A/N: Wow, we've come a long way, eh? Well, hopefully, I'd finish Days of Winter chapter 2. Getting the literative version of mindblock.
Also, I really want to emphasize exactly how evil Elder is, and as such, it will get somewhat darker. I have italicized the dream sequences, where most of it is happening, and you're free to skip them because they mainly show his development and aren't that important to the plot.
Also, for all who don't know, someone made a TvTrope about Days of Autumn! Yay! *pops fire cracker* If you are good at TvTrope editing (sadly, I'm useless as it gets in those kinds of stuff,) then feel free to edit it! It will be much appreciated if you do!
Onwards to the next chapter!
(1/1/11)
Tuesday, around 12:39 AM...
Lee came forward to talk to be about something.
"Hey, bro, mind coming with me to the Dorms?" Lee asked hopefully, "I need to go grab something and those morons are too busy shooting sparks at each other... I can't ask Aki, caus' he might be 'consummating' his marriage."
Deciding not to argue, I nodded and Lee and I set out for the dorm, located at school. I specifically borrowed the Mutsuhito for that purpose, as we zipped by revelers and celebrators. I parked the car outside Gekkoukan High.
We walked through the front and passed the West Wing and into the dorm. The dorm was a bit trashed up from the party, yet no amount of decor could diminish how insidious and diabolical the Astronomy Tower looked from the lobby bay windows of the trash strewn lobby.
Just then, I was pushed aside by a group of boarders carrying an injured student. He looked absolutely normal, but his left hand had been shrivelled to a withered claw. He moaned in pain.
"What the hell happened to him, eh?" Lee jutted a chin towards the student.
"Maybe a firework blew up on his arm?" I speculated.
"Hahaha, what an idiot!" Lee laughed.
Just then, Richard, Woozy and Adachi, Lee's kohai, arrived, smoking two cigarettes.
"Actually, Big Boss, he was-" Adach began, but Lee angrily cut him off.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Lee demanded angrily.
Woozy did a bridge, "Smoking a ciggie- Hey!" Lee took their cigarettes, threw them on the floor and took out a gun and shot the cigarettes into oblivion. When he was done, he huffed up with pride.
"I cannot believe how fucking easy it is to get cigarettes in this country!" He complained as he opened his jacket to holster the gun, revealing an Uzi, a Desert Eagle and a 38. Revolver all holstered in, "Anyway, what happened to Raizen? He looked pretty messed up." Lee said while the five of us walked to his room.
"Ah, we're not really sure ourselves, but..." Richard came closer and spoke with a hushed voice, "They say he was leaning on the Astronomy Tower and his hand suddenly turned into a claw."
"What's worse?" Woozy spoke up, "Is that no one would believe us when we told em' it was the Curse of the Astronomy Tower."
Lee sighed as if he was annoyed. I just looked at them.
"Ignore their nonsense, Minato, they've been going on about it ever since those rumors started flying around." Lee said with a tired voice.
"What were the rumors?" I asked.
"Well, it goes like this..." Adachi began, "Someone reported that a Cloaked guy kept going in and out... It started on Christmas Party, where Old Muroy disappeared after chasing some cloaked dude. Since then, the Astronomy Tower's been getting pretty dodgy."
"Dodgy?" I asked quizzically.
"You wouldn't believe me if we told ya." Richard said with crazed eyes, "But I'm telling it anyway... Adachi, Woozy, me and a few other guys were hanging around the fields at night and we saw, I swear, we saw the entire west wing of the Tower erode to a ruin bro! Like, it fast forwarded into time or something!"
I looked at the Tower. It seemed pretty normal to me, "Then why-"
"Get this..." Adachi interrupted, "It went back to normal in a few seconds."
"That's a load of crap dude." Lee said dismissively, "You were probably sleepy!"
"We weren't, Big Boss, I swear!" Woozy cried, "We even went in to investigate and when we did, three minutes in, we looked outside the window and saw daylight!"
"It was, like, 10:30 PM when we went in and when we did get up to higher levels, the sun raced across the sky and it became night again!" Richard said at a furious pace.
"And we even saw the same Cloaked Guy zipping past us like The Flash!" Woozy cried.
"You have to believe us, Big Boss!" Adachi grovelled and his mouth foamed like a rabid dog.
