A/N: Well, it's been a long time to say the least. No update since December 19th of 2014, yikes. I will not bore you with excuses as to what I've been up to, just that life has smacked me upside the head. Thank you for being patient. This chapter was originally longer than what is written here, but I felt that I was trying to glue together way too many things together in one go. I had to step back from the giant turd this chapter threatened on the verge of becoming and decided to split the resolution into the next part.
That being said, it has been just over two years since the start of the story so hurray for that. Let's get right to it then. I thought I would remind you of a specific issue hinted at a long while ago in the story. With Hamuko and Minato having switched places in this timeline, the point was made that the Minato in the current timeline died as part of the Kirijo experiments back at the end of Chapter 5. That fact from the story will feature in this chapter. Of course, it makes some assumptions on my part. The main one being that Strega hasn't paid much attention to S.E.E.S. until now. They are aware of them, but haven't actively sought them out. I would say the chapter acts as a signpost to help anchor previous parts of the story to the present and cause things to make a little more sense. Personally, I have always liked moments where parts of a story begin to connect together and come full circle in certain aspects. Not to mention that it feels good to finally use something I wrote in my notes two years ago.
As for the other parts, action scenes are still not my forte, I find myself wondering what on earth I'm doing there and usually shorten them. Either way, I feel more than enough time has passed for the start of the next full moon phase. Minato has to make a decision during the chapter that may feel like the wrong choice in hindsight. I would mention that the little deviation so far from the timeline causes him to underestimate how much things could change. Anyhow, let's remember that the characters in the story are normal people outside of their Personas. Meaning that they are prone to bouts of irrationality like anyone else. And before I forget, the voice in Minato's head isn't gone, just manifesting itself in different ways like his limited detection ability. I feel there is some hand-waving in terms of his changing abilities, but it's hard to avoid delving into spoilers. It's something I continue to wrestle with due to my own writing skill limitations.
In terms of mechanical issues, I have started to try and split up the blocks of text for certain parts, but it is experimentation on my part so in no way is it complete. I do like to respond to reviews up here, but I may need to start shortening my responses. Though, I don't see the harm in scrolling down to read the story if you want to skip right to the content. Not sure if my writing style has changed at all in the interim with me reading voraciously from a variety of sources. And last but not least, I hope my beta talks to me again someday and helps to fix my numerous failings. Though, I may have to search for a new one. Oh well, a new year, a new chapter in late April!
Reader Reviews:
ShiNoPerusona: I'm glad the grammar mistakes didn't take away too much from the story. Definitely a plus that you could find what I was trying to say in the rubble of grammar errors. And yes, it was a slightly longer chapter than usual. Thanks for taking the time to review.
Fan of Fanfics21: Hmm, thanks for the idea. There is a point in the story that provides something somewhat similar, but as I usually say that is way down the line! I'm sure you'll recognize the time when that point comes. Thanks for having confidence with what I have for the future of the project.
Zeyro: Thanks for being thoughtful. Though, I do find myself having withdrawal from not writing sometimes. Then, I start to write and start deleting paragraphs at a time because things don't make sense. Oh well, that's all part of the process for me it seems and I'm glad you think that it will become that great in time.
Ventusblade: As you'll see, Maiko sets up this chapter quite well. It's really nice for me as a writer when the lore allows things to connect as well as they do. The Hanged Man Arcana will be important throughout. As for the notes, I just like to keep myself grounded, so that I always go in with the mindset that there are numerous areas to improve on. I did try to break up the walls of text in this chapter to varying degrees of success. Thanks for the suggestion.
Kirigaya kirito-sama: Haha, thanks for being considerate. I do want to try and find more time to write and work on this project, but it can be a rabbit hole sometimes as I try to keep perspective on the big picture and tiny details at the same time.
Yoshikunitsu: I would say your first point is true in a sense and that Maiko's interaction with Minato will prove vital in this chapter. Agreed, Mitsuru and Akihiko did come around a bit last chapter. Akihiko does seem to ground Mitsuru some of the time, but he also has a bad habit of going along for the ride as well. Basically, knowing bits and pieces of Tartarus' origins during the game anyways. As for the Velvet Room, I do like they're providing support even when Minato doesn't stand to gain much from them at first glance. I'll need to work on the fencing club scenes because so far I don't have any… Thanks for the compliment. Truth be told, I never did think I would work on such an extensive story and keeping Minato's character within that scope is a constant challenge. The minor details somehow turn into major ones it seems.
masterofstrings: Ah, that does mean a lot. I don't think myself as much of a writer and do this mainly as a hobby, especially with the pacing and grammar fails, but it is good to hear what you think nonetheless. I do try and explain things as best I can, otherwise the story could quickly become incoherent. Though, I am guilty of glossing over battle scenes because my imagination lacks there.
Biscione: I enjoyed writing about the tea part as well. A dash of inspiration from the unknown. Now, if that could only happen more often. I am still thinking of how the fencing club will go. One of the first thoughts I had would be a sulky Minato wondering what he got himself into and growing to like it over time. Oh well, as I mentioned in a review above, it's something to think about for me. You do bring up a good suggestion though.
