Chapter 10: Yakushima
7/20/2009
Daytime
Junpei inhaled sharply, taking in the salty breeze that he recognized as summer and wallowing in the freedom that came along with it. Deflating his lungs with a satisfied, content sigh Junpei gripped the railing as the deck beneath his feet rocked back and forth. The cries of seagulls that flew on the air currents produced by the ship resounded in Junpei's conscious once more driving home the sensation that this was a vacation. With the sound and sight of the vast blue ocean stretching out before him Junpei couldn't remember a time where he felt as youthful as he did now. "Oh man being on a boat is awesome!" Junpei leaned over the railing grinning from ear to ear. "Don't you agree, Akihiko-senpai?"
The silver-haired young man in question raised his head upon hearing his name. "Hm?" Akihiko implying that whoever had called out to him had his attention.
"I was asking if you think being on a boat is awesome, senpai!" Junpei slumped slightly from being somewhat annoyed that even though they were on a boat heading to a vacation home Akihiko was standing on the deck lifting weights.
"It has been a long time since I was last on one," Akihiko agreed wistfully. "And the smell of the ocean always gets me pumped up for more training." Akihiko began pumping his arms faster feeling a sudden rise in his energy.
"Is that seriously all you think about, Akihiko-senpai?" Yukari piped up from her position on the deck chair. "Even though I hate to admit it I agree with Stupei over there that you seem a bit underwhelmed at the moment."
Akihiko gave a short laugh, slowing his movements ever so slightly. "You think I'm underwhelmed?" Akihiko nodded his head to the aft of the ship. "I think our Field Leader over there is feeling more under the weather than I am."
Yukari and Junpei turned their attention to where Akihiko was motioning and saw a blue-haired figure leaning over the rail with an aura of misery emanating from him. They hadn't noticed that he had been standing there until Akihiko had pointed it out. Even from where they were Yukari and Junpei could both tell that Minato was startlingly pale and tinged with a hint of green, making an interesting contrast against his dark blue hair.
Yukari got up from her chair and cautiously approached the sea sick Minato. "Hey, uh... Minato-san? Are you okay?"
As if on cue Minato convulsed violently for a few seconds quickly shacking his head back and forth after the seizure had passed.
Junpei practically skipped over and roughly slapped Minato repeatedly on the back as soon as he was within arms reach. "Oh suck it up Minato! We're almost there. Look, I can see land now! Captain! Laaaaaaand ho!" Junpei began giggling with glee as he said a phrase he had always wanted to.
"Um..." Yukari bit her lip when she saw Minato slump over the rail lifeless after Junpei's pounding had ended. She could practically see Minato's life escaping through his mouth. "Minato-san! You can't die on me here!"
"Ya-ku-shi-maaaaaaa!" Junpei shouted as the fog horn went off the moment he said the last syllable as if emphasizing his excitement.
As the light faded from Minato's eyes the last thing that went through his head was "This is the worst vacation ever."
"This is the best vacation ever..." Minato muttered under his breath as his bag dropped from his limp hands.
"Welcome back, Ojou-sama," two maids addressed Mitsuru as they bowed deeply to her. "And you are all her schoolmates, correct?" They rhetorically asked and bowed once more, this time to S.E.E.S. "Welcome to the Yakushima Kirijo vacation home. If you would all follow us."
The two maids dressed in legitimate maid uniforms began walking down the hall with a roof so tall the high schoolers had to crane their next to see the polished marble pillars come in contact with the ceiling.
"We're not in the wrong place are we?" Yukari whispered to no one in particular as they followed the two maids.
"Dude..." Junpei nudged Minato with his elbow. "Real-life maids... Minato?" Junpei leaned closer to his friend as Minato's shoulders seemed to shake uncontrollably, his eyes hidden by his hair. Junpei heard uncharacteristic chuckling coming from his friend and decided it was best to leave him alone.
"I knew she was from an important family but before this I had my doubts..." Fuuka muttered, Junpei shooting her a look as if she were the idiot here.
The set of double doors in front of them opened and a man no older than fifty years old emerged. Dressed in a gray suit with a red tie he emitted a pressure that threatened to smash the high schoolers into the fine tiled floor. The black eye patch that covered his right eye along with the still smoking cigar he held in his hand did nothing to alleviate the effect that he was a man who held power and knew it.
The man walked past them and the moment he was in line with Mitsuru she called out to him, "It's a pleasure to see you again."
The impressive looking man gave her a cursory glance with his left eye but there wasn't a break in his gait nor a single word from him as he continued walking in the opposite direction.
"Could that possibly be..." Fuuka finally spoke after the man had exited the hall.
"Her father?" Yukari finished as S.E.E.S. stared at the door he had just entered.
"Dude talk about freaking scary!" Junpei exclaimed, clearly shaken. "He's not gonna make us... you know... walk the plank, right?"
Akihiko scoffed, "Don't be an idiot. Mitsuru's father isn't a bad man he's just... a bit difficult to socialize with." Akihiko scratched the back of his head as he finished talking and looked away uncomfortably.
"Ah... that says a lot..." was the mutual thought that the juniors shared.
"Although we're only here for three days and four nights do make yourself at home. If you ever need anything the maids will assist you," Mitsuru instructed as the maids bowed their heads once more.
Junpei let out a cry as he spread his arms wide into the air. "Awesome! This is gonna be sweet. Hey," Junpei's voice switched to an extremely excited and anxious tone as he addressed Minato, "Wanna go to the beach? Come on. Let's go it's like... right there. Dude you know you wanna go. Come on, let's go!"
"Really already?" Yukari said exasperatedly as if Junpei's mere presence pricked her nerves. "I mean I'm totally down to go but at least let me go get changed!" Yukari picked up her bag and followed a maid to her room.
"Then I'll see ya there," Junpei called out after her as his jeans dropped to the floor, his red Hawaiian print trunks already on. "I'm not gonna waste a single minute!"
With that Junpei sprinted out the front door towards the coast leaving his belongings and jeans discarded on the tile floor.
