Minato and Minako opened their eyes to find themselves back in the velvet room . And in front of them sat Igor with a satisfied look on his face . The twins were still disoriented , they were still at the effect of the shock of what happened .
" Ah ! Welcome back " Igor said " it seems you fell unconscious after awakening to your power . I see it was Orpheus that heeded your calling "
" So you saw what happened ? " Minako asked
" Yes . It is important that we keep a close eye on our guests to make sure we aid them in the best way possible . I am certain you have many questions , and I will gladly answer them all "
" First , what was that thing that came when we shot ourselves with that gun ?"
" That is the power that you have awakened to . It is called Persona and is the manifestation of your psyche "
" Persona ? "
" Our psyche ? Do you mean our minds ? "
" I think he means our personalities ... You know , Persona as in personality ? "
" That is a part of what determines your Persona . It represents a side of your inner self . Think of it as a mask that protects you as you face many hardships "
" Now that I think about it , that Orpheus did say ' from the sea of thy soul I cometh ' . I guess that's what he meant "
" Precisely . Moreover , your Persona can emerge as you react to external stimuli "
" That gun ? "
" That is correct "
" I guess it really wasn't a real gun "
" However , your power is still weak and undeveloped "
" What do you mean by that ? "
" As you summon your Persona , you channel your inner strength . On your own , that strength is weak . However , with the power of your social links , as in the bonds and emotional ties you forge with others , they will lend you their strength , and as you develop your social links with them , your inner self will develop and grow , enabling you to summon even more powerful Personas to aid you . Please , remember that "
" I will " Minato nodded
" It's complicated , but I'll keep it in mind " Minako said
" Now then , time marches on in your world , and so I should not keep you here any longer . Next time we meet , you'll come here of your own accord , I will introduce you to two more residents of the velvet room and we will inform you of the matter of which we can best assist you . Until then , farewell "
Minato's eyes fluttered open , and were met with a white ceiling . He felt a strong headache as he sat up . His eyes were laid at the small vase with two daisies in them .
" Ugh ... My head "
His sister's voice jolted him . He looked around to see that she had just awakened .
" Minako ! Are you alright ?! "
" Minato ! I'm fine ... Well , except for this annoying headache "
" I'm feeling it , too " Minato placed his hand on his forehead and groaned
" Where are we ? The hospital ? "
" Yeah ... That must have been one hell of a fight we put back then . How long have we been out ? "
" I don't know "
The door of their room was opened and Yukari entered . She looked shocked at first , but then a happy expression was drawn on her face .
" You're awake ! "
She enthusiastically approached them , before remembering what happened that night . The guilt slowing her down and bringing her voice down she hesitantly asked " w-well , how do you feel ? "
" I feel fantastic ! " Minako chirped
" I'm a lot better now , thanks " Minato answered " where are we ? "
" Thank God you're awake ! Seriously , how long were planning to stay asleep ! It's been a while week and I was so worried-! " Yukari was enthusiastic about them being okay she forgot to respond to Minato's question, she caught up to herself and retracted " I'm sorry , I'm babbling ! This is the hospital "
" Did ... Did you just said we were unconscious for a week ? "
" The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with you , they said you were just exhausted , but you stayed unconscious for days and I ... " Yukari stopped and sighed " I'm sorry I got you into this mess , and I was the one who was supposed to protect you "
" It's not your fault " Minato said
" I was scared , too " Minako continued
" Really ? You didn't look like you were"
" I saw you trying to use that gun to do something , you looked more experienced than us , so I trusted you " Minako said with cheerful smile on her face
" We all get scared , Yukari " Minato said " the only difference is how you use that fear . Some yield to it and let it paralyze them , and others turn it into the driving force that pushes them forward "
" You're so wise , grandpa ! " Minako laughed
" Shut up ! "
" But your power was truly amazing , even though it was your first time fighting the shadows "
" The power of our Persona ? "
" Y-yes , how did you know ? "
" We had a dream about someone explaining our power to us "
" Really , I never had any dream after I awakened to mine . Then again , your Persona was much more powerful "
" So you said those creatures were shadows ? "
Minato was about to ask for more , but he noticed his sister was holding her forehead . She still looked tired
" We'll talk about after we leave the hospital " he said
" You know , I'm sorta like you " Yukari sighed " my dad died in an accident ten years ago , and I'm not on good terms with my mother these days "
" Ten years ago ? " Minato thought
" He was working in the Kirijo group when there was a big explosion . I don't know much about his death , which is why I think I should stick around the dorm until I find out more . That's how I ended up where you are . It's just that I ... I've been lying and hiding secrets from you two since we met , and because of that you almost got killed that night . I was telling myself that as soon as they wake up I'll be honest with them . That's all I wanted to say , thanks for listening to me "
" Thank you , Yukari "
Minato smiled , and Yukari felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of his smile . He was no longer doubting her , he was no longer considering her an enemy or a threat .
