(This has not been looked at for 3+ years, so enjoy the oldness of it. <_<)


Persona 3: An Extended Version of the ‘Bad’ Ending (1st incomplete draft)

Note:  If you have not played Persona 3 (FES) to its conclusion (or to the end of the in-game year of 2009), I suggest you do not read any further.  The story contains various spoilers and references which may ruin the game for you if you have not yet played it.  You have been warned. :3

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009  -  7:16 PM
Dorm

        “You!”  A voice rang out from down the sidewalk.
        Minato, standing on the strange red symbol which was painted on the concrete only a couple weeks ago, was being flagged down by some random man.  He was in his late 20s and had dark rings under his eyes.  His clothes were beginning to become tattered and in his hands were a handful of flyers which, after a quick glance, were like the ones plastered all across Iwatodai and Port Island.  
        “You, boy!”  The man had reached Minato at the steps up to the dorm building.  “Have you heard?  The end of the world is at hand!  Repent now and await the coming of Nyx!”
        “…” Minato stood silent. It was odd that someone not affiliated with SEES would know anything about the situation at hand. Letting forth a sigh, Minato turned to walk up the steps into the dorm only to be grasped by the back of the shirt by the man.  Swinging him around violently, the man stuffed two or three of the flyers into Minato’s hand and walked off, only to notice yet another person down the street for his crusade.
        That was a member of the ever growing cult which began forming around town.  As Nyx grew near, even the average person began to instinctively realize that their death was growing eminent.  It was very similar to the feelings that well up during a car accident or a mugging, but it was slower, more subtle.  But like with any other “near death” experience, it was taking its physical toll, not only with the increased amount of people with Apathy Syndrome, but the entire town seemed on edge and scared.  How much of that was from their own senses and how much was from the cult’s influence though, no one knew.
        The dorm was quiet upon Minato’s entrance.  The most he could get out of the group were glances, not the usual “Hey Minato” out of at least one of them.  Yukari and Fuuka were busy making dinner; Mitsuru and Akihiko were sitting in the lounge reading as usual but seemed lost in thought.  Ken had gone out with Aigis to walk Koromaru and Junpei had yet to return.
        …

December 30th, 2009  -  10:43 PM
Minato’s Room

        There was a knock at the door to Minato’s room.
        “Minato-kun, are you still awake?”  It was Yukari.
…
Goes to sleep.

December 31st, 2009  ~  8:58 PM (Full Moon)
Dorm Lounge

        Entering the dorm, Minato came across the group sitting around in the lounge…with Ryoji sitting at one of the chairs closest to the door.  Everyone glanced up at his entrance; they had apparently been waiting for him to arrive so they could begin.
        “Ah, there he is,” Ryoji proclaimed through a light smile.  Well, we can begin now.”  Minato took his place to the left of Ryoji.
        “Midnight will be here soon enough.  At that moment, I will become something you would never recognize to be me.  Have you…” he glanced around at the many faces listening intently to his words, “made your choice?”  The group nodded in unison, never saying a word.
        “Very well, I will give you some time.  I shall await him in his room until midnight.  I expect your answer before then.”  He stood up and began to walk away when one final though came to his mind.  “Please, do not factor my life into your decision.  I am to become The Appraiser regardless of what you choose to do, so please, think carefully.  My “life” should be the least of your concerns.”  The group remained silent.  “I shall be waiting…”
        Silence ruled the air for the couple of minutes after Ryoji left.  Mitsuru broke it, turning to Minato, “Have you decided?”  Minato could only stare down, lost in thought.  Upon this response, Mitsuru explained that he need not say.  It was too difficult a choice, they all knew it.
        “How about the rest of you?  Are you decided?” The remainder of the group showed their intent to continue on and fight Nyx, all for their own separate reasons.  Mitsuru turned again to Minato, “So, we’re all agreed?”  The group nodded again, turning to Minato who would be the one to deliver the choice.  He turned, and quietly walked towards the stairs.