Deniz542: Good to see you again and I hope things do proceed a little faster and a little more smoothly as well.
Potato Lover 100: Good to see that you like the story and my ponderous writing style. Hope to see you here again.
Sir Godot: Agreed, Hamuko doesn't really have much time last chapter, and I think that was partly due to wanting Minato to get a wakeup call from the Velvet Room. I didn't want to take away that moment and may have gone overboard in explanations, but I always find that better than leaving the reader too in the dark. I did enjoy pointing out the sisterly squabbles between Elizabeth and Margaret. As you mentioned, Minato isn't really prepared for the current timeline, but he can't just wallow away his troubles by just going with the flow. And it is time for some more changes to the timeline that will catapult the story forward with this chapter, at least that's what I hope. In a way, I want this chapter to be a kind of Pandora's Box for Minato with no easy decisions. The environment and maybe the stakes need to change a bit and I hope I do that this time.
Guest: It's something I like to do, but am open to changing if it turns out to be too much. Though, I like to do all the reviews at one time and I don't think word count is overly relevant considering the projected ending length of the story. Thanks for the suggestion.
The Luckster: Hey, awesome that you're still around. It's great that you mention Hamuko following in Minato's footsteps and her lack of understanding so far. I always felt that in the game that the protagonist glanced over when Mitsuru first revealed some of the origins of the Dark Hour. We've seen some of her rough edges and they will continue to show up. Terrible analogy of peeling an onion's layers, but she has her faults like any other character. I smiled and laughed to myself when I read the part of your review mentioning Mitsuru and Minato. You really pick up the finer details of the story. There was also the part with the motorcycle ride too. I do not think it was deliberate on my part at first, but as you've said they have had a lot of peaks and valleys so far in dealing with each other. That being said, there's always the potential for everything to fall apart with all tenuous things are, and that notebook will do Minato no favors. I do hope to finish the story in less than six more years. It could be my new year's resolution even though February is almost over.
Guest: Thank you. This project has grown much more than I ever could imagine and look forward to continuing it.
Rapscaz: That's good to hear. I always thought the beginning hook was sort of terrible, but glad you got through it and caught up to the recent chapters. Thank you for the compliments and writing a review in April. I'm always trying to get better and here's to hoping the next chapter improves on the previous ones and doesn't take four months.
Chapter 28: Epiphany
July 2nd, Thursday (Gekkoukan High Classroom, After School)
Fuuka P.O.V.
A crush of onrushing students leaving after the last bell threatened to drown them, as Fuuka and Hamuko waded through the morass of humanity, trying to reach the empty classroom used for cooking club. Panting from the effort of reaching the room, Fuuka leaned her arm against a wall, trying to catch her breath. On the other hand, Hamuko didn't look tired at all, even though she carried extra weight from her tennis gear.
"Are you alright there, Fuuka?" Hamuko asked, looking her over with a concerned eye. "You look a little pale."
"I'm alright, thank you for asking, Hamuko-chan," Fuuka answered in between breaths.
"If you say so," she replied, not looking very convinced. "I was worried after Nozomi almost ran you over. What's his rush anyways? Judging by the drooling look on his face, I guess he must be after a hamburger. Though, I would bet it's more like six in his case."
Fuuka couldn't help but laugh at the comment. However, she stopped when she remembered how people bullied the pudgy student about his weight. While not for the same reason, Fuuka could empathize with his plight, since people picked on her before and some still called her a ghost girl whenever she passed by. "You may be right, but we shouldn't talk badly about him. I'm sure he gets teased enough as it is."
"I suppose so," Hamuko said with a half-shrug. "Still, I would feel a lot better about doing that if he wasn't so stuck up to everyone. I don't need his opinion to figure out what food I like or don't like. Anyways, are you sure don't need me here today, Fuuka?"
"It's really okay," Fuuka reiterated, waving her off. "I don't want you to miss out on tennis practice just to help me learn to cook better."
"Really?" Hamuko lamented. "Rio would probably let me off if I could give her a decent excuse. I could use the break, since she's been using me as her punching bag for practice every day this week. You would think that she would grow tired of wrecking me, but she doesn't let up. Besides, I find cooking club more fun and tastier too."
Fuuka gave her friend a gentle nudge out the door before Hamuko could convince her otherwise. "Don't worry about me. I ran the club before you decided to join, remember? I'll be fine by myself today, promise. We can always try to make things back at the dorm later if you like."
"Oh, alright." Hamuko conceded and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Make sure to tell me later about what you made today. Take care!"
As Hamuko trotted off in the direction of the tennis courts outside, Fuuka couldn't help but wonder if she failed to notice something about her friend. On the outside, the leader of S.E.E.S. seemed happy enough. Fuuka knew for sure that the two of them enjoyed the time they spent together here trying out different recipes. Even if they spent a lot of time cleaning up the mess they made.
Besides, forcing her friend to help her cook seemed rather selfish on Fuuka's part after seeing the club roster on the bulletin board in the main lobby. On it, she found Hamuko's numerous times. How could one person manage so many competing responsibilities and the stress associated with keeping up with them? And that went without mentioning S.E.E.S. activities. Fuuka continued to mull things over, but decided that if Hamuko didn't bring up anything on her own, she shouldn't overthink things.
