Chapter 25: Unreal
A/N: Sorry for the delay. Holiday stuff, went on a few trips, my laptop broke, and now I've second-degree burned my arm. Again. Good thing I wrote all of this prior to the burning.
Social Link statuses are on the bottom. You'll either love or hate this chapter.
ONTO THE STORY!
SWS: The Being Formerly Known As Aigis
I am not real.
Everything that I thought I was, everything that I thought I had was a lie.
All of it was a lie I wanted to believe in.
A lie.
I.
Built in a laboratory, built to serve, built to fight. If I peel away the skin, is there steel underneath? If I open my chest, is there a heart? Is there a battery? If I crack my skull open, is there a brain or a computer? Where do "I" begin and where does "it" end? What is mine and what is not? Who am I? What am I? Why am I?
Am.
It's so funny. Hilarious. The joke of the girl who thought she was a girl. I am a weapon. I am a tool. I am a thing. I am a punchline. I am a cruel trick. I am a deception. I am deceived. I am false.
Not.
I am not human. I have no family to find, no childhood memories to regain. I have nothing. I am nothing. I cannot die, for I have never lived. Are my emotions fake too? When I cry, do I mean it? When I laugh, am I really happy? If I only know how I "feel", then how do I know it's the same thing everyone else feels? If I fall in love, is it love or an illusion? I am not even Aigis. These memories are not mine because I did not exist when they were made. I now know the truth. I never have been, never will be, and am not...
...Real.
I burst into tears and screams force themselves out my throat and I laugh because it's all funny and it's a joke and life is a joke because I am not real and I am the punchline and I am punched and I remember and then I burst into teardrops and screams rip me apart and tear me apart and drag me back into me and dear God somebody help me it's dark inside and there's nobody here because it's empty but I'm here and I'm empty and please save me but nobody is listening and nobody can save me because I don't feel anything because I'm not a person because I'm not real and I'm not real and I'm not real and I'm not re—
SWS: End
Naoto calmly analyzed the situation.
She was imprisoned. That much was obvious. Her windowless, six tatami mat-sized room surrounded her with steel walls. Across from her was a thick, metal door with a slot at eye level (for people taller than Naoto) to see through and a slot at waist level for depositing food. Her bed had no blankets and the pillow had no feathers. They were not going to give her anything to use to get out of here.
This group was smart. However…
"Dinner. Make sure every bit of dishware is on the tray when I return," a bored voice said as it put the food in the through the slot. She looked through the eye slot to see her captor's eyes. Those cold, dark blue eyes set behind glass. She remembered what the others called him.
Jin.
"Thanks," she said as she walked over to her food. There was nothing she could use here. They gave her food, but demanded the utensils back in one piece. Her room had a small bed, a sink, and a toilet. That was about it. Those things took up most of the space, so she would have to sit on the bed or toilet to be somewhat comfortable. These people obviously planned for her intelligence.
However, they did make one mistake.
"Is my nii-chan fine?" She asked with wide eyes and a pout.
"He's alive," Jin responded. She sighed in relief.
"Thank you very much! I hope you have a good day, Jin-san!"
Jin stopped for a moment before he clicked his tongue and shut the small window to the outside world.
They gave her a human guard. Humans could be used, manipulated. Naoto was doing her very best to be affectionate, kind, and pure. Of course, she was planning on changing that based on how he reacted. Right now she was testing the water, but her initial approach seemed to be working. She was trying to create the reverse of Stockholm Syndrome, Lima Syndrome. Captors with this tend to sympathize with their hostages, often letting them go in most situations.
Naoto also considered just trying to make him turn traitor, but she needed more information for that. Information she could get by making him open up to her. From there, she could hopefully stop the Lima Syndrome before it became full-blown love or obsession and use it to making Jin a traitor to his own group. Use his fears, his insecurities, his weaknesses in order to free herself.
Naoto was going to play with his mind, poke and prod it until she found a structural weakness. She just needed time. Like a prisoner using a spoon to dig a tunnel, she had to work at this until she was out. She truly meant it when she told her brother not to worry. Naoto planned to escape this situation all on her own.
Of course, she had several back-up plans if this failed.
Rage.
Pure, flaming, indignant, inexorable, teeth-grinding, fist-clenching, foot-stomping, screaming rage flooded his system in a way he never felt before. He wanted to jump across the table and put his hands around the man's soft throat and squeeze until it broke. Nobody could stop him. The only barrier between them was the man's wooden desk.
This dark emotion was new to him. Minato clenched his fist tight, hoping to remove enough anger to act rationally. If he acted out now, Takaya and the other Strega members could kill him and there was no doubt that Ikutsuki had a backup plan. Hurting him in some way would hurt his sister.
"Oh good! You're behaving reasonably! I was expecting you to fly off the handle because you couldn't 'handle' it. Let me make this clear," Ikutsuki said as he happy demeanor melted away. He pointed to the camera in the corner of the room. "If you move in any threatening way, she won't die immediately. She'll be tortured. We will make her wish for death, but we will not give it to her.
"We will break her and break her again until the Lost themselves looked like productive members of society in comparison. Then we will remake her, change her into a stalwart believer of Nyx, completely devoid of any love for you, or for this world. We could have already done the torturing, but I stepped in for your sake. I'm the only thing keeping her unharmed. As long as I am unharmed, so is she."
"You… son of a bitch," Minato let out as he brought his fist down on Ikutsuki's table, leaving a small indentation. Ikutsuki's eyes widened, but he smiled brightly when Minato didn't move beyond that. That much was well within his expectations.
"Call me what you like. I'm your only real friend in Strega. Maybe one day you'll be able to understand all the things I've done for you," Ikutsuki said with a brilliant smile.
"If you hurt even a hair on her head, I'll ki—!"
He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked to the side to see Chidori shaking her head.
"This isn't you. Calm down. He already said she won't be harmed. If you do good work and they think she isn't necessary as an insurance policy, they'll let her go." She then turned to Ikutsuki. "With the last mission, we displayed our loyalty. She'll be released at this rate, correct?"
Ikutsuki smiled, but Chidori couldn't help but feel like there was some sort hidden meaning behind it. No, she knew there was a hidden meaning behind it. Was it possible that he knew what their plan was?
'No,' Chidori reassured herself. 'If he did, then we'd be dead right now.'
"Of course, of course. Simply keep on accomplishing our goals and she'll be free again in no time. Think of it as merely a minor initiation. A friendly reminder for the future, nothing more. You'll finally be able to contribute to Strega in an even more significant way!"
Once outside of the Base, Chidori smacked the back of Minato's head.
"I am trying to save you, moron!" She scolded. Then she sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Honestly, it is as if you suddenly decided that being emotional is a great idea. In this situation, you must put on a mask and plan. They have your sister? She's not dead and she's unharmed. We can figure it out. Patience is the deadliest weapon. That outburst alone could have ended up causing her pain."
"I'm… sorry. It's just that… this wouldn't have happened if I succeeded. I could have prevented this," Minato said, his eyes falling to the ground. Chidori put a hand on his shoulder, and bit her lip a bit before talking.
"...You could not have prevented it. Our options were to act or wait. Either one led to the same conclusion. The moment I saw you were possessed by that… thing, I gave up on the plan and took a suppressant. I had to kill that Shadow in order for us to stand a chance after the battle. And, as it turns out, we are not dead. Just focus on that for now. It's not your fault," Chidori said, her voice oddly gentle.
