A/N: Hi everybody! This is my first time writing for the Persona category (And I'm sure many of my readers are surprised that I'm venturing out of the Kingdom Heart Community.) I've been a fan of the Persona series for a long time, and when P3P came to the US, I became an even bigger fan! I loved the fact that you could play as the female protagonist (who I gave the name Minako Hamuko). So, it was then that I had the idea of creating this story, a retelling of the events in persona 3 with both the MC and FemMC. Everyone knows that it takes a while to actually get into the actual plot of the game, which is way I wrote the first couple of days in one chapter. I want to get to the action as soon as possible! So, it may be slow now, but I promise it'll be a good story! :D Also, it's not going to be word by word from the game, I'll throw in a couple of my own twist in the story!

"Time never waits. It delivers all equally to the same end.

You, who wish to safeguard the future, however limited it may be...

You will be given one year;

Go forth, never falter, with your heart as your guide..."

April 6, 2010

Monday

Late Night

A pretty young woman of only 17 years of age, gets up from her seat with a sigh. She lifts her arms over her head and stretches, a tired expression on her face.

If you'd seen her at any other time besides now, you would have thought of her as bright and radiant girl. And she would have been that now, except she had spent the whole day traveling, so she was extremely tired.

Removing her red earphones from her ears, and pressing pause on her mp3, she reaches into her travel bag and pulls out a brochure.

Her ruby eyes scan the big, bold letters on the top that reads, "Gekkoukan High School." Her eyes then land on the dorms pictured on the brochure. What she wouldn't do to be asleep in her dorm right now, instead of on this monorail!

All of a sudden, the monorail screeches to a halt, almost causing the girl to tumble to the ground. Or she would have, had it not been for the hand that grabbed hers and kept her steady.

Once she regains her composure, the girl gazes up at her 'savior,' and her eyes lock with silver-blue ones. Her 'savior' turns out to be a boy, about her age, with navy blue hair. He's wearing the same uniform she is, but of course, he's wearing pants while she's wearing a skirt.

It's then when she realizes that the boy is speaking to her, so she quickly turns her attention to him.

"Be careful..." He mutters quietly, releasing her hand. She nods slowly and was about to thank him, when the conductor's voice rings from the speakers.

"Attention, passengers. We sincerely apologize for the rough stop, and for any inconveniences caused by our delay. But, we would like to welcome you to Iwatodai. This is the finally train bound to Tatsumi Port Island. Please make sure you take all your belongings."

The ruby-eyed girl wearily smiles, she was almost to the dorm, and she could finally get to sleep! She quickly gathers her things, and exits the monorail, completely forgetting about the blue-haired boy.

Out in the station, the girl turns on her music again, and puts her earphones on. Looking up, she notices a clock. It was almost midnight.

She looks at the brochure in her hand once again for directions, just as clock strikes twelve.

All of a sudden, her music stops. "Huh?" She mutters to herself, looking around.

The power seems to have gone out, so it's completely dark. The only light in the building comes from the eerily yellow moon in the sky. The sky... is it just her, or does it look green? Shaking her head, she throws her bag over her shoulder and continues on her way.

As she makes her way to the dorm, she passes many coffin-like objects. However, she's really tired, so she doesn't dwell on them for long.

Finally arriving at her destination, she opens the door and steps in. It's dark in this building as well.

"You're late..." A voice calls out, startling her. From the shadows, a boy in a black and white striped outfit emerges. "I've been waiting a long time for you." He gives her a smile, and snaps his fingers.

"Now, if you want to proceed, please sign your name there." He motions to a book on the counter. "Don't worry, it's just a contract. All it says is that you'll take full responsibility for your actions."

The girl steps towards the book and grabs the pen. She carefully signs her name, "Minako Hamuko." Underneath her signature, Minako notices a place for another signature.

"Yes, there is another who has yet to arrive." The little boy explains, as if reading her mind.

As if on cue, the front door opens, and in steps the boy Minako saw earlier. "Ah, there you are. Please, sign your name here on this contract. Like I explained to her, it only says that you'll take responsibility for your actions."