Putting concerns for her friend aside, Fuuka began flipping through the pages of an old cook book she borrowed from the library, managing to find the page she dog-eared earlier. She found the simple recipe for a batch of muffins with detailed instructions and pictures for each step. Even she couldn't manage to make a mess of this, right? As she searched for the necessary ingredients and tools, she heard three knocks to the door of the classroom.
"Who is it?" she called out, not expecting anyone. The door slid open and she watched as a hesitant Minato peek in.
"Hi, Fuuka," he said.
"Oh, how are you, Minato-kun?" she replied.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking," he replied, his eyes surveying the myriad cooking tools strewn across the table. "Do you want any help with whatever you're making?"
"Oh, don't mind me," she said. "I want to try and make this on my own."
He nodded and took a seat near the front of the room and said, "Can I stay here for a while?"
"I don't mind," Fuuka offered, though she found trying to cook with someone other than Hamuko watching rather difficult. She created enough trouble not adding random ingredients under normal circumstances. Now with an audience, she just hoped the room wouldn't start to smell bad.
"So, do you get along better with Natsuki now?" Minato asked, as he watched her progress with passing interest.
Fuuka thought for a while, before coming to an answer. "Yes, I thought we were friends before, but that wasn't really true as she ignored me most of the time. But, when I came back after missing class for over a week, Moriyama-san came up to me right away, and we couldn't stop talking to each other. She even went shopping with me later that day. I've thought about the change in her and think it has to do with what happened that night. I thought that maybe, people don't completely forget their experience during the Dark Hour."
"That's good to hear that she's changed her attitude towards you," he stated, nodding. "I'm sure you protecting her in Tartarus played a role in that. I was worried that things would return to normal for you, as in Natsuki and her group bullying you again. But now, it looks they don't even make you go buy their lunches anymore."
"You noticed that before?" Fuuka asked, accidentally dropping the steel whisk from her hand into the mixing bowl. She thought no one noticed her on those bread runs.
"Yeah, I always saw you standing near the front of the lunch line. I wondered why you bought enough food for what looked like five people. Honestly, I thought you were just really hungry at first, to be honest."
"Oh, I see." Fuuka felt unsettled by his observations and tried to pass off the awkward silence by returning her attention to cooking. Almost finished with the recipe, her anticipation surged as she fiddled with the temperature gauge. After the allotted time passed however, the muffins wouldn't rise, even though she could swear she followed what the book said.
"Anyways, if there's anything you need, then don't be afraid to ask," Minato went on to say. "Like I've said before, all of us are in this together and we depend on you to be our eyes during the Dark Hour."
"Of course," she said, glad that he didn't seem to notice her struggles. With that, she hoped Minato would leave, so she could figure out what went wrong with the recipe alone, but he still continued to linger. "Um, is there something else, Minato-kun?"
Minato nodded and pulled out a crumpled scratch sheet of paper from his jacket pocket. He smoothed it over on the counter before handing it over to her. "Do you mind going over this list for the full moon? I can answer any questions that you have now if you want."
"Okay, do you mind watching the oven then? I thought for sure that the recipe said it should take twenty minutes to bake, but half an hour passed already."
"Sure, no problem, Fuuka." He stood up and bent over to get a better view of the oven, crinkling his nose slightly for some reason.
With that, Fuuka looked over the note Minato wrote. Most of the things on the list she had prepared for in advance of the next full moon, but a couple of interesting items caught her eye. "Minato-kun, why do you want me to bring extra Patra and Dis-Charm gems for the next operation? We haven't met many Shadows that use those status ailments against us."
"That's true," he answered in stride. "But, who knows what could happen? Before you joined us there was this time when Akihiko became charmed near the end of a battle and healed a group of Lustful Snakes to full health with a Bead Chain. You can imagine Mitsuru's reaction at the time. As for the Patra gems, I thought bringing extra wouldn't hurt as they take care of a couple of different ailments."
"Wouldn't Yukari-chan take care of that using Io's Patra spell?" Fuuka responded.
"Hmm, yeah, but what if she can't cast the spell?"
"I didn't think about that," Fuuka admitted. "You seem to have put a lot of thought into this."
"A little bit. I just hope we can have an easy mission for once, but with our recent luck, I wouldn't hold my breath. Maybe, we'll even see two Arcana Shadows again like last time. By the way, I don't think we can call these things muffins anymore."
Fuuka looked over and saw what looked like charcoal, making her spirits sink. "But, I followed all the directions. Why didn't the batter rise like in the book?"
"I think you forgot the baking powder," Minato explained, as he picked up a nearby box off the counter.
"But I made sure to add it," Fuuka said.
"This is sea salt," he said, to which she audibly groaned. "Come on, cheer up, Fuuka. I'll help you clean things up here and I'm sure you'll get it right next time."
"Thank you," Fuuka murmured, trying her best to ignore the burning smell as she opened the oven and picked up the tray with oven mitts to throw away the remains of the muffins.
