1Persona X Date Alive - A Match Made In Heaven & Hell
Chapter 1 - You Have A New Message!
(It's July 7th, Tanabata and Ren Amamiya having just graduated in his final year of high school is currently running LeBlanc but unsure of what he wants to do in his future. However, little does Joker know what lay in wait for him ahead of his next trial.)
(It is 8PM at LeBlanc and Ren has just finished serving his last customer.)
Kind Customer: Why thank you, my dear boy! It maybe a traditional dish but it doesn't quite feel right celebrating Tanabata without a well made somen, you understand?
Ren (smiles politely): Of course! and you're welcome to it anytime.
Kind customer: My what a polite young man. I trust that the gods bless such kindness by granting your wish.
(The customer leaves a generous tip on the counter before exiting, though the remark causes Ren's face to shift slightly. Remembering the many trials both he and the Phantom Thieves had faced the past 2 years at the hands of "the gods" and he chuckles to himself slightly.)
(Morgana enters from LeBlancs top floor as Joker is cleaning up.)
Morgana: Yeesh, that was a lot busier than I expected for Tanabata.
Ren (smiles and looks at Morgana): Yeah, it wasn't bad. It feels rare we get so much business on a single day and it seems like varying the recipe a little paid off.
Morgana: True, you've done a good job in the Chief's stead you know! That said, that old guy may have had a point. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to hang up your Tanzaku.
(Ren smiles and briefly laughs.)
Ren: Haha! C'mon Morgana, I think it's pretty obvious at this point that I'm public enemy number 1 as far as "The God's" are concerned.
(Ren takes a brief pause before reaching into his pocket and fishing out a familiar looking object. A star, once vibrant and glowing a brilliant blue, now faded a monotone grey.)
Ren: Let's not forget the last time a god granted our wish, it overwrote all of reality.
Morgana (looks at the star with a surprised expression): You're still carrying that thing around? Not that you don't have a point.
Ren (pauses with a much more serious look on his face): This is my reminder. A reminder of what we fought for, a future that is ours to create but to be honest, I'm not even sure what that is…
Morgana (face frowning slightly): Ren…
Childlike Voice: Beep-boop!
(Both Morgana and Joker turn their heads up at the sudden interruption.)
Ren (eyes darting): W-what was that? I thought Futaba went home.
Morgana (slightly startled): She did! I think that was from your phone.
(Ren grabs his phone intending to unlock it before being met by the sight of a familiar beaming smile staring right back at him attached to it a girl wearing a bright white jumper, black hot pants with soft blue eyes and red hair with heart shaped braids.)
Ren (eyes wide): Sophia!?
(At this Morgana's ears perk up)
Sophia: What's crack-a-lackin everyone?
(Ren bursts into laughter at Sophie's off the wall introduction.)
Ren (laughing) Sophia, What are you doing?
Morgana (smiles): Heh, It really is you!
(Sophia's face suddenly becomes downcast as she returns to her usual child-like demeanour)
Sophia: Well, um Ichinose is attending a conference at Kirijo Electronics but since we're in the area I wanted to visit my friends! I'm sorry, should I have called?
Ren (smiles warmly): You know you're always welcome here Sophie. How did you manage to get back on my phone though?
(Sophia then smiles at Ren and Morgana who's leaning on his shoulder at this point.)
Sophia: A Phantom Thief, always knows how to make an entrance.
Morgana (chuckles): Nyahaha, good to see all that training didn't go to waste.
(Ren smiles at Sophia, proud to see that familiar boundless heart he and his team once set free, then all of a sudden, Ren's phone buzzes.)
Sophia: Hold on, Ren! You're receiving a call from Goro Akechi.
(At this Ren and Morgana's eyes widen in shock as Sophie is confused by their rather stunned reaction.)
Sophia (puzzled): What's wrong?
(Scene fades to black)
—
(Shibuya Crossing 10PM, Joker arrives in his summer clothes a White Shirt, Black T-Shirt and denim jeans at the Buchiko statue. After a few moments Akechi can be seen walking into frame wearing a white shirt and khaki jeans. Ren sees Akechi slowly approaching.)
Ren (eyes shifting): It really is you.
Akechi (smirking): Now, now. You look as if you've seen a dead-man.
Ren: But how did-
(Akechi immediately cuts Ren off.)
Akechi: You have your secrets, I have mine. That's not what I called you over here for anyway. Follow me.
Morgana (pokes his head out of Ren's bag): You really think we'd follow you anywhere?
