Note: Aeon isn't completely robotic. I figured it wouldn't make much sense to have him able to pass off as a human while speaking in monotone and the like. So he speaks in a normal tone of voice and has a bit of a personality (The one thing that bothered the hell out of me with Aigis. She's a humanoid robot that can summon a persona but she has no general personality (in the beginning anyway)? Even the bloody dog has a personality! And we're supposed to believe that she acts like this and no one at school thinks she's a bit off? Really? And before the anti-social argument: anti social people don't speak in monotone. Not only that but how can she be considered anti-social when she hangs around Minako/Junpei/Yukari all the time?) Also Duck Duck Burger in game is called Wild-duck burger (but I like my name better so :P)
Edit: The part with Chance has no significance and/or bearing on this story. At all. So don't get worried about it. As I said before with the exception of minor events (and Aigis' gender) the story will follow the original P3P storyline. (And maybe Shinjiro's fate) *ducks tomatoes*
Chapter 10: Aeon
When my eyes open I meet the blue eyes again. Hm? The person's face comes into focus. It's a male about my age with blond hair and blue eyes. He's wearing a long sleeved shirt and black slacks. His fingers are holding my chin up. They're cold and feel like metal. How long have I been out? Ow…my ankle…I didn't sprain it or anything? I hope at least. I rub it. It's a bad shade of red and I cringe.
"Are you okay? It was only supposed to be a momentary illusion. I did not think it would make you feel faint. Your injury was rather unexpected as well. I was correct however, you are the one I've been searching for."
Illusion? But this was no illusion. We were no longer in the forest.
"I must have made an error it seems that either my illusion is stronger than I thought or we have been transported to a field. I am not sure how this happened but it would be best for us to explore the area to find possible areas of escape."
I sit up shaking my head. "Who are you?"
Blond boy nods. "I am called Aeon. I wish to always protect you."
….wait what?
"Huh?"
He looks down at me. "My..." he pauses "I mean, I want to protect you. I do not quite understand why." he seems to frown at this. "But something in me tells me that I must stay by your side always."
"How romantic." I can't resist the quip. He shows no reaction to that.
What? Both Aeon and I turn to the voice. It's a man? …My father?
"Dad!" I attempt to stand but Aeon shoves me down to the ground. Ow! What is he, a tank? He stands in front of me.
"Who are you?"
My father sighs rubbing his temple. "It is customary to introduce yourself before demanding another's name."
"I am Aeon. Now once again, who are you?"
"My name? I have many of them." My father slumps forward and a chair appears out of nowhere. He sits on it casually. "I'm not sure which one to give you. Perhaps we should stick with…Chance."
"Chance?" what kind of name was that?
"Chance" shrugs. "Take it or leave it. It's the only name I'm giving you." He eyes me a predatory look in his eyes. "You're very interesting. So a vast amount of possibilities within you but all of them except one lead to such an unfortunate end."
"What?"
"You humans…always needed things repeated." Chance stands, the chair vanishes as he turns to me. "Only one path will lead you to glory. And that path can't be reached at this point. More's the pity. You would have been interesting to watch."
"I don't understand…"
"I'll show you." He takes out a spear. You've gots to be joking. He charges but I can't dodge fast enough between the fact that I'm on the ground and my ankle is bruised up, I prepare myself for the blow but before Chance reaches me Aeon catches his wrist. "Oh-ho! So you're her protector is that it?"
Aeon throws Chance back. "You will have to go through me."
Chance lands easily on his feet. "Tch. I don't have time for this shit." He straightens while Aeon prepares to charge if necessary. "You should keep a better eye on your ward. You never know when someone might want to gobble her up." He vanishes from in front of Aeon and taps me on the shoulder. What? How did he-! He laughs tossing his head back before disappearing...this time for good I suppose.. Gobble her up? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
"GET BACK HERE!" I stumble to my feet. Ow. Ow. Ow. I fall back to the ground wincing. Let's not do that again. By the time I had finished rubbing my ankle and looked up Chance was gone. Why did he look exactly like my father? What kind of game was that bastard playing?
Aeon turns to me. "Are you okay?" I nod. He turns back to where Chance was a few second ago. "I am not sure what has occurred. I will need to gather more information before I make a report."
"Report?" Aeon says nothing in response. "Where are we? Are we still trapped in that field?"
Aeon shakes his head. "According to my sensors we're still in the forest. This must be an illusion." as soon as he says that the field vanishes and we're back in the forest. How…creepy. I look down and notice a strange blank card where Chance disappeared. Is that one of those blank Persona cards? I stretch a bit. Luckily I can reach it snatching it quickly in victory I tuck it into my pocket.
"Hm…I-" Aeon suddenly picks me up bridal style. "What the-! Put me down!"
"You've sustained an injury. It would be more efficient if I carried you to your destination." He looks down at me and I feel my face burn. Fantastic. Just what I needed to be dragged back to the manor like an invalid.
"Minako!" Is that Akihiko? Oh. No. Please no.
"Uh…"
"I sense her! Just a bit further!" It's Fuuka's voice. …Fantastic. Knowing my luck-
"Huh?" Yukari is the first to reach us and she stares at me in shock. "Why is he holding you?"
"Huh?" Junpei's next and looks from me to Aeon. "Whoa! Quick moving Minako-tan!"
My face burns brighter. "It's not like that!"
"Hm?" Aeon looks down at me. "I am here to serve. I only wish to remain by your side."
"…" Akihiko comes out next and just looks from me to Aeon. "Why are you holding her?"
"Minako has obtained an injury. I am simply helping her."
"Why are you calling her that?" Akihiko snapped angrily.
"Is there something else I should call her?"
Akihiko opens his mouth to say something else but Mitsuru emerges from the trees with the Chairman behind her. "Oh. There you are Aeon. I was looking all over for you." Aeon frowns. "You shouldn't leave the lab on your own!"
"I know."
"Arisato? Are you alright?" Mitsuru turns to me.
"Uh…mostly. I kind of fell and hurt my ankle but I think it just needs some ice."
There's an awkward silence and Aeon holds me closer to his chest.
…
…
…
This sucks.
The chairman sighs. "You had me worried. Come on let's go back. I'll explain it to all of you later."
With that we head for the mansion. Aeon has to be practically pried from me but he goes…I really hope that I don't have to deal with that on a daily basis.
The Kirijo family Yakushima mansion, reception room…
We've been sitting here for a few hours mostly playing cards and watching movies. The Chairman walks into the room.
"I apologize for all the trouble. Everything is under control now…"
"So, what happened to capturing the tank?" Fuuka and Mitsuru had explained to me earlier about how a tank had gone missing from the lab on the island.
"Oh, that's been taken care of. Come here, Aeon."
"Coming." Aeon steps forward. He's still no longer wearing the outfit he had on before. The clothes he's currently wearing are some sort of bodysuit. You can see bolts on his shoulders and legs. …wait…bolts? He's not human! That…explains why his fingers and arms felt so metal like.
"This is Aeon…as you can see, he's a "mechanical soldier"."
"I am Aeon. I was created to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES as of today."
"No way…It's like he's…alive." Yukari looks Aeon up and down.
"This is unbelievable…" Akihiko looks Aeon over as well.
"Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows. Aeon was the last to be made and he's the only one that still remains today."
"An anti-Shadow weapon? Does that mean he?" Mitsuru turns to the Chairman. Great a robot that can summon a Persona.
"Yes. I am capable of operating the Persona "Tyr"."
"He suffered major damage in combat and has remained in the lab ever since. It's still unclear as to why he suddenly reactivated himself this morning. Well, I hope you will all get along." The Chairman smiles brightly.
"An anti-Shadow weapon with a will of his own? This is amazing!" Fuuka is gaping at Aeon now too. Huh. He doesn't seem at all bothered by it and turns his eyes to me.