On the train ride back to the dorm, Fuuka let her mind wander as she watched the world stream by in a blur. As she thought her growing role in S.E.E.S., she couldn't help but feel a small amount of pride in herself. It boosted her self-esteem to do well in something other than tinkering with computers or machinery
Not that things went well from the start though, as Lucia's lack of affinity for battle made Fuuka question if she belonged in the team. At times, she felt separate from the group during the trips when the team went up Tartarus together. Just seeing the battles unfold from the lobby while everyone else experienced danger at each turn made her stomach churn.
However, she could see just how important a part she played in keeping her friends alive, and the encouragement she received from everyone helped her mindset as well. Therefore, she wanted to continue to reciprocate the faith everyone placed in her, and she would get that chance during the most stressful of times with the day of the full moon fast approaching.
(Port Island Back Alley, Late Evening)
Chidori P.O.V.
The muted buzz of nightlife on a weekday began in earnest as the sporadic ruckus of the alleyway's inhabitants could attest. In the midst of such a relaxed setting, the tense atmosphere around Strega's members posed a rigid contrast. Chidori watched Jin and Takaya with a blank gaze, even though she knew full well the reason for this meeting. As during one of Strega's recent forays into the Dark Hour they saw Minato returning from Tartarus with the other Persona users. The implications of that encounter still needed sorting out, hence the meeting.
Thinking back, Chidori remembered how Minato died later than most of the children kidnapped by the Kirijo Group for their experiments. As a result, he came to know the trio who would become Strega in the future. While the majority of their days consisted of living in a haze of pain and agony, there existed an unspoken support between all of them. Not a friendship by any means, but a camaraderie built on shared experience. Nonetheless, the meek blue-haired boy perished just months before all experiments on artificial Personas ceased.
Yet, he reappeared that day in late April by the florist shop looking none the worse for wear. She was surprised to say the least. Adding to her confusion, Minato seemed oblivious to her identity, which she first thought he did on purpose. Especially, because she expected him to follow her back to the others after the first time they met.
On subsequent meetings however, she came to the general conclusion that he lost his memories at some point. Chidori came under this impression because no matter what approach the girl tried, Minato remained oblivious. From engaging in reverse psychology to positive reinforcement, the boy meandered right past her attempts at getting him to divulge the information she wanted. In fact, she ended up getting caught up in his pace, as they talked about rather mundane things, which she found a welcome distraction despite her initial misgivings. She found that she enjoyed talking with someone who didn't demand things from her all the time. Perhaps that unexpected connection helped to explain why she failed to tell Jin or Takaya about him.
"Fascinating. Simply fascinating," Takaya began, not bothering to hide the excitement in his voice. "To think that he was still alive. Minato Arisato departed the land of the living, just like the rest of our comrades. I chose not to believe my eyes at first, but I saw him again outside of the Dark Hour. How is this even possible?"
"We only survived back then thanks to you, Takaya," Jin said in admiration. Though, his narrowed eyes indicated he didn't like the topic of discussion.
Takaya continued talking to himself, pacing back and forth. "But why is he helping them? The Kirijo are responsible for our fate and took everything from us. They are the sinners. The only reason I can think that he is cooperating with them is that his mind has been contaminated. If that is the case, then it is our duty to free him from their shackles, wouldn't you agree?"
"I still find it hard to believe that he's alive after all this time," Jin responded, looking doubtful. "We saw him die with our own eyes and nothing can change that fact. Even if he were somehow alive, the timing of this just feels too convenient with everything else going on. If I were him, then I would stay as far away from this damned place as possible."
"Yes, but our eyes didn't deceive us," Takaya said. "It is him that much I am certain of. However, that brings up the question of how Minato has survived until now, along with who has provided him with the pills."
Jin seemed flummoxed by Takaya's premise. "I suppose it's possible that our buddy, Shinjiro, could be passing some to him. But he only gets enough to take care of his own problems. That just leaves Ikutsuki."
"If that is true, then why has Ikutsuki not told us about Minato before?" Chidori questioned, speaking up for the first time.
"Indeed, a curious omission on his part if true," Takaya agreed. "Ikutsuki has no reason to hide the fact of supplying pills to him. Therefore, I think there is something we aren't aware of and that further discussion amongst ourselves will prove fruitless."
"What should we do then?" Jin asked.
"Why not seek an audience with Minato?" Takaya remarked. "We have questions and he can answer them."
"Are you sure about that?" Chidori told him. "Reaching out to him will result in the other group becoming aware of us. It seems premature to announce ourselves."
"Chidori is right," Jin added in a rare show of support with her. "We don't even know what their goal is during the Dark Hour. It's too early and revealing ourselves isn't in our best interests. For all we know, Minato might be working for them out of his own free will and trying to talk to him would backfire on us."
Takaya paused to consider their words for a while. "Very well. Continuing to observe them will align with our short-term goals. Either way, we will see Minato again soon enough when they undertake one of their little missions during the next full moon. Perhaps we will have a better understanding of how to proceed by that time."
July 4th, Saturday (Chagall Cafe, After School)
Hamuko P.O.V.
