Saturday, May 2, 2009, 9:40PM
Iwatodai Dormitory, 4th floor
"Thank you all for coming tonight." Ikutsuki said to the assembled SEES members. The second-years sat down on one end of the room while the third-years stood next to him. "I've called you all here to give a more proper explanation of the relationship between the Shadows and the full moon. Junpei-kun, Fuuka-chan, neither of you two were here last month, but I'm told you were filled on the attack on the dorm."
Both nodded.
"Very good. Part of the Kirijo Group's research on Shadow has shown a causal relationship between the positions of the moon and the behavior of Shadows. You've probably noticed how as the moon wanes Shadows become relatively more docile and less aggressive, and as it waxes they become more rowdy and hostile." Ikutsuki explained. "We're not sure if it's the gravitational waves or the hypnotic nature of the moon, but something about lu-na makes them loon-y."
The only sounds in the room were the whirring of the computer monitor.
"...tough crowd." He said. "Anyways, this is both a blessing, and a curse. Some nights you can simply run away from Shadows if you're incapable of defeating them, and they will quickly lose the urge to chase you down. On the flip-side, the Shadows that are more hostile tend forfeit even the basic measures of self-preservation they normally posses. It's very easy to bait them into an obvious trap and destroy them...is what I would say, if not for last month."
Kirijo picked up where he left off. "The Shadow we faced last full moon was able to detect when I was attempting to locate it with Penthesilea, it commanded other smaller Shadows to fight in its stead, it ate them to heal itself, and it seemed to almost...mock us when the six of us gathered together."
"Forethought and sadism," Aragaki said, "those combined are very human characteristics. Shadows are base creatures, they shouldn't be able to act like that. We ain't seen too many of those in the years the three of us been fighting them."
"So you think we're going to fight something like that again, senpai?" Yukari asked.
Kirijo sighed. "I fear the worst. If something like last month can happen again, I want to be prepared for it. Shinji and Akihiko are our most experienced front line fighters, and even they were hospitalized last time. While we have more members this time around, and while I am proud of all of you for increasing your combat abilities in such a short time, there's always the ever-present threat of an enemy we simply cannot defeat, no matter how many members we have."
Makoto looked around the room, taking in the expressions of everyone present. The older members of SEES looked pensive. The younger ones nervous. Even Kotone and Junpei looked...scared.
"We have no choice but to confront them, right?" Makoto stood up. "It's fine to be afraid so long as it keeps us on our toes, but there's no sense in letting it hold us down."
For a few seconds Kirijo held her breath, and then chuckled. "Good point. I suppose it's a bit of a blasé way of looking at it, but I also suppose it's better than being crippled by indecision."
Makoto shrugged. "I'm not ignorant to the risks, you guys individually have far more combat experience than the rest of us combined and you still got hurt. I understand things are dangerous, but if it has to be done, it has to be done. It's too late for me to run away or turn back. I've made my decision to fight. Besides," Makoto smiled, "I know you guys all have my back. That's more than enough for me to feel overcome my fears."
The rest of SEES smiled and nodded in agreement. "Well said, young Makoto-kun." Ikutsuki said with a grand smile on his face.
"Damn," Junpei whispered to Kotone, "why didn't I say something that cool?"
"Cuz you're not as cool." Kotone cheekily whispered back.
"Maaaan."
"This is why I want us all to be prepared for the next full moon." Kirijo said. "We will be suspending Tartarus operations for the meantime. I expect everyone to be physically and mentally prepared for next week. Akihiko and Shinjiro will likely be able to perform light combat activities by the ninth. Even if nothing happens, it's better to be over-prepared than under-prepared."
They all signaled their agreement, and broke for the night.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 8:22AM
Gekkoukan High School
"Wow." Kotone said as Makoto arrived at the school gates. "You're still alive."
"Did I give you any reason to doubt that?" He asked as they started walking.
She chuckled. "Well, I didn't see you at all the last couple of days."
He shrugged. "It's Golden Week, I have my laptop. I see no reason to leave if I don't have to."
"Living the dream." She said with a teasing grin.
"For example: A thousand days is only two years and nine months. But ten thousand days is twenty-seven years." Mr. Miyahara said. "Even the simplest change in a exponent can have massive ramifications down the line. To give a more relevant example to you students, just fifteen extra minutes a day studying amounts to almost four whole days worth over the span of a single year."
