Memories of Us

The Story

"NAEGI!"

Splashes of blood hit Naegi's face and his consciousness felt lighter than before. The young man hadn't been aiming for Togami at all but rather Naegi, himself; But why? Did it mean that he had to die now? That he had to lose the same light as his parents'? No, he couldn't lose it here at the beginning, not at the start of knowing that there was more to his life than 'existing' but this was a calamity, wasn't it? Wouldn't the Earth split open and pandemonium follow suit? Wouldn't everyone be affected? No, Naegi would die here and for nothing but what of the contract? Didn't Igor say that it protected him? Wasn't Naegi supposed to follow his destiny and accomplish something great but that wasn't death.

No, fighting the illusions that began to swallow his vision, the impetus came and he stood tall shaking the heavens with him.

"PERSONA!"

"NAEGI-Please!"

Chorus of his teammates didn't break through the barrier that he put up but he was bringing it to that young man and his mayhem. It had to end quickly or life would end for them both. The both of them falling endlessly into a sea of twilight, of nothingness.

"YOU FUCKING BRAT!"

Suddenly the shadow of a smaller person shot up and Naegi, in his hope, his sorrow recognized Fuyuhiko at the last moment but was it too late for a happier ending? The young man let out a scream that tore through Naegi's eardrums producing a ringing noise but it wasn't the end as the world was fading, falling. He could only see the retreat of the young man in the darkest puddles of shadows. How much longer would he fall to despair? How much longer?

"You don't have to die, you know. This isn't where it ends." A little voice quietly spoke in his mind.

Naegi's mouth was soaked and swimming with blood that anything more to say would be harder to swallow, but it was that boy from before...in his bedroom. How could he forget? Why couldn't he see that boy now? Was this really all in his head?

This was eternity, wasn't it?

He couldn't make out the faces but falling was the closet he'd ever flew and flew gracefully he did.

"Believe in yourself and you don't have to die. Makoto Naegi."

He didn't have to die? No, he had a life to return to, a meaning, a purpose to his existence to his anguish. Merely illusions kept him trapped and one time, he'd have to wake up. He'd have to face reality again but wouldn't it pain him again? He couldn't stop imagining the flashes of betrayal in his parents' faces that day.

"Naegi!" Kirigiri.

"Please don't die on us, Makoto! I need you-we need you." Kazuichi.

"You must be worthy of me and for that to happen, you cannot die." Togami whispered in Naegi's ear that were unclogging and began longing for the breath of noise, of sound to pound again. The pounding of sound reached new heights as it felt so heightened, but Togami so carelessly held Naegi's slippery hands almost giving himself away but did that matter? Did that matter now when so much was at stake with the shadows?

"It's over now. Fuyuhiko took care of that guy... I didn't like the look of him, either. What the hell was his problem for hurting, Makoto!? Next time, I'm going to do something worse to that guy." Kazuichi spat going from his bended knees to a more dominating position but only from what Naegi could reach to. To aspire to.

"Don't get yourself killed, fucker. Didn't I mention that part of being part of the team?"

"No.." Naegi mouthed with the hurt in him and if he wasn't hurt, would it all go away? Would they abandon him?

"Well, there's that one part that Kyoko should have told you from the start but regardless, shit what you did was fucking foolish, but brave. Saved us all. The shadow is gone."

"W-Where--?"

"For now, I'll go with Kyoko, Kazuichi, and finish the shadow, and you and Byakuya will head to the hospital. Enough of your bullshitting before it begins, you're going and by the looks of it, you're still alive. You're amazing, fucking Makoto Naegi."

Huddled in Togami's arms, Naegi felt the stretch of eternity and dizziness overtake him. Yes, overtake him to the small voice in his head that he couldn't give up because destiny was calling him and it wouldn't wait anymore.