Author's Notes: Answer is hard... I just finished viewing Mitsuru's door so it kinda took me a while for that fact to set in, but it really is difficult... The main source of trouble for me is the fact that Aigis doesn't have a Compendium. I know she "inherited" her Wild Card but shouldn't that mean the Compendium belongs to her now? Metis is cool though. I like her. If she learned healing spells, I'm pretty sure she would have been the most broken character ever. Anyways, time for our first non-Operation Full Moon.
~2 DECEMBER 2009~
"Aigis?" Minato spotted the mechanical girl staring blankly at the school.
Hamuko called out to their overprotective guardian. "Ai-chan? What are you doing standing outside the school gate by yourself? Were you waiting for us?"
The robot turned to look at them, mild surprise on her face. "Good morning," she said to the twins as they reached her side. "I intend to do my best to protect everyone."
"Is something wrong?" Hamuko asked her.
"No," the blonde shook her head. "Please do not worry. I just wanted to share my feelings."
"Aigis…" Minato sternly frowned at the robot. "Just what do you intend to do?"
The girl blinked at him in surprise. "You are both important to me, Minato-san." She looked into the boy's blue eyes and did not waver. "I intend to protect you," she told him.
The junior frowned as something didn't bode well within him. "Aigis, I'm counting on you…" He lowered his gaze. "But… please don't do anything that will make us worry."
"Is that an order?" Aigis asked him as it was unlike him to give her such a strange directive.
"W-what? Why would you ask that?" Minato strangely stared at the robot. "I'm just concerned…"
"Ai-chan?" Hamuko frowned at their friend. "What's wrong?"
The robot paused and stared at the kind twins. She shook her head before responding. "Nothing is wrong… but I understand…" She steadily looked into the brunette's red eyes. "You have no reason to be concerned about me…"
Minato watched her turn away from them and continue towards the school alone. "You're acting so strangely, Aigis…" he muttered.
Fuuka laughed as her boyfriend hugged her from behind. "Hi, how was your day?" she smiled up at him.
Minato pecked her cheek before straightening up. "It was good. You?"
"Tonight is the full moon…" she said with a frown. "But we won't be conducting an operation. Maybe I should summon Juno, though, just in case…"
"It's best to be safe," the blue-haired boy nodded as he took a seat on the couch. He looked around the lounge and frowned when he noticed it was rather empty. "By the way, have you seen Aigis?"
"No," Fuuka shook her head. "She's been returning late these days. She never used to…" she said in worry. "I wonder what happened."
"Don't you think she's been acting strange lately?" Minato asked.
"How so?"
The boy took a moment to form his thoughts. "It's just… she's been avoiding Hamuko and me. I don't know why."
"Maybe it's because you both have been spending time with Ryoji-kun," Fuuka considered.
"No, she'd try to intervene if that were the case," Minato shook his head. He looked up when he noticed Hamuko coming down the stairs. "Hey, Hamuko, have you seen Aigis?"
"I thought she was with you," the red-eyed girl blinked at him as she dropped her dishes into the kitchen sink.
"I thought you both came back together," her brother stated.
The brunette frowned. "She's not in her room…" She glanced out the window to look at the full moon. "Nii-san… I'm getting worried."
"So am I." Minato stood up. "Let's head over to the command room. Fuuka, your assistance, if you will…"
"Of course!" the teal-haired girl nodded to him as she followed the twins upstairs.
Ryoji stared up at the full moon. It seemed so bright tonight, yet also eerily familiar. He continued down the empty bridge that stood over the bloody ocean. He paused when he sensed someone approaching him from behind.
Aigis lowered her head. "I've been looking for you."
Ryoji turned to face her. "You…" He frowned. "You're…"
"What are you doing here?" the blonde asked him.
The blue-eyed boy blinked at her before glancing at their surroundings. "Oh, that's right. You don't really like me, do you?" he asked with a sad frown. "Well, to answer your question, I ended up here when I came to my senses. It's strange…" He held out his hand towards the blood-red ocean. "The sky and the ground look so weird, and there's no one here…" He slightly winced as the image of a burning car appeared in his mind. "Something terrible has happened here, and yet I feel at peace."
"Have you forgotten?" Aigis asked him.
"Forgotten what?" the boy looked up at her in surprise.
"The Dark Hour—a time period few people are active during," the girl explained. "But you, you've somehow adapted to it… Too well for a human, in fact." Ryoji remained silent as he stared at the blue-eyed girl. "Yes… It's all so clear," the robot continued. "Now I understand the reason behind this feeling I sense when you're around. You are not good. You are… my enemy." She tensed up.
"Your enemy?" Ryoji tilted his head to the side. He paused to think for a second before nodding. "That's right… On a night like tonight… the moon was full…" He became sad as he remembered. "It was long ago…"
"Yes…" Aigis nodded. "We met once before… as adversaries."
"Who… Who am I?" Ryoji hesitantly asked. "Who are you…?"
"I am Aigis," the blonde girl simply responded. "The last remaining Anti-Shadow Emergency Control Weapon. A machine created to destroy Shadows."
"Created to…" the boy's blue eyes widened, "destroy Shadows…"
"And you…" Aigis continued to levelly stare at him. "Your true name is 'Death'… You are the Shadow I sealed away ten years ago!" She got into her battle stance and Ryoji tensed up. She threateningly leapt into the air to prepare her attack but he remained rooted in place.
"Yes…" he closed his eyes. "Ten years ago, the night I was born into this world… I set foot on this very bridge." In his mind, he remembered that Moonlight Bridge had just recently been built. Aigis had stood before him in the exact same way back then too.
"The sole purpose of my existence is to destroy Shadows," Aigis said as he recalled the past. "For that reason I was given a personality… and a Persona."
"They said I was Death," Ryoji frowned, "the 13th Arcana that was never meant to be… and I wasn't in this world for long before parts of my body escaped me, leaving me incomplete… as I was when I met you." He clenched his teeth as he remembered his Shadow self floating next to a crashed car.
