This chapter has been updated and revised from the original.
Chapter 1: Awakening
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 without falter, with your heart as your guide…
4/6/2009
Afternoon
The street was abuzz with voices, people, and cars as a solitary figure amongst the crowd waited patiently for the pedestrian crossing signal to turn green. Wearing a school uniform that wasn't from the local area the boy with dark blue hair placed headphones over his ears, thumbing the mp3 that dangled from a lanyard around his neck, and nodded in satisfaction as music began to stream into his ears. Arisato Minato glanced up at the sun, shading the single blue eye that remained visible through his hair with a raised hand.
The sun's very bright today. The thought ran through the boys head as the crowd began to make their way across the street, the pedestrian crossing light now green. I should get going too. Wouldn't want to miss my train.
The same sunlight streamed through the girls restroom window, enveloping a teenage girl that was leaning against the wall with a silver handgun pressed directly against the center of her forehead. Her heavy, ragged, uneven breathing was masked by a running faucet, sweat beading her pale face.
Come on, Yukari, all you have to do... is pull the trigger. Her heart thundered and her vision grew blurry and narrow, fighting desperately to find the courage to pull the trigger of the weapon in her hand.
Just pull the trigger... You can't back out now...
She took a deep breath and exhaled as slowly as she could.
"No I can't!" Yukari's shaking hands fell to her side, the gun dropping to the floor from her limp hands. Yukari slid down to the ground and curled into a ball. This time the muffled sound of her sobs were covered by the running faucet.
I-I just can't do it. I don't want to die! But I have to… I have to if I want to stand on my own two feet.
Yukari stood up shakily and splashed cool water onto her face, staring at her reflection, amazed at what a mess she was. Her eyes were red and puffy, her shoulder length brunette hair stuck to her face and neck, and her skin was as white as a sheet.
Yukari glanced at the shiny, silver handgun that was discarded on the floor, the S.E.E.S. logo etched into the side of the barrel engraving itself into her mind. She felt sick just looking at it. With shaking hands she picked up the gun once more, working up the nerve to try again.
Minato swiped his rail card across the scanner and stepped onto the train platform. After a quick visual confirmation that the train had not yet entered the station he reached into his school bag and pulled out a dorm pamphlet, double checking what station he needed to get off at. Iwatodai, huh?
The boy closed his eyes, images of a crashed car, blood, and an unnatural moon flashed across his mind. Ten years. Minato opened his eyes and the scenes disappeared as soon as they came. He placed the pamphlet back into his bag and buried his hands deep in his pockets, thinking more than he would like.
A young man's voice spoke over the station intercom. "For your safety, please stand behind the yellow line. The train is approaching. Please take care to board before our departure."
The train appeared from around the bend, gently decelerating and coming to a smooth stop, a sea of people rushing out as soon as the doors opened.
Once the crowd thinned the blue haired boy stepped through the train doors that closed soon after he entered. The sudden acceleration of the train that would catch any individual unaccustomed to traveling by the transit had no effect on Minato, as he, along with many others, used this method of transportation multiple times a day.
With his objective complete Minato stared out the windows in a daze as scenery flew by, music playing gently into his ears until a few stops later the conductor made an announcement.
"Attention passengers, due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. We apologize to all passengers who are in a hurry. I repeat, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. I apologize for the delay. Thank you."
Minato sighed slowly, annoyed by the minor inconvenience that the delay posed. However, knowing there wasn't anything that could be done Minato found solace in the idea that he'd just have that much more time to listen to his music. The thought itself brought a degree of comfort.
Midnight
"Next stop, Iwatodai Station."
Minato snapped back to reality and was surprised to see the moon had already risen high into the night sky. He pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen, checking for the time.
Already this late? Minato raised an eyebrow in mild shock. I expected to arrive earlier. Oh well.
Minato dismissed those thoughts and placed his hands back into his pockets, waiting for the train to arrive at the station. In the distance the city lights of Iwatodai could be seen, a sight that Minato seemed to recognize. Minato frowned at the feeling of nostalgia, finding it odd that he even recognized some of the buildings after spending such a long time away from the city. The station came into view as the train crossed over the ocean, moonlight gleaming off the dark water below.
Minato glanced towards the front rail car and watched as a man pulled a lever, the train coming to a slow and smooth stop, shortly followed by the announcement, "We have arrived at Iwatodai Station. This is the final stop for this line. Iwatodai Station."
The doors opened and Minato shuffled out, his legs lacking feeling from standing still for too long. Pausing after a few meters Minato pulled out the dorm pamphlet once more and checked the address.
Nearby a clock ticked. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. The clock struck twelve.
The scenery changed. The lighting took on an eerie, yellow-green glow, where pedestrians once stood coffins rose, puddles were tinged a deep blood-red. The scenery wasn't the only thing that had changed. The atmosphere itself seemed to grow heavier, more oppressive than the lively atmosphere of a metropolis.
Minato glanced around, taking in the change with calm eyes. He sighed, disheartened. My music stopped playing. Removing the speakers from his ears Minato walked out of the station and made his way towards the dorm, not taking a second glance at the coffins that crowded the streets. A pale yellow moon that was dozens of times larger than normal dominated the sky, casting the city in it's sickly yellow light.
Minato could never get used to walking during this time. Cities that normally were bustling with pedestrians, vehicles, and television monitors grew disturbingly silent, enough that Minato could hear his normally quiet footsteps echoing between the buildings. He always had to be mindful of the coffins that crowded the sidewalks, he could recall a few times when he'd walk straight into one and receive an unsightly bump on his head as a keepsake.
