'Remember you'll be on my mind'
"Where's Theo?" Makoto asked as he sat in the velvet room.
"Ah, he tends to your sister as I do for you. Of course, if you so wish, he is also capable of handling these matters," Elizabeth explained.
"Well, if he's busy with something then I'd rather not bother him. I just thought it would be nice to get to know you all. You do all of this for us and get no recognition," Makoto frowned.
"My, how kind of you," Elizabeth smiled. "But there is not much to say about us. We exist to guide you along your journey."
Makoto shook his head. "Even so, you're your own person. You have your own personality. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to get to know the people you work with."
"I see. Well, maybe at a later date. We will have plenty of time to speak then," she nodded in satisfaction.
"Ah, right then. Shall we?"
"Would you like to view the compendium?" She asked.
Makoto nodded. And as he read through the list, he realized that it was almost completely filled.
"Is it… supposed to be this full?" He asked.
"Whatever do you mean? That was your own doing. Though you may not understand now, I'm sure all will be revealed," Elizabeth told him.
Makoto shrugged it off. They had already explained that they were only there to offer their services. Other than that, they would not interfere with the choices he made. Best to do what he could with what was in front of him than to question it.
As he looked through the list, a part of him could tell what was strong. But as he thought it through, he realized that it would be unwise to summon something far stronger than him. Not only was he unsure how well he could control it, but it would undoubtedly stunt his teammates growth if they never fought.
For now, he would stick with what he had. But…
"Elizabeth, do you mind?"
"This one? Very well," she nodded. "It's all yours."
"Thank you. That'll be all," Makoto said as he stood up to leave.
"Stay safe, Makoto," Elizabeth said as she turned around. She wouldn't show it, but a part of her was hopeful.
It wasn't until after he had left that she let herself go.
"Master… What is happening?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'm not sure," Igor admitted. "To think that we would return here long after the sealing of Nyx… Perhaps the power of the Universe is far greater than we ever imagined."
"When we saw him all those days ago, I couldn't believe my eyes. Truthfully, I believed it to be some sort of hallucination. But there they were," Elizabeth said.
"And their path is still on course."
"After I left here to pursue my journey in freeing him, I never believed I would see him so soon. Time truly is a strange thing… Do you believe they can do it, Master? Do you believe they can defy fate?"
"That is up for them to decide."
-M-
As he walked out of the back alley of Paulownia Mall, someone nearly crashed into him as they rushed out of the nearby Kenneth Arnold.
"S-sorry! I was in a rush and wasn't watching where I was going. Please forgive me," the person said as he reached down to pick up what she had dropped. It was a pair of headphones.
As he went to hand the girl her item, he got a good look at her. The girl was shorter than him by at least a head. Her short teal hair seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.
"Um… excuse me?" She asked.
He snapped out of his stupor as her words reached him.
"Sorry, I just thought I've seen you before," he admitted. "And it's alright. I have a lot on my mind so I wasn't completely paying attention either."
"Have you? Well, you do have the uniform on so maybe that's why. I also go to Gekkoukan," the girl said. "I'm from class 2-E."
A name popped into his mind upon hearing her words. "Are you Fuuka Yamagishi?" He asked. "My sister talks about you sometimes. I think… I heard about you starting a tech club?"
"Wha- n-no! I wouldn't do such a thing! I never told her anything like that." She insisted. "I- I-…"
"Sorry, that was rude of me," Makoto apologized, trying to defuse the situation. "I shouldn't have assumed anything. I just thought…"
"N-no, it's okay," she said quietly. "Um… you're her brother, right? Kotone Yuki's?"
He nodded. "I am. My sister is always hoping you can join us but she says you're always gone when classes end. Honestly, I'm kind of curious too. Any friend of my sister is a friend of mine. Anyway, what're you doing here this late?"
"Oh, uh… C-can you promise not to tell anyone about this? I know you already saw, so…"
"I'm not the type to go around spreading rumors or gossip," Makoto assured her. "And even if I was, what's wrong with listening to music?"
"Thank you…" Fuuka sighed. "S-sorry, but I never got your name."
