AN: Long Chapter is long XD
Chapter 11: Summer Days
8/1/09
Ugh. I stayed in Tartarus way too long. I'm exhausted again. I leave early to head for the train. It doesn't take long to reach the high school where the fellowship will be held.
Yasoinaba High School…
This is where it'll be held. There's a joint practice with the students of this school scheduled for today and tomorrow. It seems the team showed up for this despite not showing for practice. That's pretty rich.
"What a rustic school. There's no convenience stores nearby, and no clubs either. I want all of you to be on your best behavior, okay?" Yeah…whatever Ms. Kanou.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Many of the students from my school are greeting the Yasoinaba students.
"It's a pleasure for us too!" the Yasoinaba students reply.
"Let's start off with basic drills." and trust Rio to be down to business as soon as possible. "Might as well try going all the way to the mountains for our runs. Our region's pretty flat, so this'll be good practice."
"…Aren't we supposed to like, bond in a fellowship?" It's one of the Yasoinaba Students. "Why's she bringing up stuff like basic drills…?" Poor Rio can't catch a break.
"Who's the liar who said that this'd be a paradise with hot springs…?" It's one of the girls from my team. So that's why they bothered to show up.
"Afterwards, let's do a couple sets of muscle training, and then a match." Rio goes on as if they haven't said anything.
"How about…the losing side cleans up afterwards?"
"Whoa, Yuko! What're you doing here?" Rio turns to face the girl from before.
"I've got my reasons. Anyways, wouldn't you guys take the challenge more seriously if there was something at stake?"
"True…"
"It's not like you guys usually care about winning anyways, so why not?" Low blow Yuko. Low blow.
"…Are you saying that's how our team is?" Rio looks us over before sighing in resignation. "Well, maybe you're right. Alright, then not only will the losing school have to clean up…let's add ten wind sprints to the bet!"
"It's up to ten?" Our team gapes at Rio in shock.
"We can't lose…!" the Yasoinaba students start preparing quickly.
…Not too surprisingly we got slaughtered. If our team wasn't completely incompetent, with the exception of Rio and I, we might have won. As it was…the two of us couldn't carry the burden of the whole team on our shoulders.
"Whewww…we're finally finished cleaning up…" I wonder why Yuko helped us though.
"Okay, time for the sprints, then!" leave it to Rio to be cheerful about this.
"…Me too?" Yuko sighs in exhaustion.
"Of course. This was your idea." Rio laughs at this.
"Yes, Ma'am…" with that we finish up cleaning.
Supposedly we're sleeping in an inn.
"Did you hear they have a natural hot spring there? Wanna wash each other's backs later?"
"Uhh, no…"
Rio just laughs. "I'm joking. But man, isn't this fun? Last year's fellowship wasn't too far from our school. This place is so laid back…I love it. That shopping district seems pretty lively, though. What a peaceful town…it'd be nice to live here." some girl with short black hair with a white hair band comes over to us.
"Are you the club members from Gekkoukan High School? The Amagi Inn sent me to get you."
"Huh? Oh, Th-thank you very much. Um…you don't work there, do you?"
The girl shakes her head. "I'm just helping out. I'm Yukiko Amagi, the daughter of the hostess at the Amagi Inn."
"The hostess's daughter…So does that make you a junior hostess? Cool! Oh, are you in high school?" Jeez Yuko.
"No…I'm still in middle school."
"You're in middle school and you're already helping with the family business…?" she looks down at that. "Man, talk about responsible. So are you going to inherit the business?" Nosy much?
"That…I don't know yet."
"…Hey, don't stick your nose in other people's business!" Rio snaps at Yuko.
"Yes, Ma'am…Sorry. People are always telling me I'm nosy."
"Oh, that's all right…" the girl doesn't seem to have minded Yuko's questioning. "It's fun chatting with people from outside town."
"Ah, Yuki-chan! Did you take the car keys?"
"Oh, Kasai-san. Car keys…? Why would I…Huh? What's this?" Yukiko pulls something from her pocket. It looks like car keys. "I-I'm so sorry. I must've mistaken them for my house keys."
The woman is wearing a kimono and walks over to Yukiko. "No worries. Well, I'm heading out to get some groceries."
"Oh, do you want me to go instead?"
"N-No, that's fine! No need to send you on that kind of errand, Yuki-chan! Plus, they'd be too heavy for you…by the way, Chie-chan stopped by. She said she needed help with her homework."
"Oh, okay."
"…Oh, are you all guests? Forgive me for rambling on like that. "I'm a waitress at the Amagi Inn. I hope you enjoy your stay tonight." with that the waitress leaves.
"I'm sorry about the wait. Shall we go? This way please." she leads us to the room we'll be staying in. Most of the day is spent inside Rio is mumbling about something so I take out my book and start reading. Nothing else to do. Before I know it, it's evening.
"So huge…So luxurious…" Yuko wanders into the room. "Is it really okay for people like us to stay here? Won't we get a scolding?"
I shrug. "They invited us. Besides who would scold us anyway?"
"Huh? Um…the government?" …The government? She's kidding right?
"What're you talking about…?" Rio gives Yuko a strange look. I have no idea. "And hey, this isn't your room, Yuko."
"Yeah, about that! You gotta hear this!" Yuko's mood turns agitated quickly. "There was some mistake, and I got stuck in the same room as Kaz!"
"Kaz…You mean Kazushi?" Who's that? "Wait, he's here too? …Huh? Wasn't Kazushi supposed to take part in the tournament?" I keep quiet because I have no clue what the hell they're talking about.
"I was supposed to stay behind…to sort of look after him. He's injured, so we're trying a hot-springs cure! I'm gonna get the most out of this trip by clearing up my skin, too!"
"Huh…wait. Did you say you were in the same room? Kazushi…is a guy, right?'
"He's a big ol' girl on the inside, but on the outside, yeah, he's a guy. Ms. Kanou's assigned the rooms, right? What the hell was she thinking?"
Considering it was Ms. Kanou… "It was probably on purpose." I mean…even she can't be that ditzy. Can she?
"Ugh, I can just see her raving about summer romances and all that crap! Kaz is just a big kid to me…"
"By the way, Kazushi's injured…? Is he okay?"
"No, it's pretty bad. That's why we're relying on the hot-springs cure…ugh, and that idiot didn't say anything about it for the longest time. Thanks to that, it's gotten even worse! He's such an idiot! A total dumbass! He got me so worried!" Huh. Sounds like she's his mother.
"…Sounds like you two are perfect for each other." Rio chuckles a bit at this.
"What? You gotta be jok-Wait, what time is it? Oops, it's time for Kaz's medication. Well, see you later!" she runs out of the room.
"…She can say whatever she wants, but she's taking pretty good care of him. She's kinda like…a mom. Though I know she'd hate it if I told her so." afterwards we decide to take a bath after cleaning up I lazed about on the futon listening to everyone around me talk. I was still tired from my excursion in Tartarus so I kept my interjections to a minimum. Yuko eventually came back and she and Rio started talking, numbly I flip the page of the book I'm reading.
"Hey, isn't there something more appropriate to talk about at times like these?" Huh? What were they talking about before?
"What, like boyfriends?"
"Yep, exactly! Well…I'd be confessing my love if there was anyone I really liked. I'd prefer a thin guy, but he'd have to be athletic. And there's no one at school who fits that description."
"What about Kazushi." Rio chuckles as she says that.
"No way. …Uhh, but I do have this feeling. This is just an if, okay? If Kaz and me don't end up finding someone for a long time. …I get this feeling I might end up getting married to him. Ack, what should I do?"
"What kind of premonition is that…?" That's what I was wondering.
"I mean, he's completely useless without me. There's no way he'll even remember where he keeps his underwear. Imagine him getting old all alone and eating nasty convenience store food every day! It's just so sad!" …she has a…very active imagination.
"That's…very…imaginative."
"No, it's just that obvious! I can tell just by looking at him! …So, what about you, Minako-san? You've got someone you like, right?
"Not yet."
"So you're in the same boat as us. …Does this mean the guys at our school just don't meet our standards?" I guess so.
"You two seem like you're having fun. I really don't get that sort of thing."
"Neither do I actually."
She looks at me in shock. "Really?"
"I've never been in love with anyone."
"Oh."
"I'm not like Yuko who has her life planned out including her future husband." I shoot her a grin. She sighs shaking her head.
"Ugh, I don't want to think any more about a future with Kaz. How about we tell some ghost stories?"
"Hmm, that's fine with me, but I don't scare easily. …I do know a lot of stories, though."
"Let's hear 'em…Although the way you say that is already giving me goose bumps. O-One sec!" she runs off. Don't tell me she's scared of ghosts?
"WH-What do you want? I was gonna go to sleep…"
"Just shut it! Hey guys, I brought him!" Yuko drags a guy who I presume is Kazushi into the room. Hm…he's in my class.
"Hey, this is a girl's room. I'm not allowed to be here!" he looks irritated not that I blame the guy. I'd be pretty damn mad if someone dragged me from my room when I was about to sleep too.
"It's okay. Just stay here, all right?" What is he, her teddy bear? "…Okay, Rio. Do your worst."
"Is he your good luck charm?"
"N-No!" Lies "I just…wanted him here."
"A future with Kaz, eh?" I grin at her.
"No no, I never said that! You're supposed to tell scary stories with four people! That's the rules!" Right. Like anyone's seriously going to believe that Yuko. "C'mon…Hurry up and let's go in order!"
"…Alright. I'll go first. This story's about the tunnel we passed through today…" I stretch my legs a little. This position's a bit cramped-
"EEK! A black out?" Yuko shrieks.
"Ack, don't choke me! Get off! You're stepping on my foot, too!" Poor Kaz. I place my legs back in their earlier position and the lights turn on.
"Whew…The lights are back…Wh-where's the phone?" was that me? Yuko grabs the phone and dials a number. "Hello, front desk? Um, about the blackout just now…There…was no blackout? …Oh, thanks…" she hangs up with a frown. "What're we gonna do? That was a real supernatural phenomenon." Uh…supernatural huh. I look down by my feet. …There's the light switch remote. I pick it up and hide it underneath my bag…What they don't know won't hurt them after all.
"Lights always turn on and off, though." Kazushi looks amused at Yuko's behavior.
"Are you an idiot? The fact that they went out without anyone touching them means…! Ughhh, let's just stop talking about it! I'm pretending that never happened!" We spend the rest of the night gossiping and playing cards. Since Kaz is already in the room he joins in. Yuko's right. He is a big girl inside.
8/2/09
I'm exhausted…and now I have a cold…
We have another joint practice in the morning. Though this time there is no beat. We get ready to head back.
"Well, thanks a bunch for all your help. We'll remember what we learned here and keep trying our hardest."
"Thank you very much!" I guess the girls from our team are happy now because there actually were hot springs here.
"Have a safe trip back." The Yasoinaba students wave us off.
"Guess we should go back too…Hey, you okay?" Kazushi leans over looking at Yuko.
"Yeah…I just didn't get any sleep….I saw…people's faces in the walls."
"You're just exaggerating…Want me to give you a piggyback ride if you're not feelin' well?" He gives her a small smile at that.
"…You moron! Your leg's hurt! What're you talking about? I'd rather give you a piggyback ride!" I wonder if those two realize how funny they sound right now.
Kazushi laughs. "See? You're exaggerating again."
"Please come again." It's Yukiko again.
"Oh, thanks for taking the time to come see us off."
"She said she saw people's faces showing up in the inn's walls." Amused Kazushi gestures towards Yuko at the word she.
"Ack, you idiot!"
"Oh, you saw them too?" Too? "There's always a few at old inns, so there's no need to worry." …that's a really bad joke.
"Always…a few?" And Yuko falls for it hook-line-and-sinker.
Yukiko chuckles. "I'm just joking."
"That was definitely not a joke."
"C'mon. Let's go home." Rio's walking towards the bus.
"Well then, I must part here. Please have a safe trip back." with that she leaves.
"…Don't tell me…She's not a ghost herself, is she? I mean, she was real cute…maybe she was the one!"
"Really cute girls are ghosts? That's all the proof I need to know you're human."
"What? Say that again to my face!"
"Hey, stop tryin' to step on my foot! …Oh that reminds me. I got a call about the tournament a moment ago. They told me Niimura at San High was a no-show. Not only that, they couldn't find him at his house, either."
"Does…that mean he's missing? Did he run away from home? Maybe he was freak out about the competition? …Or, wait…is it because of that Apathy Syndrome thing…?" Or maybe he's stuck in Tartarus…
"No idea….hopefully he shows up soon. He was a great guy."
"Yeah…" they both look really down. "A-Anyways, let's go home! C'mon, let's do our clap and put this to bed!"
"Why're you the one leading the clap…?" regardless with that the join practice trip comes to an end. On the trip back we talk about non-depressing subjects. We don't bring up Apathy Syndrome or the tournament again.
I don't get back to the dorm until late.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"Welcome back." Mitsuru's the first to greet me.
"Yo, how'd the training camp go? Were there any cute girls at their school?" Of course that would be what Junpei would ask.
"Yep!"
"Seriously? Man, I should've gone with you guys…"
"Is that all you ever think about…?" Yukari sighs shaking her head. "I mean the moon's almost full. You shouldn't be joking around like that."
"Yeah, next Thursday, the 6th. Make sure you're ready." Akihiko turns back to his beef bowl.
Bah. With that I head for Paulownia Mall. I spend some time with Mutatsu. Our bond doesn't grow any stronger but it beats staying at the dorm.
8/3/09
I think it got worse…
Theo calls me in the morning to inform me that 2 people are trapped in Tartarus. Joy. No later than I hung up on him than did Yukari call me as well. She asked if I wanted to hang out, so I accepted.
Paulownia Mall, Chagall Café…
"Hm…Let's go shopping after this. Why don't we go look at some clothes? They might have some sales going on." Yukari hums cheerfully she's obviously having fun. "I know that I gotta save up, but I can't hold back when I see a sale going on! …Seriously, talk about a lack of self-control. I'm completely under their thumb!" I chuckle in amusement. "If we end up buying a lot, let's call Junpei and have him carry our stuff back to the dorm."
"Sure."
Yukari laughs. "I'm just joking. If we did something like that to him, he'd never stop complaining about it." Yukari shrugs. We go shopping before going back to the dorm. Of course, shopping with Yukari is a daylong event.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"…Hi, how was your day?" It's Fuuka that greets me this time. "This Thursday the 6th, there will be a full moon. I'm sure a Shadow will appear as well. Please be ready." yeah yeah. I drop the new clothes I bought into my room before going back downstairs.
