December 2nd, 1999.
Side: Aegis
Disclaimer : Persona 3 and it's respective characters belong to Atlus.
She knew that, from the moment she started moving in this unfamiliar realm, her fate was sealed. She was no human. She did not comprehend fear, panic, nor happiness. A soulless doll created to please it's masters. There were rumours that she was modelled after someone else, but that did not matter for Aegis. What was important was that she was functional, and could carry out every command her creators bestowed upon her.
The first time she moved and walked, there was a kind-looking woman providing her guidance on human behavioural patterns. The android knew that to co-exist with humans, she had to act like one. Almost happily, she obliged the woman's instructions. After numerous lessons, Aegis found out that she was given the permission to roam the lab; and it became one of her daily affairs.
The white corridors… the countless rooms… the untouched walls. A glance at the lab by any commoner would think that it might be a scene from a futuristic movie. But it wasn't. Aegis was a living proof of that. Clunk, clunk, her footless steps echoed through the building. As big as the lab was, not all of it's area was fully utilized. She attended shooting practices, condition monitoring, and constant exposure to human speech communication and recognition.
She never once saw the outside world; she always wondered how it looked like.
What she did know was that she was on an artificially made island, and that this facility was under a corporate body by the name of the Kirijou Group. A few months after her first day of existence, she realized her role as an anti-shadow weapon was to come into play; like a trump card thrown out by the scientists to turn the tide of battle. To mend a mistake they had made, to fulfill her purpose in life. In one night.
She was allowed to roam the outside world that night. That was because there was nobody stopping her. Her sensors and radars were feeding non-stop information of her mission, that was to eliminate Death. Moving her mechanical limbs, she slowly trudged out of her room, into the blood-smeared walls of the lab; the floor with shattered glass; the ceiling with broken fluoroscents. Out from the facility of corpses, into the cool rush of wind from the red sea; the vivid green and yellow of the sky; the blood-smeared architecture by humans.
Doing last checkups of her own mobility, she rushed towards her current destination-- the Moonlight Bridge. Just for a fleeting moment, Aegis thought she felt excited. Excited that she was no longer chained down by countless orders, excited that she was in a totally new and different environment, excited that she could exercise her freedom. When she arrived on the bridge, however, she was not entirely prepared with what she was seeing.
Death, it's face illuminated by the moonlight, giving a sideways glance at her as it shifted it's gaze from a small figure laying beside an overturned car. The 13th Arcana had it's blade raised, poised to strike.
Without a second thought, she raised her arms, shooting lead at the grim reaper while charging in an onwards rush. In the back of her mind, she already knew that it was not going to work; it was an act of diversion. To grace her time to initiate her summoning sequence. Planting a foot between the skull-headed shadow and the blue-headed child, she activated her Persona Palladion—to send it charging towards Death. There was a slight struggle between the two ethereal beings as they both flew over the bridge railings and seemingly into the red ocean. Then pain registered in her left arm as she realized that the shadow planted it's blade into Palladion's arm, as well.
Behind her, the child was scrambling back into the blazing vehicle. At the rate she was going, she was not going to end up victorious in that battle. As Palladion removed itself from the Aecanum shadow, Death reverted it's attention back to Aegis—and it's newfound human victim. In the next moment, the android found a blade embedded on her palm; the wielder attempting to dislodge her wrist. Palladion instinctively appeared to disarm the opponent with a furious slash, and Death floated backwards to dodge the attack, it's grip on the massive blade lost. Just when Aegis thought she could prevail, the blade found it's way back to it's owners hand once more. A plan clicked itself into place somewhere in the anti-shadow weapon's mind, and she carried out the practical without much thought—it was the only way possible to hold the Queen's Messenger at bay, the only option available for her.
She plucked the screaming child off the vehicle. His arms were burnt, and he was struggling to free himself from her grip. Faintly, she noticed Death was locked in a brawl with Palladion, and she knew she only had one chance to do it. The child wept relentlessly in her arms, and she could feel herself trying to reach out and provide more warmth. But it was not possible for her. Holding him closer, Aegis whispered to the child, over and over. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," were the only words she could say.
She found the child's sudden curious gaze on her.
Palladion found Death flinging them both towards the child.
Aegis found herself embedding lead into the child's head.
The moment the navy-haired child's eyes went blank, the Shadow ripped it's way through the child—to find itself trapped in it's own spell. Death against Death. A seal in it's own. Aegis just sat there as she witnessed the child raising himself to his feet, like a possessed being. He took a few steps down the bloody highway, his gaze fixed not on the overturned car, not on the woman that killed him, not at the tar road where he lost his life that night. It was fixed on the full moon. The shadow was nowhere to be seen. Palladion was nowhere to be seen. Aegis found herself sending status reports and transmissions back to the lab, and she knew that her reserved vitality was not going to last her long. She stood; watching the scene before her, the humane feeling of guilt weighing on her artificial soul. The boy collapsed just as the skies turned dark, and the moon converted from the vivid yellow to a pure white glow. It was then she found herself losing strength, as well.
Ten years after, the unfeeling child was on Iwatodai soils once more.
The child—now a teenager—stared out the train's windows at the hauntingly familiar sight of his hometown, his MP3 player blaring, barring any external contact with him. His dead-gray eyes rarely roamed; a memento from that fateful encounter. He did not know why he was back on this accursed land, why he had to be transferred to a school here. Just then, a blue butterfly fluttered past, beyond the windows. Fate's messenger. The navy-haired one glanced at it as it was left behind by the speeding rail, his face betraying slight surprise. The first emotion he felt in ages.
As he got off the train, he found himself fumbling for the brochure for his new high school—Gekkoukan High. Words describing the facilities available and the beauty of the harbour and the man-made island were scribbled all over the small paper, and he squinted slightly to look for the directions. Just when he was about to step out of the station, the hidden hour struck.
A familiar sight.
The unfeeling one just sighed and headed out the station. Coffins lined the streets, the cars stopped; the scenery similar with all the other Dark Hours he experienced. It was as if they were welcoming his return. Raising his head from the brochure, he found himself staring into an almost-full moon.
Another familiar sight.
His footsteps echoed in the silent night, and they carried him to a 4-storey high dormitory. The lights were on, which was unusual in the Dark Hour. Once again, he felt slight surprise—but did not hestitate to open the door. A child in a prisoner's uniform greeted him from behind the counter, his innocent smile flashing as he urged the teenager with gray eyes to sign a contract to seal his fate. He did not hestitate to sign his name down, either.
"I chooseth this fate of mine own free will," the contract read. Signed by Hidetoshi Aoki.
That concludes this story I tried on. About time I finished it.
Fanart to go with it can be found on my dA account.
Thanks for reading.