"Whatever, Adachi, get off!" Lee cried as he took a box of fireworks from under his bed, "I wasn't born yesterday, you know! You three, go on and find more proof, ya hear?" Lee said as we went out.
"Of course, Big Boss!" They cried.
"What do you think of those rumors?" I asked Lee while we drove back to the house.
"In my opinion, it's a load of nonsense made by those bored idiots." Lee said harshly.
"But it's a bit interesting, right?" I insisted, "Definitely needs to be investigated."
"But haven't you heard? I hear that place is cursed!" Lee cried, in contradiction with his earlier statements.
"Yeah, sure." I said with a bored voice. I then requested Naoto to investigate it, to which she cried, "Sounds like a case!"
After setting off some more bombs and shooting some guns, I went to sleep.
Wether it was due to the stress of today or whatever, I was again assailed by nightmares Thursday night.
(1/4/11)
Thursday...
I was in the same room, most likely the same room I've always been dreaming of. Sensei and Elder were looking at several old, shrivelled bodies strewn in a pitiful heap. They were still pretty much alive, but were at Death's door. Guardian was piling them up.
"Impressive work, I must say." Sensei said quietly from his chair, "I admit, I didn't expect you to be proficient in this at all!"
"My thanks, Sensei. I did learn from the best." Elder said with pride.
"No, that was all you. All I did was read a few tomes on Black Magic." Sensei said with genuine sincerity.
"He's right, Milord." Guardian boomed, carrying the groaning old people, "Especially when these 'unwilling subjects' were children only mere hours ago..."
At that moment, I saw in the old men the eyes of innocent children, with their lives stolen from them. I wanted to throw up at that moment, nausea running through me like an electric shock.
"I think it best to name you 'Master of Time', soon, after you completely master it." Sensei declared, "Now then... Try to do the thing you have been practicing on."
Elder nodded and made a cryptic hand movement. With a loud crack, the bodies disappeared, but reappeared quickly.
"It's no use, Sensei... Looks like I need a bit more practice." Elder panted sheepishly.
Sensei scowled, "Well, hurry up about it. You have quite a lot to learn, so to say. Time comes naturally for you, for some strange reason."
"What to do with the bodies?" Guardian asked, "Shall I consume them?"
"No. Their souls are still useful..." Elder summoned the monstrous sword and killed the pitiful wretches with several swings and strokes with Lucifer's Blade. The wretches made no protest, but their sad voices would haunt me as their now old eyes were extinguished.
"I say we do Creation next." Elder said with a smile, "Guardian here is a testament of my prodigious skill in that field."
"That's right." Guardian supplied.
"We will do so with your other friends and spies." Sensei said, "Will you consent?"
He nodded, "For the greater good."
I woke up with a sweaty start. It was already early morning of January 5 and since I didn't feel like staying in and risk another nightmare, I decided to go to the park.
Walking down the path of frost never seemed so liberating for me. The icy snow cooled my body while the shining sun fought with the winter clouds and lost in the attempt to break through the icy canopy that hung over the frozen land. I sat down on an icy bench and contemplated on exactly how evil Elder is, when a familiar face greeted me.
"Minato! Hey!" Rio greeted. She wore a tracksuit and had obviously been jogging, "What's up?"
Glad something was there to distract me from my dark brooding, I moved aside to offer her a seat, "Oh, I'm good, thanks." I let her sit down beside me, "Some night, huh?"
She smirked, and sat down, "Yeah. Peré congratulated Kenji in the middle of the night after I told him he'd kissed me."
"That so?" I wondered, "Your parents are pretty supportive."
"Aren't they?" Rio smiled, "Kenji's been a family friend. Peré and his mom were best friends and they were pretty bummed they didn't get to marry each other."
"Why didn't they?" I asked politely, hoping that I wasn't asking out of turn.
"Oh, Peré's and Kenji's mom's parent's hated each other, so when they didn't marry, they promised that their children would marry each other. That's us. So far, this year was the only time Kenji showed a romantic interest for me. Hell, my Peré even held a fiesta when he found out about our relationship. We even went to Brazil and celebrated there with Kenji and his family! It lasted for five whole days!"
"Well, perfect, isn't it?" I muttered sadly, "Your parents, your friends, and everyone else are happy with your relationship... I have to choose between two girls and I have no way of knowing what to do..."