Mitsuru sighed and rubbed her temples addressing the maids with her next words. "I'm very sorry about this but could you please take his belongings to his room?"
"Right away, Ojou-sama," a maid bowed and gathered up Junpei's items and carried them into another hall.
"I'm as eager to get training as Junpei is to start playing," Akihiko rubbed his hands together eagerly. "So I'm gonna head down to the beach too."
"It appears that everyone is going to head down to the beach so I guess I'll meet you all there," Fuuka dismissed herself following the last maid along with Akihiko to their rooms leaving Minato and Mitsuru behind.
Mitsuru let out another sigh and closed her eyes. "I suppose I'll see you on the shore in a couple minutes-"
"Mitsuru-senpai," Minato spoke in a flat, emotionless tone causing Mitsuru to stop immediately. "Are you on bad terms with your father?"
For a brief second Mitsuru stood in shock at the blunt and straight forward manner that the question was asked in. "I-I wouldn't say that I'm on bad terms with him but..." Mitsuru's voice trailed off and she diverted her gaze elsewhere.
"Hm..." Minato grunted as he picked up his bag and headed to his room, the maid who had escorted Yukari came back and accompanied him along the way.
"Man took you guys long enough," Junpei stood at the shoreline with a flotation tube looking back at the approaching Minato and Akihiko. Minato was wearing blue trunks with a gray t-shirt while Akihiko had blue speedos and a white t-shirt on. It appeared that the girls had yet to arrive. "Got my sandals on," Junpei almost sighed as he turned back to the rolling waves, "Give my toes a little chance to breath..." Junpei took in a deep breath and muttered, content once more, "Yup... Summer's definitely here."
Akihiko scanned the horizon and clicked his tongue. "Dang... Not a single thing out there that I can use as a marker. Oh well. I was hoping I would be able to get a nice long swim in today but that's okay."
Minato himself felt a tad disappointed as well. It had already been over two weeks since the last time they had explored Tartarus thanks to their finals. The least they could do was get some exercise during this unintentionally long break. "Don't worry about it, Akihiko-senpai. We'll just swim until we sink like rocks. It'll be great."
Junpei rolled his eyes at his senior. "You gotta be kidding me guys. We're in Yakushima on this absolutely beautiful beach and you're gonna train while in heaven on earth?" Junpei gestured to the fine white sand blanketing the ground with his available arm for emphasis.
Akihiko shot Junpei a defensive glare. "Is there anything wrong with wanting to get a little exercise into my day? And if so do you have a better idea?"
Junpei smiled and nodded. "You bet I do, senpai. Besides you can get that swim in with the rest of us. I mean it's summertime and we're at the beach for crying out loud! I've got the perfect activity in mind." Junpei's eyes seemed to light up and he ran a few short paces in the direction they had come from.
"Uwaaa..." Yukari emerged from the trail leading to the vacation home, shielding her eyes from the sun as she gazed at the crystal clear ocean and white sandy beach. "The ocean is so pretty!"
Minato forced himself to swallow to keep his mouth from hanging open like an idiot once Yukari began walking towards them wearing a pink and blue two-piece swimsuit that suited her tastes perfectly. Her hair fell freely around her neck and she had a towel slung over her shoulder. Minato averted his eyes and cleared his throat. This really was the best vacation ever.
Junpei wrapped his arms around Minato and Akihiko's shoulders drawing their faces close to his. "Say hello to contestant one," Junpei spoke low enough so that only they could hear as they watched Yukari approach, "Takeba Yukari! As you can see for yourselves she has chosen a pretty bold design- quite unexpected from her if I would say. It takes a lot of confidence to pull of a swimsuit like that!"
Minato felt his face get hot but couldn't find something else to keep his attention as his eyes tried desperately to stare at anything but her. Not to mention that she is totally rocking it. Minato knew Yukari had a nice figure and seeing her slim waist only served as a reminder that she was incredibly attractive.
Yukari seemed to realize what Junpei was whispering about and she narrowed her eyes at him. She was probably a second from knocking him senseless when a familiar voice called out from behind her.
"Is the umbrella taken or do you think we can just use any available one?" Fuuka glanced about uncertainly with her hands in front of her chest.
Junpei drew Akihiko and Minato closer and began whispering once more. "Now we have contestant two, Yamagishi Fuuka!" Junpei stood up a little straighter raising his voice. "Wow uh... Fuuka... I had no clue that you were so... I mean you should wear a swimsuit more often!"
"Eh?" the lone sound escaped from Fuuka's mouth as she looked down at her teal green, frilly two piece swimsuit and turned bright red, squealing as she hid behind Yukari who stood there with a fist balled and a twitching eyebrow.
"Oh, come on, there's nothing to- bleh!" Junpei doubled over as Yukari firmly planted her fist firmly into his stomach. "Be embarrassed about... Heheh," Junpei finished weakly before slumping to his knees in the sand.
Yukari knocked Junpei on the head reprimanding him. "Stop it with that creepy laugh you stupid perv!"
Junpei was suddenly both feet with renewed vigor that surprised all of them, even Yukari taking a few steps back in shock.
"And here's our final contestant," Junpei announced as a figure approached S.E.E.S.
Mitsuru emerged from the shade blinking in confusion as they all stared at her. "Is something wrong?" Mitsuru peered behind her to see if anything was out of the ordinary.
Fuuka scanned Mitsuru's figure from head to toe in wonder over and over again. "Wow... Mitsuru-senpai... You're so beautiful."
"Yeah, no kidding," Yukari admitted as she admired Mitsuru with a hand on her canted hip. "Your skin is flawless. Did you already apply sunscreen?"
"N-No..." Mitsuru covered herself from embarrassment as everyone's eyes were glued on her. The cream colored two-piece swimsuit was adorned with a bright red flower, giving Mitsuru an elegant and beautiful appearance. "Not yet..."
The three girls quickly engaged in eager conversation that transcended the realm of understanding of the three high school boys that stood a few paces away.
Junpei drew Minato close for the fourth time in the past minute. "So, Minato, which one's your type?"
