A/N: And here's Summer! In all seriousness though, this chapter will mark the beginning of the Fuuka arc and I plan to have this arc go for about another 5 chapters. Also for clarification and all you Minato/Mitsuru shippers out there, you can rest easy because I'm not changing the pairing. My loss of interest in it was just the cause of me not updating for a long while. Apologies if the A/N on the previous chapter was misleading.
Anyways, enjoy the chapter, comment and review if you feel like it, and I'll see you next time in the alleyways of Port Island.
P.S. I hope Elizabeth is in character.
The roar of coins cascading into a wishing fountain.
It was all Minato could hear and see (as well as the everyone else in the vicinity), but not believe. How could he believe it? No purse could hold that many coins. It was impossible. Unless however, it was some magic trick and he had fallen for it.
Nope, I can see the coins piling up in the water. Is that really two thousand five hundred Yen coins?
"Oh my," Elizabeth said, halting the deluge of metal.
"What's the matter?" Minato asked as he led her away from the fountain and tried to avoid all the stares and raised eyebrows.
"I realized that I was so caught up in the excitement of tossing the coins, that I hadn't given my wish any thought." Elizabeth shook her head. "This won't do. I guess I'll give it more careful consideration when I return here in the near future."
Minato's heart sank. "You're planning to return here again?"
"Well of course," Elizabeth replied, before turning on her heel and walking off to examine the next item that piqued her interest. Knowing that she could get into trouble at any moment, Minato raced after her.
And so the date continued. Or, what Minato thought was meant to be a date. He hadn't been on many dates before but the concept seemed intuitive enough that he had a fairly good idea of what to expect. After spending less than half an hour with Elizabeth however, answering her often redundant questions and watching her gaze in awe at the most ordinary things, he realized that no amount of practice could ever prepare him for something like this. Not even the most suave man in the world would be able to work his magic with someone who was more interested in wishing fountains.
"Say Minato-sama," Elizabeth said as they neared a fashion boutique, "you must tell me, whatever are those headless figures standing there for? Are they used to inform people that you can get decapitated whilst wearing that particular clothing?"
Suppressing the urge to cringe, to yell, to hit his head repeatedly against a wall, Minato turned to face her and chuckled nervously to release the odd mix of stress and hilarity that overcame him.
"Oh I hope not," he said, his cheek muscles forcing a smile. "They're mannequins, just used to show people what a piece of clothing would look like on a person. Not all of them are headless, some of the stores we passed earlier had ones with heads."
"Is that so?" Elizabeth replied, still eyeing those 'mannequins'. "Well then, this particular store is quite misleading isn't it?"
"I guess?" Minato said with a nod. He did not dare try to press the argument any further for he noticed one of the workers in the store looking to approach them. "Why don't we go and have a look around over there? I think there's another wishing fountain."
Elizabeth perked up the moment he mentioned that and headed off in the direction he had pointed towards like a child running after an ice cream truck. Minato could only smile as he followed her. That smile did not last long though because once he caught up with her, and realized she had opened her purse, flipped it upside down and unleashed another metallic cascade, he was speechless yet again. He supposed it could not be helped and stood in silence as he watched what appeared to be another two thousand five hundred Yen coins tumble into the water.
Better she pour coins into the fountain again than explain to the workers her interpretation of those mannequins.
"So, did you make sure to give your wish some thought this time?" he asked once she was done, trying to remain oblivious to the befuddled onlookers and the fact that another million Yen decorated the floor of the fountain.
"I most certainly did," Elizabeth replied, a grin of satisfaction creeping across her flawless face as she turned to return where he stood.
Minato wondered what exactly a denizen of the Velvet Room could wish for. It had to be something outlandish at the very least. Anything else, anything regular people considered normal was out of the question.
"Well Minato-sama, I think that's enough exploration for today. Shall we head back?" she continued.
Minato nodded and they made their way back (which took just as long as arriving here thanks to Elizabeth's unsatisfied curiosity) to a hallway beneath a staircase leading to the karaoke bar. As suspicious as it looked, with its navy blue aura and dim lighting, he thought it odd that no one had bothered to inspect the hallway and reported it for anything. He shrugged off the thought as he approached a familiar blue door and stopped when Elizabeth turned to face him.
"Thank you for the invaluable experiences you've shared with me today," she said. "This may sound forward but if you don't mind, I'd like to accompany you again sometime."
"Sure, I'm up for it," Minato replied without a second thought. "Perhaps somewhere a little less busy would be better I think."
"Perhaps. I'll inform you when the time arrives." She moved towards the door and placed her hand on the handle. "Until we next meet."
A powerful blue flash emanated as Elizabeth entered the Velvet Room and in seconds, her and the door had vanished.
Minato stood in the empty hallway and stared at where the door had once been.
What just happened?
You just signed yourself up for another one of her 'dates' the other voice in his mind replied.
It's not a date. It's an exploration of the human world.
As if you truly believe that.
