Here I am! My cold is going back but now there is snow everywhere on the streets! Plus, it's Christmas soon and I don't have any presents yet! And I have to go into the city with my friends. Ugh, I hate being with humans. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I'm not even legal yet. How am I supposed to own persona 3?
-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-
4/27/2009 Monday Early Morning
The classes sat int the auditorium, waiting for the assembly to be finally over with. It was assigned without any announcement, much to the surprise of the faculty. The chatter of the students filled the room until a teacher stepped onto the podium, announcing the principal. Yukari leaned forward to him, whispering lowly into his and Junpei's ears.
"Just what's up with today's assembly? ...You think it's about the recent incidents?"
"Who cares? The principal doesn't know about the Shadows anyway. I just hope this doesn't take too long..."
"Yeah, his speeches always drag..."
"Today, I want to tell you about, um, my visions for the coming year. As you are aware, strange incidents have been reported on the news lately. It is my firm belief that none of you are involved. However, if we want to better our school, than we all need to accept responsibility for change. Dig deep down inside, and tap into your imaginations...but don't lose touch with reality. As they say, "there's no use crying over spilled milk." That is the key to reaping all the benefits that school has to offer..."
"Wait a minute. Doesn't this awfully remind you of Kirijou-Senpai's speech?" Yukari asked, eyes narrowed in annoyance. Hamuko leaned back into her seat, blowing up her cheeks.
"So just because he got self-esteem issues we have to suffer? That's just bullshit, dude!" Junpei turned his head so fast it looked painful, eyes wide and mouth agape.
"Little missy, that's not the way a girl should talk about their teachers!" After she just gave him a huff, he took on a thoughtful expression before nodding. "But I got admit, you're right. I just hope I don't fall asleep." Fortunately, the speech "only" took another thirty minutes before they were able to return to their classrooms. As the lessons carried on, as boring as always, Minato laid his on his arms and closed his eyes. The moment he woke up, it was already lunchtime, the other students happily chatting and eating their bentos. He was about to take out his own lunch (a melon-bread and a pack of milk) as the door slid open, revealing their red-haired Senpai. Mitsuru walked over to his sister who was talking to Yukari about kittens. The heads of the two girls snapped up to her and she began to speak.
"I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you after school. I have a special request for you. I apologize for being in a rush, but I don't feel comfortable asking anyone else. I'll tell you more about it after school, okay? Au revoir." And then she was gone again. They looked after her for a few seconds before going back to talking to each other. The bluenette sat there for a minute, thoughtfully nibbling on a piece of bread. Shortly after, the classes continued and the small conversation of the females was forgotten. After the last clock finally ringed, the Kaichou was back again, just in time. "I apologize for making you wait." `She wasn't waiting, she just got done with writing down her notes!´ He thought but of course didn't say out loud. "To make a long story short, I want you to join Student Council. It's not like you'd have to participate in every activity. Just come to the Student Council room when you have time. Being President is very time consuming. I'd like to have additional help available in the event of an emergency. You understand my situation...I'm asking you because you know what it's like to be a leader." The older Arisato titled her head to the side, obviously considering it. After a few minutes of thinking, she smiled brightly and nodded wildly.
"Of course! It would be a pleasure!" The other red-head gave an approving nod.
"I knew I could count on you. I've already made an appointment for you with the faculty adviser. You'll have to go to the Faculty Office on your own. I'm sorry I made the arrangements without your permission, but I hope you understand the position I'm in. Please go to the Faculty Office, Arisato. I'll be waiting for you in the Student Council room." she said and walked out of the room again. Hamuko packed her stuff together before exiting too. The boy also raised from his seat, walking over to Junpei who was trying to somehow fit his science book into his Japanese folder.
"Hey Junpei, you want to hang out today, too?" he asked with a small smile on his face. The taller looked up at him a little surprised but then began to give one of his trademark grins.
"Sure thing! How about we stop by somewhere?" He said and stood up, a few of his pencils falling to the floor. Minato gave a small chuckle as the older just rubbed his neck in embarrassment. Shortly after they picked each one up, they sat in the Chagall Cafe, a shop in Paulownian Mall. Junpei looked around with an excited sparkling in his eyes. "Whoa, so this is how it looks from the inside..." The bluenette fave him a confused look which he immediately understood. "Oh, it's just that it's not the place two guy friends would normally go." The younger titled his head to the side, still not understanding.
