Author's Notes: So for sure the story will be finished next week. I'm not sure if I'll do anything afterwards because I'm still in the middle of playing Answer and frankly, I don't know if I want to do anything for Answer. Formatting it will be weird because of Aigis's random narrations from time to time. Oh well... Give me a few months (or years) and maybe eventually something will come up. I gotta complete the scenario first and let it sink in anyways. Also... Woohoo, Pokemon Moon! For some reason it shipped early despite it being released tomorrow...!
~20 DECEMBER 2009~
Yukari lifted her head and faced her bedroom door when she heard knocking. "Yes? Who is it?"
"It's me," Mitsuru responded.
"Oh…" The brunette was surprised but quickly answered the door to let the redhead in. "You don't stop by very often, Senpai… Is something wrong?"
"No," the older girl shook her head. "I just wanted to talk."
"Awww…" Yukari smirked. "Are you feeling lonely?"
"Hey…" Mitsuru frowned at her. "Are you teasing me?"
"No," the brunette shook her head. "Well, maybe just a little," she giggled. This made the older girl laugh too. After a while, Yukari wore a serious frown as she knew why Mitsuru was here. "I wonder what this Nyx is like." She looked up at her friend. "Hey, do you think it's inside Tartarus?"
"I have no idea…" Mitsuru sighed.
Yukari figured that would be her response. "Oh, by the way, I've made my decision…" Mitsuru looked at her in mild surprise. "I want to fight to the end. It's better than doing nothing. That's why you're here, isn't it, Senpai? To talk about our decision?"
"I… I guess it is," the redhead smiled.
Yukari giggled. "You're so easy to read."
Mitsuru smirked at that as she nodded. "I've made my decision as well. Kirijo is making great strides to turn itself around. After I graduate, I plan to assume leadership of the Group and continue where my father left off. I cannot turn back now, even if I wanted to."
The brunette blinked at that. "But, what if you die?"
Mitsuru frowned at that thought but she already made up her mind. "If I die defeating Nyx, then the Kirijo Group will have to continue on without me. But I am confident they would fulfill my wishes."
"Ryoji said Nyx can't be defeated… but I kinda wonder about that." Yukari smirked as she considered the twins that led them. "I don't think our special members can be killed, either."
"I agree…" the Student Council President smiled. "Death dwelled within them, amplifying their abilities, though they were exceptional to begin with."
"Minato's an interesting guy, huh?" Yukari lightly laughed. "He was the first to find his resolve to fight Nyx, after all…"
"Yes, he is," Mitsuru nodded. "It seems he was able to give his sister the push she needed to join him too…" She smiled at the twin's close bond. "I'm surprised Hamuko wasn't the one to find her resolve first, but that just proves how much he's grown."
"He's not the same anti-social kid he was back when he first moved in," Yukari laughed. "But then again, we've all changed from how we were at the beginning of the year."
"That is true…"
The brunette lowered her gaze. "You know, if things don't work out, I think I'll still be okay, as long as I'm with everyone. Honestly, it doesn't matter whether or not we die. All that matters is that we're proud of how we lived. And I'd be proud if we decided to fight Nyx."
"Does your decision have anything to do with your father?" Mitsuru asked.
"A little," Yukari admitted. "But, it's more about me and how I feel."
"I understand," the redhead nodded.
"Senpai," the archer looked up at the older girl, "when we were in Kyoto, you asked me to stand by your side… Do you remember?"
"Yes, I remember," Mitsuru smiled. "We will fight together, Yukari."
"Together," Yukari smiled back.
~23 DECEMBER 2009~
Akihiko paused when he noticed Ken standing in the alley behind Port Island Station. Concerned about the young boy, he approached the elementary school student. "I thought you were gonna go visit your mother's grave…" the boxer stated.
Ken looked up in surprise. "Oh, hi, Sanada-san…"
Taking a look at their surroundings, Akihiko frowned. "Is this where you should be?" he asked.
"Well, I was planning to…" Ken stared at his shoes. "But when I thought about what I was gonna say to her, it just didn't feel right. There are things I still need to do before I talk to her again."
The high school senior nodded as he felt the same way. "Yeah, same here. I don't have anything I need to tell Shinji right now." He sighed. "I have my own stuff to deal with."
"An undefeatable enemy, huh?" Ken tried to consider facing an adversary like that but nothing came to mind. "Gosh, I wonder what it's like."
"You got me," Akihiko shrugged. "But, it doesn't matter…" he clenched his fist, "because I've made up my mind. I'm gonna look it straight in the eyes."
Ken stared at the older boy in amazement. "Straight in the eyes…" He smiled. "I like the sound of that." He gave Akihiko a determined nod. "You can count me in, too!"
~24 DECEMBER 2009~
Minato pulled out his ringing phone and smiled when he noticed it was a text from Fuuka. "I know this is kind of sudden… but if you're not busy after school… would you like to spend some time together?"
The blue-haired boy happily responded but just as he was about to put his phone away, he felt a curious brunette peering over his shoulder. A bit annoyed at her antics, he turned back to face his nosy sister. "Do you mind?"
