Chapter Text
Inside a train compartment, two siblings bickered.
"I'm telling you; dogs can look up."
"They can't, due to their musculoskeletal structure!"
The other passengers were divided in their responses. Some were amused, and some were annoyed. Both groups went unnoticed by the subjects of their attention.
"You're absurd. Since when did you become an expert on canine kinesiology?"
"It's not kinesiology, it's just basic anatomy of the spinal cord- the anterior part of the cervical vertebrae are just too big! It's like a slinky, except the coils are thick and one side is thicker than the other so it bends all around but it bends less in that one direction!"
The bickerers appeared superficially unique from each other. One, a bored-looking boy with straight blue hair. His bangs partially covered one of his eyes. His visible eye was of a piercing shade of blue, and it held an intense expression as he debated with his companion on this matter of great import. The other had auburn, almost reddish hair pulled into a ponytail. Above her left ear, she had put thin barrettes in her hair into the shape of the Roman numeral XXII. Her eyes were a fierce shade of red, and her brow furrowed as she continued her verbal duel with him. Both had an MP3 player on a lanyard, and headphones resting around their necks. The two were blissfully unaware of the journey that I was placing before them. I knew that a good person would feel guilt for putting them on this path, but I am not a good person. I am not capable of feeling guilt. I only am capable of what needs to be done. The needs of the many must outweigh the needs of the few, else all will be destroyed. Again.
"Slinkies are definitely not an appropriate model for approximating the vertebral canal!"
"You're not an appropriate model for approximating a functional human being, emo boy!"
The two ceased their prattle for a few seconds as they noticed a glowing cerulean butterfly gently flutter outside the train window. The girl wondered how it was keeping up with the speed of the train with so little apparent effort- perhaps, she thought, it was drafting, taking advantage of the lack of air resistance, like a car driving behind a big truck. The boy wondered what species it was- he had heard of phosphorescent butterflies, but they were extremely rare, and the only photos he had seen were of specimens that emitted a pale greenish light, not a bright, shining blue like this creature. Both marveled at the beauty of it, unaware that they were among a precious few to have been blessed with the sight of it, and unaware that their fates, their possible choices, just severely narrowed. Their path was growing smaller, with fewer splits, and they would soon reach the conclusion of their journey. They both stilled as words came unbidden into their minds. They soon recovered, and glanced at each other, then resumed their petty argument. The butterfly flew away, forgotten.
Time never waits. It delivers all equally to the same end.
You two, who wish to safeguard the future, however limited it may be...
You both will be given one year; go forth without falter, with your hearts as your guide.
The sky is orange and the setting sun shines through wispy clouds, illuminating her room in warm light, but she doesn't notice. She feels cold. She doesn't hear the noise outside, the cars honking and the birds singing. All she hears is the running faucet above her and her heart pounding in her ears.
The floor is cold under her feet, and the hard cabinet against her back hurts. She's sore from sitting there for too long. She's disheveled, her cardigan open and ribbon undone. Her hair falls forward into her face, and her eyes are forced shut.
It's not a real gun, she knows, it won't kill her. But as she presses the barrel against her forehead and tries to pull the trigger, she finds that she can't get a good grip with her sweaty palms, and her hands are shaking, and she's hyperventilating. She feels hollow, and memories that she'd buried resurfaced, and her chest squeezes and wrenches itself in different directions and she feels like she can't take any more before she is torn apart or irreparably broken deep inside. But now she's come so far, and if she gives up now, she might never get this close again. A surge of panic flows through her, and her eyes widen and she shrieks and drops the gun, slamming her head back and crying out from the pain, from the shame, from her own weakness.
Why did she come here? To find out the truth about her father, to find out why he left her all alone. Would he be proud of her? Would he happily claim her as his daughter?
He'd be repulsed by her.
Obviously, he would be horrified. He'd want her to throw the gun away and never look back, to walk away from this nightmare and stay safe. To lock the doors and hide under the covers at midnight, to pretend during the day that everything was okay. He would want her to just accept his death as a freak accident, and move on with her life. He'd say she was obsessing over his fate when she should be living her own life.