Minato nodded silently.
"Thanks... for giving me a chance," he whispered.
"Just do something with it," Chidori said as she walked away.
June 11, 2009
"She's been like that since she woke up. We'll be checking for any sort of brain damage later, just to make sure. You can visit with her now, just to see if it makes a difference," Mitsuru told Yukari, the red-haired heiress still nursing her head with a bag of ice.
Yukari bit her lip as she nodded. Mitsuru then said her goodbye and left Yukari alone with the other girl in the hospital room. The brunette sat down next to the hospital bed, organizing her thoughts as she looked at her friend again.
Aigis' face was expressionless. She was propped up in her bed by pillows, her eyes not focused on anything. Her arm and leg were in casts. She'd been like that ever since they all miraculously woke up in the hospital two days ago. The Kirijo Group had managed to retrieve Labrys before the ambulance did, fortunately. For the most part, they were all remarkably okay. Akihiko had a broken arm and Aigis' arm and leg were broken, but a Persona's healing abilities was able at least to speed up the healing process.
Nobody knew what happened to Minato, Chidori, and Shinjiro, but the fact that S.E.E.S. was still alive most likely meant that the Emperor was defeated.
'I wasn't even conscious. I couldn't see what happened. I left her to fight that thing all alone,' Yukari thought, the bitter feelings digging into her. It was just like before. When had Yukari ever protected somebody else? When had she been willing to put her life on the line for another's sake?
"Aigis-chan… if you can hear me… I'm sorry. I'm your friend, but I can't heal this. Healing is such a selfish thing. You wait for somebody else to get hurt in order to become important. If nobody ever got hurt, then somebody who specializes in healing wouldn't be needed. Doctors would be out of jobs," Yukari said with a dry, humorless laugh.
Aigis' blank stare was the only response she got. Yukari rubbed the back of her head and looked around. Then, quietly, she pulled out her Evoker from her purse. It was something of a daily ritual. Whenever Mitsuru, Yukari, or Akihiko would visit, they'd use up what energy they could in order to heal her. The Kirijo Group kept the doctors quiet.
When she was done, Yukari stood up. Even though her Persona told her that Aigis was completely healed now, the girl still made no movements. Yukari waited a few seconds before speaking.
"Look, I'll be better. I want to be a friend that can walk alongside you. So please wake up soon, okay?"
"Yu...kari….chan…"
As Yukari was moving towards the door, Aigis' voice came out as a whisper. However, Yukari was already too far away to hear her and left, leaving the blonde girl alone with the voices in her head..
'I… am… not... real...'
[You believe hiding to be the best solution?]
'I… stole… your existence.'
[It does not matter. I am a fabricated personality designed to function as the operating system of an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon. The current body is not something I have been designed to handle. It is yours.]
'I was not made with a purpose. I'm empty. I don't belong here. Let me fade away.'
[I am... sorry. I cannot allow that. But I cannot allow us to sit idly while Shadows run amok.]
And then Aigis' eyes gained some light behind them. She brought her head up and examined her surroundings.
"I am sorry that I have made you unfit to be in charge of this body," the human machine said. The human personality that had been created ten years ago was quickly disappearing and fading away as it realized its own falsehood. It was collapsing in upon itself because it now acknowledged that it had nothing to support it.
Thus, in order to preserve it, the old Aigis emerged, taking back the body that no longer felt like it was hers. The casts on her arm and leg stopped her from getting up and leaving immediately, but the resolve still shined in her eyes. If the human personality could not face the world, then the machine would bear the full brunt of her burden.
"Let me join you, Elizabeth. We made a great team," Fuuka pleaded from her hospital bed. She was getting discharged tomorrow and Elizabeth had been visiting her the past couple days while others were out of town doing some sort of work for Strega. Elizabeth (being a non-combat unit in their eyes) had been ordered to stay behind, which meant she had all the time in the world to visit Fuuka. Seated beside her friend, Elizabeth frowned.
"No," she said resolutely.
"Why not? I have a power too now."
"My group is much too dangerous for you," Elizabeth explained. Certainly, running with Strega ran a considerable risk to any that joined. Disloyalty could be punished with death. She would rather her friend be with S.E.E.S., where she would be considerably more safe.
"What do you mean?" Fuuka asked. Elizabeth placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.
"If you wish to use your power for people, I highly recommend you join S.E.E.S. There is also the option of refusing and hiding your power, but your world shall never go back to normal. I cannot allow you to join me, unfortunately," Elizabeth explained. Fuuka looked down and clutched her bed sheet. Together, they had managed to survive that hell. Together, they were strong. There was no way Elizabeth didn't acknowledge that.
'It must be for a good reason,' Fuuka reasoned, 'But I still don't like it.'
"...I don't understand, but I can still see you at school, right?" Fuuka asked with a tired smile on her face. With a wink, Elizabeth gave her friend a thumbs up.
"Of course!"
With a sigh, Fuuka took her phone from a nearby table and a sheet of paper with a phone number on it. They were going to come to her again, but she felt it would be better to get it over with.
Outside the hospital, Mitsuru checked her phone once again. The only texts Minato had sent were one asking if she was alright and another saying he'd be out of town for a "little while". How long was a "little while"? It was already Thursday and he hadn't been to school at all. Elizabeth was still here, but trying to get answers from her was like trying a solve a riddle without an answer. Completely pointless.
"Hey, is everything alright?" Akihiko asked as he walked up to her. His arm was covered in a cast, but, given that he was dressed in a red shirt and shorts, he most likely still went to boxing practice. Very few things could get between Akihiko and his training.
Mitsuru sighed as she leaned against the wall of the hospital. "Things always manage to get worse, don't they? Minato's never around anymore, you're in a cast, Kubomi-san is in a near comatose state, Moriyama-san is missing, Labrys was nearly destroyed… I never assumed that all of this would be easy, but I had hoped we were capable enough to pull through no matter the situation. If I had not been defeated so easily, then I'm certain the outcome would have been different. I was foolish."
Akihiko walked over to the wall next to her and stood beside her, eyes forward. "You didn't do anything that wasn't understandable. Relax. It's not your fault. Just let me charge up front next time. I'm a boxer. I'm used to taking heavy hits," Akihiko said with a smile.
Mitsuru let out a small smile. Feeling it vibrate in her pocket, she checked her phone. Her smiled widened as she read the text.
"Looks like we have our newest member."
On the roof of the dorm, Junpei swung his sword once more.
Junpei could not quite figure out what exactly happened during that fight. He was doing well, but then that voice caused him to lose consciousness. Was it some sort of side-effect? Was he a hero that could only fight for five minutes?
'Or maybe it was something that Ikutsuki-san did,' Junpei thought with a grimace. It was a terrifying thought. What if Ikutsuki was in control of his every action, using him like a puppet?! What if he had no free will?! What if he could never chase after chicks and go to the arcade ever again?! Oh, the agony!
'Nah. That pun machine? I doubt it,' Junpei thought. Sure, the circumstances surrounding the whole surgery was a little shady, but he got what Ikutsuki promised. There was no reason for him to doubt the kind man.
"Found you! Now, tell me what the hell happened earlier! You can't escape!" Yukari shouted from the door to the roof.