Minato inwardly sighed and tried to look away from a certain person, instead giving up and closing his eyes instead. He didn't exactly feel like telling Junpei as his lanky friend would only harass him about the knowledge. But with the look in Junpei's eyes Minato knew that his friend wasn't going to let him get away without answering. So Minato decided the best solution would be to say it as it was. "Yukari."
Junpei nodded seeing what it was that would draw Minato in. Yukari was one of the most popular and sought after girls at Gekkoukan High for a reason. The fact that they got to witness her along with two other beauties in swimsuits would make every boy in their school green with envy. "I thought so... Man this is great! I'm in heaven!"
Minato wasn't just going to let Junpei get away with free information that could be used to extort him. "What about-"
Minato was a split second too late as Junpei yelled in a loud voice, "Alright enough loly gaggin let's go swimming! Whoooooooo!" Junpei dashed towards the waves and splashed into the clear water. "Whoa the water's really cold! But that's okay!"
"Hey you can at least wait for us, Stupei!" Yukari chased after him without hesitation, quickly reaching the water.
Minato watched the rest of S.E.E.S. make their way to the ocean with obvious excitement, laughing and egging each other on. Reflexively making a grabbing motion for his headphones and realizing that he had left them at the vacation home Minato sighed and sat down on a beach chair, seeking refuge from the blazing sun under the rainbow umbrella.
"Thank you, Mitsuru-senpai!" Minato heard Junpei shouting, almost sounding as if he were on the verge of tears. "Thank you so much! I could kick the bucket at this very moment and not care!"
"Eeeek!" Fuuka squealed a moment after Minato saw Junpei splash water onto her. "Arisato-san! Heeelp me!" Fuuka pleaded the boy who was reclined comfortably on the beach chair being humored by his friends antics.
Junpei continued splashing the poor girl that sought protection from Yukari. "Admit it Fuuka you like it! The water feels amazing! And no sane person can resist splashing girls at the beach." Making the fatal mistake of splashing water onto the unsuspecting Yukari Junpei practically signed his death contract.
"H-Hey!" Yukari yelled at her assailant. "You're not going to get away with that!" Junpei began a hasty retreat after Yukari began chasing and threatening him.
"Oh shi- I'm sorry Yuka-tan it was an accident I swear!"
A little while later Akihiko took a seat on the beach chair next to Minato's, breathing sporadically since he had just finished an endurance swim. "Seems like everyone's having a good time," Akihiko observed the scene from their vantage point. "I think we needed this, Minato. The Dark Hour has been putting a lot of stress on all of us and we've slowly been crumbling under the pressure. We all should take this time to relax and forget about everything for a little bit."
Minato was relieved that he wasn't the only one seeing S.E.E.S. falling apart and found the person he could bring his troubles to about it. He also knew Akihiko was right in thinking that they should all take some time off physically and mentally. For three straight months they had been fighting virtually nonstop in that nightmare of a tower that was constantly evolving, shifting in shape and design every moment. Defying Death in the countless battles fought was bound to wear them down. It was a miracle that they managed to last this long without any of them having a mental breakdown.
A sudden prickle on the back of his neck caused Minato to spin his head to the forest, his eyes narrowing as they adjusted to the darkness under the trees. The sensation was enough to set him on full alert. It was a feeling Minato associated with being watched. Minato continued to scan the treeline for a few seconds and the alarm in his head slowly faded. Seeing nothing he determined that it had just been his imagination.
"Minato-san!" A cheery voice called out to him and pulled him out of his darkening mood. Yukari strode towards him waving a hand. "Are you planning on sitting under the umbrella for the whole day? Come on, live a little and have some fun." A worried expression crossed her features as she scrutinized his face carefully. "Hey, are you okay?"
Seeing Yukari in just a bathing suit inviting him to let his guard down and enjoy himself caused Minato to experience a disturbing sense déjà vu from their last operation. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll wait a little longer before getting in. I'm still feeling slightly woozy from the boat ride," Minato lied. He felt perfectly fine after planting both feet onto solid land again. Complete control of his movements was extremely comforting.
"What are you talking about?" Yukari stood in front of Minato and grabbed his hand. "The water feels amazing! You don't know what you're missing." She hoisted Minato to his feet and began to lead him to the water, ignoring his protests.
Amused at Yukari's insistence Minato finally relented to the brown-haired girl. "I got it. I got it," Minato smiled as he wiggled his hand out of Yukari's grip. "Just give me a moment." Minato tugged the gray t-shirt over his head and threw it onto the chair he had been occupying.
Yukari paused and looked back when Minato freed his hand, feeling her cheeks burn slightly at the sight. Even though she had seen Minato shirtless on several occasions before the situations were much different than the one they were in now. Deciding that it was too late to avert her eyes Yukari continued to observe. Looking skinny while wearing clothes Minato was deceivingly fit with little fat on his body and muscles that were lean and defined, but not overly large. But from just considering Minato's agility and strength during combat in Tartarus his physique should have been obvious.
"Your head in the clouds, Yukari-san?" This time Minato grabbed Yukari's hand and led her to the water. "You're going to show me how fun the beach is, right?" Minato practically shined as he looked back at the girl.
Yukari tore her gaze away from the hand that was clasped on hers and was lost in his blue-grey eyes. She found herself feeling more happy than she had in months. "Yeah, you bet I will."
Together they ran to the water and jumped into an incoming wave. The water, as Junpei had stated earlier, was indeed cold. Minato and Yukari emerged after the wave passed over them, the two of them laughing as Akihiko flipped Junpei, flotation tube and all, over completely. Junpei flailed his arms before planting his feet on the ocean floor and complaining before Minato and Yukari rushed forward pushed him back into the water.
"Whoa, Minato is that a tattoo?!" Junpei shouted after he emerged from the water, looking at the vertical black wings painted on Minato's left shoulder.
After what may have been hours in the water Minato finally sat back down on the chair, his sides throbbing from laughing too much. No matter what he did Minato couldn't get rid of the wide grin that stubbornly remained on his face. He hadn't felt this way in... a long time.