" Anyway , I gotta go " she said " take it easy , you two . Be good patients "
The next day , Minato and Minako were healthy enough to go to school . They were told that when they get back home , the chairman would explain to them the strange incidents that have been happening all this time . Minako was a little worried about how she was going to explain their long absence , but Minato assured her that he has a good excuse .
At the gate of the school , they met Junpei , who looked happy to see them . " Hey ! Where have you all been all this week ? "
" We were sick " Minato casually responded
" What ? " Minako gasped , but she remembered she was in front of Junpei so she retracted her statement , saying " I ... I mean ... Yes ... We were sick ! "
" Sick ? For a week ? "
" No , sick for a week , bedridden and we stayed in the hospital the whole time "
" That sounded serious ! ... And unlucky , seeing as you two got sick . Was it the same illness "
" Yeah , what're the odds " Minato shrugged
" Oh , good morning " Yukari called out to them " how're you feeling today ? "
" Pretty good , more or less " Minato said
" Hey , Yukatan . Did you know that those two were sick for a week in the hospital ? "
" I was actually visiting them in there "
" Why didn't you tell me ?! "
Yukari didn't want to go into details about it , fearing she may have a reveal more details about that night . Thankfully , the bell rang , saving her as well as the twins from more questions . Minato and Yukari ran to the class , leaving Junpei with Minako .
" Hey " Minato whispered to her " I used to be stiff and cold in my interactions with you back then , but now that I have to wiggle my way around questions , I kinda understand how you felt . Sorry "
" It's okay , your reaction was natural . Besides , you're a lot better than escaping questions than me "
" I didn't do anything "
Minako and Junpei on the other hand we going to chase after Minato and Yukari , but Minako felt a strong headache again , and she had to stop and lean on a wall to prevent herself from falling on the ground "
" You're okay ,Minatan ? "
" I'm ... I'm fine ... " Minako smiled despite the headache " let's go , we don't want to be late for class "
Thinking about it , Minako understood that , even though she summoned her Persona first , her brother did a lot better with his , while her Persona received a lot more hits from that shadow , so this headache was probably the aftermath of that battle .
Thankfully , when the lessons started , Minako was much better . After the lesson ended , Junpei approached her .
" How're you feeling now , Minatan ? "
" Never better ! " She chirped
" That's great , you looked tired this morning but I'm glad you're doing better now "
" I was probably still sleepy , no biggie "
" So , what do you say we hit the town ? I showed your brother around lots of places in Iwatodai that I'm sure you'll like "
" Really ? That's great ! Let's go ! "
" The chairman wanted to talk to us after school , Minako " Minato interfered
" But ... But ... "
" I'm not saying don't go , I'm just saying don't be late . Anyway , I'll be going back to the dorm with Yukari , you two have fun "
" Sure , enjoy your date with Yukari ! "
" You , too "
" Sure ... Wait ! No ! We're just going to... ! "
" If my mundane walk from school is considered a date then you goofing around with Junpei is called a wedding . Next time make sure you don't turn yourself into a joke before you crack a joke "
Upon entering the dorm , Minako was met with her brother's questioning glare . He had told her to get back home early , and it was evening when she arrived .
" What was I supposed to do ?! " Minako said " he insisted that we go to the arcade . At first I told him I wasn't into video games , but when we got there , I couldn't stop playing ! You love video games so you should know better-"
" I didn't ask you why you were late , okay ? Anyway , everyone is upstairs in some ' computer room ' "
" Computer room ? "
" We decided to wait for you to come before we start talking about what happened "
" I hope we didn't keep them waiting too long "
" Believe me , you did "
The first thing Minako did when entering the room was apologizing for being late . The chairman smiled , offering them a seat . In the room sat Mitsuru and Yukari , Who looked nervous . As well as a high schooler who looked slightly older than them .
