Hey, I'm alive! XD Hello everyone, welcome to Chapter 9 of Persona Academy! :) Whew man, I need to work on this story a lot more. I'm sorry for such a long gap of time between chapters D: Hopefully, I can squeeze in more time to write during the Thanksgiving break. Anywhoo, I hope you enjoy the chapter and there will be more soon. Enjoy : D

Persona Academy

Chapter 9: Team Alpha

The final bell of the day rang throughout the school, dismissing its students, who carelessly left. Keita, however, didn't move an inch from his seat. Earlier, Shiki told him that his uncle, Principal Izumi, wanted to see him. He wasn't specific though, he merely said that he had "Something to talk to him about".

Knowing his own luck at past schools, Keita knew that a call to the principal's office means either one of two things for him:

1. "You're in big trouble, young man!"

2. "You're in REALLY big trouble, young man!"

Keita groaned as he picked up his stuff and walked out of the building, nearly forgetting to change his shoes on the way out.

He walked into the faculty building at the center of the campus, following the signs until he found Principal Izumi's office. "Well, the moment of truth ladies and gentlemen" Keita thought as he swallowed a lump in his throat. He raised his hand and hit the door with 3 barely audible knocks, a moment of silence passing.

"It's open" He heard a voice from the other side.

Keita pushed the door open and saw Principal Izumi at his desk, writing something into a notebook. He closed the door behind him and stood for a moment.

"Please, have a seat" Principal Izumi offered.

"Um…okay" Keita mumbled as he sat in the chair in front of the principal's desk. "Uh, you wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes, I did" He looked up from his writing. "I wanted to let you know you passed the test with flying colors."

"Wait…waaah?" Keita scratched his head, not knowing what he meant.

"In other words, you did well controlling your power for the first time. You even managed to take down your first Shadow."

"I've been hearing people bring that up all day, sir. I mean I didn't do it alone." Keita objected, rubbing his neck.

"I don't blame them for being impressed, but I'm sure they've given Kazuhiro and Marina their regards as well" Principal Izumi reassured him.

"I hope so..." Keita grew quiet for a moment, a feeling of guilt wracking him. "So uh, Principal Izumi can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"That 'certain talent' that was needed to attend here, that talent is having a Persona…isn't it?"

"You catch on quickly" Principal Izumi nodded.

"Then how come I was let in anyways? I didn't technically have one before last night."

Principal Izumi got up, motioning for Keita to join him. They both stood by the large window in the office, which had a great view of the campus. He could see students walking about, heading to their dorms or heading out with their friend's into the city.

"I figured you would grow into your power as time went on. And as I suspected, you did, granted a bit quickly" He said with a fatherly smile.

"Well uh, thank you" Keita mumbled.

"Keita, I have an important question to ask you" Principal Izumi's started, his voice growing serious. "Will you fight alongside us?"

"H-huh…?" Keita was flabbergasted. "What do you mean?"

Principal Izumi's expression changed to one of disgusted reminiscence. "Shadow's are destructive creatures born of darkness; a plague that commingles with our world, keeping the masses oblivious to the pain they cause. However, there are a select few whose eyes are opened to their existence, who have the power, the potential, needed to fight back."

"You mean Persona?"

He nodded.

Keita could only watch as Principal Izumi's face changed once more, to a look of turmoil.

"So many people have that potential, but only a select few can control it" He turned to Keita. "You, your peers and the faculty here are that select few."

Keita's eyes grew wider. "Wait, so does that mean he…?" He began internally.

"I won't force you though…"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Keita inquired.

"Fighting Shadows is no easy task and I could never force anyone into battle against their will" He explained. "Thus, I am asking you. Will you lend us your strength?"

Keita a very long and deep breath "If we have a shot at stopping them…I'll fight."

"What the hell am I saying? I'm no fighter!" His internal motivation seemed to be the opposite of how he acted.

"I had hoped you would say that" Principal Izumi sighed, relieved, as he extended his hand. Keita shook his hand in agreement. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it" Keita said in admiration.

"Since that is out of the way, I think it's about time you join a team" Principal Izumi began to explanation.

"Team…?"

"Here at St. Lucia's, students form teams, working together to fight off the Shadows. Strength in numbers, you know" Principal Izumi explained.

"Okay, that makes sense. So how do we make them?"

"Usually students recruit among their peers for whom they want on their team, however I usually check the person to see that the team will be balanced if the new teammate were to join" Principal Izumi said. "Since you did so well with Kazuhiro and Marina and your abilities balance out, I am willing to place you three together."

