Chapter 6: Fuuka Yamagishi
5/31/09
There's no school today. I'm going to work today at the theatre. I make another 7,000 Yen. Afterwards I play Lucky Fortune again after calling Mitsuru to tell her I won't make it back to dorm early.
6/1/09
Gekkoukan High School, Front Gate
Mitsuru is waiting for me again. "Good morning. …There seems to be a sense of restlessness in the air."
"Yes, I agree."
Mitsuru frowns looking away. "Well, I just hope it doesn't have anything to do with the Shadows." she looks me directly in the eyes now. "Akihiko said we may be receiving a new member, but we don't know when we'll be attacked…So remain alert at all times."
At lunch Akihiko approaches me and asks me to hang out later.
Naganaki Shrine…
Of all the places…we ended up training and he had us jog all the way here.
He gasps as he slows to a stop. "Let's take a short break…"
Hm…no one else is here. I go and sit on one of the benches and Akihiko sits next to me.
"The wind's starting to pick up…That's actually a blessing, after working up a good sweat…It feels nice." he smiles at me. "I usually train in the club room or alone in my own room at the dorm…"
"I'll train with you, if you want." I could use some anyway.
"It'd be nice to have a running partner. …But if you join me, we're going to do more than just run every day, okay?" Yeah I kind of figured that out Akihiko. I wouldn't be surprised if you asked me to attack you in a moment. "In any case, I should've changed into my workout gear." he's drenched in sweat. "I thought this would be just a light run for fun…but, I'm drenched in sweat…" I couldn't resist racing him. I'm pretty sweaty too actually. I need to head to the dorm soon for a shower.
"Try not to catch a cold."
He laughs. "This is nothing. I'll be fine. …Achoo!" I arch a brow. He blushes bright red. "I said I'll be fine." Sure Akihiko. "Hey, want to try that before we head back?" he points at the horizontal bar… "You can't do a back hip circle, can you?" Actually I can.
"I can actually."
"Whoa, that's amazing. You'll have to show me some time." he's impressed. "…When you're not wearing a skirt, that is." he blushes again. "Can you at least sit up here? Here." he pats to the bar and helps me on it. I takes some balancing but I'm fine after a moment. "…This takes me back. …It reminds me of when I was a kid." he quiets and looks off into the distance. "I need to get stronger…if I don't, I won't be able to save anything." he murmurs the last bit. Huh. Wonder what happened? I feel I understand him a bit more and my inner strength has increased.
"…We should get going. Were you sweating today, too? Make sure you take a bath today so you don't catch a cold." What is with him treating me like I'm four? We jog back to the dorm together.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge
I get their in time for dinner while I'm eating Junpei turns to Yukari.
"Hey Yuka-tan, have you seen the posts on the student message board? You know how last week, that girl was found by the front gate? Well, there's this rumor that it was an angry spirit from this one ghost story."
"H-Hey! C'mon…Nobody believes that stuff! …R-Right?" For someone who doesn't believe it you're awfully defensive Yukari.
"So, what is this ghost story about?" I guess even Mitsuru is curious.
"Wha-! It-It's probably made-up…so why bother?"
"I'm interested. Go ahead and tell us." You too, Akihiko?
"Uh…"
Junpei leans forward and takes out a flashlight from who knows where. "Good evening." he's speaking in some bad impression of what's supposed to be a scary voice. "Welcome to "Junpei's Believe It, or Don't". …There are many strange things in this world…According to one story…if you get caught at school late at night, you'll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls!" Good grief he's corny.
"The other day, this friend of mine-let's call him Shu…He said to me, "Junpei, I saw something strange." He sounded serious, so I asked him what he'd seen. He said it was about the girl in 2-E…He claims he saw her go into the school on the night of the incident. I couldn't believe it. She's not the kind of girl to be out at night…but Shu was as white as a sheet. He insisted it was true…Then, it hit me…That ghost must've tried to make her its dinner! And that's why they found her lying on the ground by the gate! I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat…Yes, there are strange things in this world…Believe it…or don't." with that he puts the flashlight away and turns the lights back on.
"…What do you think, Akihiko?" I'm still curious as to why Mitsuru even cares about some rumor.
"Huh…? Not one word about my frankly amazing performance just now…?"
"I think it's worth investigating."
"Wow, I didn't know you were afraid of ghosts, Yuka-tan. That's kinda funny."
"Hey, watch it!" huh. She actually is afraid of ghosts? "F-Fine, the let's investigate. We'll each ask around for the rest of the week. I'll prove to you that this ghost story is just an urban legend!"
"I appreciate that. The story is a bit unnerving." Mitsuru too? You can't be seriously telling me Freak Dorm residents are afraid of ghosts? I mean we summon strange creatures by shooting ourselves in the head! What's a ghost to be scared of?
"Huh…?" Thanks for volunteering us Yukari. I sigh. Ugh. How troublesome.
"Then, I'll let you guys handle it. Just make sure you sleep with one eye open…" Oh ha-ha Akihiko.
And Yukari practically jumps in her seat. "Whaat…?"
After that Yukari goes online to search for more information about the ghost story. Mitsuru won't let me go to Tartarus because there might be ghosts. Exasperated, I head to Paulownia Mall. I play the Print Club game again.
Bedroom, Dark Hour
"Good evening." Oh for the love of- "I came to see you again, as I promised. How are you?"
"I'd be better if you'd stop haunting me."
"That isn't very nice; show a little courtesy."
"That's rich coming from someone who breaks into my room in the middle of the night!"
He frowns and suddenly looks like a kid. Freaky child or not he can't be much older than Maiko is. "I-" I cut him off.
"You're here to tell me about the 'Ordeal' right?" he nods.
He nods. "It'll happen in seven days. On the full moon."
I lean back in bed and close my eyes. Message delivered Jailboy, you can leave now. I feel a hand touch my hair. What-the-hell. As I look up he's vanishing before my eyes.
"I'll come again…"
I bury myself under the covers again. I hate my life.
6/2/09
Gekkoukan High School, Front Gate
"Mornin'" Huh. Yukari got here before me. "Ya know what…? From this day forward, I'm gonna do my best!"
"At?"
"Duh! The ghost story! Did you already forget about what we talked about last night?" Yeah…I was too busy being creeped out over Jailboy running his hand through my hair to care about that. "…Well, anyways. You better find out as much as you can, too…Remember, you only have until Friday! I'm counting on you too."
During lunch Saori reminded me that we have a club meeting. I might as well go.
Gekkoukan High, library…
There's not a lot of people here today so Saori and I waste time chatting.
"Wow, is that how that teacher is? Heh, I didn't know at all." we're talking about Mr. Edogawa. His impromptu magic lessons are rather ridiculous. "I learn so much when I talk to you, Minako-chan…I never get to hear all these rumors that go around the school…" I wish I didn't hear them. She seems to be having fun though.
Some male student comes in. "H-Hey, Saori-san." he stands directly in front of her. Who's this? He's smirking too. Ugh. I hope he's not some sort of pervert. Saori seems to type not to say or do anything until its far too late.
"Oh, um…Takaoka-kun. How can I help you?" She doesn't seem defensive or anything so I shrug and open up a book. I'm still listening though.
"Uh, would you be interested in going out for karaoke?" Is he asking her out on a date?
"…Okay?" I guess she accepted. Huh.
"Seriously? Then, how about today?" He's up to something…
"I still have some things to do here today, so…"
"Aww, I'll wait around. Let's go once you're free."
"Oh…Okay then."
"Well, I'll be waiting in the classroom." he runs off.
"…That was sudden. It surprised me."
"Do you two get along?"