"Oi Stupei! Do that again and you'll seriously regret it!" Yukari shouted at Junpei for perhaps the millionth time today.
Finding himself incapable of taking his eyes off of the girl Minato forcefully averted his gaze. Just what was it that he was doing? Soon staring at his classmate once more Minato decided to be honest with himself. He had been aware of his attraction to Yukari for a while now but after what happened at the love hotel she wouldn't stop entering his thoughts. Even during finals Minato would find himself looking at the back of her head completely unfocused at the task on hand.
Must be something wrong with my head. He couldn't grow to attached to anyone on the team, could he? Doing so would inevitably lead to a lack of rationale in his decision making while in the field. He'd find himself prioritizing her safety above everyone else. Minato didn't want to be in a position where he had to sacrifice the well-being of his friends for someone he was more emotionally attached to.
In addition his Social Links were directly related to his relationships with others. And since his Persona's drew power from these relationships he couldn't afford to have a girlfriend as it would lead to complications regarding his position with other people.
Realizing he was coming up with excuses to avoid what he was really afraid of Minato buried his head in his hands, letting out a heavy sigh. The heat must be getting to me...
To the high school students who spent their nights combating supernatural beings the day passed quickly as they experienced the beginning of a summer vacation that would remain with them for the rest of their days.
Evening
"Welcome back, Ojou-sama." The heavy oak doors that made up the front entrance made way for the teenagers who were just returning from a memorable trip to the beach. "Did you enjoy yourself, Ojou-sama?"
"We did," Mitsuru addressed the maids as if she were imposing to them even if their jobs were to manage her family's personal needs. "If you would be so kind to direct my friends to the dining hall it would be much appreciated."
"Right away, Ojou-sama," the maids bowed their heads.
"Excuse me, Mitsuru-senpai," Fuuka timidly looked around uncomfortably as if she were out of place. "I'd um... like to take a little time to wash up before we have dinner. I-Is that okay?"
"Oh... Of course, Yamagishi," Mitsuru was amazed that she hadn't thought of that. It was rather rude of her to rush to the next event without considering the wishes of her guests. "Forgive me for speaking hastily. Can you all find your rooms by yourselves?" She only asked because she would often find herself lost in these halls when wandering about as a child.
"Of course we can, Mitsuru." Akihiko entered the hall, the rest of S.E.E.S. following close behind him. He waved a hand without casting a glance back. "See you later, Mitsuru."
The heir to the Kirijo family waited until their voices faded away before picking up a brisk pace to a destination she had in mind, the maids in tow. "Is my father in his office?"
"Yes, Ojou-sama. Unless he has relocated in the past ten minutes he should be there."
"Thank you. You can return to your previous duties," Mitsuru dismissed the maids as she made her way to her father's office. It would be rude of her to not speak to her father before dinner. Plus it would be awkward if they spoke for the first time in months in the company of others. Mitsuru soon found herself standing in front of the imposing wood doors and knocked.
"You may enter," her father's voice invited from behind the obstacle.
"Excuse me," Mitsuru opened the door without hesitation. The moment she did so a waft of expensive cigar smoke overcame her nasal senses. Closing the door behind her Mitsuru bowed to the man sitting behind his desk facing the window on the side of the room.
Other people often told Mitsuru that her father, Kirijo Takeharu, was an imposing man who was intimidating and hard to talk to. Mitsuru believed all of it when even she had a difficult time doing so. With the lit cigar in his hand, eye patch covering his right eye, and the intolerable pressure that came naturally with his presence anyone that stood in the same room as him wanted to do only one thing: get out.
"It's been a while," Mitsuru was the first to speak after parent and child stayed silent for an unknown amount of time. "It's good to see you're still in good health, Otou-san."
The current head of the Kirijo family said nothing as he took a deep whiff of his cigar, exhaling a thick cloud that thinned and disappeared as it rose to the ceiling. Takeharu rotated his chair so that he was now facing his daughter. "I assume the guests that accompanied you here are residents of the dorm?"
Mitsuru bowed again, this time in apology. "I apologize for the all the people and commotion on your time off."
Another cloud of cigar smoke was exhaled into the room before Takeharu extinguished it, grinding it into the ash tray. "I've heard that you told them about the incident that took place ten years ago," his eyes burned into hers before relaxing slightly. "Mitsuru... Why did you refrain that information from them for so long?"
Hearing the reprimanding from her father only rubbed salt onto the wound. Mitsuru was already well aware that it was a poor decision on her part. Even though she wasn't one to make up excuses Mitsuru nonetheless tried to defend herself. "I wasn't trying to deceive them-"
"I've told you time and time again, Mitsuru. What took place ten years ago had nothing to do with you. None of the blame is on you so you need to stop acting like there is," Tekaharu spoke in a rough, no-excuse attitude that prompted no dispute.
"But..." She felt her fists tighten when she lowered her chin.
Letting out a deep sigh her father closed his eyes and folded his hands on top of his desk. "'Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection.'"
Mitsuru raised her head at the words.
"Ever since the Kirijo family began to walk a different path than the Nanjo Group that has been our guiding principle and way of thinking. Mitsuru, try to believe in people. No matter how many sacrifices are to be made there are things that cannot be accomplished along. Even if you were to try it's just individual power."
"Yes, Otou-san." Mitsuru reverted to a little girl once more, feeling powerless when standing in front of the powerful man that was her father.
Her father got up and stood in front of the window. "On another note you accessed our database, correct? Why didn't you consult with me directly instead of using this trip as an excuse?"
Having neither the will nor desire to argue with her father anymore Mitsuru spoke quietly, "I'm sorry."
"Bring them to the living room after dinner," Takeharu ordered without taking his eyes away from the view. "All of them. I have made preparations to disclose everything to them. We're not going to hide the truth anymore." Her father paused as a flicker of guilt passed over his features. "There's a girl by the name of Takeba in your group, correct?"
"That's correct," Mitsuru answered, puzzled at the sudden reference to the junior.
