Persona: World And Judgement – Chapter Fifty-One

Miracles

Sound the trumpets and pop that confetti! We've got another chapter here! Welcome to Chapter Fifty-One, everyone! (Hey, that rhymed!) Also, I know it's a little late but – HAPPY NEW YEAR! May this year bring lots of good things to you! You know what? Let's start 2016 with a brand new chapter… Get those reading glasses on everyone… it's time for Chapter Fifty-One… LET'S GT-R-DONE!

08/11 – Morning – Minato's Room

Hot, clean water, continuous rushes of steam, fragrant soaps and hair products galore, and not one speck of dirt in sight. Minato could only be grateful that the Tatsumi Hall had such luxurious facilities, and he could make no comment for the shower. The sensation of every drop of water soaking into his hair was a heavenly feeling that he had somewhat forgotten. Two years away from little things like that was two years too many – the feeling was so underrated. If he were able, he could've stay in that same spot under the showerhead forever – or for at least the next few hours. However, he soon realised what happens when you stayed in the shower for so long.

"Burrr!" Minato gasped as he quickly reached for the tap. After a quick twist of the wrist, the suddenly freezing water stopped running. He carefully stepped out of the tub and grabbed the towel from the wall-mounted radiator that kept it crisp and warm; another feeling Minato couldn't help but savour as he dried himself with it. He wrapped the towel around his waist and quickly grabbed a smaller one to dry his hair with, resting it on his shoulders around his neck afterwards. With a blissful exhale of breath, Minato approached the bathroom door and proceeded to turn the handle. As he swung the door open, the sudden cool sensation of the air in the bedroom wafted over him which then completed the sequence of wonderful feelings that he hadn't felt for the longest time. It was as if in those moments that he was finally beginning to feel stimulated again with everything that humans would've normally took for granted.

As much as he reveled himself in that moment, there was one more thing he needed to do, and that was to get dressed in clean clothes. He looked towards the garments that he wore over the last week that laid in a pile in the corner of the room and just winced at how grimy, dirty and unkempt it was; he even thought about just throwing them in the bin which would've been a good idea at first. He averted his eyes to the wardrobe just opposite him and approached it knowing that there was cleanliness on the other side. He slowly drew both doors opened and immediately found nothing inside it. Nothing other than the cardboard box that sat at the very bottom. He could see some clothes just hanging over the edge of it, and could recognise the threads and the design of each shirt, jacket and pair of jeans that sat neatly inside. They were his after all, and they even looked liked they could still fit.

He reminded himself of the terrible weather outside and immediately knew that he had to wear something warm, even if it was still technically summer time. Drawing out the box, he scanned through the collections of clothing that sent him back to the old days in the dorm hanging around with the scattered members of S.E.E.S. He pushed some aside and lifted some up to find what was underneath, and almost instantly, he found something suitable. He slowly pulled out the old black turtleneck jumper that he wore on numerous occasions inside the dorm during the winter time, and along with it, he brought out a pair of slim beige trousers that had a threaded belt already around its waist.

"That'll do," he murmured to himself, throwing the clothes onto his bed as if confirming his choices.

In no time at all, Minato had everything on. As he looked into his mirror, the image he was greeted with was much cleaner and less exhausted than the one he saw last night; there was more colour to him and a radiant look of freshness. It was the first time in a long while that he saw himself like this, and it was pleasing for him to see it with his own eyes. He had to look nice though because, even if it wouldn't happen today, Yukari would wake up soon, and he felt that he needed to look presentable. Of course, just being there in the first place would've been enough, but it was for her and he had to make some sort of impression even though he could predict the reaction.

Realising that, it made him somewhat nervous, and the nagging thoughts in his head that came from it were suddenly all he could think about. He had to push that aside though; the only way of knowing would be to meet her face to face. Of course, he couldn't wish for nothing more than to see her with her eyes open with a new direction, but at the same time, he didn't want her to see him if there was a chance that it might affect their relationship dramatically. Whichever way it would go, he would at least be comforted with the knowledge that Yukari would be safe. With that conflict now falling silent in his mind, he took one more moment to look at his seldom-seen image in the mirror before heading for the door.

08/11 – Morning – Tatsumi Hall

With a twist of the lock, Minato made his way down the hallway with his hands slipping into his pockets – something that he was glad to have back. After only just emerging from his room, he was immediately stopped by someone in front of him. He lifted his head up, seeing Yu walk towards him.

