Author's Note:
I am so glad that I've got a break. Though, I would like to apologize for not updating sooner. I am sorry. I will try and write as much as I can during this break. Thank you, everyone for your support! I appreciate it, truly.
Disclaimer: Persona 3 and its characters belong to Atlus.
Here's chapter five. Enjoy!
Ch.5
S.E.E.S
?
Minato felt dazed and confused. He didn't know what happened. All he could recall was that he felt hot and tired. He also remembered that he heard shouting, but that was it…
Still, feeling tired, Minato slowly opened his eyes. But, to his surprise, he didn't expect on what he seeing now.
The Velvet Room? Why am I back here? He thought as he looked around the room. He could hear the faint piano melody from before playing in the background. Minato continued to look around until he spotted his sister sitting in a chair next to him.
"Hamuko." He called out.
Hamuko was asleep, like he had been, but upon hearing Minato's voice she woke up. She still felt groggy when she looked around at her surroundings.
When she turned to face whoever had called out to her, her eyes widened.
"Minato!" She cried.
Minato nodded, but he was confused on why he started to see tears at the corners of her eyes. "Hey, Hamuko. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" He asked, concerned.
Did something bad happen?
"You, idiot!" She shouted, startling Minato. "I was so worried that you were going to die because of me. You wouldn't wake up after that fight and you also got sick. I was scared… I thought you would leave me just like Mom and Dad…"
Tears then slowly trickled down and she sniffled. Minato felt awful, knowing that he was the cause of her pain. Suddenly, he felt something click in his head.
Oh, right. That battle with that giant, masked thing. He realized. Suddenly everything made sense now and he realized why Hamuko seemed so upset.
I felt so tired after that fight. I guess I collapsed afterwards like she said. Hm, I can see why Hamuko was worried about that. Hell, I would feel the same if that happened to her.
With that thought in mind, Minato reached out his arms and brought his sister close to him. She didn't protest his action and in fact she wrapped her arms around him too. Minato held her for awhile, before speaking.
"I'm sorry, Hamuko. I didn't mean to scare you or make you worry." He continued to hold her. "And don't worry, I won't ever leave you."
The two siblings continued to hold one another until-
"It's so nice to see the both of you again."
Minato and Hamuko released their hold on each other and turned to face the voice. When they faced the front, they were greeted by the sight of Igor, sitting behind the large blue table. Also it appeared that the two Velvet Room attendants from their last visit were now seen standing on either side of where Igor sat.
"Hello, Igor." RepliedHamuko.
"Igor." Minato simply stated, confused as to why they were back here again. Regardless, Minato decided to keep quiet and just listen.
The two twins saw Igor nod his head in acknowledgement.
"You two became unconscious after awakening to your "power"." He started.
I think it's safe to say that is what probably happened. Minato thought. But, what does he mean by our "power"?
Igor continued, "…It's nothing to worry too much about, though. So, just relax."
The two twins fidgeted in their seats, trying to show an outward appearance of relaxation; despite the questions that kept popping in their minds. It took some time, but they managed to do so. Igor nodded once they were done.
"Mmm…by the way…I see that it was Orpheus and Eurydice that heeded your calling. Very interesting." Igor replied, leaning his head near his interlocked hands. It seemed that Igor was thinking about this and appeared to want to say something. However, he merely shook his head.
"Regardless," Igor went on, "that power that you've both awakened is called Persona. It is a manifestation of your psyche."
"Psyche?" Minato asked, now even more confused.
"Igor, what do you mean by our psyche? What is that?" Hamuko also questioned.
The long-nosed man gave a small smile. "It may take some time before you fully comprehend it. But, the simplest explanation that I can give is that your Persona is a facet of your personality that's surfaces as you react to external stimuli…"
"So, like a mask?" Minato said.
Igor nodded again. "Yes, that is one way to put it. It can be considered as a mask that protects you as brave many hardships on your journey."
"That being said, your power is still weak…"
"Hey, what do you mean by being weak?" Minato growled.
"What I mean," Igor explained, "Is that when you use your Persona, you must channel your inner strength."
"'Inner strength?'", Hamuko said.
"To strengthen yourselves, you must strengthen your Social Links-your emotional ties with others. This will help in evolving your power to higher levels."
"So, the stronger your Social Links, the stronger your Persona ability will be. Remember this."
Minato and Hamuko looked at one another, before facing Igor again.
Ties with others? Easier said than done… Minato couldn't help but feel a bit worried at the prospect. After all, in previous years he wasn't exactly the most approachable person, so how would that change this year?
He then glanced at Hamuko.
If anything, I think Hamuko will fare better at it than me. She probably won't have a problem; she gets along better with people. And as for me…well, who knows.
He was suddenly brought out of his thoughts by Igor again.
"Now, then… Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you both here any longer." He said. "But, the next time we meet, it will be of your own accord. Until then, farewell."
Igor then made a slashing gesture with his hand.
And just like before, the blue room began to fade like a dream. Weariness began to tug at Minato, his eyes slowly started to drop.
But, before the Room completely disappeared, a voice called to him.
"Minato!"
Minato turned to the side and saw Hamuko. Her red-brown eyes stared at him and her mouth was moving, obviously voicing words. However, Minato could hear no sound.
"What?" He said.
He saw her talk again to him, but this time he managed to hear some parts of what Hamuko was trying to say to him.
"-see…you…come…back."
To Minato, however, even with these small snippets of what she was trying to say; it still didn't make any sense what his sister was trying to tell him. "What? Hamuko, what are you trying to say? 'Come back'? Back from where? Hamuko!"
But, he was unable to get what she meant before the Velvet Room dissolved into darkness and everything faded away. Once that happened, Minato soon began to feel tired and soon he closed his eyes once more.
-XVI-
April 18, 2009
Afterschool
Yukari fidgeted in her seat. Truth be told, she hated waiting; which is what she had been doing for these past couple of days.
A week had already passed since Minato Arisato had passed out since that fight with the gigantic Shadow. Since then he had come down with a severe fever which lasted a good portion of the week since his admission. Yukari shivered at the memories.
She remembered how Minato's skin became hot to the touch and how his forehead was beaded in sweat. His breathing was also shallow-
No, stop thinking about that now. He's fine. The brunette reassured herself, shaking her head. Yukari then focused back to the matter at hand. She returned her gaze on Minato.
She heard the beating of the monitors that were hooked up to him in the background; meanwhile Yukari felt her mind wander again.
"You really worried us all, you know," Yukari said out loud to herself rather than Minato.