"Fuuka. We're going to Tartarus tonight."
"YES!" Junpei practically jumps up at that. I shake my head in fond amusement and we're off.
I take Akihiko, Mitsuru and Aeon with me. According to Theo the first person is between the floors of 68 and 73. I'm not in Tartarus ten minutes before I realize I'm too sick. I can't save anyone in this condition. Not only that but I gave my cold to both Akihiko and Mitsuru. Ugh.
I'm not happy about it but we have to leave Tartarus.
8/4/09
My cold is still here. I can't save anyone yet. I head for Iwatodai Strip Mall…but I don't want to give my cold to the old couple. I spend the rest of the day wandering aimlessly. There are way too many Apathy Syndrome victims hanging about.
The sun is setting so I head back to the dorm. I go straight to bed.
8/5/09
My cold is gone now. Thankfully. I hang out with Maiko for a few hours before heading to Bookworms. Nothing of note happens though.
Dorm, 1st floor
"Oh, hey." Yukari greets me when I walk in. "Tomorrow is the day…Are you ready?"
"Yep." My cold is gone so I'm pretty okay.
"Me too. Let's do our best!"
"Fuuka. We're going to Tartarus again." with that we head for Tartarus. Luckily Akihiko and Mitsuru have gotten over their colds as well.
Tartarus…
I take Mitsuru, Akihiko and Aeon with me today to search for the missing people. I hope they're okay…we find the woman on the 69th floor and the boy on the 83rd. Afterwards we quickly leave Tartarus. I'm getting sick of winding up on pitch black floors.
8/6/09
There's going to be a Full Moon Shadow tonight. Fantastic. I lounge around my room all day watching TV and eating.
Dark Hour, Dorm Command Room…
Everyone even the Chairman is here today. Aeon is shifting through something that looks like ammo preparing for his first full moon battle.
"Well, it's a full moon once again." Thanks for stating the obvious Chairman.
"Any luck, Yamagishi?"
"Yes, I've located it…and this time, it's not just an ordinary one."
"Now, that's more like it." Akihiko grabs his equipment out of the bag and starts putting it on.
"It's by the deserted houses in the northern part of Iwatodai. But, there is one thing that's strange…It seems like it's underground…almost ten meters."
"It must be in some kind of basement…" Yukari is preparing as well.
"My records show that there is no such structure in the area. Though, in the past there was an underground military facility…it was being used back then."
"The military? …Is that true?"
"Well, the architectural and geographical data for the area were uploaded into his memory bank. Then again, the information hasn't been updated in a decade." …you make a state of the art humanoid robot and don't bother updating it?
"He's right." Aeon nods.
"Uh, wouldn't that be a good idea?" I agree Junpei. Why the hell they haven't updated Aeon's database is something I will never understand.
"So, how should we interpret this?" Akihiko's placed his armor on as well.
"There's no way of knowing without actually going there…" Fuuka frowns.
"It seems war's scars may be deeper than we think…the situation is still unclear at this time. Therefore, we will wait until we arrive to determine who should be deployed." Mitsuru grabs her equipment as well.
"Agreed." Akihiko grabs the thunder bracers and equips them.
"Understood." Aeon looks over at me before I guess…he's finished loading his ammo…where the hell did he put it?
"Alright let's go." I grab my equipment as well.
Mitsuru nods and we leave.
Iwatodai northern harbor, underground facility entrance…
This is supposedly the place.
"The target should be around here…" Aeon frowns and turns around.
"Well done…" who the hell is that? An Aeon has really good senses!
"Who are these guys? Lucia didn't sense a thing 'til now!"
Two guys are behind us by the doorway. One has yellow eyes and greasy looking gray hair. He's pale and sickly looking and for some reason isn't wearing a shirt. He has tattoos on his arms as well. The second guy has blue hair and is wearing glasses, his eyes appear to be blue as well. He's a healthier complexion than the other guy and is wearing a grey jacket and blue pants.
"This is the first time we've met in person." Greasy guy says this. "My name is Takaya. This is Jin." he gestures to glasses boy. "We are known to some as Strega. We've been keeping an eye on you…From what we hear, you've undertaken a "righteous" battle to save the world. But, we've come here tonight to put an end to that dream." oh. So they're here to kill us.
"Do you see your odds?" I can't help but say.
"Hm?"
"Look around you. It's six against two." I wasn't going to mention the fact that Fuuka had never been in a battle before.
He just chuckles. "Who ever said anything about a fight?"
"What?" Akihiko glares at him.
"We're not going to fight you. Despite your efforts this land still crawls with sin…and Tartarus is towering as beautifully as always."
"So you know about Tartarus."
"But, why the hell would you wanna stop us?" exactly Junpei. They should be trying to help.
"Simple." Jin shakes his head. "If the Shadows and the Dark Hour disappear, then so will our power." He's gots to be joking. "…And we can't let that happen, now can we?"
"Power…? Don't tell me you're Persona-users as well!" …considering they're not in coffins and came down here that's pretty obvious at this point Mitsuru.
"Why don't you use that pretty little head of yours for a change? Only a select few wield the power of a Persona…and the Dark Hour is a frontier that is ours alone to explore. Just like the Tower of Demise." Takaya shakes his head at Mitsuru. Huh guess he's not aware that there's people like the Chairman completely unable to use a Persona but aware during the Dark Hour.
"That's your reason? Are you crazy? There's no telling what will happen if we don't do something about the Shadows!" Yukari's pissed too. …can we just beat the shit out of them and get it over with?
"What difference does it make…? There will always be disasters, whether they are caused by Shadows or arise from human folly. No one can predict the future, anyway." And there you go contradicting yourself. "But, that is all beside the point…Surely you will acknowledge the sense of significance the Dark Hour has given you."
…
"I-…" I can't lie. It has made me feel more significant…but for all that…
"How about the rest of you…? Do you also wish to return to your pathetic ordinary lives?" I never even had a pathetic ordinary life. I always had to deal with this blasted Hour.
"…Huh?"
"You think I like this!" Yukari looks angry.
"…" Akihiko and Junpei both look away.
"I don't enjoy this one single bit." Fuuka's voice is firm despite its softness.
"You've each got your own reason for fighting. "Justice" is only an excuse…and that makes you all hypocrites! So I say to hell with you!" Jin kicks the door and it begins closing shut. Shit! I can't reach it in time.
"Wha…!" Akihiko runs forward.
"Have fun in there!" with that last parting shot Jin and Takaya turn and walk away right before the doors shut. Damn those two…the next time I see them they're getting an ass-kicking! Akihiko tugs on the door to no avail.
"Damn it! They locked us in!"
"We'll be fine." Aeon is calm as always. "Rather than wasting time we should hurry and deal with the Shadow."
"You're right. If we lose our cool, then they win." Yukari nods in agreement.
"The Shadow's moving! I think it's noticed us!" Fantastic. It's just one thing after another isn't it.
"Alright, let's concentrate on our original goal. We can look for a way out after we've won. Everyone, prepare for battle. Minako…I suggest you take three others. The others should be left behind just in case."
"Alright. Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Aeon the three of you come with me!" They nod and with that we're off. As we're walking down we see a weapons depot. I look around and spot a journal before I can reach it-
"We're wasting time." Aeon grabs my wrist and drags me the rest of the way. Damn it! "The target is fleeing. We need to reach it quickly before it reaches an area where it has an advantage.
"The target has stopped. It's reached the next area!" Aeon shakes his head.
"Doubtlessly the creature will have an advantage in that area. We must proceed with caution."
"Yeah yeah, let's go." I run forward. There are tracks…looks like it might belong to a tank or something.
Underground military facility, deepest area…
…and the damn thing is a tank. Damn it.
"This explains the tread marks…It's using the tank as armor! Get ready, everyone! Here it comes!" It's a good thing I brought Aeon.
The tank charges at us but we jump out of the way.
"Its Arcana is Justice…Wait, it's Chariot? What the-why am I sensing two entities…? It doesn't make sense!" Oh come on! It's bad enough the Tartarus Shadows come in packs! I use Setenta's Power Charge on myself. Akihiko lower's its attack, Mitsuru uses Bufula and Aeon uses kill rush the bloody tank poisons Mitsuru. Akihiko lowers its defense and Mitsuru cures herself. I use Twin Shot on the stupid Tank. Luckily it does a good amount of damage. Akihiko throws a dis-poison at Mitsuru who heals herself…and…what the hell? The damn thing separates into two?
"I see now. The vehicle and turret are different types: one's Chariot and the other's Justice. They seem to be coordinating their attacks, too. Please be careful!" …I just wish Fuuka could be a bit quicker with that. We focus on the turret since it's about to fall. Yes! It's…WHAT THE FUCK? The damn other one revived it! That's bullshit! I use Cadenza because the damn tank lands critical hits on both Mitsuru and Akihiko. Akihiko lowers both Shadows' attack. We keep hacking at the turret again. Ah. The damn things rejoined. They're both in critical condition when they separate now. I finish off the turret again right before Akihiko finishes off the tank. What a pain.
As we head back to the doorway Mitsuru contacts the Chairman.
"This is Mitsuru. We've neutralized the target."
"Good work. You may return." That's great and all…but…
"Wait. There's more…our mission was interrupted by an uninvited guest. …He's most likely a Persona-user."
"A Persona-user?"
"…And he wasn't alone. They appeared quietly during the Dark Hour and seemed to be aware of our activities."
"Hmm…Did they say anything that might give us a clue?"
"Come to think of it…They said they're called "Strega"."
"Strega…? …I'll see what I can find out."
"Thank you. I have one final thing to report. I regret to inform you that we fell right into Strega's trap, and now we're locked inside here."
"Ah, I see. Since the threat has been eliminated, I'll send someone over as soon as I can."
"I'm sorry…We'll be waiting."
With that she ends the call.
"So can I get that book now?" Aeon frowns and shakes his head.
"It is too dangerous."
"Oh come on!"
"He's right Arisato. It would be best if we just stayed here."
I grumble and sit on the ground. Gah. It's going to be a long wait.
Nearly 20 minutes later the stupid door opens up. Mitsuru nods to the man who opened the door. I'm not sure who it is. With that we head back for the dorm, I walk into my room and throw myself onto the bed. Urgh. Stupid…greasy pale skinned weirdo.
8/7/09
Hm…I'm tired today. It's a Friday so…ugh. I wait until mid afternoon before heading to Duck Duck Burger. No sooner than I collect my order than do I head back into my room. I eat, play some games and go to bed .
Bedroom, Dark Hour…
"Hi, how are you?" Hm? Pharos? I didn't expect to see him for another month. I sit up.
"I'm fine."
He smiles at this. "I'm glad to hear that. I wanted to tell you that I remembered something else…the end won't be brought about by anyone in particular…It's coming because there are many people who wish for it. As if it was destined from the start. But, doesn't that seem like a strange thing to wish for?"
Death? Not really.
"I can see why people would wish for it."
"I see…Well, I suppose some people would choose death over suffering. Otherwise, one might end up hating everything in this world…Well, enough about that for now. There's something else I wanted to tell you today…Soon, the poisonous flowers will bloom…One in your own garden, and three in the garden opposite yours." Hm…I wonder if he's talking about Strega? Granted there was only 2 guys but it's not unconceivable that there would be a third. Would explain why Fuuka couldn't sense them as well… "I don't know whether or not this has anything to do with the end, but you should be careful."
"Thanks for the warning."
He chuckles. "I'm happy to hear that from you. I'll come again if I find out anything useful. That's what friends are for, right?" He gives me a small smile.. I feel as though our bond has strengthened and my inner strength has increased.
"Well then…good night. My dearest…" he disappears. And yeah…the whole my dearest bit is still creepy as hell. I shake my head before going back to sleep.
8/8/09
I'm no longer tired thankfully. My phone is ringing. I answer it.
"Hello? This is Theodore. I sense intense power deep within Tartarus. It seems a path that was blocked is now open…Please be careful. Have a nice day." With that he hangs up. Shrugging I place my phone back on the table and go take a shower. It's still early when I finish getting dressed.
Someone's knocking at my door. "It's me…" Mitsuru apparently. "I'm sorry to bother you while you're resting, but can I have a word with you?
I get up and open the door.
"Good morning. There's something I need to tell everyone…but I think it would be best if you saw it for yourself. Come to the 4th floor meeting room when you get home tonight, okay? I'll see you then." with that she leaves.
I head to Naganaki Shrine to hang out with Maiko…but…is she crying? What happened?
"What's wrong Maiko?"
"I can't handle it anymore! Mom and Dad just keep fighting. I yelled at them to please stop fighting so much. …But they just told me to leave them alone. …So I made up my mind! I have to run away from home!"
"You've already decided?"
"Yup!" …this is insanity. The girl could get herself killed or worse pulling this sort of stunt. "I'm really, really gonna run away! I'd better start packing soon…So…What do you think I need to pack if I'm running away from home? I'll need lots of snacks, right? What about my health insurance card?" …good grief.
"That's good enough." She's not going to go far is she?
"Really? Wow! Running away is easier than I thought!" …I can't believe I'm encouraging this madness. "Now…I just have to decide when I can sneak out."
"Be sure to come to me first alright Maiko?" At least I'll have some clue as to where she is if her parents show up.
She nods. "Don't worry, I'm going to be just fine, okay?" she gives me a small smile. "I'm gonna miss you, though…" she frowns at this. "It won't be easy to be alone." I feel our relationship strengthening. …and my inner strength increased. I sigh inwardly. "Once I run away, Mom and Dad will have to work together to find me. This is gonna be great! It takes a lot of hard work to get ready to run away…" with that she runs off. I head for Bookworms.
Iwatodai Strip mall, Bookworms Book Store…
When I enter the shop I can't help but notice how gloomy it feels in here. Did something happen?
"…Dear, Minako-chan is here. So, would you please cheer up…?" Mitsuko's crying? What the hell happened?
"I understand their reasoning…But…But if…if that tree is gone…if that tree is removed, I feel like the memory of my son will vanish with it." she's upset but at least I understand why now. So that rumor about the tree being cut down wasn't just a rumor then.
"Don't worry so much." I force a smile onto my face.
"…You'll understand once you've been a parent, Minako-chan. All parents think about their children. For me, that tree represents my son. It's something to remember him by…" she looks so sad…
"…Apparently, the rumor was true…They really are going to cut down the persimmon tree…So, we went to the school to say goodbye. But, that just reminded Mitsuko of our son's death." They're both really depressed right now. No wonder the atmosphere is so gloomy.