"Um…By the way…when I saw you earlier. It seemed like you knew her…" Yukari looks at me and I resist the urge to strangle her for bringing it up. My ankle has some ice on it but I still feel like crap.
"Yes, it is very important for me to be by her side."
"Hmm…Perhaps his identification system is malfunctioning. Or maybe he's still half asleep. This is quite interesting…" Why does all the freaky shit happen to me?
"I doubt it…" Akihiko crosses his arms.
"…Well, I can ponder this later. Oh, I forgot to tell you all…You can participate in a wide range of recreation activities here. There's a tennis court, a pool table…even a karaoke machine. Would you care to hear me sing?"
…damn you ankle for preventing my escape!
"Uhh…" Junpei cringes. We end up spending the night listening to the Chairman very badly sing a bunch of J-Pop songs. A few hours later I yawn.
"Do you require rest?" Before I know it Aeon is leaning over me.
"Uh…"
"I can transport you to your room if you'd like." My ankle wasn't sprained or anything (Mitsuru had a doctor check) but it was sore and hurt to walk on. The ice had let the swelling go down a little. Before I could decline however Aeon easily picked me up bridal style once more.
"Huh? What are you doing?" Yukari's the first to notice.
"I'm transporting her to the bedroom. Is there something wrong?"
"You can't just grab her and carry her off!"
"It's fine Yukari. I'm finding it difficult to walk on my leg anyway."
"But-"
"I'll be fine!" I wave her off and he carries me to the room I'm occupying. "He's a robot. What would he possibly do?" and with that he carries me off to the room I'm occupying.
Bedroom
He places me on the bed gently. My ice is beginning to melt and without a word he takes the pack and leaves. Uh…okay? My ankle's still throbbing but when I move it the pain isn't as sharp. A few minutes later Aeon comes back with an ice cold icepack and kneels by the bed placing it on my ankle. The ice cold sensation is sharp and I let out a soft whimper.
"Are you okay?" He looks up at me and I nod.
"I'll be fine. You can go now." At my words he shakes his head. "My place is by your side, protecting you." He frowns as he examines my injury. "I failed."
Is he guilty about what happened with Chance? "It's-"
"I shall not fail you again. I promise." He kneels before lowering himself completely to the ground.
"That's not necessary! I'm fine!"
He looks up and he looks so lost for a moment so utterly human and fragile. "I see…then may I watch over you as you sleep here tonight?"
"Don't you have to go check in with the Chairman?"
"Can I at least stay here until you sleep?"
"Sure…" It doesn't take long for me to yawn and snuggle in deeper in the covers the last thing I see before my eyes flutter shut are his eyes watching me. It's strange how intense his gaze is despite him not being human…
7/21/09
In the morning Fuuka invited me to go with her to some historical site. My ankle still hurts so I declined.
"Okay…then…if you're sure?"
"I'm sure Fuuka."
"I hope you feel better." with that she closes the door quietly and leaves. No more than two minutes after she'd left did my door open again. It's…Aeon? What is he doing here?
"I came to determine your present condition."
"Uh…I'll be fine Aeon. You can go."
Aeon walked over to me and looked down his blue eyes piercing. "Are you certain? I want to be by your side…"
"I'm just going to sleep Aeon."
He pulled up a chair and sat in it. "I do not mind." I wondered where he had been while I was sleeping. Someone had changed the ice because when I woke it was ice cold. My ankle is still a little sore but I can walk pretty fine. Granted I wasn't about to tell Fuuka that so I could go hobbling through that forest and twist something else.
"I do not mind. I want to be by your side always."
The frankness of that statement left me mute for several moments. I really didn't want him to just stay in here…what if someone came in? "Uh…Aeon?"
"Yes?"
"Could you check on Akihiko and Junpei for me? And give them the note Fuuka left for them in the hall?" It should be still there. I doubt Junpei was awake yet and Fuuka and the other girls had wanted to leave early because supposedly the trip to the tree was a long walk.
He frowns, I suppose at the thought of leaving me. "Please Aeon? I could use some time alone…" I want to think. About the twelve Shadows, Pharos' connection to it all and how my supposed "destiny" fit into the pieces.
"As you wish." he stands up and leaves quietly. Was he sad? I feel a bit bad about sending him away now…
I lay back and close my eyes. What was there to do here but sleep? Odd I'm at an island resort yet…
"Minako."
Hm?
"Minako?"
I open my eyes. It's Aeon…how long was I sleep?
"I have a question…"
"Hm?"
"What are digits?"
"Eh?"
"Junpei told me to leave and not come back until I had picked up a hot chick and/or gotten her digits."
I rub my temples. Trust Junpei to come up with something like that. "It's a phone number."
"…I see." Aeon was silent for a moment. "Would you be willing to give me your phone number?"
…I sit up. "You have a pen and some paper?" He gives me some. I guess he was carrying it on him. I write down my phone number. "There." Now if he could leave so I could go back to sleep-
"I have some more ice for your ankle-"
"Oh…thanks Aeon. But it's not necessary my ankle's fine now." Or I think it was. I must have fallen asleep thinking about the connection between Pharos, the Shadows, Tartarus, and my stupid "destiny". I hadn't even come up with any definitive conclusions either.
"Very well. I shall be back after I have finished observing Junpei and Akihiko. My mission should be complete after "Operation: Babe Hunt" has been completed." with that he leaves.
Operation: Babe Hunt? Shaking my head I turn back around and go to sleep.
I can't so sighing I get out of bed. I test my ankle it feels fine. I twist it around some more to be certain. With that I head downstairs, I haven't eaten all day. As I walk through the Kirijo family home I see some maids cleaning. "Um…hello?"
They turn to me. "Ah you must be one of the guests! Is there something you wanted?" A maid with short black hair and eyes turns to me.
"Where's the kitchen?"
"…It is a little forward. Keep going until you see stairs leading down. Go down the stairs and make a right you should walk straight into the kitchen after a while."
"Thanks." with that I leave. I hear one of the maids whispering.
"You'd think she'd ask one of us to bring her some food…" with that I head downstairs.
Thankfully the way there is pretty uneventful and I walk into the kitchen to see another maid preparing a meal. "Uh…"
"Hm? Are you hungry? Please wait and I'll prepare something for you." I nod. Frankly I'd rather prepare my own food but if she's offering… "Is there anything in particular you would like?" Hm… "I'll take some of whatever you're making now."
She nods and continues cooking. I wonder who that meal is for anyway? I doubt anyone else has come so it must be for Mitsuru's father.
It doesn't take long before she's finished and I polish the meal off quickly. I want to explore more of the manor. With that I head off again. I go left and this corridor is eerily quiet.
"Are you Minako Arisato?" EH! I jump and turn around. It's Mitsuru's dad! Oh…damn. Must think I'm trying to steal something now…
"Uh…yeah." I stammer. I'm sure it's not intentional but he gives off the same intimidating aura Mitsuru does.
"Could you come with me?"
"Sure." with that he nods and leads me to a nearby room. Like the rest of the house its vast and well furnished.
"Please take a seat." He sits on a nearby sofa I sit on it as well. I'm not sure how much space to put between us so I settle for an arm's length. He looks at me. "Mitsuru has told me about your leadership abilities."
"She has?" I force myself not to squeak. He nods.
"She's rather impressed with how well and how quickly you took to command. I thank you for your efforts."
"Uh…it was no problem really."
"So…I heard she told you about the incident."
I nod. I hope he won't get angry about that. He sighs and shakes his head. "Was it of her own choosing?" I shake my head no and before I can stop myself blurt.
"Yukari demanded to know…" Oh great. I feel like a snitch now.
