The cherry blossoms fly overhead as you reach your hand toward the bright sun. Your legs finally stopped working, showing how little strength you had left. The bench you're lying on is hard, though you don't seem to care though it feels comfortable enough with the spring breeze blowing. Your head is laying on Aigis, one of your beloved companions for the Journey. Your uniform's jacket is open, allowing a slight breeze to flow into it, and cool down your warm body so you can comfortably rest your head on your robot companion's lap. You've felt weak these past few days, and that's no different today. You feel like all your strength was lost after the final battle with your group, but you've been strong these last couple of months. You promised your friends you would meet on the roof after the graduation ceremony., and you're going to keep it no matter what, even if they likely don't remember.
"The wind feels so nice. This is my first time experiencing spring." You look straight into Aigis's surprisingly human eyes, until she turns her head to the sky and looks up, unaffected by the brightness of the sun, and puts her hand out as if feeling the wind.
You remember back to the day you met her, on Yakushima beach in July. You remember she had called you "the one," smiling in her blue sundress when you first met. She was known as an "anti-shadow weapon," though, she was more than that to your group. She was a companion, a human. She was one of you, and over the last eight months, you have watched her grow, her mannerisms turning from robotic to human, passing the barrier she thought was impossible not that long ago. She puts her hand down, a somber expression passing over her face.
"But this season will eventually pass…" Aigis looks down, clearly hurting.
You think of the year you spent on Iwatodai island as she says this. Not only did you meet Aigis, but you formed a deep bond with many people that each struggled in their own ways. You've seen season after season pass as you got to know those you now consider irreplaceable. You think of those who have been struggling with the death of a family member and grew closer because of that. You think of the bookstore owners, an old man and woman, and how they lost their son and how long you've stared at that persimmon tree he planted so many years ago. Some lost close friends, others lost their talents to do what they love most. However, each of them had one thing in common. Thanks in part to you, their suffering came to an end, as spring ends with summer. After all, nothing is eternal.
"After fighting alongside you and facing the end of the world, I finally began to understand what it means to live." What does it mean to live? Over the past month, while preparing to fight Nyx, the embodiment of the human desire for death, you couldn't help but wonder that. While preparing to fight, you couldn't help to ask the question everyone in your group was asking, what is your reason to fight? Everyone's was different. For Akihiko, it was for a childhood friend he lost during the Journey. For Yukari and Misturu, it was their fathers. For Junpei, it was his lover. For Ken, it was his mother. They each fought because of those they held dear, clinging onto life because of those who had departed. Even Aigis and Koromaru have a reason, a robot and a dog who fought to defeat the wish for death. You all came together because of those reasons and defeated the undefeatable.
"Thinking for yourself... not running away… accepting the inevitable… all things eventually come to an end, every living thing will one day disappear… only by accepting this can one discover what they truly want, and figure out what the meaning of their life will be... " Only by accepting that death eventually comes for us all can you find what you want your life to mean. Making the most of the time you have, you see the faces of those you hold dear who have experienced loss, and thus have found meaning in their life. The next step is to experience that meaning, to live with no regrets until you reach that dreaded day.
"I now understand why I was so tormented by my lack of strength. Protecting others became more than just an order I had to obey. I wanted to do it for my own reasons…" You consider Aigis's strength. Even though she wasn't human, she does the one thing many people never get the chance to do: find their own reason to live and live for that reason. For Aigis, it is about protecting the people she cared about, using the strength she gained throughout her journey to live according to that code. Only you can know what your life will mean, as well as how to live it.
"I realized this once I decided to try and prevent the Fall. When I thought I might never see you again, something else became clear to me — what I wanted most. And so, I made up my mind. I decided that I would continue to protect you. I want to be your strength. I know I'm not the only one who can do this… but that's okay." You recall the days before you joined SEES, the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, how lonely you were, how you wanted to end everything. When you stepped through the door of the place where you once lived with the others, you signed a contract that stated you would accept full responsibilities for your actions. Part of that contract was meeting Aigis, your strength and your aeon, your life. You've grown stronger not only because of meeting Aigis, but because of meeting all your teammates. You've come to depend on them to the point that you would trust them with your life. It's not only Aigis, you have an entire network who would be your strength when you needed them.
"My life will be worth living if it's for this reason. Thank you..." Tears formed in Aigis's eyes, threatening to spill out at any moment. These weren't tears of sadness however, these were tears of gratitude. Aigis thanked you from the bottom of her heart and gave everything she had for you. You did what you could in this state: reaching your hand to her face in an attempt to wipe the tears away, whispering "don't cry, it's okay." You feel her take your hand in hers, and despite her being made of metal, you felt a sudden warmth surround it.
