~A/N~ Based off the votes left in reviews, it seems 'Fortune' is most popular for Kasumi's Social Link. Thanks for your input.

Disclaimer: I'm running out of witty ways to tell you people that I don't own Persona… So…

Luka Megurine: I can help. Nicole doesn't own Persona. She also would like to point out that the only reason I'm doing the disclaimer is because she was listening to my song 'Go Google It' as she wrote this.


Chapter 11

June 27th (The Dark Hour)

By the time I had reached the staircase, my legs were literally shaking. The others in our party – namely, Yukari and Akihiko – looked fine, which really pissed me off. Why was I the only one struggling to even breathe? Sure, they've been doing this for longer, but still! It just wasn't fair!

As the obviously more fit teenagers climbed to the next floor, I paused at the bottom step.

"You okay, Kasumi?" Akihiko glanced back.

Not wanting to look weak, especially not in front of my senpai, I just shrugged. "I'm fine. Just… Um, yeah… I'm coming." There was no way in hell I'd ask Minato if we could go back. I tightened my grip on the sword I had borrowed from the Arisato and continued after my friends.

This next floor had a different feel about it that I couldn't seem to place. Fuuka, apparently, felt something special about the place, too, but we couldn't determine what it was. That is, until the first Shadow appeared.

"A rare form!" Fuuka gasped. "See if you can't destroy it."

It was…

A shiny, golden hand.

With a face.

I should just stop being surprised at the forms Shadows can take.

Without waiting for orders, I charged forward, swinging my blade into the creature's side. The metal only glanced off, not even a scratch on the thing's shiny body to show for my strike.

"Huh? Slash attacks don't work…"

Akihiko and Yukari both used their weapons to attack, neither of which did any damage.

"Argh, this is unfair!" I whined.

"Analyze that thing!" The blue haired boy commanded.

"Okay, I'll try to…"

Minato pulled out his Evoker, placing the gun-like object to his temple, but before he could pull the trigger, the Shadow fled.

"Aw, it got away…" My voice nearly gave my exhaustion away.

"Let's go after it!"

As it turns out, the floor we had stumbled upon was crawling with these so-called 'rare forms.' They were, literally, everywhere. It was another ten minutes before we heard from Fuuka again outside of battle.

"What… What's this strange feeling…?" The disembodied voice sounded troubled. "I think I sense Death!"

"You sense what now?" While I was still questioning what was going on, my teammates had taken off down the corridor. "Wait, where are you going?"

"To find the stairs! Come on!" Yukari yelled.

"And more running…"

I managed to catch up with everyone. Falling in step with Minato, I let out a raspy cough, instead of the question I had been trying to form. "Ach! Do you… ach… wanna tell me exactly from what… ach, ach!... we're running from?"

"Death."

"Wanna be more specific?"

"Hurry and find the stairs! The presence is getting closer!" The Yamagishi girl sounded really worried.

"Is it the same as before?"

"I think so."

"And I still don't know what either of you are talking about! Fancy that!" My words were greeted with the rattling of chains.

At that point, apparently, the others had found our escape route. It was Yukari's voice that rang out. "There's an access point down this hall! I can see the light!"

"Come on!" The blue haired boy grabbed my wrist and started running again, the sound of chains making an ominous harmony with our rushed footsteps.

Okay, so you know how sometimes in animes or movies, when the protagonist is running from something, the roof will suddenly become ten miles long? That's exactly how it felt as we were running from this entity. (That I still didn't have a name for, by the way.) It seemed as if this hallway had added a few extra yards to its length, just to screw with me.

The four of us finally reached the green, glowing access point. Minato dropped my wrist, spinning around. His hand flew to his Evoker. "Everyone get out."

My curiosity won over my common sense, causing me to creep up behind the Arisato. From over his shoulder, I had a clear view of the thing we had been running from.

And it was damn frightening.

The thing that was slowly making its way down the corridor had to be at least seven feet tall. Dark shrouds folded over its body, red blotches staining the fabric down the front. The chain noises I had heard earlier were explained by the heavy, iron manacles draped across the things shoulders. I couldn't see its face, for a bloody cloth covered any features that may have been discernable. In each hand, it clutched four-foot long revolvers.

"Death…" I now understood the name our leader had given to me when I had inquired about this thing's identity. Surely, there was no other name for this monstrosity that was practically on top of us.

"C'mon, Kasumi! Minato!"

I didn't have to be told twice. I dashed over to stand by Akihiko as he prepared to step onto the access point.

"Minato!" Yukari called again. "We've already proven we can't beat that thing!"

Gray eyes met brown ones for what felt like an eternity, before the gray ones closed. Minato nodded.

The four of us piled onto the access point not a moment too soon. The green light covered my vision just as the crack of a very large gun being fired echoed in my ears.

When I could see again, it was to find myself sprawled across the cool floor of the entrance hall.

"Well, that was horrifying." The brunette groaned somewhere above me. She had remained on her feet. So had everyone else, if the sound of footsteps was any indication.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Man, I thought you guys were done for!"

"Do you want to continue exploring?"

I opened my mouth with every intention of telling them all why they were insane if they thought I would go back into that hell-hole, but all that came out was a horrible cough. That cough refused to let up until it felt as though I would surely expel a lung from my sore throat.

