I hope you have been enjoying the story thus far. This is the longest chapter I ever written, especially since I decided to expand on certain parts of the game.
Memento Mori
Chapter 10: Fearful Experience
Tai stepped into Honou Shrine and noticed Tsuna and Amu were talking to a rather short boy with dark brown hair that hangs downwards just above his eyes, a small cowlick on the back of his head. His glasses were too big to fit his blue eyes. He wore suspenders over a white t-shirt with a red bowtie and sneakers.
"Tai!" Tsuna shouted, waving ecstatically. "Meet a friend of ours."
"Nice to meet you." The boy bowed talking rather maturely. It was disconcerting to see a kid speak like an adult. "My name is Conan Edogawa."
"I'm Taichi Yagami. Just call me Tai, Edogawa-kun." Tai bowed politely. For some strange reason, he felt there is no need to treat this kid as well… a kid. He had a feeling that Tsuna and Amu knows this as well.
"He lives in the same dorm as us." Amu added with a smile of her own.
Conan, on the other hand unaware what the juniors really think of him, was in shock. He had met people who treat him like a kid upon arrival and he's forced into 'Conan' but these… They treat more than just an adult. "'Us'? You live in the same dorm? But I thought Ohtori Dormitory Regulations said that there are single-sex dorms only."
"It's a special case for us." Tsuna scratched his chin. Conan raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry. We have a really good reason." He turned to Tai questionably. "So why you're here?"
"I just came to draw a Relationship Fortune." Tai shrugged. "For Black*Star. I need it."
Later that afternoon, Tai was eating beef bowls with his said classmate, chatting loudly.
"I want to Honou Shrine today and drew Very Good Luck!" Black*Star proudly stated, holding said fortune. "I really hope it would help me on this road to fame!"
"You always said that." Tai gulped down water.
"I was also promoted to taking care of the Stradivarius!"
Tai blinked and tried to salvage any memory. Where had he heard the Stradivarius term before? Ah! "Oh, our math teacher said something like that! But are you sure you can handle it?"
"Of course I can! I won't break it! With the way I am going I will be part of the Evans in no time!" His companion's expression suddenly darkened. "Y'know do you ever feel you are worth it?"
"What?" Tai nearly tripped over the words suddenly and froze. "Why so philosophical all of a sudden?"
"It's just… I have done everything to make my life worth it, living as if I will die tomorrow." The cyan-haired boy looked down at his half-eaten bowl. "I just…felt worthless."
"Do not feel worthless. You took everything with a smile. Whether it's fake or not, you are always trying to find the positives in things." Tai shook his head kindly.
His companion seemed to trip over the words. "You are…"
"What?"
Black*Star shook his head and smiled.
Tai, Amu, and Tsuna meandered into the relatively empty Faculty Office where there are only three people inside. Milly was sitting on a chair opposite of the two men. Standing by one of the desks was a frazzled man with an untidy suit. The boy with orange hair and eyes suddenly grasped him by the collar of his suit as he yelled, "Please you have to find her! She hasn't been home lately! The Sohma's are picked off one by one! Please just find her!"
"Kyo, I do not know the reason any of this is happening."
"It doesn't need to have a reason! She's somewhere in this school! I know it!"
"Wait, you're that guy…" Amu murmured quietly as Kyo stared at his teacher angrily.
"Senpai, why are you here?" Tsuna blinked questionably
Milly from her chair stared at Nikadou. "Same reason as you. Nikaidou-sensei, I still need answers about Tohru Honda."
The teacher sighed, covering his face with his hands. Kyo collapsed on the chair behind him with the same look on his face.
"Tohru… She had always been taking care of us… She's so perfect… When she was gone just like that… That was when we realized that we have taken her for granted and she's just like us…"
"What day was it she left?"
"May twenty-ninth." Kyo marbled muffled in his hands. "When she up and left for something she forgot in school, she was just gone! As if she never existed in this world! She even left a note saying that she won't be gone long! One day, one of our family members went to look for her but he never came back! The next morning…"
"…He was found lying on the ground by the gate." Tai finished for him.
