CHAPTER THREE
Full Moon
"But I don't know who I am; And I don't trust who I've been
And if I come home, how will I ever leave?"
The Black Ghosts
WEDNESDAY – 04/08/09
After class the next day, Hamuko and Minato had nothing to do, so they returned to the dorms immediately. They entered the lounge to see Yukari sitting in an armchair – but she was not alone. An older, sophisticated-looking man with long hair and spectacles was sitting directly to her right. Yukari glanced up as the Arisato twins entered.
"Oh, good," she said. "You're back."
The long-haired man turned, smiling warmly. "So," he said, "these are our new guests!"
Minato shot Hamuko a look that clearly asked, "Who the hell isthis guy?"
"Yes, sir," said Yukari. "This is Hamuko Arisato and her brother Minato."
"Good evening," said the man pleasantly. "I'm Shuji Ikutsuki, the Chairman of the Board for Gekkoukan High."
"Oh – Hi!" said Hamuko, surprised. She hadn't expected someone as important as the Chairman to drop by the dorms. She wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that Mitsuru's family owned the school.
"Yeah," said Minato, rubbing the back of his neck, "it's nice to meet you, Mr. – uh –"
Hamuko sighed. It looked like her brother's attention span was just as short here as it was in New City.
"Ikutsuki," chortled the Chairman. "Hard to say, I know. That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes!"
Hamuko glanced discreetly at Minato, who looked the way she felt. The Chairman seemed like a nice enough guy, but the twins got the distinct impression that he was also a bit of a loser.
"I apologize for the confusion regarding your accommodations," said the Chairman. "Unfortunately, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment."
"That's okay," said Minato. "We don't mind waiting. Do we, Hamu?"
"Er – no," said Hamuko uncertainly. "We don't mind at all…"
In reality, Hamuko's nerves were very much on edge. The fact that they still had not prepared a room for Minato was not a good omen. Hamuko was growing increasingly suspicious that she and her brother were not expected to be permanent residents of the dormitories.
"Thank you for being so understanding," said the Chairman. "Now, before I leave, do you two have any questions for me?"
"Yeah, actually," said Minato. "What are you doing here?"
One more thing that hadn't changed about Minato: his tendency to blurt out everything that drifted into his head. However, the Chairman did not seem to be bothered.
"I'm here to welcome you, of course," he said, laughing heartily. "Speaking of which – Where's Mitsuru, Yukari?"
"Upstairs," said Yukari dully. The Chairman nodded.
"Diligent as always, I see… Although, it wouldn't hurt for her to come downstairs and say hello."
"Yeah, well…," muttered Yukari. "That's Mitsuru."
Hamuko was the only one who heard Yukari's last. She sent a puzzled glance Yukari's way, but Yukari avoided it, her cheeks slightly red.
"Anything else?" asked the Chairman.
"Just one," said Hamuko, suddenly remembering the boy's voice from last night. "Who else lives here?"
"Apart from you, your brother, Yukari and Mitsuru, there is only one other tenant," said the Chairman. "His name is Akihiko Sanada. He's a senior."
"I see…," said Hamuko.
That must have been whose door she had knocked on last night – that Akihiko Sanada boy. How embarrassing.
"Why haven't we met this Sanada guy?" asked Minato.
"Um – He's sort of – private," said Yukari uncomfortably.
Which is another way of saying stuck up,Hamuko thought.
"Well, if that's all the questions you have for tonight, you two should get to bed early," said the Chairman. "You must be tired from all the excitement. And, as they say: 'The early bird catches the bookworm'!" He chuckled to himself. Yukari rolled her eyes.
"You'll get used to his bad jokes eventually," she muttered to the twins.
That night, as before, Hamuko did not sleep well at all.
Whereas Minato fell asleep almost instantly, Hamuko lay awake for an hour or so, deep in thought. As comfortable as she was in the Gekkoukan dorms, there was something markedly fishy about the way things were run here. Apart from the Chairman, there had been no adults to supervise the goings-on there. Though there were many vacant rooms, there were only three boarders other than Hamuko and Minato. And then there was the matter of Akihiko Sanada, who had not yet shown his face.
What exactly was going on here? And where did Hamuko and Minato factor into it?
Hamuko sighed and rolled over, shutting her heavy eyelids. She needed to sleep if she wanted to clear her head. If she could get that, then come tomorrow, she was confident she would feel much better about the dorms.
Meanwhile, in another room of the dormitory…
Mitsuru sat alone at a control panel, poring over endless figures and graphs. Every now and again she would pause, mutter something to herself and scribble down a hasty note. Behind her, Yukari sat in an armchair, her eyes flickering between a handsome grandfather clock and the back of Mitsuru's head. And at the farthest corner of the room, Akihiko merely looked bored.
The Chairman knocked once before poking his head into the room.
"Working hard?" he asked Mitsuru.
"Mm-hm," said Mitsuru, without looking up from her notes.
The Chairman sauntered into the room, hands in pockets, and fleetingly examined a small computer screen; it displayed infrared surveillance footage of the Arisato twins' room.
"So," said the Chairman, "how are they doing?"
"Well, they're asleep now," said Mitsuru, leaning back slightly in her seat. She glanced up at the Chairman, her face serious. "Mr. Chairman… do you think they're…?"
"Let's wait and see for now," said the Chairman calmly. "The Dark Hour will come soon enough."