Junpei gulped. "Y-Yuka-tan, I thought you were supposed to be at the hospital for another thirty minutes! A-Anyway, don't worry about it! I said it was nothing! "
Yukari had been chasing him down for the last few days trying to get answers out of him. After all, manifesting black energy on your fist and punching a sword wasn't something, well, normal. As if they were normal people to begin with.
"Like hell it's nothing! Just tell me, Stupei!" Yukari shouted. Then, in a whisper, she added, "You've been acting strange lately. I'm worried, idiot."
Hearing this, Junpei scratched the back of his head while blushing. "Sheesh, you sure picked a heck of a time to go all dere on me, Yukari-chan."
At his words, Yukari stamped her foot and shouted, "Shut up, Stupei! Just spit it out! What was that punching thing you were doing?! It looked super evil!"
A brilliant idea came into Junpei's head. It was laughable. Why didn't he think of this before?
"Oh, it's just a Persona skill. See? Nothing," Junpei calmly answered. Yukari almost fell over in disbelief.
"W-Why didn't you say that in the first place?" Yukari questioned.
Junpei shrugged.
"I know you're hiding something. It pisses me off, but I'll let it go for now. Just remember, if things get too rough, you're too stupid to solve things on your own. Sometimes two people can do something that one person can't," Yukari said as she walked away.
Junpei lowered his head.
"Yeah, I know."
When she was gone from his sight, a smug grin started to spread across his face. A black aura manifested over his right fist. There was something inside him. Something that made him stronger than everybody else. Something that made him better. Once he mastered it, he'd destroy everything that stood in his way.
'Yuka-tan is worried for me. How great!' He thought with glee. Heroes saved the day. Heroes got the girl. Heroes never lost. Heroes had all the power.
Slowly, he felt himself crawling closer to that ideal hero he always wanted to be. Sooner or later, not even Minato would be able to compare to him.
Kirijo Research Laboratory, Yakushima
Sparks flew and metal grinded against metal as the scientists of the Kirijo Group worked to repair Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon: Labrys. Overseeing the project was the currently freelance scientist, Edogawa. Normally, he wouldn't ever accept the job, but when they mentioned Labrys, he came running.
Deep in the labs, he began to focus on improvements to her design. He wouldn't just repair her. He would make it so she would never suffer like this again.
"She may not have a Persona, but we can cover that weakness. How many Plumes of Dusk are available?" Edogawa asked. His assistant, a small, black-haired man with glasses, pulled up the stock count on his tablet.
"Around 300 are currently requisitioned, but they should be available in a few months. A hundred are being taken care of by several branch companies in order to protect them as an emergency supply. Other than that, there are sixteen man-made Plumes, but their erratic nature has them marked as unusable. Ah, wait. There's about seven immediately available, unassigned Plumes at the moment, sir," the assistant said.
'300? What sort of operation requires that many? Last I checked, one was plenty for almost anything,' Edogawa thought, but he quickly dispelled the thoughts. It wasn't his job to get involved. He was just here to help the closest thing to a child he had.
"We'll be needing three of the natural ones. One for the new weapon, one for the auxiliary system, and one to further support the OS. I'll also be needing materials to redo the body. We need her to blend into normal society. I'm tired of costs being cut by making everything but their face look human. It's an ineffective and dangerous system given her current position in the outside world. Finally, I'll need a small team to assist me in improving Orgia Mode. We need to maximize the effects and minimize the costs," Edogawa ordered.
"B-But sir, what if she were to rampage like before?! We've been very careful ever since that incident. Moving forward, it could be very hazardous to increase her potential if her personality becomes unstable in the lab," the assistant said, voicing his concern. It was a legitimate concern given Labrys' past, but Edogawa had met with the girl. Talked with her. She was so much more than she once was.
"There is no need for concern. I am confident I can calm her if it becomes an issue. If not, then we can send for Minato Arisato. Waking up to a friendly face should be more than enough to ensure her cooperation," Edogawa said with confidence.
Unlike ten years ago, they were capable of restraining an ASW that awakened to a Persona. For Labrys, who never fully awoke, they were certain she would be unable to leave. Of course, that didn't mean she couldn't kill the scientists surrounding her.
Oshiro Co. Storage Facility
A lone night guard patrolled the western gate of the box-like complex. He let out a yawn as he continued to scan the area with his flashlight. It was a night like any other. The moon was waning and the air chilled his tired bones. It wasn't pleasant work, but it was his work. The guard idly thought of what he would eat when he got home.
Then, in an instant, the guard disappeared, replaced by a coffin. The beautiful night sky turned a sickly green color as all water under it turned red. It was now the Dark Hour.
Three figures with backpacks and weapons approached the complex from behind a building. They casually walked towards the gate, not even bothering to hide their faces or their weapons. Why would they? Nobody could see them. Most technology did not work in the Dark Hour. The entire world was their oyster.
Their leader jumped over the 20 foot gate with ease, performing a flip in midair When he landed, Minato looked back, his blue hair flowing gently in the wind.
"Tch. Show-off," Shinjiro muttered as he walked along the length of the fence, Chidori following close behind him.
"The gate is shortest on this side. Can you jump that height? Can you throw me over the fence? No? Then stop complaining," Chidori scolded him. Minato was on the other side, walking with a small frown on their face. They'd been busy the last couple of nights. Strega was planning for the future. The organization had an experimental method to survive the Fall.
Eden, the small underground garden that Takaya had shown Minato, was the key. By using Plumes of Dusk, one could bend the rules of the Dark Hour and create functionable technology. Pushing it further, one could create an artificial life known as an ASW. Pushing it further than that, one could create a small area immune to the Dark Hour.
However, a small area wasn't the same as the whole world. If anybody but Strega had this knowledge, they would do all the could to save as many lives possible. However, Strega was focused on preserving those they thought of as "the best" and "the most worthy". According to Ikutsuki, this was the leader's final goal. Not just a new world, but a world superior to humanity.
Thus, they needed more Plumes in order to create more Edens for them to place their "worthy" ones. And who just happened to have a monopoly on the Plumes?
"I never thought I'd be breaking into a Kirijo building. Even if it is only a small branch," Minato said as he reached the front gate. This particular gate could only be opened from one side. Although they could simply blast through everything, the evidence would be left behind. Minato grabbed the keys off the desk of a nearby guardhouse and unlocked the gate.
Smoothly, the gate slid open and Chidori and Shinjiro entered.
"It's not a big deal. This is an easy mission. I've seen bases that have prototype models of ASWs patrolling the outside. The faceless monsters are enough to give Shinjiro-san a good scare," Chidori commented.
"Why the hell do you think I scare easily?" Shinjiro grumbled. The three of them started down the small road towards the building, chatting as they walked.
"I never said that. I picked you because you don't, fool," Chidori said with a smirk.
"You see, Shinji? She gives compliments now," Minato chimed in. Shinjiro scratched his head.
"Then why the hell do they still feel like insults?" Shinjiro said under his breath. It was still hard to believe how well she seemed despite the fact that she was still dying. Chidori had still not undergone the curing. She wanted time to better prepare herself, so she was going to make them wait until tomorrow. That way, she could use the weekend to recuperate in case any complications arose. Well, at least that was the reasoning she gave her team members.