It was true that after the incident, everyone worried what was going to happen. Much to Yukari's surprise, Mitsuru-senpai was the most worried and anxious out of the entire group. The reason for this being that Mitsuru seemed to feel responsible for even letting the incident happen and endangering the three juniors' lives.
The same could be said for Yukari. After all, she was supposed to defend the Arisato siblings from the dangers of the Shadows. Yet, she got nervous and failed to pull the trigger on her evoker. And because of that failure, those that she was supposed to keep from harm's way were the ones that had to rescue her and were paying the price. Some help that she was.
Yukari sighed.
"Please, wake up soon okay?," Yukari said. She then started to get out from her chair and leave for the day when she suddenly heard something.
She looked back to see where the noise was coming from. Her brown eyes widened.
The noise she heard was coming from Minato, who she now noticed was beginning to shift slightly within the bed covers.
A couple of seconds passed before Minato began to move even more. Underneath his closed eyelids, it was noted that his eye movement was now rapidly increasing as well. It then didn't take long before his eyes slowly began to open.
But, they didn't automatically stay open. In fact they closed again shortly after he just opened them and his movement stilled. Yukari then became disappointed thinking that he was probably going to go back to sleep. She once again was going to get up and leave, but was stopped again.
Minato's grey eyes slowly fluttered open and he moved around in the hospital bed. Still quite bleary-eyed, Minato moved his head from side to side, trying to grasp the situation.
"Where…?" He softly asked.
"Oh, you're awake!" Yukari exclaimed, before she also asked, "How do you feel?"
She then saw him slowly pull himself up from the bed. The blanket dropped down from his upper body as he went to a sitting position in the bed. Minato continued to look around at his surroundings, but Yukari suddenly saw him wince. He then put a hand to his temple.
"I guess I feel fine." He answered. "But, my head feels awful." He rubbed his head to emphasize his point. Minato then looked back at Yukari.
"So, where am I again?" He asked.
"You're at Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. You were taken here after well…you know…" Yukari looked off to the side; her hands lay on her lap and were clenching her black skirt. Minato noticed this and was about to say something but was cut off when Yukari suddenly faced him again and began to talk. "Still, thank goodness that you came to. After all, it has been a whole week already. How much sleep do you need?! Do you know how worried I was?"
Minato gave a small smile at the girl's sudden exclamation. He was also a bit touched that there was someone who expressed concern over him. But, he also felt bad for making Yukari feel that way.
"Sorry," he apologized, "I'm sorry to make you worry. I didn't exactly count on falling asleep for a week."
Yukari's eyes widened. She was surprised at Minato's sudden apology. If anything, really it was Yukari herself that should be apologizing for what happened.
"N-No, it's fine." Yukari stammered. "It's not your fault, you couldn't help it. Besides, the reason that you've stayed here for so long was because you got a fever. It didn't help that you got exhausted so it took awhile before you were able to fight it off. So it's not your fault."
"Ah." Minato said. He then looked down at Yukari's lap; he saw her hands nervously fidgeting. He then wondered why she was nervous all of a sudden.
"Besides," Yukari continued, "You helped save my life. So I really shouldn't be complaining because I was the one that got you here in the first place." Yukari then felt the guilt come back again to the surface.
"U-Umm…" She hesitantly started, her hands clenching her black skirt and her face looking off to the side. Yukari sighed, before continuing. "I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything. Even though I was supposed to protect you, I…" She looked up and saw Minato just look at her. He didn't say anything and just continued.
"But, I do have to admit that you power was amazing." Yukari then said; her thoughts drifting back to when Minato's Persona was summoned. It was a pretty amazing Persona, in both power and appearance.
But, the brunette was brought out of her musings when she heard Minato speak out to her.
"Hey, Yukari, what were those things anyways?"
"Hm?" Yukari said, confused on what he was saying before it became clear to her. "O-Oh, you mean the Shadows? They're what we're fighting against. And the power that we use is called Persona."
"Persona?"
Yukari nodded. "It's a little difficult to explain but we'll explain it later. Sorry, that I didn't say anything earlier."
She saw Minato look off to the side, his brow fixed in contemplation. He remained liked that before facing Yukari again.
"Well, I'll take your word for it, but what about you? Are you okay? I mean that Shadow thing or whatever threw you pretty hard."
Yukari answered, "I'm fine. Though, I did get a few bruises here and there, but most of them have already faded away now."
She then saw Minato nod his head in satisfaction.
"I'm glad." He said. "I was worried that you were hurt badly from it. But, I'm glad that you're feeling better."
Yukari felt a small blush creep onto her cheeks; however she looked down again to hide this. Hoping that Minato wouldn't notice.
Geez, what's wrong with me? He's just saying that he's glad that I made it out fine. Nothing else. Yukari protested, quickly banishing these thoughts from her head.
Suddenly, she got up from her chair. Minato then tilted his head confused at her actions. The brunette then walked to the window and looked outside at it.
A silence lapsed between the two, before-
"I, uh…I wanted to tell you that…I'm sorta like you."
Yukari glanced at the corner of her eye to see Minato's response. She saw the boy's slightly tilted head and a confused expression on his face.
"Like me? What do you mean by that?" She heard him say.
Yukari then turned around to face him. She mentally took a deep breath before deciding to tell him about the situation, in a way. This was not directly about what the Shadows or the Dark Hour was about, no this was about herself and her reason for even joining in the fight against the Shadows. Normally she wouldn't have even considered talking about such a personal issue, but she felt responsible for what happened and felt that the least she could do was talk about it. Besides, it wasn't fair either that she knew a lot about Minato and Hamuko's past, while she never explained herself.
And another thing was that she wanted to tell someone. She kept this issue in the dark for so long that Yukari just wanted to at least confide with another person. Yukari felt that she could trust Minato, after all his sister and him had went through such similar pains (if not worse), so she would tell him.
"My dad died in an accident when I was little." She began. "And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms." She looked at Minato. "You're alone too right?"
She saw Minato then turn away. But, as he quickly faced the other direction, she noticed a very pained and hurt expression in his grey eyes. He also had a small frown at the corner of his mouth. Yukari looked down.
"To be honest, I already know about your sister and your pasts. But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine."
She heard nothing back. Yukari silently hoped that Minato wasn't mad about having his life looked into without permission. But, then again, she herself probably would be a bit upset as well if she was in that situation. Nonetheless, she was going to finish her story.