"You're texting Fuuka-chan, right?" Hamuko asked him with a smirk.
"Yeah… It's Christmas Eve tonight and she invited me out after school today." He nervously looked away as his face went red. "Winter really is romantic, isn't it? I can see why you love it so much."
"Yeah, but you've been spending way too much time with her lately," Hamuko complained. "I mean, you already got the chance to have Fuuka-chan to yourself on her birthday two days ago. Yukari and I want to have her spend tonight with us in a girls-only party."
"No way," Minato shook his head. "Call me selfish and greedy, but I'm not sharing her with anyone today. Don't even think about kidnapping her from me!"
"Like I'd ever do that!" the brunette glared at him for accusing her of such a thing. Her brother narrowed his eyes suspiciously, causing the girl to break into laughter. "Okay, maybe I would…"
The twins looked up as Yukari returned. The archer sighed as she waved to Hamuko. "So it looks like Mitsuru-senpai has plans already. Did you already ask Fuuka?"
"She has plans too," Hamuko frowned at her brother, "with her spoiled jerk of a boyfriend."
Yukari crossed her arms. "What if we kidnap her for today? We can get your brother and Junpei to deal with her boyfriend if he's a problem."
"Wouldn't that be great?" Hamuko laughed. "Too bad nii-san would never agree to do anything like that."
"Why not?" Yukari frowned at the blue-haired boy staring at her with a flat expression. "It's no secret that you're into Fuuka…" She paused as the boy continued to blink at her. "Don't tell me you're the type of guy who would willingly suffer a broken heart so long as the person he likes is happy… You're a bit of a softie, but you're not that soft. You're the Gekkoukan Hellhound for crying out loud! Go bring dread to the guy she's dating or something!"
Minato rolled his eyes. "I'm Fuuka's boyfriend."
The archer blinked at him. "Oh…" She smirked over towards Hamuko. "Yeah, let's kidnap Fuuka tonight."
"No way! She's the one who invited me out!" The boy's blue eyes flashed. "And I'm not sharing her, so don't even ask!" he childishly exclaimed.
"Wow, I can't believe you actually said that out loud," Yukari stared at him oddly, "and with such confidence too." She pulled the boy's cheek. "You are Minato, right?" She looked up towards Hamuko in mock worry. "I think Ryoji replaced your brother."
"Hey, quit it!" the boy swatted her hands away from his face. "I'm me!" He groaned as both girls laughed at him. "What did I do to ever deserve this?"
"Well, you did just ruin our party plans," Hamuko smirked at him.
"Why don't you turn it into a little family gathering then?" Minato shrugged. "I mean… Junpei, Akihiko-san, Ken, and Koromaru probably don't have plans either."
"That's not a bad idea," Yukari crossed her arms.
The blue-haired boy patted his pockets. "Wait, hang on." He fished for his wallet and took out a business card and a receipt. "Here… I put in an order for some special seasonal cake from Café Chagall. Why don't you pick it up after school and enjoy it in your little shindig? Consider it an apology gift for me kidnapping Fuuka tonight." He slapped the order slip into his sister's hand. "Merry Christmas."
"Oh, sweet! Free cake!" Hamuko bounced as she studied the receipt.
"Did I hear someone say free cake?" Junpei took a seat in Ryoji's old desk. "Sup, dudes?" the capped boy smirked at them.
"You seem happy," Yukari suspiciously frowned at him. "What's up with you?"
"Something only us guys would understand," Junpei shrugged. He looked over at Minato and lightly elbowed him. "Hey, dude. You wanna head to the mall for another 'operation' after school? I invited Akihiko-san but uh…" His smirk slightly faded. "He said he was already 'recruited' to attend another 'mission' with a 'target'."
"Why are you talking like that?" Minato frowned at all of his air quotes.
"Dude! Did you already forget?" Junpei's eyes darted to the two girls staring at them oddly. "An 'operation'? For just us guys?"
It took a while for the blue-haired boy to understand. "Oh… you meant that kind of operation…" He shook his head. "Sorry, Junpei, but I'm good. No more 'operations' for me. Especially not tonight. I've got plans already."
"What!? You too?" Junpei groaned as he pulled his cap down. "Man…"
"Are you guys talking about an arcade game or something?" Yukari frowned at them.
"Um… yes?" Junpei smirked.
The archer sighed. "That's kind of sad and pathetic, even for you… Spending Christmas Eve alone in an arcade?"
"Well, when you put it that way…" Junpei groaned. He perked himself up as he looked over at both brunettes. "Well, what about you two? You got any plans tonight?"
Hamuko smiled at him. "We do and you're welcome to join us. It'll just be you, me, Yukari, Ken-kun, and Koro-chan celebrating Christmas as a family."
"We even have a cake thanks to our very gracious leader," Yukari smirked. "Oh, let's save Fuuka, Mitsuru-senpai, and Akihiko-senpai a slice for when they get back."
"Can you do the same for me?" Minato hopefully asked.
