Took me long enough...that's all.

God, you can see how unmotivated I wrote this. Sorry, I'm a little depressed lately.

Chapter 10

Ken couldn't belief this was actually happening. The room he was in was obviously a room inside of Tartarus. And in front of him stood his mother, smiling at him like she did when she was alive.

"Mom!?"

Not even trying to hold back tears, he ran ahead and hugged. His mother hugged back, bending down to his level and pulled him against her chest. For the next 10 minutes they remained in this position, until Ken finally looked up.

There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much he just had to tell her, but now that he actually had the opportunity, he couldn't find the right words. His mom smiled down at him and decided to actually start a conversation.

"I'm glad you're fine." she said, stroking through his hair.

"M-mom, I-I'm sorry." He buried his face into her chest again.

"For what?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry I was too weak, too afraid to do anything! I'm-"

"Shh." She put a finger on his lips. "You don't have to be. There's no reason to blame yourself. You were just 8 years old, Ken. No one should be confronted with something like this. If anything, then I'm sorry for not being able to stay with you."

"But-!"

"No 'buts'. You're alive, that's all that counts. And I think you're smarter, than to just waste it."

"Huh?"

His mother's face became serious. "I've been watching over you and I know what you plan. It is not Shinjiro-kun's fault I died. It could have happened to anyone."

"B-but-"

"Shush. Do you think I want you to become a murderer? It was an accident and he just tried to protect us. Is this the way to thank someone for protecting us? If it wouldn't be for him, you would have died as well."

Ken looked down ashamed. The last two years he thought of nothing, but avenging his mother. And now she herself tells him to not avenge her. What was left to do for him? He only lived in order to avenge his mother.

Her face softened, though Ken couldn't see it.

"Look up."

He did as she said.

"Life has so much more to offer. You just have to look around and you'll find your reason to life."

"My reason to life?" he asked, not sure what she was talking about. She placed herself beside him and placed him onto her lap. "Life is not always sugar and sunshine. But isn't always darkness and bitterness either. Belief me, I wish I could come back, but this is impossible. I know it is hard, but one day you'll need to let go and walk on without me. Just remember, you're not alone. And I'll always watch over you."

Ken felt sleepy all of the sudden, but he refused to close his eyes.

"Don't worry, when you wake up, I'll still be with you. I never said I can let go of you. No, it's too early for me too."

XXX

"DAD!" Yukari exclaimed, ran forward and almost knocked her father to the ground, who laughed happily to see his little princess again.

"Yukari..."

"Dad..." she started sobbing and buried her face into his chest. "I missed you." she whispered.

"I missed you too." he replied and comforted her for a while. "You have grown so much. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you and your mother."

Yukari looked down uncomfortable. Her father titled his head in confusion. "What's wrong? Did you and your mom had a fight?"

The girl let out a sigh. "She's been seeing other men." she simply said. Her father shook his head. "Well everyone has to go on."

"She didn't just 'go on'!" Yukari exclaimed. "She had that boyfriend, then this boyfriend and then the other boyfriend...she's completely forgotten you! She's pretending you never existed! And sometimes I've the feeling she forgot I existed at all."

Her father had listened patiently and pulled her into a hug afterwards. This was normally a situation he would have to talk with his wife about, but the thing was, he was dead. Nyx and Erebus surly wouldn't just pull her into Tartarus, so he could have a nice long talk with her.

Instead the only thing he could really do is to pull his daughter into another hug. "Did you try to talk to her?" he asked.

If Yukari was honest, she didn't really try, but how? She had been 6 at that time and later the damage had already been done on her psyche. She honestly almost acted like her mother didn't exist anymore.

As her father reasoned this from what he heard, he understood why Yukari acted the way she did. Yet still, talking was the only solution he could come up with. One of them had to make the move and Yukari's father could only suggest that she'll do it herself.

Yukari nodded solemnly. She wasn't happy with it, but even she could see it was the only possible solution. She lost the mood to talk afterwards and spent the time with her father in comfortable silence, until he decided to break it and asked about trivial things, like school life and possible love interest.

That's the way he learned just why the gods let him have this talk with his daughter.

I should mention Ken's mother was pretty much surprised to learn her son had a love interest in an older girl. She would have one heck of a talk with Minako, goddess or not.

XXX

Ken and Yukari felt like they had a speed run through 20 Tartarus floors. Seeing each other's condition the next day, they knew the two had been seeing their past away parents. Why they were in this condition, they didn't know, but it was worth it.

After a sleeping day in school, the two met in private at the shrine, with Yukari bringing some Chinese noodles with her. She gave Ken his share and the two started eating. Yukari took out an envelope and sighed.

