Akira said.

  "Unfortunately, worrying about you is my job."

   Akira rolled his eyes and sat up again, sitting against the headboard and hugging his legs to his chest. He realized then how much quieter it was...

   "Did everyone stop arguing?"

   "Yes. We finally came to a agreement on who will become a host for you." Arsene said.

"Aww, it was getting funny though. And you tell me to watch my mouth~"

"Don't tempt me, boy."

Akira stuck his tongue out and laughed. He glanced at his side where a few bouquets of plumerias and hibiscuses were. Akira plucked a small card from the flowers and smiled at the messy handwriting.

'Get well soon Prince Akira!
— Love, Alice
Jack Frost Mandrake
Bugs Pixie Hua Po

Akira put the card in his pocket. Arsene was up now and pacing around the room. Akira stared at the Persona's elegant, black wings, almost mesmerized. Akira remembered how he used to try and touch them but that would piss Arsene off.

"Heyyy so can we talk about something?" Akira asked.

   "What is it now?"

   "The trip you mentioned before? What is it supposed to be for?"

   "I told you, it's for your safety." Arsene sighed.

   "Yeaaaah but from what? You said there were beings that wanted me...?"

   "I'll tell you another time. For now, we need to hurry and wake you up."

    "W-Wait, hold on!" Akira grabbed Arsene's arm as he walked by. "I... I want to see a memory first... can I please...? Just for a minute...?"

   Arsene sighed and put a hand over his face.

   "Which one?"

   Akira held tighter to Arsene and put his head down.

   "New Years... when I was five?"

   "Are you sure?"

   "Yes..."

   "Very well then..."

   Akira glanced up and watched as the room melted away into a beautiful beach lit up with fireworks. He saw himself as a child, running down the shore, giggling while his dad chased after him. His mom followed behind carrying his brother in her arms.

"Look how happy we were..." Akira said to himself. "I wish we could've always been like this..."

Akira watched as his dad scooped up his younger self and gave him the biggest hug.

"Dad worked his ass off to bring us here... mom brought all her nice outfits and everyone kept mistaking her for a model..."

   His mom set his brother down so he could walk on his own. Akira almost cried as his younger self struggled to get out his dad's arms so he could hold his brothers hand.

   "You were quite protective of him even at a young age." Arsene said.

   "Of course I was..." Akira rubbed his eyes, "my fragile little baby..."

   The memory ended with the small family all walking hand in hand as they watched the fireworks over the ocean. Akira rubbed away a few more tears and held himself.

   "Who's..." he sniffled, "who's gonna be a host for me...?"

    "Ame-no-Uzume has agreed to give up her form and keep your soul going."

    Akira remembered her. She was very beautiful and a remarkable dancer. She'd sometimes dance with him the same way he danced with his mom. It'd definitely feel strange with her gone. Akira took one more breath before nodding.

    "Ok... I'm ready to wake up..."

————

    The nurses were talking behind his back. Goro would've said something but he just didn't care enough.

   He's been coming to the hospital for the past three days after hours, to avoid seeing the Phantom Thieves. Goro worked his magic so he could see Akira when Visiting Hours were well past over, even fell asleep at Akira's bedside the previous night. Goro didn't know what came over him; not guilt, right? That's insane...

"His heartbeat's still steady," the nurse came out Akira's room, "you can see him now if you want."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Goro nodded to her before going in the room. The sight of Akira in the bed was still both shocking and scary to Goro; he almost couldn't believe he cried he first time.

"Hello again..." Goro sat in his usual chair at Akira's bedside. "It's funny to think I was in your place days ago... I can't imagine what you were thinking... I still don't know how it happened either..."

Goro put his hand over Akira's fingers, careful not to touch the IV drip hooked into his wrist.

"You feel so cold... haha, I guess it's important that it's cold in here, though..."

Goro looked at the heart rate monitor with a quiet sigh. With how slow it was going it seem possible for it to suddenly stop; come to think of it... what if it did stop? Goro shook his head and put his hands over his face.

"Damn it! Stop thinking like that!" Goro bit his lip. "Stop thinking like that... normal people don't think like that—"

   The monitor was beating faster...

   "What the...?"

   Goro looked up to see the heart rate going wild. A little panicked, he got up trying to quickly think of what to do. This wasn't normal, right? Was something bad happening?

   "N-Nurse? Nurse?!" Goro called out. "Something's wrong!"

He got closer to Akira with shaking hands; he wanted to shake him awake, yell out his name, do something to wake him up. But that ended up not being necessary.

The heart rate went back to a normal pace... then Akira opened his eyes.