-Unknown time-

Minato soul was at peace, as a familiar melody echoed through the halls of his subconscious. Everything around him was calm, and he felt happy. Shadows, Personae, the battle he participated in and that...creature, they were all just forgotten memories now. Wherever he was, it was a magnificent place. He wanted to stay here forever if possible. Hey, maybe that was it. He died, and now he was in Heaven. Although still tired, Minato eagerly opened his eyes and saw...that he was actually in the Velvet Room.

"It's so nice to see you again." the big nosed old man named Igor welcomed him. Not quite the angel Minato was hoping for. "You became unconscious after awakening to your 'power'." Okay, that's good, so he's not dead at least. "...It's nothing to worry about, though. So, just relax. By the way...I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling. Very curious indeed, to think that I would have the honor of seeing him again." Igor smiled nostalgically. "That power is called a Persona...It is a manifestation of your psyche."

"A... Persona?" Minato asked.

"It may take some time to fully comprehend. A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli... You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships. That being said, your power is still weak..."

"Weak? How is it weak?" Minato was slightly offended. Nobody likes to be called weak after all.

"When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links - your emotional ties with others. The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please remember that."

'Well, then he's right, I'm weak. I suck at that stuff."

"I see. I have one more question. When I fought that monster, what was that...thing that came out of Orpheus?"

" I'm afraid I do not know. You will have to find the answer to that question yourself. But do not worry, you will receive all answers you seek throughout your journey. Now then... Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord. Until then... Farewell."

- Tatsumi Memorial Hospital -

- Friday, April 17, 2009 -

Minato groaned as he regained his senses. It was a lot more comfortable in the Velvet Room, that's for sure. He was feeling like crap, as if he had just waken up from a week of sleep. Plus, it felt like someone was trying to squeeze the life out of his arm. And he was thirsty. And hungry. And he had a headache. And he felt as if he were watched by someone. Which was the case. He opened his eyes and looked to the right. No one. He then looked to the left. Panties. Pink. Cute. Blush, look away and pretend your still unconscious, Minato! Good boy!

"Uh..." Minato sat up, startling the girl next to her. Okay, he wasn't caught.

"You're awake...!" It was Yukari. Figures. She would be the only girl in the dorm to wear pink panties. "Um, how do you feel?"

"W-where am I...?" Minato found it a little hard to speak.

"Thank goodness. You finally came too. Geez, how much sleep do you need? It's been a whole week!"

'Well, a couple more days would be great.'

"...I was so worried about you...Oh yeah. This is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It's just a short walk from the station." Yukari explained. "The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you. He said you were just exhausted... But you kept sleeping and sleeping. You know how worried I was?" she scolded him. "Um...I'm sorry I couldn't do anything...Even though I was supposed to protect you, I... But your power... It was amazing!"

"What was that creature?"

"...You mean the Shadow? They're what we're fighting against. And the power you used...we call it 'Persona'. We'll explain everything later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before..." she stood up and looked out the window, a sad expression on her face. "I, uh... I wanted to tell you that... I'm sorta like you. My dad died in an accident when I was little... And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms... You lost your parents too, right? To be honest, I already know about your past... But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine... It was back in 99'... There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened... He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you. Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help... It was my first time fighting them, too. I'm sorry... You wouldn't have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward..."

"It wasn't your fault. Trust me...I was scared too."

"Thanks...but still... And here I am telling you all this the minute you wake up. While I was waiting, I thought to myself: 'I've been hiding so many things from him... As soon as he wakes up, I'll tell him the truth'. So, thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time." she smiled at him.

At that moment, a weird sensation came over Minato. It was like a sudden rush of adrenaline that powered up his body and soul, all at once. He was no longer tired. In fact, he was ready to kick ass! What was this feeling? He soon got his answer in the form of a card.

The sound of shattering glass echoed through Minato's ears as a cool looking velvet blue tarot card materialized in front of him.