Mitsuru nodded and resumed studying her graphs. Yukari bit her thumbnail. It just didn't seem right, spying on the Arisato twins like this… Even if they were possible Persona users, they were people, too. And what if they didn't end up possessing the powers the Chairman thought they did? What would happen to them then?
Yukari shuddered. She did not like playing games with people. No matter what they stood to gain from it.
Akihiko, meanwhile, was impatient for the Dark Hour to come, not because he was anxious to see the twins' power revealed, but because he had work to do. There was always the chance that whoever had slaughtered all those Shadows last night would return to do so tonight. Akihiko had to get out there while there was still something left for him.
He glanced at the clock. Almost midnight.
Well, then,thought Akihiko, smirking. Let the games begin.
WEDNESDAY – 04/08/09
The Dark Hour
"Master… Master Hamuko Arisato…"
The unknown voice called out to Hamuko, beckoning her softly… Transfixed, Hamuko padded across the checkered floor, rubbing her eyes in a zombie-like state of half-consciousness. The blue door loomed over her, seemingly endless. Through a miniscule crack, Hamuko could see a warm, inviting light from within. Curious, she stepped toward the door, pushing it open lightly.
And as Hamuko walked through the door, her jaw dropped.
The room before her was so fantastic, so surreal that Hamuko was suddenly very aware that she was dreaming it all. The impossibly high ceilings, the magnificent clock, the doors that led to nowhere… It was like a scene taken right out of a fairytale.
Perhaps most fantastic of all was the spectacle at the center of the room: a tiny man sitting on a blue velvet sofa, with tufts of wild white hair and an absurdly long nose. The little man smiled deviously as Hamuko approached.
"Ah, Master Hamuko," said the man, bowing slightly. "Good, you're finally here… We've been waiting, you know, for a very long time. In any case, welcome to the Velvet Room."
Hamuko could only nod in response. The man's uncanny grin broadened.
"My name is Igor," he informed her. "I am delighted to finally make your acquaintance."
"What d'you mean, finally?" asked Hamuko, finding her voice.
"I have been waiting many years for this day, Master," said Igor greasily. "Many years indeed."
Hamuko looked around the Velvet Room, utterly bewildered. "I'm – I'm dreaming all of this, right?" she asked Igor. "I mean – This isn't real, is it?"
"It is real," said Igor, "and yet it is not. You see, the Velvet Room exists between dream and reality, between mind and matter. It is accessible only to those who have signed the contract."
"The contract!" echoed Hamuko, her eyes growing wide. "You mean the contract that little boy made me sign!"
"Correct," said Igor.
And he extracted the contract from his waistcoat pocket, sliding it across a blue glass coffee table so that Hamuko could grab it. Sure enough, there it was, plain as day: the signature Hamuko Arisato – Junior, right beneath the strange and foreboding disclaimer.
"Henceforth, you shall always be welcome here in the Velvet Room," said Igor. "You are destined to hone your unique ability, Young Master. You will require my help to do so."
"I'm sorry," said Hamuko, "but what ability?"
"You will discover it in time," said Igor vaguely. "And once you do, I swear I will be here to help you on your journey. I only ask one thing from you in return: that you abide by the contract, assuming responsibility for all choices you make."
"Er – okay," said Hamuko slowly. "I guess I can promise you that."
Igor smiled, showing rows of mossy teeth. "Good, good… Now, in the meantime, hold onto this."
He slid a second item across the table, a tiny, crystal key. Hamuko turned the key over in her hands, admiring it.
"That is your own copy of the Velvet Key, the only means by which you can enter this realm," said Igor. "I suggest you take care of it."
"I will…," murmured Hamuko. "Thank you."
"There is one other resident of this room," said Igor. "Unfortunately, he could not be present for your arrival. But he sends his regards. The two of you will be properly acquainted the next time you visit us."
"Okay," said Hamuko, wondering who this absent stranger was.
"Now, then," said Igor, "you had better trot off, Master. I look forward to your next visit."
"S-sure," stuttered Hamuko, blinking. The world had begun to grow very dark. Suddenly, she felt as though she was falling, falling into a void of perfect darkness. As she drifted back into consciousness, Igor's voice floated after her:
"'Til we meet again…"
Back in the command room, Mitsuru, Yukari, Akihiko and the Chairman were crowded around the control panel. The surveillance footage showed Minato and Hamuko sleeping soundly in their beds, utterly peaceful and undisturbed.
"They're still sleeping…," murmured the Chairman. Yukari looked up hopefully.
"That's a good sign, right?" she asked.
"In a way, yes," said the Chairman. "As you know, the 'hidden' Dark Hour occurs every night at midnight. During this time, every ordinary person Transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs around them."
"We know all of that already," said Akihiko impatiently. "What's it got to do with the Arisato kids?"
"As you can see, they've both retained human form," said the Chairman, pushing his spectacles up his nose. "They're asleep, but they're definitely experiencing the Dark Hour."
"Then…," said Yukari quietly, "they must be…"
"Well, let's not jump to any conclusions," said the Chairman. "After all, we've still yet to see if they possess the potential. Although…," he added, more to himself than to Yukari, "if they didn't have power, then the Shadows would certainly have preyed on them by now…"
Yukari shivered. "Scary…"
"In any case," said the Chairman, "we should consider monitoring them for the next few days."
"Yes, sir," said Mitsuru obediently.
This was what Yukari had been afraid of. "Er – don't you guys feel kind of bad, though, spying on them like this?" she asked timidly.
The others ignored her. Yukari sighed heavily.