The two sides bickered back and forth as he wandered his way out of Paulownia Mall and into the dimly lit streets of Iwatodai, where the humidity hit him in full force. It was uncommon for the heat to be this heavy so early in the season, and in the evening, but Minato paid little attention to it for his mind was still focused on Elizabeth and the wacky date. Well, as wacky as it was and as eccentric as she was, he had to admit the dat- exploration of the human world, was enjoyable, albeit in a strange way. Instead of finding satisfaction through learning more about her and admiring her undeniably good looks, something he thought common to normal dates, he found it in explaining what that store was and why this store sold that and what wishes that fountain could grant. Certainly an unusual source of entertainment but something he supposed would be worth keeping in mind the next time he went out with her. Or some other girl for that matter.
Someone like Mitsuru?
The thought erupted in his mind like a gang of drunk gate-crashers invading a party and before he could get a grip on his train of thought, the haunting images of her resurfaced once again. At school in those lovely boots, in the dorm with her white sleeveless turtleneck, and finally on Moonlight Bridge where she had worn that outfit. A sinful mix of lust and excitement charged through his body as her curves came into view and it was a hot blast of a wind to the face which reminded him he was out on the streets of Iwatodai. Not on that forsaken bridge.
He stopped walking and wiped the sweat trickling from his brow in an effort to close his imagination. And then swore to himself before resuming his return to the dorm. He would have thought by now, about three weeks after that operation, he would be over it. Not over her (he didn't think it was possible considering he saw her almost every day), but at least over those memories. As much as he wanted the liberty of not having ghosts in his head however, he had a feeling they might be able to explain those fragmented images. Whatever they were.
He let out a sigh as he reached the dorm and stood in front of the double handed doors, looking like a lost child or a kid trying to sell cookies as part of a fundraiser. Today was one of those days where everyone was in the dorm. While there was nothing special about these days, Minato made sure to be diligent in watching what he said around Yukari and Junpei. Especially matters relating to full moon Shadows and other things both Mitsuru and Akihiko agreed to not disclose. Ensuring his mind was where he wanted it to be and not off galloping on some forbidden fantasy, he entered the dorm.
All his friends were seated on the arrangement of sofas in the foyer; Junpei was furiously mashing buttons on that PSP of his, Yukari was reading a magazine that had fashion and gossip written all over it, and Akihiko was polishing a pair of cestuses that looked to be the same pair he had been attending to yesterday. Minato could not see what Mitsuru was doing for she had her back to him but he did not have to. He knew she was drinking tea from the flowery aroma that decorated the lobby. Chamomile to be precise.
And I thought I was the only who liked that.
"Oh hey, you're back," Yukari said, placing her magazine on the coffee table. The others looked up from what they were doing and greeted him with a nod. As Minato took a seat beside her, she continued, "So, any new thoughts on the rumor going around school?"
Minato blinked and let his eyes wander around the room as he tried to process her words. Rumors? Around school? He was about to ask what she meant when it hit him.
"If you mean the one regarding Yamagishi's disappearance, then not really," Minato replied, leaning into the sofa. "Why, have you managed to find more information?"
Nodding, Yukari proceeded to bring up what gossip she had collected on the subject. She was a lot more talkative than she had been in a while but as he listened, there was not much he hadn't already heard before.
"That's quite a bit of info you got there Yuka-tan," Junpei said, placing his PSP down. "But did you see that post on the student message board?"
Yukari eyed him. "What post?"
"The one about how it was an angry spirit from a ghost story?"
"H-Hey! We promised not to go there. Besides, nobody believes that stuff."
"Nobody might believe it but, it is usually the most unbelievable things that turn out to be the most believable," Mitsuru said, her calm composure confusing Yukari to no end. "So, what is this ghost story about?"
"Glad you asked senpai," Junpei said, his grin growing wider as he leaned forward to grab a flashlight on the lower shelf of the coffee table. "Minato, if you could..."
Minato stood up, crossed over to where the light switches were, and flicked them off. Upon returning, Junpei held the flashlight up, illuminated his face and began the show.
"Good evening," Junpei said in his most ominous voice. "Welcome to 'Junpei's Believe it or Don't.' Before I continue, you should know that strange things happen in this world. Many strange things. And according to one story, if you get caught at school late in the night, you'll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls!"
Minato felt Yukari shift in her seat at Junpei's sudden crescendo. It was bearable at first but as the campfire story went on, he himself also began to feel restless. Not at Junpei, or Yukari or even at the fact that despite gathering a fair amount of information, they still hadn't made much progress since the previous week.
But at his Personas.
They had calmed down in the few weeks after the train operation but upon learning of Fuuka's disappearance, he felt the tension rise again. It was gentle at first, like a subtle pluck of a guitar's strings but now, the vehement strums he felt every minute or two hummed in his veins like a second pulse. The heaviness that summer brought along did not help either; it only placed him even closer on the edge of getting into a fight.
Minato closed his eyes as Junpei reached the climax of his tale and tried to regain his focus by reviewing everything they had learnt so far. Yamagishi Fuuka. A supposedly ordinary student from Class 2-E turned unordinary ever since Akihiko met her in the hospital and later mentioned that she had the potential. He thought the recruiting process would have been smooth sailing since he had seen the girl around Gekkoukan a few times and noticed nothing about her that would make her difficult. But of course, the day he and Mitsuru had planned to invite her to the dorm, was the day she had vanished. As such, time that was not spent at Tartarus was devoted to researching her background and the recent events surrounding her at school.