"It was back in '99. There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened. He was there working in a lab run by the Kirijo group. So, really the reason that I'm fighting against the Shadows is that if I stick around long enough, I might be able to find something." She finished her story and slowly looked up.
Minato now faced her again, but she noted that there was a solemn air about him.
"Kirijo? Why does that sound familiar?" He suddenly asked her.
"Hm, I think you probably recognize hearing it because it's Mitsuru-senpai's last name. She's part of the Kirijo group." Yukari answered.
"Yeah, that's probably it." Minato mumbled. He looked up at the ceiling briefly before he suddenly turned to face Yukari. His grey eyes were now widened.
"Hamuko!" He exclaimed. "Yukari, what about my sister? Is she alright? Nothing happened to her, right?" Yukari became slightly startled by Minato's sudden barrage of questions about his sister. It was then that Minato saw that he startled her, so he became silent. He waited awhile before he slowly asked again.
"Yukari, is she alright?"
Yukari looked back at him and answered his question. "About that, Hamuko-chan, she…she collapsed as well. Shortly after you did." She noted Minato's face suddenly change into surprise and horror. Yukari then began to quickly reassure him before he would go off and storm the place in search of his sister; he probably would if given the chance. "But, as of now, she's better. In fact, Hamuko-chan was just exhausted, so it didn't take her long for her to wake up like you. Though, she was barely discharged yesterday despite her being up and about, just for safety precautions. But overall she's doing well."
Yukari saw Minato relax then, the tension and fear of what Hamuko's condition was had disappeared. His shoulders dropped down and Minato also gave a heavy sigh.
"That's good." He started, his voice filled with relief. "Heh, but of course she would get better before me. That was always the case whenever she or I would get sick; she would recover faster than me."
The brunette softly smiled. It was apparent that he cared greatly for his sister.
"You're really protective over her, aren't you?" Yukari asked.
Minato looked back at her. "Of course…She-she's all I have. When our parents died, she was the only thing that kept me going and helped me to recover from their deaths. And so as a result, I made a promise to myself."
"A promise?"
"Yeah. I promised that I would look after her and do whatever it takes to protect her, no matter what happens to me. I don't…I don't want to lose her." His hands clenched at the bed sheets in front of him. Minato's eyes showed a determined light in them. "Like my parents."
Yukari looked out the window.
She then thought back to her visit with Hamuko the other day.
-XVII-
April 17, 2009
Evening
Yukari nervously stood before the door. She was just outside of Hamuko Arisato's room. There was no backing out now.
The girl took a shaky breath and knocked on the door. At first, there was no response and Yukari didn't hear anything that signified that her knock was heard. So she knocked again, hoping that the auburn-haired girl would answer before Yukari lost her nerve and would back out.
To Yukari's relief, she began to hear shuffling from the other side of the door. It then didn't take long to hear the rattling of the door knob. The door opened.
Standing in the doorway was Hamuko.
"Hm? Oh, hey Yukari-chan." The girl greeted.
Yukari smiled. "Hey, Hamuko-chan."
"So, what's up?" Hamuko then responded.
"Oh, umm…Well, I was wondering if we could talk in your room." Yukari answered.
"Sure." Hamuko moved to let Yukari in. Yukari stepped into the room, while Hamuko closed the door after her.
As she waited for Hamuko to come back from the door, Yukari took a quick look around the girl's room. She saw that there weren't many things in the room. Sure there were a few things of note, but the room was mostly bare. It seemed Hamuko caught Yukari looking around.
"Ah, yeah. Sorry, if the room looks a little plain. My brother and I don't have that much, so that's why." Hamuko then looked around before she turned her gaze onto her bed. "Oh, do you mind if we sit on the bed?"
"Uh, no. That's fine. Sure, let's sit on the bed." Yukari answered. The two girls then moved to the bed where they then sat.
"So, Yukari-chan, what did you want to talk about?" Hamuko asked.
Yukari looked down at her lap, before she then faced Hamuko.
"I came to apologize." She said.
"Apologize?"
"Yes." Yukari clarified. "I wanted to apologize for what happened the other night. I…I wasn't able to do anything for you guys, even though I was supposed to protect you. Instead, I just froze up which put us all in danger. Then, you and your brother had to do the saving. And that resulted in you both being put into the hospital."
"And another thing was that I kept the truth from you two. I wasn't honest and I never told you about the Shadows or anything like that. So…"
"It's alright."
"What?" Yukari became surprised. Did she just say that it was fine?
Hamuko noticed her surprised expression.
"Well, don't get me wrong." Hamuko began. "I am kinda upset that you and the senpais weren't honest and didn't tell us about the Shadows or anything; leaving me and my brother in the dark. But…I can understand your reasons."
Hamuko looked down at her lap and gave a sigh. "To tell you the truth, Yukari-chan, my brother and I also have not exactly been truthful either."
"What do you mean?"
Hamuko looked back at Yukari. "Well, my brother and I, when we first came here…we lied about that we didn't see anything. When in truth, we saw what was happening at the time."
Hamuko heard Yukari give a small gasp. Still, Hamuko decided to go on.
"We saw the blood. We saw the coffins. And everything, all the power and electricity, it was all turned off. My brother and I already knew about this though. In fact, over the past years this sort of thing would happen every night. But, we never told anyone. After all, who would believe two kids who would talk about seeing coffins and blood at night? If anything they would think that we were crazy, especially with Minato-nii."
"So, that's why we never said anything for fear that we would be seen as crazy. I can understand why you and the senpais said nothing. You were probably thinking the same too."
The girl lapsed into silence, saying nothing more. Meanwhile, Yukari couldn't believe what she was hearing.
'I can't believe that these guys were already aware of the Dark Hour. What's more, I can't believe that they haven't gotten eaten by the Shadows during that time.' Yukari thought to herself.
It was then that Yukari then saw Hamuko look as if she just remembered something. The girl turned her face back to Yukari.
"Oh, yeah. Yukari-chan?"
"Hm?"
"Don't worry about what happened that night. It wasn't your fault. You were just scared and frankly my brother and I were too. So don't beat yourself up over that." Hamuko gave a warm smile to show the she was sincere.
Yukari couldn't help but give a smile in return.
Hamuko turned her face forward and began to speak again.
"And as for my brother…I don't think he would be upset with you either over what happened that night."
"Are you sure?" Yukari asked. Yukari felt hesitant about going up to the older Arisato twin and apologizing to him. With Hamuko, yes she was hesitant about confronting her, but at least Hamuko had a warm and friendly personality. And as for Minato…she couldn't exactly say.
