A.N: This story was made because I had nothing else to do and my main story are currently put on hold because I literally don't know what words Chifuyu are supposed to say next. :-p
Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3 or High School DXD, they all belong to their respective creators.
Memento Mori: Remember you will die. Remember your death.
(March 5—2010—Friday)
(Gekkoukan High—Roof—Morning)
(BGM: Memories of the school)
The sound of birds happily chirping can be heard around the school as a blue-haired male comfortably lays his head down on a blonde girl's lap.
The male, Arisato Minato continue to smile in satisfaction despite his tired face as his girlfriend slowly strokes his hair.
The girl, Aigis, momentarily stopped stroking to feel the wind blowing against her hand. "The wind sure feels nice..." She says as she smiles. "This is the first time I've experienced spring." She went back to stroking his head.
"..." Minato says nothing as he continue to enjoy the feeling.
"But," Her voice turned sad. "This season will eventually pass..." She look down to stare at his face.
"..."
"After fighting alongside you, and facing the world's end, I finally began to understand..." She gave a brief pause. "...On what it means to live..." She finally look up.
"..."
"Thinking for yourself... not running away... accepting the inevitable..." Aigis looked at the blue sky. "...All things eventually comes to an end..." She spoke sadly. "All living things will one day dissapear..."
"..."
"Only by accepting this can one discover what they truly want... what the meaning of their life will be..." She looked down to the side. "I understand now why I was so tormented by my lack of strength." She said as she think back of the past. "Protecting others become more than just an order I had to obey."
"..."
"I wanted to do it for my own reasons..." She stopped stroking. "I realized this once I decided to try and prevent the fall."
"..."
"When I thought I might never see you again, something else became clear to me... what I wanted the most..." She looked at him again. "And so I made my mind." She smiles brightly, her smile also enlarge his by a bit.
"..."
"I decided that I would continue to protect you." Something pulled on his chest as she said that. "I want to be your strength."
"..."
Aigis' voice become hitched. "I know I'm not the only one who can do this... but that's okay." Her eyes started to water. "My life will be worth living if it's for this reason..." She looked straight at his eyes. He did too.
"Arigatou..." She spoke as tears freely came down from her beautiful bright blue eyes.
Minato quickly wiped her face with his hand, mouthing her that it's going to be alright. A simple lie, but it worked.
"You're right, what am I doing?" The girl took hold of his hand. "I understand now, so I should be happy..."
Then, a familiar voice rang through the roof.
"OOOIIIII!"
(BGM: End)
(BGM: Bonds)
Aigis let go, and Minato put his hand back down.
"Everyone..." She let out in surprise. Then she smiles in happiness. "That's right, I realized that I have friends as well."
Minato smiles as well as he look to the side to see their friends running towards them.
"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life..." Aigis spoke. But Minato didn't turn his head around, just listened closely.
"Sometimes, all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of."
"..."
"I'll keep on living no matter what, so that I can protect you..." The footsteps becoming closer.
Minato looked to the sky and relish the warm feeling of the gentle spring sunlight. He feel sleepy.
"Thank you, for everything..." Aigis smiles at him.
"..."
"You must be tired..." She look at his state closely. "Please get some rest, I'll stay right here with you..."
The voices become even more closer.
"Soon, all your friends will be here by your side..." That was all he hear as Minato feels getting sleepier and his eyes feel very heavy.
He took hold of Aigis' hand as he slowly close his eyes.
...
(BGM: End)
(April 4—2010—Sunday)
(Tokyo—Park—Noon)
The blue-haired boy were slowly awoken to the sound of children playing.
The sky is very clear and sunny, but thankfully, he was laying below the leaves of a tree so his eyes were protected by the shade.
Minato blinked a few times.
'What?' He thinks as he scans his surrounding.
Children playing chase together with their parents watching over them, couples walking with their dates, a few of them sitting together on the benches, elderly old friends reminiscing the old days...
At that moment, his memories soon resurfaced as he widened his eyes and quickly sit up straight.
'The Seal!' He wildly look around the place. A familiar city can be seen from his position not far out from his position. 'This is... Tokyo?!' Minato took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down for a moment.
Now a little bit calmer, he began to think back of his last moments.
'How? What had happened...?' Many questions formed inside the boy's head. 'I'm supposed to be a barrier between Nyx and Erebus on the moon, but why am I still here on earth? And in Tokyo of all places? Last time I checked, I was in Aigis' lap.'
He looked to the sky. 'And why did everything feels so... normal...?' At that moment, something buzzed inside the right pocket of his pants.