Hamuko received her order from a cashier working the day shift at Chagall and caught up with a waiting Yukari. Gesturing towards an empty booth by the windows in front, her friend led the way past a group of underclassman chatting about upcoming exams.
As she sat down, Hamuko could feel the seat sag beneath her weight, making her flail around. "Geez, they really need to replace these seats. How do they expect people to sit in these things?"
"Maybe they just want us to stick around and spend more money." Yukari laughed, while giving Hamuko a hand in order to sit back up.
"Could be," Hamuko said. "I should tell my boss at the movie theater that he could make more money if he just got some saggy seat cushions to prevent people from leaving. Then, I could get a raise too."
"I'm sure that would go over so well, Hamuko," Yukari answered, with a wry smile before she started eating some of her food.
"Anyways, I'm pretty nervous about the next full moon," Hamuko mentioned after a couple of minutes, as she inattentively stirred the contents of her Pheromone Coffee, a few errant droplets staining her napkin.
"You and me both," Yukari replied in agreement. "It's normal to be nervous though, right? Each full moon has been harder to deal with. By now, I thought that things would have gotten easier, but the Shadows keep getting stronger as well."
"Too true," Hamuko remarked, sighing in irritation. "We may be a third of the way through the Arcana Shadows, but it sure doesn't feel that way."
"Is it me or do you seem more worried than usual though?" Yukari looked at her in concern.
"You got me," she admitted. "It isn't your imagination at all. I know this sounds stupid, but I had this kind of dream a couple of days ago. In it, someone told me that something bad would happen to me this time."
Yukari gave her a searching look and said, "You mean to say this would happen during the Dark Hour on the day of the full moon? That sounds awfully specific for a dream and a little bit sketchy too. You aren't one of those types where everything in your dream comes true, right?"
"I don't think so for both questions," she replied. "But it's just a bad omen to have just a couple of days beforehand. Now, I know it's silly to put much thought into this, but I've been on edge about this upcoming battle for a while now. Even more so when you consider how I messed up the last full moon."
"Hamuko, you made one mistake. When are you going to let it go?" Yukari admonished her. "Everyone on the team has messed up at one point or another. That's why we're a team to help cover for one another. It isn't like you're going to fight the remaining Shadows alone."
Hamuko appreciated her sincere words and joked, "You'll just heal me up if I get beaten to a pulp, right?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't give you an excuse to go get hurt," Yukari warned. "Besides, I'll be there to back you up, so you won't get injured in the first place."
"Now, I feel like I worried for no reason at all." Hamuko laughed a little, letting her worries subside.
"By the way, can I ask you about something?" Yukari said with a change in tone.
"Sure, of course." Hamuko placed her elbows on the table, staring straight at Yukari to give her undivided attention. This being the least she could do after Yukari listened to her worries.
Yukari took a deep breath and began to explain. "Well, it's my mom. Do you remember when I told you that we aren't exactly on the best of terms?"
"Uh-huh, did something happen?" Hamuko asked in concern. If social links possessed an alarm bell, Hamuko assumed they would ring right about now. The last time they tried to have this conversation in the hospital, things went sour pretty fast. On one hand, talking about such a sensitive topic meant they had a come a long way with each other, but a mistake could undo a lot of effort and time on Hamuko's part.
"She bought me this CD as a present," Yukari sighed, pulling out a glossy album from her bag that Hamuko didn't recognize. "But I'm pretty sure she just picked out whatever was on sale since this came out a while ago. I want to return it for something more recent, but I don't know. What do you think I should do?"
"Who's this singer again?" Hamuko asked, as she examined the album cover's dazzling array of colors. "The name sounds sort of familiar. Rise Kujikawa? Where have I heard that name before?"
"She's one of those pop idols who's on all of the billboards and commercials," Yukari clarified. "It's pretty hard to miss her face these days in the city. Anyways, from what I read in a magazine, she's just a little younger than we are. Hard to believe, huh?"
"Wow, idols sure get started younger and younger these days." Hamuko wondered what the life of an idol at her age would be like. Still, she needed to stop daydreaming and think of an answer to Yukari's original question. "Uh, yeah, I think you should just keep this. Even if your mom may have chosen this out of the bargain bin, she still did give it to you as a present."
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Yukari answered, taking back the CD. "But it isn't like she would even know whether I keep it or not."
"I would cherish anything you receive from her," Hamuko said, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. "I know that it's none of my business what goes on between you and your mom, but that's just what I think. Though, part of that's just me talking since I don't have much of anything left from mine. Sort of sad, huh?" Hamuko wondered what could make her spill her heart out like this all of a sudden. It didn't help that Yukari looked uncomfortable by the outpouring of emotion.
After staying quiet for a while though, her friend's expression changed to a softer one. "Remember, this is all your fault if I suddenly obsess over this kind of bubblegum music and start blasting it in the dorm all the time."
"I'll keep that in mind," Hamuko deadpanned.
July 7th, Tuesday (Iwatodai Dormitory Meeting Room, Nearly Midnight)
Hamuko P.O.V.
