Author's Note: Big shout out to Ryzaki, TemptressOfDeceit and DropletofSour.
This is basically a retelling of the Female Path of P3P, who I have named Haruhi Yuki, but after watching the P3 movies, I got a little creative, so now it's kinda like P3P the Movie now. I also bumped the year up. Oh, this whole thing's a spoiler so if you haven't played P3P, you probably shouldn't be here. I'm doing 2 playthroughs on this, 1 normal and 1 NG+. I did some work on her personality. Can't guarantee you'll like it but hey, she'll definitely mature as the days go by.
As for weapons, I'm gonna have her be versatile like in P3 FES. The MC can do it. Why can't the FeMC? First, she'll start off with a sword, but don't worry all you naginata fans out there, it'll get its shine.
For her backstory? I'm just gonna say she's been living with her relatives in other cities of Japan until one of her relatives (who happens to have ties with the Kirijo Group) decides to send her back to Iwatodai. Weak story huh? It makes more sense than the other backstory I had in mind.
The story might get a little confusing because I constantly keep switching from Haruhi's perspective to an outside perspective so sorry if I confuse anyone because of it!
Oh yeah, can't forget the disclaimer! I don't own nothing of P3P. Not even the character. All of that belongs to Atlus. Only thing I own is my wacky imagination that ties in with the character like personality, backstory, name, etc... Seriously, don't come at me with them lawsuits and all that. I'm too stupid to deal with that stuff.
Now without further ado, enjoy.
EDIT: This got a rework, though you're probably not gonna notice anything different. Just a heads up. Also, how long have I been working on this reedit for. Jeez.
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...
Chapter 1: Welcome to Iwatodai!
(4/6/11)
"All I have to do... is just... put it to my head... and pull the trigger..."
A female high school student sits on her bed, clutching a gun, looking visibly scared. She shakily raises the gun to head.
"Just... pull the trigger..."
As her finger inches closer and closer to the trigger, she, at the last minute, throws the pistol away from her, breathing heavily.
"No...! I can't...!"
Elsewhere, inside the New City passenger train "Anehazuru"...
"Due to a fatal accident, train services are currently behind schedule. We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences. The next stop is Iwatodai."
Huh? A fatal accident...? I pulled out my phone for the time. 11:42? I'm running late as it is and now this happens? I sighed heavily. I just hope I can get to Iwatodai before midnight...
"Iwatodai. This is the final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island, please take care to board before our departure."
Now I just need to find the place before midnight... I made my way towards the exit.
Terminal Station, evening...
I stepped out of the train and pulled out my Gekkoukan High admission pamphlet to check the address. Apparently I was going to be living in the high school dorms. I wonder what those are like. I checked my phone again.
11:59? Oh no... I looked up and saw a sign.
"Important announcement: Due to a fatal accident, the schedule..."
*12:00?*
Too late. I couldn't read it all in time as I saw an all too familiar scene take place before my eyes. My surroundings being engulfed in a sinister shade of green, everything electronic completely shut off (except for my MP3. Why? I can't really explain that...), and everybody around me being turned into... coffins. At first it was noisy with everyone talking, but now that it's eerily quiet now I'd give anything to bring back the noise. I sighed. So much for making it before the midnight marker. Well, at least I got my music. I began walking through the blood soaked streets towards the dorms. When I got there, I took in the sight of it. So this is my new home. Four stories high, looked very nice, would look even nicer outside of this godforsaken hour. I opened the door and walked in.
Iwatodai Dorm, Inside...
Wow, looks as good on the inside as well as on the outside.
"You're late."
Huh? I saw a little boy in some kind of... jail suit? He was behind the welcome desk; He had grayish-bluish hair (what an odd choice for hair color) and these really large blue pupils. Why isn't he a coffin though...?
"I've been waiting for you for ages."
He then snapped his fingers and... teleported? He was now in front of me.
"If you want to proceed, please sign your name there," he directed me, pointing to the desk. "It's a sort of contract."
He was smiling at me. I looked over at the welcome desk and saw a piece of paper lying there.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," the creepy little boy continued. "It just says that you will accept responsibility for your decisions from now on. You know, typical contract stuff."
I went over to the desk and read the "contract".
I chooseth this fate of mine own free will?
This looks a bit worrying. Below the statement was a blank line to sign my name. I hurriedly scribbled in my name, Haruhi Yuki, and handed the "contract" back to him. There's no need to drag this out any further.
"It's true what they say," he said after he took the contract. "That time brings an end to all things. Even if we plug our ears and cover our eyes."