The blue-haired boy does as he's told, and signs his name. Minako watches as he writes down, "Minato Arisato."

The boy picks up the book and closes it. "No one can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end." He turns the book to the side, and it disappears. "You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes."

Then, the boy himself begins to disappear. "And so it begins..." His voice rings in their ears, as he vanishes.

The two are left alone in the empty lounge, that is, until someone steps off the stairs and stops before them.

"Who's there!" The person says, her hand shakily reaching for the gun strapped to her thigh.

She makes a grab at her gun, but a voice stops her. "Takeba, wait!"

A girl with slightly curled red-hair appears behind the brunette. She seems a bit older than the other girl, but she has a gun too.

Suddenly, the lights come back on, and so does Minako's mp3. The ruby-eyed girl then hears another song that's not hers playing, and she realizes that Minato also has an mp3 around his neck.

She smiles, 'He likes to listen to music too, huh?' She thinks to herself, before she's ripped from her thoughts when the red-head begins to speak.

"I didn't think you two would arrive so late. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students living in this dorm." She introduces herself.

"Who are they?" The brunette leans in and whispers to Mitsuru.

"They're transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here."

However, the other girl is still uneasy. "Is it okay for them to be here?"

Mitsuru smiles, "I guess we'll see..." She then turns back to the others, "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you two."

Yukari forces a smile, "Hey..."

"Nice to meet you." Minako and Minato reply simultaneously.

"U-uh, y-yeah..." She hesitates a bit, "Nice to meet the both of you too."

Mitsuru clears her throat, "It's getting late, you should both get some rest. Yukari, can you show them to their rooms? Their things should already be there."

"Right. Follow me please." She leads them to the stairs. "Oh, yeah. Do you have any questions?" She asks them as they climb up to the second floor.

"Does that kid live here too?" Minako asks, only to receive a puzzled look from Yukari.

"What kid?" She shakes her head, "Anyway, can I ask you guys something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

Minato raises an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I-... Never mind." She then shows them to their separate rooms. She bids each of them goodnight, before they enter their rooms.

Both teens fall asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows. It's been a long day for the both of them. However, neither knew that things were going to get very interesting, very fast.

xxxx

April 7, 2009

Tuesday

Early Morning

Minato had awaken early, and he was busy getting organized for school, when a knock on his door called his attention.

"Hey, it us! Are you awake?" He hears Yukari's voice from the other side of the door. He opens the door and reveals both Yukari and Minako. "Good morning! Did you sleep okay?" The brunette asks with a smile.

"Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you two to school. Are you ready?" Minato nods, and the three continue on their way.

Yukari explained that they had to take the monorail to get to Gekkoukan, since it was on an island. The two transfer students are surprised by this, and are amazed when they actually see the school.

"Wow.." Minako gasps, her eyes sparkling.

Yukari walks them to the main gate, saying hi to a couple students as she walks by. "We're here!" She announces with a smile, "Welcome to Gekkoukan High. Hope you like it!"

She then leads them inside. "You two should go see your homeroom teacher first. The faculty office is right there on the right. Well, I should get going! I mean, I don't even know what class I'm in yet! Later!" She waves before a thought occurs to her.

"Hey," She says in a whispered voice, "Please don't say anything about what you saw last night, okay?" She then disappears around the corner.

Minato makes his way to the faculty office, while a crowd gathered at the bulletin board catches Minako's attention. Getting a better look, she sees that it is the class rosters. She looks for her name, but has no luck. Trying again, she sees her name on a small note. She also sees Minato's name on it.

"Hey, Minato! We're in the same class!" She says cheerfully, only to realize that the boy wasn't around. 'He must have gone to the faculty office. I'll see if I can catch him.'

-Meanwhile with Minato-

Minato enters the office, and is spotted by a teacher. "Oh, are you a new student?" The teacher asks him, before looking through some folders she's carrying. "Minato Arisato, 11th grade correct? You sure lived in a lot of places... Let's see, in 1999, ten years ago, your parents..." She trails off, and her expression softens.