The older man got a far away look in his eyes as if reflecting on the past. "For her to awaken to her power... It has to be fate..." He whispered just loudly enough that Mitsuru was able to catch his words. But he said no more, resorting to stare into the night sky.
Minato glanced about the room, shifting from face to face as he tried to determine what this was all about. Currently in the large living room of the Kirijo vacation home were the group of high school students and Mitsuru's father. With the sofas set so that face-to-face conversation would not be an issue the seating arrangements in a clockwise fashion were Akihiko, Fuuka, and Junpei on one sofa, Minato, Yukari, and Mitsuru sitting directly across from them, and the Kirijo family head by himself on the furniture in the center of the group.
"I am Kirijo Takeharu," Mitsuru's father introduced himself, framed by the gigantic painting of an island shore placed on the wall behind him. "There is no need to introduce yourselves as I am well aware of who you are and your backgrounds. I'll get straight to the point so I don't waste any of your time but Mitsuru has already told you the short version of the incident."
Nodding as he leaned forward Minato offered the older man his complete and full attention. This was a topic that Minato would be wise to listen to in addition to quenching his curiosity. Plus information like this was hard to come by, as Fuuka had proven when she came up empty handed after scrounging the Kirijo Group's database for hours on end.
"Everything my daughter has told you is true, and we adults are the sole perpetrators for what transpired ten years ago." Takeharu closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. "If I could atone for what happened with my life I would have done so a long time ago. But now, unfortunately, I have no option but to rely on you to make up for what the Kirijo family has done. What my father sought to create with those... monsters," Mitsuru's father practically spat the word with a disgusted look on his face, "Power was a time manipulation device."
Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. "That's what he was trying to do?" This was the first time she'd heard of the goal her grandfather had been striving to achieve.
Tekaharu nodded at his daughter's question and pulled out a pocket watch, flipping it open as he began to speak once more. "Imagine if you could control the flow time and remove all obstacles and exceptions to the rule before they occur," as he spoke he spun the knob of the clock, the hands moving counter clockwise. "You'd be able to manipulate the future and essentially become the creator of a world that you could call your own. Quite simply you'd become a god."
"Dang," Junpei grumbled, "Talk about greed and ambition, huh?"
Junpei wasn't wrong in wanting to control time as greed and ambition. If presented with the ability to reverse time and change the past Minato believed even he'd have a difficult time rejecting the temptation. He'd be able to go back to the night his parents passed away and save them. Surely with my current strength and power I'd be- Minato took a deep breath and stopped his thoughts there. Any more and he'd soon find logical methods of doing so and put it into action. The last thing Minato wanted was another tragedy like the one ten years ago.
"At first the research was proceeding as planned. But it wasn't long before, under my father's instruction, that the project steered away from its original goal. As he grew older my father viewed life as a trivial thing. Looking back attempting to free himself from such an idea may have caused his madness." The older man shook his head, ashamed of his father's actions. "As you are all risking your lives in an attempt to right what is wrong it is natural for you to seek the truth. I have taken it upon myself to tell you all that I, and the Kirijo Group, know about the matter."
A television monitor descended from the ceiling in front of the party when Takeharu pressed a button on the remote that was placed on the coffee table. Another button caused the lights to dim and the monitor powered on.
"What's this?" Akihiko asked as a series of indiscernible images played across the screen.
Minato leaned back into the sofa so he didn't obstruct Yukari or Mitsuru's view of the video. His intuition told him that whatever Mitsuru's father was about to present to them wouldn't be too well received.
"This is something I'd like you all to see. This is the only surviving footage of what happened that night ten years ago, recorded by a scientist who was on site during the accident," Takeharu explained as the video clarified into a single image.
"I hope that this video will be seen by someone with a moral conscience," a man's voice was transmitted all around them through speakers located throughout the room.
The video was made with a low-quality camera and the feature of the man were hard to discern. He was wearing a lab coat and had brown hair and eyes, with a faint mustache around his mouth. Minato narrowed his eyes and tried to focus on the ID card clipped to the man's chest but couldn't make out the name. Giving up Minato noticed that Yukari was sitting stock still.
"My employer has become obsessed with an abhorrent idea," the voice was hushed, wary of listening ears. "This experiment should never have been conducted. I'm afraid what I've done will result in a disaster that will be remembered for years to come." The man on screen paced back and forth across the screen, running his hands down his face. "But if I hadn't done so then the world as we know it would be irreversibly changed."
S.E.E.S. watched in silence as a shrill alarm sounded from the video.
"Please, listen carefully," the man leaned towards the camera speaking slowly and clearly to ensure every word was understood. "The Shadows that we've gathered for the experiment will likely disperse after the explosion. To whoever is listening you must eliminate all of them to end what is to ensue after this."
As the scientist was speaking Minato watched the man's lips and frowned. It may have just been the video quality but when the man talked something didn't look quite right.
"I am to blame for everything," the brown-haired man leaned onto the console and hung his head in shame. "I knew what the risks were but I was blinded by success and... I didn't raise any objections in what we were doing. I'm truly sorry for-"
A violent explosion cut the man off and for a single frame fire enveloped the screen before it was followed by static.
Everyone present sat in silence, shocked at what they had all just seen. Fuuka was covering her mouth with both hands, her eyes moist. Akihiko hung his head with fists clenched. Junpei's eyes were covered by his baseball cap but Minato could see that he was gritting his teeth. Mitsuru had folded her arms and looked at the floor. Yukari-
The girl stood up and took a step to the monitor. "Dad..."
Minato felt the blood drain from his face the moment the word reached his ears. Coming from Yukari herself there would be no mistaking that the man who had made the recording was none other than her father. She had finally found a connection to her father through the Kirijo Group but from what they had seen it wasn't exactly what she had been hoping to find. The man that his daughter loved and missed intensely was responsible for the Dark Hour and everything in it.
No. Minato corrected himself. Everything but the Shadows. From what they had gathered the Shadows pre-dated the event from ten years ago since the researchers had gathered Shadows for the experiment itself.