"I see…Yukari Takeba is it?" I nod. "I understand why she would want to know. So do you mind telling me what it is Mitsuru told you?" I tell him everything that she told us. "I see. There are more things all of you need to know. I never intended to keep any information away from you." I simply nod.
With that he stands up and something falls out of his pockets. It's another of those blank cards. "Kirijo-san." oh I hope that was right. He turns to me.
"Is something the matter?"
"Is this yours?" I bend down and pick the card up holding it out to him. He frowns at it.
"No. I've never seen it before. Though what would a blank card be doing in my private study?"
…
…
…
This sucks.
I tuck the card in my pocket, I guess he doesn't mind because he says nothing about it. "Thank you for your help Arisato."
With that I nod and flee back to my room. I throw myself into bed and close my eyes. I don't even want to think about those blasted blank cards and whatever the hell they're supposed to mean.
I wake up to a knocking. The door opens up and Mitsuru comes in. "Hm. You've slept all day." She sounds amused. I yawn stretching. "You should come downstairs. There's something my father needs to tell us all." As usual right after speaking she turns and leaves. I get up and go downstairs midway downstairs I hear Junpei's groan.
"Dude! You cheated! Minako doesn't count-!"
"Are you trying to say that Minako doesn't count as a "babe"?"
"Of course she doesn't-!" No sooner has he said that then does Junpei's eyes meet mine. "Oh." His eyes grow big and he frantically shakes his head. "Not to say that you're not attractive or anything Minako! But-"
"He's right. He did win according to the rules you set for him Junpei." Akihiko sighs. "We both lost the bet."
"Oh come on!"
"I sense that Junpei-kun is a sore loser." Aeon sounds amused? Huh. Didn't think he had that much of a personality.
"Sore loser? Damn robot! I'm not a sore loser! You cheated!"
"Get over it Junpei." Akihiko sighs in annoyance. "You lost."
"Did not!"
"Did too."
"Leader!" Both Akihiko and Junpei turn to me. Oh great. "I told Aeon that he had to get a hot chick's phone number-"
"Am I not a hot chick?" I force ire into my voice.
"Uh…"Akihiko just shakes his head and heads into the reception room. "You are but-"
"There's your answer." I walk past Junpei and Aeon, as I go I could swore I saw a smirk on Aeon's face.
The Kirijo family Yakushima mansion, reception room…
Mitsuru's father had invited all of us here. Why I had no idea. But he looked serious about something. Aeon is sitting directly next to me far to close. Does he have no concept of personal space? Noticing the wide space he gives everyone else I amend that. Of my personal space?
"From what I understand, Mitsuru has already given you the short version."
"Oh, yes…" Yukari nods she was the one who brought it up after all.
"Well, it's true…We adults are to blame." Mitsuru's father looks us all in the eyes. "If I could've atoned for it with my life, I would have done so…Now, I have no choice but to rely on you. What my father wanted to create with those monsters' power…was a time manipulation device."
"That's what he was trying to do?" huh. You'd think Mitsuru would have heard this from her father before but…I guess not.
"Imagine if you could control the flow of time…eliminate unwanted events before they occur. With such a device, you could shape the future to your liking."
"Damn, that's insane…" I have to disagree with Junpei on this point. Such a device could be extremely useful but of course it all depends on the person who uses it.
"However, under my father's direction, the research began to stray from its original goal. …In his later years, my father seemed to have only nihilism in his heart. Now that I think about it, his madness may have resulted from his struggle to break free from that…It's only natural that you want to know the truth…and it's my duty to tell you.
He picks up a remote on the arm of the chair and presses a button. Suddenly the large monitor on the wall flickers to live showing some live footage.
"What's this…?" Akihiko frowns at the screen. Is that some sort of lab?
"This is the only existing footage of the accident, recorded by a scientist who was at the scene." Well that explains the shakiness.
"…A video recording?" Mitsuru looks at the screen in interest. Truth be told the quality is horrible. You can't even see the man's face clearly.
"I pray that this recording reaches safe hands…"
"That voice…!" Yukari leans forward in shock. She know this guy or something?
"My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea. This experiment should have never even been conceived…I'm afraid what I've done will result in an unprecedented disaster. But if I hadn't, the entire world may have paid the price.
"The entire world?"
"Please, listen carefully…The Shadows that were amassed here have been dispersed as a result of the explosion. To end this nightmare, you must eliminate all of them!" Am I the only one finding this whole eliminate Shadows I - XII to be a little too damn convenient? "I am to blame for this. I knew the risks, but I was blinded by the promise of success…and so, I didn't raise any objections." The quality increases and suddenly I can make out the man's face. He's haggard looking with brown hair and brown eyes. "It is all my fault."
Yukari gasps. There's a loud explosion in the background before the video becomes complete static. Ouch. What a way to go.
"…Dad…" Oh…
"You mean…that was…?" Fuuka looks at Yukari in shock.
"Father…"
"His name was Eiichiro Takeba…He was the head researcher at the time, and a very talented man. But, we are the ones who are responsible. We pushed him to continue the research. The Kirijo Group is to blame for his death."
"I…I can't believe it…" I can't help but wonder why Mitsuru didn't know all of this already. It's not like her father wasn't willing to share the information.
"So, that means…my dad caused it all…?" Yup. So we're basically cleaning your dad's mess, grand don't you think? "The Dark Hour, Tartarus…The people who died in that incident. It was all his fault…?" she looks ready to cry.
"Y-You okay?"
Yukari turns to Mitsuru. "So, that's why you were hiding this…?" Uh…I don't even think she knew Yukari. "Because you felt sorry for me? Is that it!" Yukari snaps the last sentence.
"No, Takeba, I…"
"I don't want your pity!" she gets up and runs off. I watch her go sighing.
"Takeba!"
"Um…Shouldn't someone go after her?" No one's stopping you Fuuka. Mitsuru sighs and turns to me. Oh no. Come on-
"Arisato. Please go after her…" So she can lash at me instead? No thank you.
"Uh…we should let her cool off a bit. She could use some time alone."
"Please…" Mitsuru gives me such a sad look that guilt starts eating at me…This sucks. I get up and follow. Aeon starts to stand.
"Uh…I should probably go alone Aeon." He frowns but says nothing more. I'm not sure where the hell she went so I head back to the beach where they played earlier. She's standing by the ocean.
"I believed in him for so long…This is too much." I walk up to her and she looks back at me. "Minako…remember what I told you at the hospital…? How my dad died when I was little…? You understand now, right…? He died in that incident. Nobody knew the truth, so there were all sorts of rumors…because he was in charge of the research team, people were really mean to me and my mom. We even had to move a few times. "
"What did they do?"
She looks away at that. "Sorry, I'd rather not talk about it. But all this time, I kept telling myself it wasn't his fault. I loved him a lot, and I believed he'd never do anything wrong. I received a letter back in the spring. It was from him, written ten years ago. It cracked me up cuz, even though it said "To my family," it was pretty much all about me. That only made me believe in him more…When I found out I had a special power. I thought it was fate. I was scared, but I thought if I cooperated with the Kirijo Group, I might find out what really happened." And you did. "That's why I agreed to fight using my Persona. But, it turns out…all of that was for nothing…"
I shrug. I'm not too sure what to say. "I guess…things like that just can't be helped."
"Why does reality have to be so harsh…? I tried so hard to fight my fear, and this is what I get…maybe I'm just jealous of Mitsuru-senpai." You're just now figuring that out? I've known that from the second day I met you. "I mean, why my father and not hers…?" Because her father wasn't working on a project that used Shadows. Shit. At least you still have your mother. I lost both my parents at the same exact time and I can't even remember how they died despite the fact that I was right there. "Haha…I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"
"…people are like that."
