Saturday, July 11, 2009, 8:12AM

Gekkoukan High School, Class 2-F

The moment Kotone walked into class, she saw someone wave to her. "Yo, Shiomi." Kenji Tomochika walked over to her.

"Wazzup Tomochika?" She dropped her backpack unto her desk. "How's Rio-chan doing?"

"Well, she's back to her old regular self, thankfully." He said with a smile. "Things have been kind of crazy for everyone these last few months, huh?"

She nodded. "Ohhhhh yeah."

"Hey, uh, is Makoto's phone dead or sumthin'? I tried to reach him last night and this morning, but he didn't pick up."

She shrugged. "Beats me. Why, you need him for something?"

Kenji scratched the back of his head. "Nah, I just wanted to know if he was doing anything special on Monday. Figured we could go get something to eat or catch a movie if he wasn't."

Kotone tilted her head. "Why on Monday?"

"Hm?" Kenji frowned. "Wait, you don't know? I thought you two were pretty close. Aren't you like, living in the same dorm as him?"

She glared at him. "Yes, I am, now answer my question."

As Shinjiro entered the room on the fourth floor, he heard Mitsuru say, "yes Papa, of course. Thank you. You too. Bye."

Akihiko lifted his head from the scattered pile of homework on the table. "How's old man Takeharu doing?"

"Papa is doing well." She said with a mischievous smile on her face. "He invited out the entire dorm out to Yakushima after finals."

Shinjiro whistled. "Damn, pops is generous as always."

"Do you think the second-years would like to come?" She asked.

Shinjiro scratched his stubble. "I dunno. I mean why would a bunch of hard-working teenagers want to go to an all-expense paid trip to a beach villa after finals?"

Both of his classmates chuckled. "Touché. I assume I do not have to ask either of you?"

"Hell yeah." Akihiko pumped his fist in the air.

"I've alright planted my butt under the umbrella." Shinjiro said.

"Good to see you both are back to your usual selves." Mitsuru said with a droll smile.

Shinjiro shot her a grin.

"By the by," Akihiko said, "what were you and Shiomi talking about downstairs earlier? She seemed pretty excited."

"Oh, she just needed my advice on baking something. I offered to help, but she was adamant in doing it herself." Shinjiro sighed. "I really hope she doesn't overdo it and burn the kitchen down."

"Speaking of burning things down," Akihiko glanced at Mitsuru, "should we be worried about why Takeba and Yuki have called this meeting?"

Mitsuru tensed up and looked away. "The juniors are...not unreasonable in demanding more information. I do not believe this will affect SEES operations."

The two boys looked at each other, but remained quiet.

Several hours later, all members of SEES had assembled on the fourth floor.

On one side of the table sat Mitsuru, flanked by Akihiko and Shinjiro on the couch. On the other side, in front of the computer monitor, sat Makoto and Yukari on two ottomans. Fuuka, Kotone, Junpei sat on their own ottomans near the door, while Ikutsuki sat opposite them in a futon chair.

Yukari was the first to break the ice and address everyone. "I suppose I should explain why we wanted to call this meeting. All of us have been following along for the past few months, or in your cases," she pointed to Akihiko and Shinjiro, "years. But I feel like most of us have been getting dragged along by without really getting any proper answers." She looked dead in Mitsuru's eyes. "You know more than you're letting on."

Junpei inhaled sharply at her blunt accusation. Fuuka fidgeted in her seat. Kotone kept stealing glances at Makoto, sitting quiet and stoic as Yukari spoke.

"You're always acting like you don't know what's really going on in the Dark Hour or Tartarus, but you do, don't you?" She crossed her arms. "I want to know what you know. I want to know how it connects to that accident a decade ago. I want to know what's going on."

"Wait, accident?" Junpei asked.

"A decade ago," Makoto quietly spoke, as all eyes turned to him. "on October 24, 1999, there was an explosion on Tatsumi Port Island. My parents and I...we were driving on the Moonlight Bridge when it happened. I survived. They didn't."

He hesitated, with only the soft touch of Yukari's hand on his shoulder spurring him on.

"That's the night I awoke Orpheus. He protected me from a Shadow that was rampaging on the bridge. I suppressed that memory for a long time." He breathed deeply. "I'm guessing that wasn't the only Shadow-related activity going on that night." He said as he looked straight at Mitsuru.

"I did some of my own digging." Yukari said. "Before the explosion, a lot of students at Gekkoukan mysteriously collapsed. Some of them never woke up. It was a big story right before the explosion, but all of the news articles basically stop talking about it right afterwards. Most of the ones that didn't wake up were transferred to other hospitals, far away from Iwatodai. Allegedly paid for with donations from," she narrowed her eyes, "the Kirijo Group."

Mitsuru said nothing, even as everyone began to glance or directly stare at her.

