Author's Notes: December is the worst month of the game because nothing happens... Hamuko and Minato still have friends to Social Link while the rest of the team is kinda mentally gone. It also doesn't help that Ryoji isn't present much in December...

~3 DECEMBER 2009~

Hamuko was the first into the command room and she immediately spotted Ryoji sitting on the far sofa, hanging his head. "Ryoji-kun…"

The boy's head immediately shot up to the brunette. A smile automatically appeared on his face before he remembered the situation. "Hamuko-chan…" His blue eyes went towards the blank-faced boy beside her. "Minato-kun…"

Mitsuru watched as everyone filed in and took a seat. "Is everyone present?" she asked as she did a headcount.

Fuuka looked over at Ryoji worriedly. "Are you okay, Ryoji-kun?"

The boy flashed her a smile, one similar to Minato's reassuring smirk. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks," he nodded to the kind girl. He knit his eyebrows together. "Besides, there's more I have to tell you guys."

Yukari sighed. "Ryoji-kun…"

Mitsuru nodded at the boy. "There are many questions we need answered. To begin with, you said Shadows were here to facilitate the rebirth of the maternal being…" she frowned as it all sounded very vague. "Please elaborate on this."

"This maternal being is called Nyx," Ryoji stated with his eyes closed.

"Who the hell's Nyx…?" Junpei frowned.

An uncharacteristic look of seriousness painted over Ryoji's face as he explained. "Nyx is the mother of Shadows. In ancient times, she bestowed 'Death' to this world." He sensed Hamuko and Minato tense up at that. "If she is awakened, darkness will once again cover the land, and all life will vanish."

Akihiko straightened up. "All life will vanish!?"

Mitsuru's frown deepened. "Are you saying… everyone will die!?"

Ryoji shook his head. "It would be more accurate to say that…" his eyes scanned the group around him, "Everyone will forfeit the will to live."

The redhead clenched her teeth. "Are you talking about the Lost!?" Looking around SEES, she noticed everyone quickly came to the same conclusion as she did. If all humans became the Lost, it would lead into the extinction of mankind, as well as the end of the world. "The Fall…"

Yukari clenched her fists. "But, it's still possible to keep it from happening, right?" She stared at Ryoji expectantly, but he just lowered his gaze. "Wh-what…? There's no way to prevent it…?"

"I'm sorry…" the blue-eyed boy softly stated.

"Wait," the archer frowned, "what're you apologizing for!? Are you saying it's for certain!?"

"Yes…" Ryoji nodded hesitantly. "You heard the bell… I'm The Appriser… The Appriser of Death… My existence is the affirmation of the Fall."

Fuuka felt a chill run through her. "The affirmation… of the Fall…"

Everyone became silent as they feared the inevitable. Minato found it difficult to breathe as the tension suffocated him. He blinked as something about this felt familiar. Something flashed before his eyes and he blinked. That's right… This fear is the same as the one back then… Back when I could see the Reapers… This wasn't quite the same as before though, he noticed. Somehow, this was worse thanks to everyone sharing the cold sense of dread and despair. And unlike the Reapers which were a good indicator of Death and could be prevented, Minato knew that this time, Death would come for sure.

Akihiko noticed his own body trembling but he grabbed his arm and forced himself to calm down. "When!?" he asked Ryoji in panic. "When will it happen!?"

Ryoji frowned as he considered whether or not to tell them. He glanced over towards Minato and Hamuko but became confused. The brunette seemed terrified for her life as Minato mentally locked himself away from the world again. It pained Ryoji to see them that way, but he finally spoke. "I'm afraid you will not live to see spring…"

Junpei freaked out. "But, that's not too far away!" He looked over to the seniors and Yukari sitting across from him, hoping they'd say something, but noticed they remained silent as identical looks of terror filled their faces. Junpei tried to laugh. "Wh-what're you guys freaking out about? All we have to do is defeat this Nyx!" He put on a smirk. "And that won't be a problem cuz we've never lost!" He turned towards Hamuko. "Right?"

The brunette lifted her arms to hold her head. "Is that possible…?" she asked in a broken whisper.

Her best friend's smile faltered as he tried to get Minato to say something. "D-dude…?"

Minato shook his head as he drowned in his fear. "Defeating Nyx is… impossible…" Everyone looked up at their leader in surprise. "Death is inevitable…"

The capped boy's eyes widened as the blue-haired boy's words only seemed to make things worse. "H-hey, c'mon! That's not the leader I know!"

Ryoji stared at the twins painfully before trying to explain things to Junpei. "It has nothing to do with strength, ability, or power," he stated as he shook his head. "Just as all living things die… and the flow of time is continuous… Nyx cannot be defeated. Minato understands this better than anyone…"

Junpei refused to acknowledge that. "What…? That's bullshit!" the capped boy exclaimed.

