Yay, Christmas is finally over! Sorry for the delay but my parents dragged me from one party to the other. I also wrote a Christmas special. I hope you read it. Anyway,I'm writing on a new story at the side. It's in German and I probably won't publish it, but it has a bunch of references to the Megaten Series.
Disclaimer: If I were to own Persona, then Innocent sin the original would have made it to Europe.
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5/23/2009 Saturday After School
Minato slammed his head down on his desk, exhausted. It was not like the tests were hard or anything, it was just annoying to sit there all the time and writing them. He looked up from his position at Junpei who seemed drained of his life source. He straightened up and looked at the girls in font of him, observing as his sister did the same as he did only a few seconds ago and Yukari stretching her arms above her head.
"Ugh, I'm glad it's finally over! So how did you do?" The archer asked the rest of the group, only earning two groans from Hamuko and the other boy and one thump up from the bluenette. "Anyway, the last week has been pretty tiring. Maybe we should return home early today." The others gave her approving nods while Minato just kept quiet, packing his bag. He had actually wanted to spend the day with one of his friends but because of exams, Saoto was probably trying to forget about it, Souji was probably having a talk with his parents and he could see that Junpei was in no mood for that. He walked home with his classmates, idly chatting around and occasionally glancing at his sister who was rubbing her eyes. I wonder if we go to Tartarus today with her almost falling asleep standing... As they opened the doors of the dorm, the first thing they noticed was the cheerfully smiling Akihiko, polishing his boxing gloves. When he noticed them standing at the entrance, a small smile spread over his face.
"Ah, you're back."
"Senpai! I hear you're fully healed!" Yukari walked over to him, sitting down on the couch.
"I need to catch up on my training. I've been slacking off for a whole month."
"But maybe you should take it easy. You don't want to reinjure your arm, right?" Hamuko said, taking a seat beside the boxer and getting dangerously close to him. An odd feeling began to boil in Minato's stomach but he ignored it and sat down beside Junpei, opposite of his sister. The silverette smiled yet again but moved back from her a little.
"I've already wasted precious time. Besides we found another Persona-User." The baseball-player's eyes began to shine an eery light.
"Seriously? Sweet! Is it a girl...?" The bluenette had to roll his eyes at that.
"Actually, it is. It's a junior who goes to our school. Fuuka Yamagishi... Do you guys know her?"
"Yamagishi...? Oh, you mean that girl in 2-E. She's been sick a lot, from what I heard, so I haven't seen her at school very often."
"She was at the same hospital as me, that's how we found out about her. But maybe she isn't cut out for battle. I had an Evoker made for her, too..." The cap-wearing boy's face fell immediately.
"What! We are giving up on her already! I was gonna offer her some private lessons..." Silence set in, everyone else staring at the boy blankly.
"You sound like a creep." the older Arisato finally said, earning a loud laugh from Yukari.
"Oh man, I was think the same thing!" She almost shouted and kept on laughing.
"Yow! Retract those claws, ladies! I'm totally a hip, happenin' teen! You dig?"
"...Loser." both girls exclaimed in unison.
"Hey, why're you lookin' at me like that! C'mon, I'm a guy. Whaddya expect?" The younger twin observed the situation but then sighed and retracted himself from the other, leaving them in their bickering. He was just about to enter his room when he heard hurried footsteps from downstairs. Soon he saw Akihiko rounding the corner, waving frantically.
"Hey, good thing I catch you before you go to bed. I wanted to ask you something." For some reason, Minato's heart began to pound in his chest but he tired to suppress it the best he can. It's because he's so popular at school and I admire him for his boxing skills, nothing else. He thought to himself over and over again, looking unfazed on the outside. "Do you want to hang out tomorrow? I don't have training, so..." His Senpai rubbed the back of his head, a small smirk on his lips. He thought about it for a moment but then noticed that everyone else doesn't have time anyway, so he nodded. "Great, do you want to go eat lunch with me then? We can go to Hagakure if you want." he received another nod and with smirk turned into a smile. "Alright, wake up early tomorrow because on Sundays the place is always pretty full. Well, see you tomorrow." And then the silverette walked off into his own room. The younger still stood there for a little while, his face now bright red.