She glares at me. …see this is why I wanted to go to bed. I'm not a therapist damn it! "Stop acting like you have all the answers!" The urge to groan nearly overcomes me but I settle for another shrug. "…I'm sorry. My head's a mess…I'm so afraid. I don't know what to do anymore…" she sniffles. "I'm totally lost. Tell me…What should I do…?"
"You have to figure that out for yourself Yukari."
"Minako…" she gives me a weak smile tears still in her eyes. "I'm sorry for acting like this. You've lost your parents, too. But, I'm alright now…I'm used to dealing with stressful situations. Thanks." She's laughing but her eyes are still red from crying.
"Hey!" Junpei comes running up to us. He's gasping from the exertion. "Sheesh…what's taking you so long…? Everybody's…waiting…" Aeon is walking behind him. "It's almost…the Dark Hour, so you should get back."
"I-I almost forgot…It doesn't matter where you are when the Dark Hour comes…"
"Sheesh, it's just common sense! Even I remembered."
"You know, I've been thinking lately…once you awaken to the power of Persona, you remember everything that happens during the Dark Hour…It's like trading away your innocence…" Hm… "In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things you don't want to see. So, I guess I'm stuck with you guys, huh?"
"Yup. Now that that's settled, let's get back!" as Junpei and Yukari head back Aeon looks down at my ankle.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Oh…I'm fine Aeon." I give him a smile.
"I see…" his eyes have his piercing effect whenever I look at them. It's really unnerving. I wonder if whoever created him did that on purpose. "We should get going before the Dark Hour hits."
"Yeah."
With that we head back for the mansion. We ended up playing some card games and karaoke again…in an attempt to get Yukari smiling. We went well into the night but it was worth it. She'd cheered up at least.
7/22/09
We decided to go to the beach again today with everyone this time, including Aeon.
"Man, it's already the third day of our trip. It's too bad we have to go home tomorrow…I'd totally stay longer if I could. But, I can't complain…A lot of cool things happened while we were here."
"…How can he be so full of energy?" Akihiko sounds exhausted. "We were all up so late last night…"
"Why are we here? Do we have a mission at the beach today?" Aeon is frowning as he looks at his surroundings. "If so this position is highly vulnerable to attack-" It's times like this that I can see he's a machine.
"Nah, it's nothing like that. We just came here to have some fun." Junpei's beaming. I guess he's so happy he forgot about the bet.
"Do you understand what it means to "have fun," Aeon?"
Aeon nods. "Yes. Humans require recreation to refresh their minds and body."
"Exactly! Let's take one last dip before we leave!" With that Junpei heads towards to water's edge smirking he turns and grabs Aeon and drags him along. Without warning he dunks Aeon's head underwater. I guess he hasn't forgotten about the bet…probably was just waiting for an opportunity.
"Uh, hold on, Junpei-kun!" Way too late Fuuka. "Is it okay for Aeon to go in the ocean?"
Well he hasn't fried or blown up yet so I guess so. "Nothing happened. He's probably water proof."
"AH!" It seems Aeon's managed to turn the tables. Junpei's arms are flailing helplessly under the water. Aeon looks up and spots me with a shove pushing Junpei even deeper in the water he runs out of the water and looks at us.
"What's wrong, Aeon?"
"Would it not be more efficient if we all engaged in this activity together? Having fun is usually more effective if there is more than one person doing so."
"Ugh, do we have to…?" Yukari looks at Junpei in agitation. Shaking her head she goes into the water all of them are taking turns dunking each other underneath the water and splashing at one another.
Mitsuru and Fuuka go ahead and join the others. No sooner had they left than does the Chairman arrive. "Are you enjoying yourself? We've been quite busy during our time here, but it looks as if we can relax a bit today."
"…I hope so." Akihiko really should have stayed in bed.
"Hey, Akihiko-san, c'mon!" Junpei's calling now. "It's your turn!"
"My turn…? What are they doing?" I turn and yeah…still dunking one another. I'm not going over there.
The Chairman laughs. "I'm glad to see everyone is having so much fun. I've already told you what time the ship will be arriving tomorrow, yes? I'll most likely head over to the port early, so don't be late."
"Okay, I'll let everyone know."
"We can get back down to business again once we're back at the dorm." Yay back to Shadows ripping us apart. I can't wait.
"Got it."
"Minako-tan! Akihiko-senpai!" Junpei's calling both of us now.
"This again…? I guess we should go too, Minako." with that we head toward to ocean.
"Aeon, wait! That's not what "water gun" means!" Aeon's smirking as he holds his arm out towards Junpei. …His arm turns into a gun? Okay. Suddenly the water hits Junpei hard in the face and he falls over choking.
"Junpei-kun is down!" Fuuka laughs.
"Alright, here's our chance for an All-Out Attack!" Huh.
"GO FOR IT!" We charge forward and jump him.
"Whoa, whoa, time out! I seriously can't take much more of this…!" that's the last thing out of his mouth before he hit's the water. We let him go after a while sputtering like mad. "You guys! Treating a water fight like a life or death situation!" I chuckle. Aeon's hand has returned to normal and he looks amusedly over Junpei.
Junpei gets his revenge later and we spend the rest of the day playing pranks on one another. As we do so I feel our bonds strengthen and my inner strength increase.
7/23/09
Dorm 1st floor lounge…
We get back pretty late. After lugging our bags upstairs we all return back to the lounge. "Man, I'm beat." Junpei sighs in exhaustion as he sits on chair. "It seemed to take forever to get back…"
"Yeah, it was a tiring trip." Fuuka agrees and yet she takes out her laptop and starts working on it. "Please rest up so you're ready for the next operation."
"Yeah, yeah. I don't have any plans for summer break, so I can fight Shadows all you want."
"…Wow, you must really be bored." Yukari looks over Junpei in wonder.
"Sh-Shut up, Yuka-tan." is he blushing?
"Whatever." Yukari laughs. "We just have to defeat those last six, and it'll all be over. The Lost will get better and everything will be back to normal, right? That's why we have to try our hardest." Everyone nods in agreement. I might as well see Tanaka if I can.
He's standing by the fountain as usual.
"Um, today we'll talk about-…Oh, dear me…I-I just can't concentrate. I get so worked up when I picture his face!"
"Who?"
"…One of my employees. I suppose I should have seen it coming…" at least he's calm now…but what happened? "There was a young man who was working for me…He was a good kid who graduated from a well-known university. But this month, he wasn't able to meet his sales quota, so I docked his pay." Ouch. "After that, his self-confidence went down the drain. …Then, he just stopped coming to work." How much did he dock his pay?
"…Poor thing." Knowing Tanaka, his pay was probably halved.
"What are you talking about? You should feel sorry for me!" …Tanaka's agitated. But sorry for him? Why the hell would I feel sorry for him? "I just mailed him a dismissal notice, C.O.D." I sigh. Tanaka's the type to make someone's life a living hell. "It's his fault that the company is in the red this month! All that money I wasted on training him…It makes me sick just thinking about it…Uhh…"
"It's all about money with you isn't it?"
"Of course! I love money, money won't betray me like he did." …right. "It's difficult growing up with no money…When you can't even afford shoes for PE class! Going barefoot in the gym during winter can be torture!" Wait what?
"You went barefoot?"
He nods. "I couldn't even afford lunch! I had to bring it from home." he looks me over. "I've been thinking…How would you like to model exclusively for my company?" Model? Uh…no thanks. I like being able to eat what I want, when I want. "You innocent appearance would be perfect for camouflaging the ugly realities of business! …Think about it, will you? You won't ever have to worry about being able to buy shoes for P.E." I don't have to worry about that now. Though…I think I understand him a bit more now. …and yet again my inner strength has increased.
"Oopsies, I better get back to work, I have to re-evaluate the budget…If I decide to hire someone new, it'll cost a fortune to train them." then maybe you should find the guy you fired and figure out what's wrong? Oh never mind. With that he walks away muttering to himself, shaking my head I go back to the dorm.