Ken frowned to himself. "This is all so sudden…"

Ryoji looked at them all seriously. "I was born from a collection of Shadows. But now, I have a human form…" He smiled. "So I can talk with you, laugh with you, cry with you… All gifts I received because I was inside them," he nodded to Hamuko and Minato. "Of all the people on Earth, it was them who carried me…" He closed his eyes as an idea came to him. "Thanks to that… I am able to give you a choice."

"A choice…?" Yukari was surprised.

"Nyx's coming cannot be avoided," Ryoji continued. "But, it is possible to live in peace until she arrives. You'll have to…" he hesitated as he looked the twins in the eyes, "kill me." Both twins stared at him incredulously. "If I were to disappear, all memories of the Dark Hour would disappear with me, as would any recollection of the fate that awaits you. You won't remember anything. The coming of the Fall will be instantaneous… and you will not suffer."

Mitsuru considered this. "We'll forget everything?"

Ryoji nodded in response. "You'll be able to return to your normal lives. And in doing so, the time until the Fall will be slightly delayed. In essence, I am the same as Nyx and cannot be killed. But thanks to them, there's a part of me that's 'human'. So, if death comes from one of their hands, I think it may be possible." He refused to look away from the twins.

Fuuka studied Minato's pained face before looking back at Ryoji. She sadly lowered her gaze as this was a difficult decision. "Ryoji-kun…"

"If you don't kill me, you will suffer more than you could ever imagine," the raven-haired boy sadly stated. "With no hope for salvation, you will live everyday paralyzed by the fear of your impending death. And I…" he clenched his fists. "I don't want you to have to endure such pain."

Hamuko found it difficult to breathe as the fear clouded her mind. "I don't know what to do…"

"Yeah…" Fuuka agreed.

Yukari shook her head. "I don't want my memories to be erased," she stated. "To forget everything would be like hiding from the truth!"

Ryoji turned to her. "Would that really be such a bad thing?" he asked. "All that awaits you now is despair. You don't know the terror of absolute death…!" He looked over to Minato as he knew the blue-haired junior understood. "Tell them! You've carried me inside you for all this time! Because of me, you saw Death come time and time again!"

"What does he mean by that, Yuki-san?" Ken stared at their leader. "You… can see Death?"

"You didn't have to bring that up, Ryoji…" Minato said with a frown. "Sensing when others die isn't something I take pride in…" He hung his head, causing his bangs to fall over his face. "It's scary…" the junior mumbled, "To sense Death on someone yet be unable to stop it…" He let out a choked sob. "Over and over again..."

"W-what?" Yukari stared at her friend in disbelief. "All this time, you could do that? And you never told us?"

"What was the point!?" Minato snapped his head up. "Bringing them up wouldn't have changed anything! I saw Reapers on Shinji-nii and Chidori from the very beginning and look at where we are now…" Hamuko tensed up beside him as he mentioned Shinjiro while Junpei angrily glared at the ground. "Even if I can no longer see them, nothing's changed. Right now, I'm sure all of us are marked… No one can stop Death…"

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" Junpei demanded to know.

Hamuko quickly defended her brother. "Back off, Junpei," she glared at her best friend. "He…" she glanced over at her despondent twin, "doesn't know… None of us do…"

"Hamuko-chan…" Ryoji frowned as it was strange to see her so uncertain. He turned back to the rest of the team. "Please," Ryoji begged them, "don't make your decision without at least thinking about what I've said."

Ken shook his head. "Why is this happening!?"

"You don't have to decide right now," the raven-haired boy told the team as he stood up. "You have until December 31st, New Year's Eve, to think about it. After that, I'll dissolve into the blackness of the Dark Hour and become intangible."

"Ryoji…?" Junpei frowned at him.

"I will disappear with the coming of Nyx anyways…" the Shadow boy sighed. "So, don't worry about me. I'll be back on New Year's Eve…" He left the room and Junpei tried to go after him.

"H-hey, Ryoji, wait!" The capped boy blinked when it seemed like Ryoji just disappeared into the dark hallway.

Yukari frowned to herself. "Ryoji-kun…"

Everyone remained silent until Mitsuru decided it was time the meeting was dissolved. "We will see him again, on New Year's Eve…" She slowly got up and started for the door, glancing back at the twins as she did so.

~7 DECEMBER 2009~

Aigis's form appeared in the crystal ball. "A girl falls under the full moon…" Den Mother frowned. "A boy walks amidst shadow; and the boy himself is shadow…" Ryoji stood alone in the darkness before transforming into Thanatos. "Children who bear shadows within…" Minato stared as two small children appeared, only to be swallowed by the dark void. "The immense Shadow approaches… Its depth unfathomable; its extent without limit…" The fortune teller frowned as it was getting harder and harder to make out anything from within the murky blackness. "It comes to end all things… The darkness hidden by the shining heavens…" She looked up at Minato in worry. "How will you stand against such a fate…?"