Mitsuru turned unsteadily to her father. "Otou-san... Is it?"
"His name was Takeba Eiichiro," Takeharu spoke clearly. "He was appointed the head researcher for the project and a very talented individual. We pushed him to continue the research. The Kirijo Group alone is to blame for his death."
"I-I can't believe it," Mitsuru once more felt guilty for an event she had no control of. She had never known that the head researcher at the time was Yukari's father.
"So that means it was my father who caused the incident?" Yukari's voice shook and Minato could tell without looking she was on the verge of tears. "The Dark Hour, Tartarus... The people who died in the accident... It was all his fault?" Yukari's voice cracked.
"A-Are you okay?" Akihiko, despite his good intentions, secured only one way in how this conversation was going to proceed.
Yukari looked over her shoulder at Mitsuru. "So this is the reason you were hiding things? Because you felt sorry for me? Is that it?!" Yukari demanded, screaming at the top of her lungs at the leader of S.E.E.S. who stood up with a sorrowful expression. No one in the room moved or even dared to breath. They were all paralyzed at the sight of a friend emotionally collapsing in front of them.
"Takeba, that was... I never-"
"Don't pity me!" Yukari yelled and sprinted out of the room leaving everyone in shock. The front door slammed violently and the vacation home was eerily still and quiet for what felt like an eternity.
"Uh... Should... Should someone go after her?" Fuuka asked hesitantly.
Minato silently thanked the girl for her innate ability to keep things moving even in the worst of situations.
"I'm sorry, Arisato. But will you go?" Mitsuru requested, knowing that he was the only one capable of calming the girl down.
He was already on his feet and moving the instant his senpai began speaking. "Leave it to me," Minato assured, taking a brisk jog to the front door and exiting the building. "Come on, Yukari-san, where did you go?" Minato asked the moon before sprinting to the location on the beach they had spent the majority of the day.
The moon was already high in the sky and while it provided a decent amount of light it wasn't nearly enough to completely illuminate the forest. Sprinting down the dirt path leaves crumpled underfoot and branches clawed at Minato's exposed arms leaving angry red lines in their wake. Minato paid the minor wounds no mind as something, someone, took a much greater precedence over his own well being. That someone needed him now more than ever. No, he needed to be with her now more than ever.
The trees soon thinned as Minato grew closer to the shore, a solitary silhouette standing before the waves, immobile. Coming to a stop before breaking the tree line Minato felt relief wash over him, glad that he had managed to predict her movements.
Slowly approaching her Minato could tell that she was crying. Her shoulders shook and her entire body trembled. His heart felt hollow at the sight. Now standing beside her Minato deliberately avoided looking at her, instead watching the waves reflect the moonlight. There was nothing he could say to comfort or console her since that was the last thing she wanted. So he did the only thing he could offer her: his presence.
Taking an unsteady breath in Yukari finally spoke. "You know... I believed in him for so, so long. This is too much for me to take at once." She took in another breath. "Do you remember what I told you when you were hospitalized? That my dad died when I was little? You get it now, right? He died in that accident ten years ago. Nobody knew what happened so there all sorts of rumors surrounding him. Because he was in charge of the project people villainized him and took it out on me and my mom. We were forced to move a few times because of it. That's why I tried to find out as much as I could about it."
"That's rough," Minato whispered, understanding what it was like since he pretty much shared a similar experience growing up.
"It was," Yukari agreed. "But I never stopped believing that he was a good man and that the explosion wasn't his fault. I loved my dad a lot, I still do. I always told myself that he would never do such a horrible thing." Yukari paused and reached up with a hand, taking hold of Minato's sleeve. "This past spring I received a letter my dad wrote ten years ago. It's funny because even though it was addressed 'to my family' he really just wrote about me. That made me believe in him more than I already had. When I awakened to my Persona I thought fate was at work. I was afraid but I figured working with the Kirijo Group would help me learn what really happened that night ten years ago. That's why I became Persona-user... Why I fought."
Yukari tugged on his sleeve and Minato turned to the girl, not surprised at seeing the tears streaming down her face.
"But now it seems like it was all a pointless dream." Yukari forced a sad smile and looked up at the moon. "Reality hurts, doesn't it? I fought so hard to rid myself of fear and this is what I get. I might have been jealous that Mitsuru-senpai still has her father and I don't. I mean... why my father and not hers?" Yukari closed her eyes, lowering her head. "I'm a terrible person, aren't I?"
"No, you're not," Minato disagreed. There was nothing terrible in wishing for what has been forever lost. He himself lost track of how many times he stared after a parent and child walking down the street.
"Well aren't you just Mr. Perfect." Yukari grabbed the front of his shirt and got up in Minato's face. "Just look at you!"
Minato said nothing, averting his eyes.
"Just seeing your expressionless face pisses me off! Nothing ever phases you, does it? Don't act like you know me! Don't look like you understand what it is I'm going through!"
"I don't understand what it is you're going through?" Minato asked, giving Yukari a bitter smile. "I don't think you understand what I had to go through." He took a hold of Yukari's hands and gently pulled them away from himself, speaking softly, "You lost one parent and I lost two. I suddenly found myself all alone in this huge, terrifying world without anyone to guide me. At least you're capable of chasing after your father unlike me. I'm stuck here chasing ghosts. I'm not perfect. I'm far from being perfect."
Water swelled in Yukari's eyes once more and she buried her face in Minato's chest, her sobs muffled by his shirt. "I'm sorry... You're right. I don't know what you went through. I'm an emotional wreck right now. I'm so afraid. I don't know how to handle this anymore... Tell me... What am I supposed to do now?"
Minato tightened his grip on Yukari's hands and rested his chin on her head. "How about you don't lose faith?"
"You mean... I shouldn't stop believing in him?" Yukari felt the blue-haired boy nod against her head. Despite her conflicting emotions she let out a dry laugh. "You really are one of a kind, aren't you? I'm sorry. I've just been thinking about myself. You lost your parents too. But I'm okay now... I'm used to these stressful situations." She visibly relaxed and leaned into Minato. "Thanks for listening. I really appreciate it."