"…I don't really know him." Its like she's walking around with a kick me sign. Oh who knows maybe that smirk was just a really badly formed smile. "But if he really wants to go out with me, then…"
"Stand up for yourself damnit!" Oops. That…slipped out.
She laughs at my anger. "Heh…It's not that big of a deal." Good grief. "I don't really have any opinions of my own. If there's someone willing to take the lead, I'll gladly follow…I don't need someone…I just want to be needed by someone else. If I can find someone who needs me, I'd love that person with every fiber of my being. …Do you think it's wrong to think that way?"
"It takes all types…" Good grief. What the hell. If she's happy this way who am I to knock her for it.
"Heh. You're right. …It'd make me very happy if you held onto that opinion." she smiles at least it's not the sad one. I feel as if I got to know her a little better and my inner strength grows. "Oh, it's almost time…I should get going. I did promise after all…" I wave her off and go back to the dorm.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge
"…S'up dude? Yo, let's go to Tartarus tonight. The Lost are everywhere, and it seems like it's only getting worse. Plus there's those freakin' rumors goin' around the school…We need to let off some steam."
"We already reached the barricade."
"Wait what? You guys went without me!"
"Yeah we did. I'll see you later." without further ado I leave for Paulownia Mall. I might as well go visit Theo and Igor.
I fuse Forneus and Yomotsu Shikome to create Valkyrie. She has the skill Tarukaja and so I pick up Theo's 8th request.
"Thank you for answering my request, this time I'm going to give you an unusual item. With it, you will be able to create Pale Rider, a Persona with an affinity for the Death Arcana. If you are strong enough to control this Persona, then please give it a try." he gives me a torn black cloth. Its cool to the touch. I summon Orpheus from the Compendium and fuse him and Valkyrie to make Inugami. Frankly I probably should have kept Orpheus and Valkyrie. I play the Horror House game and now feel determined.
6/3/09
Gekkoukan, Front Gate
On my way to class I walk into Junpei.
"S'up, dude? Hey, are you looking into that ghost story?"
"No. I hear enough about it as it is."
"Yeah. We should just leave that to Yuka-tan. I've got better things to do. Besides, I have plenty of scary stories up my sleeve. I bet you were seriously creeped out when you heard that story the other night." Seriously?
"That wasn't scary Junpei."
"Sure it wasn't. They say it's true, though. I go head to Naganaki Shrine to play with Maiko.
"Hey!" she runs up to greet me. "Have you seen Striped Shirt?"
"Who?"
"We were playing tag, but…It's not fun if I can't find him. Hey, Striped Shirt!" it's a guy with grey hair and eyes. His hair looks a darker grey than Akihiko's who has more of a whitest color to it. He's thin and looks sickly there's a sort of sad aura around him too. "You don't look so good…are you sick?" More than likely.
"Kinda, yeah. I'm surprised you could tell." His voice has a hint of sadness as well. It's like he's a big ball of misery.
"Huh? S-So, you are sick?" Maiko looks ready to cry again.
"Ha ha, no. I'm kidding. You're so easy, Maiko." he smiles before laughing at her.
"No fair! I'm an innocent girl, so I actually believed you!" she pouts. She runs off to the slide.
"…And you are?" Sick guy turns to me.
"Just passing by."
"It's weird to see people hanging around the temple…It's usually a graveyard around here." he falls silent. "Well, I"d better be going. It's starting to get chilly." with that he leaves.
"He's gone…I usually see him around the shrine on Sundays. I see him on the way to cram school too. Oh wow, running made me hungry. How about takoyaki!" What the hell. I could use something to eat. We head to the takoyaki stand.
Iwatodai strip mall, takoyaki stand "Octopia"…
Maiko bites into the takoyaki without even blowing on it. "It's so hot I might burn up!" she smiles as if recalling a fond memory. "I remember one time Dad burned his mouth on this takoyaki! …'Cause I put too many in his mouth at once." she giggles. "He was like, "Fungaaaaaah!" she becomes somber and stops speaking. "…Dad doesn't spend much time at home anymore these days. But, I have a birthday soon. Oh! Do you think he'll come home for my birthday?"
"Don't worry, he'll be there." I hope so at least.
"Y-You really think so!" she cheers up slightly. "I mean, I know Mom will buy me presents, but still…she hasn't asked me want I want, yet." she falls into another silence. "…If they really loved me, then they wouldn't get a divorce. You're the only one who still plays with me, you know." she swings her legs back and forth while looking at the ground. I feel like I understand her a little bit more…and more inner strength increases. "Today's laundry day, so I'd better get home soon!" she gives me a brave smile. "If I don't do laundry, the house will be a real big mess! See ya!" she left. I headed back to school.
Gekkoukan High, field…
Good grief. Practically no one is here today.
"Is this it today? Where's everyone else?" Huh Rio looks pissed.
"No clue." some girl with glasses shrugs.
Rio sighs.
"Excuse me! Could I borrow some of you guys' tape?" A dark skinned girl runs forward.
"Oh, Yuko…"
"Sorry, we ran out. Is it okay if I take some from the box? …Doesn't look like you have too many people here today, huh."
"…Yeah."
"I wonder where they heard about that group date…Seriously, I don't know if I should be appalled or jealous."
"Hey, you idiot!" it's the girl with glasses again.
"…Group date?" Rio sounds angry.
"Oh….Ohhhhh….you didn't know. Sorry, I heard the girls in the tennis club talking about it at the shoe lockers…"
"So, everyone went to that?"
"…." The girl with glasses huffs in irritation.
"That's stupid…Why'd they hide it from me? All this running around my back is so irritating!'
"You'd get angry if we told you." The girl with glasses again. But Rio's angry now so what difference did it make?
"Of course I'd get angry!" Rio snaps. Oh. This is going to get ugly. I really should have just went back to the dorm.
"W-Well, calm down…" Yuko tries unsuccessfully to get Rio to calm.
"What a pain…They're just taking a breather. What's wrong with that!" Girl with glasses rolls her eyes.
"You call a group date "taking a breather?""
"Yes! I don't expect someone who'se never been in a relationship to understand it, though!" Huh. I understand and I've never been in a relationship so there went her logic. "And what's with that attitude of yours all the time! Who do you think you are!" Good grief. Why do I have to be in the exact places all the damn drama fests happen.
"What…! I'm your leader! You're the ones that nominated me! Or did you all forget about that!"
"If we knew you'd turn out like this, we never would've nominated you!"
"What! Well, it's too late now!"
"Screw this! This isn't worth my time…I'm done with this stupid club." The girl with glasses turns to leave. Maybe now this throbbing in my head will go away. "You're a pain in the ass, and I don't care about keeping up with you. I bet everyone else is gonna quit, too." Huh. All of them left. It's just Yuko, Rio and I left on the field.
"Hey! I'm not done-"
"I-I'm sorry about that…" Yuko sighs guiltily.
"It's not your fault, Yuko." Rio's calmed down at least.
"…Hey, I know that I'm butting into another club's business her, but…you…really should make peace with them. I'll try and help, too…" Way too soon for that Yuko.
"They're the ones that are wrong!" Rio's angry again. Nice going Yuko.
"Uh…That's true, but…Oh!" she walks over to me and whispers in my ear. "You're Minako-san, the transfer student, right? Can you keep an eye on Rio? She doesn't know how to interact with people sometimes…" And you want me to help her with that? I can barely go through the day without wanting to strangle several people at a time. "To be honest, I'm kind of worried about her…I try to lend a hand when I see things aren't going great, but I don't much about your club. Oh, by the way, I'm Yuko Nishiwaki. I'm the manager for the guy's team. Nice to meet you." Yuko leaves.
