Author's Notes: So it's been a while... That being said, I'm not sure about the quality of my writing. I'm only putting this up because why not? This story as a whole is my coping mechanism for the entire game. I'm playing Fes right now so I guess I'll update a chapter as I play until I'm caught up with my game progress... Or not... It'd be a shame to keep unnecessary files on my computer anyways... So without further ado... Welcome to Tatsumi Port Island where our story unfolds.

~6 APRIL 2009~

A crackling voice cut through the silence of the passenger train. "Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. We apologize to any customers who were in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai…"

That's just great, a blue-haired boy sarcastically mused as he stared out the window of the passenger train. His arms were crossed as his perpetual frown deepened into a scowl. His blue-grey eyes wandered over to the sleeping passenger sitting against him and his expression immediately softened. He carefully readjusted the jacket blanketed over the brown-haired girl but froze when she started to stir.

"Hm? Nii-san?" The girl straightened up and rubbed her eyes. "Did we arrive?"

"No, not yet. Sorry. Did I wake you, Hamuko?"

Hamuko shook her head and handed her brother back his jacket. "We're almost there though, right?"

"Next stop," the blue-haired boy said with a shrug as he returned his gaze to the blurring buildings outside. "But it'll be midnight soon," he informed her.

Hamuko felt her body stiffen, but noticed that her brother had been tense for a while. "I see…" She focused her red eyes out the same window as her brother. "Then you should get some rest, nii-san. If that happens here, you definitely won't be able to sleep well tonight."

"Hrm. I'll be fine." The boy eyes glanced around the car they were in and his fingers went up to the headphones around his neck. "Hey…"

The younger twin looked around and shrugged. "It's okay, Minato, since there's nobody else here. I don't mind."

"Mm," Minato grunted in thanks as he began playing his favorite song on the highest volume setting his headphones could support.

"I will burn my dread~" As soon as the song cut through the silence, both twins could feel the tension slowly ease away.

The two stared out the window together. The scenery wasn't special, but given their situation, it was better than nothing. Hamuko let the sight of the buildings blended against the coast bury itself into her memory.

Another year, another city. Maybe this'll be the last time we'll have to move. After all, this is where… Her thoughts trailed as her eyes wandered over to her brother. The blue-haired boy's face betrayed nothing as Hamuko quickly averted her gaze from him. No… For Minato's sake, I won't focus on that. This is a new start for us. Things'll definitely be better this year.

She was quickly taken out of her thoughts when a shimmering blur outside the window caught her attention. "What's that?" she asked aloud.

Minato had noticed it too and his eyes narrowed on two mysterious glowing objects. He tilted his head to the side. "Butterflies?"

A pair of beautiful butterflies, one red and the other blue, rested on the window for a moment. The two wanted to get a better look and stood up, but as soon as they were close enough to examine the insects, the train suddenly stopped. Minato quickly grabbed Hamuko's arm to catch her while he steadied himself against the seat. Minato turned his head back towards the butterflies, but they were already gone.

The same static-filled voice as before made the blue-haired boy glare at the speaker. "Iwatodai. This is the final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island. Please take care to board before departure."

Tch, he thought in annoyance.

Hamuko noticed her brother's expression and let out a light chuckle. "Maybe Tatsumi Port Island is full of those butterflies."

"Hrm… Maybe…" Minato carefully took down their carrying bags and slung his backpack over his shoulder. Hamuko reached for hers but the older brother shook his head as he lifted her duffel. "I've got it."

"Thanks," the younger twin smiled as they departed the station together. They didn't get far before she felt a chill run down her spine. Hamuko automatically shifted closer to her brother as the familiar feeling of dread washed over them.

The twins stood close together as around them, machinery began to shut down. Even Minato's blaring headphones were silenced as a dull green shadow was cast over the street. Rust-red liquid leaked from the walls and pooled at their feet.

This time, Minato let out an audible "Tch." He quickly grabbed his sister's hand and pulled her away from the train station.

Hamuko silently followed but as they navigated the unfamiliar streets of a new city, they soon found themselves going down alleyways leading in dead-ends. The younger twin tightened her grip around her brother's hand and noticed he was trembling from sheer panic.

"Nii-san," she finally spoke up after what felt like an eternity of wandering around, "It's okay. I'm right here with you."

"H-huh?" Minato snapped his head up as though he suddenly became aware of his surroundings. He looked around nervously before realizing he was squeezing his sister's hand a bit too tightly. "O-oh... Sorry..." He gently let go and brought his freed hand up to brush back his bangs. "I got us lost, didn't I?" he asked with a groan.

"Well, your sense of direction isn't the best," Hamuko lightly joked to ease the tension of the situation, "but at least we haven't come across anything danger—" she suddenly let out a short scream as a nearby trashcan toppled over, spilling dark red blood over the sidewalk. It all happened in less than a second, but her brother was immediately in front of her, ready to shield her from harm with his own body. After another eternal second, she let out a weak laugh. "Let's keep going, nii-san."