He waved his hand and made the "contract"... vanish? A million questions were racing through my head, but I knew there was no point in trying to get an answer for them.
"And so it begins..."
He then faded away into the darkness.
"What the...?"
I stared at the spot he was just standing at. What was that all about...? Tch, I'm more calm about this whole situation than I should be. Freakin' hour... With a sigh, I shook my head. At least he's gone now...
"Who are you!?"
Who was that!? I looked up and saw a girl about my age standing by the stairs. She had brown hair and was wearing a pink cardigan. She was staring really hard at me, breathing heavily through her mouth. She then reached for something that was on her leg. Wait, is that... a holster...? For a gun!?
"He-hey..." I stuttered, "What are you-"
"Wait, Takeba." an unknown voice commanded.
Huh? If we keep making this much noise, we're gonna wake up the whole town! Or whoever can actually sleep in this crazy hour. The first girl turned around as another girl came down the stairs. She was tall, with long dark reddish hair covering her left eye. She also looked older than me.
*12:01*
All of a sudden, the lights returned to normal. Huh, guess the hour's done.
"We were expecting you to arrive earlier," the older girl said, addressing me. "I'm Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."
"Why did she pick now of all times to show up?" the gun-toting girl asked.
You think I wanted to show up at this hour?
"It was a last minute decision to assign her here," the girl named Mitsuru told her. "She'll eventually be moved to a room in the normal dorm."
Wait, if this isn't a normal dorm, then what is this dorm then...?
"Is this a good idea?" asked the girl with the gun.
"We'll see," Mitsuru responded. "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."
"Hey, I'm Yukari."
I nodded. "Haruhi Yuki, nice to meet you."
She nodded back. "Yeah, nice to meet you too."
It's probably best to just let the gun thing slide so I decided to inquire about this 'abnormal' dorm.
"Sorry, I was just curious but, isn't this a normal dorm?"
"Huh!? Oh, uh... of course it is!" Yukari answered.
"Not quite," Mitsuru cut in. "It's a co-ed dorm, for one thing, and there are other differences as well. I'll explain later."
Why do I get the feeling there's a whole lot more than they're letting on...?
"It's getting late," she continued. "You'll find your room on the 3rd floor. Your things should already be there. I suggest you tuck in for the night. Takeba, show her the way."
She handed Yukari what I assume to be my room key, "I'll show you the way," she said. "Follow me."
I was too tired to complain so I just followed her up to the 3rd floor.
Dormitory, 3rd floor hallway, at the furthest door...
"This is it," Yukari stated. "pretty easy to remember, huh? Oh, and here's your room key."
"Thanks," I said, taking the key.
"Um, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"On the way here from the station, was everything okay?"
"Yeah," I responded. "Why?"
"Nothing, never mind," she said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. It's late enough as it is. I shouldn't be bothering you with these weird questions. Well, good night."
She turned to leave, but then I realized there was something I forgot to ask.
"Ah, hey!"
Damn it, I should've asked Mitsuru this earlier.
"Yeah?"
"Where's the showers?"
"Oh, they're on the top floor, right upstairs. Anything else you want to ask?"
"No, that's all. Thanks."
"Don't mention it. See you tomorrow."
She went back downstairs. Ugh, I could really use a shower right now. I went into my new room and noticed that I had a checkered pink blanket along with pink curtains. I quickly got a towel and some soap from my luggage and headed to the 4th floor. When I got up there, I saw the shower room and these 2 locked doors. Hmm, what's behind those doors...? Actually, no. MY SHOWER takes priority here. After I finished, I threw on my PJ's and flopped onto the bed. Finally...
(4/7/11)
Morning...
"I WILL BURN MY DREAD...!"
Ugh, is it morning already...? Damn, I barely got any sleep... I turned off my alarm and turned on the TV that was in my room, got changed, washed my face and started brushing my teeth. As I was brushing my teeth, I heard something interesting.
"...Witnesses report that the man had threw himself onto the path of the train, resulting in instant death..."
I spat out my toothpaste, and rinsed my mouth. Could this be the fatal accident from yesterday...? All of a sudden, I heard knocking on my door.
"Hey, it's Yukari! Are you awake yet?"
I wish I wasn't.
"Yeah, give me a sec!"
After I dried my hands and turned off the TV, I opened the door.
"Good morning! Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you to school. Are you ready to go?"
I shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be."
"Alright, let's get going then."
I grabbed my school bag and made my way to school with Yukari leading the way.
Gekkoukan High School...