"Oh, right," Makoto realized. "I know your name but you don't know mine. I'm Makoto Yuki from class 2-F."
"I remember hearing some of my classmates talking about you but I've never talked with you," she admitted. "Do you… want to sit and talk for a little?"
He checked his phone. He still had an hour and a half until midnight. Considering the dorm wasn't too far away, he figured it would be okay.
They found a place to sit by the fountain beside them. Fuuka fidgeted with her fingers as she tried to find the right words to say. Doing something like this was way out of her comfort zone. But something about him allowed her to let her guard down a little.
"I like to fix machines," she began. "Ever since I was little, I watched my dad fix all sorts of things. So whenever I have some time, I try to find something to work on. This time, I wanted to try fixing these headphones," she pointed at the small box beside her.
"That's impressive," Makoto offered her a small smile. "It's good that you have something you can look forward to doing when you have time like that. Honestly, when I have time, I don't really know what to do. I tend to talk to people and learn about their problems actually. Maybe I can do something to help them."
"You think it's admirable? I- I know that working on machines and stuff isn't really feminine. I get sort of self conscious when I talk about this…" she explained.
He shook his head. "That's not true. And even if it was, who cares? I think that doing what you enjoy is more important than worrying about what others think of you. To enjoy life… no matter what you make of it."
Fuuka looked away, having felt her cheeks flush. 'Why am I feeling this way? I know I just met him, but I feel so comfortable talking to him. It's like he knows just what to say to me… is it Kotone's influence?'
"Th-thank you…" she said softly. "B- but I have to go now! It was nice t- talking to you though!" She swiftly got up and walked away.
"Huh…" Makoto muttered. "Was it something I said?"
He shrugged it off. He'd see her at school again. If she wanted to talk, he had no problem with it. Looking at his phone again, he realized he had to get going.
By the time the clock approached midnight, the members of SEES found themselves in front of their school.
"Um, what're we doing here?" Junpei asked. "It's just our school…"
"Just wait and see," Akihiko told them.
As the clock reached midnight and the Dark Hour began, they watched in awe at the transformation that the school began to undertake. Towering far above everything, the entirety of Tartarus took form.
"Woah…" Junpei looked in awe.
"This is Tartarus. A massive, scrawling labyrinth that we know next to nothing about," Mitsuru explained. "Now, our objective for today is to get you four acclimated to the environment here. Ideally, I'd like it if you could all summon your personas, but we're in no rush."
Akihiko spoke up. "We should appoint a leader. Someone that calls the shots and makes sure no one falls behind or gets into trouble. Do you guys have a preference?"
"Well, Makoto or Kotone already have combat experience compared to us, so maybe one of them?" Yukari suggested.
Any response from Junpei was subverted upon hearing her reasoning. He had to admit, it made sense for them to lead if they knew what they were doing.
"Well, if that's the case, then maybe I'll be the leader in no time!" Junpei reasoned. "I'm sure I've got what it takes. But for now, I guess they can do it."
"Well, between us two… I'd say Makoto can do it," Kotone nodded. "He's smarter than me about this kind of stuff so he'll know what to do."
"Makoto, any objections?" Mitsuru asked.
He shook his head.
"Good. Now then, shall we proceed? Just seeing it from the outside won't prepare you for what we're dealing with," she told them.
As they entered through the front entrance of the school, Mitsuru's words rang true.
"What the hell…" Junpei muttered as they entered.
"No kidding," Yukari said, eyes wide as they looked around.
They walked down a long pathway into a more open area. This was the main lobby. Nothing but a grand set of stairs, a strange device on the right, and only viewable by the twins, a door to the Velvet Room.
"Now then, I'll be out here helping you three navigate. Ideally, I would like to not be relegated to this role, but as it stands, I am the only one capable of doing this," Mitsuru sighed. "Any questions?"
"Nope!"
"None."
"Ready to go!"
"All set."
"Understood. Makoto, whenever you're ready," she nodded.
With a deep breath, Makoto took the first steps up the stairs. Yukari, Kotone, and Junpei followed closely behind. As they stepped into the light at the top of the staircase, they found their surroundings change.
