[Well, here it is. The sequel. Finally. The reason as to why it had to take a while before I released it was because I decided to first have the entire story finished. That way I can post it regularly without any delays. (Hopefully no delays.) I'll post a new chapter every other day. I'll try to make it be updated around the same hour each time. That way I have cliffhangers :D I know, it's pretty evil, but excitement is good.]
I said that I'd always protect you. And it looks like I couldn't keep my promise...
Last year, the SEES members were told that The Fall was coming. In other words, the end of all life as they knew it. The SEES members were deathly terrified, but they decided to face the challenge head on. They were told repeatedly that Nyx was undefeatable. They didn't care. They decided to defeat Nyx, or go down swinging. Even though they had won against the Nyx Avatar, their efforts were for naught when the true Nyx appeared in a gargantuan mass that rivaled the moon. The team was completely helpless, not even capable of standing when the true Nyx appeared. But Minato was able to bring himself up, and hovered to the den Nyx resided in. His solo battle was impossible by all odds, but he was powered by all the encouraging words of his team members and the people he made unbreakable bonds with. Especially Akihiko, yelling out to him.
"I promised that I'd always be there for you, and I will!" Minato heard Akihiko.
Minato used the Great Seal, and in a flash, Nyx had begun to vanish, along with all the shadows and even the tower of demise, Tartarus. Minato appeared before the SEES members, each of them filled with relief seeing Minato return to them.
Months had passed from the battle, but the SEES members acted like they had forgotten everything that had to do with shadows and the Dark Hour. It was now the fifth of March, graduation day for the seniors of Gekkoukan High. Mitsuru was making her speech, when she suddenly felt odd about something. That is, once all the team members stood up in the auditorium, remembering their promise to meet up once again on this day. They remembered what they had forgotten, and rushed out the building, desiring to find Minato and Aigis so they could all be together again. Minato was up on the roof along with Aigis, Minato fading away from consciousness. He could hear his friends coming, but the sound was dying away until he drifted off asleep. The members believed that Minato had just collapsed from exhaustion, due to appearing to be ill after the final battle.
That is until he didn't wake up for days.
Minato was taken to the Municipal Hospital, being treated for whatever the doctors could find what was wrong. They couldn't find anything wrong at all, until Minato started to show signs of his vitals failing. The doctor's didn't know what to do.
They were fearing the worst was going to happen.
That is, until one night Minato just woke up. He laid there awake, not moving at all and stared at the ceiling. He was all alone in the room, not being permitted any visitors at all. Later in the early morning, the doctor came into the room, and saw Minato just sitting there, staring at the wall. The doctor was quite surprised, especially when he checked his vitals, everything checking out to be completely fine. The signs showed him to be in tip top health. The doctor had given Mitsuru a call, and she informed him how they would be coming by later at three in the afternoon. Akihiko was ecstatic to hear that Minato was alright.
Everyone arrived at the hospital and came into Minato's room, Minato still sitting there and staring at nothing.
"How is he, doctor?" Mitsuru asked.
"Well, all signs shows that he's okay. Vitals are normal and stable. Absolutely no signs of any physical harm. But, he has been sitting there like this since I walked in at six AM. He may have been like that for even longer." The doctor explained.
"How curious…" Mitsuru responded. Akihiko just walked over to Minato and hugged him.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Minato." He let go of Minato, but he stayed silent. Akihiko was perplexed. Minato glanced in Akihiko's direction, having a blank, emotionless expression on his face. He then looked away, staring at nothing again. This was concerning Akihiko.
"H-hey, Minato. What's wrong?" Akihiko asked.
"Wrong…" Minato breathed out in a low voice.
"Perhaps he is still overwhelmed from the final battle. He must've experienced something that we can't imagine." Mitsuru guessed.
"Yeah, maybe you're right…" Akihiko sighed.
"Well, seeing as though there's no problems with him, he can be checked out tomorrow if you like." The doctor suggested.
"Yes, I think that would be for the best. That way he can go back to his daily business and act like everything is back to normal." Mitsuru agreed. Akihiko looked at Minato. He was worried about how Minato was acting. He thought for sure that he'd be happy to be back with his senpai.
"Is it… alright if I stay a while longer?" Akihiko asked. He was allowed to do so. As the others left, Yukari stopped at the door and looked back at Akihiko.
"He'll be okay, senpai. Just be sure to be there for him." Yukari said to him.
"Thanks, Takeba." Akihiko said back to her, a small smile coming across his face. Akihiko pulled a chair over close to Minato's bed and sat down next to him.
He grabbed Minato's hand and held onto it tightly. His body felt cold. Minato just glanced at his hand in Akihiko's hand, not changing expressions. He looked away again. A frown went across Akihiko's face. Minato would always say how he enjoyed Akihiko's touch. He lifted the younger boy's hand and kissed it lightly.
