Disclaimer: I don't own Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3.
Notes: Has it really been a month? Eek! Life plus FFN being dumb equals one late update.

iv: clockwork maze ( april, part four )

Mitsuru crossed her arms across her chest and turned back to Tartarus, completely unfazed by Junpei's panic. "Once the Dark Hour passes," she explained, "everything returns to normal."

Junpei shot an incredulous look at Akihiko. "This is the 'nest' you were talking about?" His hands fisted by his sides and he shook his head vehemently. "But why? Why'd our school turn into a giant tower?" When nothing but silence answered his outburst, with even Mitsuru looking at her feet, the young man took in a deep breath and steadied himself. "You don't know, either?"

The redhead looked back up at him regretfully. "No."

"I'm sure it's complicated," Yukari put in. "Who cares, anyway? It's not like it would change our minds about fighting."

While Junpei shot a worried, unconvinced look her way, Akihiko smiled at her words. "Well, maybe now we'll find out," he offered. "Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it. Exciting, isn't it? There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour."

"Akihiko, I respect your enthusiasm," Mitsuru started before he could get too fired up, and one could hear the traces of amusement in her tone, "but you won't be accompanying us today."

The boxer turned back to her with a sour scowl marring his features. "I know. You don't have to remind me."

Junpei, having calmed down since Tartarus' first appearance, was watching the two seniors bicker with a keen eye. Edging over to Minato, he elbowed his friend in the ribs and whispered, "Hey, you think those two—?"

Before Minato could reply, Mitsuru caught Junpei's attention by glaring at him fiercely enough to shut him right up. The blue-haired boy was reminded of that old saying—if looks could kill… well, if that had been the case, the unfortunate clown would have certainly been six feet under. "Let's go," the redhead bit out, and spun on her heel, stalking into the tower without another word.

Exasperated, Akihiko rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sigh as he motioned for the juniors to follow her inside.

The embarrassed Junpei did as asked without a murmur of disagreement and trotted alongside Akihiko as he made his way around the gate and up the steps. Yukari and Minato silently took up the rear, and no one spoke until Tartarus' wide entryway was behind them. At that point, it was of course Junpei who first broke the peace and quiet.

"Whoa," he gasped, squinting into the darkness above him in search of even a trace of ceiling, "it's just as cool on the inside!"

Minato couldn't help but agree. In front of him, a massive staircase stretched up to another timepiece—this one looked a lot like the inside of a wristwatch, all golden dials and ornate fixtures. A giant minute hand was frozen, predictably, at midnight; below it, a jagged doorway lay perpetually open. Around the opening, the clock's beautiful surface was spiderwebbed with cracks, as if the door had been forced. The rest of the room was an open arena pockmarked with endless pillars; a few unfamiliar objects were interspersed beside them—including a gold pillar behind the steps, a strange green contraption near the door, and what looked suspiciously like a motorcycle.

"But it sure is creepy," Yukari supplied in the silence that had again picked up as the five members of SEES surveyed the first floor of Tartarus.

"This is only the entrance," Mitsuru informed them as, beside her, Akihiko sat down on the first step to rest. "The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs."

"First," the boxer said calmly, stretching his legs, "we'll have you three get a feel for this place. Why don't you go have a look around?"

Yukari gaped. This was obviously not the plan she had expected. "What?" she exclaimed incredulously. "By ourselves?"

"We're not asking you to go very far, and I'll be feeding you information from here." Mitsuru let her hand linger over the seat of the bike; for the second time in the space of a few minutes, Minato wondered what it was doing there.

"So, you two didn't plan on comin' in the first place?" Junpei asked, shooting a nervous look around.

"That's right." Akihiko forced himself to his feet slowly, one hand clamped protectively to his injured ribs. "We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions."

Junpei felt a silly grin spread across his face. "For real? One of us?" he asked carefully, and snuck a look at the two juniors standing beside him. There was no question who the position should go to; the young man leapt forwards and pointed enthusiastically at his chest, letting out an appreciative whistle. "Oh! Oh!" he crowed, waving his arms about excitedly. "Me! Me, me! Pick me!"