"It'll be okay." I hope it will…
"See, dear. That's exactly what I said! If you keep crying all the time, then what will your admires think? Right, Minako-chan?"
I nod quickly and Mitsuko smiles a bit at our behavior. I feel closer to the two of them as a result…and my inner strength increases. …I always feel like a damn parasite when I come here, feeding off their grief. Ugh. The sun is setting.
"Stop by anytime. My wife feels like she's back in her days in a girls' high school whenever you're around. And of course, I'm always happy to see a looker. Here, take this for when you get hungry." he stuffs some sort of bread in my pocket.
"Bye!" I wave goodbye to the two of them and head back to the dorm.
Dorm, Command Room…
Mitsuru's meeting apparently involved everyone.
"Aeon do you know what this is about?" he shakes his head.
"I was only told to report here in the evening. Do we have a new mission?"
"I dunno. But, the alarm's not ringin'…" with that Mitsuru walks in with…a dog? Is that the dog from before?
"Huh?"
"Koro-chan?"
Koromaru barks in response he sits by Mitsuru's side diligently.
"Are you okay? …Where'd you get this collar?" It's a strange mechanical device with wings on it. …What is with that collar?
"That collar is designed to help control his Persona. In other words, it's an Evoker for dogs." Mitsuru answers. So we get a bloody gun and he gets angel wings?
"Wait…does that mean he'll be going into battle?" Yukari's right…Mitsuru can't be serious. A dog?
"It was a surprise for me as well. But according to the tests, it's quite possible. In fact, it was the Chairman's suggestion. …We'll be looking after him here in the dorm."
"Is that okay with you, Koro-chan?" Fuuka looks at Koromaru who barks happily in response.
"He said. "I'll return the favor."…" trust Aeon to understand that.
"Man, you're one loyal dog." To Yukari's comment he barks a bit louder.
"Welcome?" …what? It's a dog! He barks again.
"Hey, make yourself at home…the more the merrier, right? Who cares if you're a dog? Alright, I'll take him for a walk. It's a summer break after all!" Okay then Junpei.
"Yes, it is." …why did I get a bad feeling from that? "Enjoy your vacation while you can; summer classes start next week." Oh Hell No! "I'll see to it that you graduate."
"What the-!" I can't even finish my sentence.
"H-Hey…Good one, Senpai. You almost had me there." Junpei laughs.
"Oh, it's no joke. We'll be taking intensive courses. I've already applied for all of us." All of us? Oh hell no! What the hell Mitsuru? "I know how difficult it's been balancing school and our late night excursions. You haven't had much time to study. I apologize for that. That's why the Chairman agrees that this is a good idea. …I thought I told Takeba and Yamagishi." I whirl to glare at the two of them. They knew about this?
"Are you serious? This is the first I've heard of it!" Exactly Junpei.
"Umm, sorry…I forgot to mention it." …I want to strangle you so much right now Fuuka.
"Aw, man!"
"Hey, with your grades, you should be thanking her!" Yukari's right, Junpei's scores are horrendous.
"Yeah right." Junpei snarls.
"But- My grades are fine!"
Mitsuru simply shakes her head. "There's always room for improvement, Arisato. Not that your scores aren't impressive."
Always room for improvement? DAMN IT MITSURU! You'll pay for this!
He sighs. "This sucks."
"I wish I were dead…"
"W-Well, it's only for a few weeks, so let's make the most of it…" Bah. You didn't even give me fair warning, Fuuka.
Shaking my head I leave for Paulownia Mall. I might as well see if Theo has any new requests. After accepting a couple of requests I head for the Police Station.
"…You're here. Take this box." No sooner than I'm in the door than does Officer Kurosawa shove a box at me.
"Uh…" I look down at the box in confusion.
"That? That's a token of gratitude the missing housewife left with us. You rescued her, right? I won't ask questions. Just take it."
I open the box. There's six glittering emeralds inside.
"Also…they found that missing schoolboy the other day. I tried questioning him, but…his answers didn't make any sense. He said some kids saved him from an attack by a black thing…He left a reward with us, so I'll hand it over to you." He gives me a skill card for the skill Divine Grace. "Oh by the way, I got some new things in. Take a look." I buy some new weapons and armor for Mitsuru, Akihiko and myself and sell some old equipment and things I found in Tartarus.
I leave and go ahead and talk to President Tanaka. "Before I enlighten you today…do you notice anything different about me?"
Huh? Not really. But…he wouldn't have asked if there wasn't something different.
"Uh…"
"…And you call yourself a young lady?" he hmphs in agitation. I guess I must've offended him. "I had an appointment at the spa for a facial peel…Isn't my skin simply radiant now?" …right… "I'm afraid it's all part of the job; I have my fans to think of…at home, I'm completely the opposite. I dress like a slob and only shower once every three days." Uh…ew. "Let me give you an analogy…" he trains off in thought. "…Vegetables! Perfect!" his sudden exclamation startles me. "Imagine an organically grown cucumber that looks deformed…compare that to a cucumber that looks perfect, but was grown using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Which one do you think the supermarket would stock?"
"The one that looks good." obviously.
"That's the simple truth…" he sighs and goes once again into thought. "Awkward-shaped cucumbers are difficult to stack, so stores prefer nice straight ones. Taste and safety are not really considered. Instead, they carry cucumbers that even mold won't eat. So, why do consumers still buy these cucumbers when they know the truth? Simple. People trust what they see. Appearance matters most. That's why, as much as I hate spending money, I buy expensive ties to win people's trust. Wait! You remember what I just said…?" Duh. You just said it. "About me dressing like a slob and not showering everyday…Don't tell ANYONE! I can't afford to have people start believing I'm ordinary! …I only said it because it was you. You're the only one who knows…" That's mildly disturbing and flattering at the same time. I think I understand him a bit more now…and…yup my inner strength has increased. "Just a reminder: don't tell anyone. If you break your promise…" I prepare myself for another of his unimaginative threats. "…Well, I guess I can trust you. Run along, now…" a little stunned at this I walk back to the dorm.
8/9/09
It's Sunday…So I decide to head to the Shrine again. I walk over to striped shirt as Maiko called him. "Hello…I'm looking for my fountain pen. Please tell me if you find it. Perhaps the creature with white fur and bright red eyes kidnapped it…" white fur? Red eyes? He doesn't mean Koromaru does he? Why would Koromaru steal his pen? I draw a fortune apparently I'll have good luck. I find 10000 yen and a lucky charm! Whoot! I head back to the dorm afterwards.
"Hello." Mitsuru greets me while I walk in. "I was just talking to everyone about what to do with Koromaru…It's about his exercise. Could you take him out for a walk at night, if he seems to need one?" Okay…I head upstairs and see Koromaru…hm? There's something red under his paw. I move Koromaru's paw gently. Ah. It's a blood red fountain pen. So he did steal it. He whines a little after I take it and wags his tail. Eh. I guess I can walk him since I'm taking the pen. I take him out for a walk.
"Minako, do you mind if I come along?"
"Huh? Oh Aeon, I don't mind." with that the three of us head out. Koromaru is running around barking in excitement.
"Koromaru seems very happy. He's able to go on his walks, come here with his friends…while I'm trapped in that room most of the time…"
Oh. I feel guilty now. I had wondered what he was doing while the rest of us went out and such but…
"Now…there are not too many Shadows left. Just four more Full Moon Shadows to defeat before our mission is complete." Aeon is watching Koromaru run around now. "The members of Strega seem to be working against us. We should be cautious at all times."
I nod. "Yeah…we can't afford to be trapped like that again."
Koromaru is digging in the sand near the playground I watch him do so for a while in amusement.
"He's happy here." Aeon's voice is rather soft. "It reminds him of the Priest. This place has many happy memories for him."
"Do you have any happy memories Aeon?" No sooner had I asked than then did I regret it. Aeon appeared thoughtful.
"Playing…with all of you at the beach. That is a happy memory for me."
"Before that?" …damn. I can't keep my blood mouth shut!
"…I don't remember much. Just walking up and knowing I had to find you…to be by your side."
Strange…he had been in operational for ten years and the first thing he thinks when he wakes up is to find me? Why me of all people?
"Do you…know why?"
He shakes his head. "I am unsure as to why I want to be by your side other than the fact that I do."
"Huh…" Aeon looks around the Shrine.
"So…this must be the place where the Summer Festival I have heard about will be held. For what reason is it required for females to clothe oneself in a "yukata"…? I would like to come here tomorrow to see why."
Is he asking me to take him to the Summer Festival? I shake my head no way. Not even going there.
Koromaru trots back up to us. He barks happily. I guess he's done playing.
"Welcome back." Aeon gives Koromaru a small smile. "Shall we return to the dorm? Let us come here again, Koromaru-san." with that the three of us head back. I decide to go to sleep for the night.
8/10/09
…Damn summer school begins today…damn it!
I feel much smarter but…eh…
As soon as I get back to the dorm I throw myself into bed in depression. This sucks.
8/11/09
Again I head back to school.
Oh for the love of-! Mr. Edogawa? Come on!
"Well, let's talk about something interesting today. All you future magicians will want to pay close attention…eeeheehee…" how the hell does this man still have his job? "Today's subject is Tarot." Wait…this might…actually be useful! "That's right, those cards often used in fortune-telling." I lean forward paying close attention to what he's saying.
"Originating in 15th century Europe as normal playing cards, tarot cards evolved into tools of divination. A variety of different versions of tarot card decks exist, including the Marseille and Rider decks…But today, in respect of the great magician Crowley, we will be using the Thoth deck. First, let's talk about the composition of the deck…The modern 78-card tarot deck is divided into two parts. There are 22 Major Arcana-the face cards-and 56 Minor Arcana, or number cards. The Minor Arcana are also sometimes called pips." Whatever man get to the Major Arcana already!
"The Major Arcana feature a variety of illustrations on their faces." I don't care what's on them! What the hell do they mean? "Beginning with "The Fool" and ending with "The World"…they tell a story in numerical order that is a metaphor of an individual's journey through life. Each Major Arcana represents a stage on that journey…" Journey? Does this "Journey" have to do with my destiny? "…an experience that the individual must incorporate to realize his oneness. They are all important, so let's take a look at each of the 22 cards, one by one. The first card, numbered 0, is The Fool. It represents the beginning and suggests infinite possibilities." Suddenly Igor's and Pharos' words about the vast potential in me makes sense. So…I'm the Fool? At least it's not as bad as my initial thoughts. "The next card, The Magician, represents action and initiative…but also immaturity." HA! That describes Junpei perfectly!
"The Priestess represents contemplation and inner knowledge. The Empress represents motherhood and the life it brings forth. The Emperor is an opposing card. It represents fathering and relates to leadership and decision-making skills." I can't help but think of Hidetoshi…hm… "The Hierophant represents formality and knowledge, and stands for religion. The Lovers card represents choice. Here, the individual's consciousness has finally surfaced. The Chariot represents victory for the individual, but only a momentary one. Justice represents the knowledge of what is right, and what is wrong. The Hermit represents the individual's search for answers by looking inward, deep inside his heart. Fortune represents fate, and the opportunities that come with it. Strength represents both passion and self-control. It is depicted as power with reason. The Hanged Man reflects the individual's inability to take action. Spiritual death awaits the individual with the 13th card, which is aptly named Death." …Pharos… "Death is considered a transitional card…the old ends, and the new begins." he did show up exactly when my life became a damn mess.
"Now, let us continue along the path, following the transition. Temperance is the balancing of opposites. Opening his eyes to the world allows the individual to grow…and as The Devil represents, he then faces temptation…At The Tower, his values collapse on him. It seems as if he no longer has anything to believe in, but…he then finds a glimmer of hope, represented by The Star; and he is suffused with a serene calm. This bliss makes him vulnerable to the illusions of The Moon. Fears arise, and he follows the dim path in his heart with trepidation…but he is rewarded with a bright future, represented by The Sun, which signifies true achievement. Judgment awaits the individual at the end of his journey, as he looks back on the path he has traveled. The final card is The World, which represents the individual's full awareness of his place in the world. That is the growth of an individual as explained by the tarot cards." …that…was useful but not exactly in the way I hoped. …Actually, I think I'm even more confused now. He goes on about the minor Arcana but I'm no longer listening. Ugh…It's so hot.
8/12/09 - 8/14/09
…I'm stuck in school and go directly to bed afterwards. Nothing special happens.
8/15/09
I head to school in the morning but luckily it's the last day.
Finally damn summer school is over! I head back to the dorm.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
Aeon is standing in a corner keeping watch over everyone.
"Hey Aeon."
He gives me a small smile. "I have observed what happens during the Summer Festival. It seems to be a very interesting event. I'm looking forward to seeing you wear a yukata, Minako."
Okay…with that I nod and go over to Koromaru.
He looks hungry. I open the bag of holding and give him that dog food Fuuka and I made a while ago. He gobbles it down happily his tail wagging.
"That good huh?"
He barks in response and goes right back to eating. I can't help but chuckle in amusement. It doesn't take him too long to finish either.
"Can I pet you?" I don't know if he'd like me randomly touching him. After I ask though, he snuggles up to me so I guess that's an okay. I run my fingers through is soft fur. He's been very well taken care of and smells clean. He doesn't seem to react negatively to me doing so either. I feel a bit close to him as well.
Thou art I
And I am Thou
Thou hast established a new bond
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana
…A dog? Really? Oh whatever. Koromaru stretches out in my lap I spend most of the night just playing with him.
8/16/09
The festival is today…my phone rings…
"Hello? It's Akihiko. There's a festival at the Naganaki Shrine today…Wanna come with?"
"Sure."
"All right, then I'll see you later."
I nod but pause. …Aeon said he wanted to see me in a yakuta…should I wear one? I frown. Those things are ridiculously tight and hard to move in…but…Aeon's been trapped in that room all this time. I sigh heavily. I'll wear one some other time. I head out in my normal clothes. Akihiko and I will probably end up sparring anyways.
Naganaki Shrine…
The shrine is filled with people eating food and playing games. There are stands are every kind set up. Striped Shirt isn't here today.
"Wow, looks like business is booming. There's a lot of people too…make sure you don't get separated, okay?" what is with him treating me like I'm four?
"Should we hold hands?" I add sarcastically.
