I got bored and decided to make this... So, I hope you find some enjoyment. I know there're a lot of P5 fics now and some might think that P3 is a little over done... Did I mention I don't care? I never was one to follow any trends. Besides, you should write what you're good at/what you WANT to write. I hate to be Yusuke, but true art comes from one's heart and soul. Do what you love because it's what you love... I'm not gonna lie, saying this makes me feel weird. I'm going to go before Yusuke's influence completely changes my persona-lity.
Note : The lines are also meant to represent time skips. Just letting you know.
"Aren't you gonna eat anything?" The man on the opposite side of the table asked with slight annoyance.
The blue-haired boy known as Minato Arisato said nothing, but continued to poke his food with his fork. He used to have an appetite that was almost impossible to satisfy, but now he barely felt any hunger. By now it's been a whole month since that day. Since he watched his entire world literally burn away in front of his very eyes.
Now he was here, in the home of some slightly overweight man in a very dark room. Minato had spent his previous days in an orphanage, he didn't know why the person he was with now took him in or what their relation was. Did they even have a relation? He didn't know much about the Foster care system, for he was nothing but young boy who had lost everything.
"I said eat!" The man yelled at Minato, but he didn't care. In fact, Minato was so deep in his own thoughts that he didn't even know the man spoke to him even once.
Minato did nothing, but continued to poke his food.
"That's it!" The man yelled as he got out of his seat and picked up the young boy who yelped in surprise "If you're not going to eat, then you can go to bed hungry!" The man shouted as he practically threw Minato into his room and slammed the door shut.
Minato sighed as he got on his feet. This was his first day of living here and something told him that this wasn't the first of many.
The boy didn't say a word as he climbed into bed and stared at the ceiling. Usually when he went to bed he'd make small talk with his twin sister Minako. While he was relatively calm and passive, she was energetic and assertive. She'd always force him to play with her, whether he liked it or not. The most recent example was when she forced him to stay up late at night at her friend's home until it was almost mid-night. Even when their parents were driving back home she wouldn't leave him be.
And then she...
Minato turned in his bed, now looking a plain white wall. That night, Minato Arisato did not rest easy. For no matter what, nothing could stop the silent tears that fell as he remembered he was all alone.
He had lost count of how many schools he'd been to now. Even if he did, what was the point? It'd probably be impossible anyway, all the schools he'd been to blended in together, for they all followed the same pattern.
People label him as weird, emo, cold, or whatever came to mind when they first meet him. Next, they learn the truth and pity him. Some pity they have, because they always avoided him after they learned. It was almost amusing how some even had the gall to say they "understand" or "Are there to talk to"
Cheap words coming from them. None of them had to watch their entire family burn.
How long has he lived like this? He always found himself wondering that. It felt as if the happy memories he had from his early childhood were nothing but a dream.
Dream... Why couldn't this have been a dream? What terrible sin did he commit to deserve this? At first, he just hid everything he felt from everyone. No one could understand, those who tried eventually gave up.
Some didn't even try at all, they simply used his own past and locked up emotions to hurt him physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Now, he simply felt nothing. It wasn't that he just greatly suppressed his emotions anymore. It was as if after years of inactivity, any emotions he had just seemed to... Die.
Die...
Die...
Die...
Die...
Die...
Die...
Just like...
Minato stood by the window of his room as he stared at the clock. The all the hands lined up on 12 as the world around him became darker and everything gained a green-ish tint.
He didn't know the origins of this "Dark Hour", but he would never forget the day he first experienced it.
This hour was the only thing left that could rattle the one emotion he had left. He truly despised this hour and everything along with it, for it was nothing but a reminder of the day his world fell apart. Yet, at the same time, this was the only time he felt any comfort. During this hour, the world around him was completely still.
No one was able to hurt him, no one was there to laugh at him. It was just him for one, long, quiet hour.
Today was his birthday, and he was all alone. he wasn't bothered though, for one would need expectations to be disappointed. He never bothered to even try getting to know anyone, for all they ever did was use and/or hurt him in the end.
Rather than throwing a party or whatever it was kids his age normally did, he decided to simply walk around the city he was in. He had done this at least a hundred times by now, but it was always interesting to see what the city was like a night.
During his excursion, he came across a drunk man harassing some woman. The woman was struggling to break free, but even while drunk, the man seemed to possess some form of death grip as he tried to force her into the car.
Minato did nothing, but stare for a few moments before turning away in the opposite direction. She never cried for help and besides...
Where was help when he needed it?
Minato stared at a mirror that was in his room. A mirror made of glass... Glass that's so fragile... Just like life.
Life... They say it's something to be treasured. What life was this? No, this wasn't living... It was just a soulless existence. That's all its ever been.