Akihiko rubbed the back of his neck with a groan. Eventually, he flicked his eyes in Minato's direction and said, "You're in charge."

Junpei gaped. "W-wait," he exclaimed, scowling. "Why him? He doesn't look like a leader!"

Yukari shot the newest member of SEES a look that was half sympathetic and half scornful. He was too annoyed to notice, but reluctantly tore his attention away from Akihiko when she spoke. "But," she said, knotting her hands together worriedly, "he has fought them before."

Junpei shook his head in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"That's true," the boxer put in, "but there's another reason. You two…" With one quick glance in Mitsuru's direction, Akihiko took his Evoker in hand and raised it to his temple. This got Yukari and Junpei's attention at once, and they shirked back at the sight of the senior with a gun to his head. It gave them pause that he was smirking. "Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like he can?"

Junpei swallowed hard and looked at Yukari. She looked just as freaked out as he felt, but that didn't stop him from forcing a confident grin onto his own face. "Y-yeah, of course I can!"

"I think so," the brunette echoed, but she looked too scared for the remark to be believable.

Akihiko lowered the gun. "These are Shadows we're talking about here," he said softly. "Without your Persona, you're screwed."

Yukari looked down at her feet. "I'm aware of that."

Akihiko nodded, looking thoroughly unconvinced, and glanced up at the entrance to the labyrinth. The trio of underclassmen took that as an invitation to start their ascent, but Minato had taken no more than a step towards the stairs when a shiver ran down his spine. He stopped dead and looked around, unnerved. Ahead of him, Junpei and Yukari seemed completely at ease compared to how uncomfortable he felt.

And then he saw the door.

Blue in colour, it stood near the entrance of Tartarus, but away from the wall—almost as if it was jutting out of thin air. Minato had seen this door before, and strode over, entranced by the soft light that glowed from beyond it. Ignoring Yukari's calls, he fished around in his coat pocket for the key that Igor had given him.

It unlocked the door almost instantaneously. Without a look back, he stepped into the cobalt radiance and felt reality fall away behind him.

No one spoke until Minato sat down in the uncomfortable, high-backed chair that he was always inexplicably seated in when he awoke in the Velvet Room. This time, he found his way in front of it of his own accord; it was only after he spotted the look in Elizabeth's wise golden eyes that he threw himself down in the harp-shaped mess of long spokes and jagged angles.

"I've been waiting for you," the old man behind the oval table said then, and a smile deepened the endless wrinkles marring his wide, round face. "The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into—how did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist?" Igor's eyes twinkled knowingly, and the grin on his face widened, exposing rotting, yellowed teeth. "Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power."

The Velvet Room was suddenly flooded with light from beyond the grate, and the outline of Igor's squat stature was suddenly painfully sharp against the sudden burst of white. It thrust Elizabeth's face into shadow, and for one long moment, only the faint ivory glint of her smile was visible.

Minato swallowed hard. "The nature of my power?" he asked, tearing his gaze from the woman's glassy eyes.

Igor leaned forwards, resting his chin on his bony, gnarled hands. "Your power is unique," he said. "It's like the number zero—it's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. You, my boy," the elderly man's face twisted with what could've been pride, and his voice took on a distinctly excited air, "are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed."

Elizabeth's hand on his shoulder calmed him at once. Without missing a beat, Igor sat back and placed his hands in his lap, though his smile didn't fade. "And when you have defeated your enemies," he continued, hushed, "you will see the faces of possibility before you! There may be times when they are difficult to grasp, but do not fear. Seize what you have earned! Your power will grow accordingly; be sure to keep that in mind."

The silver-haired woman beside him bent to whisper in his ear. Minato strained to hear what she was saying, but the low hum of the room as it ascended higher drowned her words out. Igor smiled condescendingly as she pulled away from him, and patted her hand in a way that was not comforting in the slightest. "My spare time will soon be scarce," he said. "But, please, come again of your own accord. I'll tell you then about my true role—the manner in which I can best assist you. Until then, farewell."