"There's too much at play here to say all of this is a merely a coincidence." Makoto said. "We've shed enough blood with you that I think it's only fair for you to start treating us as equals and letting us in on why we're fighting."

For several long, agonizing seconds, Mitsuru remained. She could feel the hungry, ravenous stares everyone had on her. She could almost hear their thoughts, assuming the worst possible explanations. "Alright." Her voice dry and parched. "That is a perfectly reasonable request." She crossed her legs and tapped her boot on the ground. "I suppose you would want me to start at the beginning."

Makoto and Yukari both nodded.

"We have encountered many different kind of Shadows, some with unusual powers at play. To us, they are our enemies, nothing more than an ontologically evil foe we must confront and vanquish. But what if there was a way to utilize them? To make use of their unimaginable power for the betterment of all mankind?"

Yukari's eyes went wide. "W-What?"

"Fourteen years ago, a man dedicated his life to that goal. Kouetsu Kirijo. My grandfather." She closed her eyes, unable to bear how everyone looked at her. "He was obsessed with Shadows. With their powers, and with their potential. He wanted to harness them. To use their destructive capabilities for a greater goal. To that end he assembled a team of scientists and collected many Shadows for study."

"You're kidding?" Junpei said, aghast. "That's nuts."

Mitsuru sighed. "Ten years ago, they somehow lost control of them. The Shadows overwhelmed the safeguards in the research facility they were located in. The explosion, the continual presence of Shadows in Iwatodai, as well as the creation of the Dark Hour and Tartarus, they are all connected on that faithful day."

"So this whole time we've been cleaning up your family's mess." Yukari spat out.

Mitsuru balled her fists, but said nothing.

"And what about you two?" Yukari addressed the two boys next to Mitsuru. "I can understand Sanada-senpai only thinking about fighting, but what excuse do you have?" She asked Shinjiro.

"That's not it!" Akihiko yelled. "I...I have my own reasons for fighting."

Shinjiro stood up to say something, but sighed and sat back down. "Life ain't that simple, kid." He said weakly.

"You can think whatever you want," Mitsuru said, "but it was my decision, and mine alone, not to share that information. No one else was involved in it." She crossed her arms. "...for what it is worth, I am sorry. I never intended to deceive any of you. I...convincing all of you to join SEES was my highest priority. It may seem callous, but we are the only ones capable of fighting the Shadows. It was more important for me to get you to join than to be transparent with you."

Yukari slammed her hand on the table. "How could you?"

"Now, now," Ikutsuki interjected, "I understand you may have your frustrations, Takeba-kun, but lets not be so hasty and place all of the blame on Mitsuru's shoulders. Those involved with the project ten years ago, they are no longer with us. The true culprits are long deceased."

Yukari bit her lip and looked away.

"We all must live in this world. We all must suffer the consequences together, Persona or not."

"But why now?" Fuuka spoke up. "I know we discussed this a few weeks ago, but why are all of these Shadows acting up now? Especially the Full Moon ones. Is it really just a matter of enough Persona users being in one place?"

"And what's with those weird-ass rooms every time we step into a new part of Tartarus?" Junpei asked. "Like the one we visited, it looked and smelled like a lab that had just blown up. Cuz, you know, you mentioned a lab so, that place, is it...?"

"I have my theories, as I'm sure you two do," she said, addressing Makoto and Yukari, "but nothing conclusive. This is a perfect segue to something else I wanted to tell you all. My father, the current head of the Kirijo Group, will be in Yakushima starting next week. He has invited all of SEES to come and spend a few days there after finals." She slouched back in her seat, looking so very tired. "Father...knows more than I do about the history of the Kirijo Group, and the Shadow project. If you wish, you can inquire about the specifics with him. There are things that even I have not been privy to. Things I have...never asked about."

Yukari looked at Makoto, who whispered something to her. "Fine." She said. "I can accept that. For now."

Sunday, July 12, 2009, 1:12PM

Iwatodai Dormitory, 1st floor

Makoto walked downstairs and towards the kitchen, only to be blocked by Kotone. He stepped to the left, and so did she. He stepped to the right, and once again so did she. "Um..."

"There's a spill." Kotone instantly responded, a stern expression almost chiseled into her face.

"O-OK?" He leaned back a bit, the fiery intensity in her eyes scaring him. "I'll...avoid it?"

"No." She said. "Tell me what you want and I'll get it for you."

"...a glass of water?"

She slowly walked backwards, never taking her eyes of Makoto until she disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a cup.

"Thank you?" He mumbled as he carefully returned upstairs. Finals must be driving her as crazy as it's driving Junpei.

"Are you ready?" Mitsuru asked as the Shadow approached. A black heart with a mask on it, floating above a pair of dancing mannequins that held a rapier together in their hands.

Shinjiro handed his axe over to Junpei. "Yeah."

"Just make sure you don't overdo it man." The younger boy said.