Rio tilted her head slightly, "Well, I admit I'm not the best when it comes to matters of the heart. Don't you remember? You were the one who helped me out. I know that I can't repay what you did for me- I mean us, but if I can help in any way, just say so." Rio said, with an understanding smile, "But do take note I'm more of a Physical Counselor and a Nutritionist-Dietician than a therapist." She added hastily.
"Well, I guess." I managed, "I'm in a dilemma, Rio... I'm... I'm in love with Minako, but I like Yukari too."
Rio smiled mischievously, "Knew it." She thought for a while, "Well, that's pretty rough... Make a list of their negative qualities and see which one has the worst traits. I think your decision will be much easier after that."
I perked up, "Why didn't I think of that? Okay... Minako: loud, noisy, arrogant, eats too much, imperious, controlling, a bit prideful and thickheaded." For a moment, I heard Rio mutter something like, 'Look who's talking' about the thickheaded part, but it may very well be my imagination.
"Alright, fair point. Now, Yukari?" Rio asked.
I had only one answer... One answer in this world that outweighed all of Yukari's positive traits, no matter how good or many they were, "...she's... not Minako." I gave a mournful sigh.
Rio fidgeted, "Well, I guess we both know the answer to that, eh?"
I merely nodded, "But... they're both so perfect..."
"True, they may seem perfect... but they're at YOUR mercy." Rio stressed.
"What?" I said with genuine confusion.
"Yep. While you have two girls to choose from, they only have one perfect guy that chooses them." Rio said sagely.
"But... Rio, answer this honestly... Does Minako like me?" I asked skittishly.
Rio sighed, "Minato, look in my eyes." I complied and looked directly into her grey eyes, "The answer for your question is yes. Minako does like you, but listen!" She said loudly, "You need to assert your affections. Really dude. You've got her in the palm of your hands! Don't screw this up!"
But at that point, I wasn't listening anymore. Rio's voice has been drowned out by my mind screaming in victory.
"Hahaha, oh Minato..." Rio hugged me, "What will I do with you?"
"The only problem is... how do I break this to Yukari without her beating me up?"
"Worry about that later," Rio said with a carefree smile.
"Yeah... YOLO, right?" I said with a nervous smile, breaking the YOLO taboo.
Rio's face twisted with disgust, "Carpe Diem, dude. Don't use that YOLO bullshit in my presence." Rio said darkly, "Anyway, want to grab a bite?"
"Sure. My treat. Where to, though? I hear there's this new resto in town that serves killer ramen and congee and-" I started, but Rio cut me off.
"What is it with men and ramen?" She said in annoyance, "That has little to no nutritional value and-" she began a long rant about nutrition and food, that left her panting. And that was saying something, Rio panting.
In the end, we decided to hang by Pinky's shop and enjoy some carrot cake. When I said carrots improving eyesight was a myth and didn't hold any eye-improving nutrition, she countered that recent studies concluded that they did, in fact do so and questioned me which type of vitamins carrots had.
I erroneously said vitamin B and she laughed so hard for the next ten minutes or so, with no one else getting the joke. I then concluded that nutritionists were very strange indeed.
Pinky galloped towards us, "Hey guys! Junpei told Quanny that we should go on a joy ride and he agreed! We meet here later at 6." She said joyfully as she galloped back.
First to arrive was Junpei and Lee.
"Dude... First Yukari, then Minako, now Rio?!" Lee cried, "What kinda voodoo do you do to get so much tail?"
"We're out as friends, moron." Rio said angrily, "For your info, dude, Minato's in love with someone else."
"Too bad for you, eh?" Junpei smirked as Rio threw a fork at him.
Next to arrive were Kenji. He ran to me and started choking me. Snce I felt sorry for him, I made choking noises.
"You don't mess with another man's girl! You don't mess with another man's girl!" He chanted whilst trying to choke me out.
"Kenji, relax. Minato's in love with someone else." Rio stated.
"Too bad for you, eh?" He smiled mischievously as Rio threw a spoon at him.
Then, Minako arrived.
"Minato, cheating on me with Rio?" Minako sneered.
"For Pete's sake, we're out as friends!" Rio cried.
Quan arrived and we rode the car. I drove it.