Out of the corner of his eye, Makoto saw that Junpei paused doodling and abruptly sat up in his seat. He stared at his notebook, eyes oddly serious. He twirled his pen absentmindedly, and a minute later started to carefully write something in his notebook.
It was another calm night at the dorm. Makoto was listening to music, Kotone was doing homework, Yukari was painting her nails, and Kirijo was reading a book. With no Tartarus expeditions to worry about, they were able to simply...be.
When Junpei arrived he made a beeline for Kirijo. He pulled out his notebook, dropped his backpack, and asked Kirijo point-blank. "Hey senpai, we age during the Dark Hour, right?"
Everyone present turned to Junpei. Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. "Where did this come from?"
Junpei shrugged. "I dunno, I was just tuning into class today and the teacher was talking about exponents or somethin'."
"Wow." Yukari said with a grin. "Junpei actually paying attention in class, am I dreaming?"
"Hey!" He yelled. "I resent that." He puffed up his chest in a display of faux-braggadocio. "But like, seriously," he turned back to Kirijo," I was actually thinkin' about it and wrote some stuff down." He pulled out his notebook, filled with barely legible calculations. "It'd be like an extra fifteen days a year if we do. Or four and a half months in a decade. That's not nothin'."
The red-haired student remained quiet as everyone present stared her down, with varying degrees of curiosity.
"So, do we?" He leaned forward a bit. "Senpai?"
She turned away, her right hand gripping her left forearm. "I...I don't actually know the answer to that. It would make sense, I suppose. Time passes for us, but not for people without the potential. I suppose we all would be older than we are supposed to be, to some degree."
The second-years all turned to each other, none of them saying anything.
"So like," Junpei rubbed the back of his neck, "does that mean we should celebrate our birthdays earlier or nah?"
Yukari sighed. "That's your first concern? I mean, how would you explain it to other people?"
"Yeah." Junpei sat down and dropped his notebook on the table. "I guess."
An air of melancholia and introspection fell over the room, as they all considered the chronological implications of the Dark Hour.
Because of Junpei, of all people. Makoto sighed and put his headphones back on.
The Dark Hour had come, time had suspended for the average person and Makoto laid there, staring at the ceiling as he had been for almost half of the night.
Four and a half months huh? Makoto turned over, trying once more to fall asleep ...That'd mean I'd already be 17 like...two months ago? He turned again. Damn it Junpei.
Thursday, May 7, 2009, 6:22PM
Iwatodai Dormitory, Lounge
As Makoto heard the door close, he heard someone call out his name. "Yuki."
Makoto turned up from his homework. "Kirijo-sempai."
She stood behind the sofa across from him. "I know things have been busy lately, and my apologies for bringing this up so late to the operation, but I wanted to ask you what school clubs you'll be joining this year."
Memories of Sanada telling him about clubs came flooding back in. Ah shit, I knew I forgot something. "Um, I'm considered it and decided I'm not particularly interested in any ones that are available." He said diplomatically.
She crossed her arms. "Unacceptable."
Makoto sighed and closed his book. "Pardon?" He asked with an edge in his voice.
"Club attendance is down overall in the school. More than a few are at risk of shuttering due to low student involvement. I've been asked to persuade students who haven't joined to help boost the flagging numbers. You and Iori are the only ones in SEES who haven't joined anything."
"Doesn't SEES count as our club?"
She sighed. "Not exactly."
"I'll consider it." Makoto said.
"Yuki-"
Makoto abruptly stood up. "I'm already risking life and limb for you." He said, eyes narrowed. "I said I'll consider it."
Neither moved from their positions, both staring each other down.
Without a word, she turned and left.
Friday, May 8, 2009, 4:40PM
Gekkoukan High School, Faculty Office
He sat down, opposite Ms. Toriumi who had called to meet her after class. "Makoto-kun, I have a big favor to ask of you. It's about our athletic teams..."
Makoto found himself involuntarily sighing. Loudly and deeply sighing.
"...Participation is down." She continued, undeterred. "You're haven't joined any school clubs right, so must have time on your hands, right?"
