Chapter Seven: Social Links
April 23, 2009, Velvet Room
Minato's POV
THURSDAY
"Ah, there you are." Igor said as I found myself in the usual seat. This time I entered the door at the alley near Paulownia Mall. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. I suppose it's time for me to explain what kind of assistance I can offer you." He paused. "It is my job to create new Personas."
"Excuse me? Did you say new Personas?"
"Yes, but in order to do so, I must fuse your Persona cards together..." He chuckled. "In other words, I shall merge them into a single Persona."
"When you say fuse, does that mean I'll use the cards themselves?" I asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. You can find more cards in the tower you explore but some Personas can only be obtained through fusion." Igor explained. "The number of Personas you have buried within you is approximately 200... more or less."
"What? Two HUNDRED?!"
"We've never seen a visitor with this many possibilities before..." Igor pondered. "If you establish Social Links, you may be able to create even stronger Personas, too."
"You've mentioned that before. What exactly is this... social link?"
"You have already established one. The Fool Arcana, rank 2." He said. "Don't you remember the floating card and the voice? That is a Social Link." He laughed. "This should prove veery interesting. As you accumulate cards, bring them to me. I shall fuse them for you."
"Uh... okay. I have three at the moment." I said. My brow furrowed as I tried to absorb the things Igor told me. I don't really know if I can call it information.
"Hmm... yes. Orpheus, Apsaras and Pixie. We can fuse Personas two at a time or three at once." Igor explained. "If you choose to fuse the three of them, you shall receive Forneus. A Persona of the Emperor Arcana. However, you aren't capable enough to handle Forneus, yet."
"What do you mean?"
"Personas come in varying strengths. Summoning one that is stronger than you could prove very disastrous. The persona will not listen to you and may even harm you if you cannot control it." Igor said. "I will only fuse Personas that you can control."
"Oh, I see. What will I get then if I summon two?"
"Orpheus fused with Pixie will result in Apsaras. You don't need that. If Orpheus is fused with Apsaras, It will result in Angel, a Persona of the Justice Arcana. Pixie and Apsaras together will result in Nekomata, a Persona of the Magician Arcana."
According to Igor, Nekomata has Agi and Cleave the same skills as Junpei's Hermes. It will also inherit Pixie's Dia. Angel on the other hand, has Garu and Patra, a skill that dispels ailments. It will inherit Orpheus' Bash. I don't want to lose Apsaras yet, seeing as her Bufu skill saved us yesterday. Pixie's Dia is also handy, just in case Yukari isn't around. Angel's Patra is the only one the team doesn't have. But I don't think I need it now...
"Maybe another time Igor. I think I need all the skills my Personas have now."
"I see. We look forward to your next visit."
Hagakure Ramen, After School
I decided to take Kenji up on his offer of Ramen. I had nothing better to do, besides according to Igor, the strength of the Social Link is the strength of the Persona.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about! The ramen tastes great doesn't it?" Kenji said. "I think they put a special ingredient in it... something no other ramen shop knows about. Oh, sorry, I get all nerdy when I eat here."
"The ramen here is the best I've tasted." I agreed. "There's not much but instant ramen back in Tokyo."
"Really? Then you can appreciate the subtle yet distinct flavor of the soup?" He laughed. "You don't look like the type of person I'd normally hang out with. I guess looks aren't everything..."
What is that supposed to mean? If it was anybody else, I'd take that as an insult. Then again, I'm not sure I want to look like anyone you'd hang out with...
"Hey, let's hang out after school sometime. I've got a secret plan... Wait 'till you hear it, you're gonna flip!" He laughed.
A blue card with a picture of a pair of hands summoning a ball of flame floated in front of me. The card had the roman numeral I on the bottom. "Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou hast established a new bond... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona's of the Magician Arcana..." A voice rang in my head. Another Social Link? The Magician, huh?
"It's already dark out? Oh no, I'm gonna miss my favorite TV show!" He stood up. "I gotta go, man. See ya at school." He ran out the door.