The teen raised an eyebrow at himself but brush it off for a moment and took out whatever the thing that buzzed.
He furrowed his brows. 'This... is not my phone...' He thought with confusion.
The buzzing object is revealed to be a smartphone of a newer model, different from the one Mitsuru gave him and the rest of SEES as a form of replacement for their limited flip phones.
The reason why it's buzzing is because someone were calling him, and the caller's name brought him a huge sense of relief.
He tapped the green button and brought the phone to his ear.
"...Hai, moshi-moshi? Yukari?" He finally spoke.
(BGM: Tranquility)
"Ah! Minato-kun, how are you right now? Have you and Aigis made it yet?" The familiar voice of his friend asked from the other side.
"Made it...?" Minato blinked. 'Did she say, Aigis and I...?' He thought in bewilderment.
"Haaah?! How can you forget?! You two basically left this early morning for a new school to continue your third year!" Yukari yelled in disbelief.
At that moment, the bluenette finally noticed a pamphlet sticking out from his left pant pocket. He pulled it out.
Minato read the contents carefully. "...Aah." He let out softly.
Yukari heard it. "Oh, so you finally remember, huh? Jeez, can't believe you forget something that just happened, even if it's only been a few a hours..."
The 17 year old teenager pay her sigh no mind as his silver eyes trace over the pamphlet.
'Kuoh Academy in Kuoh city...?" The boy blinked. He noticed that he's still a bit far from the location.
"Anyways, where are you right now? And where's Aigis?" The girl continued her questions.
He looked around again. "I'm in a park somewhere on Tokyo, and Aigis is..." He scans his surroundings, searching for a familar blonde hair. "...Nowhere to be found." The bluenette answered.
"Aigis' gone, huh? Well, that's worrying, but I'm sure she can take care of herself, and Tokyo? What caught you on?"
Minato looked at the two bags laying behind him. "...Resting." He guessed.
"Well, that make sense. Going from Gekkoukan to that city does took a lot of time..."
"..."
(BGM: End)
The girl spoke again. "...Ne, Minato-kun-" She was interrupted by another familiar voice.
"Did you say Minato?! Yukari-chii."
A smile made to his face as he heard the voice.
(BGM: Joy)
Yukari screams. "Kyaa! Junpei! Don't scare me like that!" The new voice yelped as someone getting hit were heard.
(SMACK)
"ITE! Oi, Yukari-chii! That hurt!" Junpei called out from the other side.
"Hmph! That's what you get for appearing out of nowhere and scaring me like that." Yukari huffed.
Minato couldn't help but to smile all the way as he heard their bickering, forgetting the weirdness that is happening right now momentarily.
"Anyways, I have to go, can't have Mr. Mood-changer here overhearing our talk." Even when not seeing her directly, the bluenette could tell that she was glaring at the goateed teen.
"Hoh-Hoh! Mr. Mood-Changer, eh? That's a new one." Junpei's teasing voice could be heard from the phone.
"It's what describe you best. Why? You want something different? Okay, how about-"
"No! No! No! I kinda like it, actually, heh, heh."
Yukari just sighed. "Well, I guess that's it, I call you later, Minato-kun." The girl was about to hung up right there, but it seems Junpei took the phone from her hand, judging by the indignant yell of "HEY!" from her.
"Make sure you tell me about the girls over there, man! It's a recently co-ed school, after all!" The cap wearing teen grinned lecherously.
"Give me that! You...!" Yukari swiped her phone back. "...Anyways! We'll see you soon, Minato-kun! Send our regards to Aigis as well! Have a safe journey!"
And then there was the beep.
"..."
(BGM: End)
Minato looked at his smartphone screen as he noticed something different about the date.
'What?' He thought, dumbfounded. 'April... 4th...? But, how...?'
This situation is getting weirder and weirder for him to comprehend, was the event a year ago were a dream and he just woke up? Or is it vice-versa?
He put away the pamphlet and pinched his left cheek just good enough for him to feel pain.
'Okay, this is not a dream.' The boy dropped his hands.
"..."
"...Minato-san!" The familiar lovely voice of his robot girlfriend called out.
Said teen frozed.
The bluenette slowly turn his head around and saw Aigis walking up to him wearing normal clothes.
(BGM: Mistic)
'Aigis...' The 17 year old thought, mesmerized by her form. 'She looked... Human...' The blonde girl stopped beside his side.
"You're awoke." Aigis smiled. "Did you have a good rest?"