"Sorry." He said, pinching the brim of his nose, not even pretending to look at her. "I have to study for classes, and I'll be preparing for college exams next year. It'll be easier if I get a head start now."
"...we have things like track, kendo, and swimming," she said weakly, "there's got to be one that interests you, right?"
"Why don't you ask someone like Kenji or Junpei?" He responded. "They're not in any clubs either."
"...they're not very reliable people." She confessed. "It'd probably be better if they just didn't try at all."
Struggling to not roll his eyes in front of his teacher, he simply asked, "Which one would you recommend?"
"I-I don't know? Track maybe? That's simply enough, I think they're closest to a full team."
"Sure, whatever." Makoto said blithely. "Put me down for track team, I guess."
She clapped her hands together. "Thank you very much Makoto-kun."
A tanned girl in a mostly gray gym uniform greeted him. "Hi there, I'm Yuko Nishiwaki. I'm the club manager. Can I help you with anything?"
"Makoto Yuki." He said, throat feeling suddenly dry as she stared him down with her soft brown eyes. "I was told to go to you for joining track team."
Her eye lit up. "Oh! Welcome! Let me get you the club advisor real quick."
"Right." As she left Makoto mumbled to himself. "Man." He sighed, wondering whether or not he should have just stood his ground against Ms. Toriumi. "Damn it all."
Saturday, May 9th, 2009, 9:55pm
Iwatodai Dorm, Lounge.
"You ready?" Akihiko asked as he laced up his gloves.
Shinjiro slung his axe over his shoulder. "I'm ready." He looked over to his juniors in the dining area. "I'm more worried about them though."
"This is gonna be sweet," Junpei said with a grin on his face, "some big-ass Shadows outside of Tartarus! And I'm gonna be the one to knock 'em out!"
Yukari scowled. "Take this serious Junpei!"
He jumped up and pointed to himself. "I am taking this seriously! Senpai's putting me on the front lines for this one! I can't look like an idiot tonight."
She sighed. "Just please be careful, alright? You've got the least amount of experience compared to everyone else, so just what they say and don't cause a ruckus."
"Geez," he mumbled, "wanna stomp on my hopes and dreams some more?"
Akihiko chuckled. "They'll be fine."
"I hope so man, I hope so." Shinjiro muttered.
The moment the Dark Hour arrived, things felt...different. Even though they were still inside the dorm, far from any Shadows, Makoto could feel his muscles instinctively tensing up, the hairs on his neck standing up, and his chest tightening.
Fuuka and Kirijo both activated their Personas. After a few second, Fuuka spoke. "I'm sensing a large presence near the station. I believe this Shadow is in one of the monorails."
"It's a rather powerful one." Kirijo stated. "It's like a bonfire surrounded by candles. If the Shadows cause any damage to the monorails, people will notice even if they don't remember the Dark Hour."
During the walk there, Makoto couldn't help but feel this strange unease. As he looked around to his comrades, none of them seemed particularly different. Yukari looked nonplussed, Aragaki and Sanada looked ready for a scrap after a month on the sidelines, while Junpei and Kotone were both giddy with excitement. Kirijo and Yamagishi were a few feet behind the rest of them, discussing something,
He shook his head. It's just nerves Makoto, get over it. You can't look afraid after what you said last week. Come on.
As they arrived, Kirijo split them into two groups. Kotone, Sanada, Aragaki, and Junpei would proceed to the monorail to confront the main Shadow, and the rest would remain to deal with any itinerant Shadows and provide back-up as needed.
"Let's go." Kotone ordered as she and the three boys walked into the monorail.
Yukari shuddered. "Jeez, the moon looks even creepier in the Dark Hour."
Makoto looked up. The sickly, moldy green made the moon seems less like an planetary body and more like some kind of foreboding menace. "Yeah."
"That's a person over there, right?" Junpei asked, pointing to a coffin.
"Yeah." Shinjiro said. "Without the potential, you transmogrify at night. The coffin is like a cocoon protecting you from the Shadows."
Junpei shuddered. "Freaky. None of these guys are gonna remember anything right?"
"They won't." Akihiko said.
Kotone stood next to one. "It's better that way. Sometimes ignorance is bliss." She said as her eyes dulled.
Just as Shinjiro walked forward, he heard the sound of a door sliding behind him. "What the-"
Junpei ran over and tried to pry it open. "Damn! It's stuck!"