Shinjiro cautiously approached the Shadow, as its two halves slowly waltzed, feigning ignorance of his presence. He resisted his natural urge to pull out his Evoker as he let the distance between them close.

"Prepare yourself Aragaki-senpai." Fuuka announced. "The Shadow should be preparing to strike right about..." Shinjiro tensed up, watching them casually and slowly poke and prod his perimeter, while, "now!"

In the blink of an eye, the Shadow lunged at ferocious speed, the tip of its blade reaching Shinjiro's eyelashes. Castor's horn parried it as he emerged, impaling the Shadow with the full force of his body.

Shinjiro fell to one knee. "Fuck." Makoto walked over and offered him a hand, while Shinjiro shook his head. "I'm good." Slowly, and with wobbly knees, he stood up.

"So?" Junpei asked, Shinjiro's axe unsteadily slung over his shoulder. "How's it feel?"

"Reminds me of when I started out." Shinjiro grumbled. "Was fucking tired the first time. Took me like a month to just comfortable summoning him with my Evoker."

Junpei chuckled. "Yeah, it's basically like starting over from scratch. Or switching from a road bike to a mountain bike. Nothing a little shoe shine and grit can't help."

"Can't believe I'm getting advice from Iori of all people." Shinjiro shook his head. "What's this world coming to?"

"Hey now." Junpei said jovially. "That's Iori-sensei to you, pal."

Shinjiro rolled his eyes, unable to keep a smile off of his face. "You're lucky I'm too winded to chase you right now." He stretched a little bit and took back his weapon from Junpei. "Alright, thanks for indulging me you guys."

"Of course." Makoto said. "Once you're back in shape, I imagine you're going to help us tear through these floors."

Shinjiro's grin stretched from ear to ear. "Oh you bet your ass I am. This is going to be fun."

As the three boys chatted and walked over to the teleporter, Mitsuru turned back and looked upon the long hall, free of any Shadows. She cautiously held out her hand, free of rapier or Evoker, and whispered out, "Penthesilea."

But her Persona remained dormant in her soul.

"Yo senpai!" Junpei yelled from a distance. "You coming?"

She sighed and turned.

As they walked back to the dorm, Kotone buzzed around the entire group like a particularly sociable bee. She pulled people away for a bit, having some kind of quiet conversation with them for a couple of minutes, before doing the same to someone else. Eventually, as they arrived home, she pulled Makoto aside.

"So..." she fidgeted in place for a few seconds as everyone else entered the dorm, "you excited for the trip?"

"Yeah," Makoto said, with absolutely no expression on his face, "it sounds cool."

She nodded. "Yep."

"Yep." Makoto yawned.

"So..." she looked down, "um, you like swimming?" She asked lamely.

"Love it."

"Cool."

Makoto scratched his neck. "Not to be rude, but I'm feeling kind of tired. Do you mind if I-"

Kotone hesitated for a few second before sighing and acquiescing. She walked up the stairs and ran inside into the unlit dorm. Makoto, too tired to care why she was acting weird, stumbled his way up into the dorm and-

The lights flickered on, a loud pop happened, and he was showered with confetti as he heard "Happy birthday!"

"H-Huh?" Makoto stood frozen, like a deer in the headlights, as he took in his surroundings.

"Look alive bro!" Junpei said, a small, cheap party hat on his head. In fact, most of them, sans Kirijo, wore it.

Shinjiro hobbled over and swung his arm around Makoto's shoulders. "You didn't think I went to Tartarus tonight just to test Castor did you?" He asked with a audacious grin.

"Guys." Makoto said with a small, embarrassed smile as he saw the small birthday cake in Kotone's hand, "You didn't have to do that." The frosting depicted a small blue-haired boy surrounded by seventeen differently colored dollops.

"Ah come oooonnnnn!" Kotone puffed out her cheeks. "You only get one birthday a year, we gotta celebrate it!" She turned to Kirijo. "I'm still mad at senpai for not telling us her birthday was in May!"

Kirijo chuckled. "This is precisely why, Shiomi." She said as she shepherded everyone to the dining table. "I prefer mine to be a bit more low-key and private."

"But that's laaaaaame!"

As they all migrated over, and Fuuka began cutting slices for everyone, Junpei patted him on the back. "Besides, we've been through a lot of shit lately, and we got finals this week. I say we take every opportunity to celebrate that we can."

Makoto snorted. "I'm glad I'm just an excuse to you all."

"H-Hey! I didn't mean it like that." Junpei looked away, having the decency to look ashamed.

Makoto lightly punched him on the shoulder. "I'm just messing with you." He stood and made a small bow. "Thank you everyone."

"Quit being so damn formal and eat your cake." Shinjiro groused.

"No, I first have to thank everyone individually before we can eat." Makoto said facetiously. Upon a crowd of sarcastic jeers, boos, and pouts, he laughed. "All right, let's dig in."