After a short trip on the monorail, we found ourselves looking up at a tall building surrounded by cherry blossom trees. I just stood there taking in the scenery. It was really beautiful sight to be honest.
"Here we are!" Yukari announced. "Welcome to Gekkoukan High! I hope you like it here!"
I hope so too.
"Come on," she said, and we quickly went inside the school.
"You're okay from here, right?" Yukari asked me once we were inside.
"Should be."
"You should go see your homeroom teacher first though. The Faculty Office is right there to the left. This concludes our little tour," she added with a smile. "Do you have any questions before I go?"
"Nope, I don't think so."
Her expression then turned serious.
"Hey..." she began.
"Hm?"
"About last night... Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay?"
"Why would I?"
Who in their right mind would believe me about the world turning green and crap past midnight? Unless you were talking about that gun incident. I'm willing to put that aside for now.
"Alright, see ya later."
"See ya."
Yukari went off. I put my earphones in as I glanced at my surroundings. Hm? Seems like there's a bunch of people standing in front of something. I'm guessing that's where classes are posted. I made my way through the crowd. As soon as I reached the board, I started looking for my name.
…
…
…
…? That's weird. I can't seem to find my name here. Is it because I'm a new student? Maybe I should check again.
...
…
…
Here we go!
"Haruhi Yuki - Class F"
Class F huh? I wonder who else is going to be in it. I did another quick scan and apparently, I was in the same class with Yukari. Well, at least she's someone I'm familiar with. I quickly made my way to the faculty office.
Faculty Office...
As soon as I entered, I saw a brunette lady in the office, probably one of the teachers. She looked up from her paperwork, raising her eyebrow when she saw me. I took out my earphones.
"Oh, are you the new student?" she asked me.
I nodded, "Mm-hm."
She went to one of the drawers in the room and retrieved a file.
"Let's see, Haruhi Yuki... 2nd year, correct?" She began flipping through pages of my file. "Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places," she commented as she kept flipping through the pages. "Let's see... In 2002... That was what, 10 years ago? Your parents- "
She made a gasp. "I'm sorry... I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand."
So you just read it out loud for me to hear?
"I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition. Welcome to our school."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said with a slight nod.
"My, aren't you polite? Girls like you should be an example for others. Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in 2-F; that's my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me."
I followed Ms. Toriumi to the auditorium. Looks like the ceremony's about to start. I quickly took my spot and things took off from there. The principal took the stage. He was a short, stout, old man and the moment he opened his mouth, I immediately put my earphones on. He had that voice that'll put you to sleep. Huh? I can hear some guys behind me whispering something.
"I heard we got a transfer student."
"Yep, I've seen her, too. She came to school with Yukari."
Huh, seems like word of my arrival got out already. Well, it was to be expected.
"I hear talking," I heard a male teacher say.
Ah crap. I quickly took out my earphones.
"I believe it's someone in Ms. Toriumi's class..." he said, casting his gaze among the row of students.
"Shhh! Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!" I heard Ms. Toriumi say, hissing at the guys who were talking.
Whew, that was close. Once that guy was gone, I put my earphones back in. I just hope this thing doesn't last too long...
Homeroom, afternoon...
"Starting today, you are all second-year students," Ms. Toriumi was saying to the class. "Let's have a good year together. Oh, and don't do anything to get me into trouble, okay?"
Now why would we responsible young adults do such a thing?
"Alright, that's it for homeroom. All rise!"
The whole class rose.
"Bow!"
We all bowed. After that, the teacher left the room, signalling the end of the first school day.
"Sup, dude!?"
Ugh, here I was hoping to go through the day without anyone bothering me. For whatever reason, this goof wearing a baseball hat and goatee started invading my personal space.
"Man, you look like a deer in headlights." he said, laughing at me.
"What do you want?" I retorted.
He was quickly on the defensive, "Woah, woah, relax! Lemme introduce myself at least! The name's Junpei Iori, nice to meet ya. I transferred here when I was in 8th grade. I know how tough it is being the new kid."
You get used to it.
"So I thought I'd check up on ya, making sure you weren't freaking out on your first day."
"How thoughtful of you."
"Yeah, well, it's nothing."
I was about to reply but...
"At it again huh?"
Junpei and I looked and saw Yukari walking towards us.
"Well, if it isn't Yuka-tan! I didn't expect us to be in the same class again," Junpei replied.
"Honestly, is there any girl you wouldn't hit on? You ever think you might be bothering someone?"
"What? But I was just bein' friendly, that's all."