"That was when we started to look for her frantically. We knew she still has to be in the school. We lived in a traditional Japanese house at the edge of town and it's always been a walk from here. She knows the city back to back. Everyone knew she once lived in a tent before she lived with us! We know her! She's too compassionate to leave us behind! Yet every night, each of us went missing and turned up at the school gates!"
"I see…" Milly turned to Nikaidou. "By the way, Nikaidou-sensei, this entire time you attributed this disappearance as an 'illness'. What is your intention?"
"I was asked to by an Akito and it would be best for the future if everyone who doesn't know is not affected"
"WHAT?!" Kyo stood up, fists clenching at his sides, knuckles tightening to white. "You are just as bad as to agree!"
"That's correct." Milly glared furiously. "You deliberately ignored your responsibilities as a teacher and chose not to report to the police just for the 'good of the future'. That's despicable!"
"I… I…"
The senior then twisted in her seat to face Kyo. "About your family… Did you notice anything unusual before the incidents?"
It was like Kyo was struck with lightning. "They all heard a voice… A creepy voice in their heads. When Yuki went missing, he said that he heard something calling his name and left before I could say anything. It was calling their name…"
"Could it be…?" Tsuna gawped in horror as Amu and Tai nodded in agreement.
"It's them… No doubt about it…" Milly agreed, joining their whispered conversation. "Until now, there was no way knowing how or why some people are conscious during the Dark Hour… But it's the voice that draws them in. Not a random phenomenon. This entire incident made me realize…they are clearly targeting humans." She turned to gaze at the back of Nikaidou's head. "Shadows are the enemy of mankind." She finally turned her body to the two men in the room. "Stay at our dorm tonight, Kyo; it's the safest place." Kyo nodded. "Stay in the room we give you. When you hear a voice, call us immediately. If you can do that much, you should be okay. Don't worry, Honda should be alright as well."
She took a deep breath. "We'll meet after school in the Student Council Room to discuss tonight's operation. We are going to rescue Honda. If my guess is correct, then she must still be in the school."
Tai peeped outside of the room, glancing back and forth to make sure no one is coming and hastily locked the doors. "All set."
"Tonight, we will infiltrate the campus. Our objective is to rescue Tohru Honda." Milly began to brief their mission.
"Why at night? The school turns into-." Tsuna gawked, realizing what she's saying.
"Exactly. That's how Honda wandered into Tartarus."
"Ever since she gone back just because she forgot something…"
"But it's nearly ten days since she's gone missing!" Tsuna ogled at the floor dejectedly. "That means..."
Ichigo gently placed a hand on Tsuna's shoulder. "Let's not jump onto any conclusions. Tartarus only appears during the Dark Hour so how about the rest of the day?"
"Are you suggesting…?"
"It's only a theory but I think time function differently with respect to Tartarus." Ichigo proposed smoothly. "So, even if it's been ten days for us, it might be ten hours for her. It's possible she's alive."
"You think so!?" Tsuna and Amu was relieved but still they worry. "But the Dark Hour is still brutal… We can barely handle one hour so how's she gonna last ten!?"
"Are you saying you are going to abandon someone and let her die!?" The orange-haired senior snapped.
The juniors were alarmed while Milly's lips tightened in sorrow.
"We would enter Tartarus somewhere else like Honda did. We should try class 2-E and wait there till midnight. Two of us will wait at the gates while the three would in the classroom."
"But it is going to work?" Amu asked the question the rest of SEES had in their heads.
"Honestly, if it did, if something goes wrong, you could all end up lost in Tartarus as well." Milly finally said.
"I won't stand by and do nothing if there's a chance we can save her… I'd never forgive myself. If none of you go, then I'll go by myself." Ichigo hissed with heavy finality, spinning around and approaching the door.
"…Alright." Milly sighed. "We're aware of the risks, but we just can't leave her here."
"I agree. We won't know until we try."
