Chapter 4: New recruits.
Once again, a dark corridor is stretching in the darkness, getting closer and closer to something.
that same blue door has opened, and is sucking the unconscious minds of the Yuki brothers inside with a white light.
Date: Unknown, Time: Unknown. Velvet Room.
*Music: Persona OST: Aria Of The Soul*
*Takeru's P.O.V*
I opened my eyes, and i find myself and my brother back at the Velvet Room. Igor-sama is happy to see us again.
"It's nice to see you two again." Igor-sama greeted us.
"Likewise, Igor-sama. But what happened to us in the real world?" I asked.
"You became unconscious after awakening to your 'power'." He answered.
'I see. But... Our power?' I wondered.
"It's nothing to worry about, though. So, just relax." Igor-sama reassured us.
"If you say so..." I said, still feeling concerned.
"By the way... I see that it was both Orpheus and Hercules that headed your calling." He told us, somehow knowing the names of our Personas. I was shocked!
"That power is called a Persona... It is a manifestation of your psyche." Igor-sama started to explain to us about our Persona powers.
"Persona?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah... I know that's what is called, but... What is a Persona, exactly?" I also asked him.
"It may take some time to fully comprehend." Igor-sama said.
"No kidding..." I muttered under my breath.
"A Persona is a facet of yourself that surfaces as you react to external stimuli..." He continued to explain.
"You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."
"I get it! "Persona" is a latin word for "Mask"! It means that those are our "true" selves?" I asked him, having a little bit of doubt.
"Very impressive, Takeru-kun. But... That being said, your power is still weak..."
"You lost me." Makoto told him, getting more and more confused.
"Yep... Go on, Igor-sama." I agreed.
"When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength..." He explianed further.
"Inner strength..." I repeated, listening intently to his voice.
"The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links-- your emotional ties with others."
"Social Links, huh... These are the keys to our strength?" I said.
"The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please, remember that." He told us. We both feel that this is important.
"We will, sir." I told him with a serious face, Makoto nodding his head to agree, with a determined face.
"Now then... Time marches on in your world." Igor-sama said with a serious tone.
"I shoudn't keep you two here any longer. Next time we meet, the both of you will come here to your own accord."
"And how would we return here?"
"You will know soon enough. Until then... Farewell."
We started to get sleepy... Our conciousness fading... And the Velvet Room slowly started to disappear...
Date: Unknown, Time Unknown. ???
...
...Our minds started to get more and more clear. We wondered how long we were asleep, and we sense someone's presence...
I opened my eyes and i saw a white ceiling. i look around and i noticed that i'm in a bed, more specifically, a Hospital bed. I look to my right, and see my brother in the same bed, and by the window...
"...Yukari-chan...?" I weakly said, Still feeling tired and sore. There she was, Sitting in the chair by the window. And judging by the sunlight, the day is almost over.
*Music: Persona 3 OST: Tranquility*
"You two are awake...!" Yukari exclaimed, feeling surprised.
"Yep... Good to see you." I said to her.
"It's good to see you too. Um, how do you two feel?"
"Sore and tired, but overrall... I'm fine." I reassured her.
"Where am i...?" Makoto asked, feeling just as tired.
"Thank goodness, you two finally came to..." Yukari said, relieved with a smile.
"You were worried about us? Thank you!" I thanked her. "But... Judging by the beds, white ceiling, and equipment, i think we're in some kind of hospital." I guessed.
"Yep. *sigh* how much sleep do you both need!? It's been a whole week!" Yukari said, feeling a little annoyed, but happy.
"A... A WEEK!?" I shouted, making my body stand up and sit on the bed.
"We've been knocked out for a week... Man... Summoning beings from Mythology really does a number on us..." I said the first part out loud, but the rest i whispered to myself, putting a hand to my head.
"Yukari-chan, what's the date and time of today?" I asked her, removing the hand from my head.
"It's April 17th, and it's 5:40 PM." She told me.
"Thanks."
"...I was so worried about you two..." She said with a smile.
"...Oh yeah, this Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It's just a short walk from the station." Yukari told us which hospital we were resting at.
April 17th, 2009. 5:40 PM. Tatsumi Memorial Hospital, The Yuki Brothers' Room.
"Tatsumi Memorial Hospital... Brings back memories..." I said to myself.
"The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with the two of you. He said that you were just exhausted. But, you two kept sleeping and sleeping... You know how worried i was?" She explained to us what happened.
"Whew... That's a relief. I think i'm feeling better already!" I said, getting some of my strength back.
