Author's Notes

SHIPS (for the uninitiated): AkiHam, MinaRyo, MitKari, JunDori, and Ken+Happiness.

So. It's been a minute.

I'll be putting a announcement chapter on the original version of this fic, but the TL;DR version is I was going through a whole-ass character arc of self-reflection and growing up for the past two years, leading up to me realizing how much I've missed working on this fic, ALSO leading to me returning to the fanfic scene by revamping my favorite dumpster fire.

Got that? Cool. Big thanks to jinx7155e on AO3 for reminding me that I need to update the FF gang on my exploits. ily


"Attention passengers: we will be running behind schedule as the track switch system has been tampered with. Plan to arrive an hour behind the posted time. We apologize for the inconvenience."

The train's audio system went silent and a loud groan swept throughout the car. Mothers shushed fussing children while workers called their families to alert them of the situation. The elderly grumbled about how transportation was worse than 'back in the day' and for the youth to quit complaining.

Minato Arisato simply scratched the back of his neck and checked the time on his old MP3 player. It was almost eight in the evening.

"Great," he thought to himself, "So much for being on time. For once."

He swore, on his mother's name, that he had the worst luck in the world. Save for one other person, and even then, he seemed to bear the brunt of life's unfairness.

Movement from the corner of his eye forced him to look down. A girl with red headphones around her neck and a messy ponytail stretched an arm annoyingly into his space. It was an obviously fake gesture to mess with Minato.

His older sister and constant companion, Minako Arisato: slayer of candy sections of grocery stores across Japan. All at the expense of their shared funds (which were supposed to be for essential purchases only).

Out of irritation, he slapped her arm away. She balked, "Hey! It's cramped and I'm tired!" she whined and slapped him back, "We've been at this all day and I just want a shower already."

Minato rolled his eyes and readjusted his backpack on his shoulder. "At least you don't have to stand for six hours on a crowded train that is now running an hour behind-" He frowned as he noticed something sticking out of her purse, a chocolate bar shaped wrapper, folded over. "When'd you have time to get candy?" he asked, now thoroughly irked.

The girl shrugged and dug out the offending item. It was (indeed) a bar of chocolate, already opened and halfway finished. She broke off a square and offered it to him. "Brother dearest, where there's a will, there's a way."

Minato cringed at the title but accepted the square. Who was he to turn down free food? "Did you steal it?" He popped it into his mouth, savoring the sweetness on his tongue. "Not that I'm complaining, but should I be worried about getting arrested on our first night back?"

She shook her head, "Remember when I had to use the bathroom at our last stop?" The russet-haired girl opened her bag further to reveal an assortment of gum, taffy, and other goodies. Sure enough, there were more bars of the same chocolate peppered amongst the hoard, "A nice woman was selling them with her daughter so I bought a few things. They were surprisingly cheap. It must've been for a fundraiser or something."

Minato held out his hand expectantly. "Isn't gluttony a sin?"

Minako scoffed but handed over the rest of the chocolate bar to him. She replaced it with a new one. "Jesus died for nothing if you don't sin a little."

"You stole that from the internet."

"But it's true."

"Isn't that blasphemy?"

"Lighten up a little," Minako said between chews. "You're just mad that I found food while you were waiting around for nothin' to happen," she turned on her iPod and put on her headphones, "If you need me, tap on my shoulder. I could use a break from the noise."

And like that, she ungracefully exited the conversation.

Minato felt a pang of frustration at her words. As the more serious of the two siblings, he found it quite tiresome dealing with the most childish seventeen-year-old in the world. Of all the people that ever lived, out of the century's of human history, he had to be born a year behind the most annoying, most tone deaf girl to curse the face of the planet.

At least sticking with her had its perks. Undying optimism. Free homemade food. English tutor. Essay editor. Not to mention her superpower of finding the best candy at the lowest price. Legend has it, she was able to clean out a convenience store with a single five Yen coin.

So maybe it wasn't all bad.

Minato let it slide, for now, nibbling piece by piece off the chocolate bar as he turned his music up. He opted to watch as the train picked up speed to hopefully make up for the lost time.

Just then, a blue butterfly caught his eye.

Time never waits. It delivers all equally to the same end.