Having gotten slightly lost it took a little under an hour into his uncomfortable walk for Minato to arrive at his destination, stopping in front of the four story tall building that loomed over him. A tingle went down Minato's spine but he ignored it and climbed the few steps leading to the door. With a twist of the brass handle Minato pushed the wood door open and stepped inside, greeted by an empty, dark lobby.
To the left was a reception desk, made of shiny lacquered wood with a lamp and basic office necessities. On Minato's right directly across from the reception desk was a television with a sofa, a few armchairs, and a coffee table. Beyond that was a long dining table, and the right corner of the lobby was occupied by small kitchen. To finish his observations a circular stair case took up the left corner.
No welcoming party? Ah. Cake sounds good now. Minato could almost already taste it.
"You're late."
Minato turned left towards the voice, surprised to find that it belonged to a small boy leaning on his elbows behind the reception counter.
Here's the welcoming party, Minato thought with a slight smile forming at the corner of his lips.
"I've been waiting a long time for you," the boy said, a mysterious light within his pale blue eyes.
"Sorry about that. The train was behind schedule," Minato explained, the emptiness he felt in his stomach seeming to grow larger. Now show me the cake!
The boy snapped his fingers, disappeared, and was suddenly in front of Minato who, to his credit, didn't take a step back in surprise. "Now," the boy smiled and gestured to a folder on the counter, "If you want to proceed, please sign your name here."
Minato shrugged and opened the folder, revealing a single page. A pen was already in his hands and a click later he was ready to sign. I'll sign anything if it gets me the cake.
"It's a contract," the boy explained, "Don't worry, all it says is that you'll accept full responsibility for your actions. You know, the usual stuff."
Minato quickly scanned the "contract," and verified that it was as the boy said. He had at least some sense in wanting to know what it was he was signing.
Only one line composed the contract: "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will."
Minato chuckled, amused at the contract's sole condition. After all, if fate was real he'd have a say in the matter.
The boy took the folder and held it close to his chest. "Did you know? No one can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make anything go away." The boy moved the folder in front of his face and it disappeared.
Minato's mouth opened slightly. That was a pretty cool magic trick.
"You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes." The boy began to fade into the background, as if melting into the darkness that was characteristic of this odd time. "And so it begins."
He faded completely, and it took Minato a second to realize that the boy was no longer there. Minato made it a point that next time he saw the boy he was going to ask how he did that.
"Who's there?" A voice rang out.
Minato spun around to see a girl with shoulder length brown hair standing at the base of the stairs, eyes wide in surprise at Minato's presence. She was dressed in a pink sweater with a loose red ribbon, a black skirt, and a heart-shaped choker around her neck.
For a moment Minato panicked. As far as he knew he was the only one who could traverse during this time. Never before had he met an individual who could do the same. How is this person going to react? What causes this phenomenon? How long have they experienced it? Questions such as these flowed in an instant before a single one dominated Minato's thoughts: Are they a threat?
"You... How can you be... But it's..." The girl's eyes narrowed as she examined Minato more closely. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Don't tell me..."
Minato observed her heavy breathing, aggressive stance, and the holster strapped to her right thigh. Wait… a holster? And a gun?! Minato felt his eyes widen subconsciously, his heart began to beat slightly faster and blood flowed under more pressure through his veins. His mind grew clearer and he bent slightly at the knees, his vision becoming sharper as he prepared to move. Taking in the tension that was in the girl's body, the stiffening muscles that would slow her movement, the trickle of sweat that dripped down her attractive face, Minato ran a thousand scenarios through his mind determining what he would do depending on her next move.
Minato met her eyes and his thought processes froze, recognizing the emotion that was dwelling in them: fear. She's scared. Of me? No, that can't be. She's the one with the gun. If anyone were to be afraid here it should be him. In an unknown environment met with an unknown individual, anything could happen in this scenario and all the advantages belonged to her.
The girl reached for the gun, her fingers brushing against the cool metal-
"Wait, Takeba." An authoritative voice called out from the floor above, stopping the girls' movement.
The brown haired girl turned to look up the stairs, eyes wide. "But, Kirijo-senpai…"
Minato barely managed to keep his surprise to himself. The name "Kirijo" was a big one in Japan and around the globe. The Kirijo Group was a multinational company that operated on a global scale and had a tie to almost every product that was used on a daily basis. If the Kirijo mentioned here was one and the same Minato just met someone who wielded an unquestionable amount of power and influence around the world.
"Don't worry," the 'Kirijo-senpai' said, "We're expecting him. I didn't think it was necessary to inform you."
Just as she finished saying this that hour ended. Minato could make out the faint music that came from his earphones around his neck and the lights around the lobby turned back on, illuminating the previously dark room.
The brunette girl visibly relaxed as the lights came on, and with the uncertainty of danger gone Minato relaxed as well and stood up straight once more. His heart rate quickly returned to its normal, steady rhythm. Leave it to the presence of light to beat away fear of the unknown.
The speaker became visible as they descended from the second floor. It was a girl with brilliant red hair that flowed past her shoulders dressed in a white blouse with the same red ribbon and black skirt as the other girl. "My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. I'm one of the students who lives in this dorm. I didn't expect you to arrive so late."
Still on his guard Minato replied coolly, giving the same explanation he did earlier, "I apologize. The train was behind schedule due to a system malfunction." He paused for a moment before adding, "I suppose I should have informed you of the delay."