"Minako-san…You're not going to leave?" If I was Rio. I'd be gone by now. "…Sorry, but I want to be left alone right now." she's still angry. I'll give her time to cool off.
"Alright, I'll leave then…"
"Yeah…see ya." she stares morosely at her racket. I shake my head as I leave feeling I understand her a bit more and stronger inside.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge
"…Where have you been?" Akihiko greets me when I come in. I throw myself next to him on the sofa.
"Urgh."
"Bad day?"
"Somewhat." I have no desire to get into what happened with the Tennis Team. Akihiko's eating a beef bowl as usual. He looks down at me and opens his mouth before shutting it abruptly with a frown. Probably is unsure of what to say not that I blame him.
"I'm going to go to bed." I jump off the sofa and go back upstairs. Oh what the hell I might as well study. Maybe I'll feel better in the morning.
6/4/09
Gekkoukan High, Front Gate
"Monrin'" Yukari yawns as she falls into step with me. "This sucks…I spent so much time thinking about ghost stories that now I'm having nightmares…"
"Don't overdo it Yukari."
"Don't worry. I'm fine. But, there's so many stupid rumors going around that it's tough to put them all together. I did get some useful information, though. I'm gonna look into it more today."
I walk up to some girl with short black hair in front of my homeroom. I wave at her. Ugh. Why am I even doing this? She smiles brightly at me. "Did you hear?" oh the rumors. Huh. Looks like this'll be easier than I thought.
"No, I haven't." I wait for her to start telling me everything she knows.
"Mitsuru-senpai would want a man who likes to study." wait what? "If I became the smartest in my class, she might accept me, even though I'm a girl…" …you've got to be kidding me. "…That makes you my rival, too! You'll never beat me! Mitsuru-senpai is mine, all mine!" What the hell is wrong with her? I practically run away from Mitsuru's crazed fan. Why me? Bunch of psychos and crazies in this school I swear. I head for the bookstore.
Iwatodai strip mall, Bookworms Used Books…
"Minako-chan! Too bad you didn't come earlier…" Hm? Did I miss something? "My wife just left for Gekkoukan." Oh.
"I'll just wait here then."
"I could use some company Minako-chan." He's happy to see me. "Are you thisty? Here, let's share this. …Wait, where are the cups? I'm afraid I'm completely useless without my wife." the door opens It's Mitsuko…she looks rather pale. "…Hello, dear. You came back just in…" She runs forwards and is trembling.
"T….T-T-Tree…." she's stammering and her voice is barely audible.
"What's wrong?"
"Calm down, dear. See, you have Minako-chan worried too. You oughta know better than to walk that far at your age…" He's worried about her. "Here, drink this. And here's one for you, Minako-chan." He hands Mitsuko and I each a Cylon Tea. "Judging by her reaction, it seems the rumor was true…" what is it with rumors lately. "The persimmon tree by the walkway, at your school…my wife heard a rumor that it was going to be cut down, and she almost fainted. Do you know anything about it, Minkao-chan?" all I can do is shake my head.
"So, it's probably just a rumor…what a "re-leaf" that would be!"
"Minako-chan, if it's not to much trouble, can you tell us if you hear anything about the persimmon tree?" Mitsuko seems to have thankfully recovered.
"Sure. I'll ask around."
"I hate to trouble you, but…please let us know if you hear anything about the persimmon tree."
"Will do. I'll see both of you later! Take care." With that I head back to the dorm.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
Mitsuru greeted me. I head to the mall after watching Yukari still stress those rumors. Really they're just rumors! I play the Print Club game again before heading back to the dorm.
6/5/09
Gekkoukan High School, Front Gate
I run into Yukari again. "Hey, remember what we talked about on Monday? …The ghost story? Let's talk about it some more tonight…"
"What? Oh come on-"
"No ditching! I heard some interesting stories, so make sure you're there, okay?" So because you're scared of some damn ghosts I have to- ugh. This sucks.
During lunch Akihiko asks me if I want to hang out again, he's actually pretty awkward but he's not a bad guy.
Homeroom, After School
"…Well, today's Friday." And I've learned nothing except that the girl outside the student council room is obsessed with Mitsuru. Grand. "Did you two ask around, like we said?"
"Huh? We had something planned for today?" ...he forgot?
"Junpei, I TOLD you-" Whoa…Yukari's pissed.
'"I know, I know! I'm just kidding. Man, you have such a short temper…"
"Then, we'll meet in the lounge after school. Don't forget!"
"Yes, Ma'am…"
I head downstairs after they both leave to see Akihiko.
Iwatodai strip mall, in front of the Beef Bowl Shop…
Akihiko took me here claiming it's a great place to eat. It does explain why he's always eating Beef Bowl but still…this is his great place? Ah what the hell I eat at Duck Duck Burger all the damn time, I can't really judge.
"…What's with that face? Honestly, the beef bowl is really great here. The servings are big, and the sauce they use on the meat is just…" I laugh and he turns red before I can speak though-
"Akihiko-senpai! Eeeeeee!" Dear lord. How the hell can anyone shriek so damn annoyingly?
"Huh?" Akihiko turns. Two girls instantly bumrush him and start grabbing onto his arms and yapping at him. Good grief…you'd think they'd have some consideration of personal space. …are those two idiots in my class?
"Akihiko-senpai, what're you doing here?" isn't she the same girl with buns in my Tennis Team?
Another girl I don't know so well…but she's wearing way to much makeup. She looks more like a clown than whatever she's trying for. "Oh, I know! You're here for the beef bowls, right? It's, like, so funny that you're always eating here!" Are they stalking him?
"…What's funny about that?" Akihiko says this with the most deadpan expression.
"It means that you're totally cool." Clown girl says this smugly as though she's won an ward or something …this is ridiculous. These fools are ruining my appetite. Crowding someone who is not interested is like walking into a business meeting after you've stepped in shit. The only thing you're going to do is repel everyone in sight.
Akihiko gives clown girl a look of confusion. "Look, can you get out of the way, please? We can't get in."
The fool with buns pulls on his arm even harder. "He, hey, you don't have a girlfriend, right?"
"…" Okay what the hell Akihiko. I'm HUNGRY damn it! Ditch them! He looks like she's asked him if he had an alien space ship in his backyard. "A girlfriend?"
"We're, like, totally looking for guys to be with right now." I have half a thought to just grab him and drag him into the Beef Bowl Shop. I assumed he was going to take me out to eat and so to avoid me losing to him in the eating contest before I hadn't eaten. They glare at me while their fawning over him. Alright that's a goddamn 'nough.
"Come on!" I grab him by the tie and drag him into the Beef Bowl Shop.
"Ah!"
"Do the two of you mind?" I scowl at them before slamming the door on their faces. Their looks of open mouthed indignation makes me snicker.
"Oh…"
"You were saying that these place has good food right? Let's eat!"
He laughs and we go to a table. He's right, this beef bowl really is good. I can't help but chow down.
"Huh. I guess you're feeling better than?"
"Yup. Whoever eats the least pays for both of us."
"You're on!"
I nod and continue eating my noodles. After all, I'm almost done with my first bowl. Noticing this, Akihiko picks up the pace as well and soon we're too busy stuffing our faces to talk.
Ah. I'm stuffed. Of course I beat Akihiko so I stick my tongue out in him in victory.
"Unbelievable…" he pays for our meal. Ouch. That put a dent in his wallet. "I really should have followed my own advice." he shakes his head as we leave the Beef Bowl Shop.
"Well…I only beat you by 2 bowls so it was pretty close." He grins at that.