Events that now apparently involved ghosts if Junpei's story had any semblance of truth in it. Minato was skeptical when it came to issue like these but, there was evidence that supported the 'let's blame it on the supernatural' argument; namely a girl who had bullied Fuuka ending up unconscious in front of the school gate the other day.
There was one other theory that Minato believed much more and felt that the others did as well even if they did not show it. She was lost in Tartarus. The theory was not discussed often since everyone knew the last thing they wanted it to involve were Shadows but, with another week passing by and still no progress, it was becoming more and more plausible.
His reflection was cut short when the lights snapped back on and he opened his eyes to see Junpei smiling, Yukari uneasy, and both of his senpai deep in thought.
"So, what do you think Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked, pondering over Junpei's words.
"Well, as crazy as it sounds, I think it's worth investigating," Akihiko replied, lifting his gaze to meet hers.
"Y-You really think so senpai?" Yukari asked, shifting in her seat.
Junpei eyed her, a small glint in his eyes. "Wow, I didn't know you were afraid of ghosts Yuka-tan. That's kinda funny."
"Shut it Junpei!" Yukari snapped before turning to Akihiko. "F-Fine then, let's investigate it. I'll prove to you that this ghost story is just some urban legend!"
Mitsuru nodded in agreement. "I appreciate that. Although, the story is a bit unnerving..."
As she trailed off, Minato noticed that she looked as uncomfortable as Yukari. He was surprised. It was rare to see her composure waver.
"I'm sure it's just a myth," he said in an effort to reassure both. Mitsuru and Yukari turned to face him, their expressions softening. "But right now, it's looking to be a much more solid piece of evidence than the others. Especially since we don't have much information to support that she's lost in Tartarus."
"You're right," Mitsuru replied, standing up. "Looks like we'll have to postpone exploration in Tartarus once again. Akihiko, let's get back to the command room to sort this out."
Akihiko, irritated that he could not squeeze any more time for training, sighed and followed her up the stairs. Once their footsteps faded, Yukari also stood up.
"Alright, I didn't want to mention this in front of our senpai but I've actually got lots of good info," she said. "Stuff that I haven't told you. It turns out no angry ghost was involved."
"You serious?" Junpei asked. When Yukari nodded, he groaned. "Man, all my hard work into my little show was all for nothing."
"Not really. It gave them something to look into. Anyway, I found out that the rumor spread so quickly because in addition to the girl who was found on the school grounds, there were two more victims who had to be hospitalized. And even though they were in different classes and didn't seem to be connected, they all had one thing in common."
"They hung out together?" Minato asked.
As Yukari nodded, Junpei shot a look at Minato. "Hey, how do you know?"
"It seems pretty obvious doesn't it?" Minato replied, shrugging.
"Well, I suppose."
Yukari cleared her throat to demand their attention. "He's right. They didn't just hang out once or twice either. They got in with a bad crowd and were always out late. It can't be just a coincidence. So to find out what happened, we're going to do some field research tomorrow."
"What?" Junpei exclaimed. "Are you kidding?"
"Nope. From what I've heard, there's this one place where the three victims were regulars."
Junpei's eyes widened. "Wait, you're not talkin' about that place behind Port Island Station are you?"
"Oh, you're familiar with it?"
"You can't go there! I've heard some nasty stuff about that place!"
"Is that so?" Yukari asked, not appearing to believe his protest. "Well in that case, we should all go together." She turned to Minato. "You'll come, right?"
Thinking over his response, Minato averted his gaze from the innocent, pleading look she gave and glanced at Junpei. From the way he was shaking his head furiously, maybe it really was a place they ought to avoid. He could already imagine what was waiting for them in some back alley but Yukari seemed very determined and would go regardless.
Let's just see how determined.
"I don't think it's a good idea," he finally said.
"See, you heard da man. Forget it. That place is bad news," Junpei said, a small grin forming. "I mean, don't you think we're getting in over our heads?"
Yukari scoffed. "Up until now, all we've done is take orders. Does that feel right to you?"
Minato and Junpei exchanged a glance. Neither of them had expected her to be so persistent. It was one thing to be able to take initiative but when what they knew of every matter relating to S.E.E.S. didn't even scratch the surface, it seemed prudent to just follow orders. Still, Yukari had a point, and although it was probably a very bad idea, there was no stopping her now.
"I know what you mean but, did ya have to say it like that?" Junpei remarked with a sigh. "Now we're gonna have to go."
"Seems like it," Minato agreed, mulling over what to bring. An idea popped into his head and he smiled. "If that's the case, we better not be going empty handed." He then stood up and started to make his way to the armory in the command room.
"And just how are you going to explain why you're carrying a saber around?" Yukari asked, folding her arms.
Minato turned and looked at her, a smirk on his face. "Who said I'd be bringing a saber?"