" I'm glad you've recovered , what you did that night was truly amazing " The boy said
" I believe I mentioned him before , but this is Akihiko Sanada "
" Ooh ! You're the famous boxer ? " Minako said
" Don't talk like you're into that stuff " Minato sighed . He turned to Akihiko and with a more serious tone introduced himself and his sister " I'm Minato Arisato , and this is my sister , Minako "
" Yes , the chairman told me about you , and I saw how powerful your Personas were "
" Now , we asked you to come here because we believe that you should learn the truth of what happened that night . Now , if I may ask , would you believe me if told you that the day consists of more than 24 hours ? "
" Um ... Excuse me ? "
" When you came here , you had to have noticed the signs " Mitsuru said
" You mean the power outage , the coffins scattered everywhere and those ... Those shadows ? "
" Yes . That period of time is called the Dark Hour , and it is hidden between one day and the next "
" Normal people turn into coffins or transmogrify , and so they sleep through the Dark Hour , unaware of its existence "
" But that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting " Akihiko said and a excited smile appeared on his face " those creatures you fought ... The shadows . They only appear during the Dark Hour , and we're the only ones who can defeat them . Sounds exciting , huh ? "
" Akihiko ! " Mitsuru sternly yelled at him " it's this recklessness that caused your injury that night ! Why do you always act like this ! This isn't a game ! "
" Let's calm down , Mitsuru " the chairman said " after all , he does his job pretty well "
" You got injured ? " Minako asked
" Yeah " Akihiko sighed " it was that big shadow that attacked you "
Minato sensed that Akihiko's injury had put his sister on edge , so he tried to drive the conversation away from that point " and how exactly are you the only ones who can defeat the shadows ? "
" Only a handful of people can stay awake and witness the Dark Hour , and most of those people don't have the potential to call forth their Personas and end up killed by the shadows "
" You mean ... When we left the station on the day of our arrival ... "
" It was unlikely that they would prey on you since you had the potential to summon a Persona . You were unique "
" So everyone here is unique by being conscious during the Dark Hour and can summon a Persona ? "
" Yes . We called ourselves Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad , or SEES "
" That's cool ! " Minako cried
" It's excessive " Minato sighed
" Which is why we decided to tell you all of this " Mitsuru put two boxes on the table and inside them there were two guns like the one Yukari used " we require your assistance to fight the shadows "
" That's the gun we used to call a Persona that night "
" It's called an evoker "
" An evoker , huh ? "
The twins examined the evokers carefully . It looked exactly like a gun to the vet details , but it still wasn't a real gun . The shape alone was making them uneasy .
" You have the potential to use a Persona , and your Personas are much stronger than ours "
" And with Akihiko being unable to fight , we need all the backup we can get "
" Guys ! Stop ! " Yukari interrupted the conversation " you're making them feel pressured ! "
" I'll do it ! " Minako decided " I'll fight !"
" Really ? " At first , Yukari sounded excited , but she covered her excitement and said " look , it's your choice . Don't let them pressure you "
" I know , and I still want to fight . If what you said about the Dark Hour is true then we're the only ones who can protect the city . I don't know how much I can be of help , but if I sat still and watched it all go down the drain, I'll forever blame myself for anything that happened . If there's anything I can do , even a little , I want to do it . For this world that I'm living in "
" Thank you " Mitsuru smiled
" What about you , bro ? Sorry for dragging you into this . If you want , I won't fight "
" You dummy ! " Minato sighed " after all that talk about protecting the world , you'll make sound like an insensitive jerk for refusing " he turned to the others and said " I have one condition for joining you : honesty "
Silence fell in the room as the word ' honesty ' echoed in the ears of everyone
" I believe it was you who pressured Yukari to lie her way around us , just as you are pressuring us to join . And that computer ... I see it had screens for surveillance in every room . You were watching us , weren't you ? "
" Yes " the chairman nodded " we wanted to keep a close-"
" You were breaching our privacy , is what you were doing ! You could have told us about our potential , you could've told us about the shadows , but chose not to even though I clearly questioned the signs ! Fighting shadows or not , I have every reason not to trust you and to choose to fight them by myself . Except I will fight by your side only because I don't know much of this Dark Hour "
" Of course " the chairman was taken aback by Minato's hostile response , but he kept the calm smile " now that you have awakened to your power , we don't need to hide anything from you "
" You didn't have any reason to begin with "
" But , Minato " Minako asked her brother " of course they're going to have a secret or two ... "
" I'm not asking anyone to marry me ! I'm just saying that I don't want a secret involving us or the Dark Hour to stay hidden from us like last time " he turned to everyone in the team " I want your word for it "
" You have our word "
A voice echoed in Minato and Minako's head " Thou art I and I am thou ... thou hast established a new bond . Thou shalt have our blessings when creating Personas of the Fool arcana "
Minato and Minato remembered what Igor told them about the bonds they forge with others and how these bonds will develop their power . It seemed that they made the right choice to join SEES after all .
I apologize for publishing this chapter incomplete . It was only later that I remembered to include the bit about social links and I couldn't update it instantly because I didn't have time and was having problems with internet connectivity .
Anyway , after this part I will publish a short part titled " SEES shenanigans " , which will narrate the events of Persona 3 from a comedic perspective . Now I don't have that much of a confidence in my sense of humor , but I hope you enjoy them . Stay tuned for more parts ^_^