"Hey. How about we race to the dorm?" What? I'm way too full! "Ready, Set -!" I cheat and start forward but he easily outruns me halfway to the dorm I feel the food churning in my stomach and stop. A few moments later he turns back and walks up to me laughing. "You shouldn't have eaten so much."
I scowl. "How are you not sick anyway?"
"I'm used to it."
"So…why didn't you just tell those girls to screw off Akihiko."
"Huh? What- Oh…those girls." he sighs heavily. "I've tried. They completely ignore me."
"Oh." That sucks. Crazy fan girls that won't leave you alone.
"It doesn't matter how I say it either." he seems a little embarrassed about it. Frankly he should be more agitated than embarrassed but I guess that's just how he is.
"So…Gekkoukan's captain of the boxing team doesn't have a girlfriend? Do you want one at least?"
"Now you're going to start asking me about that, too…?" He smiles wrly.
"I didn't mean it like that-"
"I don't want to deal with it. …I'm not strong enough to carry such a burden." he mutters. Oh. Damn. I need to learn how to keep my mouth shut.
What the hell Orpheus? When I need your advice you're nowhere to be seen!
[You as usual, failed to ask me anything. Do not blame me not giving you advice. Especially considering how the last advice I gave you was received.]
Uh…I feel a bit closer to Akihiko. Oh great I embarrass the guy and this happens. Wonderful. My inner strength increases.
"…Oh, yeah. The type of girl I would like would be…" he turns bright red all of a sudden. "N-Nevermind!" Huh? What's up with that? "I-I'd been told that whenever a girl asks that, the right answer is always 'girls like you…'"
"Who gave you some advice like that? Junpei?"
Akihiko groans. It was Junpei wasn't it? "No one should take love advice from Junpei, Akihiko-senpai, no one. No matter how much they think they need it." I shake my head.
With a wry grin Akihiko and I walk the rest of the way back to the dorm.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge
"Ah! There you are Minako!" Yukari and Junpei are already there. I sit next to Yukari.
"I'll see you guys later. Be sure to knock on my door if you're all going to Tartarus."
"Sure Senpai." with that Akihiko goes upstairs.
"Okay, as we agreed on Monday, we'll now hold a meeting to discuss what we learned."
"Wow, you're really into this." I'm glad you're amused Junpei.
"Of course, I got lots of good info. It turns out no angry ghost was involved." Duh. I could have told you that much.
"Oh, so that's what's important, huh?"
"Hmph. First off, let's talk about how this rumor got started…since the girl was found on school grounds, there's at least one similarity to the ghost story. But, why did the rumor spread so fast, if this was the first time anything happened?" I try to recall those annoying rumors from last week. …wait…wasn't there more than one?
"…There was more than one victim."
"Right! There were three! But yeah, I was surprised when I found out the reason…over the next few days, there were two more similar incidents. All three victims had to be hospitalized. No wonder people were talking. Next. The victims are in different classes, and they don't seem to be connected. However, they did have one thing in common. What was it?"
…wait…some girl near the entrance had been talking about the girls being together often.
"What is this, a quiz show?" Junpei's slightly baffled. Granted it would be nice if Yukari would just tell us instead of this but whatever. He looks at me. "Do YOU know?"
"Supposedly they hung out."
"Yup, that's right!" Yukari's pleased. "Not just once or twice, either. They got in with a bad crowd, and were always out late. It can't be just a conicidence…So, to find out what happened we're gonna do some field research." I groan. "Oh come on! It won't be that bad!"
"Field research? Are you kidding?" Thanks for giving her the damn idea Junpei. If you hadn't teased her about the ghosts this never would have happened!
"Yeah, there's this one place where the three victims were regulars."
"Wait, you're not talkin' about that place behind Port Island Station, are you..?" That place?
"Oh, you're familiar with it?"
"You can't go there!"
"Why not?" I ask
"I've heard some nasty rumors about that place!" Oh forget it then. I'm not trying to die young.
"Is that so? Well then, we should all go together." …is she out of her goddamn mind? My first impression of her might not have been so far off! "You'll come, right?'
"No."
"C'mon, where's you spirit of adventure? There's not a moment to waste!"
"My spirit of adventure happens to want to remain in my body so yeah…No."
"But-"
"NO."
She frowns. "But I'll take you out to eat!"
"No."
She stares at me in astonishment. Yeah I know that usually works but not this time. I'm too attached to living.
"But Junpei and I-"
"Are doing this on your own."
"You really aren't going to go?"
"No." Junpei looks like he wants to stay with me but Yukari shoots him a glare before he can say anything.
"You're coming!"
"But-"
"Look Junpei. Up until now, all we've done is take orders. Does that feel right to you?"
Junpei sighs. "I know what you mean, but…Man do you have to say it like that? I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"
"Okay, we'll go tomorrow night, then. I hope you come Minako." Yeah right. I go and play Horror House, ironic, I know, given my cowardice earlier.
6/6/09
I spend sometime with Maiko. She's a sweet kid. Granted our bond doesn't get any closer but its nice just to be there.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge
As I walk in Junpei and Yukari are getting ready to leave. Honestly…are the two of them insane?
"Alright, let's get going." she smiles at me "Oh, Minako." she's up to something.
"Huh?"
"You know that game you wanted? Dragon Age?"
No. Fucking. Way. She's blackmailing me!
"Turns out I managed to snag a preorder. U.S. Collector's edition too. Apparently you get some nice DLC with it. But if you don't want to come…I guess I could give it up…" she shrugs.
…
…
…
Damn it. I can resist food but Dragon Age? I've been looking forward to playing that game for 5 years. …Well played Yukari, well played.
"Fine let's get going." Yukari bursts out into a grin.
"That damn thing better be collector's edition!" Though Yukari was spending a lot of money just to drag me along with her. That said I'm not going to ruin my good fortune by saying so.
"What's your hurry? …I still think this is a bad idea. I mean, bringing two girls THERE is like wandering into a lion's den with steaks strapped to my face…" Still not as bad as being the steak Junpei. Though I do feel your pain. "How could you be afraid of ghosts, but not be scared of this…?" That's what I'm wondering.
"It's easy to get freaked out by something you can't see, don'tcha think?"
"Actually, I'm more worried about things I CAN see…like bats and knives!" Speaking of which…wouldn't it be a good idea to at least wear our armor?
"Hey wait. Junpei's right."
"But-"
"Hear me out. We're still going to go. But let's at least wear our armor underneath our uniforms."
"…fine." it takes us a few minutes to get straightened out.
Yukari sighs a bit as she fiddles with her clothing coming out of the bathroom. "So it's a little dangerous…its not that big of a deal."
"Better safe than sorry."
"I suppose."
Junpei comes out of the men's bathroom looking slightly relieved but still annoyed. I don't blame him.
"Let's go! It'll be an adventure!" That damn game better be godly. Yukari leaves quickly.
"More like a suicide mission." Junpei shakes his head sighing.
"Ugh. What a pain…"
"Well…let's just follow Yuka-tan's lead, I guess…" Let's hope Yuka-tan doesn't get us all killed.
Tatsumi Port Island, back alley…
There's a bunch of people hanging out here. Mostly guys though there are a couple of girls.
"…The hell?" Some punk with earrings spots us. Great we just got here and we're getting a negative reaction.
Some pale guy next to him looks us up and down. "Check out those rags…They're from Gekkou High."
"Oh man, this is worse than I thought…" Poor Junpei. Practically bullied into coming along, at least I got a pretty sweet bribe out of the deal.
The punk with earrings walks up to him. "Hey, you. I think you're in the wrong place."