"Stay close," Makoto ordered. "Keep your evoker ready for if we run into anything. Yukari, since you use a bow, stay back. Junpei, with me. Kotone, you think you can scout? Play a vanguard role and move ahead of the group? I know your eyesight is better than most."
"On it," she nodded.
Any reservations they had about Makoto being their leader quickly dissipated when they heard him speak. It was authoritative and much more alert than when he usually spoke.
"Good to see you have it under control," Mitsuru spoke through her persona. "And a vanguard role is interesting. With Kotone out front, she can look ahead and relay any information that I can't already gather. Actually, I'm getting a reading up ahead of you three. Seems like there's a few on this floor, but they're spread out. Makoto, feel free to engage as you see fit. I trust your judgment."
"Understood," he replied.
They continued to walk through the halls of Tartarus. With each passing step, the atmosphere grew eerier. The place was hauntingly familiar.
"So this is the school, huh?" Junpei spoke up. "Think we'd be able to find our classroom while we're here?"
"I doubt it. Kirijo-senpai explained that this place changes every time. Not to mention, who knows just how much this really reflects our reality," Yukari reasoned.
"Hey, you guys ready?" Kotone asked. It seemed they had caught up to her.
With Mitsuru's words in mind, Makoto made a move. As he slashed through the shadow with his sword, the shadow split into multiple enemies.
Without hesitation, he pulled the evoker from its holster. As he pulled the trigger, Orpheus emerged.
"Don't be afraid," he commanded. "Junpei, on the offensive. Yukari, stand by for support."
After the words left his mouth, Orpheus shot forth, slamming the shadow with its lyre. Before he could make another move though, the shadow swung back. He wasn't fast enough to dodge and took a hit.
Junpei was quick on the draw, pulling out his evoker and putting it to his head. "So, I just gotta use this, huh? Well, here goes! Persona!" He shouted as he pulled the trigger.
From the depths of his mind emerged Hermes. And with a quick pass, one shadow fell. But as he recovered from summoning his persona, another shadow rushed forth.
"Junpei!" Yukari shouted from behind them. But to both of their surprise, Makoto took the hit for him.
Junpei put his evoker back to his head before pulling the trigger. A second later, Hermes blasted the shadow with fire. The shadow staggered back and Makoto took the opportunity to finish that one off. One remained.
"Persona!" Kotone called out. And from behind her, her own Orpheus shot a ball of flame towards the remaining shadow. With one swift follow up swing of her naginata, all shadows had been defeated.
Yukari on the other hand had finally steeled her resolve. "I can do this," she said to herself. With both hands on her evoker, she pulled the trigger. "Help him, Io!" She called out.
A greenish aura surrounded Makoto as the pain from the hits he sustained began to fade. "Thanks, Yukari. Great work everyone."
"Damn dude," Junpei sighed. "Sorry about you having to take that hit for me."
Makoto shook his head. "It's alright. You two are still learning how to use your personas. There's always going to be that feeling of fatigue after using it," he told them.
"Are you three alright?" Mitsuru asked. "There's a few more shadows up ahead. Stay alert, watch each other, and get back to us in one piece, okay?"
"Understood," Makoto responded. "You two ready to continue?"
Both Junpei and Yukari nodded. It seemed their first battle mellowed them out some. As they moved cautiously through the halls of Tartarus, it didn't take long for Mitsuru to chime in again, warning them of an upcoming shadow.
"I want you all to learn the ins and outs of fighting against shadows. You probably noticed it last fight, but just like our own personas have strengths and weaknesses, so do the shadows. If you can exploit an enemy's weakness, you can knock them off balance leaving them more vulnerable to attack," she explained. "I'll keep track of weaknesses. Listen for my call if you're hesitant. Otherwise, if you can remember their weaknesses, feel free to do as you must."
With her words in mind, the four SEES members rushed forth as Makoto split the shadow into its many parts.
"It's the same shadow from earlier. Fire should work well against it," Mitsuru told them.
This fight went much smoother. Having knowledge of the shadow's weakness meant their attacks were more deliberate. And before the shadows even had a chance to fight back, they were reduced to nothing.
But as the shadow dissipated, Kotone felt a strange feeling within her. It was a new potential. A new persona.