"Even so, your strength was far greater than I anticipated," Aigis frowned. "The only possible alternative was to seal you away…" Her blue eyes narrowed as she landed directly before her enemy. "And as circumstance would have it, a suitable vessel was available: a human child who happened to be nearby…" She frowned as she remembered pulling a small blue-haired boy out of the burning car who had adamantly wanted to save his sister, even if it meant facing Death. "So I did what was necessary. I had no other choice…"
"Minato-kun and Hamuko-chan…" Ryoji sighed. "I see, so I was confined within them, and I led them to my twelve missing pieces without realizing it. And then…" He clenched his fists as he opened his eyes. "I understand now…" he said with a sad frown. "I remember… I remember everything… It all makes sense now… Who… and what I am…"
Aigis raised her guns towards Ryoji. "A machine is created for a purpose," she told him. "Mine is to defeat you… That is the purpose of my existence!"
Ryoji shook his head. "It doesn't have to be that way… Aigis…"
The robot frowned as his tone and expression seemed to match Minato's a bit, but she evoked her Persona. "Palladion!" The Persona charged at the raven-haired boy but he easily blocked the attack with an invisible barrier.
"Don't be foolish, Aigis," he sternly told her. "I'm different than before. There's no way you can win…" The kind boy sadly frowned as he lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry…"
Aigis tried once more to use her Persona against Ryoji, but the boy began emanating a powerful dark aura. After a pulse of energy erupted from him, Aigis faltered and Palladion disappeared. The boy before her didn't even lift a finger but still managed to forcefully dispel her Persona. "Augh…!" She began to shake before collapsing to a knee. "I am sorry…" she apologized to no one in particular. "I have failed. This mission… appears impossible… A machine that cannot fulfill its purpose… has no worth… I'm sorry, everyone… Hamuko-san… Minato-san…" She fell to the floor and stared at Ryoji. Images of the boy known as Ryoji, a pair of small children, and the Shadow called Death flashed before her eyes. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I'm… afraid."
"Hamuko!" A young boy's voice called out in the brunette's mind.
The red-eyed girl sat up and looked around. "Nii-san?"
Minato lifted his gaze from the command console and turned to look at his sister. "Is something wrong?"
"A bad memory…" Hamuko muttered as they returned to the screen before them. "Sorry… I shouldn't be distracted."
"I felt it too," her brother softly murmured. He sighed as he glanced towards the two navigators. "So how's it going over there?"
"We haven't found anything yet," Mitsuru shook her head.
Fuuka clasped her hands together as she summoned Juno again. Yukari entered at that time and was a bit startled by the Persona's sudden appearance. "Hey…" the archer frowned. "Don't scare me like that."
"Is something wrong?" Mitsuru asked the junior.
"Well, it's a full moon tonight…" Yukari glanced at the four in the command room. "You noticed it too, didn't you, Senpai?" She sighed. "Geez, I'm starting to feel like a workaholic!"
"More so than nii-san?" Hamuko chuckled.
"Get back to work," Minato sternly frowned at his sister.
Yukari studied the blue-haired boy's serious expression. "Oh no… Did something…?"
"We don't know anything for sure…" Mitsuru shook her head. "However, we can't find Aigis."
"Huh?" The archer frowned to herself. "Where would she have gone?"
Fuuka opened her eyes and turned towards Minato. "I sensed a Persona, but it quickly disappeared. And soon after that, I couldn't detect Aigis's presence."
"Could it have been Strega…?" Yukari asked in worry.
"Well, she hasn't sensed any of their members, but we can't be positive," Mitsuru stated.
"No, it's not Strega," Minato shook his head.
"How can you be so sure?" Yukari asked him.
"It's a feeling we have," Hamuko frowned. "Nii-san…"
"I know…"
The archer studied the twins. "Is something wrong? You both look sick…"
"We'll be fine," Minato said, standing up. "Fuuka, Aigis's position?"
"I've confirmed her location," Fuuka nodded. "She's on Moonlight Bridge!"
"N-no way…" Hamuko frowned. She urgently looked towards her brother. "Nii-san…!"
"I know…!" He turned towards Mitsuru. "Hamuko and I are heading over now. Sorry, but this is important."
"Hey!" Yukari stepped aside as they rushed past her. "What's wrong?"
Fuuka recalled Juno. "Moonlight Bridge…?" The girl tried to remember what was so special about that landmark. "That's where they…" She gasped. "Mitsuru-senpai!" She turned to the older girl in concern.
Mitsuru frowned. "I see…" She looked up towards Yukari. "Alright, call the others. Let's see what's going on there."
"Ai-chan!" Hamuko rushed ahead of her brother and towards the damaged robot. "Aigis! Are you okay? What happened?"
Minato calmly walked towards the two girls as he glanced around. He tensed up as he sensed a familiar presence nearby. "Hamuko… Something's here…" He kept his guard up as he kept his eyes open for danger.
Aigis weakly looked up at the twins. "Minato-san… Hamuko-san… You shouldn't be here…"
"You shouldn't either!" Minato scolded the blonde. "I told you to not do anything that would make us worry!"
"Nii-san! She's hurt!"
"No… I am merely damaged…" Aigis frowned at the brunette.
"Don't say that about yourself!" Hamuko cried. Some barking caught her attention so she turned her head towards the dog running towards them. "Koro-chan!"
Yukari's eyes widened as she saw the blonde on the ground. "Aigis!?" The rest of the team followed after the archer.
Aigis sadly looked up at Hamuko. "I'm sorry… I… I… remember everything… Who I am… Who 'he' is…" She lifted her hand and the co-leader gently took it. "Hamuko-san… Minato-san… I know why I wanted to be your sides… I'm sorry… I failed…"
"It's going to be okay!" Hamuko cried.
"Save your energy," Minato sternly stated as he knelt down and assessed the extent of her damage.
Aigis lowered her gaze. "I'm… sorry…"
"There's no need for you to apologize," a voice softly said.
"Nii-san?" Hamuko thought it came from her brother, so looked up towards him.
Minato paused before lifting his gaze at the figure approaching them. "Ryoji…" He stood back up to face the scarf-wearing transfer student.
"N-no way…" Hamuko looked between the two similar boys.