"Yeah..." Minato cautiously nodded. "You should lead the way this time though. I'll just..." he uncomfortably kept an eye out on their surroundings, "warn you if I see anything..."

"Alright," Hamuko agreed as she grabbed his hand again while reaching into her pocket for a crumpled pamphlet with her other. She did her best to read the small map by the dim moonlight but soon they were off again.

It took a little longer than either sibling would have liked but eventually, the two ended up in front of a four-story building. Hamuko stopped walking and compared the address on the sheet to that of where they were to ensure they made it to their destination. Her brother looked at her pleadingly for her to say something as he continued glancing over his shoulder for anything that might be amiss.

Finally, Hamuko broke the silence. "Yeah, this is the place."

"Good," he said, letting out a heavy sigh as he forcefully opened the door and practically threw his body in.

Hamuko quickly went in after him and closed the door, but froze when a young boy sitting at the reception desk smiled at the twins.

"Welcome," the boy said, blue eyes glowing with anticipation. "You're late. I've been waiting a long time."

Minato tensed up and eyed the boy suspiciously. He was about to say something when the boy suddenly held out two pieces of paper.

"If you want to proceed, then please sign here. It's a contract. There's no need to be scared. It only binds you to accepting full responsibility for your actions."

Minato refused to move, but Hamuko stepped towards the counter. Her brother made a move as if to pull her back, but she gave him a reassuring smile. The red-eyed girl picked up the paper and read it aloud. "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will." That's an odd thing for a contract to be about. She flipped the paper over and looked for any fine print. When she couldn't find anything wrong, she shook her head to let her brother know it seemed safe.

Minato finally stepped forward to stand beside at her right side. The strange boy smiled at them both as he held out two black-feathered pens. Both twins took a pen and Minato simply watched as his younger sister quickly signed her name Hamuko Arisato. He turned back to his own contract and blinked when he had absently signed his own name of Minato Yuki without realizing it. He didn't lift the pen from the paper as he spent a moment contemplating whether to hand it over to the boy, but before he could decide for himself, both contracts were quickly pulled away from them. Minato couldn't protest as the unknown boy gave him a smile that somehow put him at ease despite all the suspicion he felt.

"Very well," the boy said with satisfaction. "Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away. And so it begins…"

The boy disappeared from in front of them. Minato was about to turn towards Hamuko to question what just happened, but another voice quickly caught his attention.

"Who's there!?" A girl this time. Minato faced this stranger and quickly saw the gun holster at the brown-haired girl's side. His eyes narrowed as the girl stared at them with suspicion and surprise. "How can you be…? But it's…!" She paused for a moment. "Don't tell me…"

Minato quickly stepped in front of Hamuko as the strange girl pulled out the gun. The younger twin grabbed her brother's jacket but noticed a pale light standing behind the girl. The light took the form of a man, but Hamuko said nothing as she tightened her hold on her brother.

"Wait!" Another voice cut through the tension.

A red-haired girl appeared from the stairwell. Whoever she was, her exclamation did the trick as it made the first girl pause. Soon, the sickly green glow disappeared and electrical lights turned on to illuminate the darkness. Music resumed from Minato's silent headphones.

"The light…" The first girl relaxed as she put her gun away.

After muting Minato's headphones, Hamuko placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. The blue-haired boy was completely on edge and she gave him a comforting squeeze to let him know the danger has passed. The second girl entered the lounge and motioned for the twins to have a seat. Hamuko took her bag from her brother and led him over to the couches.

Minato silently followed, but kept a wary eye on the first girl. He paused when he saw a flickering shadow loom over both girls. He blinked a few times, but noticed the shadows were gone.

The second girl cleared her throat to make sure she had their undivided attention. "I didn't think you'd arrive so late. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

The first girl gave the twins a suspicious look-over, causing Minato to glare at her. Hamuko grabbed a fistful of his jacket to prevent him from doing anything that would probably get them both kicked out. The strange girl didn't notice however and turned towards the older red-haired girl. "Who're they?"

"They're transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here. They'll eventually be moved to rooms in the normal dorms."

"Is it okay for them to be here?"

Mitsuru thoughtfully examined the twins. "I guess we'll see." She smoothly introduced the twins to the girl. "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

The girl sheepishly smiled at them as they exchanged handshakes. "Hi, I'm Yukari."

Hamuko returned her smile. "Hamuko. And this is my brother, Minato." She pointed over to the sullen boy beside her. "Nice to meet you!"

The red-eyed girl's enthusiasm surprised Yukari. "Uh, y-yeah. Nice to meet you too." Her gaze went back to Minato, expecting the boy to do the same, but Minato continued to glare at her.

"Why do you have a gun?" he asked.

Not expecting his question, Yukari stumbled over her words. "Huh? Um, well, it's sorta like a hobby. Well, not a hobby, but…"

Mitsuru quickly cut in. "You know how it is these days. It's for self-defense." She smiled at the twins. "It's not a real gun, of course."

Minato stared at the gun for a while before he decided the redhead's answer would suffice for now. Still, something else was bothering him. "Is this a girl's dorm?"