"...Me too." Makoto told us.
"Um... I'm sorry i couldn't do anything..." Yukari started to apologize.
"Even though i was supposed to protect you, I..." She tried to say something, but i waved her off.
"Hey, no worries! We're fine, and the two of us-- Including you, didn't even get any bruises from what happened at the dorm." With a smile on my face, i reassured her.
"Thanks, Takeru-kun. Oh! By the way, do you have a twin?" She asked.
"Huh? Why do you ask?" I asked another question.
"...It's nothing." She said, leaving that aside.
'Okay then...'
"But, your power... it was amazing." She said to us.
"What'd i do?" Makoto asked.
"I was thinking about that. When we shot ourselves with that gun thingy, two figures of Mythology, namely, Orpheus and Hercules, came out from us." I agreed, starting to tell my thoughts about the whole thing.
"The power you guys used... we call it 'Persona'." She explained.
"Persona... That's latin for 'Mask', right?"
"Yeah."
"So in a way, Orpheus and Hercules are kind of like, our true selves. The facade that we obtained to overcome life's hardships." I tried to explain.
"Whoa... you're very knowledgeable about this, Takeru-kun. Did you study Mythology?"
"...More or less. I saw some things in a magazine once, and i was curious, so i started to look it up."
"Anyway... And those creatures you defeated are Shadows-- Our enemy." She explained on what those monsters where called.
"Oh yeah... I remember you calling that big masked blob by that term."
"We'll explain everything later. I'm sorry i didn't tell you before..." She apologized.
"Don't worry about that. And... I think i will have to explain something to you..." I said, starting to feel uncomfortable.
"What is it, Takeru-kun?"
"Well... Back at the dorm, when we summoned our Personas for the first time, did you see someone that looked like me? Except that he was wearing a mask, with the roman number XIII, and had one golden eye."
"Yeah... I saw him. After he defeated that big Shadow, he gave me both a lecture and a pep talk, just to make me feel better."
"*chuckle* Yep. That's Grim for ya..."
"...T.K, who's Grim?" Makoto asked.
"Grim? Oh! He's just my Shadow." I explained. Yukari then became surprised.
"He's your Shadow?!"
"Yeah... Didn't you see the obvious golden eye, mask, and dark aura? Not to mention his personality. He's basically the opposite of me." I explained to the both of them.
"And... He is both my friend and my rival. I can't lose to him, i just can't." I gripped the sheets with force.
"He's basically my hidden feelings,desires, and he has my will for fighting strong oponents, but instead of defeating them, he wants to kill them. Besides... Don't all of us have Shadows inside? Something that we don't want to admit, hidden desires and secrets..." I explained. Yukari closed her eyes and took the information to heart.
"True..." Yukari acknowledged my explanation. She then got up from her seat and started to walk away, but stopped.
"I, uh... I wanted to tell you guys that... ...I'm sorta like you." She told us. Makoto and i looked at each other, confused. I shruged. Then we turn our eyes back to Yukari.
"What do you mean?" Makoto asked. I decided to stay quiet and let Yukari-chan talk.
"My dad died in an accident when i was little..." She started to tell her story.
"And my mom and i aren't exactly on good terms..."
"You're all alone too, right?"
"You got that right... Both of our parents died in a car accident when i was 5 and my brother was 6 or 7 years old."
"Yeah... To be honest though, I already know about your past..." She honestly told us.
"...Figures..." Makoto sulked.
"...Be nice." I told him.
"But that didn't seem fair, so i wanted you two to know about mine." She said.
"When did your dad die?" I asked her.
"It was back in '99..." She answered.
"There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened..."
"I see... Please move on, Yukari." I said, feeling interested about what happened.
'Her dad died in 1999... Just like our parents...'
"Okay, he was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group." She told us.
"Wait... Your dad's name was Eiichiro Takeba, right?" I asked her.
"Yeah! Have you heard of him before?" She answered, surprised.
"Yes, i did! He was a brilliant scientist! Takeba-san was my inspiration for doing some scientific research. My dream is to become a Defense Attorney with a minor in Forensics." I told her my dream.
"Good luck on your dream, Takeru-kun! I know you can do it."
"Hey, he's my lil' bro. he will be the best there is." Makoto said, having a sincere smile on his face.
"Awwwww... Thanks guys! But, back to the topic of Takeba-san's death, did you discover something that tells you what happened?" I asked her.
"Not yet... I'm still looking for some kind of evidence. So, i'm hoping that i if i stick around long enough, i'll find out something."
"Alright."