"Never mind…"
"Alright," said Akihiko, tapping his toe anxiously on the linoleum, "are we done here?"
"Yes," said Mitsuru, rolling her eyes. "We're done. You can go on the hunt now, Akihiko. But be careful!" she shouted after him, as he sprinted from the room. She shook her head after he had gone. "Honestly, he's like a child."
"Don't be so harsh, Mitsuru," said the Chairman. "Akihiko is just passionate about his work. He's not so different from you in that respect."
He patted her shoulder. Mitsuru smiled slightly. "Well… As long as he's being careful, I suppose there's no harm in it."
Out in the streets, Akihiko could hardly believe his luck.
The sidewalks were piled high with Shadow carcasses, but not a single live Shadow could be found anywhere. Storming through the abandoned alleys, Akihiko's mood worsened with each step he took, until finally he could have punched a hole through a wall.
It was last night all over again.
Who the hell was destroying all these Shadows? Who had the gall to interfere with Akihiko's work?
Akihiko had just about had enough when he spotted it: a hulking, impressive specimen, lurking just at the edge of town.
Akihiko stopped dead, staring. His blood began racing, his pulse thundering in his ears. It was beautiful. The most spectacular kill he would ever make.
He had to have it.
And, without stopping to think for even a second, Akihiko barreled forth, engaging in battle with the massive Shadow. Some ten yards away, the cloaked, masked figure from last night sat in silence, watching Akihiko with rapt attention. She had, of course, left this Shadow alive on purpose. She had led it to this empty lot so that Akihiko could find it. It was an epic battle, one worthy of a fighting champion. She knew he would not be able to resist it.
This Shadow was bait, and Akihiko the catch. And Akihiko had bitten all too readily.
He really needed to be more careful, the girl thought, if he didn't want to end up dead. Shadows were cleverer than this white-haired boy suspected. If he continued treating them with this blatant lack of respect, he would certainly fall into one of their intricate traps.
"Enjoying yourself?"
The masked girl turned sharply to see her comrade lingering in the doorway, his own mask gleaming in the garish moonlight. The girl clutched her chest, shaking her head.
"You really shouldn't sneak up on me like that," she scolded her teammate. "You scared me half to death."
The masked boy chuckled.
"Well, I'm sorry," he said, sauntering smoothly up to her. "I guess I just get a kick out of it."
The two masked accomplices were silent for a while after that, both watching Akihiko's battle in the lot below. The boy tilted his head slightly to the side, thinking.
"He's good," he remarked at last. "I wonder whose side he's on."
"I've been wondering that all day," muttered the girl. "I mean… if he's one of them…"
"That would be bad news for us," agreed the boy. "I don't think we need to be worried, though. He doesn't seem the type to join a murderous cult."
"You don't think so, either?" said the girl, immensely relieved. The boy nodded.
"His aura is too different from theirs. Cleaner. It just doesn't add up."
The girl smiled. "Good…"
She paused for a brief moment, unsure whether or not she should ask the question that lingered behind her lips. Finally deciding there could be no harm in it, she asked,
"…Can you see his name?"
"Of course," said the boy offhandedly. "Akihiko Sanada, age 17. Blood type O. His Persona, Polydeuces, is weak to Bufu skills."
The girl laughed lightly. "You're getting good."
"I've been practicing," said the boy, shrugging. He glanced sideways at the girl. "Why did you want to know, anyway?" he asked her suspiciously.
"Oh, no reason," said the girl innocently. "No reason at all."
"Yeah, right," said the boy. "I know you're cooking up some grand scheme with that imagination of yours. So let's hear it."
"It's not a scheme, really," said the girl, her eyes still glued to Akihiko. "I… I was just wondering whether or not we could convince him to join us."
The boy chuckled. "I doubt it. He was royally pissed that you leveled most of the Shadows off before he had the chance. Doesn't exactly scream 'team player', does it?"
"I guess not," admitted the girl. "Shame, though… I would've liked to know him better."
"Why?" said the boy, frowning. "You've never even met him."
Ignoring his question, the girl remained silent until Akihiko finally vanquished the Shadow. Almost simultaneously, the chill of the Dark Hour subsided. The green light faded to blue. The defeated Shadow's corpse disintegrated. Panting, Akihiko stood still for a while, grasping at a gash in his right wrist. The girl inhaled sharply.
"He's injured…," she muttered. "If I could just jump down there and –"
"Not a chance," said the boy firmly. "You're not to use your ability on anyone other than our teammates."
"But –" protested the girl.
"I told you, no," said the boy. "There's no knowing who he's working for. And besides, what do your sister and I always say?"
The girl sighed. "Trust no one," she recited tonelessly.
"That's right," said the boy. "And don't you forget it again, understood?"
"Understood," said the girl dejectedly.
She glanced back into the empty lot to see that the boy was gone. She felt a faint twinge of disappointment. She expected she would never see Akihiko Sanada again.
"It's late," said the boy suddenly, pulling the girl to her feet. "We'd better get home."
"I guess you're right," said the girl. The boy, picking up on her disappointment, patted her on the shoulder.
"Cheer up, Manami. There will be more people like him."
"Exactly," said the girl called Manami. "There are alwaysmore people like him. And we never make contact with them."
"Because it's dangerous," said the boy automatically.
"How do you know?" Manami challenged. "How do you know their motives aren't the same as ours?"
The boy shook his head. "You'll understand some day, kid: we're the only people we can count on. As long as we've got each other, we don't need anyone else. So why bother?