"Nope," Hamuko smirked.
"Didn't you offer up the cake to us as an apology for missing out anyways?" the archer jokingly frowned at him.
"H-hey…" the blue-haired boy began to pout. "That's not fair…"
"Don't worry, man," Junpei laughed. "I'll have your slice for you."
"You all suck as friends, you know that?" Minato sighed.
"But you love us anyways!" Hamuko laughed.
"You're my family…" he wryly muttered. "Of course I love you guys…"
Junpei's eyes widened as he started stretching Minato's cheeks. "W-whoa… Is this really Minato? Our too-cool leader would never say something like that so openly…"
"I know, right?" Yukari nodded in agreement.
"You all definitely suck…" Minato groaned as the three laughed at him.
Once classes were over, Minato sighed in relief when Hamuko, Junpei, and Yukari quickly left to pick up their cake. The blue-haired boy brightened up even more when he saw Fuuka approaching his desk. "Are you ready to go, Minato-kun…?" she asked with a blush on her face. "I don't mean to rush you, but we can't stay out too late…"
"Oh, that's right," Minato frowned. "It's still a school night."
"Uh-huh!" Fuuka nodded. She watched as Minato picked up his schoolbag and grabbed her hand. "I don't care where we go…" she told him with a small smile, "as long as we're together."
"Is that so?" Minato asked her as he leaned his face forward, causing her face to get even redder. "Even Shirakawa Boulevard?" he joked.
"Minato-kun…!" the girl frowned at him.
"I'm only kidding." The boy brightly laughed as he shook his head. "Actually… I was thinking more of heading to Paulownia Mall. I heard they set up a lights display. Something as beautiful as that… I want to see it with you…"
Fuuka suddenly became curious. "A lights display?" Minato nodded as he led the way to the mall. As soon as they got there, Fuuka's brown eyes widened in amazement at the lights dangling from the ceiling. "Wow… Look at all the decorations… They're so elaborate. Look, Minato-kun! Those trees are made entirely of lights…" she excitedly pointed towards the pieces surrounding the main water fountain. "They're so beautiful…"
Minato smiled at how happy the girl seemed to be here with him. "They sure are," he said with a nod. He gave himself a moment to take in the view. "But of course… this is only the second most beautiful scene I've ever witnessed."
"Hm?" Fuuka tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What's your first?"
"You on the dock at Yakushima," he replied with a wide smile on his face. "I still have the photo to prove it," he proudly patted the pocket where he kept his wallet. "I always keep it on me with all of my other prized pictures."
"Minato-kun…" The teal-haired girl blushed at that but she soon began to shiver. "Brr… It's a bit chilly, but I'm really glad we came." She used this as an excuse to get closer the blue-haired boy who happily obliged her with a warm hug. "U-um…" She looked up at him. "It's such a wonderful night, isn't it…?"
Her boyfriend chuckled. "Of course it is," he stated. "I'm here with you after all."
Fuuka's face became even redder but she could feel the boy's body shaking too. "Do you want to go inside somewhere?" she suggested. "It's getting a bit chilly…" She placed a hand on his pale cheek. "I don't want you to catch a cold…"
"I should be saying the same thing to you," Minato smiled down at her as he covered her cold hand with his own warm one. "How about some hot cocoa from Café Chagall?" he offered. "My treat…"
Fuuka nodded as she spent the afternoon with him. As usual, they talked about whatever they could. They continued tangent after tangent as they wandered through the rest of the mall, studying the decorations. Finally, they decided it was good time to take a break so they sat at a bench next to the fountain.
The teal-haired girl giggled as she leaned against Minato. "I'm having such a good time…" she told him. "I pass through here all the time, but it looks so amazing tonight." She paused as she realized what day it was. "Oh, that's right, um…" She sat up and dug through her schoolbag.
"Hm?" Minato curiously watched her. "What is it, Fuuka?"
"These are for you…" Fuuka smiled as she pulled out a small plastic bag of cookies. "I was thinking of you when I made them." She placed the gift in his hands. "Sorry, I wanted to bake a cake, but… I'm not that good at baking yet, and I didn't want it to taste bad. But, I think you'll really like these." She watched as he took out a cookie and tried it for himself. She brightened when the boy cracked a smirk as he bit into the pastry.
"Fuuka, these are really good," he told her. "It's always amazing to see how much you keep improving."
"It's only because of you, Minato-kun," Fuuka blushed. "I always think of how much I want to see you smile while eating my food." She lowered her gaze. "You're my reason for doing my best…"
Minato smiled at her. "You know that goes both ways…" He finished the cookie and decided to save the rest of the batch for later. The blue-haired boy dusted the crumbs off of him before going through his backpack too. "Well, I also got you something."
Fuuka blinked at the box he handed to her. "Is this present for me, Minato-kun?" He simply nodded as she opened it. Her eyes widened in amazement. "It's…!" She lifted the Brand Bag from the box and examined it before giving the boy a wide smile. "Thank you… You know me so well…" She took the time to hug the blue-haired junior. "That makes me happy!"
