Persona 3P: Two Sides of Fate
Almost three years after Graduation Day, March 3 2010…
It was nighttime in the city of Iwatodai, Japan. People were bustling about as usual, going about their own business. Among a crowd getting out of the train station was a rather ruff-looking man in a simple maroon pea coat and a black beanie. His expression seemed sullen; he had a scowl on his calm face. The familiar sounds of traffic, chatter and the occasional music coming from the restaurants and cars was in the air. The man continued, eventually parting from the crowd and walking up another, less populated street. After a while, all that could be heard were his footsteps and the barking of a dog here and there. He didn't notice a small, blue butterfly flutter past him.
Burn my dread~
He froze, listening to the familiar lyric. A pause, then another:
Burn my dread~
He closed his eyes, picturing, almost against his will, the round and bright red headphones he had heard that song from. He began picturing auburn hair tied up in the back…a smile and the crest of Gekkoukan High on a girl's uniform…
Suddenly his eyes snapped open. The man's scowl turned into a saddened frown as his grey eyes bore into the distance. There was a pained expression on them. He remained on that same spot, listening. When he heard no response, no music, he continued on. He must've imagined it. Finally, he stopped in front of a small house. A moment later, he unlocked it and stepped inside. He was about to shut the door when it entered, fluttering to the edge of the opened door and perching there. He stared at it. For a butterfly, it had a weird, unnatural shade of blue. Then it was gone, leaving the way it came. The man closed the door.
"Hey, I'm back."
The sound of house keys being tossed on the table was his only response. He didn't seem surprised, as he was used to this. It was the ringing of his house phone that broke the otherwise remaining silence. He looked at the caller ID before picking up.
"Yeah?"
"Mitsuru, did I remember to pack everything? I could've sworn that I had forgotten something…"
Axel Kieske stood with his cell phone in hand in front of the master bedroom of their house.
He was a slim, fit man with dark black hair that would almost be a military cut if it weren't for the small bang that reached his eyebrows (which were thin and long). He had light, slightly tanned skin and a small scar on his cheek. Dark brown eyes completed his look, making him look very broody while his thin-lipped smile betrayed a mischievous nature. A wedding ring resided around a finger on his left hand.
Mitsuru tucked a strand of her dark red hair out of her face before tossing him a bottle of pills. He glanced at them with a satisfied smile.
"Ah, my meds. Thanks honey."
"Of course. And don't forget to give Koromaru-san his tranquilizers before putting him in his dog crate."
"Bah! I'm telling you, he'll be fine."
"You know he gets anxious when he hears the jet engine."
"Mitsuru, it's our private jet. He can run around the entire flight tearing at the furniture for all we care and it wouldn't cost us a thing."
However, seeing how her eyebrows were raised, he gave in. He took another bottle of pills and walked over to a fluffy white-haired dog sleeping on the couch. He was a medium-sized dog and when Kieske woke him up the canine blinked through deep red eyes. Even though a bit unusual for his kind, Koromaru was a very sweet looking dog and happily barked when he saw his friend.
"Enjoy your nap, boy?" asked Kieske as he petted the soft white coat.
He was answered by another cheerful bark. Taking out a dog treat and putting the pill inside, he gave it to the dog, which ate it whole in one bite. He was patted on the head.
"Good boy. Hey, by the way; why isn't Fuuka coming with us?"
"She said she'd be content with a regular flight and did not want to cause us trouble. Even when I told her otherwise."
"That Fuuka; she's too docile. When we come back, she's coming with us dammit, even if I have to kidnap her to do it."
With Kieske, Mitsuru knew that was no idle threat. Seeing as Koromaru's eyes were already drooping, she picked him up to tuck him in his crate. Meanwhile, Kieske was dialing a number.
"Yeah?"
"Hey there, Shinji." replied Kieske with a smile as he teased Shinjiro with his childhood name. In actuality, Shinjiro only let Akihiko (his closest friend for 17 years) call him that. He was awarded with an annoyed sigh from the other end before getting a reply.
"What is it, Kieske?"
"Sheesh, no need to get your beanie in a bunch, Shinji." Another sigh. "Relax; I'm just checking to make sure someone will be there when we come over."
"Don't tell me you thought I forgot like some idiot?"
"Noooo, I just want to be greeted by a generally happy person. And surprisingly, between you and Aigis, that'd be you."
"Are you done with your crappy jokes?"
"Nope. Not at all."
Kieske was clearly enjoying this little exchange.
"Anyway, you're gonna have to deal with it. I'm meeting Junpei and Yukari after work so they can help me bring the food."
"You mean so Junpei can help you with the food."
"Whatever. Look, Aigis will let you in and you guys can settle in your rooms."
"Shinjiro, I'm a married man. We're settling in one room."
"Kieske, I don't give a damn. Just be ready to eat when I come back."
"Yeah, yeah; I got it. So, when is our little professional boxer coming back?"
"Aki's coming the day after you all get here. He already called."
"Cool, so the gang's going to be all there. See ya soon, Shinji."
The click of the phone let Kieske know that Shinjiro had hung up the second he finished. Not surprised, he turned to Mitsuru and said gleefully:
"Ready to go?"
"You've irritated him again, didn't you?"
"Maybe a little."