Though Minato went to stand and return to the door, everything around him faded to white before he had the chance to get to his feet. With the image of Elizabeth's flickering sun-coloured eyes seared into his mind, he stumbled, somehow, back into reality.

When he next knew where he was, the blue-haired boy was back in Tartarus, frozen before the glowing azure door. Yukari and Junpei stood at his side, both peering concernedly at his blank eyes.

"Hey," the brunette said, cutting through his trance, "are you all right?"

Minato shook his head to clear his thoughts as the last afterimage of Igor and his silent companion faded from his mind. Before he could reply, however, Junpei gave him a sceptical once over and echoed, "Yeah, what's up? You look like a zombie."

Minato shrugged and gestured to the entrance to the Velvet Room; nobody had said that he couldn't tell his friends about the mysterious old man and his beautiful cohort. "I opened this door, and—"

"Huh?" Yukari interrupted, shooting the transfer student a worried look. "What door?"

Junpei laughed and turned back to where Mitsuru and Akihiko stood, waiting. "Man, are you loco?" he chuckled.

Apparently, Yukari thought as much. "Have you been nodding off?" she asked, taking Minato by the arm and leading him carefully back to the stairs. He wanted to shrug her off, but didn't have the heart to do it. "You seem kind of out of it…"

"Dude, you're supposed to be our leader," Junpei called, and not without a trace of malice. "Get your head in the game!"

Minato shrugged his shoulders and tried not to be annoyed. "Let's go," he sighed, pulling out of Yukari's grip so that he could lead the way up the stairs. His two friends followed as he ducked underneath the giant minute hand and pushed himself through the small, jagged opening in the clock's face.

Junpei and Yukari had been chattering softly in an attempt to fill the nervous silence as they had mounted the steps, but the instant the trio passed the threshold, both fell silent. Tartarus' entryway had been filled with unnatural light, from both the moon overhead and the massive, glowing timepieces all around. The inner recesses of the building were startlingly dark in comparison; while the walls seemed to be lit from within and glowed a soft green colour, the ceiling above them was strung with cobwebs and gloom. Blood stained the black and white tiles beneath the juniors' feet.

Junpei swallowed hard and gripped the hilt of his katana with both hands. "So this is it, huh?"

Yukari took a nervous step forwards to peer around the nearby corner. "I hope I don't get lost," she murmured, and pulled a single arrow from the quiver hanging from her shoulder.

"Can you all hear me?"

Junpei jumped at the voice resounding in his head; as he glanced around, he noticed that both of his companions seemed to have heard it too. There was no mistaking who it was, so he cleared his throat and said, "Whoa! Is that you, Kirijo?"

"I'll be providing audio backup from here on out," the voice of the red-haired girl continued, and the young man did another double take.

"Wait," he said, staring wide-eyed at Yukari in the hope that he might get some answers. She merely shrugged at him, looking miserable and bemused. "You mean, you can see inside here?"

"It's my Persona's ability," Mitsuru answered a few moments later, already sounding rather weary of the questions. "I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day. That's why outside support is imperative."

"Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better," Yukari grumbled.

The redhead made a point of ignoring the sour junior, and continued in a brisk voice, "Now, based on your current location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practise makes perfect."

Junpei grinned and took a few steps forwards, his sword raised high. "Right!" he replied brightly, and gestured hurriedly at his companions to hurry up and follow him. To his surprise, Yukari stayed a little ways behind.

"Got it," she mumbled in a falsely cheerful voice, her eyes on her toes. Her hold on her bow was white-knuckled. "Why is she always like that?"

Junpei paused, a little unsettled by her animosity. "Yuka," he started uncertainly, before catching Minato's warning gaze and falling silent. "Ah, whatever." He forced the excited grin back on his face and gestured to the dark hallway ahead of them. "Come on, let's go!" he shouted, but had barely taken two steps before he stumbled over something lying in the tiles. It skittered into the darkness as it connected with his foot, and down the corridor, something growled low in its throat. Junpei blanched and shot a nervous look back at his two friends.