"...Cool."
"That's why i'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why i was there when this happened to you two." She told us.
'So that's why... She's going to the school just to get Kirijo-san to talk about what happened to her father...'
"...Of course, i panicked and wasn't much help... It was my first time fighting them too."
"I can see that. We are lucky that Grim swooped in at the last second and cut that Shadow to pieces." I told her.
"You're welcome!" He yelled at me, causing to me to hold my head in pain.
"Are you okay?!" Yukari asked me.
"I'm fine... Grim just yelled at me, that's all. I talk to him via telepathy."
"Okay then."
"But... I'm sorry... You to wouldn't have to go through all this if i wasn't such a coward..." She talked ill of herself. I then felt my body switching places with Grim, getting the skeleton mask under my bed, and putting it to my face.
*Shadow Takeru/Grim's P.O.V*
"Don't be." I told her, crossing my arms and looking at her with a non-noticable smile. Yukari and Makoto both looked at me, feeling very surprised.
"Wha--! Grim?! Is that you?!" She asked me.
"Yes... It is me. Like i said, don't apologize. You were trying to help Takeru and Makoto. In fact... I should thank you." I said to her.
"Thank me? For what?"
"For giving me a chance to awaken. If you had managed to summon your Persona at that time, i wouldn't be here talking to you like this." I explained to her.
"That's true..."
"So... That's what Takeru's Shadow looks like... Cool."
"Hmph. Like i was expecting YOU of all people to be surprised when i make my presence known, Makoto Yuki." I said angrily to him and i turned away from him.
"That is all that i have to say. I will see you two in a future Dark Hour, For our destined duel." With that, i closed my eye, removed the mask from my face, making it disappear, and let my real self take control again.
*Takeru's P.O.V*
"There you have it. Grim took the words right out of my mouth. I'm surprised, though... I thought he was going to be hostile towards you two."
"Fool! I may be a Shadow, But i can be a little bit friendly when i want to!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."
"About what happened... It's not your fault." Makoto told her.
"Yeah. You were just nervous." I agreed with him.
"Thanks... But still... And here i am, telling you two all this the minute you wake up." Yukari said.
"It's no problem, really. That gave us a chance to get to know each other better!" I reassured her.
"I agree." Makoto said.
"Alright then! When i was waiting, i thought to myself, "I've been hiding so many things from them... As soon as they wake up, I'll tell them the truth"."
"So, thanks for listening, you two. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time." She thanked us with a smile, feeling some weight has been lifted from her shoulders.
"Don't mention it, Yukari-chan! We'll always be there to lend an ear or a hand!" I said with a huge grin.
"You can count on us." Makoto said with a smirk.
She then smiled so much that a small tear fell off her face.
"... Alright, i'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know that you two woke up." She started to walk towards the door, then stopping in front of it.
"Take it easy, okay? Be good patients! And don't hesitate to call the nurse. I'm sure she'll take good care of you. ...Bye." She told us, as she opened the door and left the room.
"Welp... You heard her, until the doctor says that we can go home, we need to rest a little more."
"Alright." We then rested for a while, then, the doctor said that we can go home. So, we headed back to the dorm to prepare for school tomorrow.
*Music Ends.*
April 18th, 2009. 7:50 AM. Gekkoukan High School, Entrance.
*Music: Persona 3 OST: Want To Be Close*
*3rd Person P.O.V*
Now fully recovered, the Yuki brothers are arriving at the school gates, when Yukari noticed them and called them over, they went to talk to her.
"Oh! Good morning, Yukari-senpai!" Takeru greeted her.
"Mornin'. The two of you seem to be doin' well." She greeted back, happy to see that the brothers are better.
"Yeah. I'm alright." Makoto told her.
"Yep, me too! All i needed was some well deserved rest." Takeru said.
"You got that right, T.K." Makoto agreed.
"That's good, you two." Yukari said.
"Hey... Sorry to hit you with this first thing in the morning..." She tried to say.
"Hit us with what?" Takeru asked.
"...But Ikutsuki-san wants to talk with you two today."
"The Chairman wishes to talk with us? Sweet!"
"...Cool."
"Come to the 4th floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget."
"Okay! We won't!" The Brothers and Yukari continued walking towards the school, talking about their recovery, and about other things. Then, they went to their seperate class.
April 18th, 2009. 9:30 AM. Gekkoukan High School, 2nd Floor, Classroom 2-F.
Makoto was taking notes from the current class, from another teacher, which was the History teacher, Mr. Ono. He wears a samurai helm to his head, to make the class he teaches easier to notice.