December 31st, 2009  ~  9:12 PM (Full Moon)
Minato’s Room

        Ryoji sat upon the bed much as he had done when he assumed the form of Pharos the many months ago.  Upon Minato’s entrance, Ryoji wore a look of reminiscence.  “It’s been some time since we’ve last talked here, even if I didn’t appear like this…”
        “Yeah…”  Minato replied.  His face must have been some kind of sign to Ryoji, for he dropped his head towards the floor…
        “Let me guess, you have decided to allow me to live only to fight a battle you have no chance of returning from.  But listen, you’re the only one now.  The decision is yours alone.  If you kill me, everything that has led up to this, Tartarus, the Dark Hour, all of it will be lifted from you.  You can return to the normal life you once had.  You could enjoy your life until exact moment of the Fall.”
        Minato stood in the middle of the room, unable to make eye contact with Ryoji.  Minato’s silence must have bothered him, as if his words weren’t reaching Minato.
        “Listen to me, if I was to live, you will know exactly when you will die, and you will fear it until it comes.  How hard is it to understand, Nyx is impossible to defeat.  It is useless to go against her.”  He stood up, apparently ready for the answer.  “Do my words make you think…or perhaps you have already made up your mind?”  Silence fell upon the room once more.  Minato couldn’t bring himself to tell Ryoji that he will live after such insistence but neither could he muster the courage to kill him.
        “It seems words have little effect.  You still have some time until the Dark Hour, but that time is too limited.”  He moved forward to a more open part of the room.  “I was hoping I didn’t have to show you, but if you are that undecided, look upon this.”  
        Ryoji, in a flash similar to summoning a persona, had become the monster which climbed out of Orpheus that night long ago.  It looked again like an oversized human with the head of a skull of a unknown being.  In its one hand it wielded a hiltless blade and behind it wore a chain of coffin like adornments strapped to the shoulders.  Minato stared in amazement
        “See now, I am no longer human.”  Ryoji’s voice was…distorted in this form.  “I am to bring death upon this world until I…I am completely satisfied.  I am no longer human; you should have no hesitation in bringing about my end.  Now, there is still time.  Think, is entering a battle that you can not win really the best option?!  All of you are simply confused by the truth…that certain things in this world can never be changed!  You do not see this yet…”  Pain began to fill Ryoji’s tone.  He was as concerned for their lives as they were for his.
        “Memories are fleeting, they’re never concrete.  Unlike the flow of life in this world, they can be changed…molded into a new reality!  Do you not share my desire to end not only your suffering, but the rest of your friends’ suffering as well?!  Think, the decision lies solely upon your shoulders!  Weigh each side carefully, for this is your last chance…give me your true answer…”
        Minato looked up again at the beast which stood before him.  Looking away, he reached for his Evoker.  Ryoji returned to his human form.
        “I see I was finally able to make you understand.  Looking towards the future is a perfectly fine way to live, but that doesn’t mean seeking alternatives is always a bad decision either.  Which fork in the road leads to happiness or to death is never known until it is traveled.”  He too, looked away now.  “You know, I am grateful to have known you.”  He turned back, a real smile now on his face.  “I wonder if this is how it is to die content…”
        Minato, on the verge of tears gripped his Evoker tightly in his coat pocket and drew it up to his head.
        “Thank you, Minato-kun.”
        After the trigger was pulled, the persona and Ryoji gone, time stopped.  Minato could feel the effects already, his memories slowly fading away along with any sense of regret along with them.  As he stumbled to his bed, a powerful sleep came over him which lasted the entire night.

        When he awoke the next day, Minato stood up in a daze.  That karaoke outing must of really took away all his energy.  Holding his head, he remembered stumbling into his room late last night and simply falling asleep in his outing clothes.  Brushing the embarrassment aside, he changed into something more suitable and went back to sleep.  It was winter vacation after all.
        And so, the school year continued on as if nothing had happened.  At the start of the year, Minato was simply assigned to the dorm in some filing mistake where he eventually became friends with Yukari who had been there before him and Junpei who moved in shortly thereafter.  The year was going smoothly.  He had the best grades of his class, star member of the Kendo team; his life could be seen as perfect for a high school student. Of course, nothing was out of the ordinary…