"Oh! Morning, Minato," Yu greeted, stopping in front of Minato, "I was just about to knock on your door. How are you feeling?"

Minato could've been completely honest. He could've said that this was the best he's ever felt since he started walking the earth again. With his friends now with him – accepting his presence – and with Yukari now in a stable state of recovery, there was nothing, apart from the anxious feeling he had at the thought of Yukari seeing him for the first time, that could make him second-guess his current mood. However, his nerves were also still acting up, conflicting his happiness with a irritating feeling playing on his mind. Mixed emotions were suddenly invading his heart; he could've expressed his euphoria and concerns there and then. But he knew that it wasn't him to show his feelings so easily, so for the sake of being himself, he only showed Yu a weak smile and shrugged.

"Hey… A little tired, but that'll pass," Minato said as he stood up straighter, "What about you? And everyone else?"

"Well, I think I can say for everyone that we're feeling a lot better," Yu replied with a smile and a hand on his hip, "Were you on your way to Yukari's room? Everyone should be there by now."

"Yeah. You going as well?"

"Of course. I'll walk with you."

With that, Minato walked to Yu's side before they both strode down the hallway towards the stairs. Taking his eyes off the floor, Yu turned to look at Minato's face. Anyone might've guessed that he looked completely neutral from the stone-dead stillness of his expression, but he could see something in the eyes that were cast down the floor. Minato never blinked once, and for a while, he didn't seem too aware of how far he was from the staircase; even his upper body seemed completely brittle, and when Yu coupled this with everything he saw in his face, he knew something was nagging at Minato. Of course, it was only a few seconds ago when he managed to see a genuine happiness behind that pale face. But now, it just seemed like Minato had realised something.

"You sure you're okay?" Yu asked, turning his head back forward as they both approached the first step. However, Minato never responded, as if he was absolutely oblivious to everything around him. After a while of silence, Yu looked back at him; the same expression remained, and even though he was stood right next to Yu, it was like he never heard him.

"Minato?" Yu asked again, leaning forward so that he could enter Minato's eye-line.

"Hm?" Minato hummed as Yu's voice snapped him out of his daydream, "Wh—!". He suddenly fell forwards slightly after his feet trip on the bottom step. Fortunately, Yu quickly held out an arm across Minato's chest to prevent the rest of his fall. Minato was quick enough to keep himself straight as he placed a foot in front of him to recover his balance, but Yu still found it somewhat odd.

"Hey, watch yourself," Yu said, gasping slightly as he caught him, "Is something wrong, Minato? You can tell me you know."

Looking back at Yu almost in a daze, Minato scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he brought himself back into reality. He gave a sad chuckle as he brought his eyes back down to the floor, re-organising his feelings as he paused for thought. It seemed that Yu didn't need to ask; he knew something was out of place, and he couldn't mistake the signs.

"I… guess I'm just worried…" Minato eventually replied, briefly as usual. Bringing his focus back on the stairs, he began his slow ascent towards the second floor, not evening attempting to look back to Yu as he spoke. The grey-haired adolescent, who had confronted many individuals with this predicament before, found it somewhat refreshing to have seen someone so quick to express their worries after going through minimal effort to get to the heart of the matter. Of course, the tone in Minato's voice now suggested that his worries were not as big as they seemed, but it was still an issue that needed addressing.

"I see," Yu said in reassurance, quickening his pace up the stairs to catch up to Minato, "Anything you need to get off your chest? Before we go see Yukari, I mean?"

"It's nothing all that important, really." Minato replied, continuing to walk with his eyes fixated on the top of the stairs.

"Well, I'm only asking because I don't want you to have anything on your mind before Yukari wakes up."

All of a sudden, Minato froze just a few steps away from the girls' floor. As Yu noticed this, he walked up to Minato's side, prompting the blue-haired boy to lift his head up; his mouth hung open but no words followed through. Instead, a slow exhale of breath was all Minato could give.

"… That's if you do have something on your mind?" Yu asked again, leaning forwards slightly to get a look of Minato's defeated expression. Minato's eyes flickered to Yu for a split second before looking down in thought. He then stood up straight and leaned his back against the banister, keeping his hands in his pockets as he placed one foot in front of the other in a casual stance. He hung his head with his eyes closed, and with an intake of breath, he was ready to confess his troubled feelings.