"That's enough about the mammoths... I don't see the deal, they're just huge elephants." Mr. Ono complained, not feeling satisfied by teaching about the Stone Age to the teenagers.
"And that wraps it up for the Stone Age. *sigh* I'm tired of lessons about stones." He complained again.
"I'd rather talk about the Sengoku era! Japanese history's not that exciting until then." The Samurai teacher said, excited about teaching the Sengoku era.
"Though i'm paid to do this, so i've gotta... It's tough being an adult." He complained once again.
"Next is... The Jomon period? When do the samurai get the day in the sun!?" Mr. Ono asked in disbelief, showing his passion for samurai.
"I'll just ask a question at random and call it a day. Hmm... Hey, Junpei!" He called Junpei, that was thinking about something.
"What was the style of the houses in the Jomon period called?" He asked him, Junpei doesn't know the answer, and gets a little nervous.
"Uhh... How am i supposed to know about something way back then?" He quickly looked at Makoto and asked:
"Quick, Makoto! What the heck is he talking about!?" He looked at him back and answered:
"Mud huts." Junpei told the answer to Mr. Ono, and the class is impressed about Makoto helping Junpei again.
"That's correct. Mud huts were built by digging a hole in the ground and supporting the roof." Mr. Ono said, not feeling impressed.
"...It's no use. I can't get interested." Mr. Ono confessed.
"Ugh... I want to get to the age of katanas... Everything else is so dull..." He complained.
"Hey...! I answered right, and i didn't get any credit!?" Junpei asked in disbelief, but relaxed and turned to his blue haired friend.
"Tch... Oh well, thanks, Makoto." He thanked him. They can hear their classmates whispering about Makoto helping Junpei answer right to one of the teachers' questions, making the former more popular, and raising his Charm a little.
*Music Ends.*
April 18th, 2009. 5:58 PM. Paulownia Mall.
*Music: Persona 3 OST: When The Moon Is Reaching Out Stars*
The brothers are thinking about the important discussion they will have with Chairman Ikutsuki when they get back to the dorm, while passing through the mall.
In the Arcade, called Game Panic, two female students are trying to get a plushie at the crane game. At the pharmacy, there are two adult men, with lab coats on, one with glasses blurring his face, and the other one having sky blue hair, with a beard that is in the same color. Mr. Ono was checking out the Shinousoudo Antique store, mainly check if they have Samurai related things. (Seriously, is he obsessed, or... What if he has a samurai fetish?) A woman is seen walking by, problably going somewhere else. by the fountain, there was a middle-aged businessman, with very squinted gray eyes, dark grey hair, wearing a gray suit and a faded dark red tie. He was talking with a businesswoman with a blue suit about a possible contract. An old woman is sitting in one of the benches, with her pet white cat. In the other bench, there's an old bald man, and by his clothes, he's a buddhist monk. He's smoking a cigar. A policeman is seen walking back to the station, which is behind the fountain.
"Yep... Just what i'd expect from a shopping mall... It's full of people coming and going... Luckily, the mall is empty at night, so one day we will be going to do something here. Okay, bro?" Takeru said, making plans for going to the mall with his brother.
"Okay." Makoto agreed. The brothers then went home after passing by the mall for a little bit.
April 18th, 2009 7:00 PM. Dorm, 1st Floor, Lounge.
*Music: Persona 3 OST: Iwatodai Dorm*
*Takeru's P.O.V.*
When we went inside, there was no one in the lounge. it was empty.
"Wow... Not a soul in sight down here... So, they must be upstairs. It's in the... i believe... 4th Floor...?" I said to my brother, trying to remember which floor Yukari-chan said to talk.
"Right. We should go there." Makoto told me. We then went upstairs to the 4th Floor.
April 18th, 2009. 7:02 PM Dorm, 4th Floor, Hallway.
We arrived at the 4th Floor, where Yukari-chan was waiting for us, and behind her, was some double doors.
"Oh! There you guys are!"
"We got home just now. So... That's the room that we're using for the meeting?" I asked her.
"That's right! C'mon, let's go inside."
"Right." Me and Makoto said at the same time. Yukari opened the doors and let us through.
*Music Ends.*
April 18th, 2009 7:03 PM. Dorm, 4th Floor, Command Room.