The card depicted a huge tree in the middle with a pink tree crown and a giant black heart in the middle. To the left of the tree stood a male silhouette against a blue background, and to the right of the tree stood a female silhouette against a light pink background. On the very top of the card was a floating sun and on the bottom of the card stood the Roman numeral VI.

The stunning silence was then broken by a voice akin to that of Orpheus.

"Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou has established a new bond... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…" the voice announced. The card then faded away into blue light and was absorbed into Minato.

'W-what? W-was that...? Is this what Igor was talking about? Social...Links? Did I just...become more powerful?'

"What's wrong?" Yukari interrupted his thoughts. "Y-you've been staring at me for a while now. It's...a little embarrassing..." she blushed.

"Oh...S-sorry, I guess I'm still a little dazed. By the way, my hand feels like it's being crushed. Did something happen to it?" he tried pulling it out from beneath the covers but it didn't budge.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that..." Yukari sighed. "Just take a look for yourself."

Minato used his free hand to pull away the covers and was...shocked to say the least.

Hamuko lay next to him in bed, wearing nothing but a bra and a pair of panties, which were white by the way, and was holding Minato's hand tightly to her not-so-modest chest.

"W-what the hell?!" Minato tried to pull his hand away, blushing deeply. "H-hey, Hamuko, let go! C'mon, wake up!"

"She's been by your side day and night ever since the incident." Yukari stated. "She refused to leave the room and even skipped school. She must really care about you, huh?"

"Yeah..." Minato stroke Hamuko's hair, like he used to do when they were kids.

"...Alright, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you woke up. Take it easy, okay? But I'm sure there'll be no problem. Hamuko will take good care of you. Well, bye."

Minato now found himself in an annoyingly awkward situation. He was alone in the room with Hamuko. Who was fast asleep. In the bed. Half naked. With him. And he had his hand on her chest. Great.

Still, Minato was no pervert. We wasn't about to let himself get seduced, especially not by his sister. He quickly activated his Minato Barrier and regained his composure.

Looking down at his sister's cute sleeping face, Minato smiled.

"Thanks... for everything. But you don't have to worry about me. Not anymore. I have the power I sought for. The power to grow stronger. From now on... I'll protect you. I'll make sure that you'll never have to cry again. I promise."

Minato then lay down his head, ready to take a nap. But there was something bothering him. Maybe, just maybe... He had to be sure. He sat up and looked at Hamuko again. At her chest, to be more exact. Hamuko was still fast asleep and probably wasn't going to wake soon, the room was quiet, they were alone and curiosity was getting the better of him. He should be able to pull it off.

"I need to know..."

Moving his captured hand masterfully, he was able to silently slide it till it reached her left breast. He then tightened his grip on it.

"Really...?" Minato sighed.

After having another feel, he slid his hand back to its original place and lay down again.

"I knew it...Her boobs grew again."

-Gekkoukan High School-

- Saturday, April 18, 2009 -

"Are you sure you're alright?" Hamuko asked her brother concerned. "Maybe you shoulda stayed at the dorm for today. It's a Saturday after all."

"You know how school is. If I'd miss one more day, I'd never hear the end of it. Besides, I'm completely fine now. Never been better."

"Yo!" Junpei called out to them, trying to catch up. "Long time no see. What happened to you two? You have an upset stomach or what? Hehe. Either way, I'm glad you guys are back. The school was getting gloomy without you."

"Sheesh, someone's full of energy today... I could hear you all the way from there." Yukari sighed. "Sorry to hit you with this first thing in the morning, Minato-kun, but..."

'Minato-kun? Does she feel that casual around me already?'

"...Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to you two today. Come to the 4th floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget."

"Yeah, got it."

'Huh. Wonder what he wants?'

Meanwhile, Junpei was smiling creepily, lost somewhere in his thoughts.

"Oh Yeah! I can't wait till tonight! You know, I'm gonna...!" Junpei eagerly tried to explain something, but cut himself off. "Oh wait, it's supposed to be a secret. Sorry." he grinned. "By the way... I heard from someone that you guys share a bed! What's up with that? C'mon, tell me all the juicy details!"