"What're you talking about? I don't treat you that much like a kid, do I?" I just look at him. "C'mon, let's go pay a visit to the shrine first." we head over to the shrine but right next to it is a food stand. I think it's the same takoyaki stand Theo got his gift from.
"…Something smells good. Takoyaki, huh…Wanna share one? It's my treat."
"Sure."
"Excuse me, one takoyaki please."
"Ooh, you're a fine lookin' man. You get an extra one, hot stuff!" she winks at him and I bit my cheek to keep from laughing. "Say, is this your girlfriend?" and promptly stop. Eh? Girlfriend? "Ahh, the gold ol' days of youth."
"Th-That's not it! Oh…Um.." Embarrassed at his outburst Akihiko places a takoyaki in his mouth. …he does realize those things are hot right?
"…!" Well…He does now anyway. "That was a dangerous bout…but I came out victorious in the end." he chuckles. "Here," he passes me one "eat up." I go ahead and eat. We end up buying some more. It's really good. We spend most of the time walking around the shops and pointing at random interesting things.
"Masks…I remember those." Akihiko is looking at a vast collection of masks at one of the stands. "500 yen, huh…? I can actually afford these now. …They were too expensive for me to buy when I was a kid. When I came to festivals, I'd just wander around and go home because I couldn't buy anything. Now I actually have the money…" he looks at the masks. Hm? How strange…why would there be a mask with a blue butterfly?
"Uh…can I have the blue butterfly mask?"
Akihiko turns to me. "Blue butterfly?"
"Right there." I point to it. It's in the middle of all the masks. The mask owner looks a bit shocked to see it there. Surely it can't be a surprise?
"Oh…right. 500 yen please." I nod and give him the money. …this mask was only worth 500 yen? It's beautifully decorated and feels like velvet.
"What a strange mask…" Akihiko looks over it as well. I nod in agreement. Something though…draws me to this mask. I run my fingers over it and feel a bit…strange. As if I should remember the significance of it but refuse to.
"Hey!" A game attendant is calling out to me. I turn to him. "You two! Would you like to play Lucky Draw? All you do is pick a ball! It's easy! And, everyone's a winner!"
"Lucky Draw, huh…? I've always doubted whether it's really possible to win the stuff on display. Give it a try, Minako. I'll pay for it." I nod and he pays the man I stick my hand inside the big box that the game attendant hold out to me. The box is filled with individually numbered balls. I stir them around before grabbing one.
"Whoa! Congratulations! Man, you've got some luck to win something at our booth, miss!"
I arch a brow. "What happened to everyone's a winner?"
"Uh…here's your prize…It's a Jack Frost Doll!" It's a miniature Jack Frost. I take it smiling.
"It would've been amazing if you'd one first place…" Yeah…sadly I didn't. "Though I'd hate for you to use all your luck here, of all places." I hold the doll out to Akihiko, he did pay for it after all. "Oh, you're the one who drew the win, so the prize is yours."
"Oh. Thanks!" Now where am I going to put this thing? It's dark now…
"It's completely dark out. Looks like we've been here for quite a while. I had fun taking a breather today. …Thank you."
"Want to race back?"
"The doll…"
"Uh…" we walk most of the way. I look around, make sure no one's watching and shove the doll and mask in the bag of holding. "Okay let's go."
We race the rest of the way. I beat Akihiko again. HA!
I go straight to bed afterwards.
8/17/09
…what to do...what to do...I need to go see Maiko. I hope she hasn't run off yet.
Naganaki Shrine…
"I was waiting for you…" she smiles at me as I walk up to her. "Thanks for all your help, but…I have to say bye for now. Yup, I have to run away now." she frowns while saying this. "Remember not to tell Mom and Dad, okay? …Bye!" with that she runs off. I sigh and rub my temples. I sit on the bench for a good fifteen minutes before I decide to follow her. It's just too dangerous for someone her age to be wandering off. I head for the shrine exit when a woman runs up to me.
"Hey, you!"
Eh?
"Uh…"
"Have you seen a little girl? She's in elementary school…" she looks nervous. Wait…is she's Maiko's mother? A man comes up behind her. He's rather stern looking.
"Just calm down and think damn it!"
"Calm down? Calm down! What if something happens to her!"
"Oh please! This is what happens when you force a child to study non-stop!" The two of them start a shouting match. I shake my head. No wonder Maiko ran away if this is what she constantly has to deal with.
"This is ridiculous! Look, you're Minako, right? …I heard about you from Maiko. She said she hung out with a high school kid instead of practicing piano." Huh.
"This is the first time I've heard of it!" the woman shrieks and I cringe. What is with people screaming around me? "You didn't teach her anything funny, did you?"
"What-?" before I can even say anything she's calling me names and screaming at me. Oh fuck this I'm leaving.
"Shut up," the man snaps at her "and stop jumping to stupid conclusions." he pulls her from out of my face. "Look…we're Maiko's parents." kind of figured that. "And, basically, we haven't seen Maiko since this morning. We found a note in her room that said: "I'm running away. -Maiko."
"She's never done anything like this before!" Her mother is pale and wringing her hands.
"Look let's just go look for her okay?" Though…Maiko's dreams are going to be crushed. So much for her parents working together to find her.
"Y-Yeah. I'm sure she must be around here somewhere." Maiko's dad nods.
"Why, Maiko…?" Maiko's mom starts to cry.
"Listen, girl…if you have any idea where she is, I'm begging you to tell us."
Now…if I was Maiko's age and wanted somewhere safe to go, where would I…wait…she'd probably get something to eat first.
"She's most likely at the takoyaki stand."
"The takoyaki stand?" he looks confused for a moment. "Oh, that takoyaki stand! Hurry, let's go!" He grabs my wrist and drags me to the takoyaki stand. What the fuck is with people grabbing me? Granted I could get him to let go but I don't want to injure him by accident. Sighing I let myself be dragged. Ugh. One of these days someone is going to grab me when I'm in a bad mood and that'll be the end of their wrist.
Iwatodai strip mall, takoyaki stand "Octopia"…
Maiko's sitting on a bench looking forlorn. I sigh in relief. If she hadn't been here…
Maiko's mom runs over to her. "There you are!"
"Mom! Dad! Oh…you came too?" Gee thanks Maiko. "Well I…Um…I…" she looks scared. Did something happen? She was only gone fifteen minutes! "Are you okay, darling? Are you hurt? What happened…?" her mother runs up to her and grips her shoulders tightly.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay…" Maiko's eyes are wide when she nods. Probably didn't expect her mom to have such a reaction.
"Oh, what a relief…" her grip losses on Maiko's shoulders. The scared look on her face is replaced by anger. "How dare you run away from home! DO you have any idea how worried I was? You almost gave me a heart attack young lady!"
"Geez, calm down! Can't you tell she's scared?" Maiko's father yanks Maiko's mom's off Maiko. I really wish they had told me their names. Thinking of them as Maiko's Mom and Maiko's Dad is making me dizzy.
"Y-You guys made me worry too! I was so scared…" Maiko begins to cry. "You said you were getting a divorce, and I didn't know what to do! I don't want you to get divorced because of me…!" with that she starts out bawling.
"Oh, so that's what this is all about…" Maiko's dad sighs. "We're really sorry, Maiko. Why don't we go home and talk about this?" he turns to me. "I'm not sure what to say…I'm sorry we pulled you into this."
Maiko walks up to me sniffling. "…I told you to keep it a secret…but…thank you…" I smile warmly at her and wipe some of the tears from her eyes. I feel stronger inside now. "…Bye…" I wave goodbye as Maiko leaves with her parents. I head for Paulownia Mall. Theo wanted to visit Naganaki Shrine.
I pick him up at the Velvet Room and we head to Naganaki Shrine.
Naganaki Shrine…
"So this is a shrine…I see…I'm sensing mysterious presences here…They're different from the Shadows." What? Do not tell me all that nonsense about ghosts was true? "See, there's one behind you.." I turn around and…nothing's there. Damn it Theo! I whirl back around and glare at him.
"…Please don't glare at me so. I was only joking."
"Well it wasn't funny!"
"Now then…The first order of business is to worship at the shrine, correct?"
"Huh? Oh yeah…do you know how?"
"O-Of course I do." and he pouts while blushing. He looks so cute when he does that. "First, I put the coins in this wooden box…" he takes out a wallet. EH? He upturns it and all of a sudden vast amounts of coins fall into the offering box. It's such a large amount that the offering box looks fit to burst. You know what you're doing huh? "After which I must immediately swing the rope…" he swings the rope. "Lastly, I call out my wish…" call out? He does realize he doesn't have to say it out loud right? I open my mouth to tell him before thinking better of it. He did say he knew what he was doing after all. "Hmm...This isn't good…I'm drawing a blank on what to wish for. But it would be improper not to call out a wish." he sighs.
"Ah, of course. I'll wish for your safety." he smiles at me while saying this. And begins praying rather…enthusiastically. I stifle my laughter by shoving my hand over my mouth. His back is to me anyways. "I wish that my dear friend Minako remains…um…" he falls silent. He turns back to me and I hastily put my hand down. "W-Would you perhaps mind…not listening?" HA! He's pouting again. "It's odd, I admit, but for some reason I don't feel comfortable knowing that you're listening." he mumbles a bit but I stand there just looking at him in amusement. He turns back to the shrine and whispers something. Probably the rest of his wish. "Everything will be all right now. You'll be protected for all eternity. Do you intend to pray for anything?"
Hm…Pharos' words about the end coming about return to me.
"I'll pray for the world's safety."
Theo nods. "Indeed. As long as you carry that sentiment within you, the path ahead shall be bright."
…something else referring to my so called "destiny" I suppose. I go ahead and pray.
"…It isn't mandatory to call out one's wish?" Uh…nope. "If that's so, then why didn't you.."
"You said you knew how to do it-"
"Nevermind!" he's pouting again. He turns and looks towards the park built near the shrine.
"Excuse me…I've been wondering since our arrival but these structures over here…Could these be…?" he walks over to it. "Steel, titanium, wood…Is this…a house?" I snicker.
"Yeah." I deadpan.
"That's what I thought." He's so smug about it! "Though it seems no one is currently in residence…" He looks thoughtfully at it. "…Master Minako. Is this, in fact, a house? There is sand under it." He looks so sad that I feel like an ass for tricking him. "…Don't you know it's wicked to lie?"
I burst out laughing now. No sense in holding it in. Theo shakes his head. "My, what a vexatious woman…" he looks at the small park again. "So…what are they?" His eyes are glistening for some reason and he goes and squats under the slide. …this is just so bizarre. "I-Is it like this?" he sounds like a kid all happy and eager. "and like this!" he stands on top of the horizontal bar…How the hell can he keep his balance perfect on that thing? "It's…quite difficult…to maintain…one's balance…on these…" and yet there you are…perfectly standing on it.
Remembering my trickery from before I shake my head. "They're not for that." He jumps off the horizontal bar without saying anything. He's pouting again. "I-It can be used this way too, if one likes. Though it may be a little bit difficult for you." What? He sounds like a petulant child! Rolling my eyes I set to prove him wrong and try to balance myself on the horizontal bar…yeah. I fall luckily Theo catches me his eyes glittering in amusement. I could practically see the 'I told you so' on his face. We spend most of the afternoon with him asking me what certain things are for and me explaining them to him. "Thank you for a fulfilling afternoon today as well." he looks sad all of a sudden. "I must let you go home soon…but…I wonder what this is…I don't understand either." I don't know what it is either so I'll let him figure it out. After a few more moments of contemplative silence he turns to me. "…Let us return. Ah, we're approaching the stairs. Please mind your step…" with that we return to the Velvet Room, he enters before me as usual.
"Thank you for answering my request. Well then…Thank you for showing me around Naganaki Shrine. The balance of spiritual and physical health present there is something I will have to reflect on later. As it happens, I've asked my master about implementing a set of horizontal bars here. I argued that they would serve in maintaining one's physical condition," he sighs and looks down at this "but he refused immediately. Ah, yes…" he's smiling at me again. "I have a very special reward for you. With this, you can fuse Thoth. He comes in the form of a beast, yet possesses knowledge beyond that of any human. Try him out and see for yourself the wisdom it may grant you. …I'd like it if I could walk with you again in your world someday." He gives me a Book of Ancients. I fuse Shiisaa, Lilim and Lamia to create Leanana Sidhe. A woman with long hair of the Empress Arcana.
With that done I head back to the dorm.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
Koromaru is whimpering when I come into the dorm.
"Did something happen?" Junpei was roaring with laughter and Yukari looked depressed. "Did I miss something?"
"He wouldn't eat it! Ha hahahaha!" Junpei holds his sides he's laughing so hard. Huh?
Aeon walks forward. "Yukari tried to feed Koromaru some food she burned. Koromaru finds the smell disgusting so he won't eat it."
Oh. Haha. I start laughing too. Yukari glares at me before sighing. "I know I burned it somewhat but I didn't think it was that bad."
"Ha! He won't eat it!" Junpei laughs even harder. Koromaru looks up at me with a whimper. Is he hungry? He's scratching himself with his hind leg…is something wrong?
"Huh? Does Koro-chan have some fleas?" Fuuka walks over and looks at Koromaru.
"Well Koro? You itch?" he growls at that. "I'll take that as a no…" he looks away from me. "Oh come one! Don't be offended!"
"Oh, I know! I bought something the other day…wait right here." Fuuka runs off and comes back rather quickly. "Here, it's a doggy brush!" she actually went out and bought one? "Koro-chan, would you like us to brush your fur?"
He barks. I guess that's a yes? His tail is wagging so it's probably a yes. I sit on one of the chairs in the lounge and pat my lap. Koromaru jumps up and I take the brush Fuuka bought and begin brushing him. He woofs in response.
"Feels nice doesn't it?"
I get an affirmative bark in response. He stretches out in my lap in contentment.
Fuuka giggles at this. "Koro-chan seems happy."
He woofs again. His fur feels softer now, and has fewer tangles. As I run my hand through it I feel my inner strength increase. Hm? What's this?
Koromaru growls and jumps off of me. He's backing away.
"Koro-chan, do you not like your stomach being touched?"
He whimpers slightly. Ah I see. That's where the Shadow got him. "I'm sorry. I won't touch there again." I guess he believes me because he slowly climbs back into my lap. I spend the rest of the evening gentle brushing him, ever mindful to avoid his stomach.
8/18/09
Rio invites me to watch a horror movie marathon with her. I might as well.
Port Island Station, movie theater…
It's crowded! Apparently there's a different marathon each day…and today is the horror movie day. Yes! I love horror movies!