*Music: Persona 3 OST: This Mysterious Feeling*
Behind those doors, there is a nice room with some consoles and a screen, like some type of security cameras. There are some chairs around a big table. In that same table, there is a silver briefcase. I believe that this room is a some sort of Command Room. Seated in some of the chairs, was Chairman Ikutsuki, Kirijo-san, and an unfamiliar male student with white hair and bandages. I think that's Sanada-san that Ikutsuki-san told us about in the night of the 8th. When Ikutsuki-san looked at us, he had a sheepish smile on his face.
"Ah, there you are. I'm glad that you two are okay." He said, expecting us and feeling relieved by our recovery.
"Thanks for worring about us, Mr. Chairman. By the way, is there a reason for this meeting? I asked.
"Yes, the reason i asked you here is because i needed to talk to the both of you." He explained.
"Please, have a seat." He instructed us, we took a seat next to each other-- Me and Makoto, that is. He seated on my right side, and i seated next to Sanada-san. Yukari-chan sat down on the couch, a few centimeters away from Kirijo-san.
"Oh, before that... I believe i mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko." He pointed and introduced the second Senior.
"How ya doin'?" Sanada-san asked. I said:
"Nothin' much. It's nice to meet ya, Sanada-san. I'm Takeru Yuki, but feel free to call me T.K. And that's my brother, Makoto Yuki." I introduced myself to him, and pointed to my brother.
"Sup?" Makoto said, slightly lifting his hand.
I then extended my hand to him, expecting a handshake.
"I hope we get along." I said. He than gave me a handshake and said:
"Likewise."
"Now then... What's the situation, Ikutsuki-san?" I asked. Ikutsuki answered:
"Good question. Okay, let me start off by asking you two this... Would you believe me that a day consists of more than 24 hours?" He asked us. We stared at him, dumbfounded and with faces of disbelief.
"Huh?!" I exclaimed.
"...Excuse me?" Makoto said, feeling surprised. Kirijo-san chuckles, feeling amused by our faces.
"I'm not surprised by your reactions." She said. She continues her explanation:
"However, you two have already experienced this truth firsthand."
"What do you mean, Kirijo-san?" I asked her.
"Do you remember the night you came here?" She asked.
'How could i forget... That was the most creepy experience i had in my entire life!' I mentally complained.
"You've had to have noticed the signs... The streetlights were out... Nothing was working... There were coffins everywhere.. " She tried to explain, but i screamed:
"FINALLY!! SOME EXPLANATION OF WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED THAT NIGHT!!" Makoto then punched my arm, hard.
"Ow... Sorry... Please continue, Kirijo-san." I said. Everyone was surprised of how desperate i was, but everyone regained their composure, and Kirijo-san continued her explanation.
"*ahem* Didn't it feel like you were in a different time...?"
"No kidding... Not only that, Makoto's MP3 Player stopped working as well. I thought that was very strange for a simple powercut, but that atmosphere suddenly appeared... It was... Bizzare. So... What's that atmosphere's name?" I remembered the details of that night, and asked Kirijo-san the name, but hiding the fact that i already know what the name is.
"That's the Dark Hour-- a time period hidden between one day and the next." She told us the name. Of course, i already have this knowledge because of Grim, but Nii-san is still confused.
"Between...?" Makoto asked Ikutsuk-san tried to explain to my brother about how it works.
"It occurs each night, as the clock strikes twelve."
"So it's like a more creepy hidden 25th hour of the day?" I asked.
"Yes. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come." The Chairman answered.
"Well... Because it'll happen every night, i created a saying for that occasion." I told everyone. Curious, Yukari-chan asked:
"And what's the saying, Takeru-kun?"
"It's simple, really. It goes like this; "When the clock strikes twelve, The Dark Hour begins..." See?" I told the saying, but at the last part i said in a way that it looked like Grim was taking over for a brief second.
"Okay, Moving on..." I said. Then, Sanada-san took over the rest of the explanation.
"Normal people don't realize it, since they're all sleeping in their coffins."
'That means, those coffins that we saw, were actual people... That doesn't make me feel better...' I thought to myself.
"But, that's not what makes the Dark Hour interesting."
Sanada-san stood up, and gained a cocky grin and swung his arm to explain another detail.
"...You saw those creatures. We call them, 'Shadows'."
"You mean that big stupid masked blob with swords that we defeated? And you're saying in plural. That means there's more of them?"
"Yep... And they only appear during the Dark Hour, and attack anyone not in a coffin." Sanada-san told us.
"It's our job to defeat them. ...Sounds exciting, huh?" He said, Still having that cocky grin. Kirijo-san started to get a little annoyed, and stood up.
"Akihiko! Why are you always like that?" She exclaimed.