Junpei's eyes widened. "You…!?"
"Ryoji-kun…?" Yukari shook her head in disbelief. "Wait, what're you doing here!?"
Hamuko felt Aigis's hand go limp. "H-hey! Stay with me! Ai-chan!"
"Aigis!" Fuuka cried out in worry.
"What's going on…?" Akihiko frowned.
Ryoji lowered his head. "It's all my fault…"
The boxer took a step forward but saw Minato hold out his arm. "Senpai, don't," the younger boy stated. His voice was level and calm as the junior did his best to keep his emotions in check.
"Minato?" The older boy stared at the blue-haired teen's back.
Mitsuru placed a hand on the white-haired senior's shoulder. "Akihiko, wait. He's not showing any signs of aggression." She looked towards Ryoji. "Tell us… Who are you? WHAT are you?"
Ryoji walked forward but as soon as he was close enough to see the hurt and betrayal on Hamuko's face, he stopped. "I'm the same as the beings you call Shadows," he said with a sad smile.
Junpei shook his head. "You're a Shadow!?"
The raven-haired boy couldn't bear to look at his friends so blankly stared at Minato's clenched fist. "I'm the embodiment of all Shadows… The Appriser, born from the union of the 12 Arcana."
"The Appriser…?" Yukari knit her eyebrows together in confusion.
"I remember everything now…" Ryoji continued. "The frightening truth about myself… and Shadows… It's all so hard to believe." He collapsed to his knees.
"Ryoji-kun…" Hamuko frowned as she could sense the turmoil he was in.
Mitsuru frowned as she gently questioned the Shadow. "You know the 'truth' about Shadows?"
"Yes," Ryoji painfully knit his eyebrows together. "Shadows are here to facilitate the rebirth of the maternal being. She will begin to awaken as she is drawn to me… The Appriser."
"You?" The senior stared at him. "You're The Appriser?"
Ryoji nodded. The raven-haired boy glanced towards Hamuko and noticed her still carrying Aigis. The red-eyed girl stared back at him with a sad frown.
Fuuka wanted to step forward, but she decided against it as Minato adamantly stood between Ryoji and the team. "What is this 'maternal being'…?" she asked.
"She is a great entity…" Ryoji explained. "There is no comparable word in your language for her. Ten years ago, a man collected a great number of Shadows and contained them in a laboratory… That's where I was born. But the unification was interrupted, and I awoke in an incomplete state. Not long after, I fell to Aigis… as she did to me." He trembled at the destruction he caused.
"Aigis…!?" Junpei looked back and forth between his friend and the broken robot. "Is that true!? Ryoji?" He glanced up towards the blue-haired boy with his back turned towards them and shook his head. "Minato! Come on! Say something! You can't believe this either, right?"
"It doesn't matter what I think," Minato finally spoke up, his tone completely even. "I think I understand now… I remember too… And the truth is that Ryoji is my responsibility…" There was nothing in his words that betrayed any of his emotions. "Isn't that right, Pharos?" Ryoji paused at that and stared at Minato in surprise. A painful smile was on the blue-haired boy's face and Ryoji matched it with one of his own before nodding.
"Yuki-san?" Ken frowned at their leader. "Hamuko-san, what does he mean?"
The brunette's eyes widened. "Nii-san…" She stared at Ryoji and suddenly recognized where she had seen him before. You're… Pharos…!?
"Ryoji…" Minato prodded the Shadow to continue.
The taller boy nodded. "Aigis knew she could not defeat me… So in an act of desperation, she sealed me within a child who happened to be standing nearby. That child grew up, carrying me inside him all the while sharing my power with his sister. And by a twist of fate, they later returned here together… as transfer students."
"You mean…" Yukari stared at the twins in disbelief.
"Yes… I lived inside them," Ryoji wryly smiled. "Their special Personas awakened… as did the 12 Shadows, all in order to become one with me."
Junpei shook his head as he tried to let it all sink in. "Ryoji, you're The Appriser? A-and you were inside THEM!? None of this makes sense!"
"Tch," Minato smirked at himself as the painful memories flooded his mind. "If only I had been stronger back then, I would have been a suitable 'harbor' for you, Ryoji… But of course… I ended up getting Hamuko dragged into this. And from there, so did everyone else around me…"
"Nii-san, that's not true!" Hamuko cried out. "You can't blame yourself for this!"
"That's right…" Ryoji nodded. "It's all my fault… I'm sorry." He shook his head. "There's more I need… to tell you…" He passed out but Minato quickly rushed forward to catch him before he hit the ground.
"Ryoji-kun!" Fuuka ran over to the two boys in worry. She helped Minato lift Ryoji and took the moment to study their leader's expression. Minato-kun? She frowned as Minato refused to look at her as they returned to the team.
"He appears to be exhausted…" Mitsuru frowned as she examined Ryoji. "Let's let him rest… We have Aigis to attend to as well." Hamuko nodded as Junpei carefully lifted up their mechanical friend. "We'll continue our talk later."
Minato looked up towards Hamuko and saw that she was frowning at the bridge. She remembers that night too… he thought. Hamuko suddenly lifted her gaze and her red eyes met his blue ones. They both gave each other an understanding nod as they wished that their memories of ten years ago remained forgotten. Still, this was the truth Minato had asked for. And despite the pain, he refused to look away.
~22 DECEMBER 1999~
"And so the culprit," a seven-year-old Minato tugged on the paperboy hat he wore, "is you!" He smirked and pointed his free hand at the giggling four-year-old.
The small blue-haired girl with shoulder length hair nearly toppled over from laughter. "N-no! I didn't!"
"Don't think you can get away, Naoto Shirogane!" her older brother triumphantly smirked. Naoto shook her head and tackled into the boy. Minato yelped as he fell backwards. "Back up requested! I repeat, back up requested!"
"Hamuko Shirogane to the rescue!" The red-eyed brunette popped out of nowhere and grabbed Naoto. "Gotcha, Nao-chan!"
"Onee-chan!" Naoto laughed as she struggled against her sister's massive hug.
Minato laughed too as he began tickling the little girl. "Here's your punishment, Nao-kun!"