Minato frowned to himself as he was still a bit uncertain with his decision. "I don't know…"

The woman gave him a sympathetic stare as it was a rather difficult choice. "Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

The blue-haired boy bowed to her before making his way back to the dorm. He took the long way as he really didn't look forward to the stuffy atmosphere of his home. Everyone was so depressed and quiet that it was suffocating.

Minato tried to bring it up a few times, but the conversations were rather short-lived as nobody wanted to face the reality of the situation. The leader himself was also at a loss. He could either forget about the Dark Hour or attempt to face the embodiment of Death. Either way, he was going to die.

Personally, Minato thought both options were equally horrible. If I end up choosing to forget, it kind of undermines the whole point of me getting back my memories of the accident, he frowned. I finally just learned how Mom and Dad actually died. I can't just give that up so easily…

But that knowledge came at a price. I was the one who killed them… I'm responsible for their deaths. I might have saved Hamuko, but I was the one who led to Mom and Dad losing their lives. I know now that I don't deserve to be alive. There's no longer a point for me to keep going…

Maybe it'd be best to forget… I'd be able to live that happy, Reaper-free life I used to always dream about. That doesn't sound too bad. Ryoji said the Fall would be instantaneous. I wouldn't have to suffer… I mean, would there really be a point fighting Nyx if we're going to die anyways?

Nyx, the thirteenth Shadow… Or rather, the mother of all Shadows… To think that was Death's true form. Can I really face something like that? Death is inevitable; I know that the best. I'm too afraid to even imagine what kind of enemy she can be if she embodies that truth…

And even if I want to fight Nyx, that doesn't mean everyone else would support me. Maybe they want to forget too. If I fight, who would stand by me? Hamuko and Fuuka, sure… but would they be enough? Definitely not. I'm pretty sure it'll take more than a Fusion Spell to stop Nyx. And Fuuka can't fight. If Hamuko and I go down, I pretty much doomed her. Koromaru is a possible option to consider since he's as loyal as anyone I could ever hope for, but other than him, who else?

Everyone's terrified. It'd be great if we were all on the same page and wanted to fight, but it's not that simple. It's a hopeless battle and I'm asking them to throw away their lives. They're not like me. They have reasons to live. They deserve a chance to be happy…

Mitsuru-senpai who was the first of us to get her Persona… She lost her childhood and father to the Dark Hour. Akihiko-san who lost his younger sister and Shinji-nii… Ken who lost his mother… Koromaru who lost his master… Yukari who lost her father… Junpei who lost Chidori… And Fuuka… Can I really put her through the pain of losing me to the Dark Hour?

Perhaps, it is best if we all forget… Forget the pain. Forget the fighting. Just forget everything about the Dark Hour… We'll have our pseudo-happily ever after and die peacefully. That doesn't sound so bad. Minato groaned. Who am I kidding? It's a horrible idea, but… so long as someone gives into the despair of imminent Death, we have no chance to even face Nyx, let alone defeat her.

With his mind made up, the junior dragged his feet as he continued down Moonlight Bridge. To fill the silence, Minato slipped on his headphones. He paused as the first song that came up was one he didn't expect. The soft melancholy melody of the piano crisply played in his ears. "Sleep walk, my eyelids are lured to the darkness of memories~ Like snow softly killing a flower~ I should've known nothing repeats~ The hands of time erase me~ However, it's strange that I'm crying from the bottom of my heart~"

Minato kept his head down as he increased his pace. He could feel something within his chest stir as tears began streaming down his cheeks without warning. Am I really okay with forgetting though?

"I can see the brilliance in everything mundane~ Even in the smoky air of the crowded streets~ Since I don't want to lose the burning glimmer of everyday moments~ I start to walk~"

The Dark Hour is what brought us together in the first place… If we forget that, what would that do to us? More questions filled his mind but he couldn't bring himself to stop the song as he drowned in doubt. Iwatodai Dormitory is filled with the people who first welcomed Hamuko and me here. For the past year, we lived together, ate together, walked to school together, had fun together… We aren't just bound to each other because of the Dark Hour, but I wouldn't have come to know them without it. Can I really allow myself to forget how we met and bonded?

As he became lost in his thoughts, he missed the song's second verse, but the sharp chorus cut through his mind. "I can see the brilliance in the mundane tomorrows~ It's the same voices, the same meetings; that's all it is~ Pain grazes this life of mine~ Brightly lights it and strokes it, so now I start to walk~"

Minato found himself stopped in the middle of Moonlight Bridge. He blankly stared at the familiar site as he took in a deep breath. Images of the burning car, his parents, Hamuko, Aigis, and Death flashed before him, but he looked past all of that as he gazed out towards the glimmering ocean. His blue eyes widened as he never noticed how beautiful it was.