"Maybe…," muttered Manami, staring through the window once more.
Maybe he was right. Maybe their team was enough. Maybe they really couldn't trust anyone else. Maybe they really were the only people they could depend on.
But then there were those times during the break of dawn, the chill of twilight and the lonely silence of the Dark Hour, the moments at which Manami felt utterly alone. And during those times, she could not help but think it would be nice to have someone – anyone– else to talk to. Someone she hadn'tgrown up with, who understood what it was like to bear the immense weight of Persona on their shoulders.
And maybe it was stupid of her, or childish, or idealistic. But for a moment, she had really believed Akihiko Sanada could be that other person.
THURSDAY – 04/09/09
On the way to school the next morning, Hamuko relayed the details of her bizarre dream to Minato. Minato's frown grew deeper and deeper with every sentence she spoke, until finally his eyes were reduced to slits and his mouth was perfectly crescent-shaped.
"So… this guy told you that you had some kind of magical power?" he asked Hamuko slowly.
"He never said anything about magic," said Hamuko. "All he said was that I'd awaken to a mysterious power soon, and that he'd be there to help me when I finally did."
Minato shook his head. "That is without a doubt the weirdest thing I have ever heard," he informed his sister. "I mean… I always knew you were cracked, but this is proof of it."
"Shut up," laughed Hamuko, punching Minato's arm. Minato smiled.
"You know I love you," he told her. "Seriously, though," he added, lowering his voice, "do you think there's a chance you didn'tdream it?"
Hamuko stared at him. "You're not serious."
"Think about it, Hamu," said Minato. "Remember all that weird stuff we saw the night we came to Iwatodai? Remember the coffins, and how everything went all green?"
"Yeah," said Hamuko, "so what?"
"Last night, I woke up for about two seconds," said Minato seriously. "I fell back asleep almost instantly, but… in the time that I was awake, everything looked green again."
"You're kidding!" said Hamuko.
"I'm dead serious," said Minato. "What if something's happening, Hamu? Something bigger than we could even imagine? What if something…supernaturalis going on?"
Hamuko gawked at her brother, utterly speechless. Before she could begin to wrap her mind around Minato's suggestion, there came a voice from behind them:
"Yo."
It was Junpei Iori. Maybe it was due to the early hour, but he looked decidedly less cheerful than he had when they first met him.
"Man…," Junpei yawned. "I'm so sleepy today. In times like these, I always figure it's best to sleep through class!"
Minato and Hamuko, who had never slept through a class period in their life, exchanged bemused glances. Junpei did not seem to notice.
"You ever notice how a nap during class makes you feel more refreshed than sleeping at home?" he asked the twins.
"Can't help you there," said Minato, "I don't sleep in class."
Junpei looked floored.
"You're kidding!" he cried. "But – I thought everyoneslept in class from time to time!"
"Not us," said Hamuko apologetically Junpei shook his head.
"Aw man," he groaned. "Why d'you have to be all serious? You make me feel like such a slacker…" He frowned suddenly. "Come to think of it, the feeling of being recharged might be awesome, but I'm always screwed after I miss the lecture… Maybe I should start paying more attention in class."
"That might help, yeah," said Minato dryly.
"Ugh, but we've got Classic Lit today," grumbled Junpei. "That means we're stuck with nasty ol' Ekoda."
"Is he bad?" said Hamuko nervously.
"The worst," said Junpei.
And for once, Junpei was not exaggerating. Ekoda's lecture was nearly as boring as the principal's had been, only this time, they were expected to take painstaking notes on every point he made. Not surprisingly, Junpei fell asleep very early in the class period, drooling blissfully onto his textbooks. Minato, who sat directly in front of Junpei, did his best to shield him from Ekoda's view.
After school, Hamuko met up with Yukari by the shoe lockers and the two of them went to Paulownia Mall. The original plan was to get new gym shoes, but the girls ended up spending about three times as much money as they had planned on. It was the strangest thing. Hamuko could have sworn she only had about 70,000 yen in her bank account, but even after the purchases she made, the receipt assured her she still had 83,000 left. It was like the extra money had appeared from thin air.
Paulownia wasn't a very big mall, but it was a nice one. There were dozens of interesting little shops, including a skincare store called Be Blue V, an arcade called Game Panic and an antique shop that appeared to be closed for renovation.
When they were finally done shopping, Yukari treated them to coffees at Chagall Café. She and Hamuko sat for awhile at the fountain, sipping their drinks, their numerous shopping bags strewn around their feet.
"Have you come here before?" Yukari asked Hamuko.
"A long time ago," she said. "I was a little kid, though, so I don't remember. And anyway, I expect a lot has changed since then."
"You bet," said Yukari. "They've really spruced the place up in the past few years. It's a nice mall. A lot of Gekkoukan students come here after school. Mostly, they stick to the record shop and the karaoke place. There's a nightclub, too, but… that's kinda not for us yet."
"Honestly, I don't think I'd go even if we were old enough," admitted Hamuko. "I'm not much of a dancer."
"Really?" said Yukari. "I never would have guessed. You seem so… coordinated."
"Trust me," laughed Hamuko, "it's just a façade. I'm actually sort of a klutz."
Yukari suddenly became very interested in her shopping bags. "Um… what about your brother?"
"Minato?" said Hamuko, bemused. "What about him?"
"I mean – Is he a klutz, too?" asked Yukari, her cheeks flushing slightly. Hamuko smiled.