Minato snapped out of his stuppor as he replied.
"...Yeah..." He lied unsurely. He still hasn't figured the answer for himself.
'Is it really a dream...?' The boy thought.
"Great! Then, let's get a move on." The girl move to pick the bags up and hand him his own.
"..."
Minato slowly reach his hand and grabbed the bag.
Aigis noticed his phone on his hand. "Did somebody call you?" She asked curiously.
He slowly nodded. "...Yeah."
"Who is it?"
"...Yukari... she wants to know how are we holding up."
"That is so like her." Aigis nodded as she smiled fondly.
"..."
"As I said before, Minato-san, we have to move, or else, the train will leave without us." The blue-eyed girl took hold of his free hand and drag him with her.
"..."
Aigis look back towards him when she noticed him moving slower than usual. "...Minato-san, daijoubu?" She asks him softly in concern.
The bluenette snapped back to reality. "...Huh? Oh, mm..." He nodded in reply. "...Just had a lot of things to think of..."
The girl frown in worry. "Do you want to go back?"
The boy shook his head. "No, we're already in the point of no return." He replied.
'Even though I don't really know what's going on, if this is reality, then why can I only remember the dream...?' He frowned in his mind.
"If you say so." Aigis turn her head forward, though, her mind were filled with worried thoughts for her boyfriend.
As they near the entrance, Minato took out the pamphlet once again.
His eyes traced over the words carefully.
'We're going to spend the next year and college in there, huh? It's also a recently co-ed school, just like what Junpei had said.' The sounds of their footsteps got mixed with many people.
The boy looked at Aigis from behind as she dragged him with her.
Aigis felt the eyes of her boyfriend bore through her back as she turn her head around to face him.
"What is it?" She asked curiously.
Minato snapped back to reality. "No, it's nothing." He shook his head as he put the pamphlet back to his pocket.
Aigis looked at him weirdly but just shrugged and kept on walking.
(BGM: End)
(?—?—?)
(BGM: The beginning)
In an empty void, an indescribable ball of light were floating in the air as a lone 16 year old Arisato Minato stared at it with a hard, determined look.
(BGM: End)
(BGM: Determination)
The ball of light, as if challenged, gather some kind of red energy that shape itself into a ball.
Slowly, the ball drop down, and when it lands...
(BOOOOOM)
"Gurk!"
Massive explosion of red and black envelops the area, knocking the boy down to his knees.
Gritting his teeth, Minato struggles to stand up.
The ball of light, as if it decided that the bluenette wasn't worth the effort, let the boy stand on his two feet once more.
Minato panted as he stared at the entity floating above him.
Seeing he don't have a ranged weapon, Minato does the only thing he can in defying Death.
By throwing his sword at it.
The sword pierce the ball of light but the entity doesn't seem to be fazed by it.
Gathering some more red energy, Nyx let the ball drop as it exploded below her.
(BOOOOOM)
"Gahhh!" The boy fell down as he lay on his front, struggling to stand up once more.
Minato panted. 'No.' He thought desperately. 'I can't give up.' He forced himself to stand despite his body protesting at him.
Nyx gathers more red energy as she let the ball drop.
(BOOOOOM)
Miraculously, the explosion didn't hurt him at all despite it clearly engulfed him.
Minato blinked in surprise as he stared at the entity. It's as if she didn't want to hurt him anymore...
Despite this thought, the boy summoned another sword and throws it towards the goddess of the night.
Nyx flinched in surprise at the tenacity of the boy below her.
Finally deciding, if the boy wish to die, then she would obligedly grant his wish.
Gathering more and more red energy, Nyx drops the ball below her.
(BOOOOOOOOOM)
The explosion is even bigger this time, but surprisingly, Minato withstood the the attack without problems.
Now, finally weaponless, the blue-haired teen muster up all his power and raised his hand up as he point his index finger at the empty void.
Soon, a bright light engulfed the both of them.
(BGM: End)
(April 4—2010—Sunday)
(Kuoh—Train—Evening)
Minato suddenly woke up from his nap as his silver eyes gazed widely at the seat in front.
(Burn~my~Dread~)
'...It's the dream again... or is it...?' The bluenette looked at the hand that had released the power of the Universe Arcana.
(Burn~my~Dread~)
"..."
He felt something on his shoulder as he turn his head to the side and saw Aigis laying her head down to him as she slept.
(Burn~my~Dread~)
"Attention, Passengers. We sincerely apologize for the inconveniece caused by the delay. The next stop is Kuoh city."