Truth be told, she felt a small amount of intimidation from him. The reason being was that the boy hardly ever talked much and he mostly kept to himself. And also, he seemed to just generate a 'lone wolf attitude' which discouraged Yukari from going near him. So she really couldn't gauge the reaction of what his response would be if she went up and apologized for everything. Would he be mad? Angry?
Hamuko must have sensed the conflict behind her words, because the girl then said, "Yeah."
Yukari just remained silent.
Hamuko then decided to continue the explanation. "Yukari-chan, my brother…I know that mostly he doesn't look like a 'people' person, but he's not that bad. Sure, he can be a pain with his sarcasm and everything, but Minato-nii's a good person. He's kind, gentle, and understanding. It's just that he doesn't show that side of him much." Her voice then dropped to a whisper. "Not since the accident."
The girl's brown-red eyes darkened and her mouth was twisted into a sad frown. The girl though continued, however the pain and sadness could clearly heard and felt in her words.
"Before our parents died, Minato… Minato-nii was a happier person. He would smile a lot and he was really friendly. But, after the accident happened, he…changed. Minato-nii stopped smiling and his gentleness and kindness; he hid that all away. He was never the same again. And now he's different…"
After that was said, it seemed Hamuko picked up on her rambling and she immediately looked back at Yukari. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on. Here I'm trying to say that Minato won't be upset with you, but instead I'm going on with my life story. I hope that I didn't make you uncomfortable with that, especially since you hardly know me."
Yukari shook her head in refusal. She could sympathize with the girl and understand what it was like to keep such things all to yourself.
"No, you don't have to apologize for that. I can understand why you went on like that." She looked at Hamuko straight on. "It's hard to keep it all in, right?"
She saw Haumko give a slight tilt of the head in response.
"Why do you say that?"
Yukari took a deep breath. She might as well tell Hamuko too. After all, she did want to talk about her situation to the two twins, so this seemed the perfect opportunity. But, she opted to do so later, but given the situation Yukari figured that now was the perfect time. Besides, she owed this to the two after all.
"Well," she started, "My dad, he died when I was little. It was in an explosion, or at least that's what I was told. No one really knew what happened exactly or why he died. But, that's why I'm here. I hope that while I'm fighting the Shadows, I'll be able to find clues as to what happened and what exactly caused my father's death."
She noticed Hamuko's eyes light up with curiosity and understanding. Hamuko then looked away from Yukari and just looked straight at the opposite wall. She then appeared to think over something, before she then looked back at Yukari.
"Hey, Yukari-chan, what does your mom think about all of this?"
Yukari's mouth fell into a slight frown. Out of all the things that Yukari was the most reluctant to talk about, it had to do with her mother.
Yukari bit her lower lip and sighed, "Er…sorry. I can't…I don't …feel like talking about her right now."
The brunette then expected for Hamuko to give some protest or other, however what she heard next was just the opposite.
Hamuko nodded her head. "That's fine. You don't have to talk about it unless you're comfortable with it. I only asked out of curiosity."
"You sure?" Yukari asked.
"Mhm." Hamuko agreed. "Besides, I think that it was already hard for you to tell me about your dad. So I won't push you for anymore, unless you want to tell me." Hamuko finished this off with another genuine smile.
Yukari then felt at ease.
-XVIII-
That's right. She was the first person I ever talked to about it. Yukari recalled.
It was greatly appreciated by her that she was able to talk with someone about herself. That freedom was something that denied to her for so long, so she relished in the chance to say it out loud. Yukari also remembered then how she pretty much remained with Hamuko and the two girls talked with each other; got to know each other.
She appreciated such understanding and was glad to find such with someone like Hamuko.
But, she was still slightly worried about Minato. After all, Hamuko was one thing while Minato was something else entirely. She could only hope to possibly get along with the blue-haired boy.
Yukari gave a small sigh. She gathered up her courage and began; her voice breaking through the silence that had lasted for awhile.
"Anyways, again, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have panicked, despite it being my first time fighting them. But even still, that's not an excuse for not being much help and for getting you and sister put in the hospital. Also for putting you both in danger. If only I wasn't such a coward-"
"It's alright."
Yukari turned back away from the window to face Minato. When she finally faced him, she was surprised at what she saw. At first Yukari expected the blue-haired boy to be upset or annoyed about the situation, however that was not the case. Instead, Yukari saw Minato's expression as that of an understanding nature. His grey eyes, which normally would be cold and brooding, were soft. The very opposite of what she expected.
Minato went on, "Yukari, you don't have to keep apologizing for that. What happened was what my sister and I did on our own will. None of it was your fault or anything, besides I don't blame you for being scared. Hell, I was scared when I used that gun thing or whatever. I wasn't sure what was going to happen."
That statement further shocked Yukari. Her brown eyes widened.
"Really?"
Minato nodded.
"But, still…"
"What's done is done." Minato affirmed.
"Hm." Yukari could tell that Minato was adamant about letting the subject slide. She gave an internal sigh of relief. Good.
"All right, all right." She answered. "I'll stop apologizing for it now. Heh, but still, here I am telling you all this stuff just when you've barely woken up."
"Mhhm." Minato grumbled.
"Hm? What?" Yukari asked, now suddenly confused with Minato's angry grunt.
"Stop apologizing and feeling bad. I don't like it." Minato replied.
"Okay, okay. I get it." Yukari said. "But, anyways, the reason why I kept apologizing and everything was because while I was waiting for you to wake up, I thought to myself, 'I've been hiding so many things from him… As soon as he wakes up, I'll tell him the truth.' So yeah…"
Yukari then looked at the clock that was above the doorway to check for the time. Seeing that she should and tell the rest that Minato woke up, she looked back at Minato. She gave a smile.
"Well, also thanks for listening. I've wanted to tell this story to someone for quite some time, and you and Hamuko-chan gave me the opportunity to say it. Thanks."
Minato allowed a soft, smile at the corner of his mouth. "You're welcome."
Yukari nodded. "Mhm. Well, I've got get going now. I'll let everyone else know that you're awake and fine now. But, in the meantime, take it easy. Call the nurse if you need anything."
"Okay." Minato simply answered.
"Good."
Yukari then began to walk off, but stopped in front of the bed. She looked back at Minato. "Good-bye, Arisato-kun."
She continued to walk for the exit when she heard Minato say something.
"Minato."
She turned back to face him. "Eh?"
"You can just call me Minato."