The tiny insect flew close to the train, right next to Minato's window. It had an almost unearthly glow in the dying light of the day. If he looked hard enough, it was almost as if the tiny thing was leaving behind a trail of stardust.

As the train picked up speed, the butterfly somehow kept pace. Minato watched in wonder as it beat its delicate wings.

How could something so tiny be so quick?

You two, who wish to safeguard the future, however limited it may be…

Just as mysteriously as the butterfly came, it soon couldn't stay its course. It fluttered away, leaving behind its trail of blue sparks.

Then there was nothing, almost as if it vanished into thin air.

Minato was awestruck for a moment before concluding that the whole experience was his mind playing tricks on him. After all, he felt exhausted from the trip. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. He was hungry and grumpy and ready to crash onto the floor, if he couldn't find a bed.

He needed some respite from this dreadful day.

You both will be given one year; go forth without falter, with your hearts as your guide.


Minato stretched as Minako and he exited the terminal. After seven hours of waiting patiently, their tedious ride had come to an end.

They were finally back in Iwatodai.

Despite the fact it was almost midnight, Minako bounced ahead of him to get past the gates. "Well, that was fun and all, but next time, let's just get a taxi."

Minato sighed and shook his head. "It's less expensive to take the train," he jabbed a finger at her, "We could've taken a cab if you didn't drain our money for sweets. You'll just have to stick it out next time we have to move."

"Jeez," Minako walked backwards to face Minato, "Let's just focus on getting through this next school year. Besides, we've got scholarships and were accepted into a dorm. I think we can say we'll be here a while."

"Watch where you're going," Minato forced her to face forwards.

Barely a soul was commuting this late at night. The only people around were the night shift attendants, overtime office workers, and bar hoppers. The two siblings were the odd ones out since it was a school night. Minato wouldn't be shocked if the two were caught by a patrol car and questioned about breaking curfew. If their new school had curfew restrictions.

On second thought, it would be a free ride to the dorm if the cops were nice.

The intrusive thought of setting a controlled fire would get the attention of the authorities crossed his mind, but was quickly dismissed. They were more likely to end up in jail than a glorified taxi.

He was starting to sound like Minako.

Minako pulled out a pamphlet with directions written in the margins. "If my math is correct, which it probably is," she thought aloud, "We only have to walk a few blocks to get there. Interesting fact: they strategically built the dorms near the train station so students have an easier time commuting back and forth."

"Let's get going then." Minato took the pamphlet from her to read her messy directions, only to find them written in English. "We're not in America. Why are you writing things in English?"

"Hey, we need to keep our skills fresh!" she snatched the pamphlet up, "It looks good on resumes when you speak another language. You should try it."

"Why should I practice my English when we live in Japan?" Minato stole the pamphlet again. He thought he heard her suck in a sharp breath, gearing up to scold him for taking the pamphlet away a second time.

But the winded lecture never came.

The younger Arisato turned around. "Cat got your t-?"

Minako paused mid-stride and looked up at the station clock. For a moment, she seemed dazed.

"It's almost midnight," she said.

Minato glanced at the time on his watch.

23:59

0:00

All of a sudden, the lights in the station went out. The soft rumbling of trains ceased, leaving the siblings in an eerie silence. The screens of their MP3s turned off, as if the battery ran out of juice, despite being charged before they boarded the train. Puddles of water had become a rich red color, resembling blood. Whether or not it was the real thing, Minato never wanted to know.

The creepiest addition had to be the coffins. They stood at attention in place of people. Each one was as terrifying as the very thing they were supposed to contain.

It never failed to send a shiver down Minato's spine.

He just wanted to get to the dorms and sleep the lifelike nightmare away.

Minako shook herself out of her funk and threw on her usual grin. "This is nothing, we've been through this before. Let's just crack on," she swung her bag around and rummaged through, producing a medium-sized candle. She held it out to Minato, "Safety first."

At first, they had thought it was some horrible dream, but they soon realized just how real their situation was. Every night for the past ten years, this Transformation that left the world in a strange sort of purgatory. Only the siblings seemed to experience it, as the rest of their family and acquaintances appeared to turn into coffins.