S.E.E.S. convened upstairs in order to make final preparations for the full moon battle. Looking around the room, Hamuko noted how large a team they managed to assemble. Each member brought their own strengths and weaknesses to battle that she needed to take into account. At least, that's the mindset Mitsuru wanted her to have as they finalized tactics for tonight's mission.
"Arisato-chan, I want you to keep a level head at all times during the mission tonight," Mitsuru said as a final reminder. "It's imperative that you do so regardless of how the battlefield situation changes."
"I know, senpai," she answered, with a deferential nod. Though, in her own head, Hamuko didn't appreciate the heiress talking about this in a room with everyone else present and listening.
As if on cue, Junpei butt in and said, "Relax, I got this. With me around, there's nothing to worry about."
"Yeah, I'm sure you'll be a big help," Hamuko agreed, trying to not sound too sarcastic.
Yukari must have noticed the simmering tension in the room as she spoke to a groggy Minato a bit louder than she needed to. "Hey, Minato. How can you be so sleepy at a time like this? Aren't you even a little worried?"
Minato opened one bleary eye and replied, "No point in getting worked up before any of the actual fighting starts."
"He's right," Akihiko concluded. "You guys have been through this enough times now. It should be like second nature by now."
Meanwhile, Lucia bathed the meeting room in an iridescent light as Fuuka began to scan Iwatodai in lockstep with the beginning of the Dark Hour. The data gatherer of S.E.E.S. looked watery and distorted in the transparent abdomen of her Persona. After a short while, she exclaimed, "I found it! I sense a strong presence. It's located inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard."
Ikutsuki rose from his seat, scratching his chin in a thoughtful manner and addressed the entire team. "Ah, I see. Now it makes sense as to why The Lost have been found in pairs recently. Shadows attacking more than one person at a time seemed unusual."
"In pairs?" Mitsuru said. Then a look of sudden realization dawned on her face and she became silent.
"Hmm? How does it make more sense?" Fuuka dismissed Lucia and looked around at everyone with a questioning look. "What's located at Shirakawa Boulevard?"
No one answered her until Junpei spoke up with a mischievous grin. "That's where all those hotels are. You've heard about them, right Fuuka? Where people go to… ya know…"
Yukari stepped in before he could finish the sentence and said, "You really have the dirtiest mind, Junpei."
"I'm just trying to answer her question, Yuka-tan." Junpei chuckled, prompting a scowl from Yukari. "What did you expect me to say?"
Fuuka continued to press the issue however. "I'm still not sure that I completely understand. What does Junpei-kun mean?"
To everyone's surprise Minato spoke up next and explained, "Fuuka, it's where people go to get it on."
"Oh…" Fuuka replied, the color of her face changing to a deep crimson.
"Not you too, Minato," Yukari said, rolling her eyes at him.
"Whoa, great answer, my man." Junpei went over and gave Minato a high-five which he half-heartedly returned.
"When did you become such a pervert?" Hamuko added in disgust, catching Minato's eye for the first time in a while. They hadn't talked much since he asked her to take care of Chihiro's problem. She blamed some of that on his lack of willingness to socialize, but more so on the fact that she found Yukari much easier to talk to about her personal problems.
"Now that's all hearsay," Ikutsuki said. "I'm not sure where you all heard of such nonsense. They're ordinary hotels, just a little fancier than the usual fare."
"Aww, really, Ikutsuki-san?" Junpei looked like the air had been sucked out of him. "I've never been there before and I got all psyched for nothing."
"We aren't going there for a vacation," Akihiko reminded him.
"As discussed earlier, Arisato-chan will continue to lead us," Mitsuru announced when everyone seemed good to go. "Yamagishi, I want you to handle support during the operation."
"I understand," Fuuka replied, sounding determined.
"I'm ready," Hamuko said, steeling herself for the task ahead. "Let's get going."
"Chairman, we'll be going now," Mitsuru told Ikutsuki.
"Best of luck, I'll monitor the situation from here," he answered.
(Shirakawa Boulevard, Dark Hour)
Minato P.O.V.
Shirakawa Boulevard, otherwise known as the red-light district, Minato thought to himself, as S.E.E.S. marched towards its location. Without a doubt, one of the last places he wanted to take a stroll during the Dark Hour. He found it ironic how a love hotel meant for pleasure ended up being such a bundle of pain before. Then again, such contradictions defined most things in the world in his opinion. As if to strengthen his argument, the entrance of the love hotel, Champs de Fleurs, came into view with its entrance looking like a wedding arbor.
"Whoa, this place is different than I thought it would be." Junpei stood near the front with his mouth agape and eyes bulging in wonder.
Mitsuru walked around the perimeter of the building, examining its exterior before she said, "Yamagishi, you're certain the large Shadow is inside?"
"Yes, Mitsuru-senpai. It seems to be in a room on the third floor," she answered.
"Ugh, this place looks so sleazy," Hamuko commented, looking at a sign inviting patrons to spend the night together. "Let's get our job done and get out of here."
"I'm with you there," Yukari concurred. "Of all the places, why did the Shadow have to pick here?"
"Let's do this." Akihiko cracked his knuckles and started to warm up by shadowboxing.