Everyone was messing around as I drove Quan's car.
"C'mon, what was that?!" Junpei cried, "You gotta be aggressive man!"
"Take off the training wheels!" Kenji said, "You're too slow!"
"Man, you will never survive Asian roads!" Lee said.
"Dude, Quan told me he has a crowbar under the seat," I said menacingly, "So don't make me knock your teeth out."
I looked at the rearview mirror, "Minako, Rio, Pinky, are you guys talking to each other on the phone?!"
"We're conferencing Fuuka, Yukari and Naoto. They can't go out." Minako said matter of factly.
"Hey, I like that song!" Pinky said with a sigh.
"Raise your glass." I said, tuning the sound, "Love that song."
"Why does it sound super duper familiar?" Pinky thought aloud.
"Because Pink made it." Quan said casually.
"Hey! I'm not a singer, silly Quan," Pinky said in a surprised voice.
Quan facepalmed himself, "Pinky, I love you so very much, I really do, but sometimes you are such a twit!"
"I feel your pain." Rio said as she looked at Kenji.
I turned the sound up.
We cruised for a while and stopped for a gas stop and bathroom breaks.
"Here, fill this sardine can up while I smoke dangerously close to your gas station." Lee said as he lit one up.
"Yes sir, right away!" The attendant said and looked at me, as I went to stretch my legs, "Hello."
"Oh, hey." I said, trying to disengage conversation with the stranger.
"Welcome! You guys from the city? Well, nothing much to do here. It gets so boring that you'll be either hanging out with your friends or getting a part time job." The attendant said, "Give it some thought, why don't you? We're always on need of help." He said as he held out his hand.
I was about to shake it, when Lee interrupted, "Hey, great life lesson there kid!" Lee said sarcastically, "Are you his therapist? I'm not paying you to fill the car with nonsense! Why don't you tell him exactly how electricity works while you're at it?!"
The attendant mumbled an apology, and filled the car up. For a moment, her eyes turned scarlet red and it became a bit foggy, but I ignored it.
We rode out again.
"Man, this is getting boring. What do we do now?" Kenji asked.
"I dunno. Quan?" Junpei said.
Quan thought for a while, and then his face brightened up and he pulled something from under the seat.
It was an expensive-looking paintball gun.
Lee pulled up the joint he was smoking and laughed loudly. The guys and girls giggled, since they were excited.
Quan opened the window and shot a three-round burst at a porn shop.
"That's for not stocking any May Ozawa!" He cried.
Junpei took the gun and aimed it at a house. He shot several shots into the windows.
"Haha! Nice house!" Kenji cried.
"Um, Kenji?" Rio said, trying not to laugh, "That was your house."
"Junpei! You jerk!" Kenji cried.
As Kenji strangled Junpei, Lee took the gun and aimed it at a crowd of people.
"Hey, don't-" I said as I beeped the horn several times to warn the people.
"21 Gun Salute, bitches! Dis be a drive-by!" Lee screamed as he shot at the people, not actually hitting any of them, just causing major panic.
"Oooh, can I try?" Pinky begged as Lee handed it to her. She looked at it intently, "Where do you shoot-"
Bam!
She had accidentally shot Junpei, streaking his hat in scarlet red.
"Ah!" Junpei cried, "I'm bleeeeeeeding!" He cried.
"No you're not. Quit the theatrics." Pinky said.
"No, really, it broke my skin!" Junpei cried.
Minako siezed the paintball gun and began shooting at several cars, all of which were Volkswägen, new generation.
"I hate them because the Beetle was one of the primary symbols of 60's youth culture and freedom. Now, the youth of the 60s had become the corporate bosses of the 90's, and had repackaged the symbol of their own youth, selling it to the youth of another generation as if it didn't mean anything to them." She said after I asked why she targeted those cars.
After that, Rio shot at a Sports Wear store for not stocking any Birkenstocks her size. "That implied I was fat." Rio pouted.
"Let me try... Take the gas for me." I said as I opened the window and sat on the windowsill.
Quan obediently took the gas as I aimed it at a donut store.
"Get that donut shop! They charge extra for a baker's dozen of strawberry
donuts!" Quan cried.
"Yeah!" Junpei cried.
"That's right!" Rio encouraged.