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If he had to describe the situation with one word, it would definitely be awkward. Akihiko had taken him to the strip mall but that wasn't what made him uncomfortable. It was the fact that every female and even some males were staring at them. He didn't even know what was the deal. They were just two guy-friends that were going out on a Sunday to eat. One of them just happened to be the most popular boy in high-school and the other the new transfer student with the odd hair color. He looked up at his Senpai who seemed pretty much oblivious to all his fangirls. How much Minato envied him at that moment. He tries his best to ignore their piercing glares but they almost burned at the back of his neck, making it impossible to stay oblivious for him.
"Alright, let's enter!" He looked up and for the first time he noticed that they had already arrived. The two teens swiftly entered the Ramen Shop and took a seat in the back, almost the same that he had occupied with Junpei a few weeks back. "You are fine with special, right?" The boy gave him a nod as an answer and the older also nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, two extra-large specials, please!" he shouted over to the cook, making Minato's eyes widen slightly.
"Why extra-large?" he asked in his usual quiet voice. Although he had begun to speak normally with his other friends he still had to get accustomed to speaking like that with other people. The boxer gave him a small smile but didn't take the order back.
"I don't think you will have any problems with that much Ramen." He couldn't deny that. "Physical strength is everything. Even if your skills are remarkable, they won't be of any use if you get exhausted easily." Just as he was finished talking, the waiter came and brought them their food. The two of them somehow managed to eat it all up but oddly enough, Minato had a small stomach ache. Akihiko slurped up the rest of his noodles and looked over to the smaller, impressed. "I'm surprised you managed to polish it all off. You want to go to another restaurant?" Minato cocked his head to the side but then nodded, not really minding eating more. The other seemed to inspect him for a moment but then his eyes narrowed dangerously. "..Are you sure? You don't look so well. Man, you don't have to farce yourself just to be friendly." He sighed loudly and Minato noticed that the other customers were staring at them again. Didn't they have anything better to do than watching two teenagers eating? "You must have a really small stomach. If you don't eat properly, you will never get stronger." He gave the silverette a fierce glare, making him blink. "Why are you staring at me like that? I'm not Junpei, so I won't go easy on you just because you are the weakest of the team right now. Well, there is still Yukari, but her healing and wind power make up for it." He looked at his empty bowl for a moment before looking back at the bluenette. "Hey, you're not mad at me about that thing, right?" Now he really lost track of what he was saying.
"What thing?" That made Akihiko almost fall from his bank. He quickly caught himself and gave the underclassman an unbelieving look.
"Seriously, you forgot? And here I am, worrying about you being mad about it. I mean that leader business. I thought you would be offended because you were her brother." The shorter cocked his head on the side yet again.
"Why would I be offended? Like you just said, I'm the weakest in the team. I wouldn't really be a good leader, I'm not even able to properly take care of myself, let alone a group of teenager with weapons in a gigantic tower full of monsters."
"But you do command a bunch of demons that could probably kill you any moment."
"That's something totally different. Demons are much easier to handle than a bunch of humans in puberty." he said with finality in his voice. There was a small staring contest between them then but after some time the older gave up, leaning back into his seat.
"Alright, you win. But I have to say, although you are not appointed as the leader, you do seem pretty much in command. I don't say for you to stop, but don't forget Arisato is in charge. She's pretty strong by herself, let's do our best to back her up. And don't forget that you are not alone either, alright?" The bluenette couldn't help but smile at the others concern and determination, although there was that odd feeling in his stomach again, but he just suppressed it again. Before he knew it, the world was gray again and a card floated above his head.
"I am Thou...And Thou art I...
Thou hast established a new bond...
Thou shalt be blessed when fighting the Emperor Arcana!"
He quickly grabbed the card and stuffed it away in his holder, looking Akihiko straight in the eye as he continued talking.
"Now that we are done eating, we should get back. Let's jog so we can help our stomachs settle." After they had paid, they actually ran back to the dorm with Minato falling behind and the upperclassman cheering on him. Although the running made it more obvious, his heartbeat was still unusually fast.
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"Alright guys, now that we are all back in Tartarus, let's get back to the matter at hand." Hamuko shouted into the group and presented the Wannabe-Swimsuit, they had called it Battle-Panties, that the team found in Tartarus last time. The other girls looked at the ground and Akihiko gasped.
"Wait, what do you want to do with that thing?" The silverette asked, his face already in a shade of red that matched the hair of the female Arisato.