"If you say so." She then shifted her attention towards me. "Some coincidence we ended up in the same classroom huh?"
"Huh? Shouldn't you be saying that to me too?" Junpei cut in, not giving me a chance to reply.
"Should I?" Yukari responded.
"Oh hey, do you guys know each other or something? I heard you two came to school together this morning. A couple of cuties like you walking side by side, the whole class was buzzing about you two!"
I rolled my eyes while Yukari scoffed in disgust.
"Ugh, cut that out would you? I hate dealing with rumors like that. I mean, I'm used to it but she just got here, you know?"
"Takeba."
Huh? We all turned and saw Mitsuru at the doorway of our classroom.
"Do you have a minute?"
"I guess," Yukari replied. She turned to Junpei, " Don't try anything funny, you got that?"
Junpei and I watched her leave.
"What is she, your nanny?"
"I guess you can say that."
"Well, just to clear something up, I seriously didn't come over here to hit on you or anything. If you ever have a problem, you can tell your ol' pal Junpei about it!"
I gave him a nod.
"Thanks, I'll remember that."
"No prob! My door's always open, so to speak."
"Right, I guess I'll be going then."
I started to leave but Junpei stopped me.
"Ah, hey wait!" he exclaimed.
"Huh? What is it?"
"Do you take the train?"
"Uhh, yeah. Why?"
"Mind if I come with ya?"
I shrugged. "Sure."
We both made our way towards the exit.
Meanwhile, Same Time...
"It's pretty unusual to see you at school, Chairman," Yukari stated, sitting on a couch in an office.
A man wearing a light brown blazer sat behind his desk, reading a folder. The contents of the folder contained Haruhi Yuki's background report. "When Mitsuru told me about her, I couldn't contain my curiosity."
"Then, you think she's also a-"
"It's almost certain," Mitsuru replied, sitting on another couch, opposite of Yukari.
"She really is a most fascinating case," the man said. "Even if she has the potential, she really ought to be more unstable. Suffering from memory loss, disorientation, and so on."
"But she arrived at the dorm as if it were no big deal to her," Mitsuru responded. "She casually walked there during that hour."
"Are you saying she's not normal?" Yukari asked.
"Possibly."
"Which brings me to this," the Chairman said, placing the folder down on his desk. "Takeba, I'd like you to monitor her activities up close for a while."
"Wait, are you saying I'm gonna spy on her?"
The Chairman turns towards her, clasping both hands together, "I suppose I am."
"Skim through this, Takeba," Mitsuru said, handing her a black folder.
She took it, "I feel a little bad about doing this... She doesn't know anything yet."
"This is necessary to determine if she's qualified to know," Mitsuru replied.
"I know, but still..."
"She seems to have bounced around from school to school." the Chairman said. "She's moving from relative to relative. And it would seem her parents are deceased as well. Died in an accident that happened in this very city ten years ago."
"That's a strange coincidence," Mitsuru replied.
Yukari looked down on the folder, staring at Haruhi's picture, "The accident ten years ago..."
Haruhi, Outside...
Once we were outside, we noticed a couple of guys in tracksuits running laps around the school track.
"Whoa, check out the jocks on their run," Junpei chuckled. "Hey, did anyone tell you about the school clubs yet? Girls can join too, so, why not do it if you're interested? You'd be joining as a new member though, so, you won't be able to apply for a little while."
"What do I get?
"Volleyball and Tennis."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
"Hey, no prob! That's what friends are for, right?"
He had this dorky smile on and I could just tell this guy's ego was inflated.
I chuckled. "Riiiight."
We made small talk on our way to my dorm. It was more him talking and me listening but I did contribute to the conversation. I did find out that we both liked anime and video games but other than that, I was kinda spacing in, spacing out. Once we reached my dorm, we said goodbye and I went inside.
Iwatodai dorm, evening...
"Welcome back."
Hm?
I saw Mitsuru sitting on the couch, reading a book. I just nodded but... maybe it's my imagination, but that greeting seemed... strange. Mitsuru seemed to have sensed my uneasiness, because she looked up from her book with a slight frown and asked, "What's the matter? Is something bothering you?"
"No no, everything's fine."
She raised her eyebrow at me. I don't blame her, that sounded like a blatant lie to me too.
"If you insist. Anyway, we have one rule here at the dorm that we'd like for you to obey. Don't go out at night. It's too dangerous out there."
"Got it." I then stifled a yawn. Mitsuru saw this.
"You must be tired," she said. "You should probably go to bed early tonight."