It may have been his imagination, but he thought he could hear Ryoji's voice. "It's so beautiful, it hurts…"

"It is…" The blue-haired boy cracked a small smile. "But that's what makes life so worth it, Ryoji…"

"Someone's love song resounded merrily in the desolate winter~ As if it were my own, my heart trembles~"

Minato faced the end of the bridge. "I can see the brilliance in everything mundane~ Even in the breath of the moment when we hold hands~ Since I don't want to lose the burning glimmer of everyday moments~ I start to walk~" His hands went up to his headphones and he nodded to himself. "I refuse to forget. I refuse to believe Nyx is undefeatable. I refuse to give up on my family!"

When he finally got back to the dorm, Fuuka was the first to greet him as she looked up from her laptop. "Hi, how was your day?" she tried to asked with a smile. After a while, it was replaced with a frown. "U-um… Try to cheer up."

Minato wryly smirked. "I'm not down," he reassured her.

Fuuka was a bit surprised by that as she studied his calm face. "O-oh, okay then," she lowered her gaze. "U-um… Sorry, Minato-kun, I know you're strong…"

"Only because of you, Fuuka," he nodded as he pulled down his headphones. He seriously looked into her brown eyes. "So thank you…"

"Huh?" the girl blushed as that came out of nowhere. "Oh, you're welcome…" Thinking something was wrong, she continued to search his face for anything out of place, but she noticed Minato's blue eyes gleaming in a new determination she had never seen before.

"Fuuka, what's wrong?" he asked as he got closer to her. "Are you feeling sick? Or maybe this whole Nyx thing is getting to you?"

"Sorry," she shook her head at him. "I guess I'm the one who's most confused…" The teal-haired girl noticed Minato pausing to consider something. Thinking he must have been considering their options too, she asked him for his opinion. "So, Minato-kun, have you decided what you're going to do…?"

The boy blinked before he put on a small smile. "Yes, I have," he nodded.

Fuuka managed to smile at that. "You're so brave, Minato-kun," she said in admiration. She shook though as she wished she could share his courage. "But, I'm scared…"

"Fuuka…" Minato gently took her hands and pressed them to his lips. "I'm scared too, but I won't let that stop me from doing what I think is right. As your 'harbor of courage' I'll be here, Fuuka. No matter what happens, I'll always love you… I won't leave you, ever."

The girl threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Minato-kun…" She frowned though as she still couldn't decide for herself what she wanted. "What are we going to do…?"

"It'll be alright," her boyfriend reassured her. Minato frowned though as he realized he would have to allow everyone else to come to terms with fighting on their own.

~10 DECEMBER 2009~

The entire dorm gathered around the table to hold another meeting. Everyone remained silent though as nobody knew where to begin. Eventually, Yukari let out a sigh as she decided to be the one to start the meeting. "Well, it's been a week. What're we going to do?" She glanced over at the teal-haired junior beside her. "You okay, Fuuka?"

The quiet girl lifted her head in surprise as she stared at the archer. "You just seem so calm…"

"We have to make a decision," Yukari frowned. "I mean, it's been such a drag around here lately, and no one will go to Tartarus…"

Mitsuru nodded in agreement. "You're right. We humans are quite resilient. We can adapt to any situation, given enough time." She looked at the rest of the team. "So, how about it, everyone? Why don't we talk about it?"

Junpei remained silent as he didn't know what to say. Ken frowned as the older kids didn't seem to want to be here, so he glanced towards Akihiko. "Have you made your decision, Sanada-san?" the young boy asked.

"No…" the boxer shook his head. "But, I don't plan on running away."

"So you're going to fight Nyx?" Mitsuru looked at her peer.

"I don't know," Akihiko frowned. "I mean, it's supposedly undefeatable. What about you?" He looked into her red eyes. "What are your thoughts on it?"

"Honestly," the Student Council President sighed, "this is the first time I've ever really contemplated my own death… It's quite a sobering thought." She frowned. "I don't want to suffer… and I don't want to kill Ryoji. But, either way, we still die. So, there is no simple answer."

Fuuka studied everyone's expressions and saw they shared the same sentiments. "Then, do we all agree that we don't want to hurt Ryoji-kun?"

"Is that how you feel?" Akihiko asked their navigator.

"Well, I, um…" she frowned as killing Ryoji didn't quite bode well with her especially since the raven-haired boy resembled someone very precious to her. She looked over towards Minato to see what he was thinking. Lately, he's been so quiet but his eyes still glowed in that strange odd fashion. It was like he was waiting for something to happen, but Fuuka couldn't tell whether it was because he wanted to forget or fight. She lowered her gaze and sighed.