Mitsuru waved a hand, indicating that such an act wasn't entirely necessary or expected.
"So who's he?" the girl with the gun asked as she gave Minato a critical eye, caution still apparent within her voice.
"He's a transfer student, Takeba. It was a last minute decision to assign him here," Mitsuru explained, "He'll eventually be moved to a room in the boy's dormitory after all the paperwork is sorted out."
The girl with brown hair looked at him with suspicion, obviously trying to decide how she should treat him. It was strange how paperwork held someone in a certain place for extended periods of time.
Minato stared blankly back, although behind his facade he was slightly concerned. Whoa. Dangerous eyes there. Although they do have a nice look in them.
"Is it okay for him to be here?" The 'Takeba' asked the red head. "I mean, he arrived during that time."
Mitsuru shrugged dismissively, but Minato could see her eyes running calculations as she looked at him. "I guess we'll have to wait and see. This is Takeba Yukari," Mitsuru gestured to the brunette, "She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."
"Hey," Yukari said, her voice still tense.
Minato didn't find her tensity strange at all. He was just as surprised as she was to meet someone during that time. He gave her a bow as if it were natural. "Arisato Minato. Nice to meet you."
"Uh, y-yeah…" Minato's bow had caught Yukari off guard, and she stiffly returned the gesture wondering who bowed nowadays. "Nice to meet you too…"
One corner of Mitsuru's mouth rose slightly, amused at Yukari's stiff bow. "It's getting late and I'm sure you had a long journey here. You must be tired, so you should get some rest," Mitsuru addressed the blue haired teenager as she handed Yukari a key. "Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway. Your belongings arrived earlier today and should already be there. Takeba, if you would."
Yukari looked slightly uncomfortable, glancing back and forth between Mitsuru and Minato. "Oh… Sure. Follow me. I'll show you the way."
Yukari began ascending the stairs and Minato quickly fell in behind her after bidding Mitsuru good night.
"You know," Minato began after a couple moments of silence, "You didn't have to show me the way if you didn't want to. Kirijo-senpai's directions were adequate enough."
Yukari gave him a cursory glance over her shoulder, the smile on her face obviously forced. "A-Ah. Well it's not that I mind showing you where your room is, it's just that…" Her voice trailed off as she left her thought unfinished.
Minato immediately noted that the two girls he just met weren't on the best of terms, and approached the situation in a different manner. "If you don't want to tell me whatever it is that's on your mind, I'm not asking you to. I was just saying that you didn't have to take it upon yourself to escort me to my room, even if it was a request."
They reached the second floor and Yukari walked into the hall to the right. On the landing was enough space for a couple vending machines, a small table, and a few potted plants. A rather nice communal area for a dormitory.
"R-Right. Well, this is it." I'm glad he's not pressing me about it. Yukari stopped in front of a door and unlocked it with the key Mitsuru had given her, and handed the thin piece of metal to Minato. "Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since it's right at the end of the hall. Oh yeah, make sure you don't lose your key, or you'll never here the end of it. Any questions?"
Minato nodded as he mindlessly tossed the key in his hand. "Does that kid live here too?" Minato found it curious as to why such a young boy would be living in a high school dorm such as this.
Confusion flashed across Yukari's face. "What kid?"
Minato caught the key in a fist and stopped tossing it, taking a brief second to think. "Ah… Never mind. It's nothing." Minato said slowly, knowing instantly he had made a blunder. Guess I can't ask about his cool magic trick.
"Oooookay?" Yukari murmured uncertainly, wondering what the heck this guy was talking about. "Hey, uh... do you mind if I ask you something?"
"You kind of already did," Minato pointed out.
"What? O-Oh. Right. On your way here from the station, was everything, you know, okay?"
"Yeah," Minato carefully said, "Oh, but my mp3 did stop working once I got off the train though."
"I-Is that so? That's good." Yukari let out a silent sigh of relief. Thank goodness that was all. "Never mind, then. Well it's getting late so I'd better get going. I'll see you in the morning." Yukari began to walk away, but stopped and turned around. "Oh, if you need anything I'm on the third floor. Good night."
"Good night," Minato replied. He watched until Yukari disappeared as she ascended to the third floor.
Minato shook his head and opened the door, examining his room. A bed, desk, mini fridge- Thank goodness for the mini fridge. Minato felt like his day had been made but his face remained stoic as always. Then he saw a few remaining dust particles, and a vein visibly twitched.
A few minutes later Minato unpacked his bags that had arrived prior, and quickly organized his room.
Ah. Minato had a sudden thought just as he climbed into bed. I didn't get any cake.
4/7/2009
Early Morning
Yukari stood in front of Minato's door and knocked three times. "It's Yukari, are you awake?"
A voice came from within, "Yeah. Just give me a moment."
The door opened shortly after, Minato leaving the door ajar as he continued his final preparations.
Yukari tilted her head ever so slightly, observing Minato with a calmer mind set than the night before. I didn't notice yesterday because I was so on edge, but he has an interesting hair color. "Good morning. Did you sleep okay?
Minato glanced at her as he continued packing school supplies into his bag. "Yeah. The air was a little stale so I just opened the window over night."
Yukari scanned the room and frowned slightly, wondering if that was all he did since the room looked somewhat... cleaner. "I see. Kirijo-senpai asked me to take you to school. It's getting late, so we should probably try to leave soon. Are you ready?" Yukari watched as Minato patted his pockets and searched his bag, double checking that he had everything in order.