Minato's expression mirrored the other boy's, but he took a step forwards nevertheless—after all, they'd have to face whatever waited in the dark no matter what, right?

"Watch out," Mitsuru's voice cut in sharply, loud enough to make the trio jump. "I detect a Shadow in front of you."

His fears confirmed, SEES' young leader motioned to his companions to come with him as he ventured into the dark. "We can handle it," he said, and had reached out for Yukari's hand before he realised it. Her fingers were warm in his, and he barely managed a comforting squeeze before a sudden movement in the dimness ahead forced him to seize his Evoker.

With sword in hand and mock-gun in the other, Minato stood strong at the head of the group and declared, "Come on."

Yukari and Junpei made no move to step forwards, and soon the blue-haired young man saw what they had before him. What he'd assumed to be a harmless patch of shadow on the ground was actually its alive counterpart; not altogether dissimilar to the monster that he'd defeated on the full moon, this particular creature was like a smudge of congealed, oozing darkness. It held a blue mask high in one fat, sticky hand.

"This Shadow is called a Maya," Mitsuru said. "Be cautious!"

The Maya snarled unintelligibly at them and took a menacing step forwards. Minato's finger trembled for a moment on the trigger, and in that brief lull, Yukari had taken aim and fired at the creature in her midst.

Her arrow buried itself into the tiles a foot or so away from the Shadow, but it was startled nonetheless; the Maya froze, chattering in its own language as it stared down at the arrowhead warily. Seizing this opening, Junpei dug into his jacket and pulled out his Evoker. Within a few seconds, he had pressed it to his temple and let out a shout—

"Hermes!"

A great creature rose into the air, glittering yellow and black in the light that swirled around the wide-eyed Junpei. Small metal wings sprouted from its helmeted head, echoing the massive ones that extended from the Persona's wrists. Its black body, all brass bolts and long spokes, fanned out and ended in narrow golden legs. The face, eyeless, was turned to the quaking Shadow, but before the Maya could flee, Hermes had extended one long arm. The creak of its unused joints nearly drowned out the noise of the fire that crackled loudly from its fingertips.

A few moments later, the monster had been reduced to a smear on the tiles, dark against the bloodstains. Exhausted, Junpei sagged against one wall, his sword falling useless to the ground. Both hands came up to cradle his head, and in the complete silence, the noise of his heavy breathing was deafening.

"J-Junpei?" Yukari said eventually, lowering her bow to reach out for her classmate. "Are you okay?"

There was a long pause, and then the young man tore his hands from his head and looked, beaming, at the startled brunette. "That was awesome!" he crowed. "Did you see that? My Persona just totally kicked that thing's ass into next week!"

"Yes, well done, Iori," Mitsuru chimed in. "But don't let your guard down. Just because you won this victory doesn't mean you'll win the next."

"Yes, ma'am," Junpei said brightly, not deterred by her pessimistic attitude. He pumped one fist in the air, whooping. "Man! That was so cool!" He whistled appreciatively and smirked up at Minato as he bent to retrieve his katana. "Bet you wish your Persona was as sweet as mine, huh?"

Before the blue-haired boy could respond, footsteps alerted him to another Shadow's presence, and no sooner had he turned towards the sound than the redhead's voice echoed in his head.

"Watch out! There's another!"

Eager to show off his skills and make up for the lack of them in the previous battle, Minato had brought his Evoker to his temple before the monster even realised the trio of humans stood in its way. This one was shaped like a hand and pink in colour, dotted with green spots. It looked almost friendly, at least until you saw the tiny face where an arm should've extended, and the sharp incisors in its mouth.

"Orpheus," Minato called, as if some deeper instinct had told him his Persona's name. His voice was drowned in the scream of the gun at his head, and he watched, fascinated, as a huge, glimmering creature rose into the air above him. He remembered it dimly from the night of the full moon, but now that his mind was clear, he was able to drink in every detail.