"Uh…Well, I…" Damn…I guess today isn't Junpei's day either.
"You don't belong here…Get it? Beat it, Goatee…"
"G-Goatee? Oh, y-you mean me…" Good grief this is going badly.
"Look. We don't want to trouble you. We just want some information-" I try to reason with them.
"Shut it bitch!" What? My eye twitches.
"What did you just call me?"
"You deaf bitch?" I'm gonna kill this son of a bitch! I step forward angrily but Junpei pushes me back turning to me he hisses.
"Are you out of your fucking mind?"
"No. I'm gonna kick this punk's ass."
"What did you just say bitch?"
"She said she was going to kick your ass you scum!"
The punk snarls at both of us. "What was that?"
"Did she stutter?" I snarl. This bastard is getting on my fucking nerves.
"Not helping Yukari!" Junpei looks between the two of us alarmed. "Are the both of you trying to get us all killed?"
"She just called us "scum." some girl with long hair is glaring at us. "We'll post some pictures that will make her daddy cry."
"Oh shut up you stupid cunt." I'm not sure if that word has the same connotations - Oh apparently it does. She's pissed now. BRING IT ON! If I can take down those damn Steel Gigas you punks aint shit! "Oh you think you're tough shit huh? You'll wish you were never born!"
The dumb cunt's friend laughs. "Oh, that's so clever!"
Junpei is sweating now. The group is closing in around us. Fuck all of them. We can take them on!
"These guys are the worst…" Yukari is disgusted.
"You bitches oughta learn to shut those damn traps of yours."
"And you need to learn how to brush those yellow teeth of yours. By the way your breath smells like shit." His eye twitches.
"Huh…I feel sorry for you, Goatee…these bitches must be a pain in the ass…huh! OW!" He hits Junpei in the stomach unluckily for him Junpei was wearing the armor I got as a reward from Theo. Turns it there was a bit of steel plating over the heart and stomach area.
He grabs his fist eyes wide. "Oh you son of a bitches are gonna get it." He reaches in his pocket and takes out a knife.
Oh. Looks like this is going to get ugly. I start to open my bag of holding when-
"That's enough." Huh? Whose that? "They didn't know what they were getting into. I'll make sure they leave." Oh…Its Jackass. I'm not surprised he's here…but why is he helping us? "Alright?"
"Who do you think you are, dumbass?" I'm willing to bet he could kick your ass, earring boy. "You want some too!" He charges towards Jackass with the knife. Jackass grabs earring punk's wrist and punches him hard in the stomach. Earring punk drops the knife and falls to the ground grabbing his stomach. Unfortunately for him he doesn't have steel plated armor. Ow. That looks like it hurt.
"Shit…" the punk is breathing heavy. Jackass doesn't even bother picking up the knife he just looks down at Earring Punk as if daring him to pick it up. "You just crossed the line! You think you're going home alive?" Earring Punk starts inching towards the knife.
Jackass gets this downright scary look on his face. Not that I'm scared of course. "…Wanna give it a try?"
"Uh…s-screw this…!" the punk jumps up and runs behind his pale friend. I don't blame him. Jackass looks like he'd eat him for dinner before spitting him out.
Those stupid cunts from before giggle. "Hahahahaha! What a loser!"
"Damn you, Shinjiro." its Earring Punk's pale lackey. Oh…so they all know Jackass? And he's helping us why? "That's right…you're from Gekkou High too, aren't ya!"
"You better grow eyes in the back of your head!" Oh now that's just pathetic. One should lose gracefully. He and his friend run off and the girls leave laughing that annoying laugh of theirs. Ugh. I hate people like that.
"Oh man, Senpai, that was awesome!" Junpei looks relieved. Huh. I wonder if we could have taken them all on-
"Hey, I remember you…you clowns were in Aki's room at the hospital." Who is Jackass calling clowns? "You idiots!" Now that scary expression is directed at us. Bah. I'm not scared of him. "Get outta here. This place isn't for you."
"Wait! We came here for a reason!" Trust Yukari to stick to the goal despite everything that happened.
"Did Aki tell you to come here?" Sort of friend my ass Akihiko.
"No. We came on our own."
"Stupid move…" he walks over to the steps and sits down we end up standing awkwardly around him. "What do you wanna know? About that ghost story?"
"Um, yeah…How'd you know?"
"Why else would you come here? Anyway it's a rumor. Those girls who would up in the hospital were here talkin' shit every night…about all the things they'd done to some girl named Fuuka."
"Fuuka…? You mean Fuuka Yamagishi from 2-E? They were picking on her?" Junpei's just as confused as I am. What did this Fuuka girl do something to them or were they just being jackasses?
"That's why people are saying it's Fuuka's spirit that did it." Jack- I can't very well call him that after saving my ass. Even if it didn't need saving. Shinjiro answers Junpei.
"Fuuka's spirit…? Wait, what do you mean by that!" And once again with your fear of ghosts Yukari.
"You guys don't know? This Fuuka girl might be dead." Oh that's not good. "She hasn't been home in over a week."
"Are you serious! I thought she was out sick…but she's missing?"
"So much for the ghost story." Yukari looks more troubled. "Mr. Ekoda is the homeroom teacher for 2-E, right? Does he know about this…?"
"I get it, Aki…still trying to make up for the past." What the hell is that supposed to mean? Does it have anything to do with Akihiko's comment from the other day? "It's you who can't let go…" Shinjiro mutters. Eh? What is with those two? Yukari looks as confused as I am.
"Is something wrong?" I can't resist asking.
"No. It's nothing…that's all I know. …Satisfied?"
Urgh. I don't want to but. "Thanks for saving us." it comes out more as a grumble and I end twirling my headphone wire.
"…Don't come around here again." He snaps. Ugh. He could have a bit nicer damn it.
"Um, thank you very much. You even gave us a hint…you're very kind."
"Huh?" Shinjiro and I say this in unison.
"I, um…Never mind."
"Tch….Don't come here again." You don't need to say it twice. I'm sure we got the message the first time. With that he walks off. Jerkass.
"Let's get going before those punks come back."
Junpei shakes his head and we all leave quickly heading back towards the dorm.
As we walk back Junpei sighs heavily. "The two of you are something else, if Shinjiro-senpai hadn't save our asses…"
"Yeah, yeah whatever Junpei." I wave dismissively at him. "You say that now…"
"Well we're fine aren't we? Besides Shinjiro-senpai is a nice person." I scoff at that. He's an ass. I show him some gratitude and all I get is a screw off.
"You should be a little more grateful Minako. He saved our asses."
"I never said he didn't." with that I open the door to the dorm.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge
Somehow Akihiko knows what just happened. I notice him closing his phone when we enter so maybe Shinji told him. Damn snitch.
Akihiko sighs. "Are you guys out of your minds? Going to a place like that. Granted I'm proud that all of you went to get the information, but do try to be a little more careful next time."
"We're fine Akihiko-senpai. No harm done."
He gives me an exasperated look before shaking his head again. "Alright." I'm going to study. I don't feel like doing anything else tonight.
6/7/09
It's Sunday. So per usual I head to the theatre to work. Afterwards I head straight to Paulownia Mall. I don't need to hear more of Junpei's grumbling about last night, every time he mentions it I'm reminded of Jackas- I mean "Shinjiro-senpai". To vent out my frustration I play punching bag. Lilim's physically stronger now.
6/8/09
Ugh. Today's the "Ordeal." Just great. Oh yeah. I need to ask that professor about that missing girl.
Gekkoukan High School, faculty office…
Junpei, Yukari and I are planning to ask Mr. Ekoda about Fuuka's disappearance.