Minato walked over to his desk and placed his mp3 and headphones around his neck. I can't forget these. "Yeah, I'm ready."
Yukari nodded, satisfied. "Sounds good. Then let's get going."
Morning
Yukari stared outside the window of the monorail, glancing every now and then at Minato, who was listening to his music and had his eyes closed, effectively denying any and all attempt to hold a conversation with him.
He could be a little more social and at least try to talk to me. Standing here not saying anything is kind of uncomfortable. Yukari looked around and saw other Gekkoukan High students crowding the monorail, and noticed that more than a few were glancing in their direction. Oh no... This isn't going to be good.
"So is there a reason why we take the monorail, Takeba-san?" Minato asked.
"Huh?" Yukari's attention was drawn back to Minato, who still had his eyes closed. She began to wonder if it had just been her imagination.
"I asked why we're taking the monorail. We live in a school owned dorm so shouldn't the school be within walking distance?" Minato reformatted the question, opening his eyes as he did so.
The fact that he started a conversation was strangely reassuring to Yukari as she quickly explained. "Well the school itself is on the man-made island Tatsumi Port Island, so we have to take the monorail from the main city to the school." Yukari added jokingly, "Unless you can walk on water."
Minato smirked, his competitive nature getting the better of him. "I'm game to try."
Yukari laughed softly, knowing from just his expression that he'd really do it. "I'd like to see that one day."
Yukari's gaze moved to the window, and Minato followed suite.
"This is actually my favorite part," Yukari said as the monorail began it's journey across the water. "It feels like you're gliding over the sea."
"Very poetic," Minato said simply.
Yukari raised an eyebrow. "Are you making fun of me, Arisato-san?"
"Just an observation," Minato yielded, finding it wise to make the small retreat.
Giving a soft smile Yukari continued, "Our stop is Port Island Station at the end of this line. From there we walk to the school."
Just then the school came into view, and Yukari was impressed with her sense of timing. "Speaking of which, Minato, see? That's Gekkoukan High."
Yukari pointed and Minato followed her finger, seeing the white buildings that unmistakably made up a school. The glass windows and doors framed by the white marble was certainly more attractive than Minato's most recent school, which smelled of rotting wood. "Looks lovely. Are those sakura trees in the front?"
Yukari looked at the blue haired boy more carefully, finding him more interesting at every passing moment. There weren't many people that would find that small detail noteworthy. "Can't be spring without sakura trees, right?"
It may have been her imagination, but Yukari thought she saw a blue butterfly beyond the window for a moment.
"Yukari-chan, good morning!"
"Good morning!"
Minato watched with interest as Yukari was bombarded with greetings. So she's quite popular, huh? I guess that isn't too surprising given that she's cute.
Yukari spun around to face Minato, giving him a dazzling smile. "Well, this is it. Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. Hope you like it."
"…" Minato's mind went blank as the brunette seemed to sparkle. Maybe it was too early in the morning for him.
Yukari looked at Minato, slightly puzzled as to why he was standing there with a blank expression on his face. "Oi, what are you spacing out for? Let's go."
Yukari grabbed Minato by the collar and dragged him into the school lobby. Geez, do I have to baby sit this guy? "You're okay from here, right?"
Minato nodded, slightly unnerved by the volume of people currently in the lobby, the majority crowded in front of what appeared to be a bulletin board. "I'll go to the Faculty Office and see my home room teacher first."
"Ah, the Faculty Office is on the left over there." Yukari pointed to the hallway to the left of the shoe lockers. Thank goodness he isn't completely hopeless.
"Thanks." And with that Minato headed for the Faculty Office. There was no sense in waiting for a more opportune time to present itself.
"Hey…" Yukari stopped him. She had one last thing to say.
Minato stopped in his tracks and turned around, curiosity in his eyes.
"About last night… Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay? I'll see you later."
Minato watched her, confused, as she went up to the second floor. What I saw? Did I see something I wasn't supposed to?
Still contemplating this Minato went to the Faculty Office and entered, a female teacher soon greeting him.
"Oh, are you the new student?"
"Yes," Minato gave a bow, "Arisato Minato. Eleventh grade. Good to meet you."
The teacher searched for his file, finally holding it up triumphantly before opening and reading his file.
"Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places…" The female teacher noted, amazed at the extensive list, "Tokyo, Inaba, even Hiroshima… In 1999, that was what, ten years ago? You lived here in Iwatodai before your parents- Oh… I'm sorry." The teacher looked up to Minato, concerned that she had carelessly approached a sensitive subject.
"You don't have to say anything more," Minato gave a forgiving smile. He had grown accustomed to this kind of situation throughout his years.
"Ah. Sorry. I've been so busy I didn't have time to read this beforehand. I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition to the second years. Welcome to our school." Ms. Toriumi extended her hand.
Minato took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze.
With introductions finally complete Ms. Toriumi checked another file on her desk. "Let's see… You are in classroom 2-F; that's my class."
"I'll be in your care," Minato gave another slight bow. Well, that's only natural given that you're the one who is greeting me and reading my file.
"But first we need to go to the auditorium. The welcoming ceremony will be starting soon. If you will follow me."
"As you begin the new school year, I'd like each and every one of you to remember the proverb: 'If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.' When applied to student life, this means..."
Minato sat and listened to the Principal's opening sentence, then immediately began to tune him out, finding that the monotone voice accompanied by the tedious speech would quickly lure him to sleep. Hm… maybe I should listen if that's the case…
"Hey… Transfer student…" A voice whispered from behind.