Yukari felt her face get warm and she then realized that she was blushing. Minato was confused by this reaction, so he did a double-take on what he just said. It was then that he realized too on just the implication of what he said. His face also had a red tint to it.
"Er…I-I mean like, you can call me Minato-kun or Minato-san. It doesn't have to be my last name all the time. Whenever someone calls me that, I feel like I'm listening to Mitsuru-senpai talking to me."
Yukari then couldn't help but give a small chuckle. "Okay. Goodbye then, Minato-kun."
"Goodbye."
Yukari gave one last smile and turned to leave. And as she left, she noticed that she no longer had a huge weight in her chest. She felt lighter.
Meanwhile, Minato lay back in the bed and contemplated.
-XIX-
April 19, 2009
Evening
Minato was now standing before the dorm's entrance. He was released from the hospital today upon seeing that he was well enough to leave and that his fever was gone.
He gave a relieved sigh. Minato was glad to be back. So he then reached for the doorknob and turned it, opening it. Minato stepped inside.
Once he was inside, he closed the door behind him. Minato took a look around his surroundings.
Akihiko was sitting in one of the chairs, mending a pair of boxing gloves. Mitsuru was also sitting in one of the lobby chairs, reading a book. Minato then looked in the back and saw Yukari and Hamuko sitting around the dining table. The two girls were talking with one and another; and from what Minato saw the two were enjoying each other's company.
It was shortly afterwards that his presence was noticed when Mitsuru looked up from her book at him. "Welcome back, Arisato-san. I'm glad that you have successfully recovered."
Minato rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah. I feel better now. Thanks for saying, Mitsuru-senpai."
It was then that everyone else in the room took notice of Minato now. Akihiko, who stopped with his gloves, took a quick glance at Minato before resuming. Yukari and Hamuko stopped their conversation and were also looking at him. Shortly afterwards, Hamuko stood up from her chair and began to walk over.
To any normal person, it would seem that Hamuko was simply going to walk over to her brother. Minato knew this was not the case and he knew what was going to happen next.
Ah, great…
"Minato-nii!"
Hamuko suddenly put on a burst of speed and rushed at Minato, her scarf flowing behind her. Minato had no real time to react as Hamuko's body suddenly collided with his. It took Minato quite a bit of strength to keep himself standing against his sister's sudden glomp attack, but he soon adjusted and he held her in his arms. Hamuko also wrapped her arms around his body and held him tight. She buried her face in his dark coat and nuzzled him.
"I'm glad. I'm glad that you're safe." He heard her say.
Minato felt himself smile.
"Yeah, me too."
He continued to hold her. Meanwhile as this was going on, everyone else in the room couldn't help but feel happy at the scene in front of them. But, in addition to their happiness, they each felt a pang of guilt over what was going to be done the next day.
-XX-
April 20, 2009
Early Morning
"Yo, long time no see. What's up? Did you guys get sick or something?"
Junpei met the three juniors at the school gate and was now following alongside them to the school.
"Er, yeah. Me and Minato-nii got sick so we couldn't come to school." Hamuko answered. However, it was noted that she kept the parts out with the Shadows and them actually being in the hospital. But, what Junpei didn't know wouldn't kill him, right?
"It's true." Minato commented.
"Wow, tough break." Junpei whistled. "Especially since you guys just came here. But, hey! I got something that might cheer you up. Wanna hear it?" The smile on Junpei's face then brightened.
"Sure." Hamuko said, humoring Junpei. While out of the corner of her eye, Hamuko spotted Minato and Yukari simultaneously rolling their eyes.
"Actually, I…Oh wait!" Junpei exclaimed. "Ah, sorry. I just remembered that I shouldn't say anything. Never mind." Junpei then gave a nervous chuckle and waved it off. This only seemed to confuse everyone else in their little group.
"Er…"
"Ah…"
"Geez, Junpei. First, you say that you want to say something and then you back off at the last minute. Why even bother mentioning it?" Yukari asked.
Junpei looked over at Yukari. "What? I wasn't thinking over what I just said till it hit me at the last second. Nothing wrong with that. Besides, everyone almost slips up information when they're not supposed to right?" He grinned again.
"Ugh." Yukari rolled her eyes exasperated over Junpei's response.
"Well, anyways," Junpei seemed to continue, "It's rare that I see you three guys together again. I mean, Yuka-tan comes earlier than you two. Kinda weird though considering you all live together at the same dorm. Why? Or are you guys still worried about the rumors floating around, hm?" He then smirked.
The groups of juniors walked through the school entrance and were near the school lockers. They continued their conversation as they got ready.
"They're still at them?! Do people really have nothing better to do?" Hamuko groaned. Minato shared her sentiments on the matter.
"Yeah…" Yukari agreed. "If you haven't noticed by now, rumors tend to go crazy over the newest thing for awhile before they die down. But, still Junpei, there's nothing weird with us coming here separately. You know that I come here earlier for archery practice anyways. It's just that today I just got up later than usual and decided to come with them."
"Hm, I guess." Junpei answered.
They then finished getting their things before they began to head over to their homeroom. But, Yukari stopped shortly after they began.
"Hey, Junpei, could you go on up ahead? I need to talk with them." Yukari asked.
"Whhhhaaaaaatttt…" Junpei groaned.
"Bye."
"Hmph, alright. I'll see ya in class." Junpei then continued for the homeroom, leaving the three juniors alone.
Yukari turned around to face the twins.
"So, you feel better now, Minato-kun?" She asked.
Hamuko couldn't help but give a slight snicker at the name change. Also she enjoyed seeing her brother's face get red at Yukari's usage of it.
Minato however tried his best to ignore his sister's obvious teasing, despite the tinge of red now on his face.
"Y-Yes, a lot better. Thanks." He answered.
Yukari nodded. "Good. Well, anyways, I hate to hit you guys with this so early in the morning but Ikutsuki-san wants to talk with you two. Come to the fourth floor of the dorm, okay? Don't forget."
"Alright." Minato responded.
"Sure." Hamuko chirped.
"Okay. Now that that's settled, let's go to class. After all, don't want to be late." Yukari then began to walk off. Minato and Hamuko followed her from behind; having their own conversation along the way.
"Sooooo, 'Minato-kun', huh?"
"Shut up."
Minato then gave his sister a light punch to the arm.
"Ow."
"That's for the teasing."
"Grrrr." Hamuko growled, rubbing her arm as she followed.