"Where do you normally go with other boys?" The older thought for a bit before answering.
"Uh, Karaoke, Wild-Duck burger, the manga cafe..." After some more thinking, he began to grin. "Now that I say it out loud, it sounds way lamer!" He raised his cup, inspecting it for a bit. "But I got to admit, this is some damn good coffee. You can tell the guy who owns this place is really picky about the beans. He probably roasts them all differently using special waters for each type..." the bluenette looked at him being deep in thought before interrupting.
"You seem to know a lot about coffee, Junpei." Said boy grinned even more and rubbed his neck again.
"Heheh.. I just really like coffee. That's all." he took a sip of his drink before turning back to the other. "By the way, what did you order, Minato?" The bluenette looked at his own cup for a minute before responding.
"Hot chocolate." As he heard a suppressed chuckle from the other side of the table, he looked up again, pouting a little. "What's so funny?"
"Dude, that's such a girly drink. Matches your looks." He said with a wide grin on his face. They drank in silence for a few minutes before the taller spoke up again. "Hey, are there any girls that you are interested in right now? If you want, I can totally help you out. It would be fun being your cupid." He laughed for a bit and Minato couldn't help but smile himself. "Oh yeah, what about Kirijou-Senpai? Most of the guys in school are secretly fawning over her. You'd better be careful she doesn't play you!" He thought for a bit again, but then shook his head. "No, there's no way she would do that. She's pretty much a nun." He leaned forward as if he was telling him a big secret. "So how about Yuka-tan? She's not only popular in our grade but also in the upper classes. What do you think? Do you like her?" The younger was a little taken aback by the question but kept a straight face.
"Takeba-san is just a friend to me, I do think she's attractive but I'm not interested in her. As for Kirijou-Senpai, I am not either. To be exact, there's no one I like right now." The baseball-player leaned back into his seat, disappointed.
"Well, too bad. If it changes though, you should try to get them! A transfer student who swoops in and steals away the hearts of the girls everyone wants. That could be right out of a manga!" he laughed loudly, earning the stares of other customers in the Cafe. When he had calmed down, he gave the other a small grin and winked at him. "But seriously, if there's anyone you like, you can come to me and talk about it." he turned back to his coffee and then the world turned gray again.
"I am Thou... And Thou art I...
Thou shalt be blessed when fighting the Magician Arcana!"
"Shoot! Is it already this late? We should head back now!" Junpei said and quickly drowned his drink down before paying. He then dragged Minato out of the shop, not letting the boy finish his chocolate. "If we are late for supper, Senpai will rip us apart!" They hurried to the dorm but as soon as they arrived, a weird smell overcame them. They stood in front of the enormous doors, already feeling that something was wrong. The two boys gulped but then cautiously opened them. Right away a huge cloud of smoke hit them, almost knocking them down. As the cap-wearing boy coughed wildly, Minato fell to his knees, trying to find the source of all the fume. As he spotted the kitchen, he grabbed the olders wrist and pulled him toward it. Loud cursing could be heard as they got closer to the room and as they entered, their eyes went wide.
"Wah! Just how the hack did it catch fire!" Yukari shouted as she hit the pot on the stove with a towel, failing to extinguish the flames. Hamuko was running around wildly, not really helping her.
"This is just terrible! We have to use water on it!" She shouted and already moved to the sink. The younger twin visibly paled, walked up to her and grabbed her on her waist, stopping her.
"Are you stupid or something! First of all you have to take it down from the stove!" he shouted in despair. After they finally put out the fire and were able to breath normally again, the two boys had the girls sitting in front of them, looking embarrassed at the floor. "So just what made you start a fire inside the dorm?" The brown-haired girl stared at her hands as she knitted her apron in them. A low mumble erupted from her lips and Minato tilted his head to the side. "Excuse me, but could you repeat that?" Her head snapped up to him, a bright blush on her face.
"WE TRIED TO MAKE DINNER!" she cried louder than necessary, making the ears of the others ring. Junpei was the first one to regain his composure, rubbing his neck awkwardly.