Minato glanced at the male student behind him who was leaning forward, using his eyes more than his head.
"You came to school with Yukari this morning, right? I saw you two walking together."
Minato gave a slow confirmatory nod. Yes, we live in the same dorm.
"Hey, I have a question."
You already asked one. Minato's eyes already gave off the impression that he was annoyed.
"Do you know if she has a boyfriend?"
Minato answered easily through gritted teeth. "I don't know." How could I know? We just met last night.
"Oh… I see. I thought you might know, but… I guess not."
Minato mentally sighed. I don't see how you could come to that conclusion, but okay?
"So, how well do you know her?"
Minato just stared at him. What the hell is up with these people and their endless questions?
Thankfully a teacher chose that moment to speak up. "I hear talking. And I believe it's someone in Ms. Toriumi's class."
"Shh!" Ms. Toriumi addressed her class indiscriminately, "Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!"
After School
The final bell rang and Minato began to gather his belongings, placing them meticulously in his bag when a voice called out to him.
"'Sup dude!?"
Minato turned towards the speaker, a tall classmate that wore a blue baseball cap and had a goatee, whom Minato recognized as the student who sat behind him to his right.
"How's it goin'?"
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Minato felt slightly uncomfortable at this persons sudden familiarity.
"Me?" The boy with the baseball cap pointed at his face. "I'm Iori Junpei. You can call me Junpei. Nice to meet ya." Junpei cracked a friendly smile before continuing. "I transferred here when I was in Eighth Grade, so I know how tough it is bein' the new kid… It will take a while to get used to."
Not really, Minato thought, I've transferred more times then I care to remember. "Ah… Thanks," Minato said regardless of his inner thoughts, not wanting to get off as being rude or unappreciative.
"See what a nice guy I am?" Junpei smiled and nodded as if he were congratulating himself.
"At it again, Stupei?"
Minato looked behind Junpei and saw Yukari approaching, her hands held in front of her.
Junpei swung around. "Hey, it's Yuka-tan! I didn't think we'd be in the same class again."
Eh? Stupei? Yuka-tan? Childhood friends? Minato calmed down after remembering how friendly Junpei had been from the start.
Yukari sighed, "I swear, you'll talk to anyone if they'll lend you an ear. Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"
Junpei looked flabbergasted. "Me? Bothering someone? Come on! I was just bein' friendly!"
Yukari gave him a doubtful look. "If you say so." She turned towards Minato and gave him a slight smile. "Looks like we're in the same home room, Arisato-san. I was a little surprised. What a coincidence, huh?"
Minato nodded, giving her a slight smile. "Quite the coincidence." Not that I can be displeased about already knowing a classmate.
"So how was your first day at school?" Yukari asked. "Didn't go too terribly I hope."
"I've had much worst," Minato offered and left their imaginations to play the rest out.
"Really? I'll have to make it a point to hear those stories then."
Junpei jumped back into the conversation. "Um… You know I'm here too, right?"
"And?" Yukari and Minato said in sync.
Yukari and Minato looked at each other in surprise before Yukari laughed lightly and Minato gave a slight smile.
Ah. She laughed. Minato's smile unconsciously grew marginally larger.
So he can smile. He would look better if he smiled more. Yukari didn't notice that her eyes became gentler.
Junpei looked back and forth between the two, immediately picking up on the atmosphere. A mischievous smile broke out across his face. "By the way, I heard you two came to school together this morning. What's up with that? C'mon, gimme the dirt!"
Minato watched as Yukari's face was plastered with a mixture of horror and anger, her cheeks turning slightly amber. Uh-oh…
"Wh-What're you talking about?" Yukari smacked Junpei on the arm, hard.
Ouch… sounded like it hurt. Minato made a mental note to do his utmost best not to piss her off.
"We live in the same dorm!" Yukari continued, "There's nothing going on, okay?!"
Junpei was hidden by his arms that were raised in defense. "Hahaha… Alright, alright I got it. Now will you stop hitting me?"
Yukari turned to Minato with an expression that made him think, This can't be good…
"Hey… You didn't say anything about… you know what, did you?"
Minato furrowed his eyebrows. "'You know what?'" Minato repeated.
"D-Don't tell me you forgot already!? Seriously…" Yukari's voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned closer, "Don't you dare say anything about last night, alright? Or I'll skin you alive."
Minato shivered despite the warm weather.
Unfortunately for both of them, Junpei leaned in just as Yukari began to whisper. "E-Eh? L-Last night? What the heck happened last night?" Junpei's face was half mischief, half disbelief.
Yukari's face turned crimson.
Ah… Junpei did it now. Minato silently prayed for his new acquaintances painless death.
"W-Wait! Don't get the wrong idea!" Yukari stammered, panicking, "I just met him yesterday, and there's absolutely nothing between us! You hear me Stupei?!"
"Pffft…"
Junpei and Yukari looked at Minato, who was shaking and clutching his stomach.
"Hahahahaha... You two get along really well don't you?" Minato laughed, failing to hold it in anymore, a genuine smile on his face. Minato was relieved as he noticed the tension between the two disappear.
"Well, I've gotta go," Yukari said, seeking an escape route, "I've got some things to take care of for the archery club."
She turned towards Junpei, a dangerous light in her eyes. "You better not start any rumors."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Yukari walked out of the classroom, and Junpei let out a sigh of relief. "No one takes rumors seriously. She's so paranoid. But hey!" Junpei slapped Minato lightly on the back, "It's your first day here and people are already talking about you!"