His Orpheus had no mouth, and speakers on its turquoise chest hummed a soft melody. Red eyes shone from beneath a white mane, the same washed-out colour as its limbs. Long, nimble hands were clothed in pale gloves, and instead of feet, the Persona's legs ended in rounded stumps. Mounted on its back was a grey harp, which it swung at the unsuspecting Shadow. The monster was knocked off balance and fell with a keening wail. In an instant, Orpheus was on it, the music streaming from its speakers growing louder as it tore viciously into the hand-like creature.

When the Shadow had at last fallen, and Orpheus gone with it, it was Minato's turn to rest against Tartarus' filthy walls, gasping for breath. He fought to keep upright as nausea flooded his slight body.

Junpei eyed him, trying in vain to appear that he wasn't impressed. "Yeah, well," he grumbled. "Yours is pretty cool, too, I guess."

The leader couldn't help but smile at his friend's newfound interest in the hilt of his sword. "I know," he coughed, one hand on his chest as he waited for his heartbeat to slow. "Cooler than yours."

Junpei opened his mouth to protest, but fell silent before he could even think up a retort, his eyes glued to Yukari. Curious, Minato followed his gaze to see the girl standing with the Evoker pressed between her eyes, which were squeezed shut. Her shoulders were shaking.

"Hey, Yuka," Junpei said, raising a hand to stop her. "You don't need to do that. There's no more Shad—"

The rest of his sentence was drowned out by her scream of, "Io!" as she pulled the trigger. Her head snapped back with the force of it, and she stumbled, woozy, as her own Persona rose above her. It stunned both of the boys into silence.

A woman was curled in between two ivory horns. Her wrists were bound together by shackles, as were her ankles. Chains around her middle tied her to her chariot, which took on the shape of a cow's skull. The lady's head was bowed, her eyes shut, fingers clasped in prayer. Her flaxen hair curled like smoke above her. As she opened her eyes, the cow awoke as well, and no sooner had this happened than Junpei and Minato felt their spirits lifting, their heartbeats slowing. They were suddenly filled with strength.

As suddenly as it appeared, Io was gone, and Yukari seemed twice as worn out as the boys had been when they had used their Evokers. She swayed on her feet and, without thinking, the blue-haired boy held his arms out to steady her. She held onto him so tight that he could feel her nails biting into his arms through the fabric of his jacket, but didn't dare dislodge her. After a moment or two, she pulled away of her own accord, red-faced.

"Th-thanks," she muttered. "Sorry."

Junpei still hadn't gotten over her Persona. "What did you do?" he demanded, stretching, enamoured of his newfound vigour. "Did you—did you heal us?"

"I don't know," she mumbled, embarrassed by his attention. "I guess. I—I don't really have control over what Io does."

"Well done, Takeba," Mitsuru said before she could go on. Yukari flushed prettily at the compliment and looked down at her toes. "Let's go back to the dorm for today. There should be an Access Point somewhere on that floor—you can use it to return to the entrance. I don't sense any more Shadows around, so it would be best to split up and search individually."

Yukari swallowed hard, still a little shaken from the use of her Evoker. "S-split up?" she demanded. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I'm sure you'll be fine," the redhead answered dismissively. "Though, it's up to Arisato."

The brunette gave Minato a pleading look. "I really don't think we should," she said softly. "What if there are some Shadows still around? I wouldn't want to run into one on my own!"

"Kirijo said she didn't sense any more," Junpei put in, unhelpfully.

Yukari scowled at him and tugged insistently at her leader's sleeve. "We might get lost," she added, panic getting the best of her. "What if one of us got turned around? They could be wandering around here forever!"

Minato knew that she was referring directly to herself, and took pity on her. "Okay," he conceded. "Junpei, you take this route. Yukari, come with me."

Junpei grinned at him and winked, conspicuously, over the girl's shoulder. "That's fine with me, man," he said, breezily. "I'm sure if I find any Shadows, me and Hermes will kick ass!" With that, he set off into the darkness, leaving Minato and Yukari alone in the junction.

"Hey!" the brunette shouted after him. "Junpei! We're looking for the way out, remember?"

He waved a hand in grudging acknowledgement as he turned a corner and was gone from sight. Exasperated, Yukari's hands landed on her hips, and she sighed. "He's hopeless," she told Minato solemnly, and he stifled a laugh. "He better not get himself killed!"