"There you are! Geez, you're late!" she doesn't wait for me to respond hurrying into the theater. "Let's go grab some seats!" Since I was late we ended up having to sit somewhere near the back but…still. Those movies were great! I feel a bit like a badass now!
"Whooo…That was tiring! I'm aching all over! Watching three movies in a row was a little much…I wonder how many times the Earth got overrun…They were fun to watch, though. And everyone was happy in the end, too. Well, let's go home." I nod and wave good bye to her.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"Welcome back. We have less than two weeks until school resumes…Fighting the Shadows is our priority, but you should still study some during the daytime." Urgh. Study. Leave it to Mitsuru to worry about that when the world is at stake. I nod and head upstairs. If she's going to talk about studying I might as well do some.
8/19/09
My phone is ringing…um…
"Good morning. This is Theodore. There is a human-1 of them, I think-wandering around Tartarus. Please carry out a search and rescue. Goodbye, now." with that he hangs up. So…we're going to Tartarus tonight then.
With that I head for Naganaki Shrine. I want to see Maiko today.
Naganaki Shrine…
Maiko's cheered up. She's bouncing around and playing in the park happily. "I'm kind of hungry…let's go out to eat! What do you feel like eating?"
"Some Japanese food." I suppose that's what she's used to it after all.
"Awww! I wanted Duck-Duck Burger!" Then why not just say so? "I saw a commercial for the Frog Burger and I wanna try it!" she's complaining now. I sigh and rub my temples.
"Look if you want to go to Duck-Duck Burger just say so."
She nods. "I want to go to Duck Duck Burger."
"Okay then. Let's go." with that we head off.
Iwatodai strip mall, Duck, Duck Burger…
"So…the other day, Mom and Dad…They talked to me about why they were getting divorced. I was sad, but I listened to what they said….Did I do good?"
I nod smiling. "Yes you did good Maiko."
She giggles. "Thanks a bunch! So, Mom and Dad…they said when there's no love, it's hard to still be married. …They said not to worry, because they would always love me. …I told them it's okay to get divorced. It must be hard to live together when they don't love each other, after all. Hey, so…" she looks down again. "I have to choose whether I want to live with Mom or Dad…but I can't choose that! You decide for me, okay?" I shake my head.
"Decide yourself." I don't want to shoulder the blame if she happens not to like my decision.
"But I really don't know!" she releases a large sigh. "Oh…Mom might move somewhere far away, so if I went with her…I couldn't play with you anymore! …That would be bad. You felt like you really were my big sister…" Huh… I didn't suspect that. Though…I suppose it makes sense. Not surprisingly, my inner strength increases. "I'd better get home…" she smiles at me. "Hey! Will you hold my hand on the way home?" I nod and hold her hand as I walk her home. It's still early so I go by the bookstore to help out.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"…S'up, dude?" Junpei greets me when I walk in. "Damn, it's hot…I'm sweatin' like a pig."
"It's all in your head…" Mitsuru flips a page as she says so. "The heat will only affect you if you allow it to." Yeah right. "…Of course, there are limits to that theory." She's sweating! HA!
"ugh…" Junpei groans. They're right it is hot. …Damn. We need to go to Tartarus though.
"Fuuka. We're going to Tartarus tonight." she nods and at midnight we're off.
Tartarus…
I take my normal team of Akihiko, Mitsuru and Aeon. I'll give Koromaru a run later. We find the missing person on the 95th floor. When we head back to the entrance I ask Junpei and Yukari would they mind escorting the person to the dorm.
"Oh…no problem!" Junpei holds the old woman's arm as she steadies herself. She's still very pale and shaken.
"Alright. I'll go too." The two of them leave.
"Let's head back into Tartarus. We might find someone else." Mitsuru nods in agreement and we head back into the tower.
After a few battles Narcissus leveled up…and he gave me a flower. When I hold it ,it turns into some sort of bracelet. Huh. Look at that. I take off my Sigma Drive and wear it.
On the 98th floor we run into yet another trio of powerful Shadows. I hate these things.
They're big at least twice as tall as us and all have giant black hands with some sort of white robbed being with a ridiculous hat inside. I use Tarunda an attack lower spell on one but they use Mabufula crippling Akihiko…I can't move either…I think…I'm frozen. Mitsuru heals Akihiko who manages to get to his feet. Akihiko uses Tarunda on the one that magically charged itself and uses some sort of spell.
"Hey! Be careful! Whatever they just did reflects magical attacks!"
…Fantastic. I switch to Narcissus who is strong against ice and cast Maragi. Yeah…not doing that again! I almost killed myself. For the first time I feel bad for that Shadow we had done this to earlier. Aeon throws a Medical Powder at me before succumbing to a Mabufula attack. Great. Now it's just me and Mitsuru. Mitsuru heals me and I revive Aeon. Damn…I don't have many revival beads left. Mitsuru heals Aeon then. Who dodges a Bufudyne aimed at him and attacks in return. Yes! The bastards are weak to Maragi! I miss one of them the first time so I end up attacking again. I revive Aeon, Mitsuru heals her but those bastards keep spamming Mabufula! Aeon revives Akihiko and I use Cadenza. Aeon uses one of the Uemagi Waters that Theo gave me. I use Maragi and we use an all out attack shit. These bastards still aren't dead yet? HA! Two of the bastards fall down trying to attack Mitsuru and I, Akihiko lands a critical hit on the third one and we finish them off with an all out attack. Mabufula spamming bastards.
I start running out of supplies soon afterwards so we start heading back.
8/20/09
I do most of my homework early in the morning. It's not that hard actually…with most of it done I head for Bookworms. I help out around the store but nothing special happens.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"Hello Minako." Aeon greets me when I walk in. "The next full moon will appear on the 5th of September. We will have two weeks to prepare for the Shadow."
"Aeon…you up to getting some ice cream?" what is with that smirk on Junpei's face.
Aeon shakes his head. "That will not help us prepare. Also…does ice cream not rot away human teeth?" Junpei cringes at that.
"…Nah, ice cream's one of the four basic food groups."
Aeon chuckles. "Of course."
Junpei scowls. What was with that offer anyway?
Looking at the rapidly darkening atmosphere I beat it out of there and head for Paulownia Mall. I head to the Pharmacy and buy a bunch of revival beads.
Tanaka's there today so I go ahead and talk to him. "I'm used to being accosted by people, but recently I had an interesting encounter…It was with a young man not much older than you. Guess what he said…He said, "Thank you"."
"You heard wrong surely."
"I was just as surprised as you, so I asked him to repeat himself. But sure enough, that's what he said. I was shocked someone would actually thank me for selling fake products." he looks amused. "But then, he told me he quit his part-time job and was going to study to become a public prosecutor. He wants to punish businessmen like me for bending the rules. He said I was an example of a negative role model. As if! This is me worrying too much, but what if…Just what if…What if he does become a public prosecutor and puts me behind bears?" And you think you wouldn't deserve it? "Then I wouldn't be able to give you advice any more…" he looks upset at the idea. Huh. I didn't know he actually looked forward to this. …My inner strength has once again increased. "…I want the shareholders to know about this. Apparently, kids these days aren't as naïve as we thought." with that he turns and leaves. I leave soon afterwards.
8/21/09
My phone is ringing.
"Hello? This is Theodore…I've heard there is an event underway in your world now, called a "film festival"…" how the hell does he know this? "I'd be intrigued to see this for myself. Do you have any interest in accompanying me?"
"Uh…sure. You want me to meet you at the theater?"
"Thank you very much. I shall see you at the appointed time, then." Okay then. I prepare and head for the theater.
Port Island Station, movie theater…
Today they're showing tear-jerkers.
"What are…tear-jerkers? I feel that I'll learn something new…I'm looking forward to this.
…Oh…those movies are so sad. I learned some one-liners. After the movies were over. Theo walked out of the station with a frown.
"…There was much about that I didn't understand. Most of it, in truth…However…for some reason…it pained me inside. I do not understand the implications behind this…" he looks thoughtfully. "Something to keep my mind occupied for a while, at any rate. Thank you very much for today. Please allow me to escort you back." with that Theo escorts me back to the dorm.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"…Oh, hey. Only 10 days left of summer break…" Yukari turns to Junpei who's lounging on the sofa. "You look really bored Junpei…"
"What's wrong with that? It takes a lot of maturity to fully appreciate boredom." Huh?
"Yeah, you're REAL mature…" Yukari shakes her head.
"Look who's talkin', Yuka-tan! You're the one who's afraid of ghosts…"
"Sh-Shut up, Stupei!"
I shake my head in fond amusement and head upstairs. I'm going to study today.
8/22/09
I head for Naganaki Shrine again. I play with Maiko before heading back to the dorm. There really is nothing to do.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
Koromaru walks up to me excitedly when I come in. He and Akihiko apparently were going out for a walk.
"Minako. You want to join us?"
"Uh…sure."
We head to Naganaki Shrine. "Alright, Koromaru, go wild!" Koromaru runs off barking the whole while. "It's awfully hot for nighttime…" Akihiko looks around. "So this is my last high school summer vacation, huh…? I don't feel like that's good or bad. I do have some regrets, though."
"Like what?"
"Well there are plenty of things that I could have done differently." He has a small, sad smile at this. I decide not to pry for once. "Though I did enjoy going to the festival with you. So…what did you do with that mask?"
It was still in the bag. I don't know why but I had a feeling it was better off in there.
"It's somewhere safe."
"I see. Do you-" before Akihiko can finish his sentence Koromaru runs up to us and barks excitedly.
"Y'know, you seem happier when you come here. Well, we should get back. It's nice enough at our dorm too, right?" with that we head back for the dorm.
8/23/09
I head downstairs oh….apparently the Chairman's here.
"Hello. It's a warm day today. Have you heard about the film festival? The theater by the train station holds one every year. I tried inviting the others just now, but it seems no one is interested…The theme this year is so exciting, too…" So why not just go?
"I can go with you if you want…"
"Really? …I wonder if I'll get in trouble if I go to the movies with a student." Oh. I hadn't thought of that. "…Oh, well. It's summer vacation! Let's go then. I'll pay for your ticket, of course." with that we head out. We get a few odd lucks from everyone else in the dorm but we leave quickly.
Port Island Station, movie theater…
Apparently the movies today are about the origin of modernism.
"This is a rare opportunity indeed. It's rare that movies like this are all played at once." the Chairman's really excited about this. "I hope that you enjoy them as much as I will." with that we head in.
Hm…how enlightening. I feel a lot more intelligent after watching those movies.
"What wonderful movies! Those were as good as I was expecting. The listings emphasized the way they'd present the origin of modernism, but they even showed silent films! That exchange at the station was intriguing. It was clearly influenced by western literature, and…" I'm not sure what's stranger what he's saying or the fact that I clearly understand it. "Hm? What's the matter? Why so quiet? Was it a bit much for you, seeing so many difficult movies all in a row? Hmm…perhaps it's best to see movies about modernism in modern-ation!" Okay. We're leaving now. I just look at him. "…Well then, let's go back." with that the two of us head back to the dorm.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"Hello Minako. May I ask something?"
"Huh? Go ahead."
"Why is school temporarily closed during the summer. I consulted my data records but…there was no answer."
"It's just customary."
"Oh…I see. …So it closes during the summer then resumes the following month."
Koromaru looks at me his tail wagging. I guess he wants me to walk him again. Yukari seeing me and Koromaru heading towards the door gets up.
"Do you mind if I join you? I could use a walk."
"No problem." with that the three of us head off.
"Mmm…the night air feels so good in the summer. …Huh? Who's that old man there?"
"My, my. If it isn't Minako-chan." It's Bunkichi.
"Um…You know this guy?"
"Yeah. He runs the bookstore Bookworms in the strip mall."
"Oh."
"Well, you're quite a looker there. If only I was ten years younger…"
"Oh…haha, thanks."
"Aren't you girls out late, walking around at night like this? Getting into trouble, are we? Of course, when I was your age, I had all the neighbors complaining about me, too. If you saw me then, I'm sure you'd both be falling head-over-heels for me."
Yukari and I laugh at that.
"Well…I should be going." with that Bunkichi leaves. Koromaru runs up to us and barks. I guess he's done.
Yukari yawns. "I'm getting tired, Minako. Let's go home, okay?" Home? I shrug.
"Alright let's go." we head back to the dorm and I go straight to bed.
8/24/09
Yukari and I headed to the theater. Apparently some "Willpower!" series is showing. So we decided to go ahead and watch it.
"I was planning on seeing this with my club…I thought it might help motivate us. So it might be kinda manly for you…" kind of manly? "I don't know about this."
I shake my head and walk into the theater.
Huh. Manly huh? There wasn't anything "manly" about that movie.
"That was awesome! It was pretty long, but it seemed to go by so fast! You know…There really are times in life that you have to get by on willpower alone. But I'm still young…I probably haven't seen anything that hard yet." she looks up. The sun is already starting to set. "Wow, it's getting late. How many movies did they show? The baseball one, the judo one, the military basic training one…Oh, the shot put one! How could I forget? The shot put sequences kinda lost me, but all the scenes after that with the main guy running were incredible. I almost stood up and cheered at the part where he did 100 handstands towards the setting sun." She chuckles at this. "…I'm being weird, huh?" she looks a bit alarmed. "I'm getting hungry. Why don't we grab a bite somewhere and head back to the dorm?"
"I'm always up for some food!"
"So…I assume you want to head for Duck Duck Burger."
I nod and we go ahead and head for Duck Duck Burger. I have a fun time chowing down. Afterwards we head for the dorm.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"…S'up, dude?" Junpei sitting at one of the dining room tables. "I'm bored outta my mind…There must be something I can do to pass the time…"
"Study…?" His grades would thank him.
"I'm not that bored."
I laugh and go ahead and play with Koromaru tonight.
Koromaru barks enthusiastically at me. There's a ball at his feet he nudges it softly towards me. I pick up the ball and throw it. Koromaru happily goes and fetches it. He brings it back held tightly in his jaws his tail wagging from side to side.
"Good boy!" I pet him gently. We play fetch for a while.
"Oh, is she playing with you, Koro-chan? You're having fun, aren't you?" Koromaru barks happily again. Fuuka smiles at him before turning to me. "Hey, do you think Koro-chan is still young?"
"Yeah." He's too energetic not to be.
"I think so too. He's really agile. The other day, I asked Aeon how old Koro-chan is. He said that even Koro-chan doesn't know his own age. …That makes sense, though. I doubt Koro-chan has a sense of how many years and months it's been since he was born."