An elderly man proudly chortled at the three children. "Good work, Minato," he nodded. "But are you sure you have the right perp?"
"Of course, Grandfather!" Minato stood up straight. "This Shirogane is infallible!" he thumped his chest with a fist. He began coughing as he choked on his own saliva.
Hamuko patted his back and worriedly frowned at him. "It's too bad you're not invincible," she shook her head.
Their grandmother came out from the kitchen and frowned at the coughing boy. "You need to take better care of your body, Minato. You're not as strong as your sisters."
The boy wryly smiled. "Yes, Grandmother…"
"Now come along," she smiled at her precious grandchildren as she set down a tray of snacks for them. "You all deserve some hot chocolate and cake after a long day of lessons."
"Thanks, Grams!" Hamuko brightened as she helped Naoto settle down at the table. Minato took a seat at her other side and passed around the plates.
"Haruka, you're spoiling them," the third generation detective sighed.
"Hiroto, they're just children," Haruka shook her head.
"They're not 'just children'," the man crossed his arms. "They are fifth generation Shirogane detectives. I intend to see them live up to what is expected of them."
"That's still a long ways off, don't you think?" Haruka laughed at her husband. "You didn't have Takuto begin his training until he was ten."
"That's because your son was a rebel and wanted to become a phantom thief," Hiroto huffed.
"Well, it's a good thing that didn't work out," Takuto chuckled as he came out of the study with his wife. He straightened out his tie and reached for the hat usually on top of his head. He frowned when he noticed it wasn't there. "Where did I put it?"
"Minato's wearing it, dear," Kyoko giggled, pointing at the seven-year-old tipping his head towards them. The boy quickly got up and walked over to his parents. The red-eyed woman placed a hand on his cheek and laughed. "You look just like your father, Minato. My precious little boy."
Minato blushed as he took the hat off. "Here you are, Dad." He paused as he noticed Kyoko was dressed up too. "Are you two going out tonight?"
"That's right," Kyoko nodded. "We have one last thing to do in order to wrap up our current case, but tomorrow, we'll all be returning to the estate. Did you three pack up your things like we asked?"
Hamuko nodded. "Yeah, we're all set."
Haruka checked the time. "You two had better get going or else you'll be late for the meeting."
"Of course, Mother," Takuto nodded to her as the older woman gathered the empty mugs of hot chocolate.
Hamuko's eyes widened a bit. "Grams, let us help!" She stood up with Naoto and the girls helped with clearing the table.
Takuto smiled at how thoughtful his daughters were. He sternly eyed Minato before leaving. "Now you all behave while we're out. Listen to your grandparents, understand?"
Minato lowered his gaze. "Alright…"
Kyoko frowned as she sensed her son wanted something. "What is it, Minato?"
"I want to come watch you guys work," he mumbled.
"Minato," Takuto shook his head, "you need to speak clearly."
The boy knit his eyebrows together as he worked up the courage to say what he wanted to. "I want to see the greatest detectives in the world in action!" he exclaimed.
"No fair," Hamuko frowned as she and Naoto came out of the kitchen. "If nii-san goes, I want to go too!"
"Me too!" Naoto jumped up, eager to follow her older siblings anywhere.
"You can't, Nao-kun," Minato shook his head at her. "You're too small." He patted her head to emphasize his point.
The small girl wore a pout. "Onii-chan!"
Hamuko yawned. "Wait… it's almost ten, isn't it?" she asked as she glanced at the wall clock. "Nao-chan, it's bedtime."
Naoto frowned as she began rubbing her eyes. "But I want to go!"
"We didn't say Minato could come with us," Takuto shook his head at them. "Minato, bedtime. Go watch your sisters."
"That's right," Kyoko sternly nodded at him. "You're the oldest so you need to set a good example for them. You don't have to be perfect, but they look up to you."
"But I look up to you too!" Minato shook his head. "And I'm not tired!"
"Onii-chan…" Naoto whined as she tugged on his arm. She looked between the bedroom she shared with the twins and the front door, not certain which was the more enticing option. In the end, her exhaustion from the day's homeschooling and play won out. With a yawn, she brought both her arms up towards her brother, wanting him to pick her up. "Sleep…"
"You're such a baby, Nao-kun," Minato sighed but he gladly obliged and easily lifted her up from the ground.
"She's only four, nii-san," Hamuko shook her head at him. "And we're kids too! We need our sleep."
"But I just want to see Mom and Dad work just once," Minato looked up at their parents. "I want to be exactly like them when I grow up. Right, Nao-kun?" He glanced down at the girl in his arms but noticed she had her head rested against his shoulder and eyes closed. "Oh…" he lowered his voice. He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You really are tired…"
Hiroto chuckled. "Why not take Minato and Hamuko along? Consider this a part of their training. Haruka and I will watch Naoto." He stood up and took the sleeping Naoto from his grandson.
"But Hamuko's not very good with staying up late either," Kyoko frowned as the seven-year-old girl tried her best to shake sleep from her eyes.
"It's bad luck to separate twins," Hiroto shook his head at the superstition. "Besides, the experience will prove to be useful for them both. It'll help dictate what type of detectives they want to be as they grow older. Naoto has plenty of time to get experience in the future, but I believe the twins are ready. Minato is nearly complete with the deduction and induction courses and Hamuko isn't that far behind him."
Takuto looked at the two in surprise. "Really? At this rate, they'll be able to professionally work before they start middle school."
"By the time they're ten," the proud grandfather smiled.
"I don't know about this," Kyoko crossed her arms. She looked at the twins. "Hamuko, it looks like you're the one who gets to have the last say on this. If you don't feel up to it, you don't have to push yourself. You need your sleep after all."
The red-eyed girl looked between her mom and her brother. "Um… I don't really…"
"Come on, Hamuko," Minato begged his twin. "Please try to stay awake? I really want to see them in action! Aren't you curious about how Mom and Dad work?"
The brunette sighed. "Fine, but won't we be in the way?"
"I'll figure something out," Takuto smiled at them. "Besides, Father's right." He looked back to his wife. "If they're really intent on following our footsteps, they'll need to discover their own style of investigating. Seeing us conclude a case would be a great place to start since it's away from the dangers of an actual investigation."