"Nah," she said, shaking her head. "Apparently, Minato got all the genes with style. He's a great dancer – that is, if you can drag him out on the dance floor."
Yukari smiled very slightly. "…Cool," she mumbled.
"But what could my brother's dancing skills possibly have to do with you, Yukari-san?" Hamuko asked slyly. "Could it be that you're interested in putting him to the test?"
Conveniently (or inconveniently, as Hamuko saw it), Yukari's cell phone rang at that moment, sparing her. Mitsuru was on the other end, and she was calling them home for dinner.
It was already dark when Yukari and Hamuko arrived at the dorms, and a magnificent full moon hung on the inky backdrop of the night sky. Mitsuru sat at the dining room table, admiring the cool moonbeams that fell across the carpet.
"The moon is beautiful tonight," she said, as Yukari and Hamuko sat down. "It might be nice to read a book by the moonlight."
"Is that what you're planning on doing tonight, senpai?" asked Hamuko. Mitsuru smiled.
"Perhaps."
"So what's for dinner?" asked Yukari. Mitsuru gestured to the various brown bags scattered across the table top.
"Takeout," she said brightly. "I didn't know what everyone liked, so I got dishes from Hagakure, Wild Duck Burger, the beef bowl place, the takoyaki stand…"
"And you carried all these bags home by yourself, senpai?" said Hamuko in disbelief.
"Of course not," said Mitsuru. "I received help from Arisato. Er – the otherArisato," she clarified unnecessarily. "That's going to get confusing."
"You can just call me Hamuko," Hamuko suggested. Mitsuru shook her head.
"No, that won't do," she said. "Hamuko-san, maybe, but your given name alone…"
"Hamuko-san is fine," said Hamuko quickly. Mitsuru smiled.
"Very well, then. I'm afraid Arisato and I have already eaten. He's upstairs studying. I'm sorry, but I should retire for the night as well."
"Okay," said Hamuko. "Good night, senpai."
"Good night, Hamuko-san," said Mitsuru, apparently testing out the usage of Hamuko's name. "Good night, Takeba."
"Night…," said Yukari. She watched Mitsuru as she scaled the staircase, sighing once she was finally gone.
"Is something bothering you?" asked Hamuko, helping herself to some ramen.
"…No," said Yukari. "It's just… I'm sick of takeout. That's all we ever eat."
"You guys never make your own food?" said Hamuko.
"Well, no," said Yukari. "I'm – er – not a very good cook. And Mitsuru-senpai just doesn't do that kind of thing, you know? We used to have a dorm mother, I guess, who did all the cooking and cleaning and stuff, but she moved away. It'd be nice to have someone to do all that kind of stuff for us, don't you think?"
"Sure…," said Hamuko vaguely.
Truth be told, she preferred self-sufficiency, but she didn't want to sound rude. So she remained silent.
"To be honest…," said Yukari, "I'm not so hungry anymore. Sorry, but I think I'm gonna turn in. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Er – okay," said Hamuko bemusedly. "Good night, I guess."
She ate alone in silence. Several times, she considered taking her plate to the couch to eat in front of the TV – but she wasn't quite familiar enough with dorm etiquette to feel comfortable doing this. So Hamuko remained at the table. And while she ate, she wondered what was reallybothering Yukari. Somehow, Hamuko doubted Yukari's sour mood had really been caused by the food.
Once Hamuko was done eating, she watched an hour or so of TV, then made her way upstairs. As she entered their bedroom, Minato glanced up from his MP3 player.
"I guess you were busy today," he said, nodding at her shopping bags.
"Yeah," said Hamuko. "Yukari-san took me to the mall for some shopping."
"Sounds fun," said Minato, going back to his music. Hamuko set her bags down lightly, busying herself with her school books.
"She asked about you, you know," she said carelessly.
"Who did?"
"Yukari-san."
Minato looked vaguely interested. "Really? What did she say?
"Uh-huh," said Hamuko. "She wanted to know if you're a good dancer."
"Great," he muttered. "What did you say?"
"I lied, of course," said Hamuko. "What kind of sister do you think I am?"
Minato smiled his small smile. "You're one in a million, sis."
"I know," said Hamuko, smiling in turn. Then, before he could plug in again, "So…what do you think of her?"
"Of who?"
Hamuko groaned. "Of Yukari, idiot."
Minato considered it for a second. "Well…," he began slowly, "she's pretty. Really pretty, actually. Not as pretty as Mitsuru-senpai –"
"No one is as pretty as Mitsuru-senpai," said Hamuko.
"You are," said Minato.
"Aww," said Hamuko, touched. "Look at you, lying to make me feel good about myself."
"Of course," said Minato, "what kind of brother do you think I am?"
Hamuko laughed. "Seriously, though, is that all you have to say about her? That she's not as pretty as Mitsuru-senpai? Seriously, bro, that's cold. Even for you."
Minato made an impatient sound and sat up straight. "I think she's guarded. She plays the big sister role to all the underclassmen at school because she likes to feel depended on. I'm guessing her relationship with her mother isn't very good. I think she's smart, she's driven – and, no matter how much she likes to pretend she's the tough girl, she's compassionate. She's a great catch. A little cynical, maybe, but then who doesn't have baggage? A guy would be stupid not to go for her."
And, with that, Minato flopped back down and closed his eyes. Hamuko stared at him.
"Oh my God," she said slowly. "You like her!"
"I never said that," Minato muttered.