"What's this?" Ken asked.

"...A letter for my mother from my father. He wrote it yesterday, so we could get closer again." Ken nodded and pulled out a chain, which was hanging from his head. He opened the lock and looked at the photo.

"From your mom?"

Ken nodded. He showed her the picture. It was one of him and her, just taken yesterday. Being dead has its advantages, just so you know.

"I wonder how they are doing." Ken sighed after a long period of silence. Yukari looked up into the sky. "Let's hope Junpei's friend will come up with something soon or else I'll press the information out of Kirijo herself." Yukari declared.

Ken would normally be scandalized, but at the stage of the events, he was ready to do it himself.

"Oh, hi guys!"

Junpei just happened to come by and placed himself next to them, a can of soda in his hands. "Watcha doing?" he asked.

"Nothing much." Yukari replied, resuming to her meal. Ken did the same and Junpei sighed. His own mood was pretty down, although it wasn't noticeable. Okay it actually was, at least for the people who knew him. He was all silent throughout the day and the teacher's question didn't even caught him off guard. He still couldn't answer it.

"I just talked to Chi-...to my friend. Said it'd take some days, 'till they found 'em. Two or three days."

"That's actually pretty fast." Yukari commented.

Junpei shrugged. "Good for us, ain't it?"

XXX

(X days later)

Minako woke up, staring at the white ceiling of her 'room'. After the nice little transport, she and her brother had been separated and they weren't allowed to ask any questions at all. All they had to do was shut up, eat their 'meals' (some grey mud or something) and stand still during these 'tests'. With each one security had been increased on them.

Now she was in a plastic box, where everyone could watch her 24/7. She would never go into a Zoo again after this. She could only guess her brother was the same. Outside her box was a big hall with guards everywhere and here and there a scientist aka Frankenstein double.

They even had a few ASWs, though obviously way older models than Aigis, none of them being able to summon a persona. On top seemed to be an observation room. Minako had seen the chairman the other day up there, but ignored him the whole time and the passed day. All she did was staring at a wall. It was an ability she and her brother had in common, she just never used it.

They gave her suppressments, but they didn't help on her deity abilities. Sure she couldn't sense her personas, but she didn't really need them. She made a mental note of creating a new body, since this one must have already taken damage from the pills. Maybe with slightly larger breasts?

She snickered at the thought. The things she could do, oh it was just too good.

She used her telepathic abilities every day and so she learned from her parents that some of the SEES members would try to get them out. Minako and her brother decided if they wouldn't come in a few days, they'd break out themselves. The question was, would Minako have the patience?

Her brother had no problem at all. There was another thing though: their friends' safety. These guys here wouldn't hesitate to use their weapons.

Minako only had some lab clothes on. Even the school uniform would have been better than this stuff. Also she wasn't allowed to wear her hairclips, which she could understand, suicide danger and all.

She pulled her legs closer and started staring at the wall in front of her, not even caring to remove the blanket or eating her so called breakfast. She wanted to make a diet anyway and the last days had been a good opportunity. Without burning the calories in Tartarus, she surly would get fat in a day with her appetite.

Minako?

Yeah?

We're going out.

Like now?

I've thought about it. If they come, they'll get turned into switcher cheese before they can even hold their evokers on their heads.

Good point brother. So now?

You had breakfast?

No. Why?

They put something inside our 'food'. Some kind of drug.

Oh well, let's show them just how good their drugs are working on us.

We should get rid of the security footage, while we're at it.

Oooh, we're going all out?

Yeah, yeah, do what you want my little devil sister.

Kekekeke

Minako stood up and stretched herself, an evil grin on her face. The guards looked over curiously, seeing as she didn't do much the last days. Some of them thought she finally lost it, due to the isolation she was going through. Their eyes widened in horror as dark energy was surrounding her. An alarm was set off and only seconds later Minako stood there in her true form.

She casually walked through the plastic wall, like nothing was actually blocking her way. The guards started shooting at her and ASWs ran at her with all kinds of weapons.

xxx

Minato casually threw the unconscious body of the guard away on the ground. He didn't bother checking whether he accidentally killed some of the dudes or not. His mind was focused on getting out. Now he was not the best at computers, but maybe he could 'convince' a few people to handle them for him.

He flew up into the observation room, only to find it deserted. Sighing he casually walked over to one of the consoles. The screen was red and no matter what he tried, nothing would happen.

"Must be blocked. Oh man, now I gotta find the central server or whatever it is called. And a dude who actually knows what to do.

I haven't decided whether they escape before or when the rest arrives (look at X-days). Oh man, glad I got this finished. Now I can get over my depression.