"I'm glad you like it," the boy smiled as he brought his arms around her too.
After a few seconds, Fuuka straightened up again. "So…" a serious frown appeared on her face. "New Year's Eve is just around the corner…" She let out a sigh. "If I was still my old self, I'd probably want to forget about today… But, I'm a lot different now." She looked into her boyfriend's eyes in determination. "Now I think that time is precious, and I don't want to give up on the future… Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me, Minato-kun…"
"Fuuka…" Minato was at a loss for words as he couldn't even begin to understand how happy he was to hear that.
"Thank you for today…" Fuuka nodded to him. "I'm having a wonderful time… I'm sure there were other things you could have been doing today… But, you chose to be here with me… and that makes me happy…" She continued to stare into his shining blue eyes before she noticed it was getting dark outside. "Hmm… We should get going soon…" She took out her phone to check for the time but remembered something. "Oh! Mitsuru-senpai said that since she doesn't think everyone will get back in time, we won't go to Tartarus." She blushed as she thought of the Student Council President. "I really look up to Mitsuru-senpai," she told her boyfriend. "She's so kind and reliable… What about you, Minato-kun?"
The blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Um… Just what exactly are you trying to ask me?"
"Oh, s-sorry!" Fuuka giggled. "I think that came out the wrong way…" She frowned to herself. "I thought you might like Mitsuru-senpai… you know… as a woman."
Minato placed his hands on Fuuka's shoulders. "You shouldn't compare yourself to someone else," he told her. "Mitsuru-senpai, Yukari, even Hamuko… They're important to me, but you are the one I love." He steadily looked into her brown eyes. "The reason why I love you is because you see me as I am, with my strengths and weaknesses. You accept me even when I can't accept myself. That's why…" Minato pressed his forehead to hers. "You don't have to be afraid of losing your 'harbor of courage' to anything, Fuuka… You're irreplaceable to me…"
"I'm sorry…" the girl apologized. "I guess I'm just afraid that… you'll go away…" She tightly grabbed the jacket of his uniform to make sure he was really there in front of her. "B-but I'm happy to be here with you today… It means a lot to me." Her hands wandered up to the headphones she had given him. "Thank you for staying with me. I'll always be happy to support you… and to be with you." Fuuka closed her eyes as she could feel his calm breaths match her own. "Not just in battle, or during a mission, but… from now on, I… love…" she didn't finish her thought because the distance between their lips suddenly disappeared. After a few seconds, she pulled away with a surprised gasp. "U-um! Sorry about that!" She hadn't meant for things to go that far while they were out.
The two quickly let each other go, but Minato wore a crooked smile. He tried to hide it behind his hand as he coughed a few times. "Um… N-no worries…" He looked around the mall for a bit before returning his gaze to his blushing girlfriend. "Um… It's getting pretty late, isn't it?" he tried asking.
The teal-haired junior nodded in agreement. "What should we do after this? After all… we have more time…"
"Even so, I think it's about time we return to the dorm," Minato sighed. "Depending on the state everyone else is in when we get back, we can…" he nervously looked away, "continue our discussion in my room…" He coughed into his hand again. "If you want, of course…"
Fuuka blushed at what he was suggesting. "O-okay…"
After gathering their things, Minato took a deep breath as he stood to his feet. He offered his girlfriend his hand. She quickly accepted it as he led the way to the station. The blue-haired boy smiled down at her. "Fuuka… I want to thank you too… for being here…"
"I'm glad you had fun too," she smiled.
The boy chuckled since she was in such high spirits. "That's not exactly what I meant…" Minato mumbled to himself, but she didn't seem to hear. I'm grateful that you exist, Fuuka…
~27 DECEMBER 2009~
Winter vacation finally began but instead of celebrating as he did back in summer, Junpei found himself at Port Island Station. He was seated on the same bench he had met Chidori as he absently flipped through the girl's sketchbook. He sighed as he stopped on the full-page portrait Chidori had drawn of himself. He couldn't help but always stare at this particular picture because it was the one Chidori seemed to have worked on the most. She had made him look so strong and brave, but Junpei couldn't see himself that way. Still, it did make him feel a bit better to know she believed in him so much.
"Huh…?" a soft voice made Junpei look up. "Junpei-kun?" Fuuka worriedly frowned at him as she approached him.
"Oh, hey, Fuuka," the tall junior tried smirking.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Nothing, really…" he shook his head. "I come here when I'm feeling down…"
The brown-eyed girl spotted the sketchpad he was holding. "Is that Chidori's sketchbook…?"
Junpei closed it and smiled. "Yeah. This was where I first met her…" Fuuka seemed to brighten up at that. He chuckled as he knew she was a bit of a romantic. He blinked though as he became curious about something. "What're you doing here, Fuuka?"
"Oh, I went home for a bit," Fuuka said. Junpei raised an eyebrow at her as he thought she didn't like visiting her parents. "I've been going back there a lot lately," she explained with a blush. "With things as they are right now, I don't want to take my family for granted. They're my parents after all and even if it doesn't feel that way sometimes, I want to put in an effort to understand them and get them to understand me."