"Come on," he said, offering her his hand. After a moment of hesitation, she took it, pink rising in her high cheekbones, and they set off together down the dark and twisting halls.

A low buzzing filled his ears, and for a moment, Minato could see nothing but an eerie green glow as he felt his feet leave the ground. It had taken a good fifteen minutes to locate the Access Point, what with Yukari hanging onto his side as if they were about to be ambushed by an army of Shadows, and another ten to get Junpei going in the right direction. Once they had all gathered in front of the glowing green platform, it was like a switch had been flipped, and then light and the distinct absence of sound was all Minato knew.

As he slowly returned to himself, the blue-haired boy discovered that he and his two classmates now stood in front of the strange green contraption in the entrance. The large room seemed agonizingly bright compared to the damp darkness of Tartarus' inner corridors, and Minato blinked rapidly to banish the spots from his vision. Once he could see clearly, he noticed Mitsuru and Akihiko standing by the stairs.

Junpei and Yukari started towards them, their heads still clearing, and Minato brought up the rear. Once they were all in a line in front of the two seniors, the red-haired girl's lips curved upwards in a slight smile.

"Welcome back," she said. "So, how was it?"

Minato felt himself returning her smile. "No problem," he replied blithely, before Junpei could say something similar.

"I see," Mitsuru said, laughing lightly behind one long-fingered hand as she exchanged a knowing look with Akihiko. "Well, if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could've achieved."

"Wow," Junpei cut in finally, leaning forwards with a grin. "I never knew I had that kind of power! We kicked some ass!" He looked around at his two companions for confirmation and straightened up, stretching his hands high above his head. "But damn," he continued, mid-yawn, "I'm beat."

Yukari rolled her eyes. "That's because you were bouncing around like a little kid," she teased.

Junpei stuck his tongue out at her and shot back, "You look pretty tired yourself."

She rubbed at one arm and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm still trying to catch my breath, actually."

"That's the effect of the Dark Hour," Mitsuru said, nodding. "You'll become fatigued more easily." She tossed her hair over one shoulder and added briskly, "Don't worry, though. You'll adapt. But—I'm surprised. You all did much better than I expected. At this rate," she eyed the senior who stood beside her, "they'll catch up to you in no time, Akihiko."

"Heh," the boxer snorted, despite the smile on his face, "we'll see about that."

As excited chatter started up around him, Minato found himself overwhelmed by a sudden burst of icy cold. It welled up from deep in his chest, running through his veins like frosty fire; the force of it was enough to make his knees buckle. He was only vaguely aware of Yukari grabbing onto his arm, pulling him upright, and her worried exclamations. As the cold began to spread to every part of his body, a high, whispery voice filled his thoughts—one that he'd heard before.

Thou art I, and I am thou, it sang, and Minato saw the same card that he had a few days prior. It spun lazily in his mind's eye, slower than the previous time, and in the few seconds before it vanished, he memorised in every embossed inch of it.

Once it was gone and nausea was coiling in his stomach, he began to fear that he would have to become accustomed to this bitter cold.

April 21st, 2009.

Minato woke up exhausted and aching all over. His sword arm felt too heavy to lift, and there was a fading imprint in the shape of an Evoker on his palm. He seriously considered pretending that his alarm had never gone off, but Yukari rapping at the door foiled that plan.

"I know you're tired," she called in, sounding as if she was speaking mid-yawn. "We all are. But we still have to go to school…"

He didn't answer, and pulled the pillow over his head. To his disappointment, it didn't quite manage to drown out her words.

"Come on," she was saying, her voice edging on an annoyed whine. "You are awake, aren't you? Arisato?"

Groaning, Minato pulled his body out from under the covers and staggered to his feet. "Yeah," he mumbled, pressing the heel of his working hand into one eye. "Yeah, I'm up." If Yukari said anything more, his own yawn drowned it out, and soon enough he heard her walking away down the hall.