"I'm sorry... I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand. Well, I'm Ms..." She's cut off when the door opens and in walks Minako. "Hello there. You must be the other transfer student, Minako, right? I was just telling Minato who I am. I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition. And how lucky of me that I get both of you in my class, 2-F. I'll show you the way, but first we all need to go to the auditorium for the Welcoming Ceremony." She exits the office, with the two students at her heels.

In the auditorium, Minako and Minato take a seat next to one another. They listen to a speech by the principal, before a guy taps Minato on the shoulder.

"Psst... Hey." He whispers. "You came to school with Yukari and her this morning, right?" He says, 'her' referring to Minako. "I saw you guys. I have a question, do you know if Yukari has a boyfriend?"

The blue-haired boy shakes his head, "No, I just met her yesterday."

"I see. I thought you might know, but I guess not. Well, what about her? Does she have one?" He turns his attention to the ruby-eyed girl, who's listening intently to the speech.

"I hear talking. Ms. Toriumi, quiet your class!" A teacher from another class says, and Ms. Toriumi tells them to hush. After the ceremony, Minato and Minako head to their homeroom, where they're assigned to sit next to each other. The day drags on, but it soon comes to an end.

After School

After class was over, a boy with a cap approached the two transfer students. "'Sup, guys!" He says with a smile. "How's it goin'?"

"Good, but who are you?" Minako asks with a tilt of her head.

"I'm Junpei Iori! Nice to meet ya!" He adjusts his cap, as the two introduce themselves. "I transferred here when I was in 8th grade. I know how tough it is bein' the new kid, so I wanted to say 'hey.' See what a nice guy I am?" He says cheerfully.

Just then, Yukari enters the class, and heads their way. Junpei lights up, "Hey, it's Yuka-tan! I didn't think we'd be in the same class again!"

The brunette sighs, "At it again, huh? I swear, you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen. I'm surprised you haven't tried to hit on Minako yet! Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

The boy frowns, "What? But, I was just bein' friendly... And for the record, I wasn't going to hit on her... at least not with you and Minato around..." He mumbles the last part.

"If you say so. Anyway, looks like the three of us are in the same homeroom. Funny, huh?" Yukari turns to the two.

"Um, hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too?" Junpei scoffs. "By the way, I heard you guys came to school together this morning. And if I do say so myself, you and Minato seem pretty cozy. What's up with that? C'mon, gimme the dirt!"

"Wh-what are you talking about? We live in the same dorm. There's nothing going on, okay! If you're saying this, who knows what everyone else is saying." Yukari sighs again.

She then turns to Minato, "You didn't say anything to anyone about... you know what, did you?" He shakes his head, "Good. But seriously, don't say anything about last night, alright?"

"L-last night!" Junpei buts in, stuttering like an idiot.

"W-wait a minute! Don't get the wrong idea! Listen! I just met him yesterday, and Minako as well. We all live in the same dorm, and that's all! Geez, I gotta go, I've got stuff to take care of for the archery team. Don't start any rumors!" She stomps off.

"Ah, who cares?" Junpei sighs after the brunette is out of sight, "No one takes rumors seriously, anyway. She's so paranoid. But, hey! It's your first day here, and people are already talkin' about you! Believe it or not, she's actually pretty popular! You da man!" He pats Minato on the back.

He then turns to Minako, "People are talkin' about you too, Mina-tan. Guys seem to think you're pretty cute. Heck, maybe even cuter than Yuka-tan! Heheh," He chuckles, "This is gonna be a fun year, I can feel it!" He grabs his things, "Hey, we should walk home together! Yeah, I'll show you around Paulownia Mall!" They spend the afternoon looking at the city-sights, before Minato and Minako decide to return to the dorm, where they retire into their rooms.

Evening

-Lounge-

Mitsuru is sitting on the couch, a book in her hands. She's enjoying the peace and quiet, when she hears someone approach her. A young man with silver hair stops by the girl, "I'm going out for a bit." He says.

"Hm?" Mitsuru looks up.

"Didn't you see the newspaper? There's a lot going on." The boy replies.

"I know. People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome. I've seen it on the news quite often lately. They say it's due to stress, but..."

"Yeah, right. It has to be THEM. Otherwise, it's not worth my time." He answers with a smirk.