"If you ever need me just call and I'll come running," Minato promised, taking in the smell of Yukari's hair mixed with the salty ocean air.
"But this time senpai asked you to come get me, right?" Yukari poked Minato's chest numerous times.
"She did. But even if she hadn't I was going to come anyways."
"Is that so?" Yukari giggled. It was so like him to do something like that. "You're quite the gentleman aren't you?"
"I try my best," Minato said with a wry smile.
Yukari laughed, her heart feeling unbelievably light compared to what it was like earlier. Before she couldn't place her trust in anyone, but now... now she found herself accepting Minato's words. "Thanks. It means a lot to me."
Minato released Yukari's hands and embraced her. "I should be the one thanking you, Yukari-san. Thanks to you and everyone else in S.E.E.S. I've managed to have more fun than I ever thought was possible. Without meeting any of you I'd still be a lost soul."
"So you do have fun with us, huh?" Yukari giggled, oddly content. Being held by Minato brought a sense of comfort and safety. Something Yukari imagined she could get used to. It'd be nice if-
"Heeeeeey!" An unwelcome shout rang out from the direction of the vacation home, piercing into their subconscious while simultaneously, and metaphorically, dumping cold water into their laps.
The two teenagers released each other from their mutual embrace, taking a few steps away from each other as the newcomer ran up to them gasping for breath.
"Geez you guys..." Junpei stumbled on the sand and leaned onto his knees, oblivious to the atmosphere. "What... What's taking you two so long? Everyone's... waiting..."
Minato covered his face with a hand and let out a long sigh, amazed at Junpei's lack of tact. Although it may have been a good thing that Junpei had interrupted since Minato wasn't sure how he and Yukari would have continued from there. More importantly did no one back at the vacation home consider the possibility that Minato hadn't managed to calm Yukari down yet? If he hadn't Junpei could very well have escalated the problem.
"It's almost the Dark Hour, so we should all get back. You two don't have your Evokers so it'd be real bad if some Shadows showed up when we're outside," Junpei panted, sinking to the floor without another word.
That's right. Minato had forgotten that the Dark Hour occurred no matter the location. Taking that fact logically the Dark Hour was a global phenomenon, right? It didn't make sense for the Dark Hour to be restricted to only Japan. And if that were the case did the gap in time happen at midnight for every time zone or whenever it was midnight in Japan?
"What? Oh, yeah, the Dark Hour..." Yukari too seemed to have forgotten about it, even though it was what stressed her out around the clock.
"Yeah, the Dark Hour... You know where the lighting turns all weird and there's this giant tower that we call Tartarus?" Junpei's voice was thick with sarcasm before noticing an uncharacteristic trait about his two friends. "Hey, is it just me or are you two a little red?"
"Wha-" Yukari struggled to form a response that would satisfy Junpei. "I'm not... There's no-"
Minato tapped Junpei on the shoulder twice, walking back to their lodgings and adding calmly, "We just got slightly sunburned today. That's all it is."
"O-Oh... If you say so, Minato. But that's okay!" Junpei smiled his trademark grin. "It's summer after all. Can't go to the beach and not expect to get a little bit burned."
Yukari glanced back at the ocean. "You know I've been thinking lately," Yukari addressed the two boys while thinking out loud. "Once you discover that you're a Persona user everything that happens in the Dark Hour stays with you. Don't you guys think it's equivalent to trading away your innocence? You can't turn a blind eye towards the darkness anymore. All that in exchange for power." Yukari turned away from the waves and stood in front of her classmates. "I guess I have no choice but to stick with you guys, huh?"
"It wouldn't be the same if one of us were missing," Minato stated firmly yet nonchalantly, a smile playing across his lips.
"Now that that's settled let's get back to the others," Junpei said, more relieved than he would ever admit now that Yukari was acting like her normal ol' self again.
As they made the trek back to the vacation home Minato's intuition screamed at him that someone, or something, was out there watching them. Not wanting to alarm the others and as long as whatever it was didn't bother them Minato would not speak a word of it. If it did... well... Minato had his ways of taking care of that type of thing.
7/21/2009
Daytime
Fuuka peered up at the treetops, streams of light breaking through the leaves that blew gently as a mellow wind flowed through the forest. Despite the sun having risen high in the sky the forest floor was cool and the ocean breeze kept the wet forest from growing humid. Taking a deep breath Fuuka realized that the abundance of foliage and vegetation was responsible for the clean air in the area. Fuuka released the air in her lungs with a satisfied sigh. "The air is so fresh here. I never would have thought a stroll in the woods could be so pleasant. It's a shame there isn't a place like this in Iwatodai, don't you think?"
Fuuka directed the question to the two girls following her, both their eyes glued to the ground. Neither spoke a word instead opting to continue their game of silence.
Still facing forward Fuuka fiddled with the hem of her skirt, rolling the fabric between her thumb and forefinger. Figuring that she should have gotten used to the relationship between Yukari and Mitsuru by now Fuuka nonetheless tried to break the ice. "I didn't know how to react when Junpei started acting like a total pervert yesterday. I'm glad that it's just us girls right now."
"What?" Yukari glanced up at the teal-haired girl with unfocused eyes. Ever since last night Yukari had been acting stranger than usual. While Fuuka had imagined Yukari would be more upset than anything when she returned last night she was, in reality, at ease. Minato, as expected, diffused the situation more effectively than anyone else could have. As expected of Minato-san. Fuuka found herself nodding to herself.
A shrill alarm sounded and Mitsuru whipped out her cell phone, pressing a button and answering promptly, "This is Mitsuru."
"Mitsuru? We uh... we have a slight problem," the Chairman's voice piped through the tiny speaker. Mitsuru had received word that the Chairman was going to arrive on the island last night.
"Hold for a second," Mitsuru said in a manner that warranted no argument. A few button presses later and the phone was now on speaker mode. "You may continue, Mr. Chairman."
"A-Alright," Ikutsuki spoke without confidence after more or less being ordered by a teenage girl. "I'm at the lab on the island and we've had a little problem... We... Well... A machine that was classified as dysfunctional managed to power on and leave the facility on its own violation."
