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Dying was just like falling asleep, really.
Minako was glad she had gotten to see Shinji one last time. That in the end he had remembered her. That when she lost her last faint hold on life he had been the one holding her.
She wished that the two of them could have had longer.
She was surprised that dying was so peaceful.
Death itself however… was heart wrenchingly lonely.
Minako was still very aware of herself. Perhaps that was how death was for everyone? She wouldn’t know, there was no one else she could ask. (Or indeed, anyway for her to ask.)
Theodore visited sometimes. She appreciated those visits, and that Theo hadn't forgotten her. She wished she could tell him thank you, but somehow, she felt that he knew.
At times others accompanied him. His sisters, he says when he introduces them to her.
Theo was always so very kind.
Theo and his sister Elizabeth have graciously, mercifully destroyed Erebus in the years since her death. So at least, she has no pain. No fear of Erebus rending her soul to pieces and destroying the great seal.
They promise they’ll continue to come back.
Minako is grateful to them.
But most of the time… it’s just her, alone in the silence. But she can see snippets of her friends, if she focuses. It helps to steady her resolve when she’s feeling lonely.
Yukari’s an actress now, and though she puts up a front, she’s happy. Happy when little kids recognize her as Feather Pink.
Ken’s growing up, and entering college. She’s so proud of him. (She wishes she could tell him that. And of course, tease him a little for getting so tall.)
Mitsuru’s become the true badass that Minako always knew she was. Cleaning up the Kirijo group’s messes and keeping the world at large safe with her Shadow Operatives. (Minako hopes Mitsuru’s taking care of herself.)
Akihiko… went training around the world and arrived back to Japan a shirtless (semi) wildman. She doesn’t know what to think about all that, but well, Aki had been happy, so she was happy for him.
Junpei is married now, and Chidori is a surprisingly doting wife. She was pregnant last time Minako checked in, and she thinks they’ll make good parents. (She hopes the little one will grow up safe and loved in their parents’ arms.)
Aigis had found one of her sisters and she no longer felt so alone. (Minako is glad for her, but she wishes she could have met Labrys.)
Fuuka has become the backbone behind the Shadow Operatives’ tech. (Minako wishes she could try Fuuka’s cooking now, even if it’s still terrible. She misses those times.)
Koromaru is getting older, and getting slower, but he’s safe, and content. Shinjiro takes good care of him.
She feels Shinji’s loneliness in the depths of her soul as if it were her own. She wishes he’d move on. His pain breaks her heart, because it’s so single mindedly focused on her. Even so, he’s the one she loves to watch the most, because he talks to her sometimes. Late at night when no one can hear. He tells her about his day. (He says it helps clear his mind.) Tells her about the work he does for the Shadow Operatives and the little bakery he helps out with part time.
She loves him for it. And she wishes so badly she could be with him. Talk to him, hold him, cook together with him.
She wishes-
On January 1st, 2017, after being dead for 7 years, Minako Arisato woke up.
The room was dark, and the chill air tickled her nose.
It didn’t make sense. She should have still been with the great seal.
An arm was curled protectively around her chest. Legs tangled together under the sheets with her own.
She should be afraid. (She wasn’t.)
When sleepy lips began gently pressing against the back of her neck, she swallowed a sob. Because she knew, she knew , where she was, just as she knew the 7 years of memories that trickled through her brain weren’t real.
She had been dead. She wants this to be real. So badly, she wants this to be real-
“Mina?” the lips stopped, and a voice raspy from sleep whispered softly into her ear. A man sat up, looking down at her in the half light.
Minako stared up at an older Shinjiro Aragaki than she remembered. He hair was longer, and his eyes were gentler, but still undeniably his. She could get lost in them. Even after all this time he was so beautiful, it took her breath away.
She didn’t even have it in her to be embarrassed when she realized that they were both completely naked.
My husband, the fake memories cheerfully supplied. They’d been married for nearly a year, and living together for far longer than that… at least in this reality. Her heart jumped painfully in her chest as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
“You alright?” he reached down and wiped away the tears in her eyes with his thumb.
She leaned her cheek into his palm, “Shinji,” she wished she could sing, she hadn’t been able to speak in so long, but the name came out as an unattractive croak from her dry throat.
Not that it seemed to bother him. He laid back down next to her and put his arms around her pulling her close. “Shhh,” he kissed her neck, “I’ve got you.”
