A/n: Major spoiler(s) for the ending. Gift-fic for pixie_paramount - prompt: Minato/Aigis & always and always. Pretend this somehow takes place in between The Journey and The Answer; otherwise post-game character interpretations are rather skewed.

(Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3. Title comes from a song by The Weepies of the same name.)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Not Your Year

She doesn't like to think that she failed in her objective - failed him - by not realizing the true danger until it was too late.

Aigis supposes that that is a very human habit, to blame one's failures on outside influences or other people, but it's little comfort. No matter how realistic she is now, there is no special person left to appreciate it.

(There is no bringing him back.)

:::

Unlike Ken and the alley behind Port Island Station, or Junpei and the plaza where he first met Chidori, He had no special place. The entire city was his, this world which he treasured so much he would've given his life to save.

(Gave his life. She likes to forget sometimes.)

She goes to Naganaki Shrine, because it seems appropriate to think about timelessness in a place such as this, and surprisingly it's not Koromaru, but Yukari who finds her first.

"We all loved him," she reminds Aigis. And then, ruefully, "You aren't doing him any favors by forgetting about your life. He wouldn't like seeing us like this."

That does it, like a spotlight through the deepest fog, and Aigis shakes her head, clearing it all away.

She stands beside Yukari and makes a wish on Inari to remember - always.