Did he even pay? Tch. Oh well, I guess I can foot the bill this time. I wonder how they profit while selling the ramen so cheaply. Hmm... maybe more people buy the ramen because it so cheap... I stood and paid for our ramen while still thinking about the average profit they make.
April 24, 2009, After School
Kendo Club
FRIDAY
"So, Minato. You're the guy who went out with Yukari Takeba the first day of school, right?" The future club captain approached after the physics teacher introduced me. "You're practically famous."
This again? Will everyone who approach me talk about this? "Yukari and I are just friends, we live in the same dorm." I repeated for the umpteenth time.
"The name's Kazushi Miyamoto. You've seen me around, right?" He extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you. And no." I smiled.
"You're hurting my pride here, man." He pouted. "Everyone knows who I am!" I laughed. "I was just kidding. We're in the same class right?"
"Hey, Kaz." A tan girl wearing the school's P.E uniform approached us. "Is this the new guy?"
"Oh yeah. Yuko, this is Minato Arisato. I'm sure you've heard the rumors about him." Kazushi introduced us. "And Minato, this is-"
"Yuko Nishiwaki. I'm the manager for the Kendo club." She interrupted. "Pleasure to meet you, Yuko-san."
"We're in the same year, right? You can call me Yuko."
"Then you can call me, Minato." I smiled.
"Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you that just coz' you joined mid-season, doesn't mean I'll go easy on you! Ya hear?" Kazushi grinned menacingly.
"Shut up Kaz! Don't scare the new guy away on his first day!" Yuko chastised.
"Sorry." He apologized. "But you're mine after school." He added.
I smirked. "Bring it!"
"That's what I wanted to hear, man!" Kazushi laughed. "Hey, if you're up to it, let's have a match here and now, Minato!"
I frowned. "I'd love to. But I'm not familiar with the rules, if you can explain them, I'd be grateful."
"Kazushi! This is his first day, he was just supposed to have a look around." Yuko scolded the future captain. "I'll explain the rules to you, Minato-kun."
So, the only think that's important is to hit your opponent, huh? Get past their defenses, move quick and hit them where it hurts the most. I guess the basics are the same as Fencing but the fighting style is different...
"All right, I think I've got the gist of it." I said. The students made enough room for us to fight each other. Kazushi and I stepped on the mat and raised our blades, our eyes determined. Twenty minutes later, I removed the mask, panted heavily and crouched on the floor trying to regain my breath. I had won.
Kazushi did the same thing I did. "You're fast, man. I heard you were good, but I didn't think you were this good." He panted.
I laughed shortly. "It was luck."
"Luck? Ha. As I said, you're mine after school!"
Suddenly, another card floated in front of me. It was a yellow card with a red picture of a warrior pulling a chariot. "Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou shalt have our blessing when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana..." The voice rang in my head again. Another Social Link?... Two in less than a week... But I don't think it's going to be that easy.
Iwatodai Dorm, Evening
"Oh, hey." Yukari greeted me when I reached the dorm. "Say, Minato-kun. Have you joined any clubs?"
"Yes, I have. The Kendo club actually."
"Oh yeah? I figured you'd join Kendo, seeing how good you are with the sword and all.." Yukari said.
"Speaking of which, where did you learn how to fight like that, Arisato?" I wasn't even aware that Mitsuru-senpai was listening to our discussion. I bet you've been itching to ask me that, weren't you? There shouldn't be anything in the 'files' you read about me.
"Training." I casually said. But I guess, I'm just telling you something you already know...
Her eyes narrowed. Obviously not convinced. "I see." You have to figure that on your own, senpai. Wouldn't be fun, otherwise.
"I think we should go to Tartarus, tonight. With all the Lost, I think we should do all we can to help." Yukari said. "There wasn't any practice today anyway, I could use the exercise."
"Just don't take it lightly, okay? It's dangerous there." Mitsuru-senpai said.
"Uh huh." I laid myself down on the soft cushions of the couch. "Maybe tomorrow is a better day, I'm beat."
"I guess so." Yukari agreed. "I heard from Yuko that Kazushi challenged you a while ago."
"Seriously? How did it go?" Junpei asked.