7/24/09
"Good morning! Please wake up." Aeon is peering down at me, he moves back as I sit up. He's wearing a long sleeved shirt and pants again today making him appear completely human.
"My alarm-" It's not due to go off for another five minutes. …damn it.
"It has not triggered yet, the sign on the wall said do things five minutes early so-"
"You got the bright idea to wake me up five minutes early." I face palm.
Someone knocks on the door, "Hey, are you awake?" it's Yukari. Fantastic. "That boy disappeared and we can't find him anywhere. Think you can help us out? He might have gone out on his own like he did in Yakushima…"
"I'm not a boy. I'm Aeon. And I'm in here."
"Huh?" Yukari yanks the door open. "Aeon! How did you?"
"She was asleep, so I unlocked the door." …I just sigh. I'm still sleepy.
"That's unlawful entry!" can't these two go argue outside while I try to sleep my remaining- I glance at the alarm clock three minutes? "Didn't we tell you to stay in the command room at night?"
"I propose to be on standby in this room from now on. Is that acceptable?"
"No! You're a guy and she's a girl! You can't share a room-!"
"Why not?"
"Because it's- you just can't!"
Before Aeon can open his mouth I groan. "Look…I'm really tired so can you two just-"
"Look. I'll have a room prepared for you on the second floor so you can stay nearby. Oh, and don't leave the dorm by yourself, okay?"
"Understood."
Yukari sighs. "I'm tired…I have practice this morning so I gotta go…" with that she leaves shaking her head.
Aeon watches her leave. "…Everyone goes to a place called school in the morning. I understand." He nods to himself leaving the room.
…
"RING RING!"
My alarm goes off. I just sigh and turn it off. The exam results are going to be posted today.
Gekkoukan High School, Front Gate…
"S'up. …Hey, I was thinkin' after we defeat all the Shadows and the Dark Hour disappears, what's gonna happen then?" Junpei is still wearing that hat. I wonder why none of the teachers ever tell he to take it off.
I shrug. "I dunno."
"Well, regular people don't even know about the Dark Hour, right? That means no one will ever know about anything we've done. That kinda sucks, don't ya think?" I nod and we head to class.
During lunch I go see the results. Top ten again! Whoot! And Mitsuru promised another gift!
After school I wave to Akihiko he waves back, there's no awkwardness between us thankfully.
I meet him near the clubroom afterwards and we decide to go training. Not too long afterwards (apparently he says I've gotten faster and stronger) we head for Duck Duck Burger.
Iwatodai strip mall…Duck Duck Burger…
It's really busy in here. "Minako, there's a table open over here. Man, it's crowded in here. Is there a promotion going on? That reminds me, the other day Mitsuru…"
"Noooo! I want a milkshake!" some kid is screaming and I cringe. Damn that kid's loud.
"You already said you wanted to have juice! You can't have both!" his mother snaps at him. And the two of them start arguing their voices get louder. Good grief woman, I can understand the boy yelling but you're supposed to be an adult. …My ears are starting to hurt damn it.
"Can you tone it down?" I snap. Good grief.
"Huh? Oh my, I'm so sorry…" the woman bites her lip before turning to her son. "See, now you have this young lady upset!" she turns back to me. At least the boy's bawling has stopped. "I'm really very sorry."
"Huh…? Oh, no, don't be…" Akihiko looks surprised. He didn't notice that racket? The family gets up and leaves quickly. Probably embarrassed by so many eyes being on them. And my ears thank me for it.
"…He was full of energy." Akihiko's more amused than anything. Huh.
"That was loud." I grumble. Any longer and my head would have started hurting.
"Don't you like kids? It's the only time in your life that you're allowed to act like a child." he laughs before falling silent. He looks serious all of a sudden. "Minako…Do you think I'm…strange?" …He's joking right? He's a member of Freaks Dorm. We're all strange. I can't resist teasing him though.
"You're charming Akihiko. In that socially awkward sort of way."
He blushes bright red at that. "Th-That's not what I asked!" I chuckle. "Sometimes people tell me that I'm a weird guy, or that I act kind of strange…normally, I wouldn't let that kind of thing get to me…but back in the day…they'd say I was like that because I didn't have parents." He sighs somewhat. "It's not like I could do anything about that…that's why…I wanted to show them that they were wrong. Psh. That doesn't matter now. That all happened back when I was a kid anyway…I mean, the orphanage wasn't all bad, either." I guess it must have been a nice place because he has a fond smile on his face.
"Oh, sorry. I don't think I ever told you. I don't have any parents. My sister and I grew up in an orphanage." …Seems my secondary title to Freaks' Dorm wasn't too far off. "My sister's long gone too. …That reminds me, you don't have parents either." he looks down at that. "Ah, sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up…" At this point I'm used to you guys randomly comparing our family issues. It's like a reoccurring theme. Add in some freak that calls himself Chance masquerading as my father and…I shake my head.
"No, wait…I think that might be why I wanted you to hear what I had to say about this. …Because I think I can depend on you to understand me." he smiles wryly at this. I…think I understand him more…and…I must because my inner strength increases.
"I'm sorry for talking about that sort of thing. We should start heading back."
"Can we race?"
"Sure."
We race back to the dorm and I end up winning. Barely. But still. YES!
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"…Hi, how was your day?" Fuuka greets me when I walk in "So, how did you do on your exams?" Akihiko smiles.
"Pretty good."
"Top ten!" I can't help but be cheerful about that.
"Well done, Arisato." Mitsuru nods. "I'll have to get your reward from the Chairman."
"Again?" Junpei sighs. Aw…no need to hate Junpei.
"That's great Minako-chan! I'm happy for you. Did you see Mitsuru-senpai's score? Wow, she's amazing." Top marks in everything. Yeah…that was amazing.
"…In two weeks, the moon will be full again. I suggest we head to Tartarus to begin training so we are prepared when the time comes." And leave it to Aeon to rain on my parade.
"Dude, those freaks with Apathy Syndrome will be everywhere…Wait, I mean "The Lost." I prolly shouldn't complain about 'em, since it's not their fault. It's those damn Shadows…"
"Which is why we should head to Tartarus as soon as possible. We defeat all of the remaining Shadows, and the Dark Hour, Shadows, and Apathy Syndrome should all vanish."
"Yeah, that's true…So, what you're trying to say Aeon. Is that fighting is more important than studying, right?"
"I would say that training in Tartarus is of more importance than studying for your tests. After all if you fail a test nothing of note would happen. If we fall to one of the Shadows however the world itself may fall soon afterwards."
"Exactly!" Trust Junpei to latch onto that. I shake my head.
"Alright then. Let's head for Tartarus."
It doesn't take us long to prepare.
Tartarus…
I head for the Velvet Room and Theo gives me a bright smile. I accept his19th request and leave quickly. I take Akihiko, Aeon and Yukari with me into Tartarus. Deciding to fulfill one of Theo's requests I head for the 2nd floor. I manage to reach the top of the block without running into a single golden Shadow. I sigh. I'll try again on another day. With that I head for 64th floor. At least me running around the first block wasn't a complete waste of time. I found another of those magic mirrors.
Tartarus 3rd Block…
This place is a little less creepy than the 2nd block. Instead of purple it's green but more of a blue green than the eerie green from the 1st block. There are a lot of stairs as well. On the walls. And small staircases. Random bloodstains are on the ground but I'm getting used to that at this point. I run into a battle with those blasted Snakes but thanks to Narcissus' Mabufu We take them out with ease. I find the Persona Ares after the battle. Aeon is extremely powerful…then again this is what he was created for so I shouldn't be surprised. We run into three Dogmatic Tower's which are pain in the ass because they null fire, electricity and light. Forcing Akihiko and I to use physical attacks. Though thanks to the training he gave me, I actually can hit pretty hard now. The Dogmatic Tower uses Mazio. DAMN! Both Aeon and Yukari are weak to electricity? The stupid Dogmatic Tower uses a Mazio spell again and takes out Yukari. The third one is taken out by Akihiko fortunately. I throw a revival bead at Yukari and Aeon and Akihiko finish it off with a combo attack. Urgh. What a pain.