Koromaru's oddly silent through this conversation. His eyes are strangely glossy as they look up at me. Is…he sad?
"I think the priest…his old owner…knew how old Koro-chan is. …There must be a lot only he knew about. I hope we can take the priest's place someday…"
Koromaru just keeps looking up at me. Silently I pet him as I do so his tail wags slowly. I feel my inner strength increase.
Koromaru woofs again before yawning. I pet him as he lies out on the ground.
8/25/09
As I'm walking down the stairs Akihiko greets me. "Hey, Minako. You look bored. Not that I can claim any different…I actually want to switch up my workout plan, but the heat is killing me…You look bored. Did you finish your homework?"
"Yeah."
"…Well, you're one up on Junpei."
"Want to go to the film festival?" …I hope that didn't as awkward as I think it did.
"Oh yeah. I didn't know about this Film Festival 'til Junpei told me. It might be fun to go to the movies once in a while. Alright, let's go." with that we head for the theater.
Port Island Station, movie theater…
There's some chop-socky marathon today.
"There sure are a lot of guys here…" there really are. Practically everyone here is a guy. "Oh well. Let's give it a shot." we head for the theater.
The movies were awesome! The main character's resilience was inspiring!
"Did you see that move? His hands were on fire…and he must have jumped eight feet!" Trust Akihiko to focus on those bits. "It looked like he was suspended from the ceiling. I guess that's why they call it "wire-fu," huh? …They must have been on some kind of amazing training program…But they never show those parts! Arrgh!" he sucked his teeth in frustration. "I gotta train even harder…! I'm gonna do squats all the way back on the monorail!" …Yeah…I'm not doing that.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"…Hi, how was your day? …It's really hot out these days. Please be careful that you don't get heat exhaustion." I nod. I'll be careful Fuuka.
I turn around and head for Paulownia Mall, I want to talk to Tanaka today.
As usual he's standing by the fountain.
"The other day, a woman came to my office asking for a donation. She was the kind of girl that men dream of-drop dead gorgeous. I'm sorry to say it, but much prettier than you." Huh. So the Mitsuru type? "But, no matter how attractive she was, I was repulsed by her dedication to charity work."
"So are you going to donate?"
"Of course not ! I hate the very word!" Tanaka seems proud of that for some reason. "Why should I give my hard-earned money to a bunch of freeloaders? I pulled myself up out of squalor to get where I am today! In fact, I've earned the right to laugh at those who used to laugh at me! That's what I had always dreamt of. But to tell you the truth, now I have too much money. Profits are booming, but I'm so busy I don't have time to spend a dime…Maybe I should train someone to take my place. I could teach them my business philosophy and help them master my management techniques…I could create a carbon copy of me!" Like the world really needs that.
"It would probably cost me a fortune, but if it works, then I could sit back and relax in my massage chair! How 'bout it? Want to become my successor? I'll even let you join the Tanaka family…" wait is he serious? "Not just work; I'll even take care of your wedding. …Just kidding." Good I just about had a heart attack at the thought of you being nice. "I'm sure you'll obtain something even bigger than my company." he smiles at this. "If I say it, it's for sure." I feel a warmth and kindness in his demeanor. I feel my inner strength increased. "'Donate to the unfortunate children,' huh…" muttering to himself Tanaka leaves.
8/26/09
As I'm walking out the door Aeon stops me. "Minako…Koromaru has an intense desire to go somewhere. Also it seems that if he doesn't go out today he will not be allowed to do so at all. Would you listen to his request?" Koromaru barks in affirmation.
"Sure."
He barks again his tail wagging.
"Koromaru is pleased. I hope the two of you enjoy yourselves."
Port Island Station, movie theater…
I can't believe I'm going to sneak into the theater with a dog. Koromaru's tail wags in excitement. I shake my head. If I can pull this off…
He runs in the theater and with a sigh I follow him. I tried to play Koromaru off as a doll but the management still kicked me out of the theater.
Koromaru growls. I guess he's not pleased about getting kicked out. After a while he whines softly and looks towards the theater sadly. I guess he actually wanted to see that whole "The battles of real men" series.
"Look. I'll buy the DVD when it comes out. Then we can watch it together in the dorm okay?" He barks in excitement at that. I walk him before heading back to the dorm.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"Fuuka…we're heading to Tartarus." with that we leave as soon as midnight is near.
Tartarus…
I take my usual team with me and we start heading up the tower. On the 100th floor there was another strong Shadow fortunately it was only one.
"It's Arcana is the Lovers. It's a strong foe!" I wanted to cry. Lovers Arcana has a tendency to charm. It charmed Akihiko and Aeon? Aeon can be charmed? Oh that sucks! Mitsuru and I throw dis-charms at them. Then the blasted thing uses some massive group wind spell that nearly kills us all, so I have to use Cadenza. This is after Akihiko's lowered its attack. I continuously use Twin Shot. Aeon keeps using his Kill Rush ability. Every time one of his status lower spells run off Akihiko replaces it. We keep doing that and healing until the thing is in critical condition with a final blow Aeon finishes it off. I find two more bead chains and a Soma. On the 114th floor there was another dead end. I grab the document and use the teleported to go back to the entrance. I head for the Velvet Room and quickly fuse Queen Mab, Orthrus, and Sati to create Seiryuu. He's powered by my link with Bebe. I head to the Velvet Room since I fulfilled one of Theo's requests.
"Why did you want the reins?"
"…Hm? Are you wondering why I asked you to gather this item for me? That's not what matters, though. What's important is that you defeated the Champion Knight. I am thrilled to see you getting stronger. Please take this as your reward." he gives me a pair of sneakers. "Is there anything else I can assist you with?" I hand over the old document and in exchange he gives me 120000 yen. With that done I head back to the dorm. It's been a tiring day.
8/27/09
My phone is ringing…
"Hello Minako?"
Oh. It's Akihiko.
"What's up?"
"Want to go out somewhere today? I'm bored of lying around in my room."
"Sure."
"Can you start getting ready, then? I'll be waiting downstairs." he's awfully excited.
Iwatodai Strip Mall, Hagakure Ramen…
Akihiko sighs. Hm? What could be wrong? Granted I did order 4 bowls but that's pretty normal for when we go out to eat. "What am I supposed to do…?" I look at him while slurping at my noodles. "Oh…Sorry. I shouldn't be like this after I called you here. There's just something bothering me right now…"
"What is it?"
"The other day, a junior girl called me up and asked if I'd date her. I turned her down…but since then, she keeps bringing me letters and gifts…" Ah. I can see why he's so tired now. He sighs heavily. "I could just ignore her, but I'd feel terrible. What in the world do I have to say to get her to stop…?"
"Just lie and say you have a girlfriend."
"…Well, that would be the easiest way, but I don't feel comfortable lying like that…" I shrug he ends up smiling through. "If she presses me to prove it, maybe I'll have you play that part for me." he laughs at this.
"Sure. I don't mind." He nods and goes back to his food. "Here." I hand him the sweet fries that I made in cooking class.
"…For me? What is it…? …How'd you know I liked this?" I didn't but you said you didn't like overly sweet things. And while these are sweet they're not overly sweet like candy is. He bites into one. "Mmhm, delicious. Man, that flavor…I used to love these when I was a kid. Thanks…"
"You're welcome."
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
Koromaru barks excitedly when I come in. "Hey Koromaru!" I guess he wants me to play with him. I might as well, we did go to Tartarus last night.
Koromaru nudges me towards the door so I take him out for a walk. He runs around excitedly in the Shrine. I watch him in amusement. It's a nice night. I close my eyes and let the cool evening breeze blow over me.
"Minako?" It's Aeon.
"Hm?" He sits down next to me with a strange look on his face.
"Are you…happy?'
Am I happy? What kind of question is that? "Well…I suppose. As happy as I can be in this situation-"
"I see…" he looks even sadder at that.
"Don't worry about it Aeon. I'm okay." I give him a smile and he smiles slightly back at me.
"I…admit I do not understand human emotions very well…but…" He looks at me with another sad expression. "I…I can't…it is difficult to explain myself. But I-" he looks up at me again.
"It's fine Aeon. I'll be here when you figure it out." He smiles at this and nods.
Koromaru comes up to me with a gem in his mouth. How did he find this? It's a Traesto Gem.
"Thank you Koromaru." He barks happily and the three of us head back to the dorm.
I end up working on my homework for most of the night. I'm not done but I'm getting there…
8/28/09
Someone's knocking. I get up and open the door, it's Mitsuru? What does she-?
"Good morning Arisato. I'm sorry to interrupt your rest but the Chairman is showing up this evening. We are going to have a meeting in the Command Room. I'll see you later." with that she turns around and leaves shrugging I close the door. Aeon's words from last night bothered me so I freshen up and head downstairs. He's standing in the lounge.
"Aeon?"
He turns to me. "Ah. Minako. Is something the matter?"
"Uh…do you want to go to the film festival with me?"
"Film…festival?"
"Yeah…they're showing a bunch of movies at the theater."
"I see…So…this is another form of recreation I take it?" I nod "Well, in that case…I would be delighted to go with you Minako." He smiles at me after saying this.
"All right then. Let's go."
Port Island Station, movie theater…
Huh. They're showing ninja movies.
""Ninja War"…I assume this refers to the opposing platoons of ninjas on the screen."
"Yeah." I had never seen this movie before so…
"Junpei-kun said that "Ninjas are the coolest of the cool!"" I nearly jump from how well he mimics Junpei.
"How did you do that?"
"Do what Minako-chan?" That's another thing with Aeon. He doesn't bother using honorifics unless he's in public. What's up with that?
"Mimic Junpei so well…"
He smiles and leans close into my ear and whispers. "It's a secret." He backs up still giving me that secretive smile as I stare at him blankly his smile turns into a frown. "That was the correct facial expression wasn't it?"
"Uh…yeah it was fine. Let's go see the movie." My ear is still tingling from where his lips were.
"All right." with that we head into the theater. He sits in the seat right next to me and the whole time I'm amazed by the fact that he has such human facial expressions. You really wouldn't be able to tell he was a robot unless you already knew.
Huh. The movies weren't that bad either.
"Using the movies as a source I have updated my data records to include ninjas. It seems that a ninja seems to use a very specialized and advanced method of fighting. They hone their bodies, and make it equivalent to that of highly advanced weapons. They seem to be soldiers of unparalleled skill…with all these advantages I must wonder why they seem to no longer exist." He ponders this for a moment. "Perhaps the training methods we saw in the film were incorrect…or maybe they all died out? …I am unsure of the answer." he looks back at me "Might I suggest Minako-chan adopt the status of ninja?" He grins at the last part.
I roll my eyes and drag him back to the dorm. He chuckles the whole way the jerk.
Dorm, Command Room…
The Chairman is already here as is everyone else. Aeon once again sits far too close to me.
"Good, you're all here. Please come in…" hm? Who's he talking too? The door opens and that kid from before comes in.
…You've gots to be kidding.
"You must be kidding…" Ah. Akihiko you read my mind.
"After running several tests, we've learned that he has more than adequate potential. I called this meeting so that I could introduce him, since he'll be joining our squad."
"B-But Mr. Chairman, he's still in elementary school." Mitsuru stammers. "Besides…" she looks away at this. …that's the same expression she had when she said she didn't know anything about Tartarus…oh great. Another bad memory just what we needed.
"Besides…what? His ability is quite promising. With the proper training, he could be a big help." I guess the Chairman doesn't know…or care about what Mitsuru's talking about.
"But, is HE okay with it?" Akihiko looks at Ken in alarm. O
"Actually, I asked to join. I believe I can be of some assistance…Now, I finally know why I was given this power."
"…So, as you can see, it was his own decision."
"Nice to meet you all. I'll try not to get in anyone's way." Grand. …maybe I'll take this kid into battle once. Let him get his ass handed to him and see if he changes his mind.
"Ready for the wringer?" I smirk.
"Y-Yep! Please don't hold back!" he smiles brightly. Okay…kid has nerve. This might not be so bad after all.
Akihiko looks oddly contemplative. What happened? It's not just about Ken being young I can tell. B
"Hey, don't worry, kid. We got your back. It may be hard at times, but stick with it." and Junpei provides encouragement.
"Yes, got it!"
Joy. I head to the second floor and nod toward Fuuka. "We're going to Tartarus tonight." Maybe I can convince this kid not to partake in this.
Tartarus…
I take Akihiko, Aeon and Ken with me into Tartarus. Huh…turns out the kid's a pretty good healer. He's actually better than Yukari. On the 100th floor there was no enemies again…that presence…it's so powerful…and why is it just watching? I walk through the empty corridors and feel its eyes on me the whole time. As if waiting for something…when I find the stairs and wait for everyone to regroup, Akihiko hands me something that looks like a magic mirror but is gold instead of silver on the back is the words Attack Mirror. …I guess it reflects physical attacks? It could come in handy. With that we head upstairs. The enemies here are easy to take down because we now know all of their weakness. Even the powerful Minotaur's aren't much of a threat to us. Between Akihiko's, Aeon's and my physical attacks and Ken's healing everything falls before us.
…on the 102nd floor we somehow managed to all get separated going up the stairs. …how did this happen? We manage to reassemble safely but still. As we run around taking down Shadow after Shadow I have to admit I'm impressed with Ken's fighting skills. I thought he would be like how Junpei, Yukari and I were in the beginning. Constantly making mistakes, getting himself nearly killed. Hell the kid doesn't even flinch when he pulls the evoker's trigger. He simply watched me do it once and took to it as if he'd been doing it for years. It's really impressive…and a bit depressing. Seeing a kid his age seeing a gun and real or not being able to pull the trigger while holding it to his head makes me pause for a second. This is an easy day though. There are no real threats around, granted the Shadows aren't running from us in fear but they aren't knocking us out either. Ken's Persona is some strange creature with a weird circle through it. It's hard to describe but it looks like a very thin wheel with razor edge points I guess the best way to describe it is as a circular saw. His Persona is humanoid…I think and has hands and legs but no face…it's just weird looking frankly. I head back to the entrance and go into the Velvet Room to hand over the Tiara's Hair that Theo requested. I fuse Jikokuten, Lamia, and Virtue (whom I found while wandering through Tartarus) to create Nata Taishi. She's? I think it's a she…is powered by my link with Rio. It was a good workout and I leave Tartarus. As we're leaving I notice Ken's shoulders sag in exhaustion. Huh. The kid's strong to have lasted this long without showing any signs.
