Archive of Our Own ^beta

When Yusuke first heard that Madarame was being let out of prison on probation, he had been working on a piece in the studio at Kosei Academy. One of the other students was listening to the news, and Yusuke was listening along with them, since he had forgotten to bring his phone with him. 

Then, he heard something that made him snap to attention. 

The infamous Japanese Artist Ichirysai Madarame, who was arrested after a Change of Heart last year, will be released on probation this year, due to good behavior throughout his time in prison.

Freezing, paintbrush poised above his canvas, Yusuke tried to calm his heart, which was beating erratically within his chest.

Madarame wasn’t meant to get out so soon. He was meant to stay in prison for the rest of his life, so he couldn’t get to Yusuke anymore. He had only been in prison for a few years; Yusuke thought he had more time. 

The worst part of it all, was the word they used to describe Madarame being freed.

Probation.

The same situation Akira was in.

Yusuke let out a dry laugh - the irony of all of this was not lost on him - but he still felt close to tears.   

The girl who had been listening to the news finally noticed him, cursing a little to herself and turning off her phone. “I’m sorry, Kitagawa, I didn’t realize you were in here,” she said, looking a little bashful. “Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

Looking down at his hands, Yusuke realized that they were shaking. Despite him trying his best to, he couldn’t seem to keep air in his lungs, and his vision was beginning to blur. 

“I- I’m going to go back to my dorm room,” Yusuke gritted, packing away his things. “My apologies.”

The girl gave him a sympathetic, pitying look. “Maybe you should tell a teacher that you aren’t feeling well?” she suggested. 

More than anything, Yusuke hated how much people at Kosei pitied him. They were more often inclined to look at him like a kicked puppy than a peer, and that infuriated Yusuke to no end. He was more than the bad things that happened to him. 

Was he always just going to be Madarame’s pupil to them?

***

Closing the door to his dorm room, Yusuke tried to remember the way Akira told him to breathe when he was panicking, but he just couldn’t get himself to do it. 

He couldn’t recall a time he had felt this scared and alone.

Even Goemon was gone. In the weeks since the fall of the Metaverse, Yusuke had found himself missing Goemon more than he expected. His Persona was such a comforting presence in his life that he had been struggling to live without him.

Logically, he knew there was no way to reach Goemon now that the Metaverse was gone, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from trying.

“Goemon?” he whispered. “Please, I need you. I know you aren’t here anymore but… I wish you were.”

His temples were aching, and Yusuke clutched his head. He tried to block it all out. All of his surroundings were becoming a blur to him. He didn’t even care about the familiar mask that showed up on his face. It was easy to take off anyway, so it shouldn’t have mattered…

And yet it did.

His breathing was still heavy, but it was slowing down. Whatever he must have done, it was working. A faint light shone above him, as if someone was descending upon him to help, to comfort the boy.

Suddenly, Yusuke felt a ringing in his ears, and a familiar, gruff voice spoke inside his head. “Yusuke? Is that you?”

“Goemon? What’s happening?”

“I’m not sure…” If there was one thing that Goemon hated more than anything, it was being powerless to help those he loved. Goemon wasn’t sure precisely when Yusuke had stopped being simply his wielder, becoming someone more akin to a son.

That realization only made him more determined to do something to help Yusuke. He wasn’t going to allow Yusuke to suffer the way that Gobei had, all those years ago.

Upon making that promise to his wielder, and a little to himself, Goemon felt a strange sensation sweeping over his body.

It had been a long time since he had a physical form. Definitely something he would have to get used to…

The next thing Goemon truly registered was that he felt warm. Using Ice skills for so long had left him constantly feeling cold, so it was odd to feel warm for once.

Giving in to the comfort that came with this sudden warmth, Goemon felt more and more parts of himself change.

His white face paint melted away to reveal pale skin, and the blue of his helmet, which Yusuke had always thought looked a little like a beard, deepened into a black color, changing its texture to soft hair, which began to curl around his chin, spreading out and becoming a real, scraggly beard. 

His elaborate robes shifted, becoming a simple, navy blue yukata, and his tall shoes were replaced with simple sandals.

It was as though he was being reborn in a sense, like a frozen over river melting in the spring to reveal rushing water beneath. 

Finally, he opened his eyes, seeing Yusuke for the first time in months. The swell of paternal affection that he felt in that moment was overwhelming. His eyes were now blue, matching his user and solidifying the connection of parent and child. He wanted nothing more than to sweep Yusuke up in his arms.

Yusuke looked in awe at Goemon’s new appearance, his words unable to come out, but slowly, he stammered out, “Goemon? Is that really you?”

“Come on, Lad. We both know what you really want to call me.”

Yusuke’s face went a little red with embarrassment and he mumbled out, “Dad, is that really you?”

“It is,” replied Goemon. “I don’t know how, but I’m here, and I’m never leaving you again, son.”

Sniffing back tears, Yusuke reached up to wrap his arms around Goemon’s shoulders, hugging his Persona - no, his father - for the first time.

In that moment, while holding Yusuke close, Goemon finally realized that his paternal affections for Yusuke had grown so strong that his supernatural form could no longer contain his emotions, and manifested in him relinquishing his being as a Persona, becoming human.

Adjusting to it would no doubt take some time, he was willing to do so, for Yusuke’s sake.