"He won." Akihiko answered. "Apparently, our leader is good at fighting things besides Shadows."
I stared at each of them in turn. "What is wrong with all of you?" I muttered sleepily. "You guys sound like the rumor mongers at school..." I sighed. "Bah. In any case, were going to Tartarus tomorrow. I'm going to hit the sack, before I fall asleep here..."
April 25, 2009, After School
Bookworms Used Books
SATURDAY
Since I heard about the bookstore opening at the strip mall this morning, I decided it might not be a bad idea to check it out. I can buy a book to help kill some time. I wonder if they have any of the classic fantasies... Or maybe some good detective stories.
When I entered the bookstore, I saw an old man and woman behind the counter. "Welcome." The man said. "What would you like today? We have some fresh mackerel!"
Mackerel? "Um, what?" I asked.
"I'm sorry, as you can see, we don't sell fish here." The old woman, probably the old man's wife, apologized.
I was inspecting the books on the shelves. "You're a student aren't you? You must be from Gekkoukan High." The old man observed. Well, it is the only high school around here... I nodded. "That means you know about the Persimmon tree there..."
Persimmon tree? "What tree?"
"Do you think I'm making this up? I'm serious, young man." The old man said. "It's planted beside a walkway, near a courtyard at your school."
The tree near the Gym? What connections do they have with that tree? The old woman sighed. "Don't mind him. He's rambling on like an old man." She smiled. "Just ignore him..."
I bought a few Sherlock Holmes books at the bookstore. After saying goodbye to the old couple, I left the store and went to the Paulownia Mall.
Iwatodai Dorm, Evening
After drinking some of the 'famous' Pheromone Coffee at Chagall Cafe, I headed back to the dorm. It was weird though, on my way back, I noticed a few people looking at me. I dismissed the thought of it having to do with the coffee. Ridiculous. Akihiko-senpai was the only one in the Lounge when I got there.
I found Junpei and Yukari on the second floor. Junpei was reading some manga and Yukari was eating instant ramen. I bought a Cielo Mist from the vending machine and sat down on one of the chairs.
"You're always the last one to arrive, man." Junpei put his manga down. "Pretty busy aren't cha?"
"Nah. I was just walking around Paulownia Mall." I drank the Cielo Mist. "And I bought some books from the bookstore too."
"Books? You're like an old man." He groaned.
"At least he reads books, stupei." Yukari sighed. "Mitsuru-senpai should be at the Command Room. She said she was going to train or something. Oh, but if you want to go to Tartarus tonight, she said it was okay."
I nodded. "Well be going tonight. I want to experiment with this ability of mine." I took out one of the books I bought and started to read.
Mitsuru's POV
Penthesilea faded as I leaned on the backrest of one of the couches. I decided to take a break from training and turned to the files on the table. I read each and everyone of them before. None of the files had any information out of the ordinary. Not that they were supposed to, the files after all, were just routine background checks on the three juniors, Junpei, Yukari and Minato.
I received the files before the subject came to be a resident of the dorm. As I said, the files had no information out of the ordinary. Yukari's and Junpei's files had the normal background check information. Parents, Age, place and date of birth, additional information, etc. But in Minato's case, it was too ordinary. Some information were missing, like the names of his parents. But what me curious was the lack of information regarding where he learned to wield a sword like that.
The door opened, making me close the file. "Oh, Akihiko. It's you." I opened the file again.
"You're still worried about that?" He asked, knowing all too well who's file I was reading. "He's already a part of SEES you know, leader of the field team at that."
"It's not that I don't trust him, Akihiko." I explained. "It's more that I'm uncomfortable with this lack of information. It's like his file was tampered with..."
"Who would even do that?" Akihiko scoffed. "Besides, the file came straight from the Kirijo Group, right?"
"I guess you're right. I better get back to training." I stood and retrieved my Evoker.
"You're worrying too much, Mitsuru." He laughed. "I better leave you then."
No sooner than I summoned Penthesilea and Akihiko left the room, did I hear the door open. "Did you forget something?" I asked without looking up from the computer, thinking it was Akihiko.