"I see," Junpei smiled at that. "You know, you've really changed, Fuuka. You're totally different from when you first came to the dorm."
"Really…?" Fuuka was a bit surprised to hear him say that.
"Yeah," he nodded. "You were so timid back then, but now you're so… strong."
The teal-haired girl was happy to hear that as she felt that everyone in the dorm had become stronger. "You've changed too, Junpei-kun."
The capped junior wryly smiled. "Yuka-tan said the same thing. But I don't think so," he shook his head. "I mean, just the other day I got all freaked out about being scared…" He frowned as he remembered lashing out at Hamuko and Minato. "I'm such a wuss…" he laughed.
"That's not true," Fuuka shook her head.
"But, I really was scared," Junpei told her. "Actually…" he shivered a bit but not because it was cold. "I'm still scared. But after thinking about it, I realized that I don't want to lose my memory. If I forget everything," his grip around the sketchbook tightened, "that means I'll forget Chidori, too. And I wouldn't even be alive right now if it wasn't for her, ya know?" He lifted his head to look at Fuuka. "So I say 'f' that."
"You're scared because you're not running away…" Fuuka stated with small smile. "That's nothing to be ashamed of," she shook her head.
"Fuuka…" Junpei's eyes widened as he never really thought about it like that.
The short girl clenched her fists. "That's why I want to protect everyone…" She frowned as she considered everything they went through. "Think about it. The Dark Hour is really scary too, isn't it? But our Personas awakened, and we're here today… The future hasn't been decided yet… And I want to be true to myself…"
"True to yourself…" Junpei thought about what that meant for him. He managed to put on a confident smirk before rising to his feet. "You're really something, Fuuka. We should fight."
His friend nodded in determination. "I agree."
~30 DECEMBER 2009~
"So it looks like I win the bet," Minato smirked as he began harassing Pyro Shinji again.
"Leave him alone!" Hamuko complained as she rescued the doll from her brother's bullying. "And it's not like you got anything from winning."
"Well, I do get the satisfaction of finally beating you in a wager!" he smirked. "You'd better uphold your end of the bargain and fight alongside me."
"I know!" the brunette sighed. "Jeez, you're acting like a kid," she shook her head. "It's a bit weird seeing you this way."
Minato paused for a moment. "It is, isn't it?" he sheepishly laughed. "Wasn't this my personality before the accident?"
"Yeah, it was," Hamuko nodded. "Afterwards, you became a worrywart stick-in-the-mud. I actually don't know which version of you I prefer…"
"Well, no matter what, I'm still me," he shrugged. He took a moment to consider something. "Hey, Hamuko? Next year… let's stay in Iwatodai."
"Huh?" She stared at her brother oddly. "You… don't want to move?"
"I want to stay," he said with a nod. "I mean… we can still go back to the estate during spring, but… I'd like it if we graduated here… as Gekkoukan students… with all of our friends…"
"I'd like that too," Hamuko smiled at her brother. "Iwatodai is our home after all…" Her brother nodded in agreement and opened his mouth to speak when someone began knocking on the door.
Yukari called out to her. "Hellooooo? Are you awake!?"
"I'm up!" the red-eyed girl stated, opening the door.
"Yukari," Minato nodded to the archer. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Good news!" Yukari smiled at the twins. "Aigis is coming back today! Mitsuru-senpai said her wounds have finally healed. We're meeting in the lounge tonight. Don't forget, okay?" Both siblings nodded to her in understanding. "See ya!"
When the archer was gone, Minato frowned. "Aigis…"
"Something wrong?" Hamuko asked him.
"She'd never agree to fight Nyx if she thinks we're all suffering," her brother crossed his arms. "She's just like Ryoji in that sense."
"Well, I believe in her," Hamuko told him. "I really don't want to kill Ryoji-kun and everyone seems so determined now. I'm sure Ai-chan can discover her own reason to live."
"Her reason to live, huh? But she's just a machine…" Minato shook his head at his own words. "No… She still has a heart…"
"She also has people who care for her," Hamuko nodded.
"Yeah…" The blue-haired boy mulled over his thoughts. "Ever since we met her on Yakushima, I haven't been very fair to Aigis, have I?" He sighed. "I always only just give her orders and expect her to follow them. For some reason, I couldn't believe in her heart despite all of the times she's saved us…"
"Well, you believed in her that night we were on Moonlight Bridge," Hamuko smiled at him. "I might not remember the accident as well as you, but I do know she was there to protect us. You believed in her heart then, didn't you?"
"I guess," Minato smiled.
"Well, since you're still sort of the same you from before, I'm sure you can believe in her heart again," his sister nodded.
The blue-haired boy lightly chuckled at that. "Yeah… Maybe I can…" He paused as he lifted his gaze to look up at the brunette. "You've always treated Aigis as her own person… Why was that?"