"Kirijo-san? Why are you calling him by his first name? Is he your classmate?" I asked.
"...I'll explain later, younger Yuki." She said. She then yelled at him again.
"You just got hurt the other day!"
"Hold on a minute... I just noticed that your arm has bandages on it. Was your arm broken by that blob at the night of the 9th?!"
"More or less, T.K..." He said. The two of them started to glare at each other. Ikutsuki sweatdropped, and tried to calm the situation down.
"Now, now. He does his work well." After thinking for a minute the two of them sat back down. Ikutsuki feels a little uncomfortable with the whole situation.
"Long story short, we're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad-- S.E.E.S For short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru's the leader, I'm the club advisor." He said. I then realized something:
'That armband that Yukari-chan was wearing on that night, had S.E.E.S written on it. That was an anagram for a Squad. Interesting...'
"A Shadow feeds on the mind of it's prey; the victim becomes a living corpse." Kirijo-san explained further, making me snap out of my thoughts.
"They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them." She finished explaining.
"How do you fight them?" Makoto asked. Ikutsuki is happy to answer.
"Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour. Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's 'Persona'-- the power you used the other night." I understood everything. I am so glad that he explained everything they know about the Dark Hour.
"The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means, it's all up to you guys." Ikutsuki finished his explanation.
"Okay! Leave it to me!" I exclaimed.
"I see." Makoto said.
"I'm glad you two are able to understand." Chairman Ikutsuki said, feeling grateful. Suddenly, Kirijo-san stood up and opened the briefcase, revealing two red armbands and two gun-like contraptions.
"What he's trying to say is, we want you to join us. We prepared Evokers for you two. We'd like the both of you to lend us your strength." She said, waiting for an answer.
'This is the point of no return... So... the gun contraptions are named Evokers... That means i can hide my Fool card. I don't know why, but that card is special.'
"Alright." Makoto said.
"Son of a bitch... I'm in." I said. Yukari-chan then did a huge sigh of relief.
"I was afraid you'd say no... Welcome aboard, you two!" She said, with a smile on her face.
"Thank you so much. I'm really glad." Ikutsuki-san said, feeling grateful.
"You can count on us." Makoto said.
"Yeah! We'll do our best!" I exclaimed.
"Oh, i almost forgot... About your room assignments... Why don't you stay here, in your current rooms?" Ikutsuki-san asked us. On that moment, i facepalmed.
*groan* "That's STILL a thing?!" Makoto just rolled his eyes.
"I don't know what the holdup is, but i gues it worked out in the end. *chuckle*" After that statement everyone sweatdropped, and i shook my head.
'Good grief...' I mentally complained.
"Holdup? but wasn't that--" Yukari-chan tried to say, but interrupeted herself.
"Oh, never mind... It doesn't matter anymore..." She leaves it alone. We joined the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, A.K.A S.E.E.S, to defeat the Shadows. Both my brother and i can feel a faint bond forming towards everyone.
*SHATTER*
*Music Change: Persona 3 OST: The Power Of The Heart*
"...!?" We both heard glass shattering, and the world around us turned black. A card magically appeared in front of us, and It was showing the back. It had a face, one half was white, the other was black. Then, It turned around, and revealed to be a Tarot card, more specifically, the Fool card. It has a man wearing a hat holding a sack, accompanied with his dog, Behind them is a grey background. At the bottom of the card had the number 0 (Zero). We then heard a mysterious voice.
"Thou art i... And i am thou... Thou hast formed a new bond... Thou shalt have our blessing when thou chooseth to create Personas of the Fool arcana..." It said. The card disappears, and we can feel a surge of energy, boosting our powers.
"You have established the S.E.E.S Social Link!"
The world around us turned back to normal, as we feel our inner strength growing... We then remembered what Igor-sama said about the power of Social Links. The meeting's over, so all of us went back to our rooms and went to sleep. However... Little do my brother and i know, is when the clock strikes twelve, and the Dark Hour begins... Strange things happen.
*Music Ends.*
April 18th, 2009. Dark Hour. Dorm, 2nd Floor, Makoto's Room.
*Music: Persona 3 OST: The Voice Someone Calls*
*3rd Person P.O.V*
Makoto was sleeping in his room, when he heard a familiar voice.
"Hi, how are you?"
He wakes up, and turns to see the mysterious kid with the striped pajamas sitting on his bed! With the shame creepy look and smile.
"*chuckle*" The boy simply chuckled. Makoto with a deadpanned face, asked:
"How'd you get in here?"
"I'm always with you..." The boy said, making no sense. Is he a spirit, or a ghost?