Kyoko looked between her husband and the twins before relenting to Minato's request. "Okay, but you both need to listen to our instructions. And no drawing attention to yourselves."
"Got it!" Minato saluted his parents.
Takuto waited for the other party to drive away towards Gekkoukan before walking back to their car. He looked over to his partner and smirked. "I guess this is case closed," he stated with a nod.
"We won't know for sure until after midnight passes, Takuto," Kyoko frowned. "Perhaps it would have been better if we left Minato and Hamuko home. There was a lot we discussed and Minato gets restless whenever he senses something wrong."
"Hm…" Her husband crossed his arms. "Knowing Hamuko, she might have fallen asleep." He opened the door to the driver's seat and glanced into the back. "Ah… I was right." He frowned when Minato wasn't anywhere to be found. "That boy…" Takuto glanced at his watch and shook his head. "It's nearly midnight…"
Kyoko looked around worriedly. "Minato!" she called out.
Hearing her mother's voice, Hamuko stirred a bit. She groggily rubbed her eyes and sat up in her seat. "Mom?" The small girl stretched, careful to not hit her brother, but she paused when she realized she was the only one in the car. "Nii-san?"
Takuto sternly frowned at her. "Hamuko, when did you fall asleep?"
"A half hour ago?" she mumbled, glancing at the car's clock.
"And your brother was still with you then?" he questioned her.
"I think I heard nii-san say something about a girl standing on the roof of the mall," Hamuko told him. She loudly yawned as she couldn't quite recall if it was a dream or something that actually happened.
"Your brother is in so much trouble…" Takuto shook his head. He looked up at Kyoko. "Hamuko's not in any condition to help us right now, but Minato must have sensed something."
"We'll have to wait for him to return then," Kyoko frowned. She checked the time and noticed it would be midnight in just fifteen minutes. "If he's not back in five minutes, I'll go look for him. It won't do to have him about during that."
"I agree," the other detective nodded. "I'll watch Hamuko then."
"Hm?" the girl shifted as she didn't quite understand what her parents were going on about. "Is something happening?"
"It's nothing," her father smiled at her. "It's fine, Hamuko. You can go back to sleep if you want."
Hamuko frowned as she sensed he was hiding something from her, but her exhaustion was too much for her to fight against. She curled up against the door and rested her head against it without another thought.
Once he was sure she was asleep, Takuto looked over to his wife. "We might not have to be worried, Kyoko," he told her with a small smile. "Minato and Hamuko probably don't have this 'potential' we were told about." He fidgeted with the strange ring they had just been given by their final informant. "If that woman really was telling the truth, we'll be fine during the Dark Hour so long as we don't take these off."
"Hm," Kyoko frowned as she stared at a ring of her own. "She seemed trustworthy… but desperate to get away from her employers. What if she had been set up by the Kirijo Group to lure us into a trap though?"
"If that's the case, she wouldn't have given us such strange weapons too," Takuto shook his head as he stared at the sheathed sword tied at his waist. As he swapped the bullet clip in his pistol to a specially crafted ammunition set, he wore a wry smirk since his equipment made him feel a bit like a Devil Summoner. "Also, any move the Group make against us at this point would challenge not only the Shirogane, but the entirety of the Kuzunoha clan." He stared at the ring in the palm of his hand for a while longer as he debated with himself whether or not to put it on. In the end, he slipped it around his left index finger. "I suppose I'll take my chances…"
"Well, someone needs to watch your back," Kyoko smirked as she did the same. "We're partners after all. We'll face the Dark Hour, whatever it is, together." She nervously checked the time again. "I'd better go now. Takuto, please take care of yourself and Hamuko."
"I'll be fine, Kyoko," the blue-haired detective nodded. "It's you I'm more worried about if you intend to go out there alone."
Minato stared out over the roof of Paulownia Mall and shook his head. I was right about the architecture, he thought to himself as he caught his breath. There's no way for just anyone to get up here. He frowned at the blonde girl staring down into the building through the skylight. Tracing her gaze, Minato noticed she was completely focused on the police station where his parents were. "Hey!" he recklessly called out. "Just what do you think you're doing?" The figure tensed up and looked towards him. Minato fell backwards, surprised by the girl's glowing blue eyes. "W-what the…?" There's no way she's human…
The girl jumped up into the air and landed before him. She fixed her gaze on him and Minato saw the lighting in her eyes shift as if she were focusing her vision. "You are…?" she spoke mechanically as she stared at him in confusion. After a moment of scanning the boy, she relaxed. "You are just a child…"
"I'm not just any child," Minato frowned as he got back up to his feet. "I'm Minato Shirogane, fifth generation Shirogane detective," he proudly stated, puffing up his tiny chest.
"That type of information is irrelevant to me," the teenage girl responded, turning away from him.
"Well, it should be relevant!" the boy exclaimed, a bit annoyed he was being brushed off. "One day, criminals will fear the name Minato Shirogane!" He crossed his arms and smirked. "Don't look down on me just because you're older than me!" He paused as he studied her odd joints. "Actually… you're not human, are you?"
The robot stopped walking away and turned to the boy in surprise. "No, I am Aigis, an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon."
"So is that a fancy way of saying robot?" Minato asked, tilting his head to the side. "Because you look like an android to me."
"I am a machine meant to exterminate Shadows," the robot clarified to him.
"Shadows?" Minato stared down at his own shadow cast by the light of the full moon.
"It is not that type of shadow," the girl shook her head.
"Well, whatever it is you were meant to fight, there's no way I'm letting a suspicious person like you getting in the way of my parents' investigation," the boy stated.
"Your parents?" Aigis looked over towards the police station.
"Y-yeah," Minato tensed up as he got into a martial arts stance. "Y-you were built by the Kirijo Group, right? That makes you the current enemy of my parents…"
Aigis studied the two adults speaking with the Kirijo scientist she had been asked to track. "Your parents are not my objective."
"What?" The blue-haired boy frowned. "So then why are you here?"