"Yep, that's a very interesting story indeed. You see..."

'...Next time I'll let the monster kill me...'

-Iwatodai Dormitory-

"Well, we're here." Minato announced as they entered the room on the fourth floor. The room somewhat resembled the lounge downstairs. Ikutsuki, Yukari and Mitsuru where the only people in the room asides from them.

"Ah, there you are." the chairman greeted them. "I'm glad that you're okay. The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you. But before that, we're still expecting two people."

"You don't have to wait any longer, we're here." an unfamiliar voice spoke. A white haired young man entered the room, followed by Junpei.

"J-Junpei...?! Why is he here?" Yukari jumped to her feat. "Wait, don't tell me..."

"I bumped into him the other night. He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently. I told him about us, and he agreed to come tonight to get more details."

"He found me cryin' like a baby at the convinience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins. I don't remember much, but man, that's embarrassing."

"Excellent. Well then, now that everyone's here, let's all take a seat." the chairman announced. They complied. "Oh, before we go on..." he faced the twins. "...I believe I haven't introduced him yet. This is Akihiko." he introduced the white haired stranger.

"How ya doin'?" Akihiko greeted them.

"Okay, let me start off by asking you this... Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?"

"What?!" Junpei was shocked. "Dude, is that even possible?"

Minato and his sister decided to stay silent.

"I'm not surprised by your reaction." Mitsuru chuckled. "However, you've all experienced this truth firsthand. You had to have noticed the signs... The streetlights went out, nothing was working... There were coffins everywhere... Didn't it feel like you were in different time? That's the Dark Hour, a time period hidden between one day and the next."

'So, it's called the Dark Hour, huh? Finally, I'm getting some answers.'

"Whaddya mean 'hidden'?" Junpei asked.

"It occures each night, as the clock strikes twelve. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come." the chairman explained.

"Normal people don't realize it, since they're all sleeping inside their coffins. But, that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting." Akihiko continued. "...You saw those creatures. We call them 'Shadows'. They only appear during the Dark hour, and attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them. ...Sounds exciting, huh?"

"Akihiko! Why are you always like that? You just got hurt the other day!" Mitsuru scolded him.

"Now, now. He does his work well." the chairman came to his defense. "Long story short... We're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad - SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club advisor."

"A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse. They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them."

"So...then you fight them with these...Persona things, right?" Minato asked.

"Yes. Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour. Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's Persona, the power you used the other night. The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means, it's all up to you guys."

Mitsuru lifted a large silver case from the floor and put it on the table. Opening it, she revealed three uncannily gleaming silver guns.

"What he's trying to say is, we want you to join us. We've prepared Evokers for all of you. We'd like you to lend us your strength."

"Really?! Awesome!" Junpei quickly took one of the Evokers and happily started jumping up and down. "Man, this is so cool!"

"It looks like Iori's in. What about you two?" Mitsuru asked.

'This is what we were seeking. If we join this group, we should be able to find out what happened all these years ago. I'm sure it has to do with something regarding the Shadows.'

"Alright, count me in." Minato announced seriously and took a gun.

"Well, if Minato-nii's in, than so am I!" she smiled. She then followed Junpei's lead and started acting stupid.

"I was afraid you'd say no. Welcome aboard!" Yukari greeted him.

"Thank you so much. I'm really glad. Oh, I almost forgot... About your room assignments... Why don't you just stay here, in your current rooms? I don't know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end." the chairman chuckled.

"Alright, let's do our best!" Hamuko fist pumped.

Everybody was cheerful, celebrating the fact that the group was now big and ready to do... whatever they do. Minato on the other hand was busy observing the card that was forming in front of him. The card depicted a man carrying a stick on its shoulder with a bag tied to its far end, followed by a small dog. The number 0 stood at the bottom.

"Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou has established a new bond... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…" the eerie voice announced. The card was then absorbed into Minato, just like the other one.