Yukari gave Fuuka a wry smile. "It's okay, Fuuka. I mean, it's not natural to choose how you're going to die…" The archer glanced up at the capped boy across from them. "What about you, Junpei? Have you decided?"

"No…" he simply responded.

"What's the matter?" Yukari tried teasing him. "Scared?"

Junpei's eyes snapped towards her. "What the hell do you mean by that?" he asked. "You think this is a joke?"

Surprised by his reaction, Yukari frowned. "Junpei, I…"

"We're going to die!" he yelled. "Of course I'm scared!" He glared at everyone else. "You all need to wake up! This is death we're talking about here!"

Everyone remained silent as they didn't have anything to say in response to his outburst. Mitsuru shook her head as she tried to keep things under control. "Then, what do you want to do?" she asked the junior. "Do you want to kill him?"

Junpei shook his head. "There's nothing I CAN do… The only ones who can kill him are…" he glared at the red-eyed junior sitting next to him. "Hamuko…" He scowled as he turned on his best friend. The brunette blinked as the boy suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders. "Did you ever notice…? You had that thing inside you and you didn't notice…?" He shook the girl. "Can't… Can't you do anything about it!?"

Hamuko could feel herself wanting to cry. "How could I have known!?" the co-leader asked him. "Do you think this is easy for me?"

"Junpei…!" Yukari tried to break it up, but paused when Minato shook his head.

"Leave her alone, Junpei!" the blue-haired boy sternly stated. He stood behind the couch, directly behind the capped junior. "If you want someone to blame, then blame me. Hamuko never had a choice in this."

His sister turned her head to look at him. "Nii-san…"

Junpei frowned to himself as he mulled over his thoughts. "Come to think of it, you were the one who saw 'Death'…" He stood up to face their leader. "You raised it, dammit! This is all your fault! So you should do something about it!" His grey eyes angrily flashed as he punched Minato, causing the shorter boy to stagger backwards. "You're supposed to be 'special', right!?" His voice cracked from fear.

"Minato!" Hamuko quickly got up, but she stopped as soon as her brother motioned for her to remain in place.

"It's okay, Hamuko," he wryly smiled. "I deserve at least this much…" He lifted his gaze up at the capped junior. "Junpei's afraid… We all are… but I won't run away." Minato slowly picked himself up off the ground. "That's why… I already made a decision."

Everyone looked at their leader in surprise. Junpei shook his head. "How the hell can you be so calm!?" he angrily asked the blue-eyed junior. Without thinking, he pulled Minato over the back of the couch by his uniform jacket. "We're going to die, you bastard! You think this is a game!?"

Yukari shook her head as she couldn't watch anymore of their fight. "Stop it, Junpei!"

Hamuko grabbed her best friend's arm. "Junpei, let him go!"

"Let's not get into another fight!" Fuuka quickly shook her head. "We're all friends, aren't we?" she tried to defuse the situation.

"Friends?" Minato frowned at that. "I think you have it a bit wrong, Fuuka." He steadily looked into Junpei's fearful grey eyes. "You guys are my family… The first real family Hamuko and I have had in years… That's why… I can't afford to hesitate. Both options lead to death, but there's one I could never pick." Sadness filled his blue eyes. "Not if it means losing my family…"

"Y-you…" Junpei glared at him but finally let the shorter boy go. The taller junior lowered his gaze as he took a moment to recollect himself.

Everyone remained silent as they had a feeling they knew what Minato wanted but no one dared to voice it aloud. It was a suicide mission after all. When everyone calmed down enough, Yukari shook her head as she looked back towards Junpei. "It's not their fault… Them carrying it is the only reason we even have this choice!"

Junpei forced himself to look away from the rest of the team. "I know that, dammit! But…" Junpei faltered. "In my head, I might know…"

"I'm sorry for teasing you, Junpei," Yukari apologized. "I was just trying to lighten up the situation." She looked at the rest of SEES as they stared at Hamuko worriedly. "Personally, I don't want to forget everything. I've learned so much since coming here."

Minato smiled at that. "That's right," he calmly nodded as he looked over his team. "I still stand by what I said before. Despite all that's happened, I don't regret joining SEES."

Junpei hung his head as he remembered one of his original reasons for moving into the dorm. "I've never really talked about this before, but… My old man was an alcoholic. He started drinking after he was tricked into investing his life savings in some telemarketing scam. He drank until he passed out, so he didn't have to face reality… And I hated him for it…" He began trembling. "Now, I understand how he felt. Everything seems hopeless… I'm so scared!"

Fuuka nodded in understanding. "I know how you feel, Junpei-kun. I'm scared too."

"Yeah," Akihiko sighed, "we're all scared."

"Yes…" Mitsuru shivered. "I… I can't stop shaking."

"Me either…" Yukari hugged herself.