Twenty minutes later, he met the brunette at the door. No sooner had she smiled at him, tiredly, than a sour-looking Junpei joined them, bleary-eyed and cursing under his breath. All three were washed, dressed, and every bit as exhausted as they had been while lying in their respective beds. Mitsuru and Akihiko, of course, were wide-awake and as cheery as the two seniors got.

"I'm glad to see you're all here," the redhead told them as she escorted them out the door, eyeing Junpei all the while. "Especially you, Iori. I was under the impression that you were one to skip days like today."

Junpei shifted from foot to foot and pulled his backpack into a more comfortable position on his shoulder. "I would've," he muttered, "if you hadn't waited at my door for half an hour!"

Mitsuru shot him a cold smile, but didn't say anything more.

The rest of the trip to Gekkoukan passed without incident, though Junpei's disposition didn't brighten until he spotted some cute ladies at the school gate. With a wave and a wink, he ran up to the gossiping girls, an exasperated Yukari at his heels. Minato couldn't be bothered to join them, and when Mitsuru and Akihiko set off at a brisker pace than he was willing to keep up with, he was left on his own.

But not for long. As he passed the gate where Junpei was currently trying to romance the two girls (while ignoring the protesting Yukari), a friendly-looking boy fell into step beside him. "Hey," he exclaimed, beaming. "You're Minato, right?"

The blue-haired young man shot him a wary glance. "Yeah, why?"

"Man, I knew it!" The other student grinned toothily and nodded towards Junpei and Yukari, who were bickering now that the other girls had left. "I heard from Junpei that you're pretty close with Yukari. What's up with that?" Minato didn't respond, and the boy rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter," he said dismissively. "I'm looking for someone with a little more experience, anyway."

Minato stared at him briefly before averting his gaze to the school. The first bell was due to ring at any moment, and this nutcase was just babbling away…

"By the way," the nutcase crooned, "I'm Tomochika Kenji!" As if reading his companion's thoughts, he motioned towards where the auditorium was and said, "There's a morning assembly, so we better hurry." He motioned for Minato to follow him, and the blue-haired boy did, if a little hesitantly.

They wound up sitting with Yukari and Junpei, and Kenji continued to babble away all throughout the principal's speech. He only shut up when a girl took the stand and declared, "That concludes the main portion of today's assembly. Next, we'll hear a word from the Student Council. Please welcome the new president, Kirijo Mitsuru, from Class 3-D."

At her name, the redhead rose from her seat at the side of the stage, and strode towards the podium. "Thank you," she said.

"So," Yukari mumbled from behind Minato, "she did get elected. Well, I guess she is the most popular girl in school."

"You can say that again!" Junpei chimed in, elbowing Minato in the ribs and heaving an overdramatic sigh. "There's, like, some kind of aura around her! Besides, this school's owned by the Kirijo Group, right?"

Yukari looked intently at her hands, folded plaintively in her lap. "Yeah, I try not to think about that."

"As I begin my term as Student Council President," Mitsuru began at that moment, fixing the microphone to best suit her as she pulled away from the other girl with a nod, "I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year. It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school." She gripped the podium and leaned forwards, her dark eyes skimming over the crowd below her. "However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented amount of commitment. That is why we must restructure our lives to accommodate this lofty goal."

The students, for the most part enraptured, sunk into their seats as she spread her arms wide. "I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions to imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future, but for us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you."

There was a long silence as she stepped down from the podium and walked back to the edge of the stage. No sooner had she returned to her seat than a round of thunderous applause filled the air. She smiled and nodded her head, obviously pleased with herself.

"Dang," Junpei said loudly over the clapping. "That was freakin' amazing!" He paused as the noise died down, and shot a look over his shoulder at Yukari, then one at Minato. "So… do you have any idea what she just said?"

The blue-haired boy sat back in his seat, shaking his head. "Not a clue."

"Me neither," Junpei sighed. "We live in the same dorm, but it's like we're on different planets. Man, if she asks for my opinion, I don't know what I'll say!"

Minato withheld the comment that Mitsuru would never in a million years ask Junpei what he thought of her speech, and nodded his head sagely.