'A new social link? So, basically, the more friends I make, the more Social Links I get. And the stronger the bond, the stronger my power. Create bonds, huh? I... really don't want that.

-Dark Hour-

"Hi, how are you?" a young boys voice woke Minato up. Minato opened his tired eyes, and was surprised to see the creepy boy he met the night he first arrived.

"I-it's you! Who are you?"

"We've met before." he chuckled eerily. "Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you."

"The...end?"

"The end of everything. ...But to be honest, I don't really know what it is." he seemed a little sad. "Oh, looks like you've awakened to your power...and an unusual power it is. A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none... It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up." he explained. "Do you remember when we first met? I expect you to honor your commitment. I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me. Okay then, see you later." And with that, he disappeared as mysteriously as he showed up.

"...Kids these days."

- Sunday, April 19, 2009 -

The following night, everyone gathered on the fourth floor again, as the chairman said they would have their first mission.

"Okay, everybody's here. I'd like your undivided attention" the chairman spoke. "For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But, that number recently jumped to six. Therefore... Starting tonight at 12:00 AM, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

"Tartarus? What's that? Sounds like toothpaste." Junpei remarked.

"You haven't seen it, Junpei?" Yukari asked.

"It's no surprise...since it only appears during the Dark Hour." the chairman explained.

"Just like the Shadows. Interesting, huh? And it's the perfect place for us to train. You can think of it as a Shadow nest." Akihiko said.

"Whoa... Their nest, huh...?"

"But, senpai... what about your injury?"

"Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet, he'll only come as far as the entrance."

"...Yeah, I know." he sounded disappointed.

"Well, I'm sure he won't complain, as long as you don't go too far in. Since we're dealing with Shadows, Tartarus isn't something we can avoid." the chairman continued.

"Alright! Let's do this!" Hamuko cheered.

"Yeah!" Junpei followed suit. "Relax, we got your backs!"

"..I'm not so sure about this." Yukari remarked.

'I worry about those two sometimes...'

"What about you, Mr. Chairman?" Mitsuru asked.

"I'll stay here. As you know, I can't summon a Persona..." he sighed.

The group made their way through the night until they finally reached their destination: Gekkoukan High School.

"This is it? THIS is the place?" Junpei asked. "Why HERE?"

"Just wait a few minutes... It's almost midnight..."

Sure enough, as the clock hit midnight, the Dark Hour commenced and their school...changed. What stood before them now wasn't their warm, welcoming school, but an eerie tower that seemed to reach out towards the moon. The entire structure was of a sickly green color with a weird style, like it was from some kind of horror-fantasy game.

"This is Tartarus - the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour." Mitsuru explained.

"Labyrinth...? What are you talking about!?" Junpei asked in shock. "What happened to our school!?"

"Once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal."

"This is the 'nest' you were talking about?! But why?! Why'd our school turn into a giant tower?!"

"..."

"You don't know either?"

"...No."

'She hesitated a bit. She's hiding something.'

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

"Well, maybe now we'll find out." Akihiko added. "Mitsuru and I have only gone inside to take a peek. This will be our first time exploring it. Exciting, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah! I'm pumped! I'm so freakin' pumped!" Hamuko shouted and ran on ahead by herself.

"Geez, what's wrong with her?" Minato sighed. "C'mon, let's go before she gets herself killed."

"WOW!" Hamuko exclaimed as the others entered.

"Whoa... It's just as cool on the inside."

And they weren't joking, it really was amazing. A giant staircase led to a big door that was part of some kind of clock. To the right of the stairs stood a weird green portal-like device, which was unfortunately deactivated, and to the left stood a small golden grandfather clock.

"This is only the entrance. The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs."

"First, we'll have you four get a feel for this place. Why don't you go have a look around?"

"What?! By ourselves?" Yukari asked scared.

"We're not asking you to go very far, and I'll be feeding you information from here." Mitsuru reassured her.

"We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions."

"For real? ...One of us? Oh! Oh! Me me me! Pick me!" Junpei jumped in excitement.