As the group continued to run through, her mind wandered. She was looking for a name. While she knew she was capable of summoning Orpheus, the name of the persona she had just received eluded her.
It wasn't until their next battle that it came to her. While Junpei and Yukari had already knocked down two of the three shadows, one new one still remained.
Putting her evoker to her head, the name of her new persona came to the front of her mind. "Apsaras," she said as she pulled the trigger.
The shadow was immediately blasted with ice magic, rendering all three shadows on the ground.
"Let's go!" Makoto shouted as he rushed forth with his weapon. Yukari, Kotone, and Junpei quickly followed suit. Even without much coordination, their teamwork still shined through as they beat the three shadows with an all out attack.
When the dust settled, Mitsuru was impressed.
"Was that a different…? So you truly are gifted. Well done, everyone," she praised them. "But before those two pass out from exhaustion, I'd recommend you find the teleporter on this floor and get out of there. As you experienced, the burden of summoning your persona for the first time is quite heavy."
"You can say that again," Yukari sighed. "I'm glad we didn't pass out on the spot like you guys did the other week. Wait, we don't have to go to the hospital just in case, do we? Please say we don't," she groaned.
"Unless your case is exceptional like theirs, then no. And considering what we just saw in your last fight, it makes sense why they were out for so long."
"Yeah man, what the hell was that?" Junpei asked. "That one looked different than the one you summoned before. And you knew to just hit that thing with ice?"
"It was after the previous battle," Kotone said. "When we finished, I felt like something was different. Seems I can have multiple personas," she shrugged.
It was then when both Yukari and Junpei began to feel the effects of their persona awakenings. Junpei reeled back as a wave of exhaustion seemed to hit him all at once. Yukari on the other hand felt her legs buckle under her.
"You two alright?" Makoto asked. "Need any help?"
"N-nah I'll be fine," Junpei refused the offer. No way he was going to look weak if he wanted to be a leader.
"Could you lend me a shoulder," Yukari said as she yawned. "And I don't make it out of here awake, could you just bring me to my room?"
"Woah, Yuka-tan, it's like that?" Junpei teased.
She was too tired to even bother responding to his antics. Instead, she leaned on Makoto as they made their way forward. Kotone would continue scouting ahead, returning when she found the way out.
Thankfully, it wasn't hard. And as they found themselves back at the entrance of Tartarus, Yukari was just about ready to knock out.
"Again, well done everybody. I'm impressed at the work you all put in today. Seems you work naturally as a team," she nodded in satisfaction. "Makoto, I'm glad you're capable of assessing your battles as quickly as you do. Kotone, I'm looking forward to seeing whatever else you may have in store for us. Iori, your combat prowess is rather clear. Even if most of it is raw power, there's plenty of promise. And Takeba, your abilities seem incredible. A support style persona is incredibly valuable."
"Now then, it's good that you were all able to summon your personas. Next time we come here, you won't feel the same fatigue like you're feeling now. Trust me, it was the same for us as well. Though, nobody had it as bad as them," Akihiko nodded toward the siblings. "Now then, let's get out of here so you guys can get some rest."
By the time they had left Tartarus, Yukari had actually fallen asleep. With her words in mind, Mitsuru had no problem allowing Makoto to carry the girl back. By then, even Junpei had to be helped by Akihiko on their way back, leaving both Mitsuru and Kotone to idly chat as they made their way back to the dorm.
And as they walked together in the eerie glow of the dark hour, the members of SEES felt something new. The siblings felt right at home in their respective roles. Makoto felt like a natural leader while Kotone's impressive eyesight allowed her to complete her job easier. For Akihiko and Mitsuru, they felt hope. Things seemed to finally be changing. Their goal was getting closer even if it was just beginning. For Junpei, he felt a new calling. How long had he been listless? As for Yukari, well, she was relieved. All those weeks ago, she had been told not to worry about being unable to summon her persona. But now? She was ready.
As they walked, Mitsuru struck up a conversation with SEES's new field commander.
"How do you feel you'll fare as a leader?" She looked over at him.