-XXI-
Morning
Class was…interesting to say the least. Or at least, according to Hamuko, but she knew her brother was probably thinking the same.
Right now they were in history, listening to a man with a samurai helmet on his head. This man's name was Mr. Ono and it was apparent that Mr. Ono loved the samurai, as demonstrated by his interest in other subjects in history.
"That's enough about mammoths. I don't see the big deal about them. After all, they were just huge, hairy elephants. Well, anyways, this wraps up the Stone Age. *sigh* I'm getting sick about stones."
Does every teacher here get to get away with saying these things? I didn't expect that that was possible here, especially since this is a prestigious school, Hamuko wondered. She was convinced that each teacher had their own interest; this man's just had to be with the samurai.
"I'd rather talk about the Sengoku era!" Mr. Ono continued, however it seemed that his lecture now delved into a personal rant. "Japanese history's not that exciting until then. But, since I'm paid to teach this stuff about the Stone Age and all, I have to. I tell you, everyone, being an adult is not fun." Mr. Ono then looked through the history book. "Alright, let's see. What's next? Wait…the Jomon period? When do the samurai get their day in the sun?!"
I am convinced that the teachers here are crazy. Was all that Hamuko thought.
"You know what? I'll just ask a random question and call this a day. Hmmm…Junpei!" The teacher shouted.
"Gah!" Junpei shouted also; though his was a surprised yell.
"What was the style of house during the Jomon period?" Mr. Ono immediately asked, giving Junpei no time to recover his bearings.
"Uh, how am I supposed to know from way back then?", he asked. Junpei took a quick side glance.
"Psst. Psst. Hey, Hamuko-chan? What is he talking about? Do you know?" Junpei whispered.
Minato took a glance at Hamuko, as well. He wondered if she would help.
Hamuko then looked at Junpei.
"Mud huts." She whispered.
"Mud huts!" Junpei exclaimed, parroting Hamuko's answer.
"Correct." The man nodded. "Mud huts were built by digging a hole in the ground and supporting the roof. But, ahhhh…I can't get interested in this stuff. Nothing matters but the age of the katanas. Everything else is so dull…."
Mr. Ono looked dejected. Meanwhile Junpei appeared a little upset.
"What?! I answered it right and I don't get credit. Tch."
He looked to the side. "Thanks, though, Hamuko-chan."
Hamuko nodded and smiled.
-XXI-
Evening
Minato and Hamuko were currently walking up the stairs to the meeting place that Yukari mentioned. As of now they were at the second floor, going up onto the third.
The twins arrived later than the agreed upon time, the reason being was that they had taken a slight detour before returning to the dorm. When they were walking back, Hamuko was curious and wanted to hang out at the mall for awhile. Minato relented and so they remained there for a good portion of time till at last Yukari's request reminded them to come over here.
And so they returned, but not before watching a bit of television before heading up. However, they didn't watch for long as what was on was not really entertaining. Just some news about tourists and some attraction being up until May. Nothing special.
But, then as they barely began to head up, the two twins felt the dorm begin to shake. It wasn't too bad, the tremors were light and it only lasted for a few seconds before subsiding. However, they didn't head up until they were sure that it was over.
So now here they were walking towards the fourth floor. Hamuko never realized just how arduous the journey up these flights of stairs was. She guessed that the last time when that huge Shadow attacked and they had to run up these stairs to the top, they were fueled by adrenaline. And as she knew, adrenaline can do wonders. Sadly, this was not the situation right now.
Hamuko then stopped thinking and focused her attention on what her brother was now saying.
"They probably called us here to discuss the situation with those Shadow things or whatever."
She looked at him, before facing forward as they ascended.
"I guess. But, yeah, that makes the most sense. I mean they didn't tell me anything when I woke up, so I guess now that you're okay, they can tell the both of us."
"Hm." He answered.
"And maybe, this is just an idea, but do you think they know about that thing that happens at around midnight?"
"Maybe. I'm pretty sure that they do. After all, how can you not notice the blood and coffins? Unless, you and me are just experiencing some hallucination and that it's all in our heads. But if not and they do see it, most likely they'll have some information."
Hamuko gave a slight nod in agreement. After that nothing was said and the two continued on in silence.
They continued until they were now on the fourth floor and were standing before a huge, oaken set of doors. Minato stepped forward and pushed the door in. He went in first with Hamuko following behind.
What they saw before them seemed unreal.
The room was quite large, as if the size of the doors wasn't a hint. And in it there was a large computer-like thing that took most of the room's space. Random readings of some sorts flashed on its screen. There was also a console below it with many buttons. And then there were bookcases and shelves that lined the rest of the room's sides. And finally in the middle, there were chairs and a couch that surrounded a table. Here was where Mitsuru, Akihiko, Yukari, and Ikutsuki were at.
They appeared to have been talking, but as soon as the Arisato twins entered, they stopped and looked at them. Ikutsuki smiled.
"Ah, there you two are." He greeted. "I'm glad that you both seem okay now. Especially you, Minato-san. You gave us all quite a scare."
Hamuko saw her brother fidget from the corner of her eye. She then saw him scratch the back of his head.
"Ah, yeah. I feel a lot better, though. Thanks." He nervously replied. Minato was still unused to someone expressing such concern for him and from someone like Ikutsuki. It felt…strange.
Ikutsuki nodded. "I'm glad to hear it." He then motioned to the vacant chairs that surrounded the table. "Please, sit down."
The twins took quick glances at one another, before Hamuko went first and sat at a chair. Minato also sat down at chair that was right next to her. When they were seated, Hamuko couldn't help but look at the person seated next to her. The person had short, grey hair and grey eyes (not the steel-grey color of her brother's though); he also wore a red vest with the rest of the Gekkoukan uniform ensemble. Hamuko noticed that his hands had black gloves on them.
Have we met this guy before? Hamuko wondered. Because, I know that I've seen him around the dorm a few times, but I still don't exactly know who he is…
It seemed that Ikutsuki was able to pick up on her confusion and so he spoke up. "Ah, I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko." He then motioned towards said person.
Akihiko turned to face the Arisatos.
"How ya doin'?" He welcomed, a warm smile on his face. The twins nodded in acknowledgment. However, after nodding, Hamuko turned her head slightly to the side. Her face suddenly felt warm.
Uhm… She nervously thought.
This action was not unnoticed. Minato saw his sister's slightly flushed face and was curious as to what the reason for this reaction was.
Why is she-?
But, he did not have time to mull it over as Ikutsuki cleared his throat, which signaled everyone to look and listen.