"Hey," said Hamuko, turning to unpack her bags, "there's no shame in it, brother. Really. Like you said, Yukari is great. I approve wholeheartedly in your choice. And, after all, the Twin Sister Stamp of Approval is essential, right?"
She glanced at Minato for his reaction. But he was already asleep.
Hamuko smiled and shook her head. Honestly, the rate at which that boy could fall asleep was incredible.
Surprisingly, though, Hamuko had no trouble falling asleep herself. Nearly the instant her head hit the pillow, she was out. She slept soundly for several hours, without any weird dreams, without any grievances. It was the best night's sleep she had had in years.
…Or at least, it wouldhave been. If not for what happened next.
THURSDAY – 04/09/09
The Dark Hour
Yukari, Minato and Chairman Ikutsuki sat in the control room, monitoring the Arisato twins' condition as they had before. Tonight, however, there was a change in the Chairman's demeanor. He was decidedly more upbeat than last night. Almost excited. Yukari kept shooting covert glances his way, fidgeting, hoping he would reveal whatever it was that was on his mind.
"Hmm…," said the Chairman at last, stroking his chin. "Very interesting."
"What's interesting?" said Yukari eagerly.
"At first, even those who have the potential tend to be unstable," the Chairman pointed out. "They experience memory loss, disorientation… But the Arisato twins haven't exhibited any of these symptoms. In this way, they're rather unique."
Yukari was deeply disappointed. She had expected the Chairman to tell them they were welcoming the Arisato twins onboard.
"We're treating them like guinea pigs…," she muttered, frustrated. The Chairman gave her a sympathetic look.
"I understand your concern," he told Yukari, "but it's imperative that we recruit new members as carefully as possible. And besides, Yukari – the Arisato twins are in your grade, aren't they? Wouldn't it be nice to work with someone your own age?"
"Of course it would," said Yukari quickly. "And I absolutely think they should join, but – well – I think they should join us on their own terms. I don't want them to feel coerced."
Mitsuru sighed. "Takeba…"
At that moment, an emergency call came in from outside. Mitsuru frowned.
"What could Akihiko want…?" she wondered aloud. She took the phone off the hook and answered, "Command room."
"You're not gonna believe this!" came Akihiko's voice from the other side. "This thing – it's huge!"
"Really?" said Mitsuru keenly. "Record its stats, Akihiko! Maybe we could study it further!"
"Sorry, but I don't have time for that," panted Akihiko. "It's chasing me."
"Then why on earth did you call us in the first place?" asked Mitsuru irritably.
"Well, I thought I'd better give you guys a heads-up," said Akihiko. "I didn't think I should just show up unannounced with –"
"Wait a minute!" cried Yukari, horrorstruck. "H-he's bringing that thing here?"
"Mr. Chairman!" barked Mitsuru, leaping to her feet. "Let's suspend observation for now – we have to prepare for battle!"
"R-right!" said the Chairman nervously. "Be careful, please!"
Mitsuru and Yukari rushed from the control room, hurtling down the stairs and stumbling to a stop in the lounge. They arrived just in time to see Akihiko stumble into the dorms. He was out of breath and drenched in sweat – as well as something that looked suspiciously like –
"Blood!" gasped Yukari, her hands flying to her mouth. "Senpai, you're –"
"Hurt?" said Akihiko dryly. "Yeah, Takeba, I noticed that on my own, thanks. Agh!" he cried suddenly, grasping at his ribs and collapsing to the floor. Yukari and Mitsuru hurried to his side.
"Are you alright?" asked Mitsuru, panicked. Akihiko wiped his sweating forehead with one shaking hand.
"'M fine," he muttered. He grinned devilishly. "I brought you a nice surprise, though. It should be here any second."
If he wasn't already injured, Mitsuru would have punched him.
"This is no time to joke around!" she said furiously. "Honestly, you're such a –"
The Chairman came into the lounge then, looking highly terrified. "Is it one of them, Akihiko?" he asked, wringing his hands.
"Definitely," said Akihiko, his eyes still ablaze with hunger. "But not an ordinary one. This one is –"
BOOM!
There struck a thunderous crash that rattled the whole building. Yukari screamed.
"What the…?" she cried. "Y-you've gotta be kidding me!"
"Mr. Chairman," said Mitsuru, "please head for the command room! Takeba, go upstairs and wake up the Arisato twins! Once you've collected them, I want the three of you to escape out the back!"
"B-but… what about you two?" asked Yukari anxiously.
"Don't worry," said Mitsuru bracingly. "We'll stop it here." She looked disapprovingly at Akihiko, who was nursing a bloody hand. "You led it to us, Akihiko, so I'm afraid you'll have to help me fight it."
"Like I had a choice!" said Akihiko furiously. He turned his rage upon Yukari, who was still lingering at the edge of the lounge. "What the hell are you waiting for, Yukari? Go!"
"R-right!" yelped Yukari.
Meanwhile, Hamuko and Minato still lie in their beds, fast asleep. They both jolted awake at the sound of Yukari's panicked knocking.
"What's the matter?" said Hamuko groggily. "What's going on?"
"Dunno…," yawned Minato, rubbing his eyes. "Maybe it's an earthqu –"
"Wake up!" screamed Yukari's voice from the other side of the door.
"Yukari-san!" cried Hamuko, springing to her feet. "What's wrong?"
"Something horrible is happening!" said Yukari. "Sorry, but I'm coming in!"
And she burst through their bedroom door, wearing an expression of pure terror.