Hm? Someone's already here. It's Mitsuru and some brunette girl.
"Oh, Mitsuru-senpai. Why are you here?"
"Same reason as you. Mr. Ekoda. I'm here to ask you about a student named Fuuka Yamagishi…"
"No!" What's her problem? "I-I never thought it'd turn out like this…Fuuka…"
"Wait…You're that girl…"
"What did you do to Yamagishi?" It's Mitsuru's answer me now voice.
"Hold on, Mitsuru…This isn't an interrogation." What is wrong with Mr. Ekoda? You'd think he'd want to get to the bottom of this as well! "Natsuki, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to." Did he just cross Ice Queen? Oh he's asking for it. "You wouldn't want to give her the wrong idea."
"Fuuka…she…she always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time. Then, I realized…she's an honor student, but deep inside, she's just the same as us. I knew exactly which buttons to push…we were just messin with her that day, too! May 29th…we took Fuuka to the gym…and locked the door from the outside." Nice. Real nice. Ugh. Mindless bullying pisses me off. I could understand retaliation. Heck I encourage such practices. But I doubt this Fuuka girl did anything to her.
"What! You locked her in?"
"That night, Maki returned to school alone. She was afraid we'd get in trouble if Fuuka committed suicide. But, she never came back…and the next morning."
"She was found lying on the ground by the gate." Yukari finishes Natsuki's sentence.
"I went to the gym to let Fuuka out, but the door was still locked. So, I opened it and went inside, but she wasn't there. We all freaked out. Starting that night, we went out looking for her. But every night, another one of us went missing…and they each ended up like Maki!"
"I see…" Mitsuru looks troubled. I don't blame her, we finally get someone else with the potential but they go vanishing because some idiots pulled a dumb prank. I hope she's not dead, or worse. "By the way, Mr. Ekoda…all this time, you've attributed Yamagaishi's absences to "illness." But in reality, she was missing. You must have been aware of that…what was your intention?"
"I was thinking of the students, of course." My ass. You were thinking of your job! "You children may not understand, but we have to consider the future of everyone affected."
"You mean, you chose not to report this to the police for the "good of the class"."
"It-it was in her best interest. I wouldn't want her records to be stained by something like this. Her parents agree!" Oh that's fucked up. I may not like my aunt most times but she wouldn't have agreed to that.
"So to protect your career, you ignored your responsibility as a teacher…How despicable…!" Uh oh. He pissed off Ice Queen. Not a good move man, not a good move. Was nice knowing you.
Mr. Ekoda finally seems to realize what deep shit he's in. "I-I didn't…I was just…" Too late now. Mitsuru ignores his stammering and turns to Natsuki.
"About your friends…did you notice anything unusual before the incidents? …Anything at all."
Natsuki takes a shaky breath. "They all heard a voice…a creepy voice." Surely not the same voice I hear in my head…I hope not. "Right before each of them went missing. They said it was calling their name."
"Oh, man…" Junpei shakes his head.
"Senpai, could it be…!" I really hope Yukari still isn't stuck on that ghost shit.
"It's them…no doubt about it." Oh. They're talking about Shadows. "Until now, there was no way of knowing how or why some people are conscious during the Dark Hour. But, it's the voice; it draws them in. It's not a random phenomenon. This whole thing has made me realize…They're clearly targeting humans." Should we really be discussing this here? I mean Mr. Ekoda and Natsuki are right there. "Shadows are the enemy of mankind." she turns to Natsuki again. "Stay at our dorm tonight; it's the safest place. If you hear the voice, tell us immediately. And don't leave the room, no matter what. If you can do that much, you should be okay. …Don't worry, Yamagishi should be alright as well."
"Fuuka…"
"Arisato. Iori and Takeba, too. We'll meet after school in the Student Council Room to discuss tonight's operation."
"T-Tonight!" Oh no. Tonight is not good. Tonight one of those big ass Shadows is coming…but I can't say anything they'll think I'm crazy or making it up. And those are the best case scenarios.
"We're going to rescue Yamagishi. If my guess is right, she's still inside the school." Where?
"U-Understood!" with that we pretty much hang around until school is over.
After School
Gekkoukan High School, Student Council Room…
Everyone looks serious. Well…except me of course. I'm bored. How long are we going to have to stay in this room?
"Tonight, we will infiltrate the campus. Our objective is to rescue Fuuka Yamagishi."
"Um, I don't get it…Is Fuuka inside the school somewhere?" and if so where the hell is she?
"And why at night? At midnight this place turns into-" Oh. That's not good.
"Exactly. That's how Yamagishi wandered into Tartarus." and you think she's not dead? I mean…every other time we go in their it ends up being a mini-disaster!
"Then, ever since Fuuka got locked in the gym, she's been stuck there…?" She's been in there for 10 days in that case. Even if the Shadows haven't ripped her apart she's probably dead from dehydration. This is pointless.
"…That's correct."
"But, that was ten days ago! That means…"
"Not necessarily. We can't jump to conclusions." Akihiko's awfully optimistic about this. "Tartarus only appears during the Dark Hour. So, what about the rest of the day?"
"Now that you mention it…" Yukari's thoughtful.
"This is only a theory, but I think time may function differently with respect to Tartarus. So, even though it's been ten days for us, perhaps only ten hours have passed for her. It's possible she's still alive." still…10 hours in Tartarus alone? The chances of her being alive are extremely slim.
"Wow, ya think so!" Junpei seems unsure. "Uh, but the Dark Hour is pretty brutal. We can barely handle an hour; how's she gonna last ten!"
"That's true…" Yukari and Junpei agreeing on something. Talk about a rare sight. "And, even if she's still alive, we might not be able to get to her…"
"Are you just gonna let her die, then!"
"…I have an idea. Let's try to enter Tartarus exactly how Fuuka did. We'll go to the gyjm, and wait for midnight. That's the quickest way."
"Is that really gonna work…?"
"Honestly, I have reservations. If something goes wrong, you could all end up lost in Tartarus too. But…"
"There's a good chance she's already dead." Ouch. My voice is rather cold. Akihiko glares at me.
"I won't stand by and do nothing if there's a chance we can save her…I'd never forgive myself. If you guys don't want to go, then I'll go by myself."
"Senpai…?"
"…Alright. We're aware of the risks, but we can't just leave her there." I just hope we don't end up risking our necks for a corpse.
"I agree. And we won't know until we try." Yukari is willing to do this too.
"Cool, we get to sneak into the school!" Trust Junpei to find the silver lining. Huh. Maybe I can find some test questions while I'm in here. This mission might not be so bad after all. Junpei laughs heartily. "In that case, I know just what to do…"
"Huh?"
Dormitory Command Room
We're fully prepared to go on this mission now.
"This is a bit worrisome….I can't get ahold of the Chairman." Mitsuru is trying to use the console to no avail.
"I guess we can handle it ourselves." Yukari's not to worried about all this.
"There's one problem though. Without the Chairman's help. I'm not sure how we can get inside the school.."
"No need to worry. I've got it all set to go." Junpei's awfully happy about something.
"Set to go…? An explosive?" What? She can't be serious…Mitsuru laughs. "Alright, I'll let you handle this." please do. Good grief. I can't believe the first thing she thought of was a bomb for pete's sake.
"We don't have time to waste. Let's go." And Akihiko's in a hurry. Oh well. The two of them leave.
"…An explosive? For real?" Where on earth would Junpei get an explosive Yukari. I mean honestly…
"…Nah. All I did was unlock a door."
Figures. With that we go.
Gekkoukan High School, 2F
"See? We got in no problem, Man, I'm a genius!"