"Soon, the end will come." He said in a enigimatic way.
"I remembered, so i thought i should say it." Makoto rolled his eyes, not fully believing what he's saying. But he decided to ask:
"The end?"
"The end of everything." The kid simply said. With a sort of sad face, he continues:
"...But to be honest, i don't really know what it is."
He then got up from the bed, standing up. And he told him something that he shoudn't know.
"Oh, looks like you've awakened to your power... ...And what an unusual power it is. A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none..." Makoto thought to himself:
'How does he know about my ability?' The kid continued:
"It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up." But suddenly! He quickly vanishes, and reappears at the other end of the bed, looking at him in the eyes.
"Do you remember when we first met?" He asked. Makoto nodded his head.
"Yes, we met on our first night here." He said to the creepy boy.
"I'm glad. But... I expect you to honor your commitment." He semi-warned, still having that creepy smile.
"I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me..." He said in a creepy tone.
"Okay then, see you later." After that, the boy slowly started to disappear, making the room quiet once again. Makoto was confused for a second, but he decided to let it go, and went to sleep.
Meanwhile... In Takeru's Room...
April 18th, 2009. Dark Hour.
*Takeru's P.O.V.*
"...It's the Dark Hour... It's a good thing i'm training this late, is good for my body." I said to myself, doing some low to middle level katas. Kendo training is important, not only for competitions, but also, to contribute to the group i just joined. Then...
"Training, are we?" A voice asked.
"AAAAAAHH!!" I screamed and jumped,and when i looked closely, there was that boy! From the night of the 6th! He's looking at me with that creepy smile that never left my head.
"Oh... It's just you. Don't scare me like that!" He simply chuckled.
"Long time no see." He said to me.
"Likewise. So... What are you doing here, kid? You wanna talk?" I asked.
"More or less. I came here to warn you something." He said.
"A warning? Then tell me what it is, little guy!"
"Soon, the end will come. I told your brother about this, since i remembered it recently." He said an enigmatic way. I gave him a look of confusion, tilting my head to the side.
"The end? The end of what?"
"The end of everything." He told me. But he had a distant look on his face.
"That face... You don't know what it is, don't you?"
"No i don't... But... Like your brother, you've awakened to your power." He said, making me feel shocked.
"H-how did you know about that?!" I exclaimed.
"I'm always with you." He simply said.
"Ooooookay..."
"And, like your brother's power, it's an unusual one, A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none." He told me.
"What you told me, is like the simplified version of the descrpition of the Fool arcana from Tarot. But i agree with you."
"It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up." He said, still talking in riddles.
"That's true..." Suddenly, he vanished in front of my eyes! I looked at all directions but couldn't find him. Then, he reappeared, sitting on my bed.
"Umm... Little buddy, since when you can do that?" I asked.
"Since always. Do you remember when we first met?" He asked.
"Like, how could i forget? That was one of the most interesting nights of my life."
"Like your brother, i expect you to also honor your commitment." He told me.
"Doing the terms written on the contract, right? Then, i will follow it accordingly." I said with detemination.
"Good. Remember... I'm always watching you, even if you forget about me..." He said, sending shivers down my spine.
"Okay then... I'll see you again." After saying goodbye, he disappeared. I decided to talk to Grim.
"Hey Grim, what's your take on this?"
"Most of that mysterious brat's words were nonsense. But the thing about the end of everything and him knowing about your power... We should take him seriously." He warned me.
"I agree. Welp... Time to go to sleep. I've done enough training for tonight."
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow, you maggot." He mocked.
"Yeah, see you later, bonehead." I mocked back. I lie down in my bed, and went to sleep, thinking about the kid, and his words.
*Music Ends.*
April 19th, 2009. 7:39 PM. Dorm, 2nd Floor, Hallway.
*Music: Persona 3 OST: Iwatodai Dorm.*
*3rd Person P.O.V*
The brothers were talking about what they did on their free day. Since it's a Sunday, there's no school.
"Makoto-kun! Takeru-kun!"
Then, they heard something. It's sounding like someone is calling them from downstairs. That someone is Yukari.
"Yes?" Takeru said.
"Can you two come down here?"She asked.
"Okay! We're on our way! C'mon, Nii-san." Takeru said.
"Whatever." Makoto lazily said. The two of them went down the stairs to meet her.
April 19th, 2009. 7:31 PM. Dorm, 1st Floor, Lounge.
The two of them found Yukari in front of the door, and Akihiko behind them.
