Title: White Hand
Length: about 1 500 words
Rating: K+
Pairing: none
Summary: After awaking from a nightmare Minato tries to escape his worried comrades.
Special thanks: to my Beta-Reader AnimaBaya again. Thank you very much for helping me out! Especially with this one! It was a real pain at the beginning, huh?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything of SMT Persona 3 / 4.
Author's note: I actually wrote this oneshot in the middle of the night. I tried to depict Minato a little different from how I normally do. I would really like to hear your thoughts about this one! Have fun! ^_^
White Hand
They are waiting for me. They need my help…
I run up the endless staircase, his words echoing alongside my hastening feet.
Time does not wait.
It delivers us all equally to the same end.
You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes.
The stairs won't end...
And so it begins...
Cold, slippery hands grab my feet. I fall. The shadow pulls me back into the darkness. I reach out; searching for anything I could hold onto. I find nothing.
But I need to help them..!
I'm being dragged deeper into the endless darkness...
A white hand reaches out for my neck. It lifts me up.
I see our reaper...
My brother...
Thanatos...
Death...
The end of everything.
"Stop it!"
I opened my eyes, panting heavily.
~Windless night~
~Moonlight melts~
~My ghosty shadow...~
I rubbed my eyes, still trying to catch my breath.
"...nato! ... Oi! Minato!"
I looked up. Shinjiro-senpai was glaring at me. But at the same time his eyes seemed to shine with a somewhat worried expression. I didn't understand, so I took my headphones off, which were still playing "Burn my Dread" at maximum volume.
As I did so, Koromaru rushed around the corner, barking loudly. He stopped next to senpai's feet and looked up at me, observing.
"Are you alright, senpai?"
Ken-kun, who had seemingly followed the dog, stopped right behind him.
All three of them were looking at me worried. I opened my mouth, to ask them what was wrong, when I felt a stinging pain hurting my throat. As I lifted my hand to touch the aching spot, I realized what had happened.
I got up, startling the three in front of me with my sudden movement.
I'd been dreaming ... again. But this time I had used my voice.
As the shaking of my hands was getting stronger, I knew I had to get out of here. I couldn't let them see me like this.
"I'm going for a walk..."
My usual calm voice wasn't as convincing as it should have been, since a hoarse one had taken its place. I quickly rushed for the door, seeing that Shinjiro-senpai was about to stop me, while Ken-kun and Koromaru could only watch in confusion.
"Oi, Minato! What the hell's wrong with you?"
I opened the door as I heard footsteps on the stairs coming nearer and barking filling the lounge.
"But Senpai! It's rai-"
I slammed the door close.
As I jumped down the entrance stairs, cold drops were landing on my face. It was raining heavily and I knew; without an umbrella I would be soaked in no time. But I didn't care and only kept on running.
I tried to get my thoughts back into order.
Why did I have to scream? I usually never even make a sound...
Everytime I wanted to cry out, I couldn't. But this time it was different... They saw something they shouldn't have...
Me, frazzled.
I shoved my hands into my pockets, frustrated.
Why did I have to fall asleep in the lounge anyways?
I should have known what was going to happen. After all, the nightmares haunted me as soon as I closed my eyes... I snorted.
But this time the dreaming had been even worse. The image of Thanatos returned. I clutched my head. It had burned itself deeply into my mind just like the words echoing from the darkness.
The end of everything.
I closed my eyes and put my headphones back on.
I set the volume to max.
~Far in mist a tower waits~
~Like a merciless tomb~
~Devouring the moonlight...~
I was still running, not wanting to stop. My feet led me to Naganaki shrine and I ascended the stairs. As I looked up to the end of the stairs, it started to rain heavier. I ran faster so that I could make it beneath the roof of the shrine before my clothes were completely soaked.
But as I did, my sight suddenly became hazy and I started to feel light headed. I clutched my head, still running, and as I looked up again I saw the endless staircase of my dream in front of me.
You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes.
And I fell.