As they reached the doors to the storage building, Shinjiro cracked his knuckles. "Alright, I got this. If I hit it just right, then it should open without too much damage right?" Chidori raised an eyebrow. That wasn't the plan. Minato could fly up top and enter via the skylight.
"Actually, that's no—"
"Castor!"
"Damn it!"
BANG!
The doors flew inward, leaving a gaping hole in the grey, two-story building. Minato sweatdropped. Chidori facepalmed.
"So much for subtlety," Minato lamented.
"W-We can just put the doors back on afterwards, right?" Shinjiro said, embarrassed. Chidori kicked him in the back of the knee and he fell to the ground. Then, once he was shorter than her, she slapped him.
"Do you honestly think they wouldn't notice when their doors fell over at a single push?! Do you even have a brain?!" Chidori started scolding and beating Shinjiro up, so Minato left them to their own devices and continued into the building. Those two were such great friends.
There were aisles of shelves filled with large crates. The crates seemed to stretch from the floor to the ceiling, but Minato wasn't here for them. No, what he was seeking was in the basement. He followed the right wall, passing a few coffins on the way. At quiet times like this, he couldn't help but let his mind wander. He thought about his friends in S.E.E.S. He thought about the sister he still hasn't met. He thought about his own performance in the Emperor fight.
'I can't be so reckless in the future. I'm not invincible,' he reminded himself. If he had the time to make a move, then he should wait until the last moment.
Finally, he reached the elevator. He waited a minute for Shinjiro and Chidori to catch up. The latter looked refreshed, while the former had bruises on his face. Although he was physically stronger, Shinjiro never hurt Chidori. He was always the type of guy to blame himself rather than others, so he often felt like she was justified. It was an odd friendship. Still, Minato healed him up before he started to force the elevator doors open.
They opened easily for Minato. Minato changed his armor to Archangel and picked Chidori up bridal style. The elevator was on the second floor due to a small bribe Strega had given a worker there, so it was easy to glide down to the lowest basement level. As he was descending, Shinjiro sat down and waited for Minato to return for him.
"Isn't this so odd? We're breaking and entering a secure Kirijo storage facility and you haven't voiced a single complaint. Did your white horse die?" Chidori asked. She sounded like she was mocking him, but there was a bit of concern mixed in as well. For somebody who always talked about saving everybody to suddenly have no problem with illegal actions was an odd transformation.
"I'm just doing what I need to do," Minato answered tersely, his face hidden by Archangel's helmet. Chidori sighed.
"That's not really answering my question, but I understand. You've been through a lot these past few days. I can't fault you for changing. Rather, I should congratulate you for biting the bullet for your sister," Chidori said as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back into him. Underneath his helmet, Minato's face was bright red. This was why he picked Archangel instead of Angel.
'Calm yourself, Minato! You're just holding her! B-But I can actually feel her now! Aaaargh! Why does her weight feel so good in my arms?!'
[Could this be? Minato… have you finally awakened?!]
'Not now, Orpheus! I'm trying to concentrate on not concentrating! Ever since my hair turned fully blue, I can feel everything and I am really regretting it right now!'
[Are you? I think you've taken a liking to the young miss. What would your precious Mitsuru and Labrys think if they found out? They're still waiting for answers, you know.]
'I-I don't like her! I mean, well, she did… you know… save me a few times. And she seems at least a little intereste— No! She's just trusting me after not trusting anybody for a long time! I can't ruin that! I can't take advantage of her trust! N-Not that I would anyways because I don't even feel that way!'
[...You have problems, child.]
Lately, things had been odd for Minato. After the Emperor left him, all his emotions felt revitalized. Rage, love, even acknowledgement of his own mortality seeped into his body. He didn't know the full extent of what changed, but he felt things so vividly now that his entire life before now seemed colorless in comparison. It was like every barrier keeping him back had been destroyed. And it was a little frightening. Not even Minato knew what he would do next.
Despite these renewed emotions, this whole break-in still did not bother him. He knew it should, but he was doing it for his little sister. He had no choice in the matter and he wasn't hurting anyone. Once he was able to take down Strega, he'd return what he stole. With these thoughts, Minato was able to silence the whispers of guilt.
A few hundred feet down, he landed and Chidori got out of hia arms and stood at the bottom of the elevator shaft. The bottom floor door was slightly above her, so she moved to lean against the wall underneath it. Minato switched to Angel and used Garu to fly back up. He then carried Shinjiro down… also bridal style. Shinjiro only said one thing the entire time.
"Tell no one."
Minato nodded. Chidori signaled for them to stay quiet as she summoned her Persona. With Medea floating over her head, Chidori did a quick scan of the room behind the elevator doors.
"Shit," Chidori said as her Persona disappeared.
"What is it?" Minato asked. Chidori grimaced.
"2nd Generation ASW. The Kirijo Group is aware that there are others with the Potential that might use the Dark Hour to rob them. Since rigging every building with Plume-powered defense is too costly, they like to give these defects out under false pretenses in order to protect themselves," Chidori explained. Minato and Shinjiro looked confused, so Chidori began to explain the different generations of ASWs.
"Alright, the prototypes, or 0th Generation, are nothing more than faceless mannequins that move. They aren't particularly strong, but there are a ridiculous amount of them and they can reassemble each other with ease. 1st Gen was the first attempt at a more human ASW, but I heard it was a failure and none survived. 2nd Gen, unfortunately, is when they decided to imitate Shadows by creating monsters of their own."
Minato remembered back when he first started working for the Kirijo Group. Those fake Shadows they made him fight were 2nd Gen ASWs?
"I fought some before. They were really weak," Minato interrupted. Chidori sighed in irritation at being interrupted.
"They vary in strength, but there are some that are powerful enough to kill even Takaya with a single shot. Their production was halted when a bug was discovered in their programming. And when I say bug, I mean that these things attack anything that moves during the Dark Hour. Shadows, humans trapped in the Dark Hour… they even killed each other. They also have a bad habit of running into walls," Chidori further explained.
"So… we just approach the situation with caution? I got it," Shinjiro said. He wasn't an idiot, he just tended to have trouble estimating his power. Rather than an unstable power that could either be weaker or stronger, his power stabilized. Unfortunately, he wasn't fully used to being stabilized yet. The whole door thing still embarrassed him.
"Seems like the way to go. Move quietly, take a look at this thing, plan accordingly," Minato said. The others nodded and Minato pried open the elevator door.
The room beyond was completely empty except for two things. The first was, of course, the ASW. It was easily as big as a truck and was supported by eight black, metal, spider-like legs. Perched on top of the legs was a black, metal box with all sorts of small, metal boxes protruding from it. On one side of the box was a mask that had the bottom of a skull, with the upper portion appearing to be a lens. As soon as they entered the room, the lens gained a red light and the metal monster began to push itself up to its full height.
The second thing in the room was a seven foot capsule. Their goal.
Since this thing had apparently been set to detect whatever entered the room, there was no option but to run in and start the battle. So much for caution.
"Chidori, focus on taking out the legs! Shinjiro, attack the main body when she does! I'll keep it occupied!" Minato shouted as he ran into the room. He switched to Pale Rider and summoned his own metallic beast. Chidori and Shinjiro entered in behind him. He pulled his lyre from his back and switched it into a lance (he had Strega's armory to thank for this particular weapon form). Supported by its humongous legs, the spider ASW was almost as big as a two-story building.