8/29/09
My phone is ringing. I pick it up. "Good morning. This is Theodore." He must be shitting me. He couldn't have called yesterday? "There is a human-1 of them, I think-wandering around Tartarus. Please carry out a search and rescue. Goodbye, now." I groan. Why me?
As I'm walking downstairs I spot Fuuka looking bored.
"Hey Fuuka!" She looks up at me like she's surprised. "Want to go see a movie?'
"You…want to go with me?" Uh...yeah. See any other girls named Fuuka around here? "I was actually thinking about going, because the theme today seems interesting. This will be fun!" she hops up then and the two of us head for the theater.
Port Island Station, movie theater…
"I always wondered what they meant by "hard" science fiction…So the last time I passed by this theater, I asked the ticket clerk. He said, "It's a science fiction story that could really happen." Maybe it's just me, but I'm not very interested in movies where people travel in time and cast spells…I'd rather see movies that make you think, "10 years down the road, this could happen." Like the way everything around you gets more and more high-tech. That's my favorite kind of sci-fi…Oh, sorry!" she blushes I guess realizing I had been quiet the whole time she'd spoken. "I got a little carried away…We still haven't seen the movie yet. I hope we can get good seats." we head inside. The movie wasn't that bad…pretty interesting actually and I could totally see many of the things in the movie coming true eventually.
"Wow…That was amazing…I wonder if our civilization will ever advance that far. Did you see that iron? It got rid of wrinkles on their clothes in half a second. To get that much heat out of an iron so quickly you'd probably have to keep it charged. Though it wouldn't have to be with electricity…It could be a gas hybrid. Or maybe they have a totally new energy source…but how would they power the iron with it?" I shrug. She gasps again probably noticing that she talked all over me. "S-Sorry!" What? Do I look angry or something? "The movie got me all excited, so…I got carried away thinking about it. …Thanks for coming with me to the theater today."
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"Hello Minako. One week remains until the next full moon. We should go to Tartarus to prepare some more." Speaking of Tartarus…I sigh inwardly. I'm not looking forward to going there again. "The Lost also seem to be increasing in number…hopefully after we eliminate all the Shadows they will no longer be an issue."
"Fuuka…we need to head for Tartarus tonight." she gives me a confused look probably because she's not used to me going to Tartarus two days in a row.
"All…alright."
Tartarus…
I take Akihiko, Ken and Junpei. According to Theo the person's between the 101 - 105 floors so…I take the transporter to the 98th floor. As we're climbing up the stairs Ken speaks up.
"You're the only female in the party right now, Minako-san." Why bring this up now? Granted I'm glad he didn't bring it up around Aeon cause knowing Aeon… "I don't know if this is appropriate, but I think it's really kickass."
"And something to keep us fighting!" Junpei adds with a cheer. What the…I feel my cheeks burning as I turn around. "An oasis in the battlefield!" Ugh. He can be so…damn stupid!
"I don't think we're on the same wavelength here…" Akihiko to the rescue as always. "But a female leading a group of males is an impressive sight."
"Let…Let's just go!" I run up the stairs.
"H-Hey wait for me!"
Fortunately we find the missing person on floor 101 so with that done we quickly leave. Mitsuru takes care of getting the person home as usual.
Bedroom, Dark Hour…
No sooner than I walk into my room than I spot Pharos sitting on my bed. He looks up as I come in with a smile.
"Hello. I missed you."
"I was in Tartarus."
He nods. "I understand…I only came here to remind you that the full moon will be in one week. I can see that you are training…though are you ready?"
"I…think so." The Shadows in the block are no longer giving me much trouble.
He nods at that. "Only a few trials remain." His eyes are locked onto mine. …The color seems to suck me in. "So, be careful. …I look forward to seeing you again." and with that he vanishes.
8/30/09
I walk into the lounge. "Hey Mitsuru. Are you still working?"
"Oh…hello Arisato. I haven't had a free day in some time, but it's here at last." she looks pleased. "It's inevitable when one has a month off that there will be at least one day with a clear schedule. Hmm…What should I do?"
"Want to come to the movies with me?"
"Hm…the movies…I just remembered that I received VIP tickets from a distributor." And I'm totally not surprised. "…I think I'll make use of them. All right, let's go." with that we head for the theater.
Port Island Station, movie theater…
"This will be my first time seeing a straightforward love story. It should be an interesting experience for me. Shall we enter?"
"Sure." we head into the theater. It's a sappy movie but not horrendous. Granted we got gaped out because of Mitsuru's tickets which was rather annoying but all in all not too bad.
"What was that last one? "Eternal Love"?" I forgotten how horrible the titles were. "Isn't it quite a coincidence for the man to find her, when he had no idea where she was? And why would he wait until the last moment to announce that he's secretly a prince? Just saying "I wasn't able to tell you" is poor storytelling. It's a crucial piece of information. And the ending…It stopped right when the prince and the woman settled down. But what about after that?" …you're overanalyzing Mitsuru. "If they had shown the real life of royalty, I assure you it wouldn't have been a happy ending. They didn't show the most difficult parts." she looks down at that.
"Mitsuru…the whole point was entertainment. It having a downer ending would have ruined it."
She frowns at that. Granted…it's a shitty explanation but…
"…I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so critical of the movie you wanted to see with me. I just…couldn't help but compare it to my own life. I suppose I enjoyed it on some level, since I was able to relate to the characters so strongly." she smiles a bit at this.
"Hey…let's go back." There isn't anything else to do and I'm not certain she'd be okay with eating at Duck Duck Burger. So we head back, it's getting late anyway.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"…Hello!" Ken greets me cheerfully when I walk in. I guess he's well rested now. "Have you noticed? Those people- "The Lost"…They've been increasing…" I've been trying to forget about that actually. There's even a couple outside our dorm creepily enough. "I wish there was something I could do."
"Don't worry Ken." Ken turns to Aeon. "Based off previous data the amount of The Lost should severely decrease after we defeat the full moon Shadow."
"Oh…I see. So that's why the amount of the lost decreased before?"
Aeon nods. "There is nothing to be concerned about. As long as we train and defeat all of the remaining Shadows "The Lost" will be cured."
Koromaru barks energetically at me. I guess he wants to go for a walk.
"Arisato, do you mind if I come?" Mitsuru gets up as well.
"No problem." we head for the Shrine again.
Koromaru runs around in excitement barking all the while.
"Koromaru looks happy when he's here. It must be something akin to a hometown for him…" Mitsuru chuckles in amusement. When she's done she turns to me. "I said some things earlier today, but now that I've had time to calm down and think about it…today's movies did have their charms." I blink a little. Not in shock though I guess one could see it as such. "…Does it seem out of character for me to say something like that?"
"No. Not really." I give her a bright smile. "I enjoyed the movies myself despite how unrealistic they were. Well…the whole prince thing was unrealistic anyways. I mean what are the odds?"
Mitsuru laughs at that. "Indeed. Though…I can understand his desire to be free from his responsibilities. I sometimes feel that way myself."
Hm? I look over at her but before I can ask anything.
"Woof!" Koromaru comes back his tail wagging happily.
"What, are you satisfied already?" This dog has horrible timing. "Well then, let's go home." with that we head back to the dorm.
I go ahead and take a shower before jumping into my bed.
8/31/09
Ah. The last day of the film festival…the only people I haven't gone with is Junpei and Ken. Noticing Junpei's missing I go ahead and head over to Ken.
"Ummmm…Today's the last day of summer vacation, right?" Sadly yes it is. "Well, since it's the last day…I was wondering if you had any plans." Eh? "I-I was just curious. It's no big deal…" Huh. I guess my confusion must have shown on my face. …come to think of it I've never seen Ken do anything with anyone his age. …and most of the time he's in here.
"Want to go to the film festival?"
"S-Sure!" Poor kid. Cooped up in here like a dying old man. With that we head to the theater.
Port Island Station, movie theater…
Awesome! They're showing superhero movies today.
Ken gasps. "The monster on that poster is from Amoebaman…" Hm? I'm not too familiar with the cartoons here. "Err…" he stops awkwardly. What's wrong? "I-I wasn't really looking forward to this, you understand…" …talk about blatant lies. "I was just bored, and I thought it would pass the time."
"Okay." I decide not to call him out on it. I don't want to hurt his feelings. "Oh no! It's starting! Quick, we gotta get good seats!" he grabs my wrists and runs into the theater.
Not excited my ass.
The whole time in the theater he's gasping and aw'ing and acting like a normal kid. It's nice to see him like this considering how serious he acts whenever I see him.
"That…That was SO COOL!" he's brimming with energy and glee. "Oh! Did you see the part where Amoebaman gets captured?" And how he can say that name so quickly I'll never understand. "And, and the part where he was in the underground prison, but Morus Signal came to help!" I can't help but smile at his energy. "And they had him tied up, and the bad guys were about to shoot him, but then the whole team-!" Hm? He stops himself all of a sudden and coughs. There's a moment of silence before he speaks up. "…Anyway, I thought some of the scenes were pretty good." It's like having a kid brother that tries to play grown up but fails. So cute! "B-But it's all just fake…" he giggles. "I had a lot of fun. Thank you very much for inviting me along." with that we head back to the dorm. It's probably not intentional but he very easily goes right back into excitedly talking about the hero's exploits.
When we reach the dorm it's already dark.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"Welcome back." Mitsuru greets the two of us. Soon, the moon will be full again…I think this goes without saying, but please make sure you're prepared." With that in mind I head for Paulownia Mall.
The first place I head for is the police station.
"Ah. There you are. Take this envelope." Officer Kurosawa practically shoves an envelope in my face.
"Uh?"
"That's a token of gratitude the missing woman left with us. You rescued her, right? I won't ask questions. Just take it." …There's a spell card in here. For the skill Matarukaja…whatever that does.
"There's more. See those rocks with the strange patterns on them?" He hands me another box. I open it up and there are strange rocks inside. "The man they found the other day left them. I'm fine with one or two, but this many just gets in the way of our work. …You saved him, didn't ya? Just go ahead and take them all." He gives me 20 Malachite…I should take them to the Antique Store Owner. "By the way…I got some new things in…since I'm in a good mood today you'll get a discount."
"Oh. Thanks!" He nods and shows me what he has in stock. I buy Aeon a Power Enhancer. With that done I head for the Antique Store. There's nothing there I need so with that I head back to the dorm and walk Koromaru.
Naganaki Shrine…
I head to the Shrine alone this time. Koromaru barks in excitement before suddenly stopping and growling. Hm? What could be wrong. Someone's coming…
"What am I going to do…?" Is that? …yeah it is. It's one of my teachers Mr. Ono. The one obsessed with samurai. "Whoa!" He nearly bumps right into me. Koromaru's still growling. "Oh, it's a student…" right. Ignore the angry red eyed dog. That's really smart. "Wait, that's a dog!"
Koromaru stops growling and looks from me to him. Seeing that he's not a threat Koromaru sits on his haunches.
"Yeah…that's a dog."
"Hey…Arisato, was it? Arisato, is this your dog?"
"Uh…no. He lives with us at the dorm."
"Can I borrow him? You'll let me, right?" What the hell does Koromaru look like? How do you just borrow someone's dog?
"What for?"
"Please! Just lend him to me!"
"No."
"I lost something important! Dogs are great at looking for stuff!" That's why? "Now listen here…a warlord of the Sengoku era didn't think of dogs as pets, but…" I tone him out. Not this again.
Koromaru barks looking up at me.
"You want to help him?"
Another affirmative bark he's wagging his tail as well.
"Okay then. Knock yourself out."
"Ooh, he's gonna help me? Really? Seriously? Oh, thank you! Tell you what, if he find it, I'll let you know what'll be on the next test!" Awesome. "I lost a USB memory stick. Do you know what those are? You connect them to a computer…" I'm tempted to tell him I know what he's talking about when I realize he's talking to Koromaru. Koromaru just sits patiently while he's talking. "I don't care about the data on it. It's just stupid things like test questions." So you don't care if someone gets all the questions to your next test? Okay then… "…But it's important to me." did someone special give him the stick? "You can find it by its smell, right? It smells like this!" he shoves his helm at Koromaru who looks a little annoyed . I shake my head.
"I'm pretty sure I lost it around here. C'mon, I'm counting on you, Inuchiyo."
"Do not call him that."
Mr. Ono looks stunned at that. "Don't tell me you don't know Toshitsune Maeda!" Who? "Listen well…during the Azuchi-cocoyam period, Toshitsune Maeda was…" and off he goes again. I tune him out and Koromaru is sniffing around. He barks before darting off towards the shrine. I guess he found it.
"Oh, go get it, Inuchiyo!" I still don't like that name.
Koromaru is digging in the sand when Mr. Ono and I catch up to him. He pulls something out with his teeth. …? That's a…katana. What the hell is a katana-
"That's it! That's the one!" What? "ooh, did I just sound like a Sengoku warlord? Goodness, though, I'm so relieved.."
"You said it was a memory stick."
"It IS a memory stick! Look!" He pulls the katana out of its sheathe. …there's something small where the blade should be. …oh.
"This is-look here, right here!" Trust Mr. Ono to have that sort of USB stick. "Do you see the family crest engraved here? You can tell whose crest that is, right?" not really. I'm not going to tell him that so he can launch into another of his rants though. "This was special ordered! I wouldn't have been able to sleep without it. And I've been invited to a weeding so I'd be embarrassed to go unarmed!" Shouldn't he be embarrassed to show up with that thing instead?
"I see…"
"Oh, so you understand? Really?" Not really. "You know what they say. Though you may wear rags, your heart must be beautiful…" I look at my clothes and sigh as once again he starts going on and on. "I'm sure the kids who found this were playing sword-fight with it. …Honestly, what would they have done if it was a real katana? It would've been broken to bits!"
Koromaru just sits watching him.
"Now to show my gratitude, I should tell you what'll be on the next test." Finally! "Now listen carefully. I'm giving you a real big hint. …Study the Sengoku period." He must be joking. Everything with him is about the blasted Sengoku period! I figured that much out on my own! He walks away and I sigh shaking my head. Koromaru barks as he leaves.
"Thanks for helping him out Koromaru." I pat him on the head and his tail wags. …and my inner strength has increased. He suddenly whines. "Hm? What's wrong?" he sneezes then. Oh…the sand must be stuck up his nose. "Let's go back to the dorm and I'll wash your nose okay?" with that we head back to the dorm. I wash Koromaru's face gently before bathing and finishing the rest of my homework. Thankfully it was mostly done so I finished quickly and went to sleep.