"You have a one track mind. Will you be okay on your own? The Chairman will be here for the next few days, but after that, I can..."

"Don't worry. I'm just getting a little practice." The boy exits the dorm, and Mitsuru sighs, "This isn't a game, Akihiko..."

April 8, 2009

Wednesday

Early Morning

Minako was hoping to walk to school with Yukari this morning, but the brunette girl had already left. The girl sighs as she exits her room and walks downstairs. She really didn't want to walk to school by herself, she didn't want to look like a loner! But who could she ask to go with her?

Suddenly, as if answering her prayers, Minato exits his room. He turns and is surprised to see the girl smiling widely at him.

"Uhm... did you need something?" The blue-haired boy asks quietly.

This only causes the brunette to light up more, 'Aww, he's shy!' "Um, yeah, do you want to walk to school together? Please?" She practically begs him.

Minato shrugs, "Sure, why not?"

"Thanks!" She says. "Okay, let's go." She takes his hand and leads him downstairs, not knowing that this little action causes the boy to blush.

It's only when they're on the monorail when Minako releases her hold on his hand. "Hey, that reminds me." She speaks up, while looking down at her hand, "I never thanked you for stopping me from falling on that night. So, thanks!" She says with a smile.

"Oh. Um, no problem." Minato replies. The rest of the trip was pretty quite, so both students decided to listen to their music until they arrived at the school.

At the gates, Minako and Minato over-hear a conversation between two students.

"Did you hear the rumor?" One of the girls asks.

"Oh, um... something about a bathroom?"

"Not that one! About the first-year student! Not only did she stop coming to school, she does nothing but stare at walls, saying things like 'It's coming! It's coming!'"

"Huh, how about that."

"You don't believe me...?" The girls asks in disbelief. However, the bell rings and everyone heads into the school.

Afternoon

Composition – Ms. Toriumi

Minako is busy doodling in her notebook, while next to her, Minato is writing down notes on Ms. Toriumi's speech.

"Hakushu Kitahara is great, but I think I prefer Fuyuhiko Yoshimura. Why isn't he ever in textbooks...?" She looks up and spots Junpei, who's has his hat over his eyes, obviously asleep.

She frowns, "Hey, Junpei!" She yells, startling the boy, "Were you listening? Who did I say was my favorite author?"

"H-huh? U-um..." He turns to Minato and whispers to him, "Psst! Who does she like?"

Minako turns to him and sighs, "Are you serious? I wasn't even taking notes, and I know who she likes!"

"Then who is it!" Junpei frantically asks.

"Fuyuhiko Yoshimura." The two transfer students answer simultaneously.

"Fuyuhiko Yoshimura!" Junpei responds loudly. Ms. Toriumi smiles. "That's right! So you were listening to me after all!"

"Haha, well, you know how I like to pay attention!" He then turns to his friends, "Man, you guys saved my bacon!"

The class begins to whisper among themselves.

"Hey, those two transfer students both knew the answer! They must pay attention in class!" It was only their second day of school, and they already had some charm.

After School

When classes ended for the day, Minako and Minato decided to walk back to the dorms together, They pass by the strip mall, which is crowded with people. As they make their way through the crowd, Minako spots an orange tabby cat.

"Oh, wait up Minato!" She calls over the boy. "Doesn't this cat look lost?" She squats down and pats the animal on the head.

"Be careful it doesn't bite you." Minato says, eying the feline.

"Don't worry! I'll be careful!" She looks up and flashes him a smile. She then returns her attention to the cat, "Poor thing. I'd love to take you home with me, but I can't. I really do hope your owner comes looking for you though!" She gives it one last pat on the head, before getting up. "It's getting late, we should get going." The boy nods, and they return to the dorm.

Evening

The two teens enter the dorm and see Yukari talking to an older man. Yukari turns to them, "Oh, they're back."

The man gets up and gives them a friendly smile. "So, these are our new guests. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school." He chuckles, "Ikutsuki. Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes. Please, have a seat."

"Is there anything you two would like to ask?" He questions them once they're seated.

"Who else lives here?" Minako asks. The dorm seemed pretty big for only two people.