"It's probably silly…" he said quietly, "… I'm… wondering what would happen when she sees me… what Yukari would think of me once she wakes up. I mean, I'm so happy that she's recovering – emotionally as well as physically – but wouldn't me being here just undo that? She's just beginning to find her feet, and then I come back to her; that just doesn't seem fair…"

In his own monotone way, Minato was pouring his heart out. He shook his head at himself, almost ashamed at how his presence could be the undoing of a new resolve. It was like he had given Yukari a realisation of her dormant strength and just taking it away again. He didn't want that for her; not for someone who had grieved for so long to the point where they finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Yu could see that he was getting increasingly concerned the more he explained.

"And if not that, would she take it the wrong way and think that she's still in a dream? Or… would she hate me knowing that I've been the cause of her misery this whole time…? I just… I… don't know…"

Yu had to admit it to himself that he was thinking the exact same thing. Yukari had only just found her resolve, and in amidst the most excruciating experience of her life; he was just as cautious as Minato was about his presence to her mainly because of what effect it would have on that resolve. Minato could potentially single-handedly reverse it entirely. Even if Minato saw that as unfair, it would be even more so if the two could never meet again.

"I understand," said Yu, lowering his head as he struggled to find the answer, "I'm not sure that this is my place to say…"

"It's okay." Minato reassured, trying not to magnify the problem in his head more than it had already.

"But… if I had to say anything… I think you should see her."

Minato's head shot up and he looked towards Yu with a small look that suggested hope. He only looked at him briefly before turning back to the floor, thinking as he did. Before he could draw on any more negative points, Yu continued to explain his thoughts.

"I won't call it an opportunity – it's not the right word – but you died for two years and then came back… That's a miracle. Although we don't know how or why you're now, I can't see it as anything other than that. You now have the chance to rebuild the bonds you had with those you cared about… especially when it's the people you love the most."

Minato's head rose once again to look at Yu, realising the truth in his words. He slowly stopped thinking and only listened as he continued to share his wisdom.

"People are at their strongest when they are with others; I've seen that happen. And I know you have as well. I know you want the best for Yukari and that you want her to feel as little pain as possible… but you should think about what you want as well. Any bond needs to work on both sides, right?"

"Right," Minato said quietly, but with confidence. After a short moment of thought, he looked up at the remaining steps of the staircase that led to the next floor. "What I want…"

With a slight nod of approval, Minato focused his eyes on Yukari's door that lied just down the middle of the corridor that stood in front of them. He turned back to Yu with a more confident posture and a look of determination. He had found his answer.

"Thanks again, Yu. I needed that." Minato said in gratitude to his grey-haired friend. Yu could only smile and nod his head in acknowledgement, happier knowing that he had steered Minato in what could be the right direction. In that moment, the two Fools looked to one another with the same feeling that tugged at their bond. They could feel a warmness about it, and it was almost as if the thread that held their new friendship together was becoming tighter than before. It wasn't enough to feel a significant growth in power, but it gave their bond weight nonetheless. Minato looked ahead again, and began to make his way up the last few steps with Yu by his side. The initial worry was still present, but it was enough to spur Minato on rather than hold him back.

He grabbed the doorknob and began to twist, but just as he was about to push, Yu placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "If the doctor still finds that Yukari is still blind, I've already let the others know not to let her know that you're here. I thought it might be best if she saw you with her own eyes first." He explained, hoping that Minato might agree.

"That's probably a good idea, thanks." Minato replied, nodding without hesitation. With that, he pushed the door open and stepped into the room with Yu.

08/11 – Morning – Yukari's Room

Immediately, the first thing they both noticed was Yukari sitting upright in her bed, still with a blindfold on. She turned her head towards the door as she heard it squeaking open. Everyone else was either sat or stood around her, looking towards Yu and Minato with smiles. The doctor was also there at Yukari's side.

"Hey, Yu!" a few of them greeted as they entered the room. Junpei looked to Minato and made huge gestures that pointed towards Yukari, mouthing the words 'she's still blind' as he did. At that point onwards, Minato had to keep quiet, watching Yukari talk with the others as he stayed at the side of the room. It was already difficult enough for him to see her smile in his direction without her knowing that he was right in front of her. Minato nodded in acknowledgement to the others before quietly making his way next to the feet of Yukari's bed, resting his back against the wall to keep some distance between them. Yu joined the others and came to Yukari's side, kneeling down to her level to greet her despite the small amount of pain he felt in his ribs.