Yay… Just what Minato wanted.
"Believe it or not, she's actually pretty popular!"
Ah… that confirms it. Minato grunted.
Junpei's face grew mischievous once more. "Hehehe… This is gonna be a fuuuuuuun year. I can just feel it!"
I can't. Minato stood up and walked out of the classroom.
Evening
Yukari and Mitsuru sat inside the command room, which was located on the fourth floor of the dormitory, watching the monitors mounted on the wall when the door opened.
They both turned and saw Sanada Akihiko, the popular silver-haired twelfth grader in his signature red vest, walk in.
"Hey, I'm going out for a bit," Akihiko pointed a thumb over his shoulder, "Just thought I'd let you guys know."
"… hm?" Mitsuru tore her eyes away from the monitors and looked at her long time friend.
"Didn't you see the newspaper?" Akihiko asked, concerned that Mitsuru was out of the loop. "There's a lot going on."
Mitsuru nodded knowingly. "I know, Akihiko. There's been a large increase in people developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome. The media reports it's due to stress, but…"
"Yeah… It has to be them," Akihiko spat. "Otherwise it ain't worth my time."
Concern flashed across Mitsuru's fine features. "Will you be okay on your own? You tend to become... tunnel visioned... The Chairmain will be here for the next few days, but after that I can..."
Akihiko smirked, emitting an aura of confidence. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm just getting a little practice." With that Akihiko walked out, closing the door quietly behind him.
Mitsuru returned to watching the monitors, whispering to herself, "This isn't a game, Akihiko…"
A few minutes later the door opened once more, this time an older man in a light brown suit strode in.
"Ah, Ikutsuki-san. What are you doing here?" Yukari asked, surprised at the mans unannounced visit and unaware of Mitsuru's recent statement about his presence.
"Well, I just couldn't resist my curiosity about this new student. How's he doing?" Ikutsuki pointed at the monitors.
"He went to bed a little while ago. He's asleep now," Mitsuru reported, all business. She paused, before asking with a degree of concern, "Mr. Chairman, do you think he's…"
The Chairman pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, contemplating. "Hmm… Well let's wait and see for now. The Dark Hour is approaching."
4/8/2009
After School
"Welcome back."
Minato blinked a few times as Yukari waved to him from the sofa in the dorm lobby. "H-Hey... Takeba-san."
"So, this is our new guest..."
A man Minato didn't recognize stood up from the nearest armchair and walked towards him. He was wearing a light brown suite, wire frame glasses, and a certain air of... awkwardness to him.
"Good evening. My name is Shuuji Ikutsuki and I'm the Chairman of the Board at Gekkoukan High. Please," Ikutsuki gestured towards the sofa that Yukari was seated in. "Have a seat."
"Of course," Minato complied, figuring that he couldn't exactly refuse the Chairman of the Board's request. Even if it were a simple one.
Ikutsuki sat down in his original seat, leaning forward with his hands folded. "I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"
"What are you doing here?" Minato was sure that the Chairman of the Board wouldn't stop by a student dorm just to say that his room assignments would take a while to come through. There had to be more to it.
"To greet you, of course," Ikutsuki said. Under Minato's unwavering gaze, however, he seemed to relent a little. "Well, to be honest, I do have other business to attend to here. Speaking of which, where's Mitsuru, Yukari?"
Minato raised an eyebrow at Ikutsuki's casual use of Mitsuru's and Yukari's first names but said nothing.
"She's upstairs on the fourth floor in the... you know."
"As diligent as always. Although it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello, does it?" Ikutsuki made a pained expression before turning to Minato. "Anyways, I hope you have a successful school year. Now, if you'll both excuse me..."
Ikutsuki stood up and headed to the stairs, still speaking as he did so. "You should consider going to sleep soon. As they say, the early bird catches the bookworm. Please... do forgive the bad pun." The man's awkward chuckling faded as he disappeared upstairs.
Yukari let out a deep sigh, her face buried in her hands. She peeked out form behind them, saying, "You'll get used to his lame jokes. I promise."
Minato's eyebrows shot up as he pointed at the stairs where Ikutsuki had just gone, his voice thick with disbelief. "That was supposed to be a joke?"
Yukari giggled cutely at his tone. "I'm afraid so, Arisato-san. I'm afraid so."
Dark Hour
A clock struck twelve, and the bustling city that never went quiet grew eerily so, coffins populated the street, and the full moon took on a sick shade of green and grew larger.
Ikutsuki rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He's still sleeping. And still in his human form instead of transmogrifying into a coffin, which means he's experiencing the Dark Hour."
The two students listened quietly.
"The only question that remains is whether or not he has the Potential," Ikutsuki continued, "Although, he must… Or they would have preyed on him by now. Continue monitoring him for a few more days, and inform me of any irregularities."
"Yes, sir," Mitsuru said.
Yukari shifted in her seat before speaking timidly, "Hey um... Should we really be doing this? I mean, I feel kinda bad. We're spying on him as if he were a guinea pig or something."
"It's necessary to determine if he really has the Potential. Although he is a very interesting subject," Ikutsuki observed as he watched Minato's brain waves, "Even those who have the Potential tend to be unstable at first. Memory loss, disorientation… He hasn't exhibited any of the usual signs or symptoms."
The command console started beeping and Mitsuru quickly pressed a button.