"It's hard to believe that I managed to see Soul's house…" Black*Star mumbled. "I didn't see it the first time."
"So what's your relationship with Soul?" Tai asked politely. "He's your spirit brother, is he?"
"Yeah, not by blood." Black*Star stopped and smiled at his classmate.
"What?"
"I think I can tell you my story. You always are willing to listen to me." The cyan-haired boy smiled somewhat bitterly. "I was an orphan. I didn't remember much about my own life before I was taken into the local orphanage in Ohtori…" He sat up, staring at his hands. "Back then, I believed everything was not of my own choice… until I met Soul…" He then turned his gaze, meeting Tai's brown eyes. "Soul was someone I could call a brother. He stayed by my side even if he had duties as an Evans. I didn't have anyone else."
"You clung to him."
"Yeah," He sighed. "Perhaps there is something more."
Tai smiled brilliantly.
"Thanks for coming to dinner with me. I felt like I need someone to talk to." Joe groaned into his hand. "You have to go somewhere during 11:30, right?"
"Yeah," Tai ate a small clump of rice on his chopsticks. "A club has plans at that time."
"What sort of plans?"
"Erm…nothing that needs questioning. Think of it as teenagers running around doing crazy stuff." That's actually pretty accurate…
Joe shrugged. "Okay. So…"
"How's Jun?" Tai guffawed delicately.
The doctor-in-training paused and blushed. "It's been fine. I talked to her before and I never once thought that would do well in romance."
Tai continued to laugh with a smile on his face. "I'm sure you will be a good boyfriend."
"Thanks for the support." Joe picked on his dish. "I don't know what else to do beyond talking. It's not she and I have the time to go out on a date.
"When you care for someone, you want to make happy and be happy with them." Tai said, looking out into the city from the wide windows. Joe glanced at Tai at the corner of his eye as he followed Tai's gaze out into the distance. "Often what they do to be happy can begin to make us happy as well."
Joe suddenly laughed and shook his head. "Jun, according to her doctor, at the rate of the Apathy Syndrome victims, would be released somewhere in March Fifth by estimation."
"Oh, that's Graduation Day for Ohtori Academy." Tai smiled. "Take her out somewhere on that date. I'm sure she would be happy to be with you."
Joe flushed. "I was planning to and maybe I can… But it's still many months away…"
"Do not worry about that." Tai patted Joe's hand. "Don't overthink. Talk to her and maybe confess you like her or something."
Joe grinned. "I'll take your advice."
"Just take the opportunity when you can and don't let it ever fall from your grasp again." Tai smiled weakly. "Just like me."
The doctor-in-training knew what Tai was implying and did not mention it instead choosing to change the subject.
SEES stood in front of the school gates, discussing just who is going to go into the classroom or to stay at the gates until Dark Hour appear. Milly stayed behind as usual.
Tai and Ichigo were to go into the classroom with Tai as the field leader as per usual. Amu was originally meant to go as healer but Tsuna insisted to go to make up for the monorail incident.
The three boys sat on the chairs in Class 2-E, waiting for the Dark Hour.
"So do you have any plans after graduating, Senpai?" Tsuna asked, breaking the silence.
"Hmm?" Ichigo blinked rapidly and shook his head. "I don't know. I'm not sure what I want to do. I still have the rest of the year to think what I can do. So what are you going to do after high school, Tsuna, Tai?"
"I don't know either." Tai shrugged neutrally. "I have yet to make any plans."
"After high school, I have to go to Italy with my Guardians." Tsuna sighed. "My future is set."
"But that doesn't mean your future is set in stone." Tai protested.
"Yes," the senior nodded. "My family runs a hospital but I never had much interest in it. Not since what happened."
"The Dark Hour felt like it's going to take an eternity." Tai glanced at his wristwatch. "Almost time."
His companions nodded and stood up from their seats, holding onto their weapons as if it's their lifeline.
Kyo Sohma sat on a bed in a relatively empty room in SEES' dorm. When the Dark Hour struck, he sat there oblivious until he heard…
"No! I can't give in!" His pupils dilated. "…calling me… I… I have to go… see… Tohru… Tohru…"
As if in a trance, he opened the door.