Why it happened to them, how it happened in the first place, those questions were never able to be answered. There was no point dwelling on what they already knew. They had places to be, regardless of the time.

From middle school on, the two always came prepared. Electronics, even battery powered ones, seemed useless during this time. Primitive means of light were the only source of comfort, such as candles and torches. Unfortunately, it would be awkward to carry the latter around, so they stuck with the lighter of the two.

Minako took out her own candle and a lighter, passing it to Minato. Once their candles were lit, the two made their way to the dorm. Minako had regained control of the map, being the only one who was gifted in the ways of foreign language. She carefully directed them through the winding streets, being careful to hop over the strange puddles and maneuver around closed coffins.

The moon hung menacingly overhead amongst the curtain of green sky.

Minato had hypothesized at one point or another that the world was sick during this time. Although it was simply a childish thought, it gave him something to turn around in his head while he walked. It was better than counting the number of coffins they walked past like a crazy person. Thankfully, it was nearing the end of winter. Not many coffins were out this late at night. with a chill still folding the city into a freezing embrace.

Heck, if Minato had a choice, he would be playing video games on his laptop or downloading illegal music to study to.

"Looks like we're almost there," Minako said. She pointed to a building that was two blocks down the sidewalk. "It should be that one, with the lights in the window." The shades were drawn, but a faint light peeked out from behind the heavy fabric.

That was strange; electricity was always out during the dark hour.

Minato and Minako walked in silence the rest of the way. Minato could tell that his sister was wary of the light in the window as well. She had put away the directions and began to fiddle with the strap of her purse.

When they finally climbed the short flight of stairs to a pair of heavy looking doors, they paused to regard one another. Minato saw the familiar twinkle in his sister's eyes as she reached for the handle first. "There's no point in standing out in the open like a bunch of featherless chickens." she pushed open the door and light poured out, inviting them in. "Besides, maybe we're worrying over nothing."

The offer was more than enticing.

Even still, Minato felt more than a little suspicious about the whole situation.

"Are you sure this isn't sket-"

A loud screech filled the air.

Both the siblings jumped at the noise before making their final decision.

"Into the spooky building, it is!" Minako yelped, yanking Minato by the collar.

They practically leaped inside with their suitcases in tow. Minako tripped over her own feet and both siblings went tumbling onto a plush entry carpet, knocking air out of Minato's lungs. He still had the sense to kick the doors shut, just in case.

He groaned before sitting up from his fall. "Note to self: don't go outside ever again."

"Ditto-" Minako chimed in breathlessly, using the door to hold herself up. "I like the macabre as much as the next guy, but I chose life."

Her brother shook his head. He stood off and brushed off his pants. "At least no one's here-"

"-You're both late. I've been waiting a long time for you."

The siblings jumped at the interruption of a gentle voice, nearly giving Minato a heart attack.

Both looked over at a wooden reception desk to see a boy in prison styled pajamas. His head was propped up in his hands as he leaned over an oak receptionist desk. He had an amused expression on his face, obviously enjoying the banter between the teens.

Minato shoved his hands in his pockets, collecting himself. The child could also be smiling at the fact they came in like Hell was at their heels.

The boy motioned for them to come closer, snapping his fingers. A red book that Minato hadn't noticed before opened. A black pen rested beside it. "Now, if you wish to proceed, please sign your names there."

There was a beat of silence before Minako stepped up first. It wasn't as if he was going to take initiative, that wasn't his style. Minato had to be the youngest at some point and let his thick-headed sister bite-the-bullet for once.

Minako's eyes whipped through the document, but she didn't pick up the pen right away. "I'm not sure I understand why we have to sign this. I'm pretty sure we signed all the paperwork ahead of time. Did we miss something?"

Once again, the boy waved her off. "Don't worry, all it says is that you'll accept full responsibility for your actions while in Iwatodai," he boy shrugged, "You know, the usual stuff."

Minako hesitated but soon had the pen in her hand. "That doesn't answer my question, but… It must be a mandatory thing for all students, I guess." She quickly signed before tossing the utensil over to Minato. "You're up."

Minato easily caught the pen and took his turn. He barely skimmed over the contract and went straight to the signature space at the bottom. There was no point in rereading something that had already been laid out very clearly. Right under Minako's basterdized handwriting, he signed his with pinpoint precision.

