Thanks for the turtorial Hoshiro. It sure is handy. And thanks for the reviews, although...
YOU GUYS GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK. I NEVER GET SUCH GOOD REVIEWS.
Well, I shouldn't complain: Time to get on with the story.
I do not own persona and don't get any money for this (sadly).
Chapter 4 Tartarus aka Home
"Am I interrupting something?" came a cheerful Minako, with a mischievous smile on her face.
"No, he's sleeping." replied Nyx in a monotone tone.
Minako's face fell. She'd have to teach her brother how to behave around a woman.
"Is something the matter?"
"Nah, nothing. So are YOU okay? And how went the talk with Igor?"
"It was revealing."
Minako blinked. "Really? I found him all cryptically and nothing made sense. And what about these Social Links? He said you'd have the most important role. Sounded like fighting with the power of friendship."
"In a way yes."
"Huh?"
"I made a social link, just a moment ago with Minato."
"What?! How was it? You have to explain me EVERYTHING!" Minako beamed at Nyx, who sighed. Such an energetic girl. Did she really revive the right person?
5 minutes later
"That sounds so cliché, if you ask me. So brother has the universe arcana? Sounds cool~! What do I have?"
"Ummm... we don't have a link yet."
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!? We have to change that!
...
I have no idea how..." she looked down.
"Me neither to be frank. And I don't know much (nothing to be honest) about friendship." she frowned and thought about how she created the bond with Minato. Maybe they should ask him.
"Could it be..." Minako's voice trembled. "Could it be, that you...actually hate me?"
...
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why should I hate you?" Nyx asked bluntly.
Minako looked up teary eyed. "Because you...you actually never say something nice to me and we're so different."
"So what? That's me. I haven't said anything nice to someone in a long time. And I don't mind your personality. I just don't understand it."
"So...you don't..?"
"Again why? I have no reason to hate you. I simply don't understand you. I actually have a hard time to belief you're his sister." she pointed towards the still sleeping Minato. The other twin giggled.
"Yeah, so...can we be...friends?"
Nyx thought about it. "I don't see a reason why not. I guess we can. Maybe we'll learn to understand each other's behavior (but for that she needs to know IT; it can't be prevented, but now is not the time)."
"Nyx..."
"Yes?"
"You're strange. Why are you aaaaaaaaaalways talking this way. Sometimes you act like a robot."
"What is a robot?"
...
"Did you hit your head again? Oh...sorry I shouldn't have brought it up."
"No offense taken. I guess my memory IS more than hazy (I don't know a single thing about the human world as it is now). And I'd appreciate your help."
"Sure, count me in." Minako was back to her happy-go-lucky self. She jumped on Nyx bed.
"I guess I should get used to this." she mumbled.
"You betcha. Without me you and nii-chan would sleep the entire time."
(If only you knew.) "Whatever. And one last thing: don't be a fool and change your personality just because others want you to. You would only betray yourself."
"Thank you! But you should at least smile from time to time. Else you would be a fool." she grinned.
"*chuckle* Maybe I am one."
SMASH
I am thou and thou art I
thou hast established a new bond
thou shall be blessed by creating persona of the death arcana.
"Oi nii-chan. Wakey~, wakey~!"
"Five more minutes..."
After Nyx was released from hospital, they walked towards the shrine to talk a bit. Minako assumed to get something to eat and headed towards the mall, while the other two waited at the shrine.
"They said, they'd talk to us tomorrow, after you recovered." said the bluenette.
Nyx nodded. "I see."
"Oh and...don't talk with Minako about Yukari." he added.
"Did something happen?"
"Well, Yukari told us, that her father died ten years ago and reminded us about what happened to us. Minako...she didn't take it good."
"I understand. Speaking of Minako, can you tell me what a robot is?"
Five minutes later.
"I see."
"I wanted to talk about...the fall. Will it happen...?"
Nyx thought a bit. "It will be in my power after I have absorbed all shadows. I'll need to absorb the two parts of death inside of the both of you, too. However...to be honest, the fall...I don't know."
Minato raised an eyebrow. "Don't know what?"
"I am not sure. It's confusing. Besides it doesn't matter. I guess if I try to bring down the fall, you'll simply stop me again with the universe arcana, right?"
"...Yes, you're right."
"Then there's no need to discuss this further."
...
"How did you bring back Minako in the first place?"