"Is that really something to brag about?"
"So, you unlocked it earlier….Tres bien!"
"Oui. No time for compliments. Let's go." …
"What's the big deal, anyway…?"
"Tray Ben…? What is that, French? Lousy seniors and their lousy French." we head up to homeroom.
Classroom 2-F
"Can we turn on the lights…?" Yukari's scared of the dark too?
"Aww, you scared?"
"No! Stupei!"
"Stop callin' me that!"
"Quiet!" Akihiko snaps. Those two are like a bunch of five year olds on the playground sometimes I swear. "It's better if we leave 'em off. They cut the power at night anyway."
"I don't like sneaking around…"
"First, we have to find the key to the gym. We'll split up into two groups and meet in the main hallway on the first floor. Understood?"
"The Faculty Office, huh…?" Yup. Those test questions shall be mine! Just kidding. I wouldn't actually cheat. No reason to. "Hey, maybe we'll find some test questions!" he laughs. And your brilliant plan involved revealing it in front of Mitsuru right? Honestly…
"Are you planning something unscrupulous under my supervision? If so, then expect to be severely punished…"
"It-it was a joke! I'd never do something like that! Ha, haha…" his laughter gets caught in his throat.
"…Perhaps I'd best take Iori with me to the janitor's room. Arisato, head to the faculty office. I leave it to you who to take along with you."
"Eh. I'll take Akihiko." at least he doesn't believe in that ghost nonsense Yukari believes in. "Very well. Then Takeba will accompany us to the janitor's room. We'll meet back up in the main hallway."
Main Hallway…
I walk forward towards the faculty office when Akihiko grabs my arm and shoves the two of us behind a pillar. "Someone's coming!" I can hear footsteps now…they're getting really close. "Who'd be here at this hour…?" A flashlight appears alarmingly close to us but eventually the footsteps fade away. "Whew…Just a security guard."
"Let's get going."
"Yeah, good idea. He's gone now…let's go." `
Faculty Office
We search for that blasted Gym key.
"Here, I found it! The gym storage key!" …he doesn't listen very well does he?
"Wasn't it the gym key?"
"Huh! I-I see…"he sighs and places it back and continues rummaging through the keys. Right where he's looking is the Gym key. "No good…It's not here." Took about no observation skills. "Must be in the janitor's room, where Mitsuru and the others went. What are you waiting for? Let's go."
"Move."
"huh?" I shove him out of the way and get the Gym key.
"Let's go."
"Uh…it was there the whole time?" He's so awkward right now I take pity on him and leave.
Entrance Hall
"Did you find the key?" Mitsuru and the others are already there when Akihiko and I arrive.
"Yeah, piece of cake!" …
"We'll divide into teams again. Three of you will enter Tartarus and one of you will remain outside with me. Once the Dark Hour has begun, I'll determine Yamagishi's position. I'll go. You should come, too Minako. You can take the lead, like always." Strangely enough I don't have the urge to kill/strangle Akihiko this time. Guess I've become resigned to my fate. "Ulkm, then, I'll be the third-"
"Wait a second…!" Junpei interrupts. "Remember how I accidentally screwed up on the monorail? Gimme a chance to make up for that!"
"Oh, come on! It's not always about YOU! Besides, you didn't "accidentally" screw up."
"Alright, Junpei, we'll give you another shot." Akihiko makes the decision.
"Sweet! Thanks!"
"Seriously…!"
"What's wrong, Yukari? You don't want to stay behind with Mitsuru?"
"Um, n-no, it's fine."
"It's almost time." Mitsuru looks at the clock on the nearest wall.
"Let's go!"
Somewhere? Inside Tartarus
Uh…what? What happened? I don't see anyone…I can't hear Mitsuru either.
"Are you awake?" Oh come on! Jailboy is leaning over me smiling. I think I was better off alone. I sit up. "This is the first time we've spoken outside of your room."
"Why are you here?"
He laughs again. "I told you, remember? I'm always with you." Right. Very creepy. "But, we don't have much time to talk." he looks sad for some reason. "Tonight, there is more than one ordeal you must face…." Oh that's just fantastic. "You should hurry…She's waiting for you. You guys will need her." By her…does he mean Fuuka? "Okay, then…I hope we can speak again." I don't but I don't think the universe is too keen on my hopes right now. He vanishes into the darkness. Great. Where the hell am I-
"Are…you…alr-?" Mitsuru?
"Mitsuru? Mitsuru!" there's only static for a few more seconds before the line goes dead. Damn. What am I supposed to do now!
I'm stuck fighting Shadows on my own. Luckily they seem to be sparse on this floor for whatever reason. As I walk along the floor Mitsuru tries to get into contact with me again. The only words I understand are Akihiko and aren't. That's not very helpful.
"Who are you? Are you human?" It's a girl's voice…how? I look around but no one is here.
On the next floor Mitsuru again tries contact but I get nothing except Respond. Once again…not helpful.
"How did I get here? Why am I here?" The same voice from before. Lilim's elemental abilities makes my solo journey much less hazardous.
Once again Mitsuru tries to get into contact with me. I can't understand her anymore.
"Is someone here? Who is it?"
I go to the next floor.
"Hey, there she is!" Junpei and Akihiko are together here. "Man, we were worried about you." Junpei looks me over probably checking for injuries.
"I don't think we should enter Tartarus this way again…" well this was your brilliant idea Akihiko.
"Oh yeah! Did you hear a voice while you were in here?"
"A voice…yeah. I heard a voice Junpei."
"You did so I wasn't the-"
"Who is this…? Are you human?"
"Th-That's it! That's the voice! It sounded like it came from behind us…" there's a pale girl with bluish green hair. What is with all these strange hair colors? At that thought I can't help but think of Jailboy's earlier words. Two powerful Shadows. Ugh.
"Are you Fuuka Yamagishi?"
"Y-Yes…!"
"Wow, you're alive! That's awesome! Never fear, Junpei's here!"
"I'm glad you're okay. Come with us."
"Thank you so much…I…"
"Looks like we made the right decision. I'll see if I can contact Mitsuru."
"Where are we…? I was at school, and then…"
"Well…it's a long story. I'll explain after we get outta here."
"Mitsuru, can you hear me? …no good. All I hear is static."
"Oh yeah, are ya hurt? Have you run into any monsters?" If she had Junpei do you really think she'd be standing?
"So, there ARE strange creatures in here, then…" Wait…huh? "I've managed to avoid them so far…"
"Are you serious? How's that possible!"
"Umm, it's hard to describe, but I can sort of tell where they are…"
"Whaddya mean? Are you psychic?"
"She has the same power as Mitsuru…maybe even stronger…since Mitsuru's Persona is more battle-oriented."
"Persona…?"
"Hang on to this." Akihiko gives Fuuka an evoker.
She gasps in shock. Yeah it really does look far too much like a gun…"B-But this is…!"
"Think of it as a lucky charm. It's not really a gun."
"Um...okay…?"
"Alright, let's get outta here!"
Inside Tartarus, at a hallway with a view outside…
"Whoa, check out the moon!" Huh. I guess this is Junpei's first time seeing it. "…I've never seen it so bright." It is bright…and creepy.
"Some research indicates that the Shadows are affected by the phases of the moon. Of course, the same can be said for humans."
"That would explain Yuka-tan's mood swings. Hey, wasn't it a full moon the night we went to the monorail?" And so they finally recognize the pattern.
"Was it?"
"I think so…Why?"
"Minako, did you see the moon on the night the dorm was attacked, back in April?"
"It was full."
"Today is the 8th…the monorail incident happened last month around the same time…and the assault on the dorm was a month before that! …They were all during a full moon! Mitsuru, are you there!"