Once he was finished, he closed the book. He looked up to hand it back to the boy, but he was gone.

Minako tapped him on the shoulder. She pointed to their right where the boy was waiting with his hand outstretched, the same unsettling smile plastered on his face. His pajamas looked much more worn out, with the ends of the pant legs frayed with feet and fingers caked in dirt.

Minato considered throwing the contract away but something compelled him to finish the exchange.

The boy took the book and held on to it as if it were his favorite teddy bear. "No one can escape time. It delivers all to the same end." He looked at Minako, then at Minato. His stare was just as unsettling as his grin. The boy raised the book to obscure his face. "You can't plug your ears or cover your eyes."

"Cryptic," Minato thought to himself. If he wasn't so disturbed, he might've whispered the joke to his traveling companion. If he was brave enough, he could've said it straight to this boy's face.

The boy removed the book and clutched it to his chest. "And so it begins. This shall be interesting. . ."

He backed away into the shadows. They swallowed him whole.

The lights flickered out. The room's air matched the rest of the strange world, a green haze enveloping everything.

Minako hummed to herself. "Well. That happened." She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot, a habit when she was deep in thought. "I wonder if he's a student playing a prank on us. Kids are pretty weird nowadays."

Minato said nothing. If the boy was a student who lived in the dorm, why would he look like he hadn't been taken care of in months? Sure, it could just be a dedicated prankster looking to haze the new kids. But even then, he didn't look old enough to be in high school. Was he the dorm monitor's kid? A younger brother?

The entire situation seemed a little too strange to just be an elaborate joke.

"Who's there!"

A new voice called to them, this time commanding and loud, causing Minato to have an out-of-body experience for the second time that night. Minako gasped and knocked over her suitcase.

Standing as if she were about to attack the two was a girl in a school uniform. She looked to be about Minato's age. Her pink sweater took into account the chilly spring nights. Strapped to her thigh was a weapon of some kind, but Minato couldn't tell what from the distance and low lighting.

Before they could explain themselves, she reached for the weapon.

Minako panicked and stepped up with her hands in the air. "H-hey! Let's just take it easy! There's no need for violence!"

The girl didn't listen and soon had her hand on the holster. Minato felt his heart take a swan dive into his stomach, shriveling up into nothing. Tonight just really wasn't his night. He braced himself for whatever pain he may feel before his death.

At least he lived an adequate life.

"Takeba! Stand down!"

Minako's ramblings about angels and demons came true in that one second in time. Another girl came down the same stairs, sporting a scowl and a hand on her hip. She was definitely older than Minato with a mature face and eyes that could cut diamonds. If the first girl had commanded his attention, this one made you a slave to her will.

Whether that was a good or bad thing, it was still up in the air.

The lights came back on and the soft whirl of an A/C system provided some decent white noise. At last, they had pulled through another hardship and were home free.

Minako was the first to break her stiff position with a deep breath, "Oh thank God."

The older girl stepped forward, scarlet hair swishing as she made her approach. "I didn't think you two would arrive so late." she extended a hand to Minako first when she reached them, "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

Minako, ever the spokesman for the siblings, gladly accepted the gesture. "It's a pleasure to meet you! My name is Minako Arisato." She motioned to Minato who chose to stay one step behind her, just off to the side. "The nerd to my right is Minato. He's about a year younger than me and the silent type. Don't get mad if he ignores you while listening to songs he downloaded illegally."

Minato sent her a harsh glare before extending his hand. There was no satisfaction in fighting with the girl who still read tween manga and fangirled about it. "What she said, nice to meet you."

"Likewise." When Mitsuru took his hand, Minato knew that he was in the clear. One bullet dodged, one to go.

The first girl lowered her guard, but only enough to appear friendly. "Um, who are they?"

Mitsuru once again frowned before crossing her arms, obviously annoyed. "They are transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here. They'll eventually be moved to a room in the boys' and girls' dorms."

The brunette pursed her lips and bore through it. This time, she looked more concerned, lowering her voice as if the new students weren't in the room at all. "Is it okay for them to stay here? You know. . ." she trailed off, leaving the siblings confused beyond their years.