The train slowed to a complete stop.
Minato turn off his music and pull his earphone out. He shook Aigis awake.
"Hmm...?" The girl slowly open her eyes.
"We've made it." The male simply tells her.
"U-uhm." Aigis rubbed her eyes awake as she stood up.
Minato stood up as well and grabbed their bags.
The two walked out of the train.
(April 4—2010—Sunday)
(Kuoh—Station—Evening)
Minato and Aigis walked in silence as they goes up the stairs of the station.
What greeted them on the side of the road was a surprise for him.
"Ah! There you two are, Aigis-sama, Minato-sama." A middle aged man in a suit greeted the teens.
(BGM: This mysterious feeling)
Another suited man, this time, wearing a shade, came over to them and raised his hands toward the bluenette.
Minato blinked as he scans the two men.
'A clean suit and a fancy car, must've been Mitsuru's doing.' The boy guessed as he gave their bags to the shaded man.
The man grabbed their bags and head for the trunk of the car.
The two 17 year old walked to the car as the men hurriedly open the door for them.
They get inside as the middle aged man enters the driver seat with the shaded man on his right.
"I hope your ride was comfortable." He said as he start up the car.
"It was alright." Aigis politely tells him.
"It got delayed a little bit." Minato added with his usual aloof look.
"I realized that." The car starts to move. "Mitsuru-sama tells me this morning that you two will reach this station a few hours ago. She got worried sick when I tell her you both hasn't made it yet."
"We're very sorry about that." Aigis bowed her head and made a mental note to call the redheaded heiress later.
"No, no, it is quite alright, Aigis-sama. I already assure Mitsuru-sama that it was just a delay."
"Still, waiting for us must've been pretty tiring for both of you, Mr..." The girl trailed.
"Call me Butsuma, and it's alright, Aigis-sama, we're pretty much used to it."
"I see..."
No more words were exchanged until they reached their destination.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
(BGM: End)
(April 4—2010—Sunday)
(Kuoh—Hotel—Evening)
"...Well, here's your stop, Aigis-sama, Minato-sama." Butsuma said as he stopped in front of a hotel and unfastened himself along with the shaded man before getting out.
Minato raised an eyebrow at the fancy looking entrance.
'So this is where we're going to live for the next few years, huh?' He thought in amusement as he thought of his red-haired friend. 'Mitsuru, you always want your family company to stay in the top, isn't it?'
The doors were opened by the two older men as the teens step outside.
They closed the doors back as the shaded man goes for the trunk of the car and picked their bags up.
The four head inside the hotel.
(April 11—2010—Sunday)
(Kuoh hotel—Entrance—Evening)
"Aigis-sama, Minato-sama, please stay here and let me handle things from now." Butsuma tells them as he goes for the receptionist.
The blue-haired boy looked at the shaded man. "Can we have those back now?" He asked as he raised his hand to him.
The man do as the teenager says and give him their bags.
Minato gave Aigis hers back. The girl appreciatively took it.
And then they wait.
After a minute, Butsuma came back with two keys in his hand.
"Now then, it is done, shall we go?" He said as he gave Minato his room key.
The bluenette raised an eyebrow as he took it. "Are you going to give us that one as well...?" He questions.
The older man laughed a bit. "No. That key is enough for you two, this key is for our room."
(BGM: Iwatodai station)
The two blinked in surprise. "Huh?/Eh?"
"Mitsuru-sama says it's futile giving Aigis-sama her own room since she almost never used hers back in your old dorm." Butsuma answered.
The girl in question grew a red tinge on her cheeks as the man said that while the boy has an amused look in his face.
Thankfully for her, he quickly erased that look and proceed to ask the next question.
"Your room? What do you mean by that?" Minato said.
"It means, Minato-sama, we'll become your guardians for the next few years, Mitsuru-sama's orders."
Aigis widened her bright blue eyes. "Eh? But she didn't tell us about that..." She says as she trailed off. "Did she forget...?"
"But it made sense, though," The bluenette spoke as her attention turned to him. "These two are the only adults the Kirijo company has sent to us, so it's natural for them to also be our guardians as well..."
Butsuma shrugged his shoulders. "Now that you two understands, let's hurry upstairs, I'm eager to rest my body after what happens today..."
"Ah, right." Aigis nodded. "Minato-san, let's go." The girl goes for the elevator and is soon followed by the shaded man.
The driver spoke to the younger male. "She's a beauty, I give you that, makes sure you treat her well, okay?" He pat his shoulder as he catch up to them.
