Disclaimer: I don't own Persona.

A/N: Well, here we go. I've been planning this for a while and its something I always wanted to do. Talked a lot with The Infamous Man regarding this fic and I'm grateful for the helping hand he's lent me in the development of this. Let's get started!

...But before I do, I'd like to point out a couple things. I know most of you are probably rolling your eyes at the prospect of another author's attempt to novelize the entirety of Persona 3. I know there's already a handful of fics like it on the site. Even still, I love the Persona series and want to take a shot at it. So, here's some things to know about this fic:

1) Both Protagonists are included in this fic. MaleMc and FemMc. Named Minato Arisato and Hamuko Runako respectively. They ARE NOT RELATED and they will NOT BE PAIRED TOGETHER.

2) Both are Wild Cards. Both are guests of the Velvet Room. Each will have their own set of Social Links. Some might even be new.

I believe that should do for now. Anyone here still interested? For those remaining, I hope you enjoy the story.

Prologue: Two Fools

"Welcome… to the Velvet Room…"

An old man with bulging eyes and a long nose smiles as he seems to address someone who cannot be seen. He sits on a couch with a table set in front of him. The entire room is blue, and the couch and cloth that covers the table compliment that, being the same dark hue as the room. Strangely though, if one were to take a moment to look around they would notice doors set off to the side of the room. Behind the strange old man there is no wall, but a large gate with a large clock in the middle of it. The room appears to be an elevator of some sort, moving upwards at a fast pace…

"This is a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter." The old man says. "My name… is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Igor chuckles to himself, as if something has amused him.

"It has been years since we've had a guest… though two at once is a rare thing indeed…"

As he says this, the strange man gestures to two pieces of paper on the table in front of him.

"Both of you sign your names here, please."

Without a word, two figures whom the man appears to be speaking to step forward and sign their names on the paper.

Igor glances down at the two parchments and nods, waving his hand over them as he does. The two papers disappear.

"Thank you." Igor says with a smile. "The contracts you both just signed state that the two of you will take full responsibility for your actions. I am pleased that neither of you were hesitant about accepting the terms and conditions. It says a lot about you as people."

Igor chuckles again as his guests both nod. A deck of cards is suddenly on the table.

"Do either of you believe in fortune telling?" Igor asks. "Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different. Now… why don't we see what fate is reflected in the cards? Which of you would like to go first? Hm… let's start with you."

All the cards fan out as Igor waves his hand over the deck, never touching it. One card flips over.

"The Fool, in the upright position." Igor says with a smile. "This card indicates the kind of person you are now. You are free of worries. Free of burdens. You take pleasure in finding out where life takes you. Of course, this also means you are quite immature and naïve."

Another card flips over.

"Fitting that The Magician would follow, hm?" Igor chuckles. "In the upright position, this card indicates growth and progress. Maturity. Gaining strength to overcome life's trials and a clear focus on your goals along with appreciating what is in front of you. This shows what kind of person you will become in the future. Now, about the kind of trials you will face…"

A card flips over.

"The Moon, in the reversed position. When reversed this card suggests fear and denial. The trials you will face will certainly be difficult to face, but beware of your own delusions and keep your emotions under control. You will be faced with pain and heartache, but remember that actions have consequences and decisions made based on fear or emotion are rarely any good. But…"

The card in front of The Moon flips over.

"…Do not be discouraged. The Sun in the upright position is proof of your capability to overcome your hardships." Igor smiles, gesturing to the card. "This card represents happiness. In time depression fades, enthusiasm merges with experience, and you regain former optimism. If you persevere, you will reach the light of a new day."

The cards shuffle themselves back into the tarot deck when Igor waves his hand over them once again. His smile never leaves his face.

"Now for the other one… let's see what kind of person you are and what your future holds."

With a flick of his wrist, the cards shuffle and spread out once again. The first card reveals itself.

"Oh… The Hermit, in the reversed position." Igor notes with interest. "This card shows what kind of person you are currently. You isolate yourself from others. You don't dislike people, but you find it hard to be around them. Yet, even if some of this isolation is brought upon by yourself, you do not wish for it. The card that indicates who you will become in the future is…"

Another cards flips over and Igor smiles.

"The Emperor, in the upright position." Igor chuckles. "It represents power, stability, and leadership. You will become a person who can be counted on, looked up to, trusted and respected. A far cry from your current self, no? Now, let's see what trials you will face personally in the future…"

Once again, another card reveals itself.