Everyone encouraged me to do it. So I took deliberate aim.
As we rounded up to the corner, there was a police patrol cruiser.
"Oh shit!" Lee cried.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh!" Kenji, Junpei and Quan sputtered.
"Don't do it!" The girls shouted.
I aimed at the patrol car and emptied the paintball gun into the windshield of the car.
"You fucking psycho!" Lee shouted, "You brave, fearless little bastard!"
Then, the sirens blasted.
"Oh shit! It's the fuzz!" Minako cried.
"Pop the weed, Lee! POP THE WEED!" Quan bellowed.
Lee tossed his joint out the window and sat in a stupor.
Then, the music played off and the car slowed down.
"What's happening?" Kenji asked.
"The fucking car just died!" I yelled.
Everyone let out a groan of annoyance.
"Aw man! I knew we shouldn't have gone on this crazy-ass joyride!" Junpei bemoaned.
"YOU were the one who suggested it, Stupei!" Kenji hissed.
I wheeled around into an abandoned cul-de-sac. And if it wasn't enough bad luck, the stereo wouldn't turn off, and N.W.A.'s 'Fuck tha Police' blasted through the sound system.
"Great, we're trapped!" Kenji said, "And with Fuck tha Police as our song..."
"Shut the hell up, Kenji..." Junpei muttered as we all sank into our seats to avoid being seen.
"Yo, that weed wasn't mine, right? Right guys?" Lee said.
"Shut up, Lee!" Minako hissed.
"I'm serious! This is a third strike for me, bro..." Lee said anxiously.
"I'm too soft for the slammer!" Quan cried.
"Let's get arrested, Quan, just don't cry!" Kenji hissed.
The cruiser passed by, missing us, since, by some stroke of good luck, I had hit the side window, blotting the car's view.
The tension broke. We all laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha! You were scared!" Junpei cried.
"No, you were scared!" Lee said.
"Naw, you, you, you, you and you were scared!" Minako said, pointing wildly to everyone.
We went out and Quan repaired the car.
Junpei pointed to an old, abandoned house, "You guys know how many abandoned buildings we have in this part of Iwatodai? I mean, how are we suppose to 'take pride' in our city with shit like that next door? And does the city tear it down? No, they're too busy building bars, casinos and taking money from the people."
"Shut your preachin' ass up, nobody gives a shit." Kenji said as she inspected the gun.
"Well, did anyone give a shit when that ghost killed that guy in that abandoned house?" Junpei said sharply.
"Oh yeah! I had a ghost dream that I gouged my eyes out to prevent looking at a book of doom. Nothing important, just wanted to report that." Pink said casually.
"Well, they caught her, didn't they?" Kenji asked.
"Of course not." I said.
"Yo Quan, how are those repairs holding up?!" Lee asked impatiently.
"If you want to shut up and help me, I'd like it." Quan said.
"Man, I'm not going in that piece of shit again. It's a deathtrap." Lee whispered.
"I really think Quan's mom is trying to kill him!" Junpei said.
"Yeah, but she is just too fine! She can kill me!" Kenji said.
Everyone laughed.
"Don't talk shit about my mom or my fucking car! I can hear everything!" Quan said.
Lee snorted, "Check out Double-oh-Quan."
After that, Quan managed to get the car working. We went a few rounds and ran over a hobo before going back home.
That night, I had no dreams.
All was well. For now.
A/N: Done. Please review! Quota must be met before any updates happen. Hope you guys understand. Again, please, if you're skilled in TvTropes, help DoA out!
Q/A:
Night: Oh yes. In fact, they train Elder in the Dark Arts. For Guardian, he and Elder are friends, while Sensei... They're different. Well, in his later fights, he mit use them. Might.
Radaketor: Huh? What about Lee x Quan?
Kaijeno: No.
DeathArcana: Thanks bro! Always good to promote the Philippines. Also, I can't edit out your review. The settings won't allow it.
Hoshi: Yup. I kinda hate her.
Vince: Not yet, I suppose. There is no MinaxMina relationship just yet.
Guest (asking about Aigis): I despise her since she's unrealistic and many more. A robot becoming a human and gaining an ego made Persona 3 a big fat joke. And, no, I won't waste my time mentioning her in my story, sorry. But Koromaru is there.
MoM: Use a Persona!