Summary: Ken Amada had found his love Minako Arisato in the most unlikely of places: Inaba. Oneshot. Ken x Minako.
Author's Note: I found this piece unfinished in the dusty corner of my laptop's files. While it was created some time ago (in celebration of Ken being in P4U2, to be precise) and is long overdue, I hope you enjoy reading nevertheless.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series.
Warning: Angst ensues.
I Found You
Created By: x-LittleMissAlice-x
xXx
"With time, the image of those you once knew blurs."
Unknown
xXx
March 5, 2010. Although two years had passed since that fateful day, Ken Amada had never forgotten the tragedy that transpired on the Gekkoukan High rooftop.
He had never forgotten the perky tone of her voice; a voice that had sounded impossibly weak, nearly inaudible that honeydew spring morning. He had never forgotten the adorable, rosy flush of her cheeks; cheeks that had felt far too frigid beneath his child-like fingertips. He had never forgotten the lively sparkle in her eyes; eyes that had suddenly lost their happy glitter and slid to a close, never to open again.
He had never forgotten her final words to him all that time ago...
And now, two years later, his ears were graced with them once again.
"Isn't it a beautiful day?"
The pattering of his steady footsteps faltered, the soles of his sneakers scuffing the hot pavement of the Inaba Shopping District. Ken's head jerked, his frantic eyes darting, desperately scouring his unfamiliar surroundings for the source of that voice…
It didn't take long for him to find her.
Auburn locks swayed before Ken's chocolate brown eyes, the side of a nostalgic, sweet smile gleaming. Perfect porcelain skin glowed in the sun's rays, brightened further by her pretty flushed cheeks. Confidence radiating, each step a purposeful, confident, smooth stride; an aura radiated from her, compelling everyone nearby to look at her, to desire to simply be near her—
It was an aura just like the one she had.
But... this girl wasn't the same person, right? She had told Ken she would be leaving their world to be with his mother, her parents, and her broth-
Ken's breathing hitched.
She is with her brother.
Ken had only seen him once, in a picture frame by her bedside, but surely it was him – a boy a little taller than her; shoulder length, blue hair; a hidden smile tugging the corners of his otherwise stoic face…
Minato.
Yes, that was her brother's name. His name was Minato.
But if it was really him, if he really was here, walking right in front of him, then this girl... She had to be…
"Minako-san...!"
Although only two years had passed since that fateful day (since he had last seen her, since he had last held her), Ken began darting as fast as his legs could carry him.
His body moved, desperately, to close the gap that had been between them for so long; to make up for all the times he couldn't be there for her, for when he couldn't truly be by her side (because he was too weak… because he was a child). His trembling arms reached - longingly, they reached - for her, wrapping around her familiar frame and clinging onto her, onto that familiarity, from behind...
Although he was now a mature, thirteen year old middle school student, Ken buried his face into the back of her uniform and wept for all the times he could not. Although he was a completely independent teenager now, he clung onto her as if his entire world depended on it (as if he depended on her, on her existence), because he knew if he dared to release his grip just a little, she could slip through his fingers once again.
"M-Minako-san," his strained vocal cords managed to choke out, his voice cracking under the weight of his swirling emotions. "I knew you would come back! I always... I a-always knew...!"
He was in love her. He wanted to spend his entire life with her. Even if she had told him to move on, he always knew that so long as he thought of her… so long as he worked hard to be someone she would be proud of, Minako would come back to him.
And now Minako and Minato were alive. They both came back to life. Someway, somehow, they were on Earth again, with him and… and-
"Rise-san, do you know this boy?"
Rise...?
No. He couldn't be mistaken. He couldn't...
Their voice was the same. Their mannerism and expressions were the same. Even her scent was just as Ken remembered it.
She had to be… She just had to be—
No… it wasn't her.
They were similar – remarkably similar – but there were a few slight differences. This girl's auburn locks were a shade darker, and her eyes a more grayish brown than the vermilion he knew. The boy next to her seemed to have hair a shade darker than Minato's as well, and, although subtle, softer features.
They looked so similar to them in yet... in yet...
"N-no, I don't know him."
It hurt.
Seeing those light chocolate-gray eyes stare at him in such an unsettling way, hearing her say she didn't know him in her voice...
It hurt.
"Maybe he's a fan of mine or something? Although I don't remember playing a girl named 'Minako' in one of my past dramas, and I usually don't have boys hugging me from behind if they want autographs-"
Knowing this girl wasn't her...
It hurt.
Ithurtithurtihurtithurt.
"I'm sorry... I thought you were someone else."
The polite words felt forced from his lips, difficult to form and even more difficult to speak. He could feel the girl stare at him in surprise, perhaps even see the destroyed look in his eyes - a look that perfectly expressed the loss he felt, of losing his love once again...
…Or, perhaps, it was knowing he had never truly had her in the first place that hurt the most.
"I-It's fine! Don't worry about it!" the familiar stranger said with a forced smile; a smile that somehow seemed so natural (like she was used to making it, just like Minako was). "I just have a familiar face is all. Happens all the time, right, Naoto-kun?"
Then before he knew it, Minako and Minato- no, Rise and Naoto, were gone, leaving Ken with an emptiness he had thought he had learned to bury, learned to ignore...
Ken had never forgotten the coldness of her skin, the closing of her eyes, or the softness of her voice, but he had forgotten something.
He had forgotten that Minako had died. Ken had forgotten that she had sacrificed herself to save this world.
Ken had forgotten the Minako Arisato he knew would never come back, and that was the hardest part of all.
I have always thought Rise and Naoto looked very similar to Minako and Minato. From far away, I think they could easily be mistaken, especially after so much time has passed.
Anyway, if you enjoyed this piece, please leave a review. If this story reaches 5 or more reviews, I will create another oneshot for the Persona series.
That's all then. Have a lovely evening.
xLMAx