"That's simple. Other gods and goddess' owed me a dept for bringing back a lover or a friend. Bringing back the dead is within my powers. However she would have a life without a history. I thought you'd appreciate it. Then I was curious about you and your friends. I thought they wouldn't appreciate my appearance, so I asked the goddess of time to return time for a few years and then I asked a god who reside within humans to give me a history. After that my memory is lost. Like a white sheet of paper, unwritten. I woke up in a hospital. You where there, too. Minako said we had an accident. The doctors said my brain was damaged. Maybe that explains the memory loss."
"And what about me?" asked Minato.
"You acted like you'd known me forever and didn't know I am the goddess of death. I realized then your spirit was still not inside your body. I don't know why, but during the train ride it arrived and you remembered."
...
"There're a lot of holes left."
Nyx nodded. "Yes it is frustrating. However we have to accept it for now and see if we can find it out later on."
"Any ideas for the why?"
"No. Let me think about it a little more."
"Heya guys~ I got yummy~" came Minako's voice.
They came back late to the dorm and decided to call it a night. The next day, Nyx was greeted by the natural ritual.
"I should slice your throat for this." she deadpanned. Minako giggled nervously and went to her brother's room. Nyx made herself ready. This day she couldn't focus on anything. The conversation with Minato was still stuck in her mind. 'What exactly happened?'
That question troubled her until she was back at the dorm. Now she had to observe the fool who thinks he can become equal with the gods.
Command Room 4th floor.
"Ah there you're. You haven't met Akihiko Sanada yet, right?"
"How ya doing?" asked the silver haired boy.
"So, let me get to the point. Would you belief me, if there exist more than 24 hours?"
"Yes." all three replied.
"What?!"
"We know it for ten years." explained Minako.
"Ah...I see."
A/N: I am WAY too lazy to write the whole dialogue and I think EVERYBODY knows about it. o, I'll put it simple. They join, Jumpei join, Nyx watches the chairman (don't like his name) the whole time. And now Tartarus. (Oh yeah, of course fool link one; I should write everything down)
"This is it? THIS is the place?"
"Just wait a few minutes. It's almost midnight."
Dark Hour
The students witnessed the school growing into the gigantic tower Tartarus.
"Home." mumbled Nyx.
"Here we go again." muttered Minato.
Inside the lobby Akihiko had brought some weapons. Minato took a short sword, Minako a nagianata, Junpei a katana and Yukari a bow.
"Hey, aren't you going to take anything?" Akihiko addressed towards Nyx.
"There's no need." she took out her evoker. "Persona." Alice appeared with two swords. One that was her own and the one that belonged to Nyx. Alice gave it back and disappeared.
"I think this is much more comfortable." she stated.
"Woe. Can you teach me?~ Can you? Can you?" Minako jumped like a little kid.
"I'm not sure. It is worth a try, I guess. But later. Are we going to explore now?" she was a bit impatient. Mitsuru regained her composure. "First we're going to appoint a leader."
"Really? One of us. Oh, oh pick me!" Minato face/palmed, Minako giggled a bit and the remaining two girls shook their head.
"You're in charge." Akihiko pointed at Nyx.
"What?! But she's a girl."
O.O
"Yeooooooooowwwwch!"
"Excuse me?" said Nyx with a calm voice.
Junpei whimpered and crawled away. Yes crawled.
"Let's go." she commanded.
"So, this is it, huh?"
"Quite fool." Nyx was harsh. "Or do you want to attract every shadow?"
-"Can you all hear me?"-
"Whoa is that you, sempai? OUCH!"
"I said quite fool. We can hear you. Is there anything we should know?"
-"Judging by your surroundings you can be attacked anytime. Be careful.-"
"Understood, let's go. And no fooling around. Speak only if you have to."
They proceeded until they found a group of Mayas and Tiaras.
"Five shadows. Excellent." Nyx instructed everyone to a shadow. Then they waited for the right moment.
Alice!
Orpheus!
Eurydice!
Hermes!
4 shadows were defeated immediately. Wait four?
The tiara turned around and charged at Nyx. She waited for the right moment and cut it in two. Then she turned around.
"Takeba, why didn't you summon your persona?"
She shivered and was sweating bullets. Nyx' piercing eyes didn't help. "I...I am scared." she admitted. Nyx sighed. "Well it is either summoning your persona or dying by the hands of a shadow. Your choice." she shrugged and moved on.