The water felt good. Mina closed her eyes and leaned back against the shower wall, shuffling through the false memories bouncing around in her skull. Trying to pull together a coherent timeline for whatever had supposedly happened in this unreal reality.
They’d defeated Nyx. (That was the same at least.) Though she hadn’t had to seal Nyx away with her life.
They hadn’t forgotten each other, but still, in March she’d collapsed and had to be hospitalized for a while. A bad case of Pneumonia here, evidently.
Shinji was there when she woke up. A little shaky and still having to go through his own bouts of physical therapy for a considerable time afterwards, but thankfully he was alive. And he hadn’t left her side since.
They’d moved to Tokyo so she could attend college, Shinji working to cover the living costs and Mitsuru insisting on paying for Mina’s education. She’d walked out with a degree in Small Business Management.
Then they’d opened up a little bakery together and gotten married.
God, god, god, she slide onto the floor fighting back tears. It was so perfect. It was all she ever could have wanted. Just to be with Shinji and live. And here they were, happy, and living in a small apartment together. Business partners, husband and wife, and it was all she could do to not sink into the promise of whatever this was.
She wanted it so bad she ached.
She should tell him, tell him all of this. He’d believe her. She felt it, she knew it-- if she told him this reality was fake he would believe her, he would remember, just like she did.
But she couldn’t. She couldn’t watch his heart break into pieces, again. There was no way of knowing if whatever was going on would continue or if reality would suddenly slide back to what it had been previously. She didn’t want him to feel the pain she was feeling right now.
She needed answers. She needed Mitsuru. Mitsuru who would stare unflinchingly into the truth, and who had the resources to investigate what the hell was going on.
The bathroom door opened a crack, and Shinji spoke over the noise of the water, “Babe? Breakfast is ready.”
But right now? Right now it was New Year’s and Minako was going to take this fucking miracle for all it was worth. Calling Mitsuru could wait until tomorrow.
“Out in a bit!” she yelled back, cheerfully.
Today she was going to spend with her husband.
On January 2nd, when Shinji was out picking up supplies Minako had called Mitsuru. Two days later, Mitsuru and Minako sat in a luxurious apartment that the Kirijo group kept on hand.
Shinji and Ken were minding the shop.
She’d nearly cried when Ken had walked in. He was so grown up! And helping in their shop while attending college. She was so happy she’d been able to see him.
“Mina? You said there was something we needed to discuss?” Mitsuru handed her a cup of tea she’d just poured.
Minako took it gratefully, her hands still chilled from coming in from the outside. “I’m sorry, my mind is wandering.”
“No need to apologize,” Mitsuru said with a smile.
Minako took in a deep breath, and looked Mitsuru in the eye, “I need you to tell me what you remember happening the day of your graduation.”
“Oh?” Mitsuru raised an eyebrow, “Well, I gave a speech of course, being Student Council President of course and then…”
“And then?”
It was so silent you could hear a pin drop. At least until Mitsuru’s cup hit the floor, shattering into pieces. Mitsuru’s hand flew to her mouth and she stared at Minako in shock. “You! God, Minako- you- how are you here!?”
“That’s what we need to find out,” Minako responded shakily, setting her cup down on the table in front of them. “Something is terribly wrong with reality, but no one but me seems to notice.”
“You remember-”
“Dying? Yes.”
“Does.. Shinji?”
“No,” Minako responded miserably. “No one but you.”
“Oh, Mina,” Mitsuru reached for Mina’s hand, as she teared up.
“Mitsuru,” Minako said, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible, “I need you to do something for me. Please.”
“Anything.”
“Find out what’s happening, but… until then I just want to stay with him. Please. ”
Mitsuru led her over to the couch and the two collapsed, Minako leaning on the other’s shoulder.
“I’ll get Fuuka and Aegis involved. Labrys too.”
“Not Akihiko.”
“No,” Mitsuru agreed.
“He’ll tell Shinji.”
“Are you sure that not telling him is the right thing to do?”
“No,” Minako said closing her eyes, “I don’t know what the right thing to do is for this. I just want him to be happy. I want to make him happy for however long I have. So that’s what I’m going to do. I think, all things considered, I’ve earned that, at least.”
“Can you…,” Minako looked up at Mitsuru, “Can you tell him this, after? Assuming any of you remember this? I’d record something, but god only knows if that would survive either.”
“Anything, yes.”
“Tell him I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not telling him. Tell him I just wanted to make him happy. Tell him I love him.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Thank you, Mitsuru.”