"Hm… Death, in the upright position." Igor says. "This is not a bad card as one might think. It represents transformation and rebirth. New beginnings. During your journey you will cast aside old lifestyles and habits, indication of your change of person. The change will not be easy, but it will only be for the better. The card that comes at the end of your trials to come is…"

A different card is shown.

"The Hanged Man in the upright position. Once again, not a bad card, and quite fitting given your fortune so far." Igor chuckles. "It represents greater understanding. Contemplation and acceptance. It is a card of faith and trust. It seems your trials will lead you to many new thoughts and feelings."

The cards shuffle themselves back into the deck and Igor stares ahead as he folds his hands together in front of him.

"These are fortunes that indicate your future as individuals, and of the trials that will cause great changes within the two of you." Igor smiles from behind his hands. "But there is one more fortune to tell. It is of the journey you two will share in the coming future."

Three cards are in front of the deck. The first flips over.

"Once again, The Fool, in the upright position." Igor chuckles. "It indicates the beginning of the journey that's in store. As your fortunes already suggested, it is one that holds new experiences and difficult trials that you two will need to overcome."

The second card flips over.

"Next is… The Tower, in the upright position." Igor says solemnly. "There will be tragedies that befall you both during the course of this journey and you will have to endure. Whether this misfortune is brought upon by yourselves or by others, I cannot say. All I can say for certain is that these times will be the most difficult for you."

The final card flips over, and Igor smiles once again.

"But fear not, for The Star in the upright position is the final card and represents the climax of your journey." Igor grins. "It is hope for the future. In spite of all you have faced, a happy future can still be forged so long as you strive forward. However, it is up to you to grasp onto that future. Promising indeed, no?"

The three cards return to the deck and disappear. A new voice suddenly makes itself heard.

Unnoticed until now are two people standing next to Igor. One a young woman, and the other a young man. The woman speaks.

"Our new guests are most interesting, aren't they?" The woman smiles.

"As are their destinies." The young man adds with a smile of his own.

"Indeed." Igor chuckles. "However, I believe proper introductions must wait for now. Do not be alarmed, for we will meet again very soon. Until that time comes… farewell."

The blue room and the three residents inside it fade away…

"Attention passengers."

Minato opened his eyes blearily as the train conductor's announcement sounded over the intercom. He glanced around the train as the conductor went on.

"We apologize for the delay earlier. We will be arriving at Iwatodai in just a few minutes."

The young man sitting in one of the seats, Minato Arisato, sighed as he heard the announcement. It looked like he had fallen asleep during the train ride, and if it weren't for the fact that one of his headphones had fallen out or he might have slept through the conductor's announcement and missed his stop. That would have been troublesome. Minato rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn as he sat up straight. His head felt fuzzy. Had he been dreaming…?

Shaking his head to get rid of his grogginess, Minato fixed his left headphone back onto his ear as he got up and stood next to the door. Minato turned up the volume of his mp3 player as the music of his favorite artist filtered through his earphones. He had bought Shoji Meguro's new album before leaving for Iwatodai and it was already proving to be his favorite one yet.

The song he was currently listening to, "Burn My Dread" was his favorite song in the album.

The monorail doors opened and Minato stepped out into Iwatodai station. He ignored the announcements of other arriving and departing trains as he took out the directions he had received that would lead him to the dorm where he was supposed to stay at. He glanced up at a clock on the wall as he left the station.

"Almost midnight…" Minato muttered. If it weren't for train's departure being delayed, he would've arrived a lot sooner. He hoped that either the dorms didn't lock up or if they did that someone was there to let him in when he got there.

Minato stepped out into the streets of Iwatodai. Even late at night the city was still bustling with activity. Lights blared from all around him and cars were honking at those going too slow. Minato turned the volume of his headphones up until his music drowned out the sounds around him. He took the few steps down from the station.

Behind him, both hands of the clock struck twelve.

The world transformed.

Minato blinked as everything stopped. Darkness swallowed the light and the frenzy of activity from before was gone. The atmosphere was eerie and silent as his surroundings and the sky above took on a sickly greenish hue. Minato glanced up at the large moon above. Unmoving clouds framed the large orb that served as the only source of light in the dark world. Minato gave an annoyed sigh as he ran a hand through his blue locks and continued on his way.

His mp3 player had stopped playing right in the middle of the song's climax.