"We'll take that as a 'no,' then…"


June 28th

Minato had thought a healthy Kasumi was bad. It was nothing compared to a sick one. And guess who was left to take care of her? That's right. He was. It was a Sunday, so it was no real problem for the violet haired girl to stay home, but they couldn't just leave her there alone. However, just a taste of 'Unwell Kasumi's' attitude had everyone, even timid Fuuka, claiming they had urgent plans. Minato, having already stated before that he had no plans, was stuck on babysitting detail.

I could be leveling my Hermit Social Link right now. I wonder what Maya'll do when I don't show up… More importantly, what extra power am I missing out on? Oh great, now why is she glaring at me? From her sick bed that was the couch in the lounge, Kasumi glowered at the boy sitting across from her.

"…Yes?"

"I'm hungry. It's lunch time." Her voice was barely audible, and as soon as she got those two sentences out, the girl doubled over in a coughing fit. Minato couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

Which was quickly squashed when he realized Kasumi expected him to cook for her. He sighed, getting up to march to the kitchen. He arched one eyebrow as if to ask, 'What do you want?'

Please be something simple.

"Ramen."

Oh, thank god.

Ramen took almost no effort to prepare, so it was without a grumble that the blue haired boy pulled out a packet of the really cheap brand and set it to cook. Two minutes later, he poured the noodles into a bowl that he handed to Kasumi.

The girl lifted her chopsticks to her nose to take a sniff of the noodles that hung on the wood. She let out a disgruntled snort.

"…What now?"

"This is beef. I wanted pork."

Minato was seconds away from defenestrating (Defenestrate: to throw out of a window. It's a word) the infuriating girl. Just as he was about to consider opening his mouth for a very out-of-character rant, Kasumi began to eat the ramen without complaint.

"Hm. It's good."

"Of course."

They lapsed into silence then. That was naturally the case. Kasumi couldn't speak if she wanted to, and Minato most definitely didn't want to make any sort of conversation whatsoever.

Having finished her stereotypical lunch, the violet haired girl reclined on the couch, pulling her blanket up over her head, effectively making a little cave for herself. The boy smiled slightly at the sight. He reached for his headphones. As a soft song started playing, his cell phone vibrated.

Thank you. The message contained just those words from the number he'd saved in his phone a few days ago, after the girl had begged for her school mates numbers in case she had to get in touch with anyone. 'Kasumi S.'

He glanced with amusement at the lump seated on the couch, the light of a phone screen visible beneath the blanket.

You're welcome.

Why can I picture you saying that with an obnoxious smirk on your face?

I am smirking.

I hate you. And I think this is the longest conversation we've ever had.

Probably.

Yeah… So… Yeah, thanks again for the ramen and stuff… It was nice to have someone take care of me for once.

You're welcome. …For once?

Kasumi was taking her sweet time in responding. Minato saw the blanket/lump shift as if the person it concealed was fidgeting.

Yeah. I've been living away from home for a few years.

Minato sighed, snapping his phone shut. The sound of coughing from the blanket on the couch signaled for him to get up. Kasumi would be needing something to drink. He would rather get it on his own accord than be yelled at to do it later. Well, she definitely wouldn't yell. It'd probably be more like a raspy vocalization, but either way, it wouldn't be pleasant.

"Here." He held out orange bottle to the lump. On queue, a purple head popped out of the cocoon. Dark green eyes peered out from under long bangs.

"Stop touching me!"

"…I'm… not?"

The girl glared with obvious distaste. Clearing her throat with obvious difficultly, she explained, "You're touching the ground, which is touching the couch… ach… which I'm touching…" Here, she paused to gasp for air. The sentence that was longer than three words was taking its toll on her. "So, by the transitive property of equality, you're touching me!"

Has the fever finally gotten to her brain? I don't know, this isn't much different than how she normally acts… Minato put the bottle down and put one of his hands on her forehead, the other one going to his own. She certainly feels like the fever's gotten worse…

He sighed. Kasumi yawned, leaning back to curl up on her side. Hopefully, she'd go to sleep, and he'd catch a break from babysitting detail.

"Has anyone told you you're awesome…? 'Cause you are… ahem… and you have blue hair… Nao has blue hair." Kasumi's voice was barely audible. The blue haired boy had to take his headphones off of his ears to hear her. "And I miss Nao… And the hat… Yeah… it's mostly the hat…"

Yes, the fever was definitely affecting her thought process. However, delusional or not, it was interesting to hear about Kasumi's sibling she seemed so fond of. With the small smile that graced the apathetic boy's features came the sound of shattering glass. The world seemed to freeze around him. Any other – normal - person would probably have freaked out at this point. Minato wasn't exactly normal, however, and was more than used to the voices in his head.

"Thou art I… and I am thou… Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana."

A new Social Link, huh? I guess today hasn't been too much of a waste, after all.


~~Author's Note~~
Okay, so it's short and filler… I just wanted to get something out before our "Official Midterm Examinations that will count for 25% of our grade." Pfft. Don't hate me for the short upload… m(_ _)m

Kas's 'illness' is an exaggeration of what most of my family has caught recently. That was my inspiration for this, actually. Hehe, I'm using my family's pain for personal gain… I'm a bad person, aren't I?

So yeah… This is all filler, but whatever. Minato POV WHEEEEEEE!

Also, I'm trying to get my friend to start an Ouran High School Host Club fiction with me, but she keeps getting distracted. We both have great ideas and she's expressed several times being very excited to start writing… but she needs motivation. Well? Motivate her!

Until next time, (if I don't fail my midterms) thanks for the reviews and alerts~!