"It's a tough call, but I think we'll be just fine. Seems like everyone is fired up after today," he noted. "We'll just have to keep going. And even if I'm ever incapable of leading, I'm sure you're more than ready to take over."
"Let's hope it doesn't come down to that. Truthfully, even if I may be a leader in other aspects, making commands in the heat of battle is not something I excel at. I may not look it, but I prefer to be in the frontline as well. But, until we have someone else capable of navigating, I will be on the sidelines."
Makoto shook his head. "Even if you aren't directly battling, you aren't on the sidelines. Every call you make, all the information that you keep records of, all of it is important for anyone fighting. You're very much in the battle as much as we are even if you aren't directly doing the fighting."
Mitsuru smiled. "You really know just what to say, huh? Well, thank you, Makoto. I'm grateful for your words."
"It's the least I could do."
-K-
"So I ran into your brother the other day," Fuuka told her seatmate. It wasn't often that one saw her still in the classroom after school ended. Yet little by little, she would stay just a bit longer talking with the new transfer student.
"Really? What were you two up to?" Kotone asked.
"Um, I was buying something at the mall. I don't know if he told you…"
Kotone shook her head. "Nope. Didn't tell me anything. I didn't even know he met you already!"
"O-oh, that's good. I was rushing out of the store when I accidentally bumped into him. He helped me out and seemed to recognize me, so we talked for a bit before I went back home," Fuuka recalled.
"He didn't do anything weird did he?" Kotone raised an eyebrow. "I don't think he would, but you're a special case, you know. Boys can't resist a cute girl like you."
Fuuka felt embarrassed over the compliment. "No, he was kind to me. He even helped me realize something."
"Don't tell me you're in love with him already?!" Kotone asked. "Look, I know he's a good guy and all, but-"
"No! I- uh, I don't think so?"
"You don't think so!?"
"I mean- no! I didn't. I don't even know him that well. There's no way I could fall in l-love with him!"
"But if you did…" Kotone teased.
But before Fuuka could muster a response, the boy in question had entered her classroom.
"Kotone, you free?" He asked before looking over at Fuuka. "Oh, Fuuka, nice seeing you again."
"Hello," she said bashfully.
"I'm free, yeah. Why, what's up?" Kotone asked.
"Sanada-senpai was asking if we could meet him at the police station later. Said we have some business to attend to if we were available," her brother explained.
She shrugged. "Sure. Not like I have much else to do. Hey, just to be sure, you didn't do anything weird to Fuuka, did you? And why didn't you tell me you met her!? God, I should've gone with you that day."
"Sorry, we were pretty busy that day. I meant to, but it slipped my mind. You know how busy we were," he apologized.
"Hmph," Kotone pouted, crossing her arms. "Too busy to talk with your sister?"
"What? I was talking to you that day. It's just that I completely forgot this one thing. I didn't even- ugh, nevermind… Look, just meet me at the front gates whenever you're ready," he said, admitting defeat.
"Um, you can go if you have to," Fuuka told Kotone. "I don't want to hold you up. A-actually, I think I have stuff I need to do, so you two can go!" She said before getting up to leave.
She was long gone before anyone else had even noticed. Kotone sat their dumbfounded. "Wha… was it something I said?" She asked, looking at her brother.
He shook his head. "I asked myself the same thing…"
It didn't take long for them to reach the police station in Paulownia mall. Considering how often he had been coming to the place to play at the arcade, it was surprising that he had barely paid any attention to the station.
And as they approached, they saw Akihiko speaking with an officer.
"Oh, you two made it," Akihiko acknowledged as they entered. "This is Officer Kurosawa. He's the one that provides us with whatever equipment we might need. Officer, this is Makoto and Kotone Yuki."
"Nice to meet you," the man said. "If there's anything you need, let me know. I'll see what I can do."
"Does he…?" Kotone asked.
Akihiko shook his head. "No, he's an ordinary person. He doesn't have the same abilities that we do, but we can trust him."
"I may be a normal person, but it doesn't take a genius to know that something's going on here. I'll do whatever I can to keep the peace. If that means supplying you guys with weapons, that's what I'll do."
"Thank you, officer," Akihiko said. "Now, I've gotta get going, but here. It's from the chairman," he explained as he handed them each some money.