Minato ignored the countless numbers of coffins that surrounded him and when he stumbled into a puddle he wasn't at all fazed by the water's disturbing reddish coloring. He walked through the city at his own pace as he followed the directions he had been given. With no people around to get in his way and with time at a current stand still, he arrived at the dorm in record time. An hour was a fraction of the time he had thought it would take to navigate through the new city he'd be living in for the rest of his high school years.

He took a few seconds to stare at the dorm he'd be staying at for the time being. Apparently part of the boys' dorm was being renovated so he'd stay at the girls' dorm for a while. As a teenage boy, part of him was happy about that but it wasn't anything to get worked up about. It wasn't like he was particularly smooth with the members of the opposite sex in his opinion. He just hoped the residents would be able to tolerate someone with a Y chromosome sticking around for a few days until he was able to move out.

Minato didn't bother knocking on the door, knowing that no one would be able to answer and was relieved to find out that the door was unlocked. He checked over his bag and made sure that he hadn't lost any of his belongings before stepping inside the building. Minato found himself in a lobby of some sort. He set his bag down on the ground as the door closed behind him.

"You're late. I've been waiting a long time for you."

Minato blinked when he suddenly heard a voice next to him. He turned and was surprised to find a small boy in black and white striped clothing sitting on the lobby desk smiling at him. The boy stood out in the silent green atmosphere, appearing almost like a ghost in Minato's eyes…

"No one can escape time." The boy said, smiling eerily at him. "It delivers us all to the same end. You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes. You can't pretend it doesn't exist."

The boy's form shimmered and faded away into the darkness.

"And so it begins…"

The cryptic message echoed in Minato's ears as the boy disappeared. The young man was silent, unsure of what to make of the strange encounter.

"…Who's there!?"

Minato turned to see a girl with brown hair staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"H-How can you be… but it's…!" The girl gasped.

But Minato wasn't focusing on her face or words. No, his attention was drawn towards the gun in the holster strapped to the girl's thigh. So many strange events occurring after he had only just arrived was overwhelming. Minato took a tentative step back as he watched the girl warily.

Apparently making any sort of movement was the wrong course of action to take, evident by how the girl's eyes widened in panic as she reached for the gun…!

But then suddenly, the door behind Minato swung open with a loud bang. The blue haired boy saw stars as the door's edge slammed into the back of his head and brought him to the ground. Through the pain he could hear the girl gasp and another voice shout out.

"Takeba, wai-!"

The stern command was drowned out by an enthusiastic third voice that came from behind him.

"Hello! Hamuko Runako is here~! I… eh?"

Minato groaned as his music turned back on. One of his earphones had fallen off again. Because of that, he was able hear the girl behind him stammer her apology.

"O-Oh my gosh! I'm SO sorry!" The girl, Hamuko, stammered as she knelt down and tried to help Minato up. "I didn't know you were there! I didn't mean to hit you!"

"I-It's fine…" Minato muttered, hissing as he rubbed the bump that was already forming. "I'll live…"

He glanced at the girl who was checking him over. Her wavy brown hair was held up by a few hairclips while her expression was apologetic. But what really stood out were the girl's eyes. They were a deep redish color, shining at him with worry behind them. And she was still talking.

"Still, you should probably… wait a second, I thought this was the girls' dorm. What's a guy doing here?" Hamuko asked, suddenly giving the boy she had knocked over a suspicious look.

She blinked when she finally took notice of the two other girls in the lobby. The one with brunette hair and a pink shirt was staring at the two of them in confusion while another girl with red hair just looked surprised and didn't know what to say. Hamuko's eyes homed in on what the first girl was holding in her hand. She tilted her head to side in both curiosity and confusion.

"What's with the gun?"

A/N: The Journey has started. Here we go...

I hope this has been a good enough of a hook to get at least a few people interested. I love character interaction and development, both points the Persona series is known for and plan to have fun with it. That said, I'm not going to completely railroad the story and will add in a couple twists here and there, but I promise to remain faithful to the series. Nothing too outlandish. I look forward to developing both Minato and Hamuko as two separate characters and seeing how two protagonists will shape the Journey.

Anyway, I thank anyone who decided to take a glimpse at the story as it's taking its first steps and if you decide to stick around to watch it grow, I'm grateful. Any feedback or comments regarding the story's start is appreciated, and I wish you all happy days.

Kiiam