#eh Hamuko’s not major so I won’t tag her

[sirenspells]

Plume of Dusk Minato AU Plot Summary 1/?

Minato and Hamuko Arisato, 8-year-old twin brother and sister, are living in an orphanage after their parents die in a car crash on the Moonlight Bridge. After this traumatizing event, the twins are closer than ever before, and rarely are they ever seen straying from the other’s side.

One day, a strange long-haired man visited the orphanage, and would continue to do so over the next few days. Hamuko couldn’t help but notice how much attention he paid to Minato specifically, and she would always attempt to shield her brother from the man’s vision if she noticed he was there.

Minato was eventually approached by those working in the orphanage, and was told that he would be leaving with that same strange man. Minato and Hamuko protested, desperately asking why Minato was being taken away, and why Hamuko couldn’t go with him, but their pleas were largely ignored. Before Minato was to leave, the twins tightly embraced, and the two promised each other that they would see each other again.

(Warning: very long post under the cut)

The man, who Minato soon learned was named Ikutsuki, took Minato to a laboratory. Surrounded by adults in lab coats, talking in words he couldn’t understand, Minato was terrified, and wanted nothing more than to go back to Hamuko.

Right before blacking out on an operating table, he saw the researchers holding a blue crystal-like object, which they appeared to handle with absolute care.

When Minato woke up, his head hurting and covered in bandages, he was barely given time to recover before he was thrown into some strange arena, and forced to fight these weird creatures, “Shadows”, he’d heard the researchers call. Being only given a sword, one he could barely hold up, he could do nothing but flee from the Shadows’ attacks, until the researchers had had enough fun with him.

As Minato tried desperately that night to fall asleep, he wished that something, anything, could get him out of this place, and back into his sister’s loving embrace.

In Minato’s dream, he was in a vast and empty blue space, with nothing in sight as far as the eye could see. Minato cautiously called out, asking if anyone was there. As he’d expected, no one returned his call. He was alone...

A voice then replied, asking if Minato could hear it. The voice sounded young, very similar to Minato’s own, but it wasn’t coming from any visible source. Minato, frightened, asked who was there.

The voice told him that it was the plume of dusk that the researchers had implanted inside Minato’s brain, and due to this, it now resides within Minato’s mind. Minato asked the voice more questions for clarification, like what exactly a plume of dusk was. When Minato asked it why the researchers wanted to do all this to him, the plume of dusk couldn’t provide an answer, still being new to humans and how exactly they operate. However, it promised that as long as it was residing within Minato’s head, it would try to help him with whatever he needed help with.

As Minato soon learned, the plume of dusk could communicate with him in the real world, as a voice in Minato’s head. The plume of dusk tried to help him in the arena battles, telling Minato when to dodge and how to at least get off some hits with his sword. Though it still wasn’t much, it was still something. The plume of dusk, through listening to the researchers, learned that the point of the researchers implanting a plume of dusk inside Minato was to get him to awaken to a Persona.

As time went on, the plume of dusk started to become more human, even creating a human projection of himself within Minato’s dreams (his human appearance looks like Pharos, but he’s never actually called that).

The researchers finally got their wish when, after being cornered by a particularly fearsome Shadow, Minato finally awakens to his Persona, Orpheus. Unbeknownst to the researchers, however, the plume of dusk had nothing to do with this awakening happening. Orpheus awakened due to extreme stress, and it would’ve happened regardless of the plume of dusk being there or not. Nevertheless, they excitedly announced the experiment a success, but that wouldn’t mean they were quite done with Minato yet.

Meanwhile, Minato decided that the plume of dusk deserved a name, and settled on calling him Ryoji. Ryoji couldn’t be happier with it, especially since Ryoji’s surprised at how much Minato cares about him like he’s an actual person.

The first time Ryoji controls Minato’s body is when a Shadow appears to be near impervious to Orpheus’ fire spells, so Ryoji tells Minato how to switch with him. As it turns out, Ryoji can summon a Persona of his own, Thanatos, which defeats the Shadow with ease. The researchers are shocked, wondering how this subject was seemingly able to summon two Personas. Ryoji, still in Minato’s body, explains everything to them. The researchers now find themselves with a very interesting subject, with Ikutsuki especially being excited about how powerful the two can be.

(breaking away from the seriousness for a bit, Minato asks Ryoji why the latter never told him that he could summon a Persona. Ryoji’s response is “you didn’t ask”, which is the same response Sophia gives in p5strikers when asked the same question. Non-human minds think alike I guess.)

Minato and Ryoji’s success rate in defeating Shadows is better than ever. With their ability to switch who’s controlling Minato’s body, one’s Persona can cover weaknesses that the other can’t. As well, Minato’s physical fighting skills also improve, mostly from watching Ryoji, who is a naturally good fighter.