"Forget what, senpai?" A familiar voice asked.
"Oh, Arisato. It's you." I faced him. "What's the matter?"
He glanced at the three files on the table then met my eyes. No doubt, he knows what those files contain. "I just wanted to tell you that I plan on going to Tartarus, tonight."
I nodded. "Do the others know?"
"Yeah. Everyone's coming. Well, maybe except Akihiko-senpai." Arisato answered. "That's your persona, I presume?"
I nodded. "Oh, right this is the first time you've seen Penthesilea."
He smiled for some reason. "Penthesilea huh? First persona I know of that isn't related to Greek Mythology in any way."
"Interesting observation, Arisato." I raised an eyebrow.
"Just thought I should mention it." He shrugged. "I guess I better let you train in peace." He stood and left the Command Room.
It's true, Penthesilea is the only persona of the group that isn't related to Greek mythology. How lonely, Master. Penthesilea sighed sarcastically. Oh, how I miss the battlefield... rather than just scanning there and scanning here... Stop complaining, Penthesilea. It reflects on me. I sensed Penthesilea's amusement. You're so uptight... You should try it sometime, Master.
Tartarus
Minato's POV
6TH FLOOR.
"Hold on." Senpai stopped us as soon as we set foot on the 6th floor. "The Shadows on this floor are a bit different than the ones you've faced thus far. Proceed with caution."
Around one corner, we were attacked by three shadows. Two were of the Magic hand type and the other was a shadow called the Obsessed Cupid. "Senpai, analyze the cupid." I ordered as I ordered Orpheus to Bash one of the Magic Hands.
The shadow wailed as it dissipated. "Hermes!" Junpei yelled, ordering his persona to cleave the remaining Magic Hand. It wasn't enough, however. The shadow aimed a Bufu spell at me and I rolled just in time to evade the attack.
Yukari shot an arrow and ended the Magic Hand's existence. "The enemy's weakness is ice! It's strong against wind." Senpai said through the transceiver.
I shifted the Gladius to my left hand and concentrated. Three cards materialized in my right hand, with Orpheus' in the middle. The other two rotated around the middle card. I replaced Orpheus' card with Apsaras'. I took my Evoker from my waist and summoned Apsaras. "Bufu!"
Apsaras sent an icicle towards the last shadow and it disappeared. "Let's go." I said and we explored the floor without encountering any more shadows.
"Wait..." Senpai said as we reached the seventh floor. "There it is again!"
"What is there again?" Yukari asked.
"I detect another powerful foe above you!" Mitsuru-senpai said. "It's still relatively far away, but be careful as you work your way upward."
"Got it. Let's proceed." I said.
We reached the 8th floor quickly. After exploring the floor, we came across two cupids. Apsaras made short work of them both.
"You can do a lot with that ability of yours, huh?" Junpei said as we explored more.
"I'm still experimenting with it." I said. "I'm still wondering what happened when I first summoned my persona, though."
Yukari shuddered. "You mean, that one?"
I nodded. "Why? What happened?" Junpei asked.
Yukari and I were saved from answering him as we came across three new shadows. They were called Merciful Mayas. Senpai told me that they were weak to Bufu, Zio, an electric spell and Garu. It was strong to Agi spells though.
"Junpei, forget Agi spells. Just focus on cleaving or slashing them with your sword. Yukari, focus on healing us." I ordered. One bufu spell from Apsaras was enough to defeat the Maya. I ordered Apsaras to send another icicle but it missed. Junpei summoned Hermes and cleaved a Maya as he dodged its attack.
I easily dodged the last Maya's advance and shoved the gladius in it's mask. "Great job, guys." I complimented as the last shadow disappeared. We ran into some trouble at the ninth floor. We ran into three Cowardly Mayas. Unfortunately, one attacked me from behind so I was unable to dodge it. "Ugh." I grunted as I took the brunt of the attack, Apsaras' weakness.
Hermes' Agi stopped another from attacking me. "Thanks." I said as I stood up. I replaced Apsaras with Orpheus. "You're gonna pay for that." I muttered and summoned Orpheus. "Burn it down!"