Milly was once again making adjustments to the radio. Amu explored the entrance of Tartarus interested tentatively and walked towards the senior. "Hey do you think they are fine?"
"We still haven't heard back from them… The transceiver's sensitivity is set on high too…" Milly responded.
"…" Amu looked at the entrance. "I hope Sohma-kun is doing okay."
"Unfornately, there is no safe place in the Dark Hour." Milly gently said. "But we couldn't possibly bring him here and one of us staying behind with him is out of the question."
"I guess so…" Amu then turned her gaze to the staircase. "But we're here for Tohru's sake-."
Milly was then able to find something.
"Milly, it's Ichigo." The senior responded.
"This is Milly. I've confirmed your position. You're higher than expected. Barely in communication range. Is everyone else alright?"
"…don't know…got separ…"
Then the static went silent.
"…Is he out of range? I'm getting worried…" Amu said quietly.
Milly didn't answer.
Tai groaned as he opened his eyes to a violet ceiling. He struggled to stand and rubbed his aching head. He could barely remember anything. All he recall was a sudden spinning and shifting of the classroom's floor and then nothing.
"Are you awake?"
Tai turned around startled to see the boy with prison clothes standing behind him with a slight smile. "This is the first time we've spoken outside of your room."
"Where are the others?"
"Don't worry. You'll see them soon." The boy's expression darkened. "But we don't have much time to talk. Tonight, there is more than one ordeal you must face… You should hurry… She's waiting for you. You guys will meet her. Okay, then… I hope we speak again."
After the boy disappeared, Tai grabbed his sword and heard static on his transmitter.
"Are…you…alri-?" Milly's voice could be barely heard. "…distance…too far…can't provi-…back up. You got s-…from Ichi-."
The communication broke off from there.
Sighing, he quickly made his way through Arqa…who knows which floor. He took out some Shadows that blocked his way to another staircase. Tai felt a little disturbed that he was this powerful… then again they all survived the Dark Hour to the point they were able to hold their own.
"Ichigo and…aren't…this floor…" Milly's communication was still static.
Soon after that, he heard a voice. Another female voice.
"Who's there… Are you human?"
Tai sighed as he quickly searched the floor for treasure chests and found extra medicine and Orbs.
"What's y-…current location-…Reply immed—"
Tai hastily swung his sword at an incoming Shadow when the same feminine voice resonated in his head. "Why am I here…? Please answer me…"
Realizing how tired he was, he quickly took a gulp of a medicine vial and raced off towards the stairs when he heard Milly again.
"Can y-…hear me? …Please ans-."
"Is someone there…? Please answer me…"
Tai was getting worried when he found no one in the two last floors he had traced. Thankfully, his worries were over, spotting Tsuna and Ichigo by the end of the hallway.
"There you are!" Tsuna breathed in relief as Tai ran towards them. "We were worried about you."
"I don't think we should enter Tartarus this way again…" Ichigo groaned, making sure his katana is still there.
"Oh yeah! Did you hear a voice when you were in here?" Tsuna snapped his fingers. "It sounds like…"
"Who is this…? Are you human?"
Startled, the boys turned to the corner where a girl cautiously emerged from the shadows. She was rather plain with long straight brown hair tied with two blue ribbons, a slight fringe that frame her round brown eyes, wearing the standard Ohtori Academy uniform.
"Are you Tohru Honda?" Ichigo questioned lightly as the girl approached them. "I'm glad you're okay… Come with us."
Tohru fell to her knees with an exhale. "Thank you so much… I…" Tai knelt down by her side with a smile as Tsuna beamed.
"Looks like we made the right choice. I'll see if I can contact Milly." Ichigo turned away, placing his hand on his transmitter.
"Where are we…? I was at school and then…" Tohru looked at the two boys next to her.
"Well.. it's a long story and we'll tell you once we're out of here." Tsuna replied.