"Warm…" Minato said, again in a low voice that was barely audible.
It was the next day, and the group went to get Minato from the hospital. The doctor had told them that he hasn't changed at all since Akihiko had left the previous day. It was concerning since he had not eaten a thing, either. Minato would do absolutely nothing, so Akihiko helped Minato gather his things. Minato would also not move by himself, so Akihiko held onto Minato's hand as they walked. Akihiko tried getting Minato to say at least something, but he stayed the same since they first saw him at the hospital. The two of them stopped at Octopocia, since Minato hasn't eaten a thing and Akihiko knew that Minato really liked the takoyaki here.
"Here, Minato. It's nice and hot, just how you like it." Akihiko said when he handed him the food. Minato took it, but just held it in his hands, merely looking at it. Akihiko sighed, figuring that he should help. It didn't necessarily bother him, but it wasn't like Minato to behave like this. Whenever Minato would act childish towards Akihiko, he always did it playfully and asked Akihiko to 'help' him. Akihiko picked up one of the takoyaki balls and cooled it a bit before feeding it to Minato.
"Open up, and say 'Aw'." Akihiko said to him. Minato looked at him with the same blank expression. He opened his mouth slightly and Akihiko fed it to him. Akihiko was at least glad that Minato was willing to comply with him and eat the food.
"Uh, Minato…" Akihiko started as he fed him another takoyaki. "You know that you can talk to me about anything, right? If anything is bothering you, or how you feel about that confrontation with Nyx, you can trust me to help, can't you?"
"Anything… Trust…" Minato muttered.
"That's right, you can trust me with anything." Akihiko said, wanting to reassure Minato. Minato only looked at Akihiko, slowly chewing the takoyaki. Akihiko sighed, feeling defeated at the moment.
"Maybe you'll feel better after having a normal day at school tomorrow, but I won't get to be there with you…"
The next day, Akihiko knocked on Minato's door, seeing if he was okay. When he didn't get a response, he went in and saw Minato still sitting on his bed, not ready at all. Akihiko rubbed his forehead and decided to help him get ready. Afterwards he asked Yukari to take Minato along with her to make sure he doesn't wander off or anything. The two of them as well as Junpei were in their class. Everyone in there were doing classwork, but Minato did what he had been doing all this time: staring at his desk, doing nothing.
"Arisato, why aren't you doing your work?" The teacher, Ms. Toriumi said aloud to him. Most of the students looked over at Minato, even though he stayed silent, doing nothing.
"Arisato, why aren't you answering me?" Toriumi was beginning to get irritated.
"Answer…" Minato muttered.
"Are you getting smart with me?!"
"U-um, you see, Minato wasn't feeling well for a few days, and we thought that he's alright today, but maybe I should take him to the nurse's office to check." Yukari jumped in, tugging Minato along with herself out the classroom. She took him to the nurse as she said, figuring that he could help at least a little. Alas, nothing helped at all, but the nurse did make an interesting suggestion.
"You say that your friend has been like this for a few days, not responding to anything or anyone, yes?" He asked.
"Yeah, he doesn't even respond to his own name." Yukari answered.
"Then perhaps he has come down with amnesia and he is no longer familiar with you."
"Huh, I didn't think of that being a possibility. But, if he's like this, then he can't keep going around school like this. He's pissed off our teacher enough as it is right now." Yukari said, deciding to text Mitsuru and Akihiko about what she was told.
Minato was taken back to the dorm, escorted by Akihiko. While Akihiko was concerned with Minato possibly having amnesia, he was a little relieved that Minato wasn't upset at him or anything. Akihiko thought that maybe he should help Minato get his memories back, little by little, since he knew Minato best ever since their relationship began. The two were in Minato's room, figuring a familiar environment would help as well.
"Okay, you're Minato. Min-a-to." Akihiko said slowly, placing his hand on Minato as he told him his name. Minato stared at where he was being touched, unresponsive.
"Repeat after me, you're Minato."
"Minato…" Minato uttered. Akihiko smiled, figuring that some progress was still progress.
"Right. And I am Akihiko. A-ki-hi-ko." Akihiko tried getting Minato to recall him now. "Can you remember that? I'm Akihiko." Minato stared at him. Akihiko didn't notice before, but there was something different about Minato's eyes. Before, he could see Minato's spirit. They emanated innocence and passion before. Now, when Akihiko looked into them, he saw nothing. Nothing at all. Minato's eyes were cold, lifeless.
"M-Minato… you can remember me right? You can remember your boyfriend, can't you? Your Aki? You always said how you'd feel better every time you looked into my eyes. Can't you feel the same way when you look at me?" Akihiko was becoming a little hysterical.
"Feel… nothing… Everything… empty." Minato quietly muttered. Akihiko couldn't help but begin to tear up. He knew there was something wrong with Minato. Much worse than amnesia. It was as if the Minato he knew and loved was gone.