"Akihiko…? Shadows-" Mitsuru's line was distorted by static again.
"Hey, can you hear me? Mitsuru, come in!
"Be carefu-" it's completely silent now.
"Mitsuru? Mitsuru!"
"…What is this thing…?" Fuuka frowns. I guess she can sense the two Shadows. "It's much bigger than the others…and it's attacking someone…"
"Damn it!"
"Wh-What's going on?"
"It's one of THEM! If my guess is right, they come every full moon! …We have to hurry!" with that we all run off.
"H-Hey! Wait for me!" well…with the exception of Junpei anyway.
Tartarus entrance…
We manage to find a transporter and see Mitsuru being crushed in the fist of one of the Shadows. One is a female looking shadow wearing an Mask with the Roman Numeral III, the second is a male with something that looks like a cape and a cross shaped body with a IV on its mask. The female is waving something that looks like a wand while the male has a sword. Yukari is on the ground her bow on the ground beside her, she's panting in exhaustion. The Shadow tosses Mitsuru like a rag doll but fortunately Akihiko catches her.
"Mitsuru!"
"uh…Shadows…they…ambushed us…"
"Don't talk Mitsuru."
"Uh…" Mitsuru is obviously exhausted. Akihiko lies her on the ground gently.
"What in the world!"
"Akihiko-senpai! We gotta distract those Shadows somehow!" that should be easy enough.
"Hey tubba!" The female Shadow turns to me. "Take this!" I use a Maragi spell on both Shadows. The female is unaffected? Oh that's just swell. Uh oh. She's pissed at me now…
"Be careful…Normal attacks won't work on these Shadows…" I could have used that information earlier Mitsuru. The male was knocked on its ass however. I guess he's weak to fire! It's so on! Before I can get ready to continue Natsuki comes walking in like she's brain dead. Hello? Battle! Move your ass!
The two Shadows shriek in anger. Is everyone here retarded? Why are we standing around when there are two Big Fucking Shadows shrieking at us?
"Why are you here!" Mitsuru is struggling to stand.
"…Moriyama-san! Please, get out of here! It's dangerous!" Oh for the love of -.
"LILIM!" Natsuki stares at me in shock as I use another Maragi spell. What? They both ignored it this time! What the hell?
"I…I wanted to tell you…I'm sorry…"
"Hey! Look out!" Junpei shouts out a warning. Damn idiots now is not the time for you two to be yapping at each other!
"Moriyama-san! I need to protect her!" Fuuka puts the Evoker to her temple and pulls the trigger. Huh. Her Persona is a woman wearing a pink outfit and with long blond hair…It also has some sort of bubble for a lower half that Fuuka is inside.
"A Persona…?"
"…I can see…I…I can sense these monster' weaknesses, somehow." Why the two BFS just stand there like they're retarded I don't know. Maybe they've gone temporarily insane. This is ridiculous.
"…Just as I thought. Mitsuru, let her take your place. We'll take care of this!"
Oh…so now we're going to fight? I'm not sure what's more ridiculous, us waiting this long, or those two Shadows not doing anything other than throwing Mitsuru at Akihiko.
I use a Bufu spell on the Emperor Arcana. Ha! It's weak to Bufu skills! However it seems to completely void all physical attacks. The Empress smacks Junpei with her staff but he seems to shake it off the Emperor however, uses Swift Strike on all of us and manages to take out Junpei. Ugh. What a pain in the ass. Akihiko revives Junpei and we constantly use magic skills on the Emperor to take it out before it can Paradigm Shift thankfully. I switch to Tam Lim because of his strengths. Now we just have the Empress to deal with. Turns out she does Paradigm shift and we only learn after she's already knocked out Junpei that she's weak to electicity. After that Akihiko and I take turns zapping her and double teaming her. DAMN! She Paradigm shifts right before we can finish her off! I heal Akihiko I revive Junpei and apparently…she Paradigm shifted to still having electricity as a weakness….not to bright that one. All right! Akihiko uses a Zio and finishes her off.
"Are there more of them…?" How am I supposed to know?
"Don't worry, it's over." Akihiko is quick to reassure her.
"Fuuka…you…"
"A-Are you alright…?"
"Yeah…"
"Thank goodness…" Fuuka collapses.
"Fuuka!"
"It's alright. She's just exhausted." Mitsuru seems to have recovered.
"Fuuka…Fuuka, I…" Good grief those two are annoying.
"Where did these two Shadows come from?"
"From somewhere outside of Tartarus just like before…" Akihiko looks briefly at Fuuka.
"I see…"
"Um, what are we gonna do about Natsuki? She saw the Dark Hour, and the Shadows…" Huh. Good point Yukari.
"Don't worry, she's not like us she won't remember any of it. The good news is, she didn't fall victim to the Shadows, even though she obviously heard their call. She should be safe from now on."
"But, that means she'll forget Fuuka saved her life, right? That doesn't seem fair…"
"Actually, I don't think it'll matter." Mitsuru has a small smile on her face.
"I'm sorry, Fuuka…I'm so sorry…"
"I think she's learned her lesson."
"I'm sorry…" Natsuki continues to sob. Uh. It sure in hell wasn't easy but we managed to save Fuuka. Jailboy appeared before me again…so much for being a hallucination. I'm too tired for this right now. I'm going to go to bed.
End Chapter 6
Answering Reviews Time!
NightmareSyndrom: And indeed he was. XD As for the Reaper I always thought he'd only go after you because he thought you'd be a decent fight. Fuuka…wouldn't be a decent fight. That's one of the main reasons the Reaper hasn't chased the characters yet. The Reaper wants a fight he/she/it can savor. Not squashing a bunch of untrained whelps. On later blocks they'll meet up with Reaper with predictable results. :D True. Regarding Male Aigis. I actually have an idea on how to fit in the whole Hagakure thing (Obviously they no longer go to Hagakure but they still do learn about Takaya and Jin.) Though I don't understand the suck it up comment. Was I complaining about writing new dialogue? :/
XxXTwilight-SinXxX: Ah yes. I never understood why you needed Charm of all things for Akihiko. You'd think Courage would play a more important part. Charm would probably go best with Ken. (squick). Also remember when you asked me about characters I hate with a passion. I remember now because of this chapter. Both Fuuka and Natsuki make me want to bash my head against the wall. Fuuka's *gasp* the Enemy! Does not help matters. The two of them playing melodrama time while there's two Shadows standing there doesn't help either. (Thus Minako's WTF are the Shadows doing?) I love Persona 3 but that was a real wallbanger moment.
Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: Do you think the story is growing dull? I have to admit I'm not fond of this chapter. Mostly because I'm not fond of Fuuka and Natsuki in general so this may end up being a dull chapter compared to the others. I will try my best to be interesting though. …LOL I'm not sure I could pull of a character like that. Too difficult.
cartoon moomba: I was actually seriously considering changing Aigis' name. But I don't know what to change it to! T_T I considered Eon/Aeon but that sounds ridiculous. Then again so does Critter Time…Aye Ken's grown on me too. At first I wouldn't even use him I was so angry (not that his leveling up phrase helped.). But now he's easily one of my most used party members.
Yukai yami: Yeah that's why I warned about the grammar in the first chapter. I'm not too great with that. I'm glad you liked my story enough to review though! Also yes I've thought of a workaround the Hagakure incident. (Besides how likely is it that there'd be magazines about Takaya and Jin lying there anyways?) And if you watch the Tvs they also bring up the cult and its "leader". So that actually wouldn't too difficult. Also in the lounge they have the benefit of not having to hide their reactions.