Persona 3: Are We Still Twins?

The Dark Hour

Makoto's POV 

Yukari was outside two large doors which I could only assume led to the meeting room Mitsuru-senpai requested I go to after school. She averted her eyes as I approached. I hadn't tried to avoid her at school, but we hadn't spoken all day.

"Spite helps no one." I told her not moving from the stairs. The decision had come from Igor's words and the assumption of what Mitsuru was going to talk about. I felt it would be better if she knew.

"Does..." She started after a moment, "Does that mean you're not mad about yesterday?"

"Of course I'm mad about  it." I replied. "I'm mad, but I will not spite you."

I walked forward, breaking Yukari out of whatever trance our conversation had put her in. She turned around and opened the door. On the left side of the room, there was a bank of consoles beneath a large screen. Though I barely took notice of it for In the center room there was a low table with a chair at its head occupied by a man I didn't know. Mitsuru sat on the couch to the right of the couch to the right of the table. A male student I didn't recognize was sitting on an ottoman stool the same color as the couch. He had silver hair cut above the ears, and gray eyes like mine. Instead of the black school jacket he wore a short sleeved, red, sweater vest.

"Hello." The man in I didn't recognize said. "My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the board for your school. Other than me, the only other person you don't know is Sanada yes?"

"Akihiko Sanada." Said the student seated on the ottoman. "It's nice to meet you."

"Please have a seat." The chair man said.

Yukari had seated herself at the opposite end of the couch from Mitsuru. I took the ottoman opposite her, noticing black gloves on Akihiko's hands.

"I hate to get straight to the point," The chairman continued, "But would you believe me if I told you that there were more than twenty-four hours in a day?"

"You're referring to Midnight." I answered. My assumption correct.

"You know about the Dark Hour?" Yukari exclaimed as if she expected me to not to.

"I've known about it for a while." I replied. "Electronics stop working, everyone becomes a coffin, the sky and moon change colors. No one would believe such a story without experiencing it for themselves."

"Quite true." the chairman agreed. "As you are well aware the Dark Hour is a time period hidden between one day and the next. Only those with the potential are active during this time period."

"Potential?" I inquired.

"You saw those monsters." Akihiko said. "We call them Shadows. They only appear during a Dark Hour and attack anyone not in a coffin. The only way to fight them is with a Persona."

"Persona is the term for the power you awakened to the other night." Mitsuru explained. "We are the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. S.E.E.S. for short."

"On paper we are classified as a school club." The chairman continued. "In reality, this group is composed of Persona-users dedicated to defeating the shadows."

"Now that I've awakened to my Persona you want me to join S.E.E.S." I finished for them.

"That's correct." Mitsuru confirms. "You've seen the incidents on the news haven't you, and the uprising of Apathy Syndrome. Most of those cases are caused my shadows, if not all of them."

"We've prepared an evoker for you." the Chairman states. Standing while he picked up a silver briefcase I hadn't noticed next to his chair. He walked to where I was sitting and placed it on the table in front of me. When opened, it revealed the same type of gun Mitsuru and Yukari had, a holster, belt, and a folded up armband which I assumed said S.E.E.S. "What do you say?" He asked.

"Don't think I haven't noticed your propaganda." I answered. "It's not such an easy decision."

"You don't have to join if you don't think you can handle it." Yukari said with a slightly downcast expression. Though I had to admire her courage of bringing up the option that they clearly didn't want me to choose.

"I'll think about it." I replied standing up.

"Let me know when you've reached your decision." Mitsuru requested as I headed towards the door.

I didn't reply before I left the room, and headed downstairs. A debate already roaring in my mind; which didn't go anywhere as I struggled to focus on my homework. No one had bothered me, which was good, but I had just as many excuses not to join them as reasons I had to join them.   

Glancing at the clock, I saw that Midnight was approaching. Not Midnight, the Dark Hour. Strange to think of it with a different name. Would I need to adjust to the new name? Perhaps not if I refused. Still, that wasn't a valid reason. I sighed, placing down my pencil. When Midnight hit, I had put away my school work. Though there was a surprised waiting on my bed.

"Hello." said the young boy that was in the dorm lobby the night I arrived. "It seems you've come to a crossroads. And so early on too." He continued, as if it were completely normal for him to be sitting on my bed.  

"How did you get in here?" I asked, masking my anxiety. 

"That's a secret." he replied playfully, giving a childish smile. 

His attire hadn't change since I had last seen him. He was not a visible threat, but there was something off about him I hadn't noticed before. 

"By crossroads," I began, "Do you mean the decision I am facing." 

The boy giggled, "You're perceptive." He said. "You have to survive long enough to achieve your goal, but you don't just want to do nothing while defenseless people are attacked. Certainly two difficult paths to choose from." 

"And just how do you know so much?" I asked.

"I'm always watching you." The boy replied, as if it wasn't anything to be worried about. "I'll always watch you, even if you forget about me." 

"Are you here just to observe," I said not giving into nerves, "Or do you plan to help me?"

The boy giggled again. "I can't directly help you, but I can give you advice based on my memories. Speaking of which, I have a piece of advice for you now."  

The boy seemingly teleported from my sitting on my bed to standing near the foot of it. He gave me another childish smile before saying, "Stay with these people for a little while longer. You may be surprised at what you find."  

He disappeared into thin air. I stood dumbly for a while contemplating how relevant his advice was. Then an answer hit me. A simple half-truth, that I wouldn't feel guilty telling. 

A/N: 

Oh my god that was a longer break than I wanted. For anyone who has waited this long and is still wants to read this really bad fanfiction, you can expect updates at least twice a month. I also thank you greatly for your patience. I hope you continue to be patient with me in the coming chapters. Also, if anyone has an improved title for this chapter, please comment it. I do not think that the title I ultimately decided to go with is fitting at all.