Minako cried and cried until she couldn’t anymore. She cried to get all the pain out so she could go home and put on a smile for however long this miracle lasted.
Minako visited everyone she could. In between work shifts, asking Ken or Shinji to cover her for a few hours.
She got to see Yukari on set. Got to see her get into her scenes, into character, got to see her happiness shine through her prickly nature.
She got to meet Junpei and Chidori’s daughter. Same bright eyes as her mother, but with Junpei’s dark hair. It was clear that her parents adored her.
A tearful reunion with the already informed Fuuka and Aigis. A solemn introduction to Labrys. She thanked them and thanked them for their help until her voice was horse.
Akihiko came up for a visit and he and Shinji were out half the night, Minako got to tease them both through their hangovers the next day.
As many loving pets to Koromaru as she could spare. In his eyes, she could see that he knew the truth too.
She chatted with Ken through their shifts, between customers and work, and everything in-between. She told him how proud of him that he was. (He got so flustered, but she could tell that he was happy.)
Every night she was in Shinji’s arms. She would frequently wake up in tears, and he held her until they had to get up to open up the shop. He thought she was having nightmares, and she was grateful to have an excuse to latch onto.
He was so gentle with her.
When they came home Shinji would be covered in flour and spices, and whatever else he had to work with throughout the day. She stole as many showers with him as she could. Combing her fingers through his long hair and kissing the top of his head.
She told him she loved him every chance she got. She’d never be able to say it enough, but it was all she could do.
Minako woke with a start well before Mitsuru’s call. She could feel it, the world, this reality was unwinding.
Her cellphone rang, and Shinji opened his eyes.
“It’s happening,” Mitsuru said when she picked up the phone.
“I know. Please remember your promise?”
“I will. I swear it.”
“Thank you for everything, Mitsuru.”
And they disconnected.
Shinji looked at her in confusion, “What’s going on? Mina?”
Minako took his hand and looked into his eyes, “Shinji. I need you to tell me what happened after Akihiko and Mitsuru’s graduation.”
“What do you mean? We-”
His eyes widened and he stared at her in shock.
“Mina,” he whispered.
She took his face between her hands and brought him closer, kissing his forehead, gently. “I love you. I love you so much. I’m so sorry. Whatever it is that brought me back is unwinding.”
“No,” he pulled her close, “No, there has to be something we can do.”
“I’m so happy that I got this time with you,” she wrapped her arms around his neck, “I’m so happy that I got to be with you, live with you, god, wake up next to you. This is all I ever wanted and more.”
She paused to pepper his neck with kisses, “You were everything I could have wanted in a husband, I can’t even put it all into words.”
They were both crying.
“What can I do? What can I give you in what time we have?” he whispers.
“Hold me.”
“Does it hurt?” he chokes out as he curls his body around hers.
Minako chuckles, “No. It’s just… like falling asleep.”
“I won’t let go of you. I don’t want you to go, Mina.”
“I know,” she whispers, “I don’t want to go either.”
He kissed her desperately, as if he could keep her there through the force of his love alone.
“Be happy, Shinji. Please,” Minako’s eyelids began to feel heavy and she knew she wouldn’t be able to stay awake much longer.
“And let me fall asleep next to you… one… last… time.”
On the night of February 2nd, Minako Aragaki fell asleep.
In and out, in and out. She could feel her chest rise and fall. And then a thought hit her like a freight train: This wasn’t the false reality.
It was the morning of February 3rd, and Minako Arisato woke up.
She shot up, looking around her. It was a studio apartment, fairly clean, but lonely, somehow.
A decent sized kitchen in the corner of the room. The full sized bed she was on in another. A closet, a door to the outside, and a door into a bathroom. Not much in the way of decorations or furniture, almost as if the person that lived there didn’t want to invest too much of themselves into the space.
Another figure stirred next to her, completely engulfed in blankets.
“Shinji?” she whispered.
A hand reached up and threw off the covers.
Shinji stared back at her, frozen, his eyes almost comically wide.
“Mina…?”
She surged forward, wrapping her arms around him and mashing their lips together in a very enthusiastic, if messy, kiss.
He was still staring at her when she pulled back. “How?” he whispered.
“I don’t know!” she pressed their foreheads together, giggling, “I don’t fucking know! But I’m here, and this is real! I can feel it!”
“Fuck, yes, you are!” Shinji smiled and began kissing her everywhere he could reach.