Aeon's persona was an old powerful looking man with one hand…and damn Aeon kicks serious ass.
…we run into a group of Indolent Maya's and a Creation Relic. The stupid Maya's get Mazio happy and take out Yukari again and leave Aeon in critical condition. …I'm not taking these two into Tartarus at the same time anymore. This is ridiculous. I need a Persona that nulls/is strong against electricity with a strong attack…wait! I switch to Take-Mikazuchi. I use his single shot ability against one of the Indolent Maya's YES! These bastards are weak to piercing attacks. …which means…good grief. I sigh. I continue using single shot but I miss the second one! Damn! Aeon picks up on it though and finishes the first Maya off. I have to switch back to Oberon and use Media to heal everyone. STUPID RELIC! It used Magaru and nearly killed me! Aeon finishes off the second Maya. Now the only thing left is that stupid Relic. I use Media yet again because that stupid Relic can't resist using Magaru and Akihiko finishes it off with a punch directly in the mask. Ugh. I revive Yukari and she shakes her head.
"You want to head back?"
"No. I'm fine."
I look her over but well…if she's willing to continue.
"Aeon?"
"I will not make such a error again. Let's get going."
With that we head upstairs. On the 70th floor Fuuka tells us the strong presence she sensed was on the 72nd floor. I look over at Yukari who had collapsed at least 5 times getting here. I'll probably trade her for Mitsuru once we reach the transporter. She's just too tired. Oberon gives me the skill card Mazio so I tuck it into the bag. I'll probably take it to that man who copies skill cards. Ah…there's a transporter nearby so I take it back to the entrance.
I finished one of Theo's requests so I go into the Velvet Room. I wonder what they think I'm doing when I'm in here? He gives me a Land Badge as a reward. It's a ring that slowly regenerates health in battle as you wear it. I fuse Rakshasa and Mithra to make Yamatano-orochi. Some weird giant snake green creature…yeah. It's of the Moon Arcana. And yet again one of my Personas is holding something within itself. I then fuse Oberon, Take-Mikazuchi, and Ares to get Queen Mab. She's a woman? I think or female at least. She's of the lover's Arcana and is strengthened by my bond with Yukari. I grab Fortuna from the Compendium and fuse her with Tam Lin to get a stronger version of Hua Po. And then I get Tam Lin back from the Compendium. Done in the Velvet Room I quickly leave. We recover at the clock before I leave Yukari at the entrance because she looks pretty exhausted and take Mitsuru with me upstairs.
…
…
…
This sucks. The whole place is pitch black! As if the Shadows weren't kicking our asses before! We run into a set of powerful Shadows…luckily they're weak to electricity so they're not much trouble as long as we kept them on the ground. On the 72nd floor I nearly groaned when Fuuka said there was another trio of strong Shadows. Why the hell do these damn things run in packs? With that I head downstairs, heal and go right back upstairs again. Huh. It looks like those Steel Gigas. Aren't those things weak to electricity? I use a Zio skill but…yeah. Not weak anymore I suppose.
"Akihiko focus on support!" He nods. His attacks are practically useless here anyways. I use Tarukaja to boost Mitsuru's attack. Ow…one of the Gigas one hits Aeon and another one hits K.O Akihiko. I revive Aeon first.
Though I must admit Aeon is giving as good as he gets he takes one out using some physical attack that hits all enemies. I revive Akihiko later and the damn thing one hits Mitsuru now! …and Akihiko falls. I would have fallen as well if Aeon hadn't shoved me out of the way. Damn. I revive Mitsuru quickly. Stupid…damn…Shadows. OW! Mitsuru heals me again. Urgh. What a pain. At least Aeon finished one of them off! And once again I revive Akihiko. Damn things wasting my bloody revival beads. SHIT! Aeon attacks one of them but his attack is reflected. So now I'm stuck reviving Aeon. …Seems like the only damn thing I've done this whole fight. …and Mitsuru's been knocked unconscious again. And…once again. Aeon's attack was reflected at him. I sigh and throw another revive at the both of them. This is a pain in the ass. DAMN! Once again one of the Gigas charges at me. I'm wide open but I'm shoved away and Mitsuru takes the hit. Thank you, Mitsuru! It's a wonder she survived that though… The second one takes Akihiko out and once again I'm stuck reviving. That's it. I'm using Mabufu. I switch to Narcissus and use it. I manage to take out the second Gigas. Mitsuru takes out the last one with a Bufula. Good grief that battle was a pain in the ass. I find 3 golden beads where their corpses where. I find something called a Precious Egg as well and head back downstairs to heal again.
With that done we head back into Tartarus. And now I'm reminded of why I hate this place so much. I find an Onimaru Kunitsuna on the 74th floor. I find another one on the same floor. On the 75th floor I spot an transporter and take it back to the entrance. I could have sworn one of Theo's requests involved this sword.
When I go back into the Velvet Room I realize I have enough Greasy Gears for Theo's requests. I hand them over. Theo smiles at me proudly.
"Hm?"
"These were from a very powerful Shadow you realize?" I nod. Yeah. Those blasted things weren't much trouble when you kept them shocked though. "Please, take a moment to think about how powerful you are now compared to when you first entered his room." …He's right…my first time here I never could have defeated such a creature. Especially not with such ease. Theo chuckles. "I'm going to have to come up with more difficult requests for you. Please take this as your reward." He hands me a couple of those stat boosting cards for Persona. I check his requests. Yup. I have the sword. I accept the request before handing over one of the swords.
"Ah. The sword that heals illness. The Onimaru Kunitsuna. I head that this katana, moving independently of its owner, lopped off a gangrenous limb in one swipe…but if it can move independently of its owner, then its center of balance must be off. Swinging this sword will in effect train one's own muscles as well." So…I'll probably give this to Junpei. "Please take this as your reward." He gives me three Opals. Uh…Oh! The antique shop owner might want a look at these! I then fuse High Pixie with Yamatano-orochi to create Setanta. She's strengthened by my bond with Akihiko…or he. Kind of hard to tell the gender because they Persona is so bundled up in clothing. With that I leave heading once again into Tartarus.
We run into a Shadow called an Avenger Knight. This thing is strong. Fortunately thanks to Akihiko's status lowering skills the Shadow isn't as bad as it could be. Between lowering its attack and defenses and me boosting the party's attack we manage to take him down.
…And then the damn thing caused Mitsuru to fly into a rage. Still we took it down easily enough. I gave Aeon the land badge. On the 82nd floor I found some new gloves for Akihiko. Beast Fangs were written on the blades. I shrug and hand them to him. I find a Tiger hide belt but there's no reason for Akihiko to put it on. His current outfit is more effective anyway. On the 85th floor like Fuuka warned us there's a powerful Shadow. Luckily it's only one. I go down to the entrance to recover before going back to the 85th floor.
It's some giant heads on with open crowns with mirrors in the crown. It looks ceramic. According to Fuuka it's of the Hierophant Arcana. Akihiko lowers its attack first and Aeon hits it with that multi-hit physical attack, Mitsuru's Bufula spell is reflected back at her. So…I guess Ice spells are a no. Akihiko gets poisoned when that Tower uses some mist so I switch Personas to Queen Mab and use Posumudi on him to get rid of the poison. Akihiko then uses a defense lowering spell on the Tower. And Aeon attacks it again. OW! That thing throw something at me. I use Zionga in relation but that's reflected as well. Akihiko and Aeon take turns hammering away at it.