"Akihiko? Is that you?" Mitsuru's voice thick with worry.
"You're not gonna believe this. This thing is huge!" Akihiko's voice said over the speaker, sounding out of breath.
Yukari was surprised; there wasn't much that could make Akihiko-senpai out of breath.
"Unfortunately I don't have time to talk… It's chasing me. I wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there." The communication cut off, leaving the room quiet.
Yukari stood up, startled as realization dawned on her. "W-Wait…Does that mean he's bringing that thing here?!"
Mitsuru turned towards the Chairman. "Sir, let's suspend our observation for now. Takeba, prepare for battle."
"Y-Yes!"
The sound of the front doors slamming open caused all three of them to rush downstairs. When they reached the first floor they saw Akihiko leaning against the door, clutching his arm.
"Senpai?" Yukari cried out.
"I-I'm alright," Akihiko said, wincing, "Get ready to be surprised. It'll be here any second."
Ikutsuki finally caught up to them. "Is it one of them, Akihiko?"
Akihiko gave a pained smile. "Yes, but not an ordinary one. This one is much bigger."
The building shook, causing all of them look around, and Yukari gave a yelp in surprise. Whatever could shake the entire building could not be good.
Upstairs someone stirred.
Mitsuru began barking out commands. "Mr. Chairman, head for the command room! Takeba, go upstairs and wake Arisato, then escape out the back. Akihiko, you and I will stop it here. Even though you're injured, you still have to fight."
"Ha… I wouldn't accept it any other way," Akihiko stood up, still holding his arm, "Yukari, you have your orders. Get going."
"Y-Yes!"
Yukari ran up the stairs in record time and skidded to a stop in front of his door.
She began banging on his door, shouting, "Hey, wake up!"
Yukari was returned with silence. "I-I'm sorry, but I'm coming in!" Yukari forced his door open after fumbling for the handle and stumbled inside, off balance.
Suddenly she felt a pressure on her arm and her feet were swept under her, and the next thing Yukari knew was that she was face first on the carpet, her left arm held behind her back and something heavy pinned her down.
Eh? Yukari looked behind her and saw a silhouette on top of her, a blue eye glowing brightly in the darkness. "A-Arisato-san?"
The glowing blue eye slowly dimmed, as if realization was returning.
"Takeba-san?" Minato's voice asked, "A-Ah. Sorry about this." Minato got off of her and helped Yukari to her feet.
What just happened? Yukari shook her head; she didn't have the luxury to think of such things at the moment. "Come on, we have to get out of here. Do you have anything that could be used as a weapon?"
Minato raised an eyebrow at the question, but nonetheless reached under his bed and pulled out a timber bamboo shinai.
"Okay, let's go!" Yukari grabbed Minato's sleeve and started running down the hall.
"Hey! What's going on?" Minato demanded as they were about to go down to the lobby.
Mitsuru's voice broke through the coms. "Takeba, this is Mitsuru. Do you hear me?"
"Yes! I hear you!"
"Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw! And forget escaping through the backdoor, they're right outside."
"What?!" Yukari slowed to a stop. "What are we going to do?"
Minato grabbed Yukari's sleeve this time and ran up the stairs, the building shaking even more violently than before.
"I-It's getting closer!" Yukari screamed.
"Don't think about it! Just keep moving!" Minato yelled, running up the stairs even faster, practically dragging Yukari.
They reached the rooftop door and crashed into it, the door giving in and the two of them stumbling onto the ground.
Yukari lay there, panting and out of breath. Aaaaaahhhhh… I'm so tired. The sprint up the stairs had really taken something out of her. "I… I think we're okay for now," Yukari said as she rolled onto her back and looked at Minato.
Minato was standing in a stance with his shinai in hand, staring intently at the edge of the roof.
"Arisato-san?" Yukari shakily rose to her feet. How… is he not at the very least tired?
The building shook rhythmically, growing more intense as if something were drawing closer and closer.
A large, black hand reached over the edge, and another, and another, until a few dozen had grabbed onto the ledge and began pulling something up.
A blue mask with the Roman Numeral I was held in one of the hands, and soon the entire body of the creature was visible.
It resembled a spider, except there were no bulbous sections and the hands were merely connected to each other by a black mass in the center.
"It's a Shadow!" Yukari cried out, the fear evident in her voice. She had only heard of them from Mitsuru and Akihiko, and didn't expect to see one so soon.
Minato currently stood in front of her, his body tensing.
No… Mitsuru-senpai asked me to protect him. Not the other way around. Yukari pushed herself in front of Minato as the Shadow pulled out dozens of swords from within itself.
"Takeba-san?" Minato asked, bewildered at her action.
With a shaking hand Yukari pulled the handgun out of its holster and held it against the center of her forehead. Yukari's breathing grew even more hectic than before, her vision blurring and her balance shifting even though she stood still.
The creature charged forward at blinding speed, moving faster than the mind could comprehend.
"Takeba-san..." Minato spoke with greater urgency. "If you're going to do something do it now!"
Come on… Pull the trigger! Yukari's finger twitched.
The Shadow was eight meters away and growing closer by the moment.
I have to pull the trigger! I don't want to die! Yukari shut her eyes tightly.
"Move!"
Something pushed her aside and she rolled several meters before coming to a stop. The snapping of wood caught her attention as she looked up and watched in horror as Minato deflected a single slash from the Shadow only to have his shinai splinter into a million pieces. Another sword was already coming in from Minato's blind side-
"Arisato-san!" Yukari felt her throat constrict as she shut her eyes to save herself from the horrifying image of someone being cut in half.