As soon as Makoto looked away from the moon, the doors of the monorail shut, a bright green light began emanating from the windows, and a translucent purple mist appeared around it.
"W-What the hell!?" Yukari screamed
"Kotone-chan! Junpei-kun!" Fuuka called out to them with Lucia. "I-I can't sense them."
Kirijo walked forward and summoned Penthesilea. "Hi-ya!" She attacked with her rapier and Persona at once, both attacks bouncing off and sending them back. "Damn. It looks like the Shadow from inside summoned some kind of barrier." She turned around. "Takeba, Yuki, I want to try a triple elemental attack."
"Right." Yukari lifted her Evoker to her head
"Understood." Makoto whipped his out.
She held up her Evoker. "On my count. 1, 2, 3!" Orpheus conjured a ball of fire, Io a gust of wind, and Penthesilea a cluster of ice shards. All three elemental attacks struck the barrier, to no avail.
"What's going on, senpai?" Makoto asked.
"I-I don't know." She said, looking away.
Yukari rolled her eyes. "Wow, the great and mighty Mitsuru actually admitted it for once."
"I-" Kirijo was taken aback, "Excuse me?" Even Makoto raised an eyebrow at that.
"You always love to act like you know everything." Yukari sneered. "You always act like we're a bunch of dumb kids who need your oh so precious guidance and wisdom. I'm shocked you even know how to admit you don't know something."
"T-That is not how I act." She protested.
Yukari smirked. "I'd say don't lie, but that's the only thing you're good at."
Kirijo's face quickly twisted into a snarl. "Shut up! You don't know anything about me! You don't know anything at all, you're just an immature, unreliable girl that can't do anything on her own."
She got right in Kirijo's face. "What the hell is that supposed to mean."
"I'd explain it to you, but I don't have all day." She spat.
"M-Makoto-kun! What's going on!?" Yamagishi asked him, hiding behind him.
"I-I don't know.." His eyes went wide. "Wait, Yamagishi, use your Persona and scan for any Shadows in the area."
"Right." She backed up and summoned Lucia. "I-I can sense two more large ones! They're both underground the terminal. I think they're doing something to Yukari-chan and Kirijo-sempai!"
Makoto pulled out his Evoker. "Figures. Orpheus!" He summoned his Persona. "Patra!" Orpheus strummed his harp, sending out waves of soothing music to Yukari, and then again to Kirijo. Both fell to the ground, clutching their heads.
The ground shook. "Be careful! They're coming up!" Yamagishi yelled. Mere inches from them, the ground exploded upwards, knocking the two girls back towards Makoto and Yamagishi.
A short, corpulent Shadow standing about half of Makoto's height bounced its way up out of the hole. Its black body was contrasted by a white cape, white frills, and a white mask bearing a "III" engraved on it. Behind it slowly emerged a titanic Shadow, one that stood more than twice as tall as any of them. Its disproportionately large torso held a red cross on it, and it wore a a purple mask with "IV" engraved on it.
"You bastards!" Makoto yelled. "Orpheus!" The master of strings swung his lyre at the larger Shadow, who blocked with his sword. "Senpai! Yukari! Can you fight!?"
Yukari stood on one leg and one knee. "Y-Yeah." Her hands shook as she held up her Evoker and fired at the tall Shadow. "Garu!" It took the blast of wind, and knocked it over.
The short Shadow cackled, sending its own blast of wind, knocking them all back. The tall Shadow slowly stood back up and lifted its blade, as both of their eyes began to glow an eerie yellow.
Kotone smashed the last floating Shadow into the floor with her naginata. "Phew."
"Alright." Shinji wiped his brow. "There's one room left. If anything is locking us up, it's in there." He said, looking at door.
"Yeah." Junpei said as he tried again to look through the windows. It was still blocked by the same translucent light that appeared a few minutes back. "Damn. I don't got a clue what's going on out there. I hope everyone's alright..."
Akihiko put his hand on Junpei's shoulder. "The quicker we take out the Shadow up in the front, the sooner we can contact the others."
He nodded. "Right..."
As they entered, a Shadow with a pale white left half and a pitch black right half sat before them. It wore a purple mask with "II" carved onto it, and behind its head was long strands of white hair on the right and black hair on the right.