"Milly, can you hear me?" Ichigo shook his head. "No good. All I hear is static."
"Are you hurt?" Tai asked, looking at her body for bruises. "Did you run into any monsters?"
"So there are strange creatures in here then…" Tohru gasped astonished. "I've managed to avoid them so far…"
Ichigo was especially shocked. "Are you serious!?"
"How can I say this… I can sort of tell where they are." Tohru mused sheepishly.
"You have the same power as Milly! Perhaps even stronger since Milly's Persona is more battle-oriented." Ichigo snapped his fingers as his two companions realized that little detail too. He stepped forward and held out an Evoker.
Tohru gulped in absolute horror. "But this is…!"
"It's not a real gun…" Ichigo wasn't sure what to go through with the sentence. "Let's get outta here!"
The four walked the corridors of Tartarus when Tsuna viewed the large green moon hovering in the sky. The moon, for all its morbidity, was extremely beautiful and shone the likeness of supernatural.
Conan glowered at the moon critically from the apartment window the Mouri's had rented for the year.
Yuri leaned against his bedroom's door, eyeing Tartarus.
"I have never seen it so bright…" Tsuna muttered in awe. His party stopped and glanced at the moon with equal appreciation.
"Some research indicates the Shadows are affected by the phases of the moon. That can be said for humans." Ichigo explained to a blank Tohru and Tai.
"Wasn't there a full moon the night we went to the monorail?" Tsuna asked Tai. Tai's jaw dropped. "There was a full moon on the night the dorm was attacked too! Back on April just a couple days I got here!"
Ichigo seemed to realize that as well as he pushed the button on his transmitter. "Milly, are you there!?"
"Ichigo…? …Shadows-."
"Milly, can you hear me!? Come in, Milly!"
"…be caref-." Then nothing.
"Milly?!"
Tohru shook her head suddenly. "Just what is that thing?!" The boys spun to her in shock. "It's bigger than the others…and it's attacking someone…"
"Dammit!" Ichigo immediately ran towards the transporter, its green light dim in the dark hallway. "It's one of THEM! If my guess is right, they come every full moon! We have to hurry!"
The remaining group hurriedly followed Ichigo, gripping their respective weapons. Tohru clutched the gun to her chest tightly.
Amu coughed and spluttered, landing on the hard floor. Milly struggled to stand, holding her evoker to her head. "Zelus!"
What emerged from her body was a floating figure wearing light armor on a white dress, four wings sprouting from its back. One hand wielded a staff and its face had written completely with a half mask, covering the nose to its forehead. "Hama!"
The light attack did some damage but not enough for the two figures hovering opposite of the girls.
One looked like a giant piece of armor with a red cross on its chest and princely cuffs and tunic, wearing a purple half mask. The other was almost peacock on design if not for the cauldron-like body and cloak. A lock seemed tied together to the center with sagging breasts wrapped with a blue petticoat.
Tai, Tsuna, Amu, Ichigo, and Tohru burst through the transporter and watched the ongoing battle in horror. To add to their horror, they saw a familiar orange-head sauntered in, his expression vacant.
"Why the hell is he here!?" Ichigo hissed, taking his evoker from its holster. Before he can say anymore, Tohru raced towards Kyo and began shaking him wildly. "Kyo-kun!? Wake up! Please get out of here! It's dangerous!"
"Tohru… You're here… You're really here…" Kyo's head was spinning with utter bewilderment.
When one of the Shadows turned to the couple, Tohru heaved herself from the floor and stepped in front of Kyo. Kyo shook rapidly, eyes widening in unadulterated horror as she raised the gun to her temple.
"TOHRU!"
Tohru inhaled as she pressed the trigger just as the gigantic Shadow raised an arm. Blue shards gathered around her, forming a protective shield resembling a woman with a large white off-the-shoulder dress, its blue petticoat exposing one breast, arms spread wide.
"I can see…" SEES could hear Tohru echoing in their heads. "I can sense the monsters' weaknesses somehow and stronger…"
Milly grinned almost manically. "This is perfect! Can you assist us?"