"Because she's the same as me," the red-eyed girl wryly smiled. "We're both not supposed to be alive." Minato stared at her with sad eyes. "But we are alive, so I want her to keep living. For as long as she can…" Hamuko worriedly watched her brother lower his head again so she tried to cheer him up with a joke. "Besides, you're more of a robot than her sometimes."
The boy managed to crack a smile at that. "Well, thanks for that. Someone needs to be the more rational one between the two of us."
"I'm pretty sure that's still me," the brunette laughed. "I just meant you're worse than her when it comes to human interactions."
"There really is no winning against you," her brother sighed. He shook his head. "Alright, fine. We'll have it your way and believe in Aigis. I have no reason to doubt her anyways… She's been protecting us all this time and I won't let her give up on us now."
As soon as Aigis entered the lounge, everybody gathered around her. Hamuko happily hugged the robot. "Ai-chan! Welcome back!"
"I've… come back, but…" The blonde hesitantly pulled away from the brunette. She looked up at the others. "I'm back, everyone," she said with a frown. "Sorry to have worried you all."
"Man," Junpei smirked. "I'm glad to see you. I was getting nervous."
"Me too," Fuuka nodded. "I was fearing the worst…"
"I'm a machine," Aigis merely stated, "so I can always be rebuilt. Even if I was completely destroyed, the programming data necessary to recreate me would still exist…"
Yukari frowned at her. "Hey… Don't talk about yourself like that."
Mitsuru worriedly kept an eye on the robot. "They said another week would be required for a complete recovery, but I had the process expedited." She paused as she considered the date. "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve."
Aigis noticed the entire dorm growing quiet as they all knew what was going to happen tomorrow. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused… Mitsuru-san visited me at the lab and told me everything… That must have been difficult for you all to hear." She looked at the twins she had saved all those years ago. "Hamuko-san… Minato-san… Have you been well…?" Her gaze faltered. "I mean, considering the circumstances…"
Hamuko gave her a reassuring smile. "We've been okay."
"If that's true, then I'm relieved," the robot managed to crack a small smile.
Minato stared at her in concern. "But we were worried about you."
"I'm sorry," Aigis couldn't look directly at him. "It's because I wasn't strong enough…" She began shaking. "Ten years ago, I… What I did to you was…"
"You had no choice," Minato sternly shook his head. "It was the only way…" he frowned.
"You did the right thing," Hamuko smiled. "It's because of you that Minato and I are alive. So thank you."
"But…" Aigis looked at the two, expecting them to be angry at her. "If I hadn't done that to you, you wouldn't be suffering like this…" The twins still didn't seem to be fazed by that at all and it only agitated the robot more. "Hamuko-san… Minato-san… Ryoji has presented you with a difficult choice… Have you made your decision?"
Hamuko nodded. "Yes, we have."
"But…" Minato crossed his arms. "It's dependent on all of us being together. Aigis… What do you feel we should do?"
The blue-eyed android quickly took this opportunity to sway the twins. "I have a favor to ask of you," she stated, looking into the calm boy's blue eyes. "Tomorrow, when Ryoji comes, please… Please kill him…!" She clenched her metals fists. "I can't bear to see everyone hurting like this! Please choose to have your memories erased…! Even if… Even if it means forgetting everything… and everyone…"
"A-Aigis," Yukari blinked at her, "what're you talking about!?"
The blonde girl didn't say anything so Mitsuru took a moment to check if she was malfunctioning. "What's wrong, Aigis?"
Aigis studied Minato for a while but noticed the boy didn't seem to be affected by her wishes. "Why…?" she asked herself. "Why did I come back here?" She shook her head as she recalled the boy's defiant seven-year-old self. "My mission is to protect humanity from Shadows. But now, I know that I can't defeat them! So then… why am I here? I'm useless!" she cried out. "Even if I have a heart, I cannot even shed a tear for you all…!"
"Oh, Aigis…" Fuuka frowned.
Minato adamantly shook his head. "What does it matter if you can't cry? You still have a heart, Aigis! You saved me twice back then! It's because of you that I'm here now. And I will fight! No matter the odds, I can't and won't back down!"
Aigis frowned at him since he really was no different from the stubborn child from back then. "Why fight, when you know that you can't win!?" she demanded to know. "What is the purpose of that!? Why are you wasting your lives!?"
Hamuko shook her head. "We don't plan to waste it," she firmly stated in support of her brother.
Akihiko nodded. "Yeah, she's right. We're just planning for the future." He smirked at the elementary school student beside him. "Right, Ken?"
The brunet nodded. "Right."
"I…" Aigis shook her head as everyone seemed so determined to make such a foolish decision. "I don't understand." She let out a painful sigh. "It must because I don't possess a 'life'…"
Junpei laughed. "This has nothing to do with having a life."
"I am a machine, a machine that was created to protect humans from Shadows." The android stared down at her mechanical body before falling to her knees. "But, I can't fulfill that mission with the powers I was given… So then, what is my purpose now? Could someone please tell me?"