Junpei looked at everyone and noticed they all felt the same way he did. "Yuka-tan…" He frowned to himself. "I'm sorry I kept yelling like that…"

Yukari shook her head. "I don't think any of us could have stood up to you right now, Junpei…" She tried to smile. "So don't worry about it. Right, Hamuko?"

Hamuko couldn't bring herself to look at the others. "I'm sorry…"

Junpei shook his head. "You don't have to apologize… I know this isn't your fault… and it's not your brother's either." He frowned as he looked at his hurting knuckles. "I didn't mean to lash out at you earlier." The capped boy pulled his cap down. "And Minato…"

"It's fine, Junpei," the blue-haired boy shook his head. He studied the rest of the dorm and sighed. "You're all still trying to work out for yourselves what you want. I won't force you all to join me, but just know that I won't change my mind. I fully intend to take responsibility and I won't run. You're all important to me and I don't want to lose these bonds…"

Mitsuru smiled at his words but decided that this was a good place to end the meeting. "Alright," she sighed, "I don't think we're prepared to make a decision just yet," she addressed everyone else. "Ryoji said he'll be back on New Year's Eve, so we still have time to think about it." She looked at all of SEES. "So until then, let's just try to live our lives as normally as possible."

~13 DECEMBER 2009~

Hamuko looked up from her textbook when she heard someone knocking. Lowering her headphones she waited a few minutes.

"Hamuko?" She made out her brother's muffled voice. "It's me."

"Come in," she called out.

Minato let himself in and closed the door behind him. He spotted the schoolwork on her desk and smiled. "Studying?"

"I don't really see the point, but it makes for a good distraction," Hamuko sighed.

"That's not a good attitude to have," her brother smirked as he took a seat on her bed. "You need to keep your grades up if you want to be a doctor, Hamuko."

The brunette frowned at him. "Nii-san…"

The blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side. "Don't tell me you've given up…"

"It's not that," his younger sister shook her head. "I really don't want to talk about this, nii-san."

"But we have to," Minato crossed his arms. "Ever since we remembered what happened, we've been avoiding it all this time and I said before that I don't want to run from this."

"You also said you intend to take full responsibility," Hamuko looked at him worriedly. "Nii-san, it's not your fault Mom and Dad died." She watched as the smile on his face disappeared and was replaced with a guilty frown. "All of the things you keep blaming yourself for… None of it is your fault. Us carrying Death… Us always moving around because of a relative or close friend dying… The Fall…" Hamuko began shaking as a familiar fear grew within her. "The reason I could never leave you alone is because I've always known you hated yourself since that night…"

"I…" Her older brother knit his eyebrows together. "N-no… that isn't… I don't…"

"Minato," she shook her head. "It's why you're so reckless with your own life. You never take into account your own wellbeing because you feel like you don't deserve to be alive." Hamuko tried to keep herself together so she wouldn't cry, but she did let out a shaky breath. "I don't want you to die, Minato. I want you to live… I don't want to lose you too…"

"I know…" the boy lifted his gaze and wore a small smile. He paused as he considered something. "I've always felt the same about you."

"M-me?" she stared at him oddly.

"Yeah…" Minato looked around her room. "That accident should have killed you… At the hospital, you were in critical condition for a long time… It's only because Aigis ended up splitting Death between us that you survived… But even then, I was always afraid you'd die anyways. That's why I was so adamant about protecting you in any way I can."

"Yeah," Hamuko smiled. "I've always known that too…"

"Then why did you never talk to me about this?" the older brother asked her with a frown on his face.

"Because telling you then would have just made things worse… You were always so concerned with me that you tend to forget about yourself. We were both cowards," Hamuko hugged herself, "but while you accepted that truth, I denied it. That's why I was always trying so hard to stay strong… for the both of us. It's hard trying to handle everything with a smile though…

"You didn't have to try so hard for my sake…" Minato lowered his gaze.

"Well, it wasn't just for you… I wanted to make the most of my life…" the brunette frowned. "I just also thought that… if you saw me doing my best, you'd eventually do the same too."

"We really are each other's greatest weakness…" Minato fell backwards onto the bed and painfully groaned. "A girl who's supposed to be dead and a boy who doesn't deserve to be alive… What messed up lives we both have…"

"That doesn't change the fact that we are alive," Hamuko sternly stated. "We're here, aren't we? And we're together. That's good enough, right?"

"I wonder…" Minato mused as he stared at the ceiling. "Do I really want to settle for 'good enough'?" he asked himself aloud.

The brunette studied him for a moment. "You want to fight Nyx, don't you?" she asked him.

"Yeah, of course I do," her brother answered, shifting his head to stare at the Pyro Jack Doll at the corner of the bed. "I won't look away from the truth or run away." Minato reached his arm out towards the plush. "What about you? Do you want to forget everything about the Dark Hour?"

"That doesn't sound so bad," Hamuko crossed her arms.