"Well, now that everyone is here and knows one another, let's get to the matter at hand." The man replied. He then looked at the twins. "Now, the reason that I've called you both here is that I would like to talk with you. But, first, let me start off with this."
He folded his hands together, letting his elbows rest on the chairs' armrests, and he leaned on them.
"Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?"
The twin's eyes widened. None of them expected to hear this.
"…What?" Minato said in disbelief. I don't…what..?
Hamuko was similarly confused. "Errr…excuse me?"
Meanwhile, from the side, Mitsuru couldn't help but softly chuckle. She was amused by the Arisatos' reactions. "*chuckle* I'm not surprised by your reactions." And as quick as that, Mitsuru's face then became serious as usual.
"However, you both have already experienced this firsthand. Do you remember the night that you both arrived? You had to have noticed the signs. The streetlights went out…Nothing was working…Coffins everywhere… Didn't this feel different from a normal day?" Her tone grave throughout the talk. Her eyes were strictly focused on the two juniors across from her.
Minato, on the other hand, couldn't believe what he was hearing.
So, they DO know about it. Guess, it's not a hallucination then and my sister and I are not completely crazy. But, still… it was another hour? How is that possible?
Minato kept these thoughts to himself, while he maintained a blank face on the outside. He wanted to hear what else the red-haired senior knew, before putting in his two-cent worth.
Hamuko also remained silent, likewise adapting the same strategy as her brother.
Mitsuru continued her explanation, "That's the Dark Hour- a time period hidden between one day and the next."
"Yes," Ikutsuki added, "It occurs each night as the clock strikes twelve. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come."
Akihiko also decided to help in explaining.
"Normal people don't realize it, since they're all sleeping inside their coffins. But, that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting…"
The gray-haired senior stood up from his seat and faced the seated twins.
"Remember those black creatures? They're Shadows. They only appear during the Dark Hour and attack anyone not in a coffin. And it's our job to defeat these things. Sounds exciting, right?" Akihiko smiled at the end of his explanation. The senior's eye also reflected an excited look.
From the corner of his eye, Minato could see Mitsuru give a slight shake of her head. He noticed her then stand up as well.
"Akihiko!" Mitsuru scolded. "Why are you like that? You just got hurt the other day!" Her crimson eyes narrowed.
Akihiko then turned a bit pale and he seemed to back off at her sudden exclamation.
Ikutsuki decided to help diffuse this argument before it got out of hand.
"Now, now, Mitsuru. He does his work well." He reassured.
The two seniors looked at one another before they sat down. However, it seemed that the argument would be far from being resolved. Ikutsuki looked between the two and sighed.
"Ahhh. Well, anyways, to make a long story short. We're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad-or SEES for short. The reason for this is that on paper we are classified as a school club. But in reality, this is a group dedicated to fighting and defeating Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader and I'm the club advisor." He said.
"Shadows feed on the mind of its prey; leaving them as a living corpse. These Shadows are the cause of most of the incidents that are reported on the news, if not all of them. In short, these things are responsible for the phenomenon known as Apathy Syndrome." Mitsuru replied.
…
Minato tried to wrap his head around all the information that was being conveyed to him in such a small amount of time.
The thing that Hamuko and I notice is the Dark Hour. Shadows come out in the Dark Hour. Normal people become coffins in the Dark Hour. People's minds can be eaten by the Shadows. Apparently, this is on the news and is called Apathy Syndrome. And it seems that the authorities are useless, as nothing has been done.
The wheels in Minato's mind were spinning at an alarming rate to try and process all of this. So he decided to speak up.
"Alright, well, it seems that the police aren't doing anything. So how is it that you all can fight them?"
Ikutsuki pushed up his glasses. "To answer your question, Minato-san, although it is rare, there are individuals who can function during the Dark Hour. You two, for example, are clear proof of this. And so, it is then possible for said individuals to awaken to a power that enables them to defeat the Shadows."
"This is Persona- the power that you both were able to use the other night. The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. So, as you can probably tell, normal authorities like the police would not be able to handle this situation. Which leaves it up to you all to defeat the Shadows."
Minato's eyes narrowed. He knew what was probably going to be asked. After all, no information is free without a price, but was he willing to pay it?
Hamuko's voice, though, brought him back from his thoughts as she asked a question.
"Uhm. I get what you're saying but…what does this have to do with my brother and me?" She asked timidly; unsure of how this was going.
Without an answer or word given, Mitsuru stood up once more and opened a grey case (How long has it been there?) that was on the table.
The contents of the case were two silver guns with the engravings of SEES on the side and two red armbands that also featured SEES on them. Mitsuru looked up at the twins.
"What he's trying to say is that we want you to join us." She simply stated. "We even had specially made Evokers made for you." She then softly added, "We would like you to lend us your strength."
A momentary silence filled the room, until-
"And if we refuse…?"
Everyone's eyes widened in shock as they heard the blue-haired teen. However, Ikutsuki couldn't help but give an amused smile.
"Oh," he said.
Minato's grey eyes were narrowed dangerously.
"You can't honestly expect us to just blindly follow and agree to join you," Minato growled, "What's in it for us? After all, we're going to be in life-threatening danger and could possibly be killed as a result. And all for a fight that is someone else's. So, tell me, where's the logic in that!?"
He then felt his sister shift beside him.
"Minato…" She started, however Minato gave a cold glare at her. She then backed down instantly; she knew that when he got this way, it would be difficult to argue with him.
Minato continued to give a hard stare at the Chairman, daring him to say something.
"Arisato-!" Mitsuru started, before she was interrupted by the Chairman.
"Mitsuru, it's alright."
"But-" She began to protest, but the Chairman lifted his hand for silence. Mitsuru backed down and sat in her seat.
Meanwhile, the other two, Akihiko and Yukari, nervously looked between Minato and Ikutsuki. They were nervous at the potential of possibly losing help.
Ikutsuki remained silent for a few moments before speaking.
"I see your point, Minato-san. I am not going to lie. What your sister and you will be doing is dangerous and yes, you could possibly die. However, what this can guarantee is that you will live."
"Live?" Minato asked.
"Yes, live. Think about it Minato-san, it is truly a miracle that someone like your sister and you have been able to stay alive and not get taken by the Shadows. I can assume that you two possibly already even knew the existence of Dark Hour, am I right?"
Minato's eyes widened, along with everyone else's. How could he even know about it? Even if it was a wild guess, how?