"A machine?" Yukari asked, puzzled. The first words that she had said all day.
"What kind of machine is it?" Fuuka demanded seeking more information on the object. "I need details if I'm to locate anything that isn't connected to a Shadow." While this was a skill Fuuka had only recently discovered it had already proven its usefulness. It had saved the girl on several occasions as she lost her notebook quite often.
"It's considered a combat vehicle. It was constructed as an anti-Shadow weapon to be precise," Ikutsuki clarified.
"A combat vehicle?" Yukari's eyes widened as an insane thought came to mind. "You mean like a tank?!" The ridiculous image of Minato standing on top of a green tank in military khaki's with an arm pointing outwards framed by the Japanese flag flashed across her subconscious.
Mitsuru frowned, uncertain if this was something the three of them could handle. "We're not currently with the boys. And it would take time for all of us to regroup."
"I see..." Ikutsuki sounded disappointed through the phone. "I would still like you to take care of this as soon as possible. I'm on my way to the vacation home right now."
"Just to clarify, Mr. Chairman, if the target cannot be captured do we have permission to destroy it?" Without their top two combat specialists in their midst it would be difficult to destroy the machine. Mitsuru determined that rendering it incapacitated was out of the question.
Yukari had her phone pressed to her ear, facing away from Fuuka and Mitsuru as she impatiently tapped her foot.
"I'd be highly impressed if you managed to destroy the anti-Shadow machine," the Chairman chuckled, amused at the prospect. "Just do your best to take care of it. I'll contact you once I'm near the vacation home." The communication ended with an audible click.
"Great," Yukari muttered sarcastically under her breath. She snapped her phone shut and glanced at the two other girls. "They're not answering their phones."
Mitsuru nodded as if it had been within her expectations. "That's fine. For now let's head back to the villa and gather our equipment. Yamagishi, scan the area as we make our way back. This island is fairly large but we have to do our best."
"You can count on me, Mitsuru-senpai!" Fuuka acknowledged the order and immediately began to focus on her mission.
Yukari let out a frustrated scream. "Where could they possibly be? When I find them I'm gonna-"
Minato shivered and glanced back to the forest, a wave of terror and malice emanating from underneath the dark shade of the trees. This wasn't a sensation that he was being watched, more like something was cursing him. He didn't believe in ghosts but now he wasn't so confident in his beliefs.
Junpei held up a piece of paper in his hands, reading it slowly. "'We've gone to see the Jyomon-Cedar Tree...'"
Their silver-haired senpai peeked around Junpei's shoulder. "I think this is Fuuka's handwriting," Akihiko pointed out after a few seconds.
Junpei clenched his fist, crumpling the sheet of paper between his fingers with a shaking hand. "How could they do this? We're on an island in the middle of summer... Why aren't they coming to the beach with us?!"
Placing a hand on Junpei's shoulder Akihiko shook his head. "Well it is entirely your fault..."
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" Junpei looked wounded from the blunt accusation. "I was just trying to lighten up the mood is all."
Minato raised an eyebrow. He had noticed that the females within their group were abnormally irritated this morning when he had entered the dining room a few minutes later than everyone else.
"I don't want to hear it," Akihiko snapped, clearly just as annoyed at Junpei as the girls were.
"Well it doesn't matter anyways," Junpei dismissed easily with a wave of his hand. "Looks like it's just us this time. It's not a guy's night out but you know what? We're at the beach and it's just us men." Spinning on a foot Junpei straightened his back and puffed out his chest. "If you're outta ammo you find it on the battlefield! That right there is military one-oh-one!"
Minato let out a sigh and hung his head. No... That's just being desperate.
"We'll call this Operation Babe Hunt!"
Desperate indeed.
"'Babe hunt'?" Akihiko repeated with a disgusted look on his face. "You mean like... pick up girls?"
Junpei grinned stupidly and nodded. "Yeah! Mission objective is to pick up chicks!" He elbowed Akihiko in his side. "Whatcha think, Akihiko-senpai? With you in our combat unit we're sure to conquer the battlefield!"
Biting his lip Akihiko was obviously hesitant about doing such a thing. Not only was it out of character but if Mitsuru caught wind of this he was as good as dead. "What do you think of this, Minato?"
"Sounds like a pain," Minato admitted deadpan. He didn't want to fit into the stereotype boys who tried to hit on girls at the beach. Plus if Yukari found out she'd hang him by his entrails. Minato unconsciously shivered once more.
"You're right," Akihiko easily agreed. "It does sound like a hassle..."
"What, so we're going to sit around on our butts and do nothing all day? Don't be such buzzkills. It'll be fun! I swear!" Junpei pleaded, shaking Akihiko by the shoulders.
"Fine! Fine!" Akihiko finally relented, more willing to hit on girls than get nagged by Junpei all day. "But if we're doing this mission then he's our leader as usual." Akihiko patted Minato on the back.
"Hah?" Minato had never felt more tired in his life.
"Alright men!" Junpei faced the horizon, every line of his body etched with determination. "Operation Babe Hunt is a go!"
Author's Notes/Musings
Here's the long overdue chapter 10. Was hard to find time to dedicate to writing but I'm just going to keep the story train chugging as well as I can. I'll speak about the ETA of chapter 11 on my profile page once I get a rough idea of when it will be. Don't check everyday, maybe every week at most. Unless you're seriously, seriously dedicated to this story in which case thank you I guess? (Not to sound unappreciative but I just can't see someone keeping an eye out for my story everyday)
So I've been rolling the idea of having a Beta Reader for a while now and if anyone is interested message me privately. I don't expect a super serious, experienced proof reader but as long as they catch the little things and make suggestions every now and then that'd be great and much appreciated. Don't have to dedicate hours of your life to this like I do unless you want to I suppose.
Anyways, thanks for reading chapter 10 of my novelization and we're one step closer to completing this monster of a story. Stay tuned for Chapter 11: Operation Babe Hunt!