Turns out the stupid Tower could use Zionga, the powered up version of the Zio skill. It hits Mitsuru with it. I guess it's a good thing I left Yukari behind…That sun of a bitch! He used some stronger version of that damn Zio skill and nearly took everyone out. Thankfully Queen Mab nulls Electricity so I wasn't hurt. Quickly I cast Media. Ouch. Aeon fell to its second Zionga spell. I use Media, Akihiko re lowers its attack. And Mitsuru revives Aeon. Blasted Tower uses that spell again. Luckily, Aeon doesn't fall but is paralyzed instead. Mitsuru uses a more powerful version of the Dia spell on Aeon and…urgh…stupid thing poisoned us! Aeon attacks the stupid Tower but it dodges, Mitsuru ends up having to heal herself. HA! The tower uses Zionga on me but it has no effect. I boost Aeon's defense. I'm getting sick of him collapsing. Akihiko uses a Dis-Poison on himself and Mitsuru heals Aeon and then Akihiko. …and yet again Aki's attack lower skill has worn off so he replaces it. The tower charges itself up. Hm?
"Hey! It's magically stronger now!" Fuuka cries out.
It uses Zionga…and one hit K.O.s Aeon. This is just not his day is it? I revive him again. Stupid thing recharges and uses the boosted group electricity spell taking out both Aeon and Mitsuru. I revive Mitsuru while Akihiko revives Aeon. I finish it off with a quick slash. Urgh. I'm going back, this is too much. I find 2 Homunculus and one Soma. The tower dropped 3 magic mirrors. That explains how it kept reflecting magic. I place the mirrors in the bag and before we can head back-
"We should continue." Aeon starts walking up the stairs. Before I can say anything he's near the top. With I sigh I chase after him, Mitsuru and Akihiko on my heels. Luckily on the next floor Fuuka informs us that the amount of enemies has decreased. Some good news for once. The 89th floor is a dead end. So I grab the old document and head for the transporter. I head to the Velvet Room. For the document I get a skill card for the skill Fast Retreat, for bringing the Homunculus I get someone else's outfit. …Looks like Junpei's. With that I head back for the dorm.
7/25/09
Urgh. I'm tired…at least Aeon hasn't taken it upon himself to be my personal alarm clock today.
Gekkoukan High School, Front Gate…
I run into Junpei on the way to class.
"Dude, summer break starts tomorrow! It's time to meet some cuties at the beach!"
"…it doesn't really make a difference to me." It doesn't why would I care if he picks up some girls on the beach?
"C'mon, be more honest with yourself! Who knows what might happen for you during summer break!" with my luck? Pharos will visit me again and some dead/dying guy will want my help. "Keep that attitude up and you're gonna miss all those opportunities to meet someone." Whatever. I yawn. With that we head back to class.
After School…
Ms. Kanou walks up to me. Oh. Please no. I look around for somewhere to hide. Oh hell underneath the desk will be as fine a place as any-
"Ah, Arisato-san." Damn it. "About the club…do you know about the fellowship we'll be doing at another school?" Not until right now. "You'll all get to play Tennis at a school in the countryside. Imagine that fresh air!" Huh? Is she not aware that 99% of the team ditched practice for the last few weeks? "And at night, there'll be delicious food and a hot spring!" she does that ridiculous tee-hee like she's a 14 year old girl. "Doesn't that just sound wonderful? In two days from now, you'll practice here for a week, then leave for the other school. Don't forget, okay?" with that she leaves. Urgh. I have gots to start leaving earlier. I head down to the Faculty Office to see Mitsuru. She should have gotten my gift from the Chairman by now. She gives me a Knight Card Set. Where the hell does he get these things? …Probably from the same place Theo does. I hang out with Fuuka the rest of the day and make Sugar Cookies. Nothing eventful happened. Other than Fuuka charring the cookies that is. I was too tired to pay careful attention to her. We walk back to the dorm together.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"Hello!" …it's that kid. Ken Amada? I think that's his name. "My name is Ken Amada. I'll be staying here for a while." Oh yeah. Forgot about that. The Chairman is quite obviously insane. "I'll try to stay out of everyone's way, so don't mind me." with that goes back to standing awkwardly in a corner. I guess it's a good thing we one-shotted Tartarus last night. Last thing we need to do is arouse that kid's suspicions by all disappearing around midnight. I head for Paulownia Mall, I need to talk to the Antique Shop owner again. I buy 2 more Cadenza gems and leave. Tanaka's here again so I talk to him.
"Recently, my alumni association organized a class reunion."
"Sounds a bit…eh."
"Bothersome? It was. I had to pay for transportation, membership renewal, and of course my hotel room." he looks a bit disgusted. "I doubt you'd understand how I feel, since you're still young, but…a high school reunion is a very important event. It's the perfect opportunity to show everyone else how pathetically their lives turned out. For example, I ran into a classmate who used to make fun of me for only having rice in my bento…and another fellow who once strung up my holey socks on the flagpole." Eh? Oh. So he was bullied as a child. "Now, they both look at me with envy." he grins at this. "Their annual salary doesn't even compare to my monthly income! My business is on a roll, and my private life is also very satisfying." he looks me over again.
"Let me take you under my wing, as our exclusive model. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Don't think I would extend this offer to just anyone." he laughs at this. Uh…I think I understand him and his feelings…a bit better now. As usual my inner strength increases. "By the way, remember that 40,000 yen you gave me?" …I had forgotten about it and everything. …he just had to remind me. "I think we can call it even…my time is worth at least a hundred thousand yen per hour! Think of all the free advice I've given you!" …and when exactly will it come in handy? He walks off grinning and I shake my head and go back to the dorm.
7/26/09
I'm still tired…but since it's summer vacation, I don't have to worry about sleeping during class. I go ahead and go to the theatre to work. I got 9000 yen and went directly to Paulownia Mall. I could go see Mutatsu today.
Paulownia Mall, Escapade…
"I was just thinkin' ya might show up…and here you are. Hey, don't get me wrong, kid. It's not like I was lookin' forward to seein' ya or anything. …Still, you skin's shiny. Whaddya puttin' on it? It's damn bright." I look at my skin. It's not shimmering or anything frowning I turn back to Mutatsu. Maybe he drunk too much? "Well, it terms of brightness, my head won't lose. Why don't ya give it a try? The bald look…"
"No." I keep my answer short and sweet.
Mutatsu sighs. "Oh, sure, you're young and good-lookin' now, but just wait…I mean, look at me. I'm old and ugly…My cheeks sag like a damn bulldog's." I have to bite my tongue to resist laughing. "…That's life, kid. People get old. Someday you'll be just as old as me…" Huh. I hope I don't age as badly as he has. "You'll look in the mirror and think…"those were the days…" Here's a little trick so you don't lose hope in the future." I wonder what kind of sage advice he plans on giving me. "…Just don't expect nothin'. Simple, eh?" More like depressing. "And that way you won't ever be disappointed. You're gonna turn into bones one day, so why bother with it all now? If ya weren't so wet behind the ears, we coulda had more of an adult's conversation." he shoots me a grin. Um…ew. "I wish you coulda been ten years older when I met ya." …Okay…I understand him a bit more now. So as a result, my inner strength increases. I yawn loudly. "What, is all my talkin' puttin' you to sleep? Well, ya can't sleep here, kid. Go home." nodding I stand and head back for the dorm.
7/27/09
The special training is today. Urgh. I'm still tired. This sucks. I head for the school. The whole day I ended up training.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"…S'up, dude?" Junpei greets me when I come in. I'm exhausted. I'm going straight to bed. "So, how was practice?"