March 3rd, 2010  ~  8:28 AM
Outside Gekkoukan

        “Two days until graduation…” thought Minato as the year drew close its end.  He was approaching Gekkoukan when a voice called out his name.  It was Junpei, running to catch up.  When he finally did, he stopped a bit to catch his breath.
        “Hey Minato-kun.  Man, isn’t it cold today; of course, that’s never stopped you.”  They both let out a slight chuckle at this remark.  “I can’t believe it though, this year is almost over.  We’re pretty much seniors now which means…” he paused a second. “…just one more year until we’re free!  Hey, do ya think something exciting is going to happen this year?”
        “You never know.  I’m not expecting too much considering how this last year had gone.”  Minato couldn’t help showing a slight bit of hope for something though.
        “You’re probably right.  These seniors have done nothing but study all year, talk about boring.  Are going to end up like them?”  He stopped.  “Why…do I feel like I’m forgetting something?  Oh well, it doesn’t matter I guess.”
        They walked on towards the school.  Nearing the doors, Junpei noticed a girl watching them both from behind a tree.  She was blond, wore a hair band, and used a bright red ribbon to compliment her uniform.
“Hey Minato-kun, think she’s looking at us?”  Minato shrugged.  Junpei sighed at Minato’s ever apparent naivety when it came to girls.  “But man, she’s cute.  Why haven’t I seen her around before?”  By this time, Yukari had walked up behind them and cut in.
        “What do you mean you ‘haven’t seen her’?  She lives in the same dorm as we do.”  Junpei couldn’t believe it.  He glanced back and forth to the girl and Yukari.
“Ok then…what’s her name?”  Yukari replied with no answer; she too didn’t know the girl’s name.  “Then why are you giving me such a hard time if you don’t know her name either?!” He sighed again.  “I guess it doesn’t matter, there’s always a shuffle of people in the dorms this time of year.  Like Akihiko-senpai, the boxing team captain, he’s moving away from our dorm at the end of the month.
        “Really?” Yukari was somewhat surprised at this news.  ”I’ve seen him every so often, but I never really got to know him.  But it’s obvious that all the seniors are leaving, even Kirijo-senpai.”
        “The Student Council President?  I almost forgot she lived in the dorms with us as well… Man, I wonder what will happen in a year when we graduate…”  Yukari, thinking about this only for a second turned to the girl in the distance.
        “Hey, is something the matter?” she inquired.
        The girl looked down.  “No…it’s…um…nothing.”  She ran off into the building.
        The three watched on in amazement.  “She looked a little down…”  A smirk came across Junpei’s face.  “Or maybe she’s interested in one of us.”  He was now looking at Minato.
        “Haha, I doubt she would have any interest in you Junpei-kun.  I could maybe see her liking Minato-kun here, but that won’t happen either.” Yukari grabbed his hand, causing him to blush a bit.  She normally wasn’t so public with their relationship.
        #147;Ouch, nice job ruining my hopes Yuka-tan,” replied Junpei as he turned towards the school.  
        “Hey now, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that!”  She began chasing him into the building, trying to catch the now running Junpei, leaving Minato behind in the courtyard.  Laughing a bit, he too walked towards the school.

March 5th, 2010  ~  10:45 AM
Auditorium

        It was the long awaited graduation ceremony.  A few students had given speeches and as the captain of the girl’s swim team had finished her speech, the principle came on the speakers to announce the next speaker.
        “Next up is this year’s valedictorian, Mitsuru Kirijo of Class D.”
        Perfectly on cue, she approached the podium and began delivering her speech.
…
        (Junpei suggests karaoke, ‘smile and nod’.)

March 5th, 2010  ~  9:12 PM
Magragora

        (Karaoke stuffs.)
…

March 31st, 2010  ~  9:02 to 11:59 PM (Full Moon)
Dorm Lounge

        At Mitsuru’s suggestion three weeks ago, there was to be a small party that night for the members of the dorm to celebrate the end of the last school year before both she and Akihiko left for university the next morning.  Aigis was the only one absent.  With the group gathered, Mitsuru brought out a couple of spreads of sushi.  
        ”Ohh, sushi, one of favorites!”  Junpei exclaimed.
        Yukari turned to Junpei, “You forget, you love to eat everything.”
        ”Yeah, but this is different somehow!”  He looked puzzled.  ”Is it just me or does this whole thing situation familiar?”
        ”Now that you mention it…it does feel like we’ve done something like this before…”  The remainder of the group agreed, but the feeling past quickly.  Soon, the food was gone and the lounge was filled with the sounds of conversation and the voice of the female news commentator on the TV.