"You're right, what am I doing? I understand now, so I should be happy." Sometimes happiness isn't so easy to grasp. When you think you're happy, or you should be happy, you can't find the feelings to express them. For Aigis, this was especially complicated because she only recently learned she had her own emotions. She was but a child learning the ways of the world, slowly walking towards you trying to emulate you.
Aigis looked toward the door, hearing the muted shouts and dull footsteps. "Everyone!" Aigis shouts at your companions, calling them over. "...I realize that I have friends now as well. You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes, all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of." Perhaps this was best lesson for Aigis to remember that she has learned. You do not have to save the world to find validation in yourself. All you have to do is find something to be passionate about. Something you can say with all your heart "I love this." Whether it be a job, a friend to confide in, your family that raised you, or one you found on your own. It may even be something smaller, like a hobby to give your life meaning.
"I'll keep on living no matter what, so I can protect you…" you sense Aigis's determination. Not the need to stay alive, but the drive to live. Most people have the will to eat, to sleep, and to keep doing the things that keep you alive, but few have the same will to live to the fullest and find what they want to protect. This drive is distinct, one that most people can detect when talking to someone else about their passions. The way their eyes light up, the way their backs straighten, you know instantly the moment where people stop talking just keeping the flow of the conversation and speaks because they want to talk about something they're passionate about. The will to live and the want to survive are just slight changes in wording, but the difference for some between hope and despair.
The gentle spring sunlight warms your body. You can barely move, yet you continue lying on Aigis' lap. Something in the back of your mind tells you that you've used the last of your strength, that you did well enough and became strong enough. But that wasn't enough. You wanted to see the final promise you made through to the end. You wanted to see your friends again. But you feel tired, and are getting more tired by the minute…
"Thank you… for everything. Please… get some rest… I'll stay right here with you. You must be tired." You hear footsteps approaching. Your friends' voices are getting closer. Soon, your friends will be at your side. You can barely hear Aigis, but you know she's saying what you're thinking.
You're getting sleepier. Your eyelids slowly droop down, threatening to close. You know once they close, they might never open again.
You close your eyes, hearing the voices of those dear to you as they fulfil their one final promise.
With Aigis at your side, you say one final goodbye.
You've held on this long.
You can finally rest now.
…
Aigis watched as the sun lit up his face. He looked at peace, something that was rare for him. He always had such a sad look in his eyes, even now, as he was finally resting. Aigis remembered him leaving their during the final battle, and the fear she felt at that moment. She didn't want him to leave, go somewhere she couldn't protect him. But here, sitting on this rooftop, it wasn't so bad. He was finally resting. He could fold his wings and rest, he didn't have to protect Aigis or her comrades anymore. She was strong enough to do that on her own.
Just then, a butterfly flew close, a light blue one, almost as if it were part of the sky itself. She stuck out her hand and let the butterfly land. It rested for just a moment, then flew away. Aigis didn't know where it was headed, but she hoped it could find somewhere close to rest. She stroked his head with the hand the butterfly landed on to give him something warm to dream about.
Finally, she heard the door to the rooftop swing open, and saw the faces of her comrades… no, better than that. Her friends. There was not a doubt in her mind that no matter what she faced, as long as she was facing it with the friends she held dear, nothing could stop her. They walked over to her, panting as if they had run a thousand kilometers. She welcomed them over to where she was sitting. She assumed the graduation ceremony was over if they were here, but she wasn't sure. It didn't matter to her which was right.
That was the last day all of her friends would be together.
Nobody would know that their leader lost his life on the rooftop that day until they tried waking him up to leave. Though Aigis hated herself, thinking to herself over and over that she should have done something. Never had his eyes been so loose, his hand outside of his pocket, limp on hers. Though there was no way to have seen it coming. Even after the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with him and the autopsy showed that he died naturally, something was in the back of her mind. She couldn't find the words to share it, but it was gnawing away at her.
Every night, she would dream the same dream, the moment he left the group for the only time was for the final fight. Approaching Nyx, he brandished his sword. He took step after step, and finally got to Nyx itself. She was malfunctioning, powerless. She tried to scream, pleading with him to please not go, though it was to no avail. He turned his head back and smiled. "Thank you." With those words, he left, never to be seen again.
Every time she woke up after that dream, she felt tears run down her face.
The time she spent with everyone was precious.
It was all she could do to just remember those times, as she walked alone down her normal path to the school. She came to an intersection, a red light waiting on the other side.
As she stopped, she repeated his name, not letting herself forget it.
"Minato. Minato. Minato."
"Hey, are you going?"
She heard a voice behind her, one she thought she recognized. She looked back, but it wasn't him. She apologized to the stranger, looked toward the sky to hold back a tear, and stepped forward, toward a future without him.