A.N. (1/18/21) - Saying goodbye hurts, for those who say it and those who hear it.
DNAngel (33) - Goodbye
-Several Years Ago-
Misaki first awoke in a field of flowers.
Her thoughts were unfocused and scattered at first, but as time passed allowing her to stabilize, she understood what kind of existence she was.
She was an illusion based on a young girl who had already departed to the Sea of Souls. Chronos had done his duty, allowing Misaki Nishizawa to pass on.
This knowledge was something she instinctively knew, as a being born from the other side.
At her core, she was a spirit made from the memories of everyone who missed the departed girl.
Admittingly, that number wasn't high. Only a few classmates and distant relatives grieved for her, but time passed and they moved on from her memory.
Only her father and creator, the father to the true Misaki Nishizawa, kept her memory and existence alive.
Time continued to move, and soon, an entire world began to grow around her. The only other resident of this world, Mr. Unicorn, decided to stay with her as their world expanded.
Misaki marveled at the sheer majesty that her father's magic was capable of, but wept at the implications of why it was so powerful.
She spent her days observing the changes made each day, riding around on the back of Mr. Unicorn to move across the entire world.
This continued until everything changed one day.
Time was a human construct and didn't normally apply to beings like her. But she remembered that day because it was so unusual and impactful that even she, an isolated spirit, was able to sense it.
Several years ago, reality broke. And the fundamental laws of the universe were changed.
After that event, the world inside Misaki's painting stopped growing. The wind stopped, the sun never set, the trees never grew.
It wasn't until a few years later, when a human somehow accidentally entered her domain, that she learned that event was the birth of the Dark Hour.
And the existence of Nagi Kujikawa.
}-{
The room was silent as Misaki told the two her story.
"Had the Dark Hour never happened, I presume that this world would've originally lasted up until my father's lifespan ended." She gave out a heavy sigh. "Even sooner had he resolved his feelings over his daughter, making the magic that allows this world to exist weaken."
A part of Nagi took in the information with academic interest and no small amount of curiosity, while the rest of him was saddened at Misaki's story.
During his second time meeting Misaki, he told her that she was his cousin. What kind of thoughts did she have when she didn't bother to deny it?
"So you understand now. I cannot leave this world, as I am linked to my father's painting."
In the distance, everyone could see the world slowly disappearing. Chunks of the ground rose up in the air, only to turn into particles of light.
Misaki's body paralleled the changes outside. Various areas of her body looked faded and see-through, several parts also slowly dissipating.
"Miss Nishi—," Daisuke clenched his fist as he corrected himself. "Miss Misaki, why are you giving up? Don't you want to live?"
She gave him a sad smile. "I don't know what that means. I wasn't truly alive in the first place, a simulacrum of a young girl who has already left this world."
"That doesn't matter," Nagi said. "You may not be Misaki Nishizawa, but you're Misaki. The girl who is best friends with a unicorn who likes tea parties and small talk."
He smiled at her. "You are your own person. The fact that you have a Persona is proof of that."
There was no doubt in his mind that Misaki was an individual of her own. As far as he knew, a Persona didn't care if their user was a human, a dog, a ghost, or even a Shadow.
As long as they had a sense of self, then they could have a Persona.
"Thank you," she whispered to him. "You don't know how much that means… to… me…"
She collapsed to the ground.
"Misaki!" "Miss Misaki!" The two hurried over to support her. Nagi was horrified as he finally noticed that her leg had completely disappeared.
Her voice sounded exhausted as she spoke to them. "The two of you have to leave. You must return to your own world. If you don't, then your lives will—"
"No, don't say that!" Daisuke yelled. "You can't just give up, you can't."
"I'm… sorry…"
Tears were rolling down Nagi's face. "Please, Misaki. I don't want to lose my family again. I'm not leaving. We're not leaving you here alone."
She smiled at those words. "That… makes me happy. To hear… those words. I guess… that's a little selfish of me…"
The rest of her body seemed to finally begin to disappear as well. Already, everything below her waist was already gone.
"Please, listen to what I'm… about to say."
"What is it?"
"Remember me, but don't... let the memory of me... cause you pain." She closed her eyes for a moment. "My father was consumed... by the memories of his daughter... and has been stuck in a prison of grief this whole time. I don't... want that to happen to anyone else… once I disappear."
The sounds of their surroundings breaking shocked Daisuke and Nagi. The two looked around them and realized that the castle was finally breaking apart.
Misaki's body began to glow. "It's time to leave now. Otherwise, both of you... will perish with me."
"What?!"
A portrait frame suddenly appeared next to them. Before they could react, the two suddenly felt something pull them towards the frame.
"I'm using… the last of my power… to send you home."
"Aaaaauuuuggghhh," Daisuke's entire body quickly flew through the frame, disappearing once he passed through it. Nagi barely managed to grab the edge of the portrait frame as he was about to disappear.
"No! This isn't fair, you can't just make us leave like this. You can't."
"Goodbye."
"No, you can't!"
Misaki gave him one last smile before Nagi's fingers finally couldn't hold on anymore.
"Misaakkkiiiii—!"
}-{
Misaki sat alone as the room around her began to break.
With the two finally gone, she finally allowed the feelings in herself to surface. Tears rolled down her face as she stared longingly at the piece of paper in her hand.
It was a childish drawing, something the original Misaki Nishizawa wanted to make for her father. A picture of the two of them with a unicorn watching over them.
Like her, it wasn't the original drawing. Only a copy of the real thing. Still, she held onto it as the world around her disappeared.
A soft nudge made her look up, and she gave out a sad smile.
"Thank you, I couldn't bear it if I faced this alone."
Mr. Unicorn nodded, and settled around her. The two moved their bodies close to each other in a comfortable position.
Misaki looked up at the green sky above them. The roof had long since disappeared, allowing her to stare directly at the full moon.
"It's so pretty," she whispered. "Even if it is a bit ominous looking."
Mr. Unicorn replied with a soft rumble.
"I wish I had gotten the chance to see the real thing. I bet it would've looked so much prettier."
"..."
"I wonder what happens once I disappear? Will I become a ghost, like Nagi assumed I was? Or will my existence just fade without anything left of me?"
"..."
"Hey, Mr. Unicorn. Please, say something."
"..."
Misaki turned and saw that Mr. Unicorn was sleeping soundly on the ground. The white being looked completely unresponsive. She gave a rueful smile at that.
"Silly boy. It must be exhausting trying to stay manifested with everything like this. Why are you exhausting yourself if you're just gonna fall asleep?"
She didn't receive a response. Leaning her back onto Mr. Unicorn's body, she continued to stare at the moon.
"But thanks… for staying by my side to the end."
Five minutes later, Mr. Unicorn exhausted the last of his energy and disappeared.
A minute after that, Misaki found herself falling unconscious as she too lost the last of her energy.
Another minute passed, and her body disappeared, along with the rest of the castle.
And thus, the lifespan of Misaki's Painting was no more.
Sorry for not releasing a chapter yesterday, I had trouble figuring out how to write this. Here's the new chapter!