"Yeah, I will. Good night."
"Good night Yuki," she replied with a smile and went back to her book.
Why do I get the feeling she's reading a lot more than that book? She's right though. I'm still pretty tired from last night. I walked towards the stairs and saw Yukari, sitting at the table in the dining area.
"Oh hey, whatcha' doin'?" she asked when she saw me.
"Nothin', just going to bed now."
"Oh, well, see ya tomorrow."
"Yeah."
I took a shower and watched some anime for a bit. After that, I went to bed.
Later that night...
As Mitsuru was reading her book, a young man with silver hair came down the stairs.
"I'm going out for a bit," the young man announced.
Mitsuru looked up from her book, "Hm?"
"Have you seen the news lately?"
"Yes, they say a large amount of people who have had no problems before are developing cases of Apathy Syndrome. I've noticed that it's on the news more frequently now. They say it's due to stress, but..."
"Yeah, right," The young man spoke up. "It has to be THEM. Otherwise, it's not worth my time."
"You have a one-track mind," Mitsuru responded. "Will you be okay on your own?"
"Don't worry, I'm just getting a little practice, that's all." He then left the dorm, closing the door behind him.
Mitsuru sighed, "This isn't a game, Akihiko..."
(4/8/11)
Haruhi, Morning...
This morning went by without a hitch. Yukari wasn't there to escort me though. I guess she trusts me not to get lost out here. As I was making my way towards class, I overheard a conversation, between this one girl and her friend.
"Did you hear the rumor?" she asked her friend.
"Oh, um... something about... a bathroom?"
He looked kinda lost.
"N-no! Not that one! I'm talking about the first-year student!" She started to get excited retelling the story to him, "Not only did she stop coming to school, she does nothing but sit and stare at the walls all day. If her mother tries to talk to her, she only mutters to herself, 'It's coming... It's coming...!'"
"Huh. How about that."
Her expression dropped at his casual remark, "You don't believe me...?"
Hmm, that's odd. But in any case, none of my business. I heard the first bell ring. I should get to class.
Afternoon...
Ms. Toriumi had us looking at a novel by Zenzou Kasai.
"Ugh, why him?" she groaned. "I'd rather teach Utsubo Kubota. He became famous as a singer, but he's also produced fine literature. I wonder why he's not in the textbook. Well, I'll just bring Kubota's book next time."
I took a look over at Junpei. Wow, he looks so out of it right now.
"Hey, Junpei!" she suddenly called out with an angry look on her face. Holy crap, that surprised me. "Were you listening? Who did I say was my favorite author?"
He jerked to attention, "H-huh? U-Ummm..."
The moron. I saw him turn slightly towards me and whisper, "Psst! Who does she like?"
"Utsubo Kubota," I whispered back.
"You like Utsubo Kubota!" he announced proudly.
Ms. Toriumi's anger vanished. "So you WERE listening to me after all. Yes, that is correct."
"Eheheh... Well, you know how I like to pay attention!" he said in that trademark goofy smile of his.
I rolled my eyes. "You're welcome. Idiot."
He just gave me a nervous laugh.
"Haruhi gave him the answer. She must pay attention in class!"
Huh? I looked around to see who said that. Is paying attention in class that big of a deal? Though, I'm not one to talk but still! The lecture continued and we all went back to paying attention.
After school...
As I was walking towards the shoe lockers, I saw a girl with teal-blue hair getting bullied by a group of girls. They spilled the poor girl's books all over the hallway and then left. One of them bumped shoulders with me. We both glared at each other as we past one another. She was a dark skinned girl with light brown hair. Hmph. I decided to help the bullied girl with her books.
"Here," I said, handing her her books.
"Oh. T-T-Thank you. I'm s-sorry to be a bother."
I gave her a smile. "Hey, no big deal."
I waved goodbye to her as I went on my way.
Iwatodai dorm, evening...
I got back to the dorms and saw Yukari talking to someone I've never seen before. He was a professional looking man, with glasses, long brown hair and a light brown blazer over a beige turtleneck.
"Oh, she's back," Yukari told the man.
"So, this is our new guest," He stood up and walked towards me. "Good evening Ms. Yuki."
He extended his hand out towards me. I took it and we shook hands.
"My name is Shuji Ikutsuki," he continued. "I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Ikutsuki-san."
He smiled as we let go, "Ah, so formal and polite! Anyways, I wanted to apologize to you about the confusion regarding your accommodations. It may take a while longer before you receive your proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"
I shook my head, "No, I'm good, thank you."