The monster locked onto Minato and the metal protrusions on its black box of a body opened up fully and fired several missiles. The missiles followed Minato even as he rode his horse underneath the metallic monster. His horse kept running until it reached the wall. Then it jumped onto the wall and continued to run. The 2nd Gen ran after him and knocked into the wall, leaving it vulnerable as it recoiled from the impact.
On the ground, Chidori summoned Medea.
"Maragidyne!" She shouted as all the legs of the monster suddenly caught fire. The fire damage was heavy enough to cause the legs holding the black box up to fail. Shinjiro then lept onto the main body of the spider and started hacking away at it with his axe. The spider made loud metallic screeches as Shinjiro summoned his Persona to attack it while he continued to slash at it. He tore through the outer shell and its inner workings were exposed on the top of the body.
"I got through the outer armor!" Shinjiro exclaimed.
Minato continued running along the walls of the room atop his horse, the missiles still in pursuit. Finally, he urged the horse onto the ceiling, where they both began to fall towards the ground.
"Guys, get out!" Minato shouted as he fell. The former delinquent understood and jumped out of the way just in time for Minato to fall directly onto the spider. Before the missiles hit him, Minato switched to Pixie.
"Trafuri!"
And he disappeared in a flash of light.
The missiles continued onwards and impacted against the spider's body. The explosions rocked the room as Chidori and Shinjiro jumped out into the elevator shaft where Minato was waiting for them. He quickly pulled the elevators door closed and held them there. Loud crashes could still be heard from the room for a few seconds after the explosions died away.
When all was silent, Minato opened the door and C.Y.F.R. peered through the opening together. Large shards of metal were now piercing the walls of the once pristine room. Dents and soot covered the walls and the floor was littered with debris. The only thing left in good condition was the large capsule in the back of the room.
"Hm. Best case scenario, all things considered. Good job," Chidori suddenly complimented. Minato and Shinjiro stopped and looked at her in shock. "What?" Chidori asked.
"S-She complimented us…" Shinjiro said in disbelief.
"I thought for sure she'd yell at me for acting so recklessly…" Minato said, echoing Shinjiro's tone. Chidori glared at them as she pushed herself up into the room.
"Do not get used to it. I gave up on subtlety the moment I detected the 2nd Gen. I should have detected it from aboveground, but I never expected that this room was so far underground. It made it harder to detect any presences. I was the one at fault concerning this unforeseen problem. We were rather lucky this wasn't a Partial Awakened ASW. You're still an idiot for letting missiles so close to our goal," Chidori said as she walked over to the capsule. Minato and Shinjiro entered the room after her.
"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana."
Despite her cold words, the group felt closer after the teamwork. As they passed the 2nd Gen's head, Shinjiro kicked it against the wall.
"Partial Awakened?" Minato asked. Chidori nodded as she opened a panel on the capsule. Behind the panel was a console with a small keyboard. Chidori began to type in the passwords as she continued to speak.
"If a Persona is, for whatever reason, unable to manifest completely, then the summoner is Partial Awakened. Essentially, the Persona can only be summoned randomly and for a single instant. They appear and disappear fast enough to be perceived as invisible. Takaya, Jin, and I were almost wiped out by one a few years ago," Chidori said as she finished getting past the seventh password lock.
The capsule then opened, revealing its contents to the three of them. Chidori gasped. She was the only one capable of recognizing what was inside the capsule. Only she was able to recognize what it was that Ikutsuki wanted this capsule for. And it disgusted her.
"...Ikutsuki, you monster… Haven't you done enough to him already?"
June 12, 2009
Aigis awoke in her bed. Well, to be precise, she wasn't fully on her bed. Her legs were, but her forehead was resting on the ground. The bed was still made and her blankets were still where she left them. She'd been released from the hospital after the nurse saw her moving about. After that, Aigis got her casts removed, went through the proper paperwork and walked home. She only got lost three times.
"Sleeping… is hard," Aigis concluded after a short struggle to get to her feet. It was the first time that she had really slept. While the human personality had been learning how to be human, the real Aigis had been battling with Death in order to keep it sealed away. Due to her body not being ready as a container, the seal was imperfect in various ways. It was really troublesome.
And now the original Aigis had no option but to take control of the human body. The unfortunate thing was that she didn't know how to, well, live. She had to do those Social Links as well…
Aigis sighed.
Her stomach then growled. She looked down at her belly and poked it curiously. "This strangely unpleasant sensation… Hunger?" Aigis decided to ignore it and opened her closet. She took out her school uniform and delicately placed it on the bed. She stood there staring at it for a few moments before nodding.
'Theory for dressing of this body, formed. Commencing testing phase of hypothetical method.'
It took Aigis about ten minutes before she realized she forgot her underwear.
Deep inside Aigis' mind, Metis restrained a laugh.
"Hey, Aigis-chan! I'm glad you're doing okay," Yukari greeted her friend with a smile. Aigis was descending down the dorm stairs cautiously.
'This human body is fragile. The odds of slipping and taking critical damage is 1000% higher than when I was in my other one. I must remain vigilant to all dangers,' Aigis thought as she gripped the handrail tightly.
"Hello, human classmate and friend. I am glad that you are glad," Aigis said in monotone, doing her best to attempt to imitate human speech. Personally, Aigis thought she did very well. Yukari, on the other, was starting to worry that there actually was brain damage.
"R-Right…" She replied. "Junpei-kun went on ahead and the senpais always seem to head out early, so it'll be just you and me today. Wanna grab a bite on the way to school? I dunno if you like coffee, but you seem a bit out of it. Want to stop by the coffee shop too? We've got plenty of time," Yukari said kindly.
Aigis was lost amongst the slang and idioms. How does one grab a bite? Was she referring to a byte? How did she plan on grabbing that? And what was Aigis out of? She was most certainly in her clothes and in this body. However, despite all this confusion, there was one thing Aigis caught on to.
"You and I," Aigis said. Yukari's smile strained slightly at the repetition. Was Aigis really okay?
"Excuse me?"
"You and I. You said "you and me". That is incorrect grammar," Aigis explained as she neared the bottom of the stairs. Humans did this right? They helped each other learn. That was why schools existed.
"Look, who cares about that? It's fine if we're informal, right?" Yukari said. However, when she said "Look", Aigis turned her attention away from the stairs and towards Yukari. The result, of course, was her foot slipping on the fourth step from the ground floor.
"Ah," Aigis let out a monotone sound of surprise as she fell forward and collided with the ground face-first.
"Aigis! Are you okay?!" Yukari exclaimed as she ran over to her friend.
Without getting up, Aigis said in a muffled voice, "Stairs… are hard."
Yukari facepalmed, but still helped her probably brain-damaged friend to her feet.
"Hey, Yuka-tan and Aigis-chan! What's up? You guys were almost late," Junpei greeted the two of them as they entered the classroom. Oddly enough, Yukari wasn't wearing her signature pink cardigan. In fact, even though everybody went to bed rather early, Yukari was hunched over with her eyes half-closed. Meanwhile, Aigis' hair was glossy and her uniform was pristine.