“No fair!” she laughed, Shinji was wearing a black turtle neck, while she had woken up much the same she had a month ago, “I can’t get to any of your bare skin!”
“Sorry, still have trouble maintaining my temperature.”
“Well,” she grinned, “maybe I can warm you up then.”
“Seemed like that worked in the other reality whatsit.”
“Good,” she said leaning forward and nipping his ear, “Let’s find out, shall we?”
“I’m gonna have to wash the sheets,” Shinji mumbled from above her head where he’d curled around her.
“Do you even have a washer?”
“Ugh... no.”
“Guess we’re gonna need to get a bigger place then.”
Shinji snorted, “It’s not my fault I woke up with a naked woman in my bed.”
He paused and looked down at her, “Which, shit, you need clothes.”
She giggled, “Eventually, yes.”
His cellphone rang and he groaned, “I have the day off who the fuck is even calling me?”
He reached over and picked the cellphone off the end table next to the bed, “Hello?”
“Shinji? It’s Mitsuru, I was calling to check up on everyone after… the reality collapsed. Mina-”
“She’s uh,” he said sheepishly, “with me.”
“Come again?”
“Hi, Mitsuru!”
“Minako!?”
Shinji got up, handing off the phone to Minako and giving her a quick peck on the forehead, “I’m jumping in the shower, I’ll make us something to eat after, alright?”
Mina positively beamed at him.
“Mina, how- I mean, I am very happy to hear your voice, but… how on Earth am I hearing your voice!?”
“I have no idea. I just know this feels different then when I woke up a month ago.”
“I would absolutely love to have Fuuka run some scans.”
“Tomorrow,” Minako promised firmly, “Tomorrow you can send a car and run whatever tests you want, just let me have right now.”
Mitsuru chuckled, “I think we can manage that.”
“Uh, but one thing.”
“Yes?”
“I realize this is kind of weird thing to ask, but if it’s not too much trouble, um, do you think you could have some clothes delivered… preferably today?”
“You’re a miracle,” Shinji said in hushed, reverent tones when they were cuddling that night.
“I don’t care what I am, I just care that I’m with you.”
“Mina,” he drew her closer, “I don’t ever want to let you go again. I know that other reality wasn’t… real or whatever, but- do you want to get married. Like, for real?”
“I do, very much, yes.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, “Once we get all this shit settled, then let’s do that.”
“Do you really want a bakery? Because I actually really enjoyed running a business with you. I mean, I know it was only a month but...”
Shinji chuckled, “I’m already working part time at bakery now, and I like it. Just don’t like customers much.”
“Wll, good thing I’m such a people person, eh?”
“Yeah, it is,” he replied fondly, “God, I missed you so much.”
“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” a familiar man in a deep blue suit bowed as Minako walked into what for all intents and purposes appeared to be a jail.
“Theo!” Minako ran over and threw her arms around him.
Theodore reciprocated in kind, squeezing her back, “I am beyond grateful to see you again, my dear guest!”
A woman stepped out from behind him, “And I am Elizabeth! It is wonderful to finally meet you!”
Minako threw her arms around her too. Thanking them both as profusely as possible.
“We just wanted you to know that we have managed to take care of Erebus for the time being,” Theo said cheerfully.
“Wait, really? Theo that’s amazing!”
“Oh, it wasn’t so hard, we just utilized that collapsing reality to kind of,” Elizabeth waved a hand, “ influence things a bit.”
“What was that about, anyway?”
“A very long story,” another voice said, a bit lower down. A young girl with long white hair and the same yellow eyes as Theo and Elizabeth smiles up at Minako, “and unfortunately, not part of your tale.”
Minako chuckled, “A very nice way of saying it’s none of my business, huh?”
The girl nodded, “I’m glad we understand each other. But please forgive my rudeness," she gave a small curtsy, "I am Lavenza.”
“Of course! I remember you coming with Theo to visit the seal. I’m so glad I could properly meet both of you!”
“Margaret, regrettably is not here at the moment, but she too wished to pass on her joy that you were once again free,” Theo said with a smile.
“However,” he continued, “we most wanted to make sure you were informed about Erebus. We would not have wanted you to worry. This,” he gestures to the jail cells around them, “is not actually the same Velvet Room you are familiar with, but rather the Velvet Room for another guest.”
Lavenza coughed politely, “I have given them my permission to bring you here, just this once.”
“I hope, with whatever just happened, that this guest’s journey is over and they are all in one piece?” Minako asked politely.