The capped boy shook his head. "We don't know the answer, Aigis…" He pulled his hat down over his eyes. "The only one who can tell you what your purpose is, is you. That's why we're having such a hard time making our decision. There's just no easy answer." He smirked though as he looked around at their friends. "But as long as we're alive, we have to do something… When we see others hurting, we want to help them. So that's our purpose." The usually goofy junior let out a short laugh. "I'm not too good at explaining it, but… that's what we all think."
Everybody smiled in agreement to Junpei's words and Aigis took a moment to let it sink in. What he said made sense, but she still found it difficult to accept. Hamuko reached a hand out towards the robot's shoulder. "Not only that," the brunette nodded as she tried to get the blonde to understand, "It's how we all feel."
"Can finding one's purpose really be so simple…?" Aigis asked.
"Aigis," Fuuka knelt down at the robot's side and smiled. "When I saw you collapse, I realized something… I want to protect you… I don't want to forget about you."
"Fuuka-san…" Aigis looked up at the teal-haired navigator.
Mitsuru chuckled. "There are times when you will lose sight of your goal," she began, "and you will have to search for it. But if you can't find it again, then you must set your heart on a new goal." She wore a bittersweet smile as she thought of her father. "I'm not really one to talk… but I feel that I've come to understand something important this year. To truly live, you will need to make changes sometimes."
"Do you think I can do that?" Aigis asked. "Do you think I can change?"
"Yes," the redhead nodded. "I mean, you've changed so much already." The Student Council President proudly smiled at the robot. "Haven't you noticed? In fact, you're changing even as we speak."
The android's blue eyes widened at that as the senior was right. "I know what my purpose is…" A genuine smile formed on her face as she rose to her feet. "I'm a machine, a machine who is here to 'live'. And the one who has given me this new purpose is… me." She looked back at the twins. "This is the promise I've made to myself. I don't know how I'll do it… but I guess that is a part of living too."
Minato softly chuckled to himself as Hamuko grabbed Aigis's hand. "I'm sure that's it," the brunette nodded.
"Yes," Aigis smiled at the two she most wanted to protect.
Everyone flinched as Aigis involuntarily summoned Palladion. The mechanical Persona transformed into a female figure wielding a spear and shield. "Thou art I, and I am thou," the Persona stated to the robot. "From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. I am Pallas Athena, goddess of courage and inspiration. My shield and spear are yours to use to protect the precious lives of those you hold dearest."
As the Persona faded away, Aigis firmly approached the twin leaders. "Will you allow me to join with you all?" she asked them.
Minato tilted his head to the side as he smirked. "Do you really have to ask, Aigis?"
Hamuko laughed as she hugged the robot. "You're already a part of us!"
The blonde brightened to hear that. "Thank you!" She wore her biggest smile as she looked at everyone around her. "I will be with you all… no matter what happens…!"
The entire dormitory crowded around the robot to fully welcome her back. Yukari cheered the android on. "That's the spirit!"
"Woohoo!" Junpei yelled. "Group hug!"
"So claustrophobic…" Minato gasped for air as he tried to fight his way out of the crowd. "Can't breathe…!"
"Nii-san, no escaping!" Hamuko tightly clung to her brother's arm. "Can't you enjoy the moment for once?"
"It's good to have everyone together again!" Fuuka giggled.
"Yes," Mitsuru nodded. "Our family is once again whole…"
"That's right," Akihiko smirked. "We'll show Nyx a thing or two about our resolve to live!"
"Everybody's counting on us, Koromaru!" Ken cried.
Koromaru barked and Aigis nodded at the albino dog. "I agree… Let's do our best!"
~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~
"I must thank Yuki for his foresight in buying your suit," Mitsuru smiled at the white-haired boy seated in the limousine beside her.
"You know, this was meant to be armor," the boxer grunted as he attempted to undo his tie. "How do people wear this? It's so constricting."
"Must you take it off now?" the redhead sighed. "You really do look nice."
Akihiko paused at that and stopped pulling. "Well, thanks for taking me along. I had fun, despite it being a stuffy business party."
Mitsuru frowned as she stared down at her fancy black dress. "That's a relief… I was beginning to think you were feeling out of place. Although my fiancé was also there, it was reassuring to have you at my side. So thank you."
"Don't mention it. I really did enjoy myself there," he nodded. "Besides, backing you up is a lot more interesting than another 'operation' with Junpei…"
"An 'operation'?"
"N-no, it's nothing," Akihiko shook his head. He paused as he wondered how the younger kids at the dorm were doing. "I hope they're out enjoying Christmas too…"
"Yukari had made plans for a girls-only party, but I suspected only Hamuko would be the only one free to join her."
"Oh, that's right. Fuuka would want to spend time with Minato, huh?" Akihiko frowned. "That leaves Ken with watching the dorm… I hope he's okay."
The limousine slowed to a stop and the driver turned his head back towards them. "We've arrived, Miss Kirijo." The man got out of his seat and hurried to let them out of the car.
"Thank you very much," the young woman nodded to the driver.
"Thanks," Akihiko smirked as he stepped out after her.
"My pleasure, ma'am, sir," the man politely bowed to them.