She picks up the gun again. It's light, and cool to the touch. It's silver and black, with the acronym S.E.E.S. printed on it. There is no barrel. No magazine. No chamber, and no safety. It's all fake. It's a placebo, just something meant to evoke stress. She certainly has plenty of that.
She pulls the gun up towards her head, fighting her instincts that are screaming at her. The cold tip of the gun pushes against her forehead, and she grits her teeth, but her finger won't move, and she feels like there's a hole in her lungs letting the air out as she breathes in, and her muscles are seizing even as she tries to force them to relax. She's nearly there, she's almost figured out the truth. After years of wandering hopelessly like a zombie, she's going to finally know the truth. She can do it. She has to. It's what has kept her alive thus far.
She shook all over as sweat dripped down her face, and with another cry she hurled the gun away and began to sob into her arms. The faucet ran. A car drove by, and birds sang sweetly to each other. She'll pick up the gun and try again another day, but she can't right now, she just needs to close her eyes and breathe, and try and forget the world spinning around her. She is filled with shame and anger, at the world, at herself, at Kirijo, at her father for leaving her. She can't continue like this, she can't. Something needs to change.
An hour later, she cleans herself up and heads to the station. The events of the evening firmly shoved behind her, she is giddy at the idea of finally seeing her friends after so long.
The train pulled into the Iwatodai station. Finally, Yukari thought. It's running so late! We'll be pushing it to get back to the dorm before midnight.
Yukari Takeba had decided to pick up the new transfer students from the station and show them to the dorm. The train was scheduled to arrive at 10pm, which would leave plenty of time to make it to the dorm before the Dark Hour. Due to delays, however, the train was arriving at 11:30pm. The transfer students supposedly had the potential, so they might remain human at midnight, but even if they did, it'd be pretty inconvenient for her to deal with, not to mention potentially dangerous. Shadows outside of Tartarus were rare, but they were attracted to Persona users, and Yukari wasn't ready to fight yet. She wasn't sure that she ever would be.
It was about a half-hour walk to the dorm, so Yukari figured that if she got them to book it, they wouldn't have any issues. School started tomorrow, which would be a great excuse to make them hurry to get in bed early. She just desperately hoped there wouldn't be any more delays.
The doors opened, and Yukari waited for her two charges. Only a handful of people were getting off. Where were those two? She couldn't handle anything else going wrong, like a missed train. Then she heard a voice speak further down the platform.
"Come on Minato, move it! It's nearly midnight and I want to get some sleep before school tomorrow."
A girl with auburn, almost red, hair pulled back into a ponytail was tugging a blue-haired boy off of the train. Both wore the standard Gekkoukan High uniform: a knee-length skirt for her, trousers for him, and a dress shirt and blazer on both. Both had mp3 players around their necks, and they wore similar headphones. He was doing his best to walk leisurely, using her pull on him to counterbalance a casual-looking lean backwards. His face was stoic; hers was exasperated. "Fine!" she shouted, and let go. He swayed back dangerously before catching himself. He slightly widened his eyes when she let go, but after recovering, the corner of his mouth tilted up with satisfaction. She huffed.
Oh my god, they're adorable. So that's what growing up with a sibling is like...
Yukari shook her head and jogged forward. "Hey!" she called. "Hamu-chan, Mina-kun!"
The two turned to look at her. The boy's eyes widened, and the girl's face showed shock. "Oh my god!" the girl said. "Is that you, Yukari-chan?" Yukari grinned at their reactions. "Yeah! I was told to come pick you guys up and show you to the dorm! Long time no see Hamuko-chan, Minato-kun!" Hamuko grabbed Yukari in a hug, and Yukari waved at Minato with her free hand. He was smiling widely. "Yukari-chan, what are you doing here? I mean, obviously it's great to see you again, but when we decided to come back to town, we didn't think we'd run into you!"