(Conversation on Apathy Syndrome, Cult, not knowing each other.)

        “At the sound of the tone it will be exactly midnight.”
        Beep.
        Beep.
        Beep.
        Beep!
        The room turned into that familiar, eerie green and the group, in surprise, began to look at each other and made a realization.  All the memories they had lost three months ago: the Dark Hour, Tartarus, Persona, all began flooding back into their minds and a look of horror began to sink into their expressions.  Outside, everyone in the town was also thrown into the unknown dimension and ran around in massive chaos.
        “What’s going on!?” yelled Yukari, trying to speak above the screams from outside.  Everyone had stood up; Junpei ran to the window to look and, from the sight, fell over in shock.
        “It’s…the Dark Hour.”
        With those words, everyone realized exactly what was happening.  They all turned towards Minato with the greatest terror on their faces.  This had been his decision, and all he could do is hang is head in shame and fear.  The group ran outside towards the overbearing tower to watch their fates come to be, only Minato and Yukari remained.
        “Minato-kun?”  He just sat there silent.  “Hey Minato!”  She grasped him on the shoulders and shook him a little.  “How could you!?  My father’s dream…and all we had worked for is now gone!  What‘s going to happen to us!?  What about…our future…together…?”  She began to break down and sob and fell to the seat next to him.
        “Yukari…”  He was at a loss for words.  By killing Ryoji, he had sealed their fate.  There would be no more All that his mind could bring forth was what Pharos had told him almost a year ago right here in this room…

“You will be held accountable for your decisions.
You must accept any and all consequences for your actions.”

Remembering this, he silently stood up and walked towards the stairs.  Yukari, unsure of what to do, followed him all the way up to the rooftop of the dorm…to watch the Fall.

March 31st, 2010  ~  Dark Hour (Full Moon)
Outside Tartarus

        The remainder of the group had reached the entrance to Gekkoukan, to Tartarus.  There was a large crowd there as the tall, mangled tower did bring forth some curiosity from the people, like moths to an electric lamp.  Leading the way, Akihiko pushed people aside to make a path for the group to reach the ground’s gates.
        “Fuuka,” commanded Mitsuru as they waited for Akihiko to open the gate, “Try to figure out what is going on up there.”
        “Eh…sure.”  She summoned Juno and began to scan; however, the persona brought a strange reaction from the crowd.
        “What is that!?”
        “Is it a monster!?”
        “Run away!”
        As the crowd began to move away fear, another one began closing in.  One of the men of this new crowd yelled out, “There they are!  The people who defy the coming of Nyx!  Get them!”
        In no time at all, the group was surrounded by devotees of the cult.  Realizing the danger, the SEES members turned towards the crowd which by then had them pinned to the gate of Gekkoukan.  Koromaru began to bark and snarl, but the crowd kept closing in.  
        “Stupid dog, shut up already!”  One man was apparently very annoyed at Koromaru’s attempts to subdue the crowd and pulled a pistol.  Koromaru turned to see the man, but before he could react, the shot rang out.
        With a single yelp, emotions ran wild.

——————————————————————————————————-

        Aigis, who had forgotten nothing these past three months, ran into the dorm in a fury.  
        “Minato!  Where are you!?”  She had hurried back as soon as she could and was crushed not to see him here in the lounge.  She checked everywhere she could: the desk, the dinning room, his room, the command room, but there was no sign of him.  She walked to the fifth floor.  It was dark except from the glow from downstairs and a slight crack in the door to the roof.  As she moved closer, voices became more distinct…
        “Why did you kill him Minato?”  It was Yukari.  She was standing next to him leaning on his shoulder staring at the mangled tower that was the second most interesting object on the horizon short of the moon.  “You knew we wanted to see this to the end.”
        “I…” he began, “and Ryoji…didn’t want any of you to suffer.”
        She glanced up at him.  “You do realize we’re all suffering here now?  Not only are we going to die, but we’re stuck standing without any possible way to stop it.  All we can do now is wait.”
        “I guess so…”  After some hesitation, he embraced Yukari a little, and, despite the hatred she now harbored for him, setting their end in motion, she didn’t protest.  

(Add more here you fool that can’t write love stories.)