"I'll do my best!"
"Alright, then let's go!" Ichigo and the others left standing darted in front of Amu and Tohru and fell into offensive.
"Mazio!" Ichigo shouted, summoning Kratos and throwing an electric attack at the Emperor.
Tsuna hurried after it with a Cleave from Penae.
"Let's have an all-out attack!"
They gathered and beat the crap out of the Shadows and separating when it got up. Tai responded with Ara Mitama's Agi which Tsuna followed up with an Agi of his own.
Milly heaved a sigh as she shouted. "Zelus! Hama!"
The Shadows were quickly knocked down and SEES unleashed another attack. Once again they got up and ready themselves for another round as the Shadows turn around.
Tsuna then ran up to the Emperor Shadow and pulled off a combination of moves that immediately destroyed it. Ichigo then turned to the other Shadow and unleashed a Zio that was blocked.
Tai tried to make another move but he too was blocked. Milly ordered a Hama again that forced it to the ground.
"Leave it to us, Yagami-kun, Sawada-kun!" Milly still had that maniacal grin on her face. Ichigo by her side nodded, readying his katana.
The two dove for the last Shadow as the juniors watched in amazement the Shadow destroyed in an instant.
"Are there more…?" Tohru asked cautiously.
"Don't worry." Milly responded, lowering her rapier. Tohru sighed in relief and turned to the boy kneeling on the ground.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah…" Kyo asked still in a stupor. Tohru abruptly collapsed on his arms, frightening the poor boy. "Tohru! Tohru!"
"It's alright. She's only exhausted." Ichigo said gently as Kyo held Tohru close to him in complete utter relief. He turned to Milly. "Where did the Shadows come from, Milly?"
"From outside of Tartarus just like before…"
"I see…"
Amu suddenly gasped, hands clasping over her mouth. "Oh, what are we going to do with Sohma-kun? He saw the Dark Hour and Shadows."
"Don't worry, he's not like us. He won't remember anything." Ichigo reassured his kouhai. "The good news is that she didn't fall victim to the Shadows even though he obviously heard their call. He should be safe."
"But Tohru just saved his life! It just doesn't seem fair…"
"It's alright." Milly smiled at the couple on the floor. "I believe everything should be back to normal."
"I would protect you, Tohru. I would protect you." Kyo muttered just above a whisper and hugged the girl to his chest.
It took me some time to finish writing and editing this big chapter. Things has been going on so it would take some time to write a chapter and then edit it. If only I could find a beta...
I'll be finishing two Social Links next chapter as well as starting to finish the other 2 social links before a summer sports meet and start new ones. I might have accidentally started a few social links just a little too early so you have to wait for those social links till later (especially I am going to finish them either on October or November... so I need to keep up the pace with them).
Read and review, folks. I want to know what you think.
For those who are confused about the time, it should be around late May and early June. It would let you decide which date the Social Links hang out on.
Author Notes
Social Links: Asterisks would mark which rank (10). All links dealt with canon events in respective anime rather than sticking to what Persona 3 gave us. Some social links would take place in like a few months and I wanted to give them at least a chance. I might have a few chapters that dealt with Social Links only. There are some Social Links that I planned that are very much story-related but that's till later.
Strength - Utena Tenjou: ***
Upright: inner strength, know inner desires and keep them in check, inner female empowerment, control of passion over instinct,
Chariot - Nagihiko Fujisaki: ****
Upright: conflicting energies in harmony, working with boundaries to build success
Emperor - Lelouch Lamperouge: ***
Upright: authority, maintaining power over a situation
Lovers - Amu Hinamori: **
Upright: Love, passion, choices, struggle of two paths, duality
Magician - Black* Star: ********
Upright: self-motivation, potential, determination
Hierophant - Joe Kido: ********
Upright: Giving wisdom to others, taking what already know and apply it, solution to problem
Temperance - Tsuna: **
Upright: combination, innovation, maturity, balance, ability to adapt to changes, diplomacy