"Then, I hope you have a successful school year. Now, if you'll excuse me, you must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early. As they say, 'The early bird catches the bookworm'!"
The... bookworm? I gave him a blank look.
"Please forgive the bad pun."
He was chuckling while Yukari was sighing in exasperation. At least he knew it was bad.
"You'll get used to his lame jokes," Yukari told me.
So, not only does he crack bad jokes, he cracks them daily? Well, it's not like he's killing anyone. Could be a lot worse right? I went back to my room, watched TV for a bit, took a shower, and got ready for bed. For some reason, I have this uneasy feeling, like I'm being watched...
Nah, must be imagining it.
Later, at a certain room in the dorm...
As Haruhi was sleeping, Mitsuru and Yukari were staring at a large screen, monitoring her. Just then, the door opened and Ikutsuki entered the room.
"Working hard?" he inquired as he shut the door behind him. "So, how's she doing?"
"She went to bed a little while ago. She's asleep now," Mitsuru responded. "Mr. Chairman do you think she's...?"
"Well, let's wait and see for now." Ikutsuki replied. "The Dark Hour is approaching..."
Meanwhile, in a back alley of Tatsumi Port Island...
"KJ Radio presents, The Bay Tuner! Tune in again next week for more of the hits! This program is brought to you by Kirijo Electronics. Kirijo Electronics: always there when you need them."
"Man, this sucks."
A man was sitting on a bench, listening to the radio on his phone before voicing his displeasure and getting up to leave.
"...The time is now midnight." The radio continued.
*Midnight?*
As the man was walking through the alley, the world was engulfed in a shade of green, with little pools of blood splattered throughout the streets. The man was taken back by surprise.
"What the...!?" he exclaimed. Just then, his hand had become black.
"Wha-What's... happening to me!?"
He then, fell to his knees, screaming in agony before being liquidized into a pool of strange black liquid.
Same time, back at a certain room in the dorm...
"She's still sleeping," Ikutsuki stated with mild amusement. He turned to Yukari. "The Dark Hour 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."
"Then, she must be..." Yukari said, coming to a realization.
"As you can see, she's retained her human form," Ikutsuki continued. "She's asleep, but she's definitely experiencing the Dark Hour. The only question that remains is whether or not she has the potential. Although she must. If she didn't they would've preyed on her by now."
Yukari frowned, "Scary."
"In any case, we should continue to monitor her for a few more days," informed Ikutsuki.
"Yes, Sir." Mitsuru responded.
"This still doesn't feel right to me..." Yukari quietly remarked.
Haruhi…
"Welcome to the Velvet Room."
Huh...? Where am I...?
I woke up and found myself sitting in a dark room of sorts. Actually, come to think of it, is the room moving? As my eyes were adjusting to the darkness of the room, I noticed there was a male figure sitting opposite to me, his fingers steepled over a table. I rubbed my eyes and everything became more focused. The room was... very blue and it was indeed moving. Is this... an elevator room? As for the male figure, it was an impeccably dressed old man who was sitting before me, with his black suit and white gloves invoking the image of a butler. His face, however, destroys the image entirely. His face was mostly normal, except for some notable features, such as an absurdly large nose like a tengu, large pointy ears, and bloodshot eyes that made it seem like he was staring into your soul. His utterly bizarre facial appearance was definitely not of this world.
To put it bluntly, his face scares the living crap out of me. Maybe it's a mask?
For some reason, I was taking this all in great stride. You would think waking up in some strange elevator room with an old guy with a... unique face would make you panic just a little bit but no, I was completely at ease. It's just like the midnight hour, why am I so calm about these things?
But wait, there was someone else. Standing beside him was a tall young man with platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes, dressed in a sort of hotel bell boy fashion, holding a book. He was actually kinda cute...
"My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." He motioned his hand towards the young man. "This is Theodore. Like me, he is a resident of this place."
The young man bowed his head slightly, "My name is Theodore, but please, feel free to call me Theo. It is a pleasure to meet you."
The strange man called Igor continued, "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It has been years since we last welcomed a guest."
He then waved his hand across the table and a piece of paper materialized suddenly on the table. That paper... That's what that weird little boy from the other night got me to sign!
"Only those who have the fulfilled the contract in some manner may visit here. From this point onward, you are a guest of the Velvet Room. I only ask one thing in return. That you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices you make."
A key then appeared in my hand. I think it's time I stop questioning this sort of thing.
"Please take this," Igor told me. "This key signifies that you are a guest. Take good care of it. Until we meet again..."