Mitsuru looked them both up and down. Finally, she gave them both a smile before turning back to her partner. "I guess we'll see."

Another long pause ensued. The four stood staring at each other, as if waiting for someone to break the tension.

Minako took matters into her own hands to dispel the lingering awkwardness. "Well, we know Kirijo-san's name, but what about you?"

The once tense girl straightened up but gave an award-winning smile. "My name is Yukari Takeba, but there's no need to be formal with me. Yukari will do just fine." She turned to Minato, "You're a junior too, right?"

Minato nodded slowly.

Yukari returned the gesture, "I guess you and I will be seeing each other often."

Mitsuru then stepped in to address them both. "Before Takeba takes you up to your rooms, do either of you have any lingering questions? I have business to attend to tomorrow morning and afternoon. You won't be seeing me for a while."

Minato pondered asking about the gun but thought against it. For all he knew, they were for self-defense and that was that. Asking would only stir up trouble.

Minako immediately piped up. "Is this a girls' dorm? From what I can tell, that seems to be the case."

Mitsuru shook her head. "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." She turned away from the rest of the group and ascended the stairs. "Takeba, please show Minato-san to his room. Anything that was sent ahead will be there," she looked at Minako, "I'll show you to yours."

"Thanks!" Minako hiked up her backpack and smiled at Minato, "Night, nerd."

Without another word, she and Mitsuru ascended.

Once the click of Mitsuru's heels was inaudible, Yukari cleared her throat and motioned to the stairs. "You must be exhausted. Follow me and please don't fall behind. I got lost my first time here and I don't want a repeat."

Minato picked up his meager belongings and followed his fellow junior, sparing the lounge area a quick glance before continuing on his way. He would have all school year to get acquainted with the space.

They skipped the second floor and went right to the third. He though he could hear Minako conversing with Mitsuru, but he paid no mind. At the top of the steps, they vered down a wide hallway. At the very end, Yukari unlocked one of the two doors closest to the window.

"This is it. Pretty easy to remember, huh?" she asked, shifting her weight uneasily. The girl couldn't even look him in the eye when she continued to speak. "You know. . . since it's right at the end of the hall."

Gone was the earlier bravado, now replaced with silence. Not surprising, considering Minako was always the one to talk people's ears off. Talking to him after she was done was like getting a slap in the face.

"Oh yeah," Yukari perked up and handed him his room key, "make sure you don't lose your key, or you'll never hear the end of it..." She clasped her hands behind her back. "So, any questions?"

Minato shook his head. The sooner his head was on a pillow, the better the mood he would be in. No amount of chocolate could replace the energy a good night's sleep gave. He would never understand those who drank coffee to get a boost for the day.

Yukari nodded, but she still remained. "Before I forget, you didn't see anything... strange walking here from the station? Anything that seemed out of place?"

Minato paused, not even through the threshold of the door. What did it take for a person to get some shut eye around here?

One part of him screamed to just slam the door in her face, but another part of him screamed louder to humor the poor girl.

He let his tired brain take the W that night.

"No ..." he answered simply, "Nothing at all."

No point in beating around the bush.

Yukari seemed to relax before backing away from Minato's door. "I see, I'm sure you still have other questions, but let's save them for later? Good night, Arisato-san."

Minato didn't stay to watch her leave. He walked straight into his room, not even bothering to take in the scenery. His suitcase was stockpiled by the door and was officially made a problem for tomorrow. He shrugged his pea coat off and flung it on the floor. Deciding that changing into sleep attire was a waste of time, so he shucked off his jeans and was left in his boxers and t-shirt.

Just as he predicted, when his head hit the pillow, he felt sleep pull him into a haze.

It had been a day, best left forgotten.


April 6th, 2009

The first night is always the most difficult when we move. I've learned how to coop with the drastic change of scene, but Minato always seems to fall into bitter sleep.

Who could blame him? We are constantly on the move. I bet I've seen half the country by the time I turned eleven. Travelling is awesome and all, but it gets tedious having to adjust to a different place every school year.

We met a few new people today. A senior named Mitsuru Kirijo and a junior named Yukari Takeba. I'm sure we'll all get along just fine. At least until the school moves us into proper dormitories.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring,

Minako Arisato