Akihiko watched as the black car pulled away from the curb, leaving them outside the dormitory building. Wondering why Mitsuru hadn't gone inside yet, he raised an eyebrow at her. "What's the matter?"
The redhead studied the windows to see which lights were on. "It's not that late and the lights in the lounge are on." After a few seconds of silence, she could make out Yukari scolding Junpei as Hamuko laughed in the background. "It looks like the party expanded to everyone else in the dorm. Avoiding their attention will be difficult."
"Yeah, but I'm sure we'll come up with something," Akihiko crossed his arms. He looked around and spotted the window to his room. "Good thing I left it unlocked today. Wait here."
"Akihiko, just what are you—?" Mitsuru sighed as the reckless boxer began climbing the tree closest to the building. "You're going to ruin your suit," she pointed out. "And hurt yourself."
"Heh," the boxer smirked. "I've done this bunch of times. Shinji and I used to sneak out like this some nights whenever you weren't paying attention."
"Oh, I assure you I was always aware of your nightly escapades," the redhead shook her head. "That's why I adamantly increased the number of nights you two were on console duty."
"Tch… That actually makes a lot of sense now," the white-haired senior shook his head.
"Senpai?" Minato's voice made Mitsuru jump.
"Y-yuki!?" The redhead quickly calmed herself. "And Yamagishi too…"
Fuuka blushed as she examined the older girl's attire. "Wow… You look beautiful!"
"Th-thank you…"
Minato didn't seem to care for that though as he spotted Akihiko up in the tree. "Are you two trying to break into the dorm without anyone else noticing? Because that's a very inefficient way to do it…"
"Nonsense," Mitsuru shook her head. "We are doing nothing of the sort."
"Then why not just use the front door?" Fuuka asked.
"Because…" Akihiko grunted as he climbed up higher. "This is more interesting!"
"Uh-huh…" Minato sighed. "But it's still very inefficient."
"Do you know of a better way to get inside?" Mitsuru asked him.
"If I help you and Akihiko-san, can I ask you for something?" The blue-haired boy's face brightly lit up.
Mitsuru sighed. "What is it?" Minato coughed into his hand and pulled the older girl aside.
"Hm?" Fuuka stared at the two oddly as her boyfriend was secretly muttering something to the strict upperclassman. "Minato-kun?" The junior watched as the senior's red eyes widened.
"Absolutely not!" Mitsuru shook her head. "That's against dorm regulations! And on a school night?"
"Then Fuuka and I are heading inside," Minato shrugged. "Good luck, Akihiko-san!" He grabbed Fuuka's hand. "Let's go…"
They made it up the steps but paused as Akihiko let out a yelp. The juniors looked up to see the boxer dangling upside-down from a branch. "A little help?" Akihiko wryly smirked.
Mitsuru groaned as she turned back to Minato. "Okay, I'll allow it this once, but only if you are successful."
A smile appeared on Minato's face as he helped Akihiko down. The white-haired senior thanked the shorter boy. "So how do you plan on getting us in?"
Minato pointed at the fire escape on the adjacent building. "Climb up that until it's possible to get to the roof of the dorm. I'll unlock the roof door from inside."
"Wait, we're still going in from the front?" Fuuka asked him.
"It'll be suspicious if all four of us end up sneaking into the dorm," Minato shrugged. "Besides, it's not like the two of us have anything to hide. Although… I think I'll need your help in tampering with the camera feed, Fuuka… I'm not too good at that." The blue-haired boy confidently smirked. "If all goes well, nobody will suspect a thing."
"You say that like we're committing a crime or something," Akihiko sighed. He shook his head as he studied the route Minato pointed out to them. "Hm… What do you think, Mitsuru? Should we give it a shot?"
The redhead crossed her arms. "If your plan is successful, I will comply with your request, Yuki. If not, I will execute you."
"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Fuuka worriedly asked.
"Well, with what I asked for, I think it's fair," her boyfriend chuckled. "Just leave it to me to take full responsibility of the situation, Fuuka."
Final Notes: I'll leave it to you whether Minato was successful... I like to believe he wasn't so got executed yet he breaks dorm regulation anyways and gets executed again... But uh... yeah... So the first time I played, it was the Portable version and I was pretty upset with how depressed everyone was because I was super gung-ho and ready to die. And it brought up a point with Aigis I still find somewhat strange. She thought the entire dorm was suffering from fear but everyone at this point is already determined to fight... Now, I guess her own fears are clouding her judgment, but... everyone seems pretty much okay with dying to me. That still didn't stop me from being petty and killing Ryoji though... Ahaha... and then I did a quick New Game Plus just so I could get Fuuka's ending... It wasn't an optimal playthrough as far as my Social Links went, but... ahah... It was my first time playing and everyone's got a playstyle that suits them. Mine just so happened to prioritize Fuuka... Strangely enough, I specifically remember spending Christmas Eve with her and then on actual Christmas Day, I finished her Social Link... And it may have been my imagination but I think Junpei made a crack about how Minato spent two days out late with a girl...