Shinjiro hung the phone, his scowl returning to his face. Kieske was an idiot. Then again, he always knew that. After all, he had known the bastard for a while now.
Axel Kieske, from what Aki had told him and what he had experienced, had encountered SEES as an assassin in league with Strega. However, unlike Strega, he had control of his Persona and didn't use the pills. (Not to mention he was waiting for the opportunity to kill them.) Kieske had won a ridiculous profit as an assassin for regular clients around America and Japan, using both weapons and his Persona to eliminate his targets. When he first went against SEES after discovering the existence of a Persona-user that was more powerful than him (and, more to his surprise, a female) he was bloodthirsty and cruel. SEES had discovered that they had been targets for a while, especially the Kirijo family. It was only when their strongest member joined that he had decided to begin his attacks. If what Aki said was true, the guy had even stalked them in their sleep, toying with them (especially Mitsuru) and ultimately scaring the crap out them. However, everything changed when Kieske had a showdown with the very Persona-user he wanted to destroy and lost. The fearless leader of SEES decided against killing him and brought him instead as a prisoner of SEES in the dorm.
And Kieske couldn't put his head around it for the life of him.
After a while of getting to know their leader (she had to guard him the nights they didn't go to Tartarus) he grew an admiration and respect for her. Slowly, he began turning into a decent person as his dark past was revealed. Turns out, he was out to get the Kirijos because he had been at a playground as a kid when the accident happened and got caught in the explosion. It didn't kill him, but his mother had been a researcher and died, while his spine became permanently damaged for life. He had to use a device to keep it together, which ironically was manufactured by Kirijo. Soon, he agreed to make-up for his wrong doings by helping SEES and was actually reliable doing so. (Besides, regular prison wouldn't have held him anyways.) It was around that time that he discovered he had a thing for Mitsuru, and by the time Shinjiro joined SEES they were actually together and Kieske was going to Gekkokun. Kieske was completely changed by then. Sure, he got violent sometimes, but he was controllable. And Shinjiro had to admit, he was a hell of a fighter.
Shinjiro took out a pot from the kitchen and began putting together his dinner. One would think that being a chef all day would make him sick of cooking; but not for him. Cooking was an art for him. It was his passion to bring ingredients together, to see everything fall into place and smell the aroma of an amazing meal come together by his own hands. Besides, it was one of the only things that could distract him from his misery. It was always there in his house. He passed it every day; he saw it in that room Aigis stayed in.
Why the hell couldn't she just deal with it? He had to. He was forced to. So…why?
He ate his meal in silence and alone as usual. His one almost cheerful thought was that, at least, tomorrow the old team would be together again. (Ken was coming too.) They were staying over for a vacation. So he'd at least have a distraction. Not to mention, it would be what she would have wanted.
After cleaning up and putting everything away, he decided to get Aigis. Bracing himself for the scene he knew he'd see, he walked up the stairs and at the end of the long hallway. Even though small on the outside, the house itself could fit a lot of people. It only added to the lonely atmosphere that dominated the place as he walked by empty rooms. Finally, he opened the door at the end of the hall and stepped inside.
Aigis was in the room, standing as usual. Even though she was a robot, she had a very human face, her light blue eyes and short blonde hair making her very girl-like. She did nothing to acknowledge that he entered. She was too focused on the bed in that room. The lights were off before Shinjiro entered, so he assumed she hadn't even bothered to turn them on. He stood there a few moments, waiting, until finally deciding to snap her out of it.
"Have you even bothered going out of the room?"
She blinked and looked at him for the first time as if finally registering the fact that he was there.
"Oh…Welcome back, Shinjiro-san." she said halfheartedly.
"So you haven't. Jeez, I should've known."
She said nothing to defend this, but stared down at the floor.
"You know, standing here all day and being miserable ain't going to help." he said roughly.
"Yes, I know."
"That's what you tell me every damn day. Obviously, you don't know. Or you don't want to listen to it."
"But I…can't just-"
She stopped, trying to hold back tears. Shinjiro sighed, holding his beanie as he always did in these situations. How she could cry all day and still have a fresh supply of them beat him. Still…he knew she really couldn't help it. She had it just as bad as he did.
"Just…get some rest. Go to sleep mode or whatever you do. I'll take care of her."
She seemed surprised at this, but then gave him a small, grateful smile as she stepped out of the room, leaving Shinjiro alone. Well, not completely alone.
He made sure Aigis was completely gone before knelling down next to the sleeping person on the bed. She was a small, petite woman with loose auburn hair. She was pale and still, lying face-up on the bed. The only proof of her being alive was her slow breathing. She was attached to some medical equipment that beeped quietly around her. Their fearless leader.
"Minako" whispered Shinjiro as he stroked a strand of hair out of her face. He shut his eyes 'cause he wasn't going to cry, damn it, he had shed too many tears for this and they didn't change anything. It wasn't going to wake her up.
"You know, you're really taking your time, aren't you?" he asked weakly. "It's been almost three years now. When are you gonna decide to get up? Everything's a real drag without you around."
He got no response, as usual. He let out a shaking breath. This was stupid. It's not like she could hear him. He was wasting his time. Yet he knew he'd never stop. Not until she answered and woke up, looking up at him with those bright red eyes of hers. Until then, he couldn't stop. So he took off his shoes, lied down next to her, carefully wrapped an arm around her and wished her goodnight.