-"I sense a single shadow up ahead."-
"Alright, I owwwwwweeee!"
'Poor Junpei.' thought the twins. Minato was surprised so far by Nyx leading skills and HOW she leaded the group. 'She's like a military woman.' Minato couldn't help but picture her with a uniform. 'Looking good.'
"Takeba, you will take it out. With your persona."
"WHAT!? B-but...OWE!" Nyx smacked her.
"You will either follow or you will leave and never come back."
"What are- OWE!"
"Your hesitation is not only putting you, but everyone else in danger!"
-"I'm sorry to interfere, but there are multiple shadows approaching. They haven't noticed you yet, so I assume you hide and wait for a chance to strike."-
"Hah, BRING THEM ON!" shouted Junpei. Nyx was a bit too far away to smack him. And Mitsuru reported the shadows movement speed has increased. They were coming from all sides. Nyx gave Junpei a fast glare and took battle position. There was no time to summon any persona, so they had to use their weapons. The fact that they were on a crossroad didn't help at all, so the party got multiple burns and sometimes an ice spike was shot against them.
-"Iori is in danger! Takeba, your persona can heal."-
"Minato, buy her some time!" said Nyx. Meanwhile Minako was protecting Junpei. She was surprisingly good with her naginata. Or was it?
However Yukari still hesitated and it didn't matter how much of a fool he was, they needed Junpei to get out.
'Master use me."
! So this was what Igor was talking about. Nyx kicked a shadow away (still wondering if they recognize her as the night queen) and pulled out her evoker.
"Pixie!" she announced and the little fairy healed Junpei.
"Apsaras!" came Minako who used her new persona, since it had a bit more magic (knowing by instinct).
Junpei was back, but more shadows approached. Maybe they KNEW who Nyx really was and tried to get her back.
Minato put it in the side of his head and concentrated on the current fight. It was a bit easier after Mitsuru exploited their weaknesses (not that he didn't remember, he just didn't remember ALL of them). Yukari was the one with the highest magic level, but that didn't help as long as she refused to pull the trigger and the group had taken more than one hit.
'Fusion spell! Of course!'
"Cadenza!" Minato announced and pulled the trigger twice. Fully recovered, by Orpheus and Minato's Apsaras and a little sukukaja on top of it, the group turned the table around.
-"Good job, team. But how were you able to use more than ONE persona?"-
"This is not important now. We are all exhausted."
-"I see. There should be an access point around the corner. Use it and it'll teleport you back."-
"Welcome back. How was it?"
"I was on fire!"
"You put us all in danger! And you weren't any better!" Nyx shouted at Junpei and Yukari who both flinshed.
"Lucky you, it is not my decision whether you stay or not. And I'm too tired to deal with you fools. Kirijo-san, may we discuss today's events tomorrow? I am quite exhausted."
"Very well. I think you all deserve to rest. Let's go back."
Inside the train, Minako was sleeping, leaning against her brother's shoulder. Minato spoke to the death goddess.
"Don't you think, you're a bit harsh?"
"No." was the immediate reply. "It has been forgotten, but there were many humans who tried to make their way through the underworld. Be it bringing someone back, adventure or treasure. One day a man and his fellows entered the underworld. He was strict and punished his men for every single mistake. Yet he only wanted them to survive. There was more than one time he stood between his men and their enemies. In the end he was the only one who died, after he gave his men time to escape."
"What was his name?"
"I don't know. He never reached me. I watched him from distant with my powers, I don't have any more. He knew his limits, so he retreated."
"So, you punished them, because you were worried?"
"No."
...
"So, why?"
"Because, they need to learn. The cap fool needs to learn to canalize his powers and not waste it all at once. Takeba needs to learn to overcome her fear. I try to make her angry, so she will use her persona next time."
"I don't think Yukari will look at it that way." Minato sweat/dropped.
"I have an idea. Why don't we let her make some test shots tomorrow dark hour? When she's not under pressure she might have it easier."
Nyx thought about it and nodded. "A good idea."
"Umm, let me talk to her, 'kay? She might try to avoid you or not listen to you."
"You have a valid point. Besides, you're more experienced with this...socializing."
Alright, done. By the way, fool didn't go up, since Nyx is acting like a b****. I thought I gave her a military personality during missions. What do you think? Oh and one more thing. I'll create some OCs for some social links. So far only got the devil. And I don't want to change EVERY link. See you later, aligator.