"Well, the boys found this and asked if one of us girls could wear that. I checked it at the police station, it does make a better defense than the stuff we are wearing right now and you can move faster inside it. So, who wants to be the one to wear it?" She asked into the group but only silence greeted her. A few minutes passed without anyone saying a word and Minato already felt the others shift in awkwardness. Finally Mitsuru raised from her bike and tried to talk to his sister.
"Arisato, we can't go any further inside Tartarus anyway. Why do you still want one of us to wear that... thing?" She tried to be as natural as possible but she practically failed at that, making it sound forced.
"Senpai, aren't you always the one who tells us to train? We never know when the next enemy might strike and how strong they could be. And if that can protect us better than our old amours, we should use it." The other girl shot back and the boxer couldn't stop his chuckle.
"Well, she got you there, Mitsuru." he said which earned him a fierce glare from the council president.
"Anyway, it wouldn't make any sense for me to wear it since I'm down here most of the time. I don't think it's my size anyway. Maybe you and Takeba should decide which one of you should wear it." Minato had to admit, it was a clever way to snake her way out of it. Yukari's head snapped up at this and stared at their Senpai, probably horrified by her statement. Their leader gave her a nod and turned to her classmate who was frantically shaking her head.
"No way! I won't wear that thing!" She shouted, stepping back from her but the other just kept on closing in.
"Well, while I checked it's quality, I noticed it was a little bit too small for me. So, when I look at you, I noticed you were slimmer than me. Thus, you have to wear it." Without waiting for an answer, she dragged the archer behind the stairs and loud cries and shouts filled the air. Junpei tired to catch a glimpse on them but the bluenette grabbed by the shoulder before he could make even one step. The young boy rubbed his temples as Yukari tried to run with only her underwear on before his sister caught her and pulled her back into the blind spot. After some time the room finally quieted but neither of the girls stepped out of the shadow. After a few minutes, they heard low whispers but then someone was pushed and the next moment the brunette lay on the floor, fully equipped with the Battle-Panties.
Just as the younger twin has thought, it barely covered anything and most of her back was visible because of it. It really does look like a swimsuit except for the odd part that covered her legs and the piece of metal that kept her hair tamed. He could see his male classmate almost drooling at the sight and he just had to sigh. What was so special about it? Whenever they were at the beach, he saw his sister in a similar attire, so it didn't affect him anymore. While he had let his thoughts wander, he hadn't noticed that the girl was standing on her feet again, desperately trying to cover her revealed body parts with her hands.
"This is so embarrassing... I'm just glad none of my friends can see me like this..." he muttered as Hamuko came out of the shadows with a victorious smile on her lips and the others clothes.
"Think positive, Yukari-chan! You also have more strength in battle with this!" She said and grabbed after her naginata, already walking toward the access point. "Now, everybody, let's go!" She said and then was gone. Yukari gave the rest of the group a hesitant look before following the other girl and the boys were gone soon after her. Tartarus hasn't changed much during the exams but the enemies were still tough to fight. The boy looked over to Akihiko who smashed a Shadow with his bare fists. It was to be expected, since he was a boxer and been in this business far longer than they have, but it still impressed him just how good at fighting he was. He snapped back to reality as one of those flying books tried to tackle him. Before he knew what he was doing, his sword lay on the floor and he had kicked it with his foot, knocking it down. Another one came at him but this time it met his fist, making it dissolve into fog. His teammates looked at him surprised but before anyone could say something he ran up to the one on the floor and this time used Aoi Chou to finish it. The others seemed stunned for a moment but then his silver-haired Senpai walked up to him, a bright smile on his face.
"That was amazing!" He shouted as the younger sheathed the blade. His eyes were sparkling for some reason but he quickly caught himself and coughed a little. "I mean, that was pretty good. Have you boxed before?"
"Well, I did have a few Karate lessons when I was smaller, but not really Boxing." he answered, not really getting what was going on.
"When we get out of here, you want to join the boxing club? I know on the plan it says we are not accepting any new members, but as the captain, I'm sure I can get a free seat for you." he was about to agree when his sister jumped between them, interrupting their conversation.
"I'm sorry, Senpai, but he is not really a sports person! Now let's get going already!" She pushed them apart and stomped away, leaving two confused boys behind. They looked after her, then at each other and broke out laughing. Hamuko stopped walking and looked over her shoulder, observing their behavior. When they had finally caught their breath, the older raised his hand to the others head, patting his hair like he always did.