He found himself wondering why he didn't just break the mirror. It'd be so easy to end everything and he knew just how. It was a common misconception that one should slash their wrist horizontally. In actuality, vertically cutting into one's wrist and arm was the way to maximize one's odds of ending everything. Maybe then, he'd see them again. Maybe then, he wouldn't be alone anymore.
Every time he prepares to shatter the mirror, something stops him. It wasn't fear and it most certainly wasn't hope. It was as if whenever he was about to act, some voice within him tells him to stop. And no matter how hard he tries, the voice is impossible to resist.
Suddenly, a place that he had all but forgotten came to mind.
Iwatodai...
That was his old home. Somewhere he had left a long time ago, along with his sister and parents. Why did that place come to mind so randomly? And... Why was he drawn there so suddenly? Maybe, after all this time... It was time to go back?
"Be a good patient!" And with that, the girl who dressed in pink left the hospital room, leaving Minato to himself.
"Like... Me?" He thought out loud. The girl called Yukari compared herself to him. She said she had read his file and said it was only fair that he'd know everything about her. It was strange, no one had compared themselves to him before, nor had they ever opened up to him. Usually, they just satisfied their curiosity and left.
Minato shook his head. This may have been a first, but it'd be the same no doubt. No one cared about him... And no one ever will.
Now, the man in the mysterious room said his power would increase with his "social-links". He didn't mind that. He'd just use them like everyone else had used him before...
The capped boy Junpei and Yukari panted as they were on their knees on the monorail. Had Minato reacted a second later, everyone on board would've died.
"N-Nice dude!" Junpei praised his leader
Yukari laughed "You saved me again!"
"Excellent job you three!" Mitsuru praised via the communicator
Minato kept a blank face, but he felt deeply troubled. Inside he felt... Strange. He felt warm suddenly, yet pleasantly so. Why? Why did he feel this?
And why did he want more of it?
"Get the hell away from her..." Minato said in a downright terrifying tone as he stood in front of Chihiro and glared at the man harassing her.
What was he doing? She didn't ask for him to help. Even if he was doing this for the link, why did he feel so... Hot? No, he felt an almost overwhelming and burning desire to hurt this man for harassing his fri- Social-link... Yes, social-link. That's all these people were. That's all they ever could be.
Even his teammates were using him. After all, all they see in him is a soldier with nothing to lose. There was nothing morally wrong with him using others just like they use him.
"Minato-kun, why are you always so positive?" Fuuka asked her leader. Minato had formed a social-link with her when he agreed to taste-test her food, but like Chihiro's this confused him.
Positive? But, he was the most negative person he knew. Thinking back on prior events, he had encouraged her without even realizing it. He didn't think about what would simply advance the link like with his Chariot link (otherwise, he'd tell the idiot to fix his leg). He just spoke what he felt he should say. Was he simply getting into his role of manipulating people for power? What was happening?
"I just believe in myself." Minato answered. Just like before, he didn't even need to think before he answered. Him being a good actor must explain it... But, what was this strange, pleasantly light feeling he felt?
Minato stood there as Yukari poured her heart out to him at Yakushima. After listening to her story, he learned she wasn't lying all those months ago.
She was tossed around from place to place.
Just like him.
She had rumors spread about her wherever she went.
Just like him
In the end, she was just a girl who was lost and wanted something she can't have to come back.
Just like him.
Another strange and unfamiliar feeling came to Minato. But, that couldn't mean anything, right? After all, he was asked to come here to talk to her.
What he wasn't asked to do, was walk up to her and wrap his arms around her.
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
Why was he doing this?! They... They only use him in the end... right...? She didn't ask him to do this, so why was he? He's even been trying to convince his Emperor social-link to trust people. Yet, trust is something he himself didn't have for anyone... right? So why was he doing all this? There wasn't any reason for any of this!
What was happening to him?
Minato had just received a seed from his Hierophant social-link. With his help, they were able to let the very tree it spawned from go.
Normally, this sound stupid. But the tree held special value to the old couple that represented the link. For that tree, was all they had left of their dead son. Because of Minato, they arranged to have the tree cut-down so that the school it was located at could expand and educate more kids like Minato himself.
Because of Minato, they were able to realize, that THAT was what their son would want.
Minato felt strange again. Why did he care? Why did they care? They still lost their son... How did they move on? Why? Why is it that he's questioning everything now?
Everyone... Everyone simply wanted to hurt him... Right...?
Minato stood in his room in silence. Last night, the members of SEES had suffered their first casualty.
Last night, Minato was forced to watch a person die in front of him all over again. Why? Why did this painful feeling come back to him?
He lost his ability to feel a long time ago. All of his emotions died years ago...
So why did it hurt so much?
"Sorry, i'm going to go home now." Yukari said before quickly running away from the area. She had just yelled at Minato after saving her from three punks who were harassing her and were probably the one's who took her wallet.