Minato just stays silent after those words. "...You don't need to tell me that." He utters as he followed him.
(BGM: End)
(April 4—2010—Sunday)
(Kuoh hotel—Floor 8—Evening)
The four stood between room 78 and 77.
"Well, this is our rooms, Minato-sama, Aigis-sama, I bid you two good night." The middle aged driver brought his key out and open the door as he and the shaded man walked inside.
Minato also brought his key out and unlocked their door so that he and Aigis could finally get some proper rest.
(Click)
(April 4—2010—Sunday)
(Kuoh hotel—Room 78—Evening)
The two sighed in relief as they drop their bags on the ground and made their way to the single bed.
Aigis jumps first as she made contact with the soft mattress. "Mmm... so soft, I felt like I could fell asleep right now..." She stretched her worn out body.
"...We have to take a shower first, though," Minato unbuttoned his winter clothing off and put it on the hanging rack.
"Mmm..." Aigis made a complaining noise but obeyed nonetheless. "You're right." The girl turn her body around and looked at him. "Minato-san, you go first, I will arrange our clothings."
"Are you sure?" He asked her. "Why not the other way around?" He suggested.
Aigis smiled sweetly but shook her head. "No, it's okay, I can handle it." She jump out of the bed and goes for their bags.
"...If you're very sure, then, alright." The bluenette walked to his bag to grab his clothes.
However, the blonde girl already did that for him as she gave him his clothes with a smile.
(BGM: Memories of the school PQ ver)
"..."
What Minato could do right now is just stare at his beautiful lover's face.
"..."
Aigis continue to smile. "...Well? Are you going to take them?" She asked her boyfriend.
That snapped the blue-haired boy from his dazed stuppor as he slowly reach his hand into his clothes.
He soon headed for the bathroom.
(Click)
Aigis keep on smiling as she look at the door to which her boyfriend has gone into before going to work.
(April 4—2010—Sunday)
(Kuoh hotel—Room 78—Night)
Minato stared blankly at the ceiling of his and Aigis room.
"..."
Since waking up below that tree, he has been constantly thinking of the Dream? over and over again. His memory prior to transferring to this Kuoh Academy are nonexistent, and is only filled with the memory of his Journey replaying in the back of his mind.
'Still...' The bluenette turn his head to the side and gazed at the sleeping form of his lover. 'If this is actually real life, and not a backward dream, then I would happily accept it.' With that, Minato move closer to Aigis' soft lithe frame and embraced her.
He feels sleepy as he hugs her. He slowly close his eyes.
...
(BGM: End)
(?—?—?)
(BGM: The beginning)
The blue-haired teen muster up all his power and raised his hand up as he point his index finger at the empty void.
A bright light envelops the area.
(BGM: End)
(April 5—2010—Monday)
(Kuoh hotel—Room 78—Dawn)
The blue-haired teen open his eyes widely as he woke up.
"..."
He noticed that he was still hugging Aigis. He sit up slowly as to not wake her up.
He begun to think. '...That dream again. Why? Why does it appearing...?' He raised his hand up so he could see it.
A bright light briefly flash out of nowhere from his palm as he gasped.
(BGM: Fearful experience)
He put the hand down as his mind reeled in shock at what just happened.
'No.' He thought fearfully. 'That did happen.' He raised his hand again. It didn't flash this time.
"..."
He began to wonder if he just imagining things, he hoped it was, because he started to doubt this so-called reality.
'What did actually happen...?' Minato remembers his last moment with Aigis in the Dream? before he wakes up. 'Could it be... it's not a dream...?' His mind began to imagine the worst. If he's actually here, then what about the Great Seal...?
He shook his head wildly at the thought. 'No! It has to be a dream!' He desperately wants to deny the idea, but his mind keeps shoving him of it.
'I can't remember anything except the Dream?, why? Why? Why? Why?!' He grabbed his head.
'Do I have amnesia...?' He calms a little at the plausible thought before logic came and ruins everything. 'No. If I have, then Aigis would've mention something about it.'
"..."
(?—?—?)
Arisato Minato panted as the giant monstrous shadow ceased its pulling and returned to its domain, probably to rest after what it feels like a whole day.
'Minna...' He thought tiredly. 'Please... help...' But no one came to him, for he is a crucified statue in front of a giant, golden gate in a mysterious, empty void.
(BGM: End)
A.N: What do you guys think of this one? Please leave a review so that I can know what you're thinking. :-)
4,424 Words.