"There are five students living here. Yourself and Minato, Yukari, Mitsuru, and a senior named Akihiko Sanada. I hope you all get along. Anything else?"

"Nope, I'm good." The girl says, Minato agreeing.

"Well, I hope you both have a great school year. You should get to bed early. As they say, 'The early bird catches the bookworm!' Forgive the pun. Now, if you'll excuse me." He gets up and exits the lounge.

Yukari sighs, "You'll get used to his lame jokes. But, he's right. You two should get some rest." She gets up and shoos them into their rooms. Once they're in, Yukari quickly climbs up to the fourth floor, where she meets up with Mitsuru.

Late Night

Somewhere in an unknown room

Ikutsuki enters the room, and sees Yukari and Mitsuru sitting in front of some screens. "Working hard? So, how are they doing?" He asks, taking a seat and eying the monitors, which show Minako and Minato sound asleep in their beds.

"They went to bed a little while ago. They're asleep now. Mr. Chairman, do you think they're...?"

The older man shakes his head, "Well, let's wait and see for now... the Dark Hour is approaching." He comments as the clock strikes twelve. The lights go out, excluding the monitors, and a green glow comes from outside.

Dark Hour

"Well, they're still asleep. The Dark Hours occurs every day at 12 midnight; you could say it's the "hidden" hour. During this time, an ordinary person Transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs." Ikutsuki explains.

"Then, they must be..." Yukari trails off, turning to the monitors.

"As you can see, they retained their human form. They're asleep, but they're definitely experiencing the Dark Hour. The only question that remains is whether or not they have the Potential. Although, they must. If they didn't, THEY would've preyed on them by now." The older man continues.

"Scary..." Yukari mutters.

"In any case, we should continue to monitor them for a few more days."

"Yes, sir." Mitsuru says as she returns to the computers.

"I feel kinda bad though, spying on them like this..." The brunette girl comments, but returns to her work nevertheless.

Meanwhile

Minato opens his eyes and finds himself in a blue room. It looks like some kind of elevator. Taking a better look around, he notices Minako sitting in a chair next to him. She seemed to be still asleep.

He reaches out and taps the girl on the shoulder, "Hey, wake up." Minako stirs a bit, before her eyes slowly open.

"Mmm." She groans as she rubs her eyes. She then turns to him, "Minato! W-what are you doing in my room!"

Minato shakes his head, "Take a look around. We're not in your room. We're not even at the dorm anymore!"

"Well, physically, you still are." A voice says, startling the teens. They look up and see a man with a big nose sitting on the couch, his hand folded in front of him. Next to him, are a woman and a man, who are wearing blue suits. "Welcome to the Velvet Room." He says, "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintances. These are my assistants, Theodore and Elizabeth." He points to the man and the woman.

"Pleased to meet you." The two assistants say simultaneously. Theodore then gives a small bow, "You may call me Theo." He says with a smile.

The transfer students nod, before returning their attention to Igor.

"You said that we're physically still in the dorm, so where is this place at? In our heads?"

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter." He answers, puzzling the teens.

"It's been years since we've had a guest. And how lucky we are to have two at the same time." He waves his hand and a book appears on the table before him. The book opens to a page, it's the contract they signed!

"Only those who have signed the Contract can enter this place. Henceforth, you two will be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You both are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return, that you abide by the Contract, and assume responsibility for the choices you make."

"I understand." Minako and Minato reply. They really didn't understand, but it seemed like they wouldn't be able to move on unless they said they were.

"Good. Now, hold on to these." Igor waves his hand again, and glowing blue keys appear in the teens' hands. "You will come here on your own accord sooner or later, so keep these keys."

All of a sudden, Igor and his assistants began to grow blurry. "Till we meet again." Igor's voice drifts to them, before the Velvet Room disappears. When Minako and Minato open their eyes again, they're in their rooms once more. However, they're both too tired to think about their experience, so they just go back to sleep. Unbeknownst to them, two blue keys glow faintly in their hands, before they disappear into the pockets on their uniforms.

A/N: Please Read and Review! I hope you like this chapter! Next chapter, the real fun begins! :D