Ikutsuki nodded again. "Judging by your surprise, I assumed correctly. How I thought of this is when I judged your reactions earlier, so I assumed that you've already experienced this phenomenon. As you both didn't seem too surprised when it came up that something like the Dark Hour happened. But, it did surprise you when it was revealed as being a "hidden hour", so I take it that you knew what it more or less was, but not quite exactly."
The Chairman then waved it off, "But, back to the matter at hand. Now, what if that good luck of yours that enabled you to live for so long was to run out? What then? You wouldn't be able to protect yourselves without the use of Evokers to help summon your Persona nor could regular weapons exactly protect you effectively as using a Persona. Also, it would be difficult to look after yourselves alone if you were to be attacked by the Shadows."
"So, while there may not seem to be a true benefit to join this fight for you, try and think of this offer as a means of survival. This will at least give your sister and you a way to defend yourselves, at least. As well as protection, as you will be in a group with others instead of on your own. Think about it."
Minato looked to the side, his hands clenched at his dark pants. As much as he hated to say it, there was truth in what Ikutsuki was saying. But still, he didn't want to put his sister through all of this trouble and let harm come to her. He was torn.
Damn, what he is saying makes sense. After all, I never knew there was such a thing as the Shadows and that they could eat people's minds. And no doubt that ordinary weapons won't be good to fight off Shadows, if Hamuko and I had tofight by ourselves. Minato growled. But...there's no way in hell that I am going to risk Hamuko's safety just for some chance to act as some "hero" for some fight that isn't even my own.
His grey eyes quickly took a fleeting glance over at the other occupants.
The blue-haired boy saw that the others had anxious expressions, no doubt they were all nervous about this conversation. Minato couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of remorse and guilt. To them, this chance of having two Persona-users was probably the very help that they needed. As Minato looked at the others' faces, he noted that the most nervous one of all was Yukari's.
Minato couldn't help but felt worse.
Upon knowing Yukari's reason for fighting the Shadows, Minato felt bad about rejecting the offer. He knew that she was fighting for an answer as to why her father died. And so by not joining, her efforts would probably progress slower than if his sister and him had joined...
No. I can't give in just because of that, Minato argued. He then shook off any feelings of remorse or guilt that he felt. He steeled himself as he continued to glare at Ikutsuki.
Sorry, Minato apologized, But I have my own reasons.
-XXII-
Hamuko looked at her brother. She understood her brother's hesitation to accept. It was all for her sake. She knew that he would do whatever it takes to keep her protected. So throwing her in a situation where she would be in danger didn't help.
But, Hamuko couldn't ignore whenever someone needed help. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she refused this offer.
She then looked at the case that contained the guns or Evokers, as they were properly called.
She sighed. Minato's probably going to be mad about this…
Hamuko then reached out for an Evoker and grabbed it from the case. The others looked at her. Hamuko then reached for the red armband and pulled it out. She put the two items in front of her.
She looked up; her red-brown eyes shined with determination.
"I'll join."
The others around the table suddenly felt relieved that at least one of them accepted. Now all eyes focused on Minato, waiting for his answer.
Minato continued to look down at his lap. His thoughts were even more of a mess, knowing now that Hamuko accepted. He couldn't exactly back out of joining now, as he would follow her.
I guess then that this settles it. I can't go against her now and she knows that. *sigh* Fine, I'll go along, but I'm only doing this for her. I'll look after her no matter what.
Minato looked up and faced everyone.
"I'll join too," he answered.
"Yay!" Hamuko tackled her brother.
"Ugh, get off!" He said, however, a slight smile now seemed to break his cold exterior.
A collective sigh seemed to run through the whole group. Yukari seemed to be especially relieved.
"Whew, I'm relieved," Yukari said, "I was scared that you'd say no."
Akihiko also said, "Yeah, don't think too hard about. Just hang out with us for awhile."
Minato then looked at Mitsuru. She returned his gaze. "Thank you, Arisato-san. I greatly appreciate it. And if you have any other questions feel free to ask."
Minato looked up briefly considering her words, before looking back again. "Well, I want to ask where my sister and me will now stay, considering that we're now part of the group. The situation hasn't exactly cleared up so…"
"Ah, yes," Ikutsuki snapped his fingers, before he chuckled, "About your room assignments…why don't you both stay here, in your current rooms?"
Hamuko though asked, "Chairman, would it be okay, though, if Minato and I just shared his room?"
The others looked at her; Minato just tilted his head at her request.
Ikutsuki looked down and thought for a bit.
"Hmmm…I suppose that would work. I see no problem with the arrangement. Mitsuru?" He looked at the red-haired senior.
Mitsuru looked down, thinking. Shortly afterwards she looked up.
"I...I guess that it could work. However," She then looked at the Arisatos, "It will take some time to move your sister's belongings into your room, Arisato-san. Also, it will be awhile to have another bed put into the room. Is this alright with you both?"
The two nodded in understanding.
Mitsuru gave a small nod in return, before speaking again.
"And one last thing. You both are still responsible to adhere to the dorm rules, regardless of you both having the same room. But, if there are no troubles and you both continue to follow them, then I suppose that I see no problem with this arrangement." She gave a small smile.
Ikutsuki smiled. "Good. Very well, you two may stay in Minato-san's room together. I'm glad that you've joined us. And I suppose that hold-up from before worked itself out after all. *chuckle*"
Yukari looked at him confused. "Hold-up? But, wasn't that-Oh, nevermind. It doesn't matter anymore." She looked at the two twins. "Well, anyways… Welcome aboard!" She smiled.
The two gave small smiles in return. But, suddenly everything seemed to stop.
Minato and Hamuko looked around. Everything stopped and now there seemed to be a ringing noise.
Then, a mysterious voice boomed out, "Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana…"
A sudden rush of energy engulfed the two. But shortly afterwards, everything became normal again, as if nothing happened.
Minato and Hamuko looked at one another. The information that Igor told them came flooding back.
Is this the power of Persona? And is this what Igor meant with Social Links?
A/N:
- And so the story is now officially starting to take off. I will admit that the game's beginning is a bit slow as things must be established. However, soon the plot will become more fast-paced and intense as it goes on. Also, on social links. I've decided with the Hermit one that Minato and Hamuko will share that one too.
- And finally, I've also put up the drabble collection for this story. I've re-named it Memoriae, so have a look at it. So far there are only two drabbles, but I hope to update it soon.
- Anyways, please review, fave/follow, and give feedback. Very much appreciated and I thank you guys for the support for this story and for reading this chapter.