This was what it was like to be used. Finally, his use had expired and she had now quickly turned her back on him. After he comforted her, saving her countless times, and even listened to her problems...
So why? Why is it no matter how hard he tried...
Why couldn't he help but forgive her?
'Come, Mitsuru...!" The rich man ordered Mitsuru who was looking down in submission
"G-goodbye, Arisato." Mitsuru said farewell as she left with her fiance
Minato knew that's not what she wanted. This man was manipulating her emotions to break her...
He refused to let that stand
Minato stood from his bench and glared at the rich man "She'll go, if she WANTS to go."
"Arisato..." Mitsuru called out. Her tone is both shocked and appreciative.
The man on the other hand seemed to have his blood boiling "Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry, could you not hear me through the amount the bullshit you spew?" Minato asked sarcastically "You're a bastard who doesn't care about anyone but yourself. To be honest, just being in your very presence is both pathetic, pitiful, and degrading."
Minato could swear that the man was about to explode in anger. "You dare insult me?! You, who are nothing more than a piece of common trash have the nerve to-"
"ENOUGH!" Mitsuru screamed as she stood in front of Minato and glared at her fiance who moments before had her in complete submission. "I will NOT let you insult him! You are NOTHING compared to him!"
Minato watched in awe as Mitsuru defended him. This was something that had never happened before. Even after she and everyone else had learned that he carried Death within his very soul and effectively doomed the world, she still defended him.
From that moment forward, Minato vowed he'd face Nyx... For his friends
Minato looked around as his friends laughed around him as they gathered at the shrine for New Year's day. He didn't fight it anymore, he embraced the light and warm feeling that filled his heart. Even though he didn't smile or even laugh, every moment with his friends was another happy memory he cherished
As his friends continued to banter among themselves, Minato walked somewhere he hadn't been to in eleven years now. He looked at three grave stones ; Two for his parents and one for his long-lost second half.
Minato closed his eyes and reflected on his past, both the good and bad. Minato chuckled as he remembered every time he was confused by the emotions he felt.
Minato looked up and opened his eyes. His normally brooding and/or blank expression was replaced by a fiery determination as he understood. These people... They weren't his friends.
They're his family
There's nothing we can do? The voice of Ken was heard as Minato faced Nyx's true form himself for his new family.
Don't give up! We have to believe in him! The voice of Akihiko cheered
Give him strength! Mitsuru shouted Take my life if you must!
Small lights surrounded Minato and returned his strength as got off the ground and back on his feet. Minato chuckled, here he was trying to save them and they're saving him... Just like they had before.
Nyx launched another red orb that exploded the moment it hit the floor. This time, Minato was able to withstand the attack.
Yeah, I'm willing to risk mine, too! Yukari cheered. Out of everyone, she was the one who feared death the most. Hearing that even she was willing to risk her life for him greatly strengthened his resolve.
He's going to face it all by himself! Fuuka shouted. Even though told her that she didn't owe him anything, he was the reason she was able to stand up for herself. Whether Minato liked it or not, she was going to repay her debt.
No, he's not alone! I won't let him die! Junpei shouted. That nearly brought a tear to Minato's eye. Junpei was right, Minato wasn't alone anymore.
I won't allow this world to be destroyed! Aigis declared as Koromaru's barks could be heard with her. Because of him, she realized that she, too, was a living thing. If she had to, she'd die for Minato without any hesitation.
Alright... Minato nearly froze as he heard the voice of his deceased friend Let's do this!
More light surrounded Minato as he felt all of his strength return. Nyx launched another orb at Minato, but it was completely useless against Minato now.
Minato looked up at Nyx's true form. He lived the past ten years as an empty shell. For the past ten years, he was a soulless husk. But now, his friends gave him his life back...
Minato raised his hand. They saved him, now... It was his turn to save them "Great Seal!"
No matter the cost
Minato rest his head on his Aigis' lap as he felt his very life ebbing. Most people would probably be terrified, but he wasn't. It wasn't because he didn't fear death, but because he knew his death would allow the one's he's grown to love to live on.
Even from the rooftop he heard Mitsuru suddenly pause in the middle of her speech. Though he didn't show it (which was usual of him), he felt nothing but pure joy fill him. Even though he had no way of knowing, he just knew that she and everyone else had remembered... Finally.
Minato struggles to keep his eyes open as his vision blurs. Minato look to his right and despite his blurred vision, he could make out all of his friends running towards him.
Minato closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to slip. Just before his he embraced his eternal slumber, he did something he hadn't done since the days he played with his sister.
Everyone surrounded Minato as he passed away with a smile on his face.
Well... Now that's done. I dunno why I decided to make this, I just felt like it. I hope all of you could get some enjoyment out of this. Now, pardon me. For today (May 31st in my time), is my birthday!