"Okay, they're here now. So, what's this all about?" Yukari asked.
"Yeah, like, is it somethin' important, Sanada-san?" Takeru asked.
"Yeah. There's someone that i wanna introduce." Akihiko said, Takeru gets surprised and exclaimed:
"Holy shit! We've got a new member already?!"
"That's right, Takeru. ...Hey, hurry up." Akihiko said to the person outside.
"Hold your horses... this thing's freakin' heavy." They heard a familiar voice outside, of which T.K gets happy, but Yukari is in despair.
"Wait a minut... I know that voice!" Takeru gets excited, and, when the door opened, behind it was none other, than Junpei! He's dragging a huge suitcase inside, most likely having his stuff inside. Yukari also gets surprised, but not in a good way.
*Music Stops.*
"J-Junpei!? ...Why is HE here!?" She said. Then... It hit her.
"Wait, don't tell me--" She tried to say, but stopped. Akihiko introduced the familiar friend to everyone.
"This is Junpei Iori from class 2-F. He'll be staying here as of today."
*Music Change: Persona 3 OST: Joy*
"*chuckle* Wazzup?" Junpei said. Takeru quickly got next to him and put an arm on his shoulder.
"Nothin' much, What's up with you! Good to see you, man!" The two in of them did a high five.
"He's staying HERE!? You've gotta be kidding me!" Yukari is in disbelief.
"Better believe it, Takeba-senpai. This is the real deal!" Takeru exclaimed again. Makoto is amused.
"Hey, Junpei. Welcome to your new home." He welcomed him.
"Thanks, Makoto!"
"I bumped into him the other night." Akihiko started to explain.
"He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently... I told him about us, and he agreed to help." Takeru gets even more excited, Yukari has even more disbelief.
"He's a Persona-user!? Man! Can this night get any better!?" Takeru rhetorically hoped.
"He has the potential!? For real!?" She exclaimed. Junpei then had an uncomfortable face.
"He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins." He said, clearly refrencing the Dark Hour. In Takeru's head, Grim starts to get excited, but for other reasons.
'Junpei Iori... Another one who has the power of Persona... *chuckle* our battle will be legendary!'
"Tell me about it! It was really scary seein' all those coffins all over the place." Takeru agreed.
"I don't remember much, but... man, that's embarassing." Junpei got a happy face.
"He said that's, ya know, completly normal... in the begining. Like bein' confused, and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that? " He said. Makoto has a straight face. and said to him:
"Didn't happen to me."
"I agree with ya, Nii-san. We could clearly remember what happened." Takeru agreed. But Junpei waved them off.
"Big deal. It happens to everyone else."
"If you say so." Takeru said.
"...But man, I was shocked to find out about you guys." Junpei said.
"I had no idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know. I bet you're stoked too, right!? Havin' me join..."
"Totally!" Takeru exclaimed.
"Yup." Makoto said.
"Huh?" Yukari sweatdropped, having an uncomfortable face.
"Uh, y-yeah..." Yukari stuttered.
"Well, enough with the introductions." Akihiko said, getting everyone's attention.
"I think we're about ready... I mean, we were already ready with Takeru here, but havin' an extra hand would help."
"Ooh, we're gonna do somethin'? Sweetness!" Junpei asked, feeling excited.
"If it's about those things, they won't be living long enough with a good old katana to the neck!" Takeru got into a kendo stance, hands on the katana handle. Yukari and Makoto are confused. Akihiko started to explain:
"With this many people, we can start exploring that place." Akihiko got a cocky grin on his face. Yukari understood what he's talking about, but got a concerned face.
"You mean... Tartarus...?" Junpei got confused about the word that his classmate said.
"Tartarus... What's that? ...Sounds like toothpaste." Takeru quietly laughed, but decided to explain.
"No, Junpei. Tartarus isn't toothpaste. Rather, is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering. In other words, is the Underworld in Greek Mythology. It has the most evil beings inside, like a prison." He finished explaining, and that was his turn to get confused, and asked:
"But... Why are we exploring Hell? We're not dead, and it could be guarded by Cerberus, the Three-Headed Guardian Dog of Hades." Akihiko answers:
"We believe we can find the reason for the Dark Hour there."
"Interesting..." Takeru gets intrigued.
"I hope so..." Yukari said.
"The Chairman will give us the details tomorrow night, so be ready." Everyone nodded. After that, Akihiko helped Junpei get his things to his room, and everyone went to sleep. Tomorrow night, S.E.E.S will get ready for some real action.
*Music Ends.*
To be continued...