"Good luck, everyone," Fuuka said, waving to them from just outside the gate as the team prepared to enter.
At that moment, Minato felt a nagging feeling of someone watching him. He stopped moving forward with everyone when he realized this happened just a couple of days ago, when he played with Maiko. However, the little girl couldn't move around during the Dark Hour, meaning that someone else triggered his reaction. It didn't take him long to take a guess, but it seemed too early in the game for someone from Strega to appear. As far as he knew, their rival group didn't reveal themselves until the events at the underground military base.
"What's the holdup, Minato?" Hamuko asked, watching him curiously.
"I think I'm going to sit this one out," he answered. "I'm not feeling too well."
"You're chickening out, dude?" Junpei looked shocked that he would bail on the opportunity to visit a love hotel. "If anyone sat out this trip, I thought it would've been Yuka-tan."
"You're the only one that actually wants to go inside, Junpei," Yukari said in exasperation.
"I don't think it's a good idea leaving Fuuka outside by herself," Minato added, trying to create a legitimate excuse. "We saw how the enemy can appear at any time from the last full moon. Even if Fuuka can sense them coming, she'll have her hands full giving support to the operation team. She won't be able to properly defend herself."
Mitsuru gave him a calculated look and said, "I suppose you have a point, Arisato-kun. In our eagerness to fight, it seems we have disregarded the basic lessons learned from the last full moon. However, I must stress that I'm not impressed with the timing that you chose to bring this up, and concerned about your lack of experience in fighting the Arcana Shadows."
"Mitsuru, if he wants a break let him have it," Akihiko said. "We have more than enough people going inside and he does bring up a good point about leaving Fuuka alone outside. Anyways, I think the final decision is up to our leader. What do you think, Hamuko?"
Hamuko looked a little taken aback by being put on the spot, but settled down and said, "I agree. I don't think Minato would make much of a difference either way when we have this many people going inside. Besides, even if we take him with us, I think he'll just end up doing whatever he wants as usual."
"Well, see you all soon then," Minato said, not taking the bait Hamuko threw at him. He retreated and started walking back towards a puzzled Fuuka, but not before a voice rung in his ears, freezing him in his tracks.
"My prince, just where do you think you're going?" a feminine voice cooed inside his head. "Do you intend to leave before we've even met again?"
"Who are you?" he questioned in a low growl, trying to avoid attention from the others.
"You already know," the voice said, dripping with anticipation. "I'm the one who wishes for the release of all inhibitions and desires."
Those words alone couldn't have made it any more obvious who he dealt with. The voice belonged to the Arcana Lovers Shadow, which tried to make him take advantage of a brainwashed Yukari the last time he came here. "I don't have time for this. Go bother someone else."
"You reject me?" it continued, sounding amused by its own question. "Know that I shall return your scorn in kind."
"Do what you will," Minato said, as he believed that the Shadow didn't pose much of a threat to the team going inside. After all, the Lovers Shadow relied on deception that S.E.E.S. would have no problem in dealing with when they broke the special mirrors inside the hotel. Receiving no reply, he returned his attention back to the task at hand. He needed to ensure Fuuka's safety with someone from Strega looming nearby.
(Rooftop)
Chidori P.O.V.
Medea howled within the confines of Chidori's mind. The sensation made her grimace as she could feel the pinpricks of pain inside her head, like someone scratching a chalkboard with their nails. Her Persona's change in behavior began just before Minato separated from the main group to return outside. Leaving Chidori to ponder if the two events were related to each other. Figuring things out on such limited information seemed pointless so she said, "Takaya, why do you think he came back?"
"That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" he said, eyes locked on the blue-haired figure down below. "At first glance, I would say his reason for returning is because he doesn't want to leave the other member by herself."
"But you suspect something else?" she intoned, picking up on his train of thought.
"Yes, if Minato wanted to protect her, he would have done so from the start," Takaya explained. "Something must've happened for him to suddenly decide to forgo going inside."
"I have my own suspicions," Chidori began in a muted tone. She could see the outcome laid out before her, so she decided to bite the bullet now. With Takaya going on the way he did the other day, she knew that he would push to meet Minato sooner or later. She had her own questions about him as well. At least if they met him now, then it would be with minimal chance of interference from the other group of Persona users.
"Is that so?" Takaya questioned, turning his gaze towards her with wide eyes. "Do tell us."
"Medea reacted right before Minato decided to come back outside," she announced to the others.
"What?!" Jin exclaimed in disbelief. "Chidori, why didn't you warn us? You put all of us in danger by not saying anything! It hasn't even been that long, but do you need to take the pill again?"
"No, Medea isn't trying to kill me right now," she replied. "Her agitation seems to be caused by Minato. Though, I don't know the specific reason why."
"How intriguing," Takaya said in a thoughtful manner, before a smile spread on his lips. "It seems from your information that he may know that someone else is present in the Dark Hour."
"That's ridiculous," Jin proclaimed. "We're barely in range for Medea and you're telling me Minato figured out that we're up here without a Persona active? And did you forget that his artificial Persona isn't even a sensing type?"