"Hello and good morning to you, Iori-san. Yukari-chan and I consumed breakfast. It made the hunger go away and was… tasty?" She asked Yukari. Yukari tiredly nodded. Aigis resumed, "Yes, tasty. I also had coffee. Did you know they heat it as high as 71.1 degrees Celsius? From my observations, I have determined that the heat is capable of inflicting critical damage on the unsuspecting tongues of the female adolescent population. It also stains clothing. I will need to submit a complaint at the nearest opportunity, but for now I must sit for class. Excuse me." Aigis then suddenly walked away, sat at a random desk and began to take things out of her bag.
"Hey, that's my desk," a random student told her. "Your desk is over there, Kubomi-san."
"Apologies. I did not know that you possessed ownership over this desk rather than the school. I had assumed the school system allowed usage of all desks to all students, rather than granting ownership of specific desks to specific students. In the future, I will conduct a proper purchase before making assumptions of desk ownership. Thank you for your guidance," Aigis said as she moved from the desk.
"N-No… problem?" The now confused student replied.
Junpei pointed at her, his jaw slightly ajar as he looked at Yukari, but the cardiganless girl only shook her head. "Don't ask. She's been like this all morning. I think that Shadow from before did something to her brain."
"I-I'm sure she's fine," Junpei said with a strained smile. Yukari looked him dead in the eyes.
"She spit coffee all over my cardigan after trying to drink all of it the moment she got it. And that was after she asked a million questions about the coffee. She keeps tripping and knocking into people while complaining about her toes and she also tried to go into the boy's bathroom for "observation and completion of records", whatever the hell that means... I don't understand. It's like she's a completely different person," Yukari complained.
After class, Yukari left to fetch Mitsuru, leaving Aigis alone with Junpei, though he was more like a babysitter for his mentally ill friend. The class emptied out and, seeing as how Junpei was on cleaning duty today, there was nobody that would be coming in either.
"...Why do you always wear that hat on your head?" Aigis asked. Junpei shrugged.
"Because I like it. Why does Yukari-chan always have her cardigan on? Same reason. Plus, I think this hat makes me look cool. It's like I'm the main character or something," he said with a grin.
"Hmm." Aigis looked down, contemplating what he said. She then reached into her bag and pulled out a set of red headphones. She put them over her ears and secured them atop her head. The cord hung down in front of her, not plugged into anything. She looked up at him expressionlessly. "I like these," she said quietly.
"...Are you sure you're okay?" Junpei asked the odd girl. Aigis nodded.
"Affirmative. That is the seventh time you have asked that question. I am Aigis. It is the name I was designated. I am in perfect health, although physical training may be necessary in order to increase muscle mass to a combat-ready level. As for mental health, my mind possesses no gaps or obstructions, nor any distortions," Aigis explained once more.
Junpei facepalmed. Even though she said she was fine, the way she said it was definitely not normal!
At this point, Mitsuru entered, followed by Yukari. The red-haired Student Council President smiled gently as she looked at Aigis. Yukari moved next to Junpei to watch what would happen next.
"Kubomi-chan, are you sick?" Mitsuru asked kindly.
"Negative," Aigis answered tersely. With that answer, Mitsuru nodded and turned to her underclassmen.
"She says she's not sick," Mitsuru said with a serious expression on her face.
Yukari and Junpei almost fell over.
"B-But—" Yukari started. Mitsuru suddenly pulled her and Junpei aside, giving a small wave to Aigis as she did so. The blonde imitated the gesture mechanically.
"If she doesn't consent, then there's nothing I can do other than attempt to contact her legal guardian. Until then, I would ask you two to watch over her. I don't know what happened in that last battle, but it must have been rather traumatic. Did she say anything else about how she is doing?" Mitsuru whispered. Aigis tilted her head adorably, as she tried to figure out what they were saying. Of course, the quiet words were muffled by her headphones, but Aigis didn't want to take them off.
Yukari answered Mitsuru's question first. "Nothing. It's all just 'I am fine' or 'My health is at its maximum value.' What about you Junpei?"
"She kept saying something like her brain has no problems. 'No gaps or obstructions, nor any distortions.' That's all she's been giving me to work with," Junpei answered. Both of the girls widened their eyes' in surprise. Yukari and Mitsuru both immediately understood what that meant.
Aigis' memory from before ten years ago was back.
"In that case, I believe I won't need to contact her legal guardian, but I'll give her the option to do so. I would like an opportunity to speak with her in the near future. Unfortunately, I have Student Council duties to attend to for now. After that, we'll be having a meeting on the fourth floor of the dorms. What I said earlier remains standing: Watch over her for now," Mitsuru said before turning around and leaving. Aigis silently raised a hand to say goodbye as the red-haired heiress passed by her.
"See ya, Yuka-tan. I have plans to meet with Kenji-kun today. I'll be back for the meeting, so don't worry about me," Junpei said as he began to leave.
"H-Hey! You're just going to leave me with her?! She's your friend too, you know!" Yukari exclaimed. Junpei turned around and stuck his tongue out as he left. Aigis silently raised a hand as he passed by her.
'That jerk! Why doesn't he even seem worried?! What's been going on with you lately, Junpei?!' Yukari mentally shouted. Quietly, Aigis walked up to her and bowed all of a sudden.
"Yukari-chan, I apologize for the trouble I have caused today. It is apparent that you are concerned about my present condition, but there is no need for that feeling. I have full access to the memories regarding the time that we have spent together. Although I am presently in a different state, I am still your friend," Aigis said in her precise, monotone voice.
Yukari smiled sadly. At the very least, Aigis wasn't oblivious to everything around her. The brunette threw her arm around Aigis' shoulders and started to walk with her. "If you just walk like I do, then you won't trip," Yukari said gently. Deep down, she wanted to question Aigis about everything that happened ten years ago. She wanted to know the truth so badly that it hurt, but she decided against it.
Aigis had only gotten out of the hospital yesterday and she was now in a world where everybody she knew looked at her differently and whispered about her behind her back. Yukari had an idea about how that felt.
Right now, Aigis needed help, not interrogation.
"Yamagishi-san has decided to join S.E.E.S," Mitsuru announced to the assembled team members. On one end of the conference room, Fuuka was standing next to Mitsuru. She politely bowed and gave her introduction.
"Nice to meet all of you. I look forward to helping this group in the future," Fuuka said after Mitsuru's announcement. Applause, smiles all around. For the teal-haired girl, it happened so fast. Occupied by her own thoughts, she barely registered what happened. They handed her an Evoker, they introduced themselves, told her about what they did…
Fuuka didn't quite know how to feel about this. Living with these people she hardly knew, people she'd just seen beaten to near death a few days before. She'd changed in Tartarus. In there, it was only her and Elizabeth relying on each other. As far as Fuuka was concerned, she was alone even if she was surrounded by these people.
At the very least, Fuuka was confident in her own power. After the meeting, Fuuka quietly went to her new room and started to finish unpacking.
She stopped about halfway and fell onto her bed. She was here to help people. For one reason or another, she had this strange power. Since most of them had been defeated when Fuuka awakened her Persona, they had yet to see her in action. A new member was a new member, though, so she was treated kindly.
"I'm not even sure what to think of these people," Fuuka said under her breath.
Knock, knock.
At the knocking at her door, Fuuka got off and her bed and walked over, opening the door without any hesitation. A blond girl was there, wearing red headphones that weren't plugged into anything.
'Her name was… Aigis-chan, right?'