Yukari was the one to answer him. "No, it's not, but… Umm, how should I explain it?"

The blue-haired boy's frown deepened, but Mitsuru quickly cleared it up for him. "Unlike the other buildings, this one's co-ed. It's not your typical dorm, though. I'll explain it to you later when I get a chance." Mitsuru's phrasing made the twins give each other a dubious look. Noticing this, Mitsuru quickly spoke. "It's getting late, so you should get some rest. Yuki, your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway. Arisato, yours is also at the end of the hallway, but on the third floor. Your things should already be there. I suggest you tuck in for the night."

Yukari took this as a sign to get up. "Oh! I'll show you the way. Follow me."

The two gathered their bags and followed their peer upstairs. At the landing of the second floor, Yukari pointed down the hall for Minato. "There it is. Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since the two of you are right at the end of the hall. So, any questions?"

Hamuko slightly raised her hand as if she were in class. "When we arrived, we signed a contract."

"Huh? What's this about a contract?"

Minato raised an eyebrow at the brunette. The confused expression on her face told him that she genuinely didn't know anything about a contract. To test his hypothesis, he asked a question of his own. "Does that kid live here too?"

"What kid?" Yukari looked between the two. "What are you two talking about? C'mon, it's not funny." She was getting worked up over something but took a deep breath. "Um… Can I ask you something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

Minato and Hamuko looked to each other before replying at the same time. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I—" Yukari cut herself off and shook her head. "Never mind. It seems like you're both alright." She looked up the stairs before turning towards Hamuko. "Well, we'd better get going." Minato started down the hall while Hamuko followed Yukari up, but stopped when he heard Yukari pause. "Um… I'm sure you still have other questions, but let's save them for later, okay? Good night."

Minato shrugged as he continued down the hall towards his new room. "Whatever."

When Yukari and Hamuko got to the top of stairs, Yukari gave the brunette an apologetic smile. "Your brother doesn't seem to like me, does he?"

Hamuko lightly laughed as she continued towards her new room. "No, I'm sure he's just tired from the trip. He'll probably be better in the morning," she lied, knowing her brother was worse during mornings.

"I hope so," Yukari frowned. "Well, good night."

"Good night." Hamuko entered her room and carefully put her bag down. She quickly changed into suitable sleeping clothes and stared at the empty room. She stood at her window for a while and looked out over the rest of the city. Yeah, this is definitely a new start, right? We'll be fine.

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Weeks after they moved in, Minato and Hamuko finally found the time to decorate their rooms. Rather, it was Hamuko doing the decorating while Minato watched and gave input when necessary. He sat on his bed tinkering with his camera while keeping an eye on the overly excited girl shuffling his things around.

"That should be it!" Hamuko exclaimed, satisfied with her work. "All that's left is to install the curtains. Your room'll be perfect then, considering you hate the morning sun."

The older twin grunted in agreement as he glared at the bright windows. "You got the curtains, right?"

"I thought you got them."

Minato stopped polishing his camera lens. "Oh right, I did. Blue. All of them."

"What? But I wanted orange!" Hamuko pouted.

"Well, I'm the one who bought them and I'll be the one to install them, so I got blue. They're better at keeping out light."

"Not everyone is a vampire like you," the girl huffed. She let it go though and decided to pull her brother up to get him started on his half of the work. "Come on. Your camera can wait."

"Right," Minato said as he gently set his camera on his nightstand. "Oh, speaking of cameras," he pointed to the obstructive security camera, or rather the remains of it, hanging from a corner of his ceiling. "You want me to do something about the one in your room?"

Hamuko blinked as she just noticed the camera. "What did you do!?"

"I disabled and dismantled mine a few nights ago," Minato chuckled, pointing to the various parts still lying on his bed.

The girl shook her head at her older brother. "What were you thinking? Fix it before you get into trouble! You idiot. What if they kick you out of the dorm for tampering with the security camera?"

Slightly disappointed, Minato pulled out the toolbox from under his bed. "Fine… They were really nice parts though. This stuff actually works during the Dark Hour."

"All the more reason to not mess with it," Hamuko groaned. "You can't steal technology from the Kirijo Group! They'd kill you!"

"It's only illegal if you get caught." The boy flinched at the girl's resulting glare. "Okay, I'm fixing it," Minato rolled his eyes. "But just to be sure, you still want your curtains to go up today, right? This might take a while."

Hamuko sighed as she decided to give her brother a hand.

Final Notes: So a short start. My first thoughts of Yukari were that I didn't like her. She was very prickly towards Minato in the beginning but even after she warmed up to me, I still didn't like her. I never finished her Social Link... Well, now that I'm trying to complete Fes, that'll change. I appreciate her little more now, but not really... Useless archer keeps getting herself countered against, killing her. Is it just me or is everyone nicer to Hamuko when they play Portable? Also, I'm giving Minato more of my personality for some reason... Hamuko is really fun to play as, but I connect to Minato a lot more. That said, I'm going along with my personal preferences meaning Minato will be going after Fuuka while Hamuko will be going after Shinjiro.