"Then tell me, Jin, can you think of another plausible explanation for him to suddenly drop everything and come back outside to protect the girl?" Takaya pointed a finger at Fuuka. "Clearly, he sensed something amiss and reacted as necessary. Also, how else would you explain the sudden change in Medea? Minato has been the only one to act abnormally since we've arrived."
Jin looked like he wanted to reply, but satisfied himself with a long stare down with Takaya.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Chidori said after the battle of wills between her comrades.
"Since he knows that we're here, there is little doubt his friends know, or will know, about our presence," Takaya said. "While I would no doubt enjoy the little show they put on, it seems that the situation has changed, and meeting Minato now is the best course of action."
Jin seemed to have given up as he said, "Looks like I can't talk you out of this one. Let's at least wait a bit to make sure that the natural users don't come back right away."
(Champs de Fleurs, 1st Floor Entrance)
Hamuko P.O.V.
Hamuko's first foray into Champs de Fleurs proved to strengthen her negative opinion about the place. Everywhere the red-headed girl looked, she saw peeling wallpaper, worn out carpets, and tacky paintings. Not to mention that for some reason, all the aforementioned items had a generic floral pattern to them. Knowing what went on in here during normal hours of the day, she tried not to touch anything with a bare hand.
"This place is the real deal," a stupefied Junpei said as the team passed by a room on the first floor with its door open. "I mean, look at all the waterbeds they have here."
"Keep focused, Junpei," Akihiko said, though Hamuko caught him sneaking a quick peek inside too.
"Where are all the Shadows, Fuuka?" Hamuko asked as they continued to press onward without meeting any resistance. "It feels awfully empty for a place an Arcana Shadow has taken over."
"I'm sorry, Lucia isn't picking up anything." Fuuka apologized, but she paused for a moment then said, "Wait a second, there seems to be a single Shadow nearby. Check by the next corner, it should be around there."
Following Fuuka's instructions, they found their target, a lone Jealous Cupid, which skittered away when it noticed them.
"I got this one, everyone out of the way," Yukari said, running after the Shadow with weapon drawn. A soft twang came from her bow as she released her hold on the bowstring, causing an arrow to glide through the air and strike the enemy down.
"Excellent shot, Takeba," Mitsuru praised her. "You seem to be in top form today."
"Ah, thank you, senpai." Yukari face lit up with a smile as she went to retrieve the arrow after the Shadow melted away.
"Hey, check this out, you guys." Junpei called them over off to the side where a pair of transmogrified coffins stood. "These lovebirds sure chose a bad night to stay here. They're gonna get in our way if we get into a fight here. Can't we move them somewhere else?"
Mitsuru shook her head. "Moving them may turn them back to normal. That would leave them vulnerable to the Shadows here and I don't believe we can protect them while fighting. We will just have to deal with the inconvenience and try to have our battles in an area away from them."
"Tch, this place is turning into a pain," Akihiko complained. "The entire place is cramped up already and you're telling me now that we have bystanders to avoid?"
"Well, you're the close combat specialist so you shouldn't have much of a problem, senpai," Hamuko reminded him.
"Heh, you got that right," he replied, with a confident smirk.
At that instant, the light entering the hotel started to fade rapidly. Every window they could see became engulfed by a black goo similar to the residue left behind by a fallen Shadow.
"W-what the hell?" Junpei cried out in panic.
"Everyone, please be careful, I sense-," Fuuka's muffled voice cut out before she could finish.
"Yamagishi?" Mitsuru inquired. "What happened?"
"This is dangerous, we're sitting ducks here," Akihiko fumed, as the remaining light disappeared.
"Why don't we use our Personas for now so we can at least see something again?" Yukari suggested after a minute or two.
"A good suggestion, but we need to conserve our resources," Mitsuru added. "We should pick someone who doesn't rely on Spirit Points in battle as much."
"I'll do it then." Junpei volunteered and summoned his Persona, Hermes, who burst forth to provide an amber source of light.
However, an unexpected sight greeted them as their eyes readjusted to their surroundings. As during the brief interval that they lost vision, the hallway became filled with dense steam, similar to when someone finished taking a warm shower.
"Where did all of this come from?" Hamuko wondered out loud, feeling disoriented for some reason. "It's like we're trying to walk through fog."
"Everyone remain on your guard," Mitsuru warned them, drawing her evoker. "There may be Shadows in the mist."
"Ugh, I feel sick." Junpei clutched his chest and started coughing.
"Wait, I think there's something wrong with the steam," Akihiko said, trying to cover his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yukari, try to use a Garu spell."
"Okay, Io!" Yukari summoned her Persona, which materialized in front of them and then used a Garu spell. However, the wind spell failed to blow any of the steam away which grew thicker by the second. She tried again, but to no avail and by that time Hermes disappeared as Junpei collapsed to the ground.
"Iori!" Mitsuru tried to yell, but she too seemed under the influence of whatever noxious agent resided within the steam.
Hamuko tried to help, pulling the trigger on her evoker, but it proved too late as Oberon didn't appear. As the steam discombobulated all of her senses, she could no longer make out the faces of her friends, just indistinct shapes and sounds as she succumbed into unconsciousness.