Yukari reciprocated his grin without even thinking about it. She felt so genuinely happy to see them after so long. "I go to Gekkoukan, and, well, I happen to be in the same dorm you guys will be in!" Yukari responded while still squeezing Hamuko. "It's pretty amazing luck!"
He shook his head. "No kidding. I wonder who else we'll run into from way back then. I hope Ms. Akane won't be our teacher?"
Yukari laughed. "No, thank god. She doesn't teach at Gekkoukan." Hamuko finally released the hug and stepped back, looking her up and down. "You've grown! You're not six any more!" Yukari giggled. "Nope! I'm sixteen now."
"Look at that, Hamuko," Minato said. "She grew up, unlike you." "Hey!" Hamuko put her hands on her hips. "We're twins, so if you're saying that I'm still six, then so are you!" Minato shrugged. "I'm referring to your mental and emotional age." Hamuko grumbled before turning to Yukari and her expression brightened again. "We're really in the same dorm? I can't wait to catch up with you! How have you been? Where have you been? I'm sorry we never really got the chance to say goodbye, but, um, stuff happened and we didn't have much of a choice..."
Yukari shook her head, trying not to think about the tragedy. "It's fine, I had a lot on my plate too. I mean, yeah, it hurt, but I was dealing with stuff anyway, and- you know, just- no worries. It's not like we have much control over our lives at the age of six. I'm just glad to see you again. Speaking of, we should really get going. It's nearly midnight and we have school early tomorrow. Let's go get some sleep, then we can hang out tomorrow."
Yukari glanced at her watch. 11:35pm. They needed to hurry, or things would get even more awkward.
"Yeah, let's hurry," Hamuko agreed, "I prefer to be in bed before midnight." Minato nodded, and they followed Yukari. She set a fast pace, and Yukari thanked the stars that they were matching her speed. She pointed out a few of her favorite stores and restaurants on the way, answering a few other questions about Iwatodai as they walked.
"How much further is it?" Hamuko asked, breathing heavily. "I didn't realize you'd grown up to be a slave driver." Yukari laughed nervously. "Sorry, I just really want to get back to the dorm. Lots to do tomorrow, and all that. It's just around the corner, actually." She looked at her watch again. Five minutes until midnight. That was just barely enough time to get in and show them to their rooms.
Hamuko snapped her fingers. "Oh! I'm sorry, I completely forgot that you're scared of the dark!" "Oh," Minato said, "I forgot also, sorry. And I'm very sorry that you had to wait for us! There was a severe delay- someone jumped on the tracks, apparently. It took a while to, uh, clean up the mess." Hamuko nudged him. "Gross, you didn't have to say it like that. Use a euphemism or something." Yukari blinked at the casual discussion of what was likely a gory death, before shaking her head and walking up the dorm steps and holding the door open. "Come on in! Welcome to the dorm."
The twins walked inside, taking a look around. The drab green carpet showed several stains, and the room was framed by walls with fading paint. A collection of worn chairs and couches surrounded an old coffee table. A CRT television sat nearby, and a kitchen could be seen further into the room. Yukari smiled. "It's not much, but it's home."
The twins were smiling. "It's wonderful!" Hamuko said. "I'm so excited! This finally seems real. I have a really good feeling about this year!"
Yukari smiled, and glanced at her watch again. Three minutes remaining. They needed to really hurry. "Well, let's get you signed in really quick, then I'll show you to your rooms and we can get to bed! I'll show you to school tomorrow morning." Yukari showed them the sign-in book and they wrote their names, then she ushered them up the steps, pointing out the bathrooms and the kitchen on the way. "The second floor is the boys' floor. Minato-kun, your room's at the end of the hall on the right, and here's your key. I'll see you tomorrow!" She went up the steps quickly, then turned and waited for Hamuko to follow. Minato blinked. Hamuko looked at him with confusion, before he shrugged and walked down the hallway. "See you tomorrow." "Yeah, see you."