"Yukari-san, what's the matter?" asked Minato, leapint out of bed in turn. Yukari shook her head.
"I don't have time to explain!" she told the twins. "We have to get out of here! Now!"
"O-okay!" said Hamuko.
"We'll leave through the back door," said Yukari. "Hurry, get downstairs!"
Bewildered and frightened, Hamuko and Minato hurried from their room, and were almost at the staircase when –
"Wait!"
It was Yukari, and she was holding two long objects: a katana and a nagitana, which she tossed to Minato and Hamuko respectively.
"Take these," she told them, hurrying to their side. "Just in case."
"Um – alright!" said Hamuko, who didn't have time to wonder where on earth Yukari had gotten these weapons, let alone what they were supposed to use them for.
"Okay, let's go!" said Yukari, pushing past them. "Follow me!"
When they made it to the rear entrance of the first floor, Yukari breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright…," she said softly. "We should be safe now."
Hamuko and Minato could not see what she was so relieved about. Now that they were fully alert, they had both noticed the greenish light that was cast over everything around them. This was exactly the way things had looked the night they arrived in Iwatodai. Hamuko surveyed the dorms, swallowing hard.
Maybe Minato was right, after all. Maybe there really wassomething supernatural going on here.
But she didn't have time to think about it, because at that moment, Mitsuru's voice issued from a walkie-talkie that hung at Yukari's waist.
"Takeba…?" said Mitsuru's voice. "Do you read me?"
Yukari snatched the walkie-talkie from her belt, her fingers fumbling slightly. "Y-yes!" she said into the receiver. "I hear you!"
"Be careful!" said Mitsuru. "There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!"
Minato's swallowed. Enemy…? Fighting?
What the hell was happening here?
"A-are you serious?" said Yukari, looking like she might be sick.
BOOM!
A second crash nearly knocked Yukari, Hamuko and Minato to their knees. Beads of sweat were forming on Yukari's forehead.
"L-let's pull back!" she gasped.
But if Yukari thought the second floor would be safer than the first, she was sorely mistaken. The rumbling crashes seemed to be getting more and more intense.
"It's getting closer!" said Yukari. "We've gotta keep moving!"
I could've told you that! Hamuko thought exasperatedly, hurrying up the second floor staircase, bypassing the third floor and heading straight to the rooftop. The door, which was usually locked, was miraculously ajar. Pushing through it, Hamuko stood atop the Gekkoukan roof, panting slightly.
"The roof?" said Minato, once he and Yukari had caught up. "Why here?"
"I don't know," said Hamuko, panicking. "I just thought it'd be safer than inside!"
"Well, the door is locked," said Yukari. "I think we should be safe for now…"
"Yukari-san," said Minato, looking her straight in the eye, "what's happening here? Why did you give us these weapons? And why did you bring those?"
Hamuko only noticed them as her brother pointed them out: In addition to the walkie-talkie, Yukari had two gleaming silver pistols hanging from her belt.
"T-these?" stammered Yukari, her eyes wide. "I – uh – I brought them just in case."
Truthfully, the extra was an evoker the Chairman had had made especially for Hamuko, but Yukari had brought it along in case she herself slipped up somehow.
"Yukari-san," said Hamuko. "I think we deserve to know the truth."
Yukari looked from Hamuko's pleading eyes to Minato's steely ones. She bit her trembling lip. She couldn't lie to them. She just couldn't.
"…Okay," she whispered, shutting her eyes. "Mitsuru-senpai is gonna kill me for this, but…"
"Grraaaaah…"
Yukari's eyes flew open at the sound of the awful, groaning roar.
"Wha…!" she cried. "What was that?"
Then – as though in response to her question –
A single hand, long-fingered and blacker than tar, grasped at the edge of the roof, feeling around the rooftop – a second hand followed shortly after, clutching a bluish-white mask – the hand turned the mask from left to right, as though it was looking around.
"H-heh," said Hamuko weakly. "K-kinda funny, isn't it?"
And five more arms sprang up from nowhere, each of them clutching a six-foot-long sword.
"Looks like you spoke too soon," mumbled Minato.
It crawled up over the wall, slowly, inhumanly, dragging its globular body with its grotesquely long arms. Hamuko, Minato and Yukari watched in horror as the monster, massive, ugly, and terrifying, positioned itself in front of them. It loomed before them, leering down with a vacant, mask-like face.
"You gotta be kidding me…!" said Yukari, as the monster approached.
On the ground below, Akihiko, Mitsuru and the Chairman watched the massive Shadow as it edged Yukari and the others into a corner.
"There!" snarled Akihiko. "It's got them on the rooftop!"
"That gigantic Shadow!" murmured Mitsuru. "Just what exactly is it that we're dealing with?"
"Who cares?" snapped Akihiko. "We've gotta go help them!"
"Wait!"
Mitsuru and Akihiko turned, astonished, at the Chairman's request. He was staring very seriously at the screen of a portable device.
"What do you mean, wait?" said Akihiko urgently. "They'll die if we don't help them!"
"Maybe not…," said the Chairman softly. "Look…"
Sure enough, something extraordinary was happening on the rooftop. Yukari had removed one of the guns from its holster and was staring determinedly at the monster before her.
"You wanted to know the truth, didn't you?" she asked the Arisato twins fiercely. "Well, here it is. That thing in front of us is the thing that attacked this place. We call it a Shadow!"
"A Shadow…?" repeated Minato.
"Okay, fine!" said Hamuko. "What do we do to get it to go away?"