They stood there for some time before gun shots reached their ears and a familiar flash became visible at the base of Tartarus.
        “That was…” Yukari glanced at Minato.  They both realized it.  Someone had summoned their Persona.  They rushed out of the door, right past the hidden Aigis, and ran down the stairs.  Aigis, seeing all this fell to the floor, dismayed.  
        “All I wanted was to protect him…”
        She sat there awhile, her arms over her head, wondering whether she should will herself to him for one last time.

——————————————————————————————————-

        The first gun shot, fired by the cult member, had hit Koromaru in his back end.  In the pain, his persona, Cerberus, went berserk.  Upon its summoning, the cult member began unloading his weapon into the persona.  The bullets simply glanced off or were evaded.  A grandest of snarls came across the three-faced dog, making the mob run off in fear.  With a harmonized, deathly howl, the entire mob disappeared into the dark, endless void that was the skill “Mudo”.  The group, shocked by the turn of events, rushed to Koromaru’s aid as the persona retreated back.
        “Koro-chan!” cried Ken, the first to reach the now dying dog.  He picked him up gently as the rest of the group gathered around.  Koromaru let out a small bark when the group finished assembling, and then fell limb in Ken’s arms.
…

December 31st, 2009  -  6:30 AM (Full Moon)
Minato’s Room

        Wakes to find it was all a dream. (The ~ sections.)
…

December 31st, 2009  -  8:58 PM (Full Moon)
Dorm Lounge

        As Minato entered, he stopped in the middle of the doorway, staring at the group.  It was perfect Déjà vu, exactly like his dream.  “Ah, there he is,” Ryoji proclaimed through a light smile, right on cue.  Well, we can begin now.”  Minato closed the door slowly and moved to his mark.
        Ryoji once again gave his speech and left the group alone to confer one last time.  Minato, still in a daze that the events were playing out exactly as in his dream, didn’t hear Mitsuru ask for his answer.  It didn’t make much difference anyways, for she interpreted it as the equivalence of his original silence.  
        So then, what was that dream?
…

December 31st, 2009  -   9:12 PM (Full Moon)
Minato’s Room

“We…want to see this to the end.”
…




Liberties / Author Notes:

- There was some kind of media (a manga I think) which named the main character “Minato”.  I’m using this since it’s the only name that I’ve come across (plus I think it fits him well somehow, lol.)

- Sorry Koromaru dies, but everyone has to ‘die’ in the “bad ending”. >_> Resolve doesn’t come easy mind you.

- If I were to sit here and write a novel which outlined the entire game, I would not have Minato love a total of 6/7 girls (Yukari, Fuuka, Mitsuru, Yuko, Chihiro, Aigis, and ‘Elizabeth’) throughout the novel.  Since many jokes where made throughout the game about Minato and Yukari ultimately being together, I choose that to be the primary “love” of the story.  Of course, there’s always Aigis…  Here’s how I see it, in the bad ending, Yukari ‘wins’ with her last moments with Minato, and the good ending Aigis ultimately wins (as I hope you know already).  I hope that makes sense.

- Use of “school break” in the middle of March.  While the “Calendar” in P3 suggested that school continued after Graduation/Closing Ceremony even to the Open Ceremony I assume is in April 2010, in my mind, that makes little sense.  Of course, I’m American and I don’t quite grasp the Japanese school system all too well, but I left this time “open” where the character were free to do things.  (note to self, add something to the M/Y bit)

- Concerning the use of March 31st; the full moon of March 2010 is supposed to be the 30th, but considering I’m using the starting events of P3FES to shape the start to the “bad ending” dream, I wanted it to align up, thus the use of the 31st.  I prefer this because I assume that the Fall would have taken place at the night of March 31st if the protagonist ultimately choose to kill Ryoji, thus, in my opinion, this is part of the reason the “time skip” of FES occurs then.  ”The fact a future exists and being able to access it are two entirely different things.”  While I may not have finished FES at the time of writing this, I assume this to mean that their actions allowed for the future to exist, but because the Fall was supposed to happen regardless (since Nyx is ‘undefeatable’), …beh, it’s too hard to explain.  Just trust my (retrospectively wrong) logic.

Known Plot Holes:

~ How does the group have Evokers at Tartarus?  (Fuuka and Koromaru are known to be able to summon Evoker-less, but with how the story is going in my mind, how do the rest of them have them?)