"The hell!?" Junpei screamed.
In an instant, it launched its hair at them. Junpei and Akihiko were thrown back through the door, while Shinjiro's axe was knocked out of his hand.
Kotone dodged, weaving through the attacks and ran straight at it. "Hiya!" She jumped and aimed the blade of her naginata at the Shadow's mask. It reached out with its left arm and grabbed her face before Kotone could close the distance. "Mmmf!"
"Oh no you don't." Shinjiro ran up and grabbed the Shadow's arm, forcing it to grab him with its other hand.
From a room back, a voice roared out. "Hermes!" A ball of fire blazed straight through the open door, past Kotone and Shinjiro, as it hit the Shadow's mask. With a loud shriek, it dropped both Kotone and Shinjiro.
As soon as she landed on her feet, Kotone ran forward and thrust her naginata into the Shadow's neck, stabbing through its head and slaying it.
Makoto was thrown back several feet, rolling on the ground until he hit a wall.
"Son of a bitch." He grit his teeth and slowly got to his feet. The fat Shadow stood on top of a wounded Mitsuru, as the tall one held a struggling Yamagishi up by her face.
"I've had enough of this shit." Makoto said as he forced himself up. "I'm sick and tired everyone of you, stupid, miserable, goddamn- I'll kill you!" He raised his Evoker to his head, eyes wild with fury, and fired. "Orpheus!"
His Persona attacked again, his lyre trading blows with the Shadow's sword.
Yukari, dodging one of the fat Shadow's gusts of wind, fired her Evoker and hit the tall Shadow in its abdomen with one of her own. As it roared and dropped both its sword and Fuuka, Orpheus conjured a ball of fire and shot into the Shadow's face at point-blank range, knocking it backwards.
It landed near its compatriot Shadow, which rushed away from Kirijo to assist its fallen comrade.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Orpheus grabbed the fat Shadow by the neck, lifting it off of the ground and smashed it into the tall Shadow with one hand, and repeatedly blasted them with fire with the other. "AhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHH!"
"M-Makoto!" Yukari yelled as she picked up Mitsuru. "Stop it! You're going to burn the whole station down!"
"Burn you motherfuckers!" Makoto screamed at the top of his lungs as the Shadows completely disintegrated under the weight of Orpheus' attacks, and as fire began spreading all around them. "Burn goddamn you!"
"Makoto!" Yukari yelled. "Stop it, please!"
Orpheus screamed again, the force of his roars sending the SEES members back. He began to darken as red tears streaked down his face, and black blood began oozing out of the cracks on his body. Makoto fell to his knees, screaming and clutching his head.
Yukari and Fuuka retreated behind a pillar, setting down Mitsuru as gently as she could "W-What's happening?" Yukari whispered.
"His Persona, I think its cracking apart under the weight of its own attacks." Fuuka said. "This unpleasant aura...it's almost like its a Shadow!"
"What the hell!?" Yukari looked from behind the pillar and saw the other SEES members exiting from the monorail. Orpheus held his hands up, a large ball of fire forming.
Yukari pulled out her bow. "I'm sorry Makoto!" With her last arrow, she sniped Orpheus in the back, disrupting his attack. In quick succession, Hermes, Polydeuces, and Castor were summoned. They smashed the rampaging Orpheus into the ground, restraining him as best as they could.
"Elea!" Kotone summoned her Persona and, instead of attacking with it, ran directly into the fire, using Elea as a shield to grab the unconscious Makoto and get him out. "Yukari-chan! Put out the fire!"
She nodded and summoned Io once more, casting Garu and snuffing out the flames as Orpheus finally dissipated. Yukari fell to her knees, panting heavily as the exhaustion had caught up with her.
"T-Takeba." Mitsuru weakly called out to her from the pillar as Fuuka ran over to her. "A-Are you OK?"
Yukari weakly gave a smile. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine, senpa-." She said before she passed out in Fuuka's arms.
"What the hell happened out here?" Shinjiro asked to no one in particular.
"Well, well, well," a man with red hair said on top of a roof, several blocks away, looking at SEES through a pair of binoculars, "looks like we do have another posse running around." He lowered his binoculars, his blue eyes shining with excitement. "Alright Kirijo lackeys, let's have some fun."