"That is classified," the robot looked back at him. She tensed up as she sensed movement inside the mall.
Minato looked into the building too and noticed the three adults coming out. He frowned as he wondered whether to get back to the car, but he was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard gears whirring. He looked over towards Aigis with wide eyes as she aimed her arm towards his parents.
The boy's body moved automatically as he tackled into the robot. "No! Stop!" The impact was a lot harder than he thought and it resulted in him biting his tongue as they toppled to the ground. "Ow!" He blew a raspberry to try and dissipate the pain before glaring at the blonde. "Juth whad do you dink you're doing?" he tried to ask.
"I have been given orders from my creator," Aigis frowned at the boy. "You are in the way." Minato tensed up as the robot lifted her arm towards him. He stared down the gun barrels in her fingers before narrowing his eyes. The blonde paused as the child didn't seem afraid. "Why are you not running away from danger?" she asked in confusion.
"Danger is a part of every investigation," Minato said with a deep breath. "Much like the truth, it should be faced head-on!" He pushed her arm aside and tried to punch the robot. As his knuckles collided into her metal chassis, he howled in pain. "Gah! R-right… You're a machine…"
"You're not very bright," the robot tilted her head to the side. "Or rather, you are very reckless… You act without thinking about the consequences…"
"Stop looking down on me just because I'm seven!" Minato shouted as he got into his battle stance again. "I'll definitely defeat you and protect my parents. I won't let you harm them!"
"Don't be foolish," Aigis shook her head at the boy as she took aim again. "There's no way you can win…"
The blue-haired boy studied the android before him for weaknesses. "I like to think otherwise!" he smirked. "Besides, you're hesitating too, aren't you?"
The blonde looked at him in surprise. "I am…" she faltered a bit at his words.
"Come on," he smiled. "You're a machine with a heart! I'm not your target, so that's why you're not firing at me." He frowned as he thought of their current situation though. "Still… you tried to fire at my parents… so I have no choice but to label you as the enemy." His blue eyes flashed in determination. "No matter the odds, I can't and won't back down!"
Aigis dodged to the side when the boy performed a roundhouse kick. She frowned as his movements were rather unrefined, but they weren't particularly dangerous. He had clear openings but Aigis found she couldn't bring herself to use them. She had no reason to attack him and it seemed as though this human were treating the fight as a simple game. There was no threat here. Besides, the boy's physical aptitude paled in comparison to what was normal of a child his age. That added on top of his wasteful movements, it wouldn't be long before he exhausted himself.
After a few minutes of trying to land a blow on the robot, Minato found himself out of breath and slightly dizzy. "C-come on," he frowned. "S-stop dodging around and fight me!" He wobbled back and forth. "Oh man…" He grabbed his head and tried to steady himself with something but couldn't find anything to grab. His eyes widened as he toppled towards the edge of the roof. "Whoa!"
Fearing she wouldn't be able to make it in time, Aigis quickly cast Sukukaja before diving after him. After safely catching the falling boy, she landed nimbly on the ground and gently set him down. Minato hadn't flinched at all but he blankly stared at the glowing mechanical figure that faded away behind the robot. After a while though, he remembered the situation he was in so let out a surprised cry before pushing her away. "Why'd you save me?" he asked the robot with a slight frown.
Aigis stared at the boy and looked down at herself in confusion. "I do not know…" The boy studied her for a while before noticing a car driving past them. The robot quickly looked up to see who it was and slightly tensed up. "My target…"
The boy sharply grabbed her arm before she could take off after the vehicle. "H-hey! Wait!"
The robot turned back towards him. "I must complete my mission."
"And what mission is that?" Minato asked.
"I must eliminate…" the robot paused as she recalled the assignment given to her.
"Shadows, right?" the boy queried her. "Is that lady a Shadow?"
"No…" Aigis tried to come up with a way to explain it to the boy. "Shadows are the enemy of mankind…"
"So you're supposed to protect people," Minato nodded, "by defeating Shadows…" He frowned as something didn't make sense. "If your current mission is to go after that lady, wouldn't that be a contradiction in what you're meant to do? You protect humans from Shadows… And if that woman isn't a Shadow, shouldn't you be protecting her instead of hunting her?"
"I am a machine…" Aigis frowned at herself. "I was created as a weapon… so I must carry out my orders."
"But weapons aren't something you use to hurt others…" Minato shook his head. "A weapon is supposed to be something that protects what's dear to the heart… and I know you have a heart since you saved me…" He lowered his gaze and frowned at the family locket he wore. "That's why… I don't want you becoming a murderer… If you do… that means I'd have to call you a bad guy and go after you…"
The robot stared at him in silence. She slowly allowed the boy's words to sink in before she heard a voice calling out towards them. She tensed up as she spotted someone in the distance.
"Minato?" the brown-haired woman called out.
The boy straightened up. "Mom?"
Kyoko spotted her son and sighed in relief. "Minato!" She began scolding the small boy. "Do you know how worried you made me? What were you thinking coming out here on your own?"
"But I was—" Minato turned towards Aigis but noticed the robot had already disappeared. He scanned the dark street and spotted retreating figure jumping along the rooftops. He noticed it was going in the opposite direction of the car that passed by earlier so he smiled. The boy could sense his mother's anger though as he nervously returned to her side. It was going to be a long ride back to the apartment as he felt an imminent lecture coming on.
Takuto blinked as the car's engine suddenly died. The streetlamps also went out as the moon lit up the streets with an eerie green glow. He looked out the window and saw that the water underneath Moonlight Bridge turned into dark red blood. Gazing into the other cars on the road, he spotted coffins. "So this is the Dark Hour," he muttered to his wife.
"I didn't expect it to be so creepy," Kyoko said with a light chuckle.
The detectives sighed as they figured they would have to wait it out until it was over, but they didn't expect to hear the terrified scream coming from the backseat of the car. Takuto immediately turned towards his children. "Minato!?"
The seven-year-old boy frightfully stared at the coffin leaning against him. Just seconds ago, it had been his sister. "Hamuko!" He shook his head. "Hamuko! Wake up!" The blue-haired boy looked to the front of the car. "Mom! Dad! Something's happened to Hamuko!" He began trembling as he gazed out the window. "Why is there so much blood outside? Why aren't we moving? What's g-going on!?"