The blue-haired junior frowned as he pulled the doll towards him and stared at the smiling pumpkin-faced troublemaker. "I understand if you want to forget you ever loved Ryoji, but can you really say you wouldn't mind forgetting Shinji-nii?"

"What?" the brunette stared at her brother in surprise as he rocked himself into an upright sitting position.

Minato lightly tossed the stuffed toy up and caught it. "Hm… What an interesting doll… Did you have this when we moved in?"

"No…" she shook her head. "Shinji-kun helped me win it during the Summer Festival…"

"Huh… I won a Jack Frost Doll for Fuuka back then," her brother smirked as he fondly recalled that memory. "That was my first date with her…" He threw the doll into the air again, only this time, Hamuko pulled it away from him.

"Hey… leave Pyro Shinji alone," the girl said with a slight frown.

"You named it," Minato blinked, "after him?"

"Well, we weren't dating yet and I wanted something to remember him by," Hamuko told her brother. "I didn't know he would have rejoined SEES to watch over Ken-kun…" She brought the doll to her chest and looked down at her wrist watch. "There's no way I could ever forget Shinji-kun… I don't care if we forget the Dark Hour, but Shinji-kun is important to me…"

"You only met Shinji-nii because of the Dark Hour," Minato reminded her. "You can't honestly think you won't forget him…" He shivered as he considered what would happen if he forgot the Dark Hour. His hands automatically reached for his headphones.

"Are you afraid of forgetting Fuuka-chan?" his sister asked him.

"I'm afraid of forgetting I love her," he admitted. "What if she forgets about me too?" he worriedly asked.

Hamuko frowned to herself as she began playing with her headphones. "The two of you love each other so much… There's no way you'd forget about those feelings you share…"

"But so long as that possibility exists, I refuse to chance it," Minato frowned. "By choosing to fight Nyx, I guarantee I don't forget…" Her brother wryly smiled at her. "I won't let myself forget about her, Hamuko… I'm where I am now because of Fuuka."

"If I'm your weakness, Fuuka-chan is your strength," the brunette mused with a smile. It was a reassuring thought, but it didn't quite dispel Hamuko's worries about the situation. "But even with her support, you can't expect to fight Nyx alone," Hamuko shook her head. "Minato, you have to be realistic…"

"I won't be alone if you fight alongside me!" the boy tried to persuade her. "You know I can't do this without you either."

"The two of us alone just isn't enough for this, Minato!" Hamuko told him. "We're not miracle makers!"

"But we are Wild Cards!" Minato exclaimed, blue eyes flashing. The brunette paused at that, her red eyes growing wide. Her brother stood to his feet. "We're like the number zero. We're empty but full of infinite possibilities. Together, we can be more than that, Hamuko. We can go beyond infinity!" He held out his hand for her and stared at her expectantly.

Hamuko studied his face and noticed the expression he wore was one she thought he had lost long ago. She sighed as she couldn't muster up her courage the same way he has. "I'm sorry, Minato…"

The blue-haired boy's confident smirk slowly faded. He lowered his arm before frowning at his sister. "Why not?"

"Because I'm tired of us always having to fight against fate!" she stated. Minato paused as the brunette was beginning to cry. "You said it yourself! I'm supposed to be dead while you don't deserve to live. You know Nyx can't be defeated, Minato!"

"Even if I know that, I refuse to believe it," Minato shook his head. "You were the one to teach me to look to a brighter future!"

"That future no longer exists!" Hamuko told him as she wiped up her face. "There's no point in us continuing anymore! You were right all along in that in the end, everybody will leave us! Just like Shinjiro!"

"That's not true," her brother stubbornly stated. "We're all bound together by our Social Links. Look at your watch, Hamuko! That's proof he's still with you! However short of a time that was, he still loved you with all of his heart. It was a precious time to you and I don't want you to forget that happiness…"

The red-eyed girl blankly stared at the ticking second hand of her wrist watch. "But time is also continuous," Hamuko frowned as she recalled the words spoken to them when they first arrived to the dorm. "It's something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away…" She sighed to herself. "We can't go back to those happy moments, no matter how much we want to. And everything comes to an end eventually, so why not just accept it?"

"So you're just going to give up?" Minato wore a disappointed frown. "After everything we've been through, you're going to just throw it all away?" He shook his head as he tried to understand her. "I just don't get it… After all this time, I didn't expect you of all people to take this lying down…" He sighed to himself before turning to face the door. "Forget it…" he wryly laughed at his words. "That's what you want, right? Fuuka… Shinji-nii… Ryoji… Let's just forget them all. People only ever leave us in the end…" He sighed to himself. "That's why we're better off alone."