The shadows were soon reduced to ash, thanks to Hermes and Orpheus. "Are you okay, Minato-kun?" Yukari asked me.
"Yeah. I can still stand." I said as I summoned Pixie to heal me. "My uniform is another story though..." My jacket was slashed. I better buy a new one tomorrow. "Once we reach the next floor, we return to the lobby. I'm sure there's another teleporter there."
"I hope we don't get ambushed, like last time." Yukari said.
"We won't." I reassured her. And sure enough, there was a teleporter on the next floor and we weren't ambushed by the powerful shadow.
Tartarus Entrance
"Do you think the powerful shadows in Tartarus could have had something to do with the one who hurt Akihiko-senpai?" I was asking Mitsuru-senpai as we rested before going back to the dorm.
"I don't know." Senpai shook her head. "But the shadow you fought on the roof was much stronger than the powerful ones I can sense in the tower."
"Really? But..." Yukari trailed off looking at me.
"Yeah." I said, getting the gist of Yukari's unasked question. That other one... Thanatos. It beated up the Shadow on the roof like it was nothing.
"What the heck are you guys talking about?" Junpei asked.
"The night that Akihiko-senpai got injured and Minato first summoned Orpheus." Yukari explained. Quite vaguely to boot.
"Senpai, can Shadows 'escape' from Tartarus?" I asked.
"It has happened before." She nodded. "But the ones I have encountered were just average."
"In other words, none as strong as the powerful ones here and the one on the roof." I muttered.
Junpei yawned, bored with the talk of Shadows. "I'm sleepy. Good thing it's a Sunday tomorrow. I'm gonna sleep all day!"
I laughed. "Let's get going then. We can continue this another time."
April 26, 2009, Early Morning
Minato's Room
SUNDAY
I took the chance to sleep in late today. Who knows when I'll get another chance. I just finished taking a bath when my phone rang. "Minato Arisato, here." I answered the phone once I finished dressing.
"Hey, man. This is Kenji. Do you have time to talk?" Kenji's voice said through the line.
"Yeah."
"Are you free today? Wanna hang out?"
"Sure. What do you have in mind?"
"Really? Cool." He seemed excited. "I'll meet you at Paulownia Mall, Power Records. You know where it is, right?"
"Yeah. Okay." I hung up.
Paulownia Mall, Power Records
Kenji and I were having fun hanging out. "Yess! I finally got D'z's new single!" He told me.
"D'z?" I asked.
"Dude! How can you not know D'z?!" He exclaimed. "He's such a great singer, and he looks so cool on stage!" He paused for a moment. "Hey, this is the first time I've seen you in normal clothes..." He looked at me up and down, staring at my clothes.
"Not bad... Not bad at all!" Kenji said. "But, there are some thongs you could do to look better..."
I smiled. "Like what?"
He smiled back. "Alright, let's see... Hmm... Here, like this. Yeah, that looks better." He fidgeted with my clothes. "You're pretty good looking to begin with, dude. If you know how to dress, you're good to go!"
"So, nice to meet your approval." I sarcastically smiled.
Kenji, however was oblivious. "You can be my wingman!"
I laughed. "You're wingman? Sure..." Kenji and I left the mall laughing. When I got back to the dorm, I studied for a while then slept.
April 27, 2009, Early Morning
Gekkoukan Auditorium
MONDAY
"I don't see the point of another assembly." I muttered. "We had one just last week!"
"Yeah, remember how great senpai's speech was?" Yukari, who was beside me asked. I nodded. "Well, I heard that the principal got jealous so he made a speech of his own to compete with her."
"What's up with that?!" Junpei joined the discussion. "Why do we have to suffer because of his ego?"
"We'll now begin this morning's assembly." A teacher said, then he was replaced by the principal. "Thank you." said the principal.
"Honestly, you'd think the speech was about the incidents..." Yukari muttered.
"Who cares?" Junpei asked. "He doesn't know anything about the shadows anyway."
"I just hope this doesn't take long..." I sighed.