“As well as could be expected, given the circumstances. Their opponent did not…,” a look of pain passed over Lavenza’s face, “play fair.”
“As well as could be expected?” Elizabeth giggled, “I think, dear sister, you are frustrated with your own helplessness in these past several months. I would say it ended quite well indeed, especially considering your guest’s will even brought back one who should no longer be among the living.”
Minako blinked, “I’m sorry, did you-”
“A very interesting phenomenon, indeed, wouldn’t you say?” Elizabeth leaned in conspiratorially, “It is most amusing that two people were able to escape the jaws of death because of the simple force of what you humans would call love.”
Lavenza shoot her sister a dirty look and Elizabeth gave them a little wave, “However, I fear I must bid you adieu before my lovely little sister decides to do something that I will most certainly regret, “ she gave them a deep bow and disappeared with a small pop.
“Is that why I came back? Love?” Minako looked down at Lavenza.
Lavenza sighed, “In a manner of speaking, yes. Due to a world built upon human cognition and the real world merging and then again, being separated, quite a few unusual things happened due to the strong cognition of certain individuals-”
“Persona users,” Theo translated helpfully.
“Yes, and allowed what could only be described as ‘miracles’ to occur.”
“So, like they wouldn’t um, believe someone was dead? And so they weren’t?”
Lavenza nodded, “That is one way to put it.”
Minako smiled and gave the two a small bow, “Thank you both so much, for everything you’ve done. Not just during my journey with SEES, but even now as well. And thank you to Elizabeth and Margaret too, of course.”
“You are most welcome, Wild Card,” Lavenza smiled.
“I am happy you are safe, my friend,” Theo said, eyes tearing up, ever so slightly.
Minako hugged him again, “I guess this is good-bye, isn’t it Theo? I’ll miss you.”
“I told myself I would not cry, but I have utterly failed!” Theo sniffled. “But alas, yes, it is truly the end of your journey. I am most proud to call you my guest, and I hope, someday that we will meet again.”
“Me too,” Minako says softly as the Velvet Room swims in front of her vision and fades to black.
They had a summer wedding.
Mitsuru insisted on hosting everything on one of her many estates but the decorations were simple and the guests were few. Only their close friends, since neither her or Shinji had any family to speak of. (Or rather, their friends were as close as family.)
It was a happy affair, the afternoon and evening were warm and bright as everyone danced and talked, laughing with one another.
Later, when Junpei and Akihiko had broke out the karaoke machine Mitsuru pulled the two of them aside and handed them a deed.
“For you bakery,” she said with a smile.
“Mitsuru!” Makoto stared at the paper in her hands, “That’s much too much! Property in Tokyo is-”
Shinji’s hand settled on her shoulder, “It’s alright, Mina.”
Mitsuru stepped forward and embraced her, whispering to her gently, “Please, let me do this for you. I cannot return your lost time to you, but I can make this easier. Do just a little bit to get you closer to where you would have been if you’d had those 7 years like you should have.”
“She uh,” Shinji chuckled, “found the same building we had in that other reality.”
“Oh my god, Mitsuru,” tears leaked from the corner of Minako’s eyes as she brought her arms up to embrace the other woman back. “Thank you! Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me.”
“I might know just a little bit,” she said with a wink, “Shinji had said you really missed the space.”
“It needs work,” Shinji added, “Cleaning and painting and whatever else to get it ready for customers.”
Minako beamed, “Sounds like it’s blank slate that we can make all our own.”
“Yeah,” Shinji coughed to try and cover up that he was getting emotional, but Minako knew.
Mitsuru gave her one last quick hug, “Congratulations to you both, you both deserve all the happiness in the world,” and with that she left the two of them standing alone.
“You okay?” Minako looked up at her husband.
“I’m fine.”
“No you’re not,” she gently teased.
“I just, never thought I’d get to see you again. Never in my wildest dreams did I think you’d be here right in front of me, lookin’ up at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you don’t wanna be anywhere else, but right here. With me.”
“Oh Shinji,” she laughed, “that’s exactly right.”
He leaned down and pulled her into a kiss. It was romantic and sweet and perfect- At least until Akihiko and Junpei started whistling at them.
“Yeah! Get some Senpai!”
“Fucking FINALLY!”
Shinji grinned, “Be right back, babe. I need to go beat some asses.”
But she reached up and grabbed his tie pulling him back down to her, “Another kiss for good luck then?”
“Anything you want.”
She knew he meant every word.