The brunette clenched her fists as she didn't like his bitter tone. "Minato!" she called out just as he placed his hand on the doorknob. "Deep down… I know you're right…" She began shaking. "But… I don't want to fight alone… not by ourselves… not against something that will definitely kill us!" The younger twin sobbed. "I don't want to die…"

Minato looked back towards her and his expression softened. "Neither do I," he sighed. The girl remained silent as she cried to herself, so he gently hugged her. "But that's another reason to fight, isn't it? There's a small possibility that we can win… We just need to be strong enough to take that chance."

"Even if I know that… I'm still scared…" She buried her face into her brother's chest. "I don't know if I can keep staying strong…"

"I'm sorry for always giving you that burden," her brother muttered. "And I guess I'm not being fair to you right now… I know this is a lot I'm asking of you but… I don't want to go back to being that coward I was before… We were so miserable and painfully lonely back then… I'm more afraid of losing our bonds than I am of fighting a losing battle…"

Hamuko managed to calm down a bit as she considered her brother's position. "I guess I can understand how you feel…"

"You know my fears best after all," Minato wryly laughed. He paused as a compromise came to him. "How about this? We'll test our bonds with everyone by seeing who will decide to fight. If our bonds are as strong as I know they are, everyone should agree with me by the time Ryoji returns. If not… Well… Since we're the only ones capable of killing Ryoji, I'll leave it to you to give him our final decision."

"You'll really be okay with that?" Hamuko asked him.

"I believe in our team," Minato nodded. "I know they won't let us down."

The brunette smirked at him as they let each other go. "Another wager then, nii-san?"

"Why not? I'm willing to make this gamble," the blue-haired boy arrogantly grinned. "I have a feeling I won't lose this time." He extended his arm towards her.

"Then I'll gladly take you on," Hamuko nodded as she shook his hand. This is one bet I don't mind losing… Satisfied with their deal, Minato started for the door once more. The brunette wore a soft smile as her brother managed to instill a bit of hope into her despite the bleak situation they were in. "Minato," Hamuko called out to him again, "Thanks for everything…"

Her brother only let out a light chuckle. "I should be saying the same to you, sis…" And on those words, he left her room, but not before glancing back towards her. Hamuko noticed his blue eyes brilliantly shone with fierce pride and determination. "Good night," he said with a nod, closing the door behind him.

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Fuuka, you've been staring at that crane machine for a while now," Minato noticed. "Is something wrong?"

The teal-haired girl blinked at him. "Oh, um… No! It's just that…" she smiled as she pointed at one of the new prize dolls added to the machine, "that doll looks like the Jack Frost Doll you won for me."

The blue-haired boy frowned as he took a look for himself. "Oh, hey, it's Black Frost…" He made a face. "Another doll resembling a Persona I can use… Just where the hell are they coming from?"

"I think it's adorable," Fuuka cheerfully stated.

"I guess it is," Minato smirked as he tilted his head to the side, "in a weird devilish sort of way."

The girl's brown eyes shone excitedly. "I want to win one!" she cried out as she began studying the claw machine.

"Huh!?" Minato blinked as that came out of nowhere. "W-wait… Why!?"

"I want to win it for you, Minato-kun!" Fuuka smiled.

"It's not really necessary, Fuuka," the boy shook his head. "Really… These sort of machines are really finicky and I wouldn't want you wasting time and money trying to win me a prize."

Despite his protests, the girl already slipped a coin into the machine to start up the game. "It's really nothing, Minato-kun!" Fuuka reassured him. "It won't take long." She began to intently focus on the task before her.

Not wanting to break her concentration, Minato simply stood at her side and watched. His blue eyes widened as the girl succeeded on her first try. "W-what? H-how did you—?"

Fuuka giggled as she placed the Black Frost Doll in his arms. "Claw machines are really easy so long as you have a steady hand, patience, and good concentration."

"Really?" The blue-haired boy glared at the dreaded money-trap. That would have been useful information months ago when Elizabeth and Theodore asked for three Jack Frost Dolls… He glanced down at the devilish doll he now owned and couldn't help but crack a smile. Oh well… "You're the best, Fuuka…"

"I'm glad you like it, Minato-kun," Fuuka hugged his arm before they decided to return to the dorm.

Final Notes: Not a very eventful bonus scene this time. I was just thinking Minato needed his own doll and what better version of a Jack Persona is there besides Black Frost? I mean, there is King Frost... but I imagine it would be huge... and cumbersome to carry around... and rather embarrassing for the fiery Hellhound... But anyways... Boo, December! After all the team has been through, I'm pretty sure it's not a difficult decision. In fact, it wasn't a decision to me at all. Of course I'm gonna fight! And it really doesn't make sense for Minato and Hamuko to give up their Wild Card and return to a life without friends and Social Links. Although, sometimes, to spite the team for wasting an entire month, I still kill Ryoji... That'll show them... Not really... It's kinda petty... and nonsensical... But screw their weaknesses?