"Anyway, think about it. I will wait for your reply." And the team went off to search for more Shadows. They had kept on fighting for a few more minutes when loud rattling filled the air. The teens looked up from what they were doing and tried to determine where the sound was coming from. Something seemed to twist in Minato's stomach and he fell to his knees, gasping for air. Pictures filled his mind and a big figure appeared in his head. It held two gigantic revolvers and two chains were strapped over it's chest. It didn't seem to have a real body but it wore a black trench-coat. Blood was splashed all over it's clothes and it wore a white mask with one eye hole in the middle. There were many things he could have thought about this but there was only one thing every fiber in his body cried.
RUN.
"Damn it! We have to find an access point or the stairs! Fast!" he shouted at the others who just stared at him, not getting what he meant. "I don't know how I know, but whatever that thing is that is coming, it's dangerous! We have to get out of here!"
"I agree." he heard Mitsuru say at the end of the line. "I never felt something like this before. But I know one thing for sure, you are not ready to face it yet." the red-head gave a grunt but then nodded, turning to the others.
"Alright. Let's split up. I'll go search with Yukari. Junpei, Senpai and Blueberry, you three build a team. If you found anything, give notice immediately." The two girls were about to run off when the baseball-player stopped them.
"Um, wouldn't it be better if I came with you? I know you two are good with magic and all, but a little physical strength wouldn't hurt ya, right? Besides, Minato and Sanada-Senpai are strong. I'm probably just the fifth wheel on the cart." The girl looked at the floor, deciding what to do with him. After a few moments of silence, she gave a nod and the three of them were gone. He picked himself up from the floor and took off into the other direction, Akihiko close on his tail. They kept on searching, the rattling still in the back of their minds when they heard something coming from the communicator.
"We found the access point! Senpai marked it on the map, so hurry over here!" Yukari said and then the line went death again. The bluenette let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Good, now they wouldn't have to encounter that thing. He looked for the green point on the screen and this time the upperclassman took the lead. They just rounded the corner when a huge creature blocked their way, one of it's two guns raised. The boy recognized it immediately.
"What! It's here already!" They two teens tried to make a run for it but then a sudden pain hit him. Before the young Arisato knew it, he was on the floor, his vision just a blur. He still heard the chains rattling and someone shouting but everything seemed so far away right now. He suddenly felt a warmth spread over his whole body and everything came back into focus. He tried to stand up but before he could do that, he was picked up and thrown over a shoulder.
"I hate running away, but it seems like we've got no choice!" Akihiko yelled as he ran, not really minding the junior he was carrying. The younger watched as the supposedly Shadow began to get smaller the more time passed but he took notice that it was already following them. They seemed to be safe for a moment but when they turned another corner, it was there again and was about to shoot another of it's attacks. Panic filled his eyes and he grabbed into his packet, grabbing one of the magical mirror he was always carrying. The attack reflected off nicely but now it was on their tails again. When he thought everything was over he saw a green light over his shoulder and Akihiko dived for it just as the gun went off again.
The next moment, they were down at the entrance, trying to catch their breath. They had pretty much fell out of the green light beam and now the boxer was practically lying on him but he didn't mind. After their heartbeats calmed down, the two of them sat up with the rest of the team standing around them, each of them seemingly worried. He gave them a reassuring smile but then pain shot up through his body. He grabbed after his arm and for the first time he noticed he had burns all over his body.
"We should get back to the dorm now. Arisato-Outoto is severely injured and it has to be treated in an instant." They all nodded and walked out of the door. Minato tried to stand up again but yet again he was picked up but this time carried bridal style. He looked up to the his Senpais face, a small grin plastered on it. "Hey, don't strain yourself. Once we get home, I will take care of your wounds. I'm not as good as Takeba with stuff like that but I think I will manage." He stared at the silverette for a few more minutes but then turned away, burying his face into the older's shirt, trying to hide his huge blush.
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Woot, finally done! I kept on struggling with this chapter for some reason but I'm glad I did it. I just watched the last episode of Tales of Abyss. Man that was fucked up. I hope you enjoyed this one, too. I go back to writing on Demi-Stories now.
Review or a rain cloud will appear above you and it won't go away until you do!
Sincerely, Your Shadow.