Persona 3 : Two Souls

Part 32 - Resolve

"You've had it so hard...but I know that if I can pull a brave enough face to get myself out of bed every day, someone like you can." Yukari said trying to be motivational.

"Someone...like me?" Miyuki said sheepishly.

"Yeah!" Yukari replied "You've always been so strong, able to face any sort of hardship with a smile...even in situations where I was afraid..."

"Yukari..." Miyuki said quietly. "Remember when we first went into Tartarus? You were ready to fight the Shadows, no question...You've been fighting for yourself since I met you." Yukari replied, with those words something in Miyuki clicked.

"You're right..." Miyuki spoke "...When Shinji asked me what I fought for, I answered that I was fighting for me...." she stood up "Maybe now...I can fight for someone other than myself." Yukari stood up as her friend continued to speak.

"Are you sure?" Yukari asked "I don't want to force you to keep going if you don't want to." Miyuki turned to look at her friend "No, I want to fight." she clenched her fist "I have to. I have to make sure he didn't die for nothing..."

"Miyuki..." Yukari said, in response the other girl placed a hand on her friends shoulder and smiled for the first time in days.

"Yuka-chan, thank you." Miyuki replied "You've helped me realize what I had been missing...You've been fighting every day because of your dad, I need to fight for Shinji in the same way. If I don't, his death will remain meaningless."

"And...you're alright with this?" Yukari asked.

"No." Miyuki answered "I still miss him, and I don't think I'll ever stop missing him...his death hurts and his absence makes me feel empty...but I have to fight in spite of that pain, just like I did before."

That evening, Miyuki exited her room in a washed and put-together condition as her days of personal lock-up had never happened. Everyone seemed shocked to see her come downstairs into the lounge area.

"Miyuki?!" Takuya exclaimed in shock as he rushed over to his sister "Y-You're up."

"Yeah..." Miyuki replied "I'm up."

"A-Are you...okay?" Takuya asked nervously.

"Miyuki-senpai?" Ken said, Takuya glared at the child as he stood up from his seat.

"Ken..." Miyuki began as she walked over to the child, she got down so they were at eye level with each other "...I am not mad at you, you may have planned to hurt him...but you didn't." she placed her hand on his shoulder "He died protecting you, it'd be wrong for me to hate you for that...I want you to promise me you won't throw away the life he gave you." Ken nodded in response. "I promise." he added.

"If Miyuki's fine with you, then I guess I'm fine with you too..." Takuya spoke up.

October 11th, after a couple more days Takuya returning to the park by the shrine where he said he'd meet Kamiki.

"You...came?" Kamiki asked as he noticed Takuya walking over to the bench where he was sitting, the autumn leaves crunching underneath his feet. "Yeah, of course." Takuya replied "Why wouldn't I?"

"You're...different from the others." Kamiki said.

"Really now?" Takuya asked with a light chuckle as he took a seat next to the pale teen, he smiled distantly in response to the blue-haired boy's words.

"Nobody else treats me like a person...not even my family, I can tell by how they look at me..." Kamiki explained "...That pity is unmistakeable. I don't need their sympathy any more than I need their curiosity."