Hamuko followed Yukari up the steps, and Yukari showed her to a room. "Hamuko-chan, here's your room! And here's your key. My room is just over there. I'm going to bed, see you in the morning!" And the door was shut, leaving Hamuko alone inside. Yukari nearly ran to her room and sat down once inside. That was way too close. Thirty seconds until midnight. At this point, they'll definitely be conscious when the Dark Hour strikes. Stupid, stupid! But they would've gotten here even later had I not showed them the way. I didn't have much of a choice here, did I?
The air around her seemed to bend and twist for an infinitesimal fraction of a second before her room took on a green tinge, and a chill went through Yukari as an ominous feeling settled in her stomach.
In her mind's eye, she saw a scene she'd dwelt on many times. She was out with friends from school, laughing and sharing a drink they'd obtained from an upperclassman. She was tipsy, as was her companion. Yuko was complaining about the prospect of dealing with the kendo team in the fall. Her duties as team manager, or as the kendo club members called her, the team mom, could be overwhelming at times. Yuko was much more drunk than Yukari was, and she leaned on Yukari. "You know, girl," Yuko said, slurring her words, "we just really need to find ourselves… boyfriends! Imagine if we had boyfriends to complain to, and cuddle at night, and… and do other things with." Her rosy cheeks turned redder, as did Yukari's. "That'd solve soooo many of our prob-"
The world around Yukari seemed to spin and she suddenly felt very dizzy. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to clear her mind and focus. She looked over to Yuko and found that she was gone. Yukari's arm was wrapped around a tall wooden box. She gasped and stepped back. Her friend had turned into… what appeared to be a wooden coffin with a cross on the front. Yukari looked around her. She stood alone in the street, surrounded by… coffins. Upright coffins stood all around her, where moments before there had been people laughing and talking. There was a green tint to the world, with mist furling along the ground that obscuring her vision. The street around her was completely silent. The only sound was that of her rapidly beating heart. Yukari looked around frantically, trying to find where everyone had gone. "H- hello?" she called. "Where is everyone?" The streetlights had gone back, but the green light seemed to suffuse the area, despite there being no apparent source. She took a few steps back, tripped on the curb, and fell to the ground. Her hand landed in a puddle, and she pulled it out quickly, still looking around. She was growing scared, and she started breathing heavily. She stood, shaking off her hand, and looked at it to check for a scrape. Her hand was covered in blood. Yukari's eyes widened, and she searched for an injury, but found none. She looked down at the puddle. It was crimson and opaque. Blood. Yukari's head throbbed, and her vision blurred. She absentmindedly noted that she was hyperventilating.
A noise. Off to the left. It sounded like someone slurping, but the noise was faint and continuous. Yukari looked, but didn't see anything yet. "Hello? Who's there?" she called, her heart racing. "Show yourself!" She stood still, willing herself to step forward, but too terrified to move. The slurping was louder, now, and a dizzy spell hit Yukari. She started to fall over, but managed to just fall to one knee, holding her head. After a few seconds, it passed, and Yukari pulled her hands away, realizing with a tinge of nausea that she must have smeared blood all over her face and hair. She heard what sounded like a trashcan falling over, and her head jerked up. Across the street was a silhouette in the mist, growing closer, that seemed ever larger and… less human. Yukari forced herself to stop breathing shallow, quick breaths. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, exhaled. Then she opened her eyes and screamed.
Stop that! You're being silly again, you're perfectly safe. Yukari rubbed her eyes and forced herself back to the present. She knew she'd be safe in the dormitory, and yet she still felt scared every time the Dark Hour hit. Yukari sighed, and steeled herself to leave her room.
She wasn't terrified of wandering the dorm during the Dark Hour, no. She'd learned to handle the whole 'water turns into blood' thing, and the green lighting was eerie, but she could deal with that. No, she was worried that she would walk into the hallway to see a silent coffin outside of Hamuko's doorway. She was afraid that her childhood friends would be as helpless as everyone else in the city, that they wouldn't be able to face this nightmare with her and stand by her side. She scolded herself. No, that's selfish! The best thing for them would be to stay unaware of all this. Then they won't be in danger. God, I hope... I don't know what I hope.