Takuto unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. "Minato, calm down!" He opened the backdoor and the boy immediately leapt out to hug him. "Everything will be okay. Remember your training, Shirogane!"
Minato tried to pull himself together and took deep breaths. He closed his eyes and fervently wished that this was all just a nightmare. He calmed down when he felt a familiar hand holding his face. He slowly opened his blue eyes and held back his frightened tears. "M-mom…"
"Look at me, Minato," Kyoko gently smiled at him. "You need to be strong. This will only last a little while, I promise."
"But Hamuko…" The boy glanced back into the car. "Will she be alright?"
"She'll definitely be safe so long as she doesn't come out of that coffin," Takuto nodded reassuringly. "You should be more worried about yourself…"
"Am I in danger?" Minato began to shake. He flinched as he heard a roar in the distance. "W-what was that!?"
Kyoko turned towards Tatsumi Port Island and was surprised by the large tower looming over the artificial landmass. "Takuto…"
The Shirogane detective turned around to see what she was pointing at and his blue eyes widened. "W-what is that?"
Minato felt the man's uneasiness so began to cry. "I-I'm scared…"
"There's nothing to worry about, Minato," Kyoko tried to reassure him. "Just get back in the car." The boy hesitantly stared at the coffin. "She's still your sister, Minato," the woman shook her head. "You need to watch over her while your father and I check this out."
"Don't leave me here alone!" the boy screamed. "I…" He looked around. "I wish we were home… Hamuko and I should never have come…" The boy couldn't control his trembling body as he collapsed to his knees. "Why is this happening?"
"Minato!" Takuto sternly scolded him. "This is not how a Shirogane should ever act!" The boy paused at that. "You are Minato Shirogane, the eldest of the fifth generation of Shirogane detectives. As such, you will behave as a great Shirogane detective would." The strong father placed a hand on the boy's trembling shoulder. "A good detective is undaunted by the dangers of investigation," he said with a brave smile. "If anything happens, your mother and I take care of it," he reassured his son. "Believe in us, Minato. That's the true mark of a Shirogane…"
"I-I'll try…" the blue-haired boy shakily responded with a nod.
"Good," the man smiled at him. "As the oldest, you need to protect your sister, so get back into the car and watch over Hamuko."
Minato nervously looked at the coffin but he decided to suck it up and listen to his parents. He carefully crawled into the car and closed the door behind him. He frowned at the coffin as he put on his seatbelt before curling into a little ball. "Hamuko…" he whined.
Takuto and Kyoko walked to the side of the bridge and gazed into the distance. They took a few minutes to gather their bearings before deliberating the situation. The brown-haired detective crossed her arms. "So what do you make of this?"
"That must be Tartarus," her husband guessed as he pointed at the obtrusive tower. "That is where Gekkoukan was…" He frowned as another roar echoed throughout the silent city. "And that must be Death being created…"
"But we were told that the experiment was going to end in failure. She couldn't have been wrong…"
"Maybe—" Takuto flinched when a loud explosion erupted from the distant island. "No way…" he muttered as multiple roars and groans sounded from the explosion site. A number of dark blurs spread out from the epicenter of destruction and he guessed they were escaping Shadows. "This isn't good!"
"Takuto, the car!" Kyoko sharply pulled on his arm as she hurried back to their probably petrified son.
The blue-haired boy rocked back and forth as he did his best to not lose his mind. Although he continued to grow more ballistic, he counted the seconds that crept past him until he eventually gave up after reaching the hundreds. "Why can't time move faster?" He let out a sob and tucked his head between his knees. He paused as he noticed his family locket. "O-oh yeah… I still have this…"
He frowned as he opened it up. In the dim light, he could make out his grandparents and parents in the back as his sisters and he stood in the foreground. It was their most recent family portrait as Minato made it a point to update the picture every year. The seven of them made up the small but proud Shirogane family and Minato felt a bit of courage stir within him as he remembered who he was.
"That's right…" Minato muttered into his locket. "I'm Minato Shirogane. I am a fifth generation Shirogane detective…" the frightened boy reminded himself. "I won't be afraid… So long as I have my family, I'll be fine… This locket is supposed to be proof of my courage…" The seven-year-old lifted his head as soon as he heard his parents' footsteps coming towards the car.
"Minato!" Kyoko opened the door into the passenger's seat. "How are you doing?"
"B-better," the small boy nodded as he continued to hold onto his necklace. He worriedly stared at his mom. "C-can we go yet?"
Takuto sighed as he got back into the driver's seat. "Not yet. It'll be over soon though." The man flinched when the bridge shook.
Minato tensed up. "What was that?" He slowly sat up and gazed out the window to see a giant dense mass of darkness coming straight for them.
"Minato!" Someone screamed, but the boy couldn't make out who it was.
He didn't really know what happened next. A loud boom rang in his ears and he could hear metal scraping against the pavement as he was jostled inside the car. Bright red light filled his vision as heat engulfed the cramped quarters he was in. He vaguely felt the sensation of being in freefall, but other than that, he couldn't make out anything else. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself suspended in the air by his seatbelt. His face was only millimeters from the cold, hard asphalt. His locket dangled in front of him and he frowned when he noticed he didn't close it after looking at it previously, resulting in the picture partially burning. He couldn't move but he could feel something warm dripping onto his head and onto the ground.
After a few seconds of blankly staring at the red liquid, he figured it was blood. The boy frowned though as he couldn't feel any injuries on his person. When it slowly dawned on him who it belonged to, he let out a bloodcurdling scream as he realized he could no longer hear his parent's worried cries. He nearly passed out from the shock but he felt someone dragging his body out of the burning wreck. He brought his arms up to cover his face as he was flipped to his back and pulled out. The bright flames blinded him and when he was away from the car, he lowered his hands to see a familiar face.
"You are safe…" Aigis smiled down at him in relief.
"M-my parents!?" Minato got into a sitting position. "My sister!?"