My face met the pebbled ground. I closed my eyes, not wanting to get up anymore. I waited for the white hand, reaching out for my neck.
~I rush straight ahead~
~With a sword in hands~
~Cold touch of...~
The cold rain was pouring down on me, just like the thousands of tears my eyes shed in the last years and as the heavenly drops washed away the images my mind had created I suddenly felt something. The presence of someone. I opened my eyes and saw wet and dirty slippers standing before me. Recalling them, I took my headphones off and straightened up to look at the young and scrawny man in front of me.
"Akinari-san? What are you doing here?"
He was shivering strongly and the cold rain was falling down on us mercilessly.
"Come on, let's take shelter at the shrine."
I cautiously touched the sleeve of his shirt. I knew he would not want to be touched. Nevertheless, I dragged him with me, but he suddenly pulled back. I turned around a bit confused. Akinari was looking at me unbelievingly.
"...You're shedding tears..!"
Without a reply I grabbed his sleeve again, wandering to the shrine and wiping the water off my face.
"Come on, it's raining."
As we got underneath the roof, we sat down and I took my jacket off and put it around his shoulders. He complained heavily but I buttoned it up without listening. The shivering stopped a little and he went silent.
"What are you doing here this late?" I asked.
"I escaped... I could not stand it any longer... They wanted to keep me from writing." I only looked at him, listening. "So I ran away. They noticed too late."
I could understand how he must have felt, but I was still worried. He was already very sick and running around in the cold rain only wearing pyjamas was most definitely one of the worst things he could possibly do.
"That's not good for your health..." I said a little reproachful. Akinari smiled weakly, looking away.
"Thank you for your concern, but I am going to leave this world soon anyway..."
It delivers us all equally to the same end.
As I heard the words I winced a little.
"...But what about your story?" I asked, ignoring the chill running down my spine. He looked at me again, smiling a bit more.
"It's almost finished."
He went silent yet again, watching the rain fall down. I noticed his shivers getting stronger. No wonder, his clothes were soaked with rain.
"Somehow..." he began "I was hoping to meet you here." He looked at me smiling serenely.
Suddenly, he started coughing heavily. He leaned forward, holding his chest in pain. I patted his back, not knowing what to do.
What would Keisuke tell me now?...
I took out my cell phone, calling an ambulance.
Meanwhile Akinari had trouble breathing. I lifted him up a bit.
"M...Minato..." It was the first time he called me by my name.
"Calm down." I looked at him, soothingly.
After some time he was breathing normally again. But he was even paler than before and his lips were shining in a bluish colour.
"Thank you... Minato... I-"
"It's okay. Don't talk." Akinari stopped.
Then I heard a noise and the rainy night was torn apart by a blue light.
The ambulance...
I lifted him up and carried him towards the stairs. Two men with a stretcher hurried in our direction and I placed Akinari on it. He grabbed the sleeve of my wet pullover and looked at me, somewhat frightened, as we descended the stairs.
I took his hand.
"Don't worry. It will be fine."
I smiled at him in an encouraging way. He nodded, forming a 'Thank you' with his lips.
The men carried him away and shortly after they drove off.
I lifted my hand, waving goodbye. I knew he couldn't see it, but I still did.
You will be fine; after all, you are The Sun.
Time does not wait.
The voice struck my head. I stumbled backwards, landing on the stairs. I looked up, clutching my head. On the other side of the street a kid, wearing stripped pyjamas, was staring at me calmly.
"Pharos..."
He smiled when he heard me say his name. Then he held up a red folder.
The contract.
I looked at it.
"I will take full responsibility for my actions."
He nodded and I closed my eyes and put my headphones back on.
You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes.
I know...
~Fear not~
~Jump in the fire~
~Got to burn the dread...~
... The dreams would be coming back again...
I rested my head against the young boy. I could feel Pharos' happy embrace from behind.
His white hand on my neck. I glanced at the cloudy sky.
It was okay. It would be fine.
As long as I could protect those precious to me, everything would be fine.
And thus I closed my eyes...