Akechi: Come now, I thought we'd put our feud behind us after Maruki's Palace? If I had wanted to kill you, I would've simply called you somewhere more quiet and taken care of it there.
Ren: So, that was the real you after all.
Akechi: That's right, now you can either see what it is I have to show you or you can call in the cavalry to have it over a done with.
(Ren's phone beeps.)
Sophia (affirmatively): Okay, I will call Zenkichi!
Akechi (eyes wide): What the hell!?
Ren (whips out his phone): Wh-whoa! Easy Sophia. We're good.
(Akechi then catches the sight of the girl in the phone)
Akechi (glaring at Ren): Who the hell is this?
Sophia: I am Sophia, humanity's companion! It is nice to meet you Goro Akechi AKA Crow!
(Ren and Morgana both shift awkward glances)
Morgana: Yeah, um she's uh…
Ren: She's one of us.
Akechi (sighs): I'm not even going to ask. Will you join me or not?
Ren: Sure, Let's see what it is you wanted to show me.
—
(Ren, Morgana and Sophia follow Akechi down a largely closed central street before turning into a very familiar alley, to Ren's surprise the one at the front of untouchables. What was notably absent from the scene however was the blue door, which somehow came off as more unnerving to Ren than anything else before him.)
Morgana: Ren, what's wrong?
Ren (eyes wide): It's the blue door, it's not there.
Sophia (beeps): What is the Blue Door?
Morgana (visibly distressed): It's where Joker fuses and powers up his Persona's.
Akechi (to Ren): You see it, don't you?
Ren: See, what?
Akechi: Come now, I realise it's been a while but surely you're not that rusty?
(Ren pauses for a second before realising what Akechi is getting at. At which Ren taps into his senses to reveal the secrets that lay before him. As he does so an unusual sight presents itself before him, where the blue door once stood is a long crack, seemingly suspended in mid air with light filtering through it.)
Ren: What the hell?
Morgana: What is it, Ren?
Ren: It's like a massive crack but it's not attached to anything.
Akechi: Fascinating, isn't it? I figured you'd want to see it. Now, I'm no Cognitive Pscience expert but if I had to guess I'd say this looks like a crack in the Metaverse.
Ten: If that's the case then-
Sophia: Hold on, Ren! I can hear something…
Ren (concerned): Sophia?
Sophia (trying to focus): It's…a voice.
Ren: A voice? What's it saying Sophia?
Sophia: She's…asking for…help. Can we save her…heart?
(Akechi and Morgana look baffled at the interaction in front of them, while Ren trying not to panic puts all his focus on Sophia)
Ren: S-sophia! I'm right here.
Sophie (visibly distressed at this point): It's so far away, Ren. I don't know if I can…
Ren: Hold on, Sophia!
(Ren takes a pause before looking into the crack as if by sense, he knows that is where the voice is coming from.)
Ren (to the voice): We'll help!
(At this there is an immediate reaction as Jose's star which had been in Ren's pocket up until this point begins to glow a familiar bright blue and as it does so the crack before them widens generating a tremendous force pulling them forward. Despite their resistance, the gang are all completely consumed by the crack as the scene fades to black.)
—
(Writers notes)
Hello everyone, thank you for coming to check out my story. My first FanFic and a crossover at that, not that you'd know it by the first chapter alone. As someone who is long time fan of Persona and has recently fallen in love with Date A Live I feel these 2 series had really strong material for a crossover. What inspired me to make this story though was Date A Live: Rio Reincarnation which has some of the most prominent and powerful character development I've seen in any series and I feel Rinne's story is so underrated and a perfect fit for a Persona 5 crossover.
It was always my intention to use 4 characters as the foundation within the story with Ren, Akechi and Morgana being shoe-ins largely as all 3 offer a different dynamic with Ren but choosing the 4th character was very difficult. Initially I had wanted to use Kurumi as I think she would be a phenomenal foil to both Ren, Akechi and Morgana however it didn't take me long to realise the difficulty of fitting her within a P5/Rio Reincarnation dynamic without shoehorning her in and failing to do her justice. Then, I had considered Sumire but found she didn't add much beyond being a glorified cheerleader. That is what lead me to Sophia and as soon as I did everything started flowing more seamlessly as I feel Sophie is not only a fantastic foil who provides a great dynamic with Akechi she ended up being far more impactful to the themes being established as we'll later see within the story.
I sincerely hope Persona fans enjoy this but I hope Date-A-Live fans are hyped as well because RR really is an excellent trilogy.