Aigis suddenly bowed to the teal-haired girl. "I am here to express gratitude for your assistance the other day. If it was not for you, our chances of victory would have been 0.2% instead of 50%. As the sole witness to your power, I must acknowledge it."
As far as she knew, nobody else saw the incredible power Fuuka had manifested. It was enough to take the arm off of a Minato-enhanced Emperor. Although Fuuka fainted afterwards, Aigis would never have even attempted to take control of the body unless such an opening existed.
"Um… you're welcome? Gosh, I'm not used to this," Fuuka said as she steepled her hands in front of her, an awkward smile forming on her face.
"It is, as they say, 'no problem'. Once again, welcome to the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. I have no doubts you will prove yourself, Yamagishi-san," Aigis said before bowing once more.
"A-Ah, thank you for your kind words!" Fuuka said as she bowed as well.
"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Priestess Arcana…"
[Huh? I didn't know you could do it too. It must be because of the other Onee-chan! This will be fun! So much fun, Zeus-chan!] Metis' voice rang in her head.
As Aigis turned away from Fuuka and walked away, her expression hardened. This was not good. Without her there, Metis had nothing stopping her from direct communication. She wasn't at the manifestation stage yet, but it was only a matter of time.
[Don't be so sad! I'll stop calling you Zeus, Onee-chan~ Besides, I already do the manifest-thingy sometimes during the Dark Hour. What's so bad about cheering on my Onee-chan?]
'You are nothing more than an enemy. Do not speak with me,' Aigis mentally replied.
[Awwww~. Why do you have to be like that, Onee-chan~? After all, we're...į̠͍̹̠͇̫ͤ̍n̶̼̙̱̐ͥͤ̋ͧͣ͢s̸̷̝̦̦ͫ͘ͅe͛͏̠̲pͯ̓̿̈́̄͋͐̎̆͏̗̺̦͟a̶͚͇̐́͛r̛̠̎̄̉̒̉̾͟a͍̪̅ͦͯͪͤ́͌͠b̸̤͕̲̝̱̱̊͒͑̎̃ͣͤ̔̂̕l̸̛̩̖̖̓̊͌͑ḙ̵̢ͪ̃̌͛͂͡.̸̐ͮ͏͓̯̱̹̰͈]̹͖̳̭ͮͥͭ̾͂
Warehouse 11, Tatsumi Port Island Docks
"I'm sorry, but there are some stories that I will never tell. This is one of them."
Chidori had said those words last night. She refused to tell them anything about what they retrieved for Strega. Ever since then, she'd been in a bad mood. Ikutsuki didn't answer what it was either, but he did give a sly wink as he received it. He told them to anticipate a surprise in the future. Other than that, Minato and Shinjiro could only form theories about why they needed to retrieve it.
Minato shook his head. He needed to focus on the task at hand. They were going to cure Chidori tonight. Elizabeth was still at home. They'd been out of a town for their mission and had yet to stop by Club Escapade. It was getting late on their way back, so they stopped at a warehouse they previously prepared once their ship reached the docks.
"Are you ready? Only a few minutes left until the Dark Hour," Minato asked. Chidori was chained to a chair in the middle of the warehouse. They knew it probably wouldn't be enough, but it was better to take precautions.
"No. I'm not ready, but we might as well do it," Chidori said with a bored expression.
Minato moved to a chair opposite of her and sat down. Last time, they won because they were able to bring Shinjiro to his senses. This time, Chidori warned him about Medea. He was going to have to show Medea that she wasn't needed. Minato was more than willing to bear Chidori's pain in order to help her live her life.
Off in the corner, Shinjiro sat on a box with his axe resting on his shoulder. In case things didn't turn out so well, he was going to run in and support Minato. If they both ended up failing, Minato had a few of the suppressant pills in his pocket. They could always attempt to cure her again.
The clocked slowly ticked by. One more minute until Dark Hour.
"I am a sensor, so remember that it's likely to be a psychological attack. Like I said before, while you try to look into my darkness, Medea will try to look into yours. I don't know what the Emperor Shadow did to you, but I want to ask you again: Are you sure enough of yourself?" Chidori asked, a hint of worry flashing across her face.
Minato nodded.
"I know who I am. I'm not perfect, but I'm not going to try to be. I know it won't be easy, but by the end of this you'll finally accept it. You're not going to die. I won't let that happen."
As Minato said this, the sky outside the warehouse turned green. In that same instant, a wall of darkness fell around Chidori and Minato, cutting them off from the outside world.
"The hell?!" Shinjiro shouted as he stood up. Where Minato and Chidori once were, there was now a column of darkness that stretched from the floor to the top of the warehouse. The former delinquent ran towards the column, his axe raised for battle!
And then next thing he knew he was running towards the wall of the warehouse.
'Huh?'
He tried running towards it again, but he found himself once more facing the wall of the warehouse. No matter what he tried, he could not get close to them.
"Sorry. Looks like you two are on your own for now," Shinjiro said with a scowl.
"Save us? Little hero, you cannot."
A voice came from the darkness surrounding the two of them. A figure emerged from the wall of darkness. Although it looked like Chidori, its eyes and hair were golden. It was dressed similarly to Chidori, though its clothes were black with a red finish. Minato was able to recognize it fairly easily. This figure, Medea, looked very similar to Chidori's disguise she used onstage at Club Escapade. Was this where Chidori drew the inspiration?
Minato glanced over at Chidori. Her head was hanging down, indicating she was no longer conscious.
"Medea. A pleasure to meet you. Sorry, but she will be saved," Minato said resolutely. All of a sudden, Medea's face appeared inches away from his.
"Save her from what?! Save her from her past?! Save her from her nightmares?! Save her from death?! She wants this! She wants this suffering to end! I've been watching, watching, watching and watching all this time! I WAS THERE!" Medea screamed in his face. She then disappeared and reappeared next to Chidori. Medea slowly stroked Chidori's hair with a look of sheer adoration on her face.
"I... stroked her hair when she was crying. I put her back to sleep when the nightmares came. When the world abandoned her, I remained. It was because of me that she was never alone. It was me. No hero saved her. She broke out and survived with barely any help. She's strong. My girl doesn't need a hero. She needs... me," Medea said softly. Minato frowned.
"You're right about one thing. She doesn't need a hero, but she doesn't need you, either. I know she's suffered, but she's finally able to smile now. She needs to move forward. There's a future for her if you will let go of her. And I swear I will do all I can to ensure she has that future," Minato said.
Medea slapped him. Surprisingly, it hurt. He held his cheek as Medea continued to speak.
"I don't like you. I never have. The heroic types are the least trustworthy. You'll use her and throw her away, just like those men back at the lab. Rather than live in a world with disgusting people like you, it's better to end it all! The one saving her is me! The one granting her mercy is me! Move forward?! There is nothing ahead of her worth living for!"
Minato sighed sadly. Medea shouted and yelled about how it was a mercy, but it all sounded so silly. This wasn't like Chidori. The Chidori he knew was calm and collected. She was willing to trust him and hope for a better tomorrow. Perhaps Medea seemed so weak because of how much Chidori grew.
"You don't know that. I've wanted to give up so many times and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that there is a tomorrow. You're just scared. You're scared that her future will be happy. You're scared that she won't need you anymore. You don't want what's best for her. You're nothing more than a distorted desire," Minato said calmly.