About a year has passed since Minato was first taken to the laboratory by this point, but he still thinks about Hamuko, and wonders how she’s doing without him. Minato’s resentment towards Ikutsuki is not something he hides from Ryoji, so Ryoji is aware that Ikutsuki is the reason Minato was put into this situation.

Over time, Minato’s desire to leave and find Hamuko becomes very strong, and he finds himself crying in front of Ryoji in his mindscape one night, venting that it’s all Ikutsuki’s fault that he and Hamuko are separated. Ryoji desperately thinks of a way to make Minato happy. Eventually, Ryoji comes to the conclusion that if Ikutsuki is the reason Minato is in pain, then getting rid of Ikutsuki would make him happy. So Ryoji decides he’s going to kill Ikutsuki.

Ryoji takes over Minato’s body and wakes up, and leaves the room to find Ikutsuki. Some researchers try to stop him from leaving, and they realize they’re in trouble when Ryoji summons his Persona to get them out of the way, so he isn’t playing around. As Ryoji searches the lab, trying to find Ikutsuki, Minato realizes what is happening and tries to tell him to stop, but Ryoji insists that he is doing what is best for Minato.

(And Ryoji’s right Ikutsuki’s a little bitch lmao)

When Ryoji finally finds Ikutsuki, he doesn’t hesitate. Thanatos holds Ikutsuki up by the neck, and attempts to choke him. As this is happening, Minato keeps telling Ryoji to stop, saying that he did not want to kill anyone, but Ryoji isn’t yielding, so Minato tries to forcefully rip control away from him. It works, Minato takes control back, and Thanatos immediately disappears, dropping Ikutsuki. He isn’t dead, but gasping for breath after nearly being choked to death. Some researchers force Minato back into his room.

Later, after Ikutsuki’s been given some time to recover, Minato overhears him telling the researchers that they will be removing the plume of dusk, deeming it too dangerous and unstable, and hoping that Minato will still retain his Persona. Minato, not wanting this to happen, asks Ryoji what they will do. Ryoji doesn’t respond however, and Minato realizes that he’s been silent ever since Minato forcefully took back control to stop him.

Minato realizes he’s on his own for now, and finally decides that he has to escape this place. Using Orpheus’ powers, he’s able to make a hole in the wall that he can jump through into the outside world, and Minato runs far away from that lab as fast as he can, finally stopping to sleep on the ground when he thinks he’s safe.

The next morning, Minato tries again to talk to Ryoji, but he’s still met with silence. Minato finds his way to a city, and he sorta just wanders around for a bit. By this point, he’s realized that finding Hamuko will be near impossible, since Minato’s now in a different area than the one that the orphanage was located in, and even then, there’s a possibility that Hamuko’s not even there anymore.

As Minato prepares to try and sleep on the hard cement ground, he makes one last plea to Ryoji to say something, to at least give a sign that he’s still there. That night in his dreams, Ryoji appears before Minato, but with his back to him.

Ryoji apologizes for trying to kill Ikutsuki, and for not stopping when Minato told him to. He insists that the researchers are right, he is dangerous and deserved to be removed, and it seems that he intends on disappearing for good. Minato isn’t letting that happen, though, and runs up and hugs Ryoji. Minato tells Ryoji that he is Minato’s best friend, and that Minato doesn’t want him to disappear, he wants him to stay with him.

Ryoji is once again shocked that Minato sees him as like a real person, but his heart is warmed by that fact. Much to Minato’s relief, Ryoji decides to stay, and the two set up a loose rule for Ryoji: he can only take over Minato’s body if Minato allows him to, and he has to give control back to Minato when he wants it.

The next night, Minato happens to stay up until midnight and for the first time, he and Ryoji witness the Dark Hour. They investigate more as time goes on, and they learn that they appear to be the only ones awake during this time. Minato uses this to steal food from stores, as, being homeless, it is the only way he can possibly survive.

There’s a three year time skip, so Minato is now 12, and he is approached by three people during the Dark Hour, two boys and a girl. The boy with long hair introduces himself as Takaya, with the other boy being Jin and the girl being Chidori. Jin reveals that he’s investigated the Kirijo Group’s records and has discovered nearly everything about Minato, namely that he holds another soul within him and that he is a persona-user.

Takaya makes an offer to Minato, an offer to join their group, called Strega. Takaya gives a vague description of what they do, that they take requests on the internet that they perform during the Dark Hour for profit. When Minato asks why this offer is being made to him, Takaya tells him that, as a fellow child who was experimented on, they thought he’d like for a place to finally belong, instead of just living out his days alone on the streets for the rest of his life.

Minato decides to take their offer, and joins Strega. Takaya says that they’ll go into more detail on what they do tomorrow, and to not expect Ryoji to be exempt, as they’d like to be formally introduced to him as well.

Once they leave, Minato tries to get some sleep. He hopes that he doesn’t regret the choice that he just made.