Yukari stood up slowly, walking to the door. Her hand shook as she reached for the doorknob. Get ahold of yourself! Don't be a coward. She grabbed the door and wrenched it open, rushing outside and looking down the hallway.
It was empty.
Yukari breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she wouldn't have to face the truth just yet. She knew now what she wanted. She selfishly wanted them to be conscious, because she was tired of feeling scared and alone. She couldn't trust anyone in SEES. She hadn't really trusted anyone for a long, long time. She sighed and turned towards the stairs to go to the command room, only to bump into something. She squealed and stepped back.
"Yukari-chan are you alright? I didn't mean to scare you." Hamuko stood with a worried expression on his face. "I was just going to see Hamuko, but- ah, I… didn't expect to see you." Yukari stared. He seemed okay, no obvious symptoms of adjusting to the Dark Hour. People typically suffered confusion, dizziness, nausea, and an assortment of other symptoms as their bodies rejected the very time period itself as unnatural. She realized several moments had passed while she stared, and hurriedly spoke. "Oh no, you're fine, I just didn't see you there. Eh heh. Sorry." She looked back down the hallway. "I was just, uh, going to the bathrooms myself. A- anyway, have a good..." Yukari looked down. "I… can't do this, this is too awkward. Um... are you okay?"
Minato blinked. "I'm fine, yeah. I mean, uh, I wasn't sure how to broach the topic, but... um, how are you… awake? It's... this time, I've never met anyone else during this time, except Hamuko obviously, and- well, uh, are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine!" Yukari squeaked. "It's just. I didn't know if you'd be… awake either, or if you'd be a- you said that you've experienced this time before?"
Minato nodded. "Yeah, since our- I mean, for as long as I can remember. Hamuko, too. Do you know anything about this time?"
Yukari's eyes widened, then she schooled her expression and pushed her shock aside. She nodded, then thought better of it and shook her head, then hesitated. "W- yeah, I know a few things. I mean, obviously water turns to blood, and people- most people, anyway, turn into coffins, and..." Yukari sighed. This whole thing was not at all close to the plan that Mitsuru had explained to her. "You know, can we save the conversation about this for later? It really is pretty late and we've got a big day tomorrow. We can meet tomorrow evening and talk all about it."
Minato nodded. "Okay, sure. I guess I'll go to bed then. See you in the morning, Yukari-chan."
"Goodnight, Minato-kun."
Yukari went to the bathroom and pondered the situation. Were they really aware of the Dark Hour their whole lives? That's… truly horrifying. I only recently became aware of it, and I'm still scared by it. I can't imagine going through it as a child.
Yukari stood in the bathroom awkwardly. She didn't really need to use them, but she'd used that excuse and so would've felt bad if she hadn't actually stepped inside. She hated going to the bathroom during this time and avoided it whenever possible. Thankfully, the dorm had installed old-fashioned flush toilets without bidets. Flush toilets actually worked because they didn't use any electricity. But the water pooled inside the toilets turned to blood, so the experience was extremely unpleasant. She used hand sanitizer on her way out, glancing at the sink and grimacing. She'd made the mistake of trying to wash her hands when she was new to all this, and it still haunted her.
Back in her room, she lay on her bed and sighed. A small smile crept onto her face. Despite all her fear and anxiety, she found that she felt truly happy. Her dearest friends had returned, and they seemed to act the same as they did a decade ago. The car crash that killed their parents had apparently not ruined their outlook on life like she'd feared. And they didn't turn into lifeless objects at midnight! The very idea of turning into a coffin was extremely unsettling. It seemed like dying for an hour. She might've broken down at the sight of either of the twins like that. She felt guilt mix into her euphoria, but quashed it down. They'll be fine. I haven't been hurt yet by Shadows. We'll all be fine, and we'll have an excellent year together. I can relate to Hamuko's excitement. For the first time in a long time, I've got something to look forward to.
Yukari fell asleep with a smile on her face.