"I'm exhausted…"
"Dude, don't push yourself too hard. …If you think you can handle it, let's go to Tartarus tonight. We have less than two weeks to get ready, and I'm sure the next Shadow will be stronger than the last one…" Just thinking about that makes me even more tired. I head for bed.
7/28/09 - 7/29/09
I do the same thing I did on the 27th.
Bedroom, Dark Hour
"Sorry to wake you!" …oh come on! We have at least another week! "I detect a Shadow! Please hurry to the 4th floor!"
…these damn things better not start coming early! With that in mind I dress quickly and head to the command room.
"What's going on?"
"There's a Shadow in the city. Yamagishi found it by chance."
"But…the moon isn't full yet."
"Actually, it seems to be just a normal Shadow." Fuuka speaks up. "However, it IS outside of Tartarus…"
What
The
Fuck
You woke me up because of some damn Shadow that any one of us could dispatch easily was running around? Are you fucking kidding me Fuuka? I'm still damn tired because Rio's practically a slave driver.
"It's near Naganaki Shrine. Akihiko went ahead since he was in the vicinity." …I groan. They've gots to be kidding. They send one of our best fighters out to fight one Shadow and wake the rest of us up? "I'm sure he can handle it alone, but let's get ready just in case."
I sigh and throw myself into one of the lounge chairs.
Yup. One weak Shadow = serious business.
There's a beeping from the console. "Yes, this is Fuuka."
"I'm here. Sorry, but I think you guys better come, right away." I know Akihiko did not get his ass handed to him by one weak Shadow…
"What's wrong? Is it a powerful one?" Do you not listen Mitsuru? They only come on Full Moons! Does it look like a full moon to you?
"No, the Shadow's been defeated…in fact, it was already defeated when I got here." huh?
"What happened?"
"The little fella's been injured…I wanna save him if we can."
"Little fella?" I can't help voicing my question.
Yukari shrugs. "I wonder who's he talking about."
"Beats me." Junpei adds.
"At any rate, let's go." Mitsuru starts out the door. You've gots to be kidding…with a sigh I drag myself to Naganaki Shrine.
Naganaki Shrine…
There's a white dog on the ground. It's laying on its side which is covered in blood. Huh. That dog seems familiar. It whines softly. Poor thing.
"Koro-chan! Are you okay, Koro-chan?" Fuuka kneels by the dog.
"You know this dog?" Mitsuru looks between Fuuka and Koromaru.
"Yeah, everyone around here does…we have to help him!" Yukari bites her lip in concern.
"First, we must stop the bleeding."
"Man…He's one tough fighter. He defeated that Shadow all by himself." Eh?
"Wait, does that mean…this dog's a Persona-user?" That's what I was wondering Junpei.
"He says, "This is a place of peace, so I protected it."" Aeon walks forward looking down at Koro-chan. …damn he can be quiet! I didn't even know he was here until just now! "There are flowers over there." he points to the side of the shrine gate.
"Those flowers…they must be for the priest who died in the accident." Fuuka pets Koromaru gently.
"So, he really was guarding this place…"
"Uh, Aeon? Don't tell me you can translate dog language too…"
"Canines do not have their own language, and speech is not the only method of communication."
"This fella really is a rare breed."
"Indeed. Judging by his coat and eye color he seems to be albino as well." Aeon looks over Koromaru.
"Ugh. Figures the robot would know something like that…" Junpei sighs.
"One would swear they detect envy in your voice, Junpei-kun."
"Envy? I'm not jealous of a damn robot!" Junpei snaps. I sigh. Why does Aeon have to goad him?
"Alright, let's report to the Chairman, so we can conclude this mission. As for a vet…It may be midnight, but I believe I can arrange for one."
"Good job, boy. You're one amazing dog…" Yukari pets Koromaru as well.
He gives a weak bark in response. Mitsuru arranges for a vet who places Koromaru on some stretcher. They take him off and we head back to the dorm.
7/30/09
Urgh. Training again…as I enter the dorm at night Fuuka reminds me there's one more week until the next Full Moon Shadow. I guess that means Pharos will visit me tonight.
Bedroom, Dark Hour…
"Good evening…" Pharos as usual is sitting on my bed. "It's becoming quite lively around you. So, how are you getting along with the others?"
"Fine."
"I'm glad to hear that. ..It is one week until the next full moon. Are you prepared…?"
"I believe so."
"To be honest, I'm not too worried about you…" he smiles at this giving me a warm look "however, you should still remain cautious. I'll come to see you again." with that he disappears. I can't believe I feel a bit sad he left so quickly. Shaking my head I go back to sleep.
7/31/09
Training again. Urgh. Tomorrow is the big day.
I decide to go to Tartarus to let off some steam. After making sure Ken is completely asleep we head out. I take Junpei, Aeon and Akihiko with me. I finally found one of those blasted Treasure Hands! Quickly I headed back to the Velvet Room. And he gave me a Toy Bow as a reward…gee thanks Theo. I fuse Ares and Vetala to make Orthrus. As Theo requested he has the skill Dodge Slash. As a reward he gives me…something that probably belongs to Yukari. With that settled I head back into Tartarus but this time for the 2nd block. Yet more scouring for a Treasure Hand. Yay! I was lucky though on the 28th floor there were droves of them. I managed to kill one before it could scamper off.
With that once again I hurry to the Velvet Room. Theo looks shocked when he sees the Steel Metal.
"Hm…you must see that this Treasure Hand was more difficult to defeat than the Wealth Hand." not really Akihiko had one-hit KO'd both of them. "I never thought that you would fulfill this request." What. You gave me a request you didn't think I'd fulfill? Gee thanks for the vote of confidence. "You're just full of surprises. Speaking of surprises, here is your reward." I hope it's not another toy weapon. "Please be careful not to swing it around while in your own world." He gives me a Spiked Bat. …Do I even want to know where he got this? I take the request to find the Supreme Hand in the third block and head back into Tartarus. We run into a whole floor filled with Supreme Hands on the 78th floor so it was easy to finish one off and take the Bronze Medal back to Theo. I leave the tower and hand the Bronze Medal over to Theo. As a reward he gives me a Lacross Stick. I stare at it for a second and he chuckles.
"Despite its appearance it should be very useful to you." So it's enchanted then.
I fuse Rakshasa, Take-Mikuchi, and Tam Lin to created Oumitsunu. Thanks to my link with Rio he is powered up. I fuse Titan, Take-Mikazuchi, and High Pixie to created Jikokuten. I go back to Tartarus to level up Oumitsunu until he's strong enough to fulfill Theo's request. I find Lamia and Power on my trip. My strength has also greatly increased. When Oumitsunu is of the required strength I head back to the Velvet Room. As a reward Theo gives me a Machine Core which will allow me to create Nata Taishi. I then fuse Lamia and Power to create Saravati, she is strengthened by my bond with Fuuka. She's a woman with some sort of instrument in her hands. I withdraw Take-Minakata from the Compendium at the cost of 77,312 yen. With that I head back to the dorm.
End Chapter 10
Answering Reviews Time!
cartoon moomba : actually I have half of the next chapter written by the time I post one up. (Actually Chapter 11 is already complete) but I'm editing it now.
XxXTwilight-SinXxX : I totally did! T_T *pulls hair in shame* I' soo sorry. I could have sworn I did but I read your review and rechecked and was like: O_O Oops.
Ichigo Rocks : Actually I'm sort of stuck between AkihikoxMinako and the other ships that I originally planned on. It's not even intentional. T_T
NightmareSyndrom: Oh yes that scene made me want to slap the mess out of Yukari. And when she wangst later I was prety much like. "HA! That's what happens when you digging into things better left alone!" The game forcing you to comfort her upset me. I would have left her alone.
Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: This chapter should answer most of your questions though…what's with the caps lock?
Hamujiro: I love that pic too! ^_^ Male!Aigis is hot.