"Aw no way! That'd be great!" Keita grinned widely upon hearing Principal Izumi's proposition.

"You'll need a name though. How does Team Alpha sound?" He asked.

"Sounds good to me" Keita acknowledged.

"Right...Now that that is settled, you needn't stay any longer" Principal Izumi told him, opening his notebook once more.

"Alright, I'm out" Keita was about to grab his backpack.

"Oh, and one more thing…"

"Hmm…?"

"While this school does provide its students with leisure, I will not tolerate laziness" He informed him, his overall aura becoming very intimidating.

"Y-yes sir!" Keita broke out in a cold sweat.

"Glad we understand each other. Bye!" Principal Izumi bid Keita farewell, returning to his calm and happy demeanor.

Keita closed the door behind him with a pale expression. "The flying hell was that all about?" He asked himself. He walked through the front door of his dorm, hearing a commotion in the lounge. He found it full of students talking with their friends, doing homework and sleeping on the couches. A group of students were messing with the large TV, trying to hook…something up to it. They bickered amongst each other about hooking up different chords under complex names that Keita didn't understand.

"Hey…" Keita turned around and saw Kaz walking into the lounge.

"Yo, Kaz, Kaz! I got some good news!" Keita informed him happily.

Kaz's eye's opened widely at Keita's sudden excitement. "Um…okay, what is it?" He asked.

"Wait, where's Marina-senpai? I need to tell her too!" Keita was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"I'm guessing she's in her dorm. But why do you…?" Before Kaz could finish his sentence, Keita ran out the door, motioning for Kaz to follow. "Hey! Wait up!" Kaz ran after him.

Keita ran across the square to Marina's dorm with a huge grin as Kaz tried desperately to keep up with him.

"Marina-senpai!" Keita called. They both spotted the girl. She was sitting on a bench outside of her dorm, fiddling with her cell phone.

"Oh hey Saeki-kun, what're you so excited for?" She asked him, surprised.

"Hey, hey…um….Do you remember how we fought that Shadow last night?"

"How can I not?" She asked, laughing awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck, indicating she was still sore.

"And I'm guessing you guys know I was brought into the principal's office?"

"Yeah, I heard from Shiki after school" Kaz explained.

"Well, while I was there Principal Izumi told me the three of us can make a team!" Keita cheered, sounding like his head was going to explode from the sheer amount of excitement. He caught the attention of many students, who looked on with looks of confusion.

"W-wait, seriously?" She asked him, her eyes widening.

"No way…" Kaz mumbled.

"Yeah, I'm good to go! I'm not lying!" Keita cheered happily. "So what do you guys say?"

"Well, it's been a while since I've been on an active combat team. Sure, I'm in!" Marina let out her hand, palm downwards. Keita put his hand over hers.

"Kaz, you in?" Keita asked.

Kaz scratched the back of his head for a moment, contemplating quietly.

"I get it if you-"

"Alright"

"Huh?"

He placed his large hand over theirs. "I'm in."

"Really? Alrighty then! Team Alpha, baby! Whooo!" Keita cheered as the three raised their hands together.

All of a sudden, everything around Keita dimmed darker and time seemed to stop dead in its tracks. A soft blue light gathered in front of him and took shape in an instant. A card, similar to the ones he had seen at the Sea of Unconsciousness appeared in front of him, its mask bearing side facing him. The card turned in mid air and flashed white. As the light faded, Keita saw what had appeared on the card; an abstract illustration of a man with a sack of supplies slung over his shoulder nearly walking off of a cliff with a dog accompanying him. The number 0 filled the circle at the bottom.

A voice spoke inside of Keita's head. "Thou art I…And I am thou…Thou hast established a new bond…It brings thee closer to thy destiny…Thou shalt receive our blessing when recruiting beings of the Fool Arcana…" With the words echoing away, the card faded into oblivion and time seemed to resume for Keita.

"You okay, Saeki-kun?" Marina asked.

"Huh?"

"You spaced out for a moment" She seemed a bit concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine" He assured her.

"His brain is still fried after last night" Kaz sighed jokingly.

"Who're you calling fried?" Keita yelped.

"No one, no one…" He chuckled, patting him on the back as he walked back to the dorm.

"Recruiting beings…? The heck does that mean?" Keita began to think to himself. "Meh, must be a Persona thing."

Marina got up and put her phone away. "Anyways, I'm gonna head to bed. Night!"

"Night, Senpai!"

With this, the trio headed off to bed for the night, a newly formed team. Alpha…The Beginning.