"So... And then something went wrong and it ended in... this?" he pointed at the pot on the table beside them. The girls looked away, ashamed and the taller just stared at it. "What was this anyway?" Hamuko sweat-dropped and sighed.
"Mushroom-soup." Minato gave a surprised look which soon turned to unbelieving.
"Soup? Just how did you manage to make it burn?" He quickly shook his head. "Why did you want to make dinner anyway? Is there something to celebrate?" The girls visibly flinched but then the red-head raised form her seat and dragged Yukari off.
"None of your business, Blueberry!" she yelled and then was gone in the upper floors. The two looked after them for a second before they moved to the still demolished kitchen.
"Looks like it's up to us to clean the mess they made." Minato walked up to the burned stove and let out a long breath. "Damn, look at the stove! Just how did they do that?" He grabbed the towel Yukari held before and began to shrub.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-Site Break!-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The last few days went pretty smoothly. Minato had spent some of them with hanging out with Junpei, learning that his father was a drunk, he was really happy to move into the dorm and that someone had been taking photos of the younger in his gym uniform and sold them to some creepy stalkers of his. He spent Showa day with Saoto and asked him about it, but the boy said he had nothing to do with it. While they were talking on another day, he found out that Kage was killed during a Demon summoning ceremony and that his family has been split since then. His classmate gave him an Online game and the internet line was fixed, but he wasn't really the type of guy who could spent the whole day inside. They had also been in Tartarus for a few times but didn't really get any further than they already were. It was now the first of may and the bluenette was sitting in his class, just about to go as his cap-wearing dorm mate walked up to him.
"FYI, Sanada-Senpai is at the hospital for a check-up. He called me earlier and asked me to bring him something. Yup he knows who to count on!" Junpei grinned widely but it was soon broken when Yukari and Hamuko walked up to them.
"He just asked you because he knows you don't have to do anything else after school." The taller stepped back a little, his eyes wide.
"H-Hey, I resent that!"
"Don't worry, she's just kidding! So, what did he want you to bring?" The red-haired girl interrupted, a bright smile on her face.
"The class roster from 2-E."
"I wonder what he needs that for. Anyway, we don't have practice today, so I think we can come along." The pink-clad girl turned to the younger of the twins. "You are coming too, right, Arisato-kun?" He thought about it for a second before nodding. Shortly after, they were in Tatsumi Memorial Hospital, searching for Akihiko's room. When they finally found the right number, an unusual sight greeted them. A gruff looking guy sat on the bed instead of their Senpai, clad in a red double-breasted jacket and a beanie on his head. The juniors stood there frozen for a minute before the baseball-player took the word.
"...Um... is … Sanada-Senpai..?" He stared at the taller for a moment. "..in this room? ...By any chance?" Just as he finished his sentence, said senior walked into the room, his jacket casually thrown over his shoulder.
"Why are all of you guys here?" The silverette asked with a smirk on his face. Hamuko enthusiastic, throwing him one of her most winning smiles.
"We are here to see you, Senpai!" Akihiko smiled back a little, shaking his head.
"I'm just here for a check-up." he said, musingly. The stranger stood up from the bed, giving a small grunt.
"Is that all, Aki?"
"Yeah, thanks." The taller grunted again, waling toward the door.
"I don't have time for this shit." He was almost out when he noticed Minato. He walked back to the short boy, latter giving him a confused look. "You..." he stopped and the bluenette just blinked. "Never mind." He quickly exited the room, leaving the Gekkoukan students alone in the room. Junpei looked after the man for a bit before talking again.
"W-Who was that?" He asked, eyes wide. The boxer scratched the back of his head, sighing.
"A friend of school. ...Sort of." He turned back to the juniors, giving them a serious face. "You know how the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has been increasing? Well, he knows a few people who are suffering from it, so I was asking him about it. Hey Junpei, did you bring what I asked?" A wide grin made itself on said boys face home as he pulled out the piece of paper.
"Of course, Senpai."
"Sorry for the trouble." Akihiko said as he took it form the younger. "Well, let's get going." Minato looked horrified before he moved over to the taller, softly taking his hurt arm.