"Takeba-san run!"
The next thing Yukari knew Minato was by her side, trying to get her on her feet.
"Come on! We have to move now!"
Yukari looked beyond Minato and saw the Shadow was already bringing a sword up for another attack.
Minato cursed and shielded her with his own body. The sword was a silver arc as it slammed into both of them.
Yukari was sent flying to the right, rolling and slamming into the ledge with an impact that knocked the wind out of her. Yukari's side burned and she tasted iron in her throat. She drew a ragged breath and stopped as she felt a piercing pain as her lungs expanded. A fractured rib at least… I'll be lucky if it isn't broken. She opened her eyes and four meters in front of her Minato was struggling to stand. Her vision was hazy and she watched as he stood up shakily, blood oozing from his back and a silver handgun in his grasp.
"No! Arisato-san don't!" Yukari cried, fearing the worst.
As if he were possessed Minato pressed the handgun to his temple and spoke the word that came easily to his lips. "Per… so… na…"
Yukari's vision finally cleared just as Minato pulled the trigger, his head moving to the side as if he had actually been shot.
A terrifying smile broke out across Minato's face, a single, glowing blue eye burning brightly in the night as he was enveloped in blue light, shattered blue glass flying out from within.
Yukari felt a chill down her spine, yet at the same time, she felt exhilarated. Ari…sa…to… Yukari watched as a large blue circle expanded in front of Minato's feet, a head, shoulders, torso, an entire body rose out of the ground.
"Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am the Master of Strings, Orpheus!" An inhuman voice cried out as the humanoid floated above the ground, easily five meters tall.
As Yukari looked closer she saw that Orpheus closely resembled Minato, the same hairstyle and facial structure, except its hair was pure white. Its body appeared to be entirely mechanical, and on its back was a large, silver lyre.
Minato's terrifying smile quickly turned into one of pain as he clutched his head and cried out as if he were being torn apart from the inside.
Orpheus mimicked Minato's every movement, when suddenly all of Orpheus' limbs and head shrank into its torso and a pair of white hands emerged where the neck was.
The torso shifted, and was torn apart as a different Persona burst from within.
White gloved hands, a black robe, dozens of chains and coffins that spread out from its shoulders like wings, and a white mask that could only be described as Death.
A primeval roar erupted from the Persona, piercing the night sky and reverberating throughout the coffin riddled city.
"Wh-What on earth is that!?" Akihiko asked, stunned. Never before had he seen a Persona change shape, much less thought that such a thing was possible.
Mitsuru and Ikutsuki had no reply as they watched the monitors within the control room, speechless, enraptured by the power and fear that rolled off the Persona in waves.
The corner of Ikutsuki's mouth curled into a smile.
The Persona shot towards the Shadow, cutting through its black arms like butter with its large silver sword, taking a hold of the blue mask. With a single cut the mask was sliced cleanly in two and evaporated into a black smoke.
A single black hand remained writhing on the ground, lacking coordination as it had no purpose.
The Persona picked up the hand and squeezed, the hand bulging abnormally and popped, it too, evaporating into black smoke.
In the whole of three seconds the large, multi limbed Shadow was utterly decimated by the destructive urge of the even more frightening Persona. Even now it breathed heavily like a large predator having lost all reason.
Yukari blinked and the mysterious Persona was replaced by Orpheus, as if Orpheus had never disappeared.
She looked at Minato, whose arms were limply hanging by his side. The silver handgun fell from his grasp, impacting the ground as he collapsed with a thud and lay still. Orpheus shattered into blue, glass-like shards the moment Minato hit the concrete.
Yukari stood, ignoring the pain in her side as she stumbled towards the unmoving boy. One of her legs gave out under her but Yukari crawled, feeling an urge, no, a need, to be by this person's side. She was tired, her body ached, and her mind was foggy. What felt like an eternity later she was beside him. She managed to sit up beside him and lifted his head onto her lap. "Are you alright?" Yukari asked, praying for an answer.
No answer came from the young man's lips. Minato's face was pale, beaded with sweat. His breathing was shallow and his pulse was weak. The blood seeping from the wound on his back continued to flow.
"Come on," Yukari whispered, her voice thick with emotion, "Say something! Please…" Her chest felt like it was being twisted and squeezed by a vice. This was all her fault. If only she had been strong enough to summon her own Persona, this never would have happened. Minato would still be standing at this very moment if she hadn't been so afraid. Because of her own ineptitude someone she had only met lay injured in front of her. She was asked to protect him, but all she did was run away and have him protect her.
The rooftop door burst open, and taking great strides Akihiko quickly reached the two. "Are you guys okay?" Noticing Minato's condition Akihiko only hesitated for a brief moment before yelling into the com, "Mitsuru get medical personnel right now! He needs immediate attention! His pulse is-"
Yukari didn't notice her senpai as she shut her eyes tight, tears streaking down her face as her hands softly touched Minato's face. Please… Don't die on me like this…
Author's Notes/Musings
An edit of the original. Overall minor changes to the chapter, nothing major was done with the exception of a new, very short scene and a few minor changes to events compared to the original. I'm going to spend the next couple days doing the same to my currently released chapters before starting on the new ones, so please be patient with me. I am also playing the P3P version simultaneously, so the minor changes will occur as time progresses. Big plans for the Priestess fight that was cut, finally came up with something fun after all this time. Will get back to you guys with Operation Babe Hunt soon!