"Arisato-san. Are you awake?"
She opened her eyes. Blinks—once, twice. Her body feels heavy, like an anchor that is reluctant to be washed away by the waves in the sea. She thought that she should just succumb to her desire to sleep once again—though she shook her head at the thought when she heard a familiar voice, somewhat stoic yet sounds so caring. She feels so tired lately, even though she sleeps earlier and yet wakes the most late, even later than Junpei. That makes the male worried somehow, and in turn make everyone worry—or should be.
Everyone forget everything, and it made her heart ache, like there's something coiling around her, without mercy, without stopping.
No one remembers about what had happened this whole year—SEES, Shadow, Persona, Tartarus, full moon, Aragaki-senpai's death, Mochizuki Ryoji arrivals and sudden revelation—even one day she thought that it's all just a bad dream, and she praise herself of her imagination that would've made her parent proud, until she remembers that her parent is dead, on the Moonlight Bridge, where they fought their last battle, SEES last battle, against the Hanged Man who was hanging like a doll, which then made her uses Thanatos, making everyone gasps with a scared face, like the personification of death himself will turn against them like the first time he showed up, destroying everything on his path.
At least Thanatos remembers.
Is their relationship, their friendship; training and grinding in Tartarus, joking together on dinner time, fighting all of the Shadow Arcana, going to Yakushima, celebrating their victory with a sushi party, ending that bastard Ikutsuki's life, fighting Ryoji—oh God, Ryoji—is that not enough for them to remember all that had happened, is the disappearance of the Dark Hour is enough to sever their friendship? To erase her friends—her best friends, her comrades, her most precious people—memories about their precious moments just like how her and Junpei's writing of 'YAKUSHIMAA!' on the white sand of Yakushima's beach disappear easily with the blue waves from the sea?
"Arisato-san?"
"Ah... yes, I'll be there in a moment."
She got up from her bed, smoothing her pyjamas to the point where she won't be embarrassed to be seen by someone who is currently outside her door. She opened her bedroom's door, to see someone so familiar, so calming—
"Aigis...san. Good morning."
"Arisato—" Aigis shook her head, and then smiled. "Minako-san. Good morning to you too."
Minako-san.
Minako.
"Aigis—A-Aigis…"
She remembered. She remembered everything, yet she didn't say anything to her.
"Let us go, Minako-san. I'm sure everyone is waiting at the rooftop."
They didn't.
Of course they didn't, what was she thinking? They didn't remember anything when dining together last night, so what makes Minako so sure that they will—oh, Aigis. Sweet, sweet Aigis. The one who made her hoped.
Aigis managed to remember everything—of course she did, she's a robot, Minako—and she didn't say a thing. She told Minako about how she wanted to stay by her side as always, but hesitate after seeing Yukari and Junpei who didn't remembered her at all, even though she intentionally showed herself to them on their way to school. About how she was afraid—Aigis really did grew, mentally—that Minako may have forgotten about her, and she was afraid to face the truth that maybe, maybe, Minako did forgot about her, and then she will lose her purpose in life. Her purpose to stay by Minako's side, forever.
What is forever anyway? Until she dies? Until she reincarnated? Forever—for eternity?
Of course Aigis too felt the pain of being forgotten, just like Minako did when she faced her upperclassmen. When she asked about this, the blonde woman—robot—just smiled to her. She said that she doesn't want to make the situation awkward. She said that Minako need not to worry, because everyone will remember. Aigis is sure, she's so sure that Minako is unable to break her hope—hope that was just so innocent, like it came from a new-born chick that still doesn't know how cruel this world is, and how we can't resist against our fate.
I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.
Igor that always looks like he know everything that happened in the world, and Theo who is innocent about everything outside the Velvet Room. They both were very kind to her, always helping her on her "journey", always giving advice when she needs it. Now Minako wonders, did they really want to help her, or did they must help her—she thought of a butterfly, with the color of otherworldly blue—or did they help her for the sake of this world, for their own sake, for the sake of her destiny to seal herself, becoming the Great Barrier that separates Nyx from Erebus.
"Minako-san, you look very tired."
She blinks for a moment, confused. Seeing Aigis face right on top of her made her realize that they're on the rooftop right now, waiting for their friends—who might not come here—or did she really? Minako might have been waiting for something to happen, for Ryoji—for Death—to pick her up. But not right now. Not when she's still waiting for her friends to come here with their happy faces, remembering everything that had happened for this year, ever since Minako came to Tatsumi Port Island.
"Hm…" Minako hummed without any meaning. She doesn't know about what Aigis thought right there, but the woman—the robot who is now looks more human than she is—just stroke her reddish hair, making Minako's wish to sleep on her lap to be stronger. Just sleep, deep in slumbers, forever—
"…Aigis."
"Yes?"
"Don't leave me. Please don't let me go—let me stay here, please," she squeezed her eyes shut, tears threatening to fall down. "With you, Aigis. With everyone…"
Aigis looks confused—of course she is, who doesn't when hearing something like that from the fearless leader, something like a last wish of someone who still doesn't want to die, who still wants to live with everyone, with her friends. But after a few moments the blonde smiled—her last smile for me, mused Minako—and strongly answered Minako whose tears are threatening to fall.
"Of course, Minako-san."
I don't want to go, I still need to meet everyone—
"You look sleepy. It would be better if you sleep..."
I don't want to sleep, Aigis. Please, don't fall asleep. I still want to see everyone for the last time—
"Please sleep, Minako-san. I will still stay by your side by the time you're awake."
When is that? When will I wake up? Am I even going to wake up—
"Minako—! Oh, Aigis is here too?"
"Arisato, I'm very glad to see you here."
"Haha, that's look very comfortable, Minako-tan!"
"Minako-chan!"
"Minako, you—"
Every single voices from her friend are mixed with each other—just like her feelings right now, that can't be described by words. Her heart ache—a good ache—and tears start to gather in her eyelids. She now knows that her friends remember, that they will be fine. Maybe now would be a good time to sleep...
"Aigis."
"Minako-san?"
"I'm fine now, so I'll sleep, okay? Please... stay by my side."
"Certainly, Minako-san. I will always stay by your side."
"…thank you," she closes her eyes. "And I'm sorry."
Arisato Minako never wake up.
.
.
.
"Welcome home, my dearest."
"…I'm home."
and done! it's my first story in english, and my first story in the persona fandom. feedback would be appreciated, especially ones correcting my bad grammar on this one-shot XD
now that i think about it, it's strange that ryoji would say 'welcome home', since it's definitely not where minako wants to be... oh well. at least she will spend eternity with ryoji, so i guess it's not so bad...?
fun fact: i actually wrote "...i'm home, ryoji" for the last sentence, but i decided to scrap it, after i accidentally wrote 'ryuji' and ruined the moment :D i'm so sorry ryoji, i still love you!