"Y-You shouldn't move your arm too much." he softly whispered. The older was startled for a bit but then a smile overcame him and he patted the underclassman with his other hand.
"It's nothing. I wasted enough time already, I need to get back to my training." he ruffled the shorter's hair for a bit more but stopped when he heard a loud whoop from the other boy in the room.
"Well, that's Gekkoukan's golden boy! He was born to be in the ring!" The others just sweat-dropped.
"Sometimes I just don't get you." Yukari walked up to the Senpai, gaining his attention.
"By the way, why boxing?"
"You mean why I chose that sport? Well...it's not the sport itself I like. I just wanted to learn how to fight. I know what it's like to feel powerless...and I don't want to feel that way again. Besides, I'm curious to see how strong I can get. It's like a game, only I'm competing against myself." Junpei began to grin from ear to ear for some reason, triumphant rays shining from it.
"That's an interesting way of looking at it. You know, I like games, too..." The brown-haired girl sighed, annoyed.
"Yeah, VIDEO games!"
"Oh, but I like fighting games, too!" After they ended this odd conversation, the students went back to the dorm. Mitsuru was already waiting for them there, reading one of her books. She turned to their leader, a serious expression on her face.
"Golden week is coming up. Since we have nothing else to do, we should go to Tartarus. It might take some time for Akihiko to fully recover and I don't want anything like that to happen again. Besides, the cases of Apathy Syndrome are on the rise again... I have a bad feeling about that. We had best mustered as much strength as we can." Hamuko nodded at her and walked up to her room. The others soon did the same and soon sleep reigned over the dorm.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-Site Break!-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Tomorrow is Golden Week, right? I wonder what I should do..." Saoto touched his lips with his fingertip, thinking a bit. Shortly after he turned to junior beside him. "But when they are over, we have to write exams. Although they are not too hard, they are annoying as hell. Anyway, do you have any plans for the long weekend?" Minato thought for a second himself before looking up to the younger.
"Not really. I thought about getting new equipment and a few items for Tartarus. If you don't have any healing powers, you're pretty much screwed without them." The black-haired boy leaned back into the bench, humming a short song before speaking up again.
"But you got some now, right? You told me last time that Orpheus learned Dia and some other support skills. Plus, you've got your demons, so it should be no problem." He heard a shifting beside him, making him look up again. "Hey, what's wrong? You seem uneasy today." The bluenette bit his lip, his eyes narrowed.
"It's just.. that I have no idea if I should use my demons. Sure, they are friendly and all, but why do I have this powers? I never heard of it before I came here and didn't have any special abilities. So why?" A long pause set in, making the older uncomfortable. A few minutes of silence reigned over them and just as he thought the shorter fell asleep, latter spoke up again.
"I've been wondering about that, too." The high schooler turned to the brown-eyed boy who was staring at the sky right now. "I've been wondering about it since I heard Kage had a human friend. She was a very reserved person, so she wouldn't really talk to people outside of the clan. Not only that, she even stalked you. Then there are demons practically swarming around you. I don't sense any summoner blood inside you and even if I just don't notice it, they would have gone after you a lot sooner. I don't know, I think it's just some kind of feeling around you. It draws darkness to you but it doesn't let you be devoured by it. How should I say, it's like you are the moon in the endless night." He turned to Minato, a soft smile on his lips. "It does apply for me, too. You are also like a moon to me."
"I am Thou... And thou art I...
Thou shalt be blessed when fighting the Hanged Man Arcana!"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-Site Break!-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Hi, how have you been?" Minato slowly opened his eyes, spotting the same small child on his bed as last time. The blue-eyes kid chuckled as if it were totally normal for him to be there. "One week from now, there will be a full moon... Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you. You will enocunter one of THEM. You must prepare for the ordeal, but time is of the essence...I'm sure you're aware of that, of course. I'll come see you again when it's over. Goodbye for now." And then he was gone again.
-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-
So, chapter done! By the way, I posted a short snippet on my blog today. It's the idea of a new story, but I don't want to start it because I'm writing on this. I will write on it when I get the time or ideas or get stuck here. I hope you check it out!
Review or a dog will eat your homework and no one will believe he did!
Sincerely, Your Shadow.