9/1/09
And second semester starts today. Joy. I might as well see Bebe.
Gekkoukan High School, Home Economics Room…
"Minako-sama, 'ave you decided what today's project will be?"
Hm…what do I feel like making?
"I'll make another knit rabbit." Maybe I'll give one to Maiko.
"I am 'appy to be able to see your work again. Go a'ead and start making it." with that I start sowing. Thanks to Bebe's teachings I was able to make it faster and better than before. "Zat speed, zat beauty…Minako-sama, you are indeed superb!" I can't help but smile pleased at his encouragement. "Next, we shall making somezing big! Hrrrmmmm….I know! You will make ze scarf!" A scarf? " 'Appiness will come to girls who can knit scarves!" Oh he obviously just came up with that. "…Zat is what my aunt said." …oh. I feel a bit like an ass now. Hm… "I want you to become 'appy…Zat is… 'Ow I truly feel…"
"I want you to be happy too Bebe."
"Arigatou, Minako-sama…"
Bebe sighs. "Um…Wakarimasen…I do not understand…Ze sewing machine won't go…"
"What's wrong?"
"I am worried about my uncle… 'Ow can I convince 'im to let me stay 'ere?" He looks so sad at the thought of leaving. "If I became a samurai," he's been hanging out with Mr. Ono too much. "Maybe I could stand up to 'im…Oh! Maybe if we go to ze Sweet Shop and 'ave a snack, I can come up wiz a plan! Shall we?"
"Alright. Let's go." I place my rabbit in my bag and place the materials for the scarf in there as well.
"Yatta! Let's go!" He's excited.
Iwatodai strip mall, Sweet Shop…
Bebe and I had some sweets before leaving. We shared a cake again…though this time it was strawberry and vanilla flavored.
"…I 'ave zought about zis even in my dreams…I will be disappointed if I 'ave to return to my country!" he scowls at this. "I want to stay 'ere in Nihon even if I 'ave to eat dirt!"
"How?" How does he plan to live here without his aunt? And even if he could…he would one day miss his uncle. Bebe may not like the man's decisions but they were still family.
"Jitsu wa, actually…I 'ave a plan! I will return 'ome…Mochiron, of course. I will not give up just like zat!" He says so confidently fanning himself with the elaborate fan he always carries. "I will come back 'ere after persuading my uncle! I will convince 'im 'ow great Japan eez! Now, I just 'ave to figure out 'ow to explain it to 'im." he smiles at me. "Zat will be easy with your 'elp, Minako-sama! Please help me! Onegaishimasu!"
"Of course I'll help Bebe."
"Arigatou!" Huh. It feels nice to be counted on…and my inner strength increases. "….Ze sun is setting. I will see you again…mata ne!" with that the two of us go our separate ways. I go back to the dorm. When walking back I see Junpei.
"Yo!" Junpei runs up to me. "You're heading back to the dorm?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go together then." as we're walking back he tells me about his day and some girl he meet called Chidori. He mentions gothic Lolita and art…which really doesn't make much sense so I just nod as he's speaking.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
We walk in and…what the? Yukari, Fuuka and Ken are sitting in the lounge looking nervous about something.
"…Oh, you're back. Perfect timing."
"Perfect timing…? For what?" Junpei's as confused as I am.
"Hey, Akihiko, is Aeon ready?" with that Akihiko and Aeon walk in.
"Here he is."
Aeon's in a winter school uniform. I gap at him for a good minute. Aeon does a slow turn before nodding. "I believe this will prove sufficient."
"Why are you dressed in our uniform?"
"He said he wanted to go to school so I said something to Mitsuru-senpai as a joke…but, the Chairman overheard and thought it was a good idea. So as of tomorrow, he'll be ajunior." …
"What?"
"I am to become a student at Gekkoukan High School starting tomorrow." Aeon smiles pleased at this. "I'll be able to be by your side now.
"The Chairman's cool with this?" Junpei looks Aeon over. Granted Aeon does look like a student but…
"He said something about studying his behavior in a social environment…" Fuuka added.
"Well, as far as I'm concerned, it's a great idea." Junpei has a strange smile on his face. …I hope he's not still upset about that whole bet thing. "After all he's so knowledgeable about humans let's see him prove it." I sigh inwardly.
"I have no doubt that I can assimilate perfectly into your school environment. With this uniform it should be easy." …Why?
"It looks very natural on you; no one will suspect a thing." Ken adds. Granted that's true but… "But, why does he want you to go to school?" I suppose he refers to the chairman. "It's not like there's anything special about it."
"I'm supposed to synchronize my schedule with that of the other members'. If I was here all the time I could end up delaying missions and wasting valuable time. Therefore, I requested to be by Minako's side."
"Delay our missions? Won't you going to school create more problems." Yukari sighs shaking her head.
"If any problems arise I shall adjust my behavior to lower suspicion. If need be I'll eliminate any threats."
"That won't be necessary!" I add hastily. Koromaru barks happily.
"Koromaru has requested to go to school as well." …no just…no.
"Sorry, Koro-chan…you have to stay here." Yukari responds. Koromaru whimpers sadly. I shake my head this is too much for today I head upstairs but notice Ken standing by himself sadly.
"Hey Ken?"
"Oh! Minako-san!"
"Do you want to go get a bite to eat?" Maybe he'll loosen up a little if he was out of the dorm.
"Uh…but-"
"Come on! It'll be fun!" I grab him by the wrist and drag him out. He doesn't protest but I'm pretty sure it's because of how boisterous I'm being. Still, he's so quiet all the time it's depressing. No kid should be so quiet.
Iwatodai strip mall, Wakatsu Restaurant…
I dragged him all the way here. "I didn't hurt you did I?"
"Oh…no I'm fine Minako-san." we managed to get in just before closing time thankfully.
"Alright! Eat up!" I ordered for him and myself. The food smells absolutely delicious and I start digging in. While I'm eating he looks up shyly
"Um..Th-Thanks for the food." he starts eating after he speaks. Huh? He's eating faster and faster. Is there some race I didn't know about?
"Were you hungry?"
"Oh…uh-huh, I guess so." he looks a little embarrassed at that and promptly goes back into shoving food in his mouth. I can't help but watch him…how does he manage to shove that much down so quickly? I can't even down food that fast! "Aren't you going to eat, Minako-san?" Oh. I look down at my own plate.
"Yeah." I stir it around though.
"Well, please do. …I feel embarrassed if I'm the only one eating." he resumes eating quietly. "…It's just not the same." I pause the food halfway to my mouth. Ken stops eating and looks forlornly at his food. "When my mom was still alive…we never really went out to each much…so I never knew what it was like. I guess my mom was really good at cooking. When I eat stuff like box lunches from the store, it just tastes horrible…I…never told my mom that she was a good cook." …Ken's lost his parents at an early age too…I can't help but start developing a soft spot for the kid. He's had it rough. Add in Shadows and I'm surprised he hasn't flipped out yet. "…Oh, sorry. This is really good!" He looks up at me smiling. "If you don't mind…I'd like to come here with you again. Um, that is, if you have time…"
"You're a kid…you shouldn't be so modest."
"P-Please don't call me a kid!" he shouts. I arch a brow is he sulking? He is a kid…he should enjoy it.
Thou art I…
And I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana…
…Again?
"Um, is it okay if I order something to drink? Um…I'd like some milk…" he blushes at this. And I'm not supposed to treat him as a kid.
"Sure Ken. Anything you'd like."
"Large, please…" he's still blushing. Heh. It's like having a kid brother. He finishes his meal in silence and we head back to the dorm.
9/2/09
Gekkoukan High School, Front Gate…
Aeon walks up to me when I'm heading for class.
"So…this is Tartarus during the daytime?"
"It's a school."
"…I see…" with that we head to class together
Gekkoukan High School, Classroom, 2-F…
"Class, we have a new student who will be joining us. He just transferred here. …Please introduce yourself."
"My name is Aeon. I hope to enjoy my time here." He smiles and a couple of the girls start giggling.
"Oh my! He's soo cute!"
"Do you think he's single?"
"I hope so!"
I groan inwardly. Why do I have the feeling this isn't going to end well? For me that is.
"Aeon…what a strange name…I wonder if he was born overseas." Ms. Toriumi begins looking through Aeon's school records. "Let's see…Anything else I should know…? Hm? …Humanoid tactical weapon? What on Earth…?" My jaw drops. I know the Chairman wasn't crazy enough to put that in Aeon's file!
"Wha?" Yukari's eyes are wide as my own.
"…Clearly, that's a mistake." I let out the breath I've been holding. …That…was way to close for comfort. "It just goes to show, you can't believe everything you read."
"Y-You can say that again, Teach!" Junpei agrees eagerly.
"Let's see. You can sit, um…Are there any open seats?" Ms. Toriumi begins looking around and settles for a moment on seat right next to me.
"…Oh, that's seat's open. Right next to her." Uh…she does realize someone normally sits here right? "That one should be fine."
"Uh, Ms. Toriumi, that spot's already taken. He's just playin' hookey." Junpei attempts to intervene. I do not want Aeon violating my personal space every single day…please no!
"…Which means he's not here. So, it's free to be used, right?" Damn it.
Aeon walks over to the seat and looks at the seat then me before smiling and nodding. "This is perfect. My truest desire is to be by her side at all times." Damn it Aeon! The girls from before are glaring at me now. I want to cry.
"What the hell? Isn't she dating Junpei? And Akihiko? What a slut!"
…I fucking hate my life. Yukari hears the whispers and gives me a pitying look.
"My, aren't we all just full of drama today?" I can feel the glares on my back damn it. "Do me a favor and save the rumor spreading for after school."
…
…
…
This sucks. I don't think this day could get any worse.
During lunch I get a text message…hm? It's from Akihiko. "I have something important to take care of after school. I want you to come. I'll be waiting by the gate. Meet me there."
After School…
I head to the front gates. I wonder what could be so important?
School Gates…
Damn…Akihiko looks annoyed…what's wrong?
"…There you are. There's something I have to do, and I want you to come with me."
"Where are we going?"
"We're going to get someone. …An old member." Someone else is joining SEES? Akihiko's carrying one of those suitcases that hold our evokers.
I follow him unsure of our destination.
Iwatodai strip mall, Hagakure Ramen…
This is where Akihiko is picking whoever it is up?
"You're getting on my nerves!" What's Jackass- I mean Shinjiro doing here?
"The situation has changed. Sorry, but this time, I'm not asking."
"What?"
"This belongs to you." Akihiko shoves the suitcase at Shinjiro. What the fuck is going on? And why the hell does Akihiko need me here for? Shinjiro groans but takes it. "We have a new enemy. They're Persona-users, like us." another groan. Can't he respond like a normal human being?
"Yeah, so what?"
"There's more. Ken Amada has joined our team."
Shinjiro looks shocked at this. "What the hell are you talking about?" …I'm not liking this…at all.
"He has the potential and Ikutsuki-san has okayed it. He's now a Persona-user."
"You've gotta be kidding me." he sighs. "Let me ask you one thing…Was it his decision to join SEES?"
"Yeah. He volunteered."
"…I see." Shinjiro takes a deep breath. "Then, count me in." Oh come on! So much for my day not getting any damn worse. He turns to me. "So, you're the one leading the operations now, huh?" He looks me dead in the eyes…damn it…he's scary looking. No matter how loathe I am to admit it. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you fighting for?"
I'm tempted to tell him to screw off but the last thing I need is for that to get back to Mitsuru not to mention Akihiko's right there. "For my own sake."
"Is that so? Well, you do your thing; I'll do mine." whatever. Jerkoff. He turns to Akihiko. "Is my room still vacant?"
Akihiko brightens at this. "Yeah." He's moving into the dorm too? Oh come on!
"Sheesh…another girl? First Mitsuru and now her…" I just glare at him. Urgh. I'm tired. I'm going to go into my room. Jump into my bed and pretend none of this happened today.
"So what? She might be a girl, but she's one hell of a-"
"That ain't my point, numbskull. I'm saying you gotta keep an eye out for her. Honestly…"
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." I've had it with being silent. He turns to me. "I'll have you know I don't need anyone's help least of all yours." I snarl the last bit out. He simply hmphs in response.
"Take care of yourself huh? Whatever. Not my problem."
"It's not." I snap.
Akihiko looks between the two of us probably wondering if he missed something. Gah. This day fucking sucks.
Shinjiro leaves soon after and I glare at his retreating back.
"Uh…"
I glare at Akihiko and he quiets. I guess I can be pretty damn scary looking too at times. We head back to the dorm in silence.
Dorm, 1st floor lounge…
"…Hello!" Ken greets me enthusiastically when I return I mumble hello back before running in my room and throwing myself into bed. '
…
…
…
This sucks.
End Chapter 11
Answering Reviews Time!
NightmareSyndrom: Once again I sent you a PM but yeah. None of what happened with Chance or the blank "Persona" cards are supposed to make any sense in this story. They play no role in this story either. Just setting things up for the sequel. (The butterfly mask on the other hand plays no role at all other than a bit of symbolism. If you've played Persona 1 & 2 you should know who it represents.)
Hamujiro: Aeon and Aigis are not the same person. They're not. Also the Aeon tarot card in the Thoth deck supposedly takes the place of either the World Arcana or Judgement (or Justice) not sure which. I'll have to look it up in the MegaTen wiki. Also there's nothing wrong with being named the same as their Arcana. I mean if Ken's name had been Justice I doubt it would have changed anything. He'd just been named Justice.
XxXTwilight-SinXxX: I was originally planning on ShinjixMinako, RyojixMinako and finally TheoxMinako. Now I find myself more draw to MinakoxShinjixAkihiko. (As in a true threesome not one in which both males avoid each other and only focus on the female.) *sighs* What can I say. The slash fangirl in me comes out at the worst times. Most likely I'll stick to AkihikoxMinako at this point but I'm not sure…AeonxMinako is definitely going to be one-sided. (He's a robot) and KenxMinako is a hell no. I don't care that it's in game! It's squicky!
Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: Okay…I always interpreted capslock as yelling and thus disrespectful…I'm not too sure about the whole freak thing. I'm pretty weird myself but…
cartoon Moomba: Oh yes…Chance. Don't get your hopes too high with him. He's mainly there as backstory. Also yes its a good idea to read my profile! XD I love hotmale!Aigis too *drools*