He stared at the car and noticed a wispy being standing over the wreckage. Its body lacked form and the boy thought it looked incomplete. He likened it to a grim reaper as it stood over the overturned car.
The boy's fear boiled into panicked hysteria as he scrambled to get to his feet. "Hamuko!?" he screamed as he launched his small body forward. "I'm coming to get you!" Aigis pulled him back though, causing him to roar in frustration. "Let me go!" He sharply jerked his arm free from her grip and ducked the Shadow trying to lunge at him.
"Engaging Shadow!" Aigis tackled into the beast, allowing the boy to reach his sister.
"Hamuko!" Minato freed the safety belt holding his sister's coffin up but as soon as he touched the cold wood, she transformed. He was a bit surprised but he didn't have time to worry about that right now. He focused only on bringing her to safety, away from the burning car. "Hamuko! Wake up!"
The brunette slowly stirred and carefully opened up her eyes. She felt an intense flame in front of her as she was dragged along the ground. Lifting her head, she saw her brother weakly carrying her away from a wrecked car. Her red eyes widened as she couldn't believe what was happening. "N-nii-san…!?"
"Hamuko…" Minato was glad she was awake. "Y-you're safe," he shakily said as tears filled his eyes. He looked back at the car. Then does that mean…? "Mom! Dad!" He ran back towards the massive ball of fire.
"Nii-san!" Hamuko screamed as she grabbed her brother and pulled him back, afraid he'd hurt himself. "No!"
Her older twin looked back at her in fear and confusion. "Hamuko! Mom and Dad…" He clenched his fists. "They're still in the car! I have to save them!"
The brunette shook her head as she noticed the blood pooling beneath the car. They were dead. She knew that. She couldn't lose her brother too, especially since he just risked his life to save her. "No! You can't!" She tightly hugged him. "Don't leave me alone too!" She sobbed into his chest. "Mom! Dad! They're already gone! Please…" she begged her twin. "Don't leave me by myself…"
Minato looked down at the girl and began crying too. "B-but…!" He looked back towards the car. "This is all my fault…" He tightly held onto his sister. "We should never have been here… If I didn't sneak out of the car, we'd have been home already. If I didn't ask to come with Mom and Dad, they'd still be alive!" He let out an anguished scream. "It's my fault they're gone!" He forcefully pried Hamuko off of him and ran towards the wreckage. "D-dammit!"
The brunette threw her body towards him and held him back. "Nii-san!" She flinched as the car before them exploded. Minato flinched and protectively shielded her as they toppled into the middle of the bridge's road. "Oof!" Her head hurt as it collided against the ground. "Nii-san…" she weakly looked up at her brother and placed a hand on his face. "Please… don't leave me too…"
Minato held onto her tightly as she slowly closed her eyes. "Hamuko… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" he meekly muttered to her. "Don't die… Please… I swear you'll be safe! I'll protect you with my life if I have to!" When she no longer responded, he let out another scream. He cried to himself until he sensed someone standing over him. He glared up at the badly damaged robot. "Did you… kill it?" he bitterly asked.
Aigis held a dark mass in her hands and shook her head. "Death appears… undefeatable… I weakened it but…" she sadly lowered her gaze. "I am not strong enough to destroy it. I must seal it away… and move to destroy it from there…" Aigis stared at the dying girl and considered using her.
"Seal it?" Minato climbed off his unconscious sister. "So like a vessel, right?" He struggled to stand up. "Use me…"
"You…?" the robot stared at him oddly. "But your sister…"
"Use me!" the boy declared. "I…" he painfully scowled at himself. "It's my fault Mom and Dad are gone… and I won't let Hamuko die… I don't deserve to live anymore…" His blue eyes angrily flashed. "So use me!"
Aigis hesitated but nodded as she had no other choice. She held the Shadow before the boy and sealed Death inside of him. Minato screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground. He writhed a bit before weakly laughing.
"It hurts…" he complained. "But… I don't care…" Sudden exhaustion washed over him as he stared at Hamuko. "I'll… protect you… I'll… take responsibility… for killing our parents…" He reached his hand out towards her. "You'll be just fine… sis…" He finally passed out.
The Anti-Shadow robot scanned the boy and picked up an unstable Shadow reading from him. She aimed her arm at him, preparing to fire, but found she couldn't do it. The Shadow's power threatened to leak out of him, wanting to break free of its new prison, but the blonde girl only continued to stare at him. Looking over towards Hamuko, Aigis frowned as she sensed the brown-haired girl was on the brink of death. The robot lowered her gun and resealed the Shadow again, seeing as the boy couldn't fully contain its power within him and it was his wish that his sister survive this ordeal. When she was done, she studied the two unconscious twins and tried to embed their data deep within her memory banks.
A weapon to protect… she recalled the boy's words from before as she collapsed to the ground. I will protect you both… That is my new mission…
Final Notes: So yeah... Hamuko should have died, leaving Minato on his own. I guess if Aigis used Hamuko instead, she would have really shot her but Minato being as reckless as he is would have gotten himself killed trying to protect his sister, prompting Aigis to want to protect Hamuko in his stead. As for Naoto, she was left behind and raised as an only child... Only getting to see her older siblings about once a year... Oh, I should probably explain the names I chose for their parents and grandparents. So for Hiroto and Takuto, I wanted names that suited them yet still ended in the syllable "-to". Probably a Shirogane tradition or something since that passed on to Naoto and Minato. If Hamuko took after their dad, I'm pretty sure I would have named her Makoto. That goes in hand with Naoto's name meaning "truthful person" since Makoto would mean "true". The characters I imagine for Hiroto would mean "esteemed flight", referencing Ursa Major and his tendency to follow superstitions. Haruka means "distance" and it complements the whole flight thing of her husband. But she's not important considering I'm pretty sure Minato killed her with his new curse. Takuto means "brilliant person" since it complemented Kyoko's name which means "mirror child". I chose Kyoko's name as she would be a reflection of truth and courage. Plus, I also might have named her after Kyoko Kuremi in Digimon Cyber Sleuth and Kyoko Kirigiri in Danganronpa, both of whom are amazing detectives.