"...Uh..." Akihiko looked discouraged. "Minato, you're in charge."

"W-wait! Why him?! He doesn't look like a leader!" Junpei was enraged.

'Yeah, he's right. I don't have spiky hair. Leaders always need to have spiky hair. It's the law.'

"But, he HAS fought them before. And so did Hamuko." Yukari came to his defense.

"Seriously?"

"That's true, but there's another reason." Akihiko explained. "You two…Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like he can?"

"Y-yeah, of course I can!" Junpei exclaimed.

"I think so." Yukari said, still not entirely sure.

"These are Shadows we're talking about here. Without your Persona, you're screwed."

"Arisato... do you think you can do it?" Mitsuru asked him.

'It's seems like this is the only solution. Junpei and Yukari still haven't summoned their Personas yet, and Hamuko...'

"Okay, I accept, but only on one condition. Hamuko is to be my second-in-command. Is that agreeable?"

"Yes, I don't see why not. It could actually be of great help in certain situations."

"Alright then. It's settled."

"Well then, first, let me give you some weapons. After all, you'll have to be able to protect yourself, in case your Persona is busy. I believe we've chosen suitable weapons for all of you."

There was much happiness among the group of heroes. Junpei was energetically swinging his two handed sword like a baseball bat, whilst Hamuko was spinning with her new naginata. They...looked kinda ridiculous. Yukari received a bow and a quiver full of arrows,and Minato a beautifully crafted wakizashi. It was, in fact, the perfect weapon for him.

"Sweet! Now we're gonna kick some serious ass!" Junpei announced.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Mitsuru presented the group with another silver case. Opening the case, she revealed four silver... gauntlets?

'They kinda remind me of the gauntlets from Bakugan.'

"These devices will be of the utmost importance. They way they work resembles a Start menu from video games, so it should be quite easy to use. You can explore all the functions later, for now, I will explain the important ones." she handed one to each member, who then put them on their left hands. "To activate the device, press the Start button located under the screen. After that, you'll see the screen light up. From there on, you'll be navigating through the menu using the touch screen. As you can see, there are many icons to choose from, but we'll be concentrating on the top five: Skills, Status, Items, Map and Communication. If you press on the Communication button, it will allow you to contact either me or any ally. You'll be able to talk freely, as if the person were right next to you. If you turn on the camera, you'll even be able to see each other. Pressing the Map icon will display the explored areas of the floor you are on, as well as everyone's current position. The Items menu will present to you the list of items in the teams possession. You can then select any one of them. By doing this, the device will immediately transport the item onto your person from the storage area. When you find items that you wish to take with you, just go to the Items menu and press the 'Transfer to Storage' button. The Status menu will show you your Persona's status as well as its level, experience points and experience needed to advance to the next level. It even displays the next skill your Persona will learn. And finally, the Skills menu will show you the skills your Persona can use. As for the gauntlet itself, it is highly durable, so if you have no other choice, you may even use it as a shield. It is by no means unbreakable though, so try to not let it take too much punishment. If you want to learn more about all the menus and the devices functions, just select the Info icon. It explains everything."

Everyone just stood and stared in awe, as they were still trying to comprehend how the hell a device like this could even exist. This was some seriously advanced piece of technology. It may not be such a big deal in 400 years in the future, but...

"This is incredible. Who invented this thing?" Minato asked.

"Back when the Kirijo Group first found out about the Shadows and Personas, we knew that the only way to protect humanity was to fight them. A genius scientist, head of the Kirijo Technological Institute, worked on numerous devices to aid Persona-users in their battle. The Evokers and the Gauntlets were just some of them." Mitsuru explained.

"And where is he now?"

"I'm afraid he disappeared now ten years ago... and he deleted all data of the projects he worked on and of himself when he left. No one even knows his name. Few have met him, since he was a secretive man. Anybody who has is already dead. He might be as well."

"I see. Well then, I guess we should thank him, he made our job a lot easier. Either way, it's time for us to go!" Minato announced.

"RIGHT!"