"Come with me. Can't be doing business out front in the open like this," Kurosawa told them.
It didn't take long for the two to purchase whatever they felt they needed. One quick shopping trip later and the two found themselves outside Paulownia mall with nothing much to do.
One look at the arcade was all it took.
"You game?" Kotone asked.
"Well, if you want to lose, then yes."
"Hey, don't be all talk now, okay? Don't come crying to me when you lose!"
The two siblings spent the entire afternoon at the arcade. They played all manner of games. Racing games, fighting games, quiz games. It didn't matter. But they lost track of time as they went back and forth. And by the time night had fallen, they still hadn't crowned a victor.
"Truce?" Kotone asked.
"Truce."
And so the day ended, and their record remained even.
By the time they got home, it was dinner time. They figured it was time to make use of the kitchen for once. While Makoto began prepping, Kotone went to ask the others.
"Cooking? Maybe next time. I had some instant ramen earlier so I'm set for the night," Junpei had said.
"Sorry but I'm on a strict diet until my next fight. If I wasn't boxing, I'd definitely take you two up on that offer," Akihiko explained.
"Ooh, sounds fun! Any idea what you guys are making yet? I know we have a bit of food in the fridge down there. Hang on, I'll be right down," Yukari was available.
"Cooking? I must admit, I haven't had much outside of what I'm used to. I am curious though. I suppose I'll join you," Mitsuru accepted.
And so together, the siblings cooked while Yukari and Mitsuru sat at the table, quietly conversing. Had it been any earlier and the two would have found themselves sitting in utter silence. But with Mitsuru's speech from the other day, it was clear that she was genuinely grateful that the others were a part of SEES.
While Yukari still had some reservations, she was more than willing to see Mitsuru as a friend rather than just an upperclassman or her superior.
And much to their delight, the food was delicious. A simple chicken and vegetable stir fry with rice. The presentation left much to be desired, but it was a start.
"I've gotta ask, how did you guys learn to cook?" Yukari asked between bites.
Makoto spoke up. "Since we've been on our own for a while, we would rotate days where one would cook while the other was free. We always wanted to give the other a break, so any chores we had were split between us."
"Impressive. To think that such fine food can be made in such a rudimentary kitchen. Compliments to the chef," Mitsuru nodded much to the confusion and entertainment of the other SEES members. Her sheltered lifestyle was clearly on a different level than the others.
"We should do this more often," Yukari suggested. "I think it'd be pretty fun to learn how to cook too. Not to mention, we can make sure we're eating healthy. Since we're getting so much exercise already by going to Tartarus, we may as well do whatever else we can to benefit from it."
"Yeah, I think it'd be fun too," Kotone nodded in agreement. "Hopefully we can get Junpei to stop eating cup noodles all the time."
The four went on to talk about school, Mitsuru lecturing them on the importance of keeping their future secured outside of the work they were already doing. It wouldn't last forever. She truly cared about them and her words were meant to be encouragement.
Luckily, both of the Yuki twins had perfect marks. And while Yukari wasn't quite up to their level, her own performance in school was nothing to scoff at. She could only hope that they kept their performance up.
After all, who could predict where the future would take them?
-M-
Night had long since fallen and the dark hour had begun. Makoto felt a certain presence in his room before the voice tipped off exactly who it was.
"So, you've stepped foot back into the place where it all began," Pharos began. "Do you have a plan this time? Or will you do as you've always done? Only a week before the full moon, you know."
"Whatever comes our way, we'll deal with it. Why?" He asked.
"I see. Well, I'm not worried. You… both of you are still capable. But the longer you go without remembering, the scarier things will be. How long will it take?"
"I'm not sure what you mean. But… if I'm forgetting something, if it's important, I'm sure it'll come back. Thanks for the warning though," Makoto said.
"Then… until we meet again," Pharos said before vanishing.
Makoto rolled back over in bed. His thoughts wandered, though Pharos' words kept coming back to him. Full moon? He knew it had significance, but what for? What was he not remembering?
He shook his head. He couldn't ponder it for too long. Pulling the covers back up, he closed his eyes and sleep soon took him.