It's Over No Longer, I Feel it Growing Stronger Who: "Team" 4: Minato, Micchin, Mitsuya, Masahiko and Muzume--er, Suzume! What: The first night in Yggdrassil for the members of Team M. When: The night of April 2nd, 2011 - probably around 10 PM. Where: Unknown location amongst the branches of Yggdrassil. Minato was...how old? The teenager couldn't remember his own age and he shrugged mentally. He was a teenager still. He was leaning against a tree in the central shopping district, his posture slumped with one hand in his pocket. His other hand held his cellphone. His headphones were on, blasting the group Kotoko's music in his ears as he continued to stare at the piece of technology in his hand.
The screen was on his list of contacts. The SEES members. Junpei and Yukari. The other friends he'd made in Gekkoukan High. Should he call them?
It had taken the entire day to ensure that yes, he'd really been signed up for Bikanhigure and yes, all the papers were in order. Someone had paid his dorm room fees for the entire year and even covered the hospital bills. The hospital had kept him most of the day before he'd gone to see if the papers about his enrollment were true - they'd been so curious about poking him and scanning his brain to make sure he wasn't going to pass out as soon as he left the building.
During all this, Minato had just wondered why he was awake. He'd chosen to become a barrier against Nyx and that had resulted in his coma. Why was he awake? Why was he awake when he could still feel Nyx pressing on him, testing to see if the barrier was still in place? It had to be, because the world hadn't ended yet. He could still feel that barrier, somehow.
What had happened?
Ultimately, this is why Minato hesitated to call. What if he slipped away again in a few days? How was he supposed to know what this meant? Sure, he missed his friends, but he wasn't sure...
He snapped his cellphone shut and tilted his head back against the bark of the tree. He watched the silver moon, a cloud obscuring part of it from view for a moment. Maybe they were looking at it too. Slowly, his eyes began to shut. It was late, but he didn't mind getting in trouble with the dorm leader tonight. He liked how peaceful it was at this moment, as if nothing could go wrong--
Why was he falling?
Yggdrassil Eyes snapping open in time for his back to slam into the hard bark of a tree branch, Minato cringed. Raising himself up and sliding his hands into his pants, he glanced around. This felt familiar. This felt very familiar. The look was entirely different with trees as far as the eye could see (hell, he was standing on a branch that seemed to form a wide road of sorts) and...ah.
There it was. In the distance he could see blue-masked formless, black creatures scurrying about. He looked down at his hands. No obvious weapons aside from those...and the Evoker that had been left in a package for him to open when he awoke in the hospital. The nurses had said a woman in blue had left it. His Evoker.
A slow smile crept into his features. Tonight was going to be an interesting night.
[Song referenced: Breaking Benjamin - Until the End.]