Fandom:: Persona 3
Pair:: Implied Akihiko/Mitsuru/Shinji
Summary:: Breathe into me the salvation of the end
Miles of unmarrred territory sprawled across the countryside. Quaint farms chock full of horses and cows and a managerie of other barnyard animals dotted amber waves of grain. Cerulean skies shone down crowned by a beautiful sun carressing the newfound world in its bliss. The touch burned her skin. Mocked the despairs wrenching her heart apart. She didn't want this. To be dragged into some far off country with a man forced upon her far away from everything she'd ever known because of some arrangement her grandfather made. Her namesake, her curse. This isn't what she wanted. She wanted to tear the sun from the skies and rip it into a thousand little pieces so there remained only darkness. Darkness was safe. It was all she'd ever known.
"Cheer up, Ms. Kirijo." the smug face of her fiance smiled from across the seat. Mitsuru did not even feign interest in the farms. She just let it all fly by as everything important had done. Akihiko, Yukari, Junpei, everyone was so far away from her. Forever just a plesant daydream. Minato had given himself, who knows where he was now somewhere far at the planet's core. Shinjiro...
Shinji...
The train lurched to a stop and her fiance held out his arm. She took the man's hand and followed in mechanical obedience. He meant nothing to her. The only men she'd ever cared for were long gone. She was a Kirijo. her own parents had been thrust together much like this strange man and herself. They had learned to love. Losing Shinjiro had tainetd her homely innocence. She was no housewife. She was a warrior. She had the heart and soul of a leader, a broken, screaming leader.
How many tears had she shed since the fall?
"We're here." the vacation home was vastly out of place with the idyllic setting. Pristine and expensive, richly carved and polished. It made her sick to see such beauty broken by manufactured perfection. She hated this man. Hated this place. She just wanted to run away.
"It's very nice." The hand on her own squeezed harder sensing his betrothed's foul mood.
"Lighten up. This is your place now, at my side. No more running about gallavanting like some Amazon. You're higher up than those commoners."
Silently she took every word.
"You're right." She pulled away, feigning a smile of happiness to shake him off. "I think I'll go check out the farm nearby. I've always wanted to learn to ride." This man hated nature. A sure way to get away for awhile.
As expected he scowled. "Be back by dark. We have matters to discuss."
Matters to discuss, certainly. Consiously she held the clasp of her blouse tight. To this man she was but money and power with a pretty face. She nodded her agreement and tore out the house running as fast as she could down the dirt road.
Away from the foul prison she slowed her step. Tears blurred the sandy trails she wove through, not caring where she ended up. Akihiko.. Shinjiro.. the memories flooded back to her. Party days at middle school, clubbing and dancing and provocative chaos-seeking. Aki's warm arms and Shinji's strong lips. They completed her, they three were inseperable until the accident. The Shinji she'd seen when he looked upon them with his last breath was the Shinji she knew. Reckless and free Shinjiro, strong and fearless. He'd protect them... it was all an act. He loved her.. He loved them...
"S-Shinji..." She fell to the dirt, screaming into palms. "Come back to me.. I need you Shinji!" Not even Akihiko could save her now. No one could hear her. She was trapped. There was no escape.
....Suru...
A voice on the wind...
Don't cry....
...No.. His voice...
Suru baby.. C'mon, stop your pouting.
Shinji's voice...
A loud, high whinny from behind snapped the redhead to attention. She whirled about, instinctvely yanking free her evoker. The pistol fell to the dirt with a clank.
Black hair whipped wild in the wind, muscles bulging beneath strong shoulders of a magnificent black stallion. Haunting eyes watched the heiress, tender orbs of liquid pyrite. This was no ordinary animal. It turned to leave, flames as black as the night disturbing the dirt with every swish of its tail. It ascended the hill and looked back as if to ask her to follow. Running forward she slung up onto the stallion coiling her arms tight around its neck.
"Take me away1" She cried, "Take me away from here. Anywhere! Shinji... Shinji..."
As you wish....
Miles blurred into seconds. Heavy hoofbeats tore across the dirt trails into the pastures. Sun turned to pale moonshine as day succumbed to night. Memories rushed back into her eyes. Dreams and whispers of Shinjiro and the others. Comfort, security and strength. She leaned into the animal, into the tenderness and warmth it brought.
It stopped at the edge of a beach. Ocean waves lapped lazily at the beasts's hocks and it lowered to let her dismount. She slid off the horse and tred into the breaking sea puzzled by the stallion's intent. It didn't seem natural.. how fast the night had come.
Strong, familiar hands touched her shoulders. Hot breath carressing her ear and throat as that warm voice drifted out of her memory and into reality. Pesky hands worked the buttons on her blouse, pulling her back against a familiar body. Only one man could ever be so bold to handle her like this. One of the two men she had gven her life and soul to.
"Shinji....?"
The illusion of Shinjiro nodded. He turned her to face him, brushing her hair away from her face. Eyes filled with tears and she let out a horrible wail into her fallen lover's shoulder, screaming and crying the months of pain she had endured alone. Shinji.. No.. No this was too cruel. Too painful. He wasn't here on the beach.. He wasn't here holding her... Castor had led her here... but why?
"Shinji.."
You're so sad...
"I miss you... Shinji... They've taken me away from everyone. Akihiko... Everyone.. I can't do this anymore Shinji. The Kirijo Group means nothing to me without my friends. without my lovers... I need you.. I need you! I love you Shinjiro...."
Were it not for the hands holding her up she would have been on the ground in tears. She clung to the figure's cold shoulder sobbing pitifully. Shinji held her, letting the living soul wail its misery unto his shoulder. She wasn't ready for him to go. She wasn't ready to be alone like this.
Slowly he closed the space between their lips. Mitsuru shivered at the death chill holding tight to the specter for dear life. Hopeless eyes pleaded for salvation. Salvation only he could lend. "Take me with you..."
Breathe into me..
Returning the kiss she closed her eyes...
Ms. Mitsuru Kirijo was reported dead the next morning.
Cause of death was determined to be a suicidal drowning.
Breathe your life into me
I can feel you
I'm falling, falling faster
Breathe your life into me
I still need you
I'm falling, falling
Breathe into me
Breathe into me
--Red "Breathe Into Me"
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