For a split second, Medea froze. Her eyes narrowed as she let out a snarl. All of a sudden, she grabbed his head with both hands. Images and visions flashed through his head. His parents' death, the corpses of his friends… Minato suppressed a laugh. They were all things he had seen before and they were much less vivid. Compared to the Emperor, this was nothing.
"Scared? You're one to talk. You're the one that's scared, metal boy. I know all your fears. Fear of failing, fear of losing others, fear of being alone, fear of—"
"I know I have fears, but that doesn't mean I'm scared. I'm not alone. I have people supporting me than can help me to overcome those fears," Minato said. He then launched his fist into her stomach, sending her flying into the air where she collided with the wall of darkness. She stayed there against the wall, silently glaring at him, before descending to the ground below.
"You want to find a weakness in me, but I understand my weaknesses well enough right now. I am not without flaws, but there's nothing you can tell me that I don't already know. I'll still stumble and make mistakes along the way. That's what it means to be human. To be imperfect is to be perfectly human. I know Chidori has made mistakes. She's been hurt and she's hurt others. Still, that's part of life," Minato said as he stood to his feet.
He walked over to the still chained Chidori and placed a hand on her shoulder. He looked down at her, smiling gently.
"You can let go, but you don't have to forget. I know it hurts. I could never possibly imagine how much you've been hurt. I'm not you. However, that doesn't mean you can't share your pain with others. If you do, then it will lessen and lessen until you have almost none of it left," Minato said.
"Y-You! Answer me this: Why? Why do you want to save her so badly?" Medea asked as she landed beside him. Minato looked toward her and smiled.
"I never said I would save her. The only one that can really save her is herself. I'm only going to make sure its possible for her to have a future. It's silly I never realized it years ago. In the end, you have to make the choices. You have to decide to let go and move on, Chidori. Save yourself just like I saved myself from the Emperor. You helped me open my eyes back then, just like I'm doing for you now. There is more to you than your pain. Wake up."
Minato placed a hand on Chidori's head. All of a sudden, the surrounding area fell away. The chairs, the darkness… All of it vanished.
He found himself on a grassy hill. The sun was climbing up from the horizon, painting the sky a deep orange that tapered off into a light blue. The wind blew gently around him, carrying to his nose a pleasant aroma. Were there flowers nearby?
A few yards away, Chidori was sitting on the ground, staring at the rising sun. She had a sketchbook in her hands and was slowly drawing the sight. Minato sat beside her and said nothing.
The two of them sat in silence as the sun slowly emerged from the horizon.
"Cliché, isn't it?" Chidori said beside him. "I used to go to this hill when I was very small. There was a time when my mother wasn't so horrid. It's so hard to remember the good over the bad, but she was once a good mother. I always wanted to draw this sunrise. It was the most beautiful thing I ever saw…"
Chidori trailed off as she watched the sunrise for a few moments.
"It's unreal," Minato said in awe.
"It is," Chidori said quietly. She added, "This was one of the few moments in my life when I was truly happy."
"So, did you decide?" Minato asked her. Chidori nodded. She sighed as she leaned over to the side, resting her head on his shoulder. Minato's face broke out into a blush at the sudden contact, but he controlled himself and didn't utter a sound.
"I always punish myself. Did you know I dressed like this in case I died one day? I planned on it being my funeral attire," Chidori said with a dry laugh. "I'm not a damsel in distress. I believe I've said that before. In order to save myself, I need to raise my head and take the first step. All those words you said earlier… I believe them."
Chidori suddenly moved and hugged him. His face reddenned even more.
"I've lost so much, but now I've got you, Shinjiro-kun, and Elizabeth. We're a team now. I've always been scared of losing Medea, but now… I'm more scared of losing you guys. I've done so many wrong things with my life, things that can never be forgiven. I always thought I'd be better off dead, that it would make the world a better place.
"People like Ikutsuki and Takaya always shout about the world being dirty and disgusting place, but we're the dirty and disgusting ones. We're the ones that pollute humanity. We make the world a worse place. Despite all this, you wanted to help me. You showed me that I can have a place in this world. I can be better. You have no idea how much that means," Chidori said as she separated from the hug and showed him a rare, beautiful smile.
The scenery warped and shifted. The hills and sunrise fell away, leaving Minato and Chidori back in the real world. Surprisingly, Minato found he was still seated exactly where he was when they started.
"Hey, you're back. Did it work?" Shinjiro asked as he walked over to them. Minato nodded and the two of them removed the chains from around Chidori. She groggily opened her eyes and Minato handed her an Evoker.
Chidori shook her head. She raised one corner of her lips in a smirk.
"Hecate," she said.
In the air above her, a Persona manifested. It was made of three bodies that connected to one another by the shoulders and hips, forming a small circle. Of the six arms, two held torches, one held a key, one held rope, and another wielded a dagger. The faces all held peaceful expressions. Their bodies were pure white in color and their robes and hair were a crimson red.
When an order wasn't given, Hecate disappeared.
"Looks like the Kirijo's experiment ended up being a success in the end," Chidori said with a grin.
The nameless one floated freely. Slowly, she was fading away. Slowly, she was becoming nothing.
Metis smiled as she jumped onto the nameless one, clinging onto her back.
"Onee-chan! Cheer up!" She exclaimed.
The nameless one did not respond.
"Stop looking so lost, Onee-chan! The mean Onee-chan outside has to be in control right now. Isn't it your job to be in control?!"
The nameless one did not respond.
The false personality was slowly fading away. It was fine, wasn't it?
...She was never real to begin with…
Why couldn't she be real?
It wasn't her fault...
If only she hadn't been pushed to her limit...
If only Minato hadn't powered up the Emperor…
It was his fault.
If she never found the truth, she could have been blissfully ignorant.
It was all his fault.
The fading stopped.
It was a lie, wasn't it?! There was no way! She was real! She was the real Aigis!
Slowly, darkness began to creep onto her.
Her eyes flashed golden.
Metis laughed.
A/N: Mysteriously, my beta disappeared. So, I'm releasing the chapter now. Yeah, stuff is happening. So, Minato currently is going all dere around Chidori. I wonder what his reaction will be when he sees Mitsuru? What about Labrys?
Things are bound to get interesting. Aigis has the machine personality in a human body and the human personality kinda broke. Will it fix itself? Eh. We'll find out, I guess. I'm tired and my arm hurts, so typing sucks right now.
Oh, and stop by Fandom Flux on youtube when you get the chance. A bunch of fic writers and I get together to do a podcast which focuses on the elements of writing (fanfic specifically) and our takes on it, alongside random and funny stuff. We also do LPs and manga reviews and stuff, so come by and say hello. Subscribe if you like us and stuff.
Now, Social Link Progress….
Minato
Fool: 4 Magician: 2 Empress: 9 Emperor: 4 Hierophant: 2
Lovers: 7 Fortune: 8 Hanged Man: 2 Death: 2 Devil: 5
Star: 3 Moon: 4 World: 6
Aigis(Most offscreen)
Fool: 3 Magician: 4 Priestess: 1 Emperor: 3 Hierophant: 10 Lovers: 6 Chariot: 1 Hermit: 3 Hunger: 1 Death: ?
Question of the chapter: Which Social Link do you really want to see with Aigis? Can be new or existing.
REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW! Pretty please with red headphones on top?
...Ow. Typing hurts. I should stop now.