"Tell me about it. His speeches always drag..." Yukari said.
"Ahem." The principal cleared his throat quite audibly. "Today, I'd like to tell you my, um, vision for this school year." Um? Pssh... how dumb can you get? "As you are aware, strange incidents have been reported on the news lately. It is my firm belief that none of you are involved."
Boring... "However, if we all want to better our school, then we all need to accept responsibility for change." The principal said. "Dig deep down inside, and tap into your imaginations." Wait a sec... "..But don't lose touch with reality. As they say, there's no use crying over spilt milk. " The principal continues... "This is the key to reaping all the rewards that school has to offer..."
"Doesn't this remind you of senpai's speech?" Yukari observed. "Almost word for word..." Junpei agreed.
"His speech doesn't even make any sense..." I muttered. "At least senpai's was better worded."
"What's up with that?!" Junpei declared. "I can't believe he made us sit through this. Just to relay the same speech senpai said..."
After School
Gekkoukan Rooftop
"Wow, quite a view from up here."I told no one in particular, as I leaned on the railing of the rooftop. At lunchtime, senpai approached me. She asked me to meet her on the rooftop after school. 'Special request' she said... What on earth does that even mean? And why me?...
I decided to shake my curiosity and just appreciate the view from the rooftop. The view from up here truly is one of a kind... not even the highest buildings in Tokyo had a view like this. My gaze went from one point of the city to the next. So, this is what were fighting to protect.
But I can't say, that's all that made me agree to join SEES. While one of the factors, it wasn't the major one. I'm not a hero. Never have been. Never will be. "I apologize for the wait, Arisato." I heard Mitsuru say as the roof door opened. "And for the 'mysterious' nature of my request."
"It's okay." I turned to her. "The classroom has a lot of prying ears."
She smiled. "To make a long story short, I'm asking you to join the Student Council as my deputy."
My hands habitually found their way into my pockets. "Eh? I-I mean, why?" I certainly didn't expect that. I've been only at this school for a few weeks. Isn't asking me to join the Council kind of... I don't know, weird?
"Well, it's not like you'd have to participate in every activity." She smiled. Probably thinking, score one for me... "Just come to the Student Council room when you have the time."
"But... why me?"
She blinked. As if she didn't expect the question. "Because of your leadership ability. Being President is very time-consuming. I'd like to have additional help available in the case of emergencies."
"I guess. But don't you think the members of the council deserve the position? And what about the Vice President?"
"The council members do their best." She smiled. "But as I said, none of them have your leadership ability." She paused for a moment. "There won't be any objections to your joining, Arisato." She smiled. "As you must have noticed, you're popular."
I nodded and faced the rooftop edge again. Huh. I have to admit, all this attention is making me uneasy. I'm more content to be in the shadows and let the events unfold far from me. Like an evil mastermind, Master? Apsaras. What harm would it do? Besides, she does need your help.I huffed mentally to Apsaras' chuckle.
"All right." I said, after a while. "I'd be happy to help, senpai."
"Thank you." she smiled. "I knew I could count on you. I already made arrangements with the Faculty Office."
"Why am I not surprised?" I smiled wryly. "I'll drop by on my way out."
"Drop by when you have the time." She turned to go. "I'll see you at the dorm."
I watched her go before I turned back to the rooftop edge. This'll be fun. Won't it, Master?
Author's Note: Hah! Hello people, it's me personaddict07. This is my first author's note since starting this fanfic. After a really long time of trying to find interesting P3 fanfics, I have found only a few who really do the game justice. (You know who you people are...) Do you think my version does the game justice? If you do then please, review. (Hmm... that rhymes...) Anyway, this 'note' is getting long so I'll just put in the team's status.
Minato Arisato: Lvl 7
Yukari Takeba: Lvl 6
Junpei Iori: Lvl 6
Minato's Personas
Orpheus: Lvl 5
Apsaras: Lvl 4
Pixie: Lvl 2
S-Links
Fool: Sees, Rank 2
Magician: Kenji, Rank 1
Emperor: Student Council, Rank 1
Chariot: Kendo Team, Rank 1