Ten years.

When I was a child, time passed by so slowly. I remember looking out the window of the car as my mother and I left the city with only one thought in my mind - that the end was near. I don't know how or why I knew this, but I did. The end of the world was dawning upon us.

That year had been the best in my life. Being a lonely little girl who spent her time after school away from activities that others would engage in, there was no surprise that I didn't get along with most of my classmates. Back in those days there was no one for me to turn to, no one to comfort me through the bickering of my parents, and no one to smile at my kindly to let me know it would be all right in the end.

Until the day I met him, that is. From that moment on my entire life began to revolve around one figure.

You may laugh and call it nothing but a childish crush, but I knew even back then it wasn't. One day I was going to be a 'mommy' and he was going to be the 'daddy.' The bead ring I gave him promised this between us. There was a connection I couldn't ignore at all. Maybe that's why through a majority of my teenage years I remained a recluse, not wanting to get involved with other things people my age did. And maybe that's also why when my mother was killed in a car accident, I found myself back to the place I last say him.

Eight years of my life dedicated solely to the memory of him. I wanted to see him. There was a period of time where I had forgotten all about him suddenly, shortly after I left with my mother, but it passed by and the memories came back so very quickly. Now here I was ready to seek out the man whom I had already given my heart away to as a child. A silly teenager of seventeen I may be, but I am also a woman in love - don't piss me off if you don't want to miss a hand afterwards.

Now now, I'm not exactly a mean person. I'm just...okay, maybe I am a bit bitter. My mother just died for crying out loud and my father wasn't willing to take me in now that he had his new wife and son to take care of. At least he arranged for me to stay in a dorm on the outskirts of town. Even if I had to stay in a cardboard box, though, I wouldn't leave. Not until I saw him again.

Minato Arisato, you better watch out! Maiko Kuroki is going to hold you to your promise whether you like it or not!

"The greatest of all musicians was named Orpheus. He sang a wide variety of songs. Sometimes he sang high-pitched songs about the mystical creation of the universe. Other times he played low notes on his lyre as he sang of the battles of Zeus ad the Olympians gods who clashed against the Titans. Orpheus even had songs about people who were changed into flowers or birds.

After the Argonauts returned to Greece, Orpheus fell in love with a beautiful woman names Eurydice. They were married and a great feast was held in their honor. On the day of their wedding, Eurydice strolled through a nearby field and talked joyfully with her friends. But as she walked through the bright green meadow, she stumbled upon a poisonous snake. The huge serpent bit her and she died. Orpheus was heartbroken over this cruel fate. He had been married and widowed on the same day. After many weeks of mourning, he decided that he would go to Hades,the land of the dead. There he would plead for his wife.

Efforts to try to bring her back were but in vain, as he failed to follow the rules of the underworld...

It is said that when Orpheus finally met his death, the birds wept on the hillside.The trees shed their leaves and the nearby streams were swollen with their own tears. Orpheus' spirit went down to the Underworld and he soon found Eurydice. Although it is a shadowy existence the two walk together for eternity without fear of another separation."

What in the world? Who read out loud in a place like this? Seriously, people, it's in the middle of the day in a very public shrine- waaaaaait a minute, I know that guy!

A man in stripes with gray hair and a forlorn air around him slowly lifted his head. There was confusion written on his features, as if not used to anyone pointing at him. Oh, wait, whoops. Pointing on my part was rude, "...Yes?"

"Akinari!"

--

There. The end of the first section. It was short on purpose mostly to see how people will take this story For those who don't know, Maiko (her last name was made up by me) is the Hanged Man Social Link from Persona 3, and Akinari is the Sun Social Link. Maiko, as hinted by first person, will be the main character, and others from the game will come into play. This won't be just the typical "Let's save Minato!" story since it'll focus on characters other then the main from the game, though two of the main ones from this fanfic will be Junpei and Chidori...

Well, anyway, tell me what you think!