Yukari gulped. "I – I have to fight it."
"Are you nuts?" shouted Hamuko, rounding on her. "It'll rip you to shreds!"
"No," said Yukari, her chin shaking slightly as she said it. "I can do it… I can fight it off…"
Yukari grasped the gun in her hands, raising it – but her sweating fingers slipped and it clattered to the ground.
"Damn it!" she growled, snatching the other gun from her hip.
Minato and Hamuko watched in horror as Yukari raised the gun in her violently trembling hands – and pointed it directly to her forehead.
"Yukari-san!" cried Minato, horrified.
Yukari's eyes opened. Her head snapped around. Her gaze met Minato's for a brief second. Then –
"Yukari-san!"
Hamuko screamed as the monster aimed a massive fireball at Yukari, knocking her ten feet backward. Yukari lay in a crumpled heap on the pavement, unconscious, slightly charred, but otherwise miraculously alive.
"Hamuko!" shouted Minato, terrified. "What do we do now?"
Hamuko turned her attention to Yukari's gun, which had fallen very close to the other one. She scrambled forward, retrieving both guns and tossing one to her brother. Minato stared at it bewilderedly.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" he demanded of Hamuko. "Somehow, I don't think bullets are going to work on that thing!"
"I don't think it shoots bullets!" said Hamuko. "Remember the first day we got here, Mina? Mitsuru-senpai told us these weren't real guns!"
"Oh, fantastic," said Minato. "That makes me feel loads better, sis, thanks a billion."
"Don't you get it?" said Hamuko impatiently. "What Yukari-san was doing just now – pointing the gun to her head – I think that'swhat they're meant for! I think we need to do what she just did!"
"Are you completely out of your mind?" Minato rarely shouted like this; the sound was foreign to Hamuko's ears. "You really expect me to shoot myself in the head?"
Hamuko looked to Minato, her auburn eyes uncharacteristically hard.
"Trust me," she told Minato, her voice absolutely calm. Minato blinked. Somehow, utterly inexplicably, he felt much calmer.
"Okay…," he murmured.
The twins faced the Shadow once more, wearing identical expressions of determination. In unison, Hamuko and Minato raised the guns and pointed them to their temples. They shut their eyes. They took deep breaths. Hamuko opened one eye, glancing sideways. The little boy in the striped pajamas was standing some ten yards away. He smiled at Hamuko.
"Go on," he said, nodding encouragingly.
Then, without knowing why, both Minato and Hamuko spoke a single word:
"Per…so…na."
CRASH!
The moment they pulled their triggers, Minato and Hamuko felt weightless, free, like their souls had fled their bodies and were floating over the earth. When they finally opened their eyes, they saw the two miraculous, nearly identical entities that had come from within them, hovering over their heads, casting a warm, protective glow over them.
Minato did not know why, but he knew these must be Personae. He had never felt surer of anything in his life.
"Thou art I..."said Minato's Persona.
"...and I art thou,"said Hamuko's Persona in turn.
"From the sea of thine souls, we cometh,"chorused the Personae. "We are Orpheus and Orpheus Telos, masters of strings."
And with that, the Personae went forth and struck the Shadow, again and again and again, in flashes of brilliant crimson and devastating flame. The Shadow fought valiantly back. Minato and Hamuko stood at the edge of the battle, somehow governing their Personae's movements by sheer will alone.
And as Minato battled the Shadow, he wondered what he had ever been afraid of in the first place. This wasn't the least bit scary. As a matter of fact, it was exhilarating.He had never felt so free, so powerful, so… so…
...Wait, what?
Something felt wrong, horribly wrong. Breaking his concentration for half a second, Minato stole a glance at his sister. His stomach lurched.
Hamuko looked completely demented.
Her eyes were wild. Her body was shaking. Her jaw was set in a hard line. What was worse was the sight of her Persona. It, too, seemed to be going berserk.
"Hamuko!" shouted Minato, in a desperate attempt to calm Hamuko down. "You need to pull back! You're using too much of your power!"
But Hamuko would not relent. "No…," she growled, narrowing her eyes. "I… can't… I can't stop…"
"Hamuko! Hamuko!"
And, with a great, shuddering cry, Hamuko's Persona distorted, crumbled and combusted, giving way to something much greater, much more terrible than even the Shadow in front of them. The Shadow gave a shriek, spinning around and attempting to flee – but the awful Persona apprehended the Shadow, tearing it apart like it was nothing. The Persona did not stop until every inch of the Shadow had been decimated. Then, looking to the moon, it gave a bellow of pure anguish and vanished in a pool of light.
Minato stood staring at the point where the Persona had just been, his breath coming ragged and shallow, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. Gulping, he looked to Hamuko. She looked like her normal self again. In fact, she did not seem to remember anything that had happened in the past five or so minutes.
Yukari stirred, sitting upright. She blinked at the twins, who were now leaning on each other for support.
"What happened?" she asked, staggering to her feet. "Where'd the Shadow go?"
She gasped in horror as Hamuko and Minato, sharing victorious grins, collapsed on one another, completely knocked out. Minato's thoughts remained briefly rooted in reality, even as the darkness came closing in on him.
"H-hey!" cried Yukari's faint voice. He felt her warm hand on his cheek. "Are you alright!"
Minato's smile broadened. Oh, he was alright. In fact, he was better than alright.
This was the best he had ever felt in his life.
And, on that note of elation, Minato was lost to the darkness completely.
