Next: THE HELL?

(chapter originally by faith on writing.com)

“Okay, so…this other BIG shadow that’s controlling Temptation…why is it targeting people like us?” Minako asked.

“Interesting question. In my experience, persona users are the biggest threats to these entities, but most of them disdain or at worst underestimate what such individuals can accomplish. This being seems to be observant enough to understand the danger and is seeking to eliminate the threat you pose.”

“I get that. I don’t mean SEES though. I mean…I mean WHY DO ONLY THE GIRL HAVE TO BE NAKED?? Its not fair!” Minako snapped.

Pharos paused, then snickered. “Keep in mind that shadows of this level of power are formed from the collective ****. Trying to apply some sort of rational explanation for their behavior is..well, to put it simply, they are beings that embody the most irrational part of humanity. And for as long as you humans have had the notion to use skins and cloth to cover yourselves you’ve nursed a hidden desire to uncover the bits on those you find attractive.”

“Well, obviously! But…but half the planet is girls! And girls want to see the boys naked, not each other!” Minako said.

Pharos gave her a long, blank stare.

“…Oh, shut up! Yes! Fine! MOST girls don’t want to see each other naked!” Minako said.

“I suspect that it is simply this Shadow’s nature to target women only. There are likely other Shadows who focus their attention purely on men. You remember that fellow at the bar? Vincent?” Pharos asked.

“The one who was having nightmares about towers and falling and goats and who really liked dating girls named Catherine?” Minako asked.

“Indeed. I suspect he might be an example of one such.” Pharos said.

Before she could ask another question, the door to the bathroom was suddenly smashed open. Minako felt the **** of the blast flow past her, causing her hair to fly in all directions and her body to jiggle in certain places. Shaking her head to clear her senses, Minako found herself staring down the barrel of Aigis’ gun hand.

“Stand aside, Minako.” Aigis said solemnly.

“Ai-chan?” Minako whispered in confusion. “What are you…”

Slowly, she looked over her shoulder at the impassive gaze of Pharos.

No…

“Minako-san. I repeat, stand aside. He is dangerous. I cannot allow you to be hurt.” Aigis said evenly.

“No! Wait, Ai-chan! He’s not dangerous!” Minako said, inserting herself between Pharos and Aigis.

“You do not understand. He is not human. He is our enemy.” Aigis said, her voice a weird mix of threatening and pleading.

“No. I know he isn’t human. But he isn’t our enemy! He isn’t dangerous. Not now.” Minako shot back.

“He IS dangerous. He IS our enemy. I-I faced him ten years ago! He is Arcana of ****!” Aigis snapped, her voice losing the mechanical precision as a strained note took hold.

“I know who he is, Ai-chan.” Minako whispered.

A pause. Minako registered her friends standing in the doorway, but kept her eyes focused entirely on Aigis.

“If you know what he is, then you know what I have done.” Aigis said at last.

“I do. I know who he is, and who I am. I know why you stay so close to me.” Minako whispered.

“Then you know why I cannot fail a second time.” Aigis whispered.

Aigis moved, faster than lightning. It was only Minako’s own instincts that kept her between the robot and her dark companion. The girl was not as fast as Aigis, but she was fast enough to remain an obstacle. She had faith that Aigis would not allow herself to harm the girl she had sworn to be with.

“Listen to me! Events have changed! Nyx isn’t coming. He isn’t going to start the Fall.” Minako said, as Aigis reared in front of her.

“You base that assessment on the information he has provided. He cannot be trusted. And even if it is true, so long as he lives there exists the possibility that he will bring **** upon us all!” Aigis said.

“Killing him won’t stop Nyx!” Minako snapped, reaching out and grabbing Aigis by both hands.

“People have been calling to her this whole time! If Pharos dies, it just means that we forget the threat!”

“Release me.” Aigis said.

“Listen to me. Think about what your doing! Back then, when you fought him with all your strength, he was just one tiny piece of what they summoned in that lab! He’s whole again, Ai-chan! If he wanted to hurt anyone, he could have done it already. None of us would have stood a chance. So don’t you dare! I’m not going to let you rip yourself apart trying to fight something you can’t beat and you don’t need to fight to begin with!!” Minako snapped.

An image from a lost timeline sprang into her mind. An image of a forlorn Ryoji standing over the remains of a smoking, broken form of a robot. Not this time.

“Release me.” Aigis whispered again. “A machine exists to fulfill a purpose. My purpose is to defeat my enemy. A machine who cannot fulfill its purpose is useless. I cannot fail again. I must atone.”

“What are you talking about?” Minako whispered. “Atone for what?”

“I will not fail again. He will harm no one else. No one else will die because of him. No one else…will…be..alone because I have failed.” Aigis hissed the words out.

Minako blinked. And trembled. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears forming in her eyes.

“Aigis…none of that night was your fault.” She whispered.

“My function was to kill that shadow. My purpose was to contain him. Everything that was destroyed, all those who died that night- they are a product of my failure.” Aigis whispered back. “Minako, please let me go.”

“Aigis…no one blames you…” Minako said again.

“If I cannot fulfill my function, I have no right to exist.” Aigis insisted. “If I had not failed, your life…”

“WHAT HAPPENED TO MOM AND DAD ISN’T YOUR FAULT!” Minako screamed, dramatically losing the battle with her tears, which flowed in rivulets down her face. “You didn’t cause it, and you couldn’t have stopped it! You did your best to help! I know that.”

“Minako…please…let me go…” Aigis begged.

Minako held the robot’s hands more tightly, clutching them as she pressed her body against the deadly edge of Aigis’ fingers.

“If you really want to do this, Ai-chan, you go through me. I saw too much pointless **** that night. I won’t watch anyone else get hurt, especially not for stupid reasons that aren’t their fault.” Minako said.

“I…I failed…I used you..I…ruined your life.” Aigis said, a tremor rolling through her body.

“Are you serious?” Minako asked, tilting her head. “What were you supposed to do, Ai-chan? You couldn’t kill it. You had no way to contain it except the seal. Letting it go meant more ****. And yes, there were bad days! So many! The foster homes, slowly watching my brother retreat into himself…so many bad days. But am I supposed to regret meeting you? Meeting everyone? Especially when the other option was for the whole world to die ten years ago??”

Minako drew in a breath. “Ai-chan. You want atonement? You want to make up for your failure? Then please listen to the girl you met on that bridge the night the world went to hell. Please trust me. Please don’t do this. Please…know that whatever you had to do that night…I forgive you.”

Aigis stood ramrod still, staring at Minako, at her and through her. Her eyes seemed to take on a lighter shade of neon blue as her arms slowly, reluctantly fell to her sides. Minako shifted her own grasp, embracing the robot. All at once a familiar sensation crept over her, as the world seemed to slow down and her mind shifted to an inward focus. Slowly an image coalesced in the back of her mind, a Tarot Card of a winged figure carrying a rod and standing upon a solar disk. A voice rang through her mind. ‘Thou art I.I am thou. Though shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Aeon Arcana.” Phantom lights played across Minako’s vision, as the warm sensation of a new Social Link wrapped itself around the fabric of her soul. She smiled even while the tears ran like a river.

“Welcome to the world, Ai-chan.” She whispered.

“I..feel strange, Minako-san.” Aigis said softly.

“Its okay. I don’t know if I agree with you. About a machine being useless if it can’t complete a goal. It doesn’t matter. You aren’t a machine anymore. You make your own goals now.”

Aigis hesitated, confused and drained, but slowly she raised her hands to return the other girl’s embrace.

A long silence elapsed. One Junpei finally broke. “Okay…uhh…so can anyone tell me just what the HELL is going on here?”