"Hey there, Yukari. You feeling better?" he asked, asking as neutrally as possible. Yukari was somewhat startled at first when she heard his voice suddenly emerge from the side of her, but she soon felt comforted as she turned her head and body towards him at an angle.

"Oh, Yu!" she greeted, smiling as she did, "I'm feeling much better now, thanks. Some of the guys were telling me about what happened since I couldn't remember much. I'm sorry if I caused you a lot of pain… your ribs especially."

"It's only a bit of bruising, it's nothing to worry about. We're just glad you're okay—probably more so from what we saw."

"I can't remember much of what was going on but... there was definitely a change in me. Like… I just suddenly woke up. It was the strangest feeling… everything about me was being taken away; all my feelings, my thoughts, everything. But even then, I kind of just… didn't care."

As Yu scanned his eyes across the room, he could see all the other members of S.E.E.S – excluding Minato – nodding their heads in agreement, like what Yukari was saying had a lot of truth to it. They had all gone through their own internal battles of their own when their Shadows took over after all. Every time Yu tried to imagine what they had to go through to reach their resolve, he always felt that his thoughts of it couldn't even come close to the real thing. In Yukari's case, it would've been impossible for him to recreate it in his own mind. If anything, she had to fight the mightiest battle of them all.

"It's strange… I think I even heard Minato a few times…" she explained, immediately catching Minato's attention, as well as everyone else's, "… I could hear him calling to me. He said that… he was heartbroken to see me the way I was… that I had become someone who I wasn't. I have no one to blame other than myself for that, being so selfish and not being grateful for what I have now. But it's like I said… It's like I've now woken up to realise that."

Even though her sight would not allow to see the rest of her friends, she gestured with her head as if she was looking to everyone around her with a small look of determination. "I know what I need to do now," she said with a seemingly rare tone of confidence, "Moping around won't solve anything. I want to find Minato, and not just for myself anymore. But for Mitsuru and the others… I'm not the only one who misses him after all. No more tears; you all have my full co-operation from now on."

It was the most Yukari had ever spoken for a long time. For the Investigation Team, they knew that her words were completely and unequivocally genuine. They've heard a large number of those kinds of speeches to know when someone had reached the answer to their problems and it was evident to see that Yukari had her words fixed in her own mind. In that one moment, she seemed so unwavering, and even though she was bed-ridden for the time being, she would've been compared to that of a statue standing proudly, as if her words were etched in stone forever.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say this, Yukari," Mitsuru said as she approached her side with her words passing through her smile so audibly, "We're very proud of you. Minato would be immensely so." She looked towards Minato who still stood at the wall with his hands in his pockets. He was looking back to her with a bittersweet smile, nodding as she said this.

"Heh, you know what that means, right?" Akihiko said in realisation, "All of us have dealt with our own Shadows; nothing is standing in our way. Now we can focus on tracking down these culprits!" Following his comments, Chie quickly ran to his side – closer to where Yukari was – and stood slightly in front of him with a slight look of panic.

"A-A-And also to find Minato, of course!" she shouted, gently tapping Akihiko in the abdomen with her elbow and giving him a desperate look.

"O-Oh, yeah! Certainly! That's been our main priority…" he said, recovering from his mistake as best as he could.

Fortunately Yukari wasn't able to realise his blunder and just dismissed it as a classic error that the boxer tends to do now and again without him realising. However, she and everyone else could agree that the only threats that stood in their way were the hoodies that were still roaming around somewhere. Every Shadow had been eradicated, and they felt that the investigation could now be made much simpler without the unnecessary fighting and strain.

"I-In any case, I'm just glad that you're alright now, Yukari-san." Yukiko said in admiration of her strength, "I think I can say on behalf of the Investigation Team that going through something like that is not easy; not in the slightest."

"You got that right," Kanji chimed in, chuckling in a friendly manner, "But man, Yukari. You've got some serious balls."

"Really, Kanji? Wrong choice of words…" Yosuke commented, egging Kanji on as he always did, "I have to agree with Yukiko though. It's not easy at all. Hell, I had the pleasure of confronting my Shadow twice and it was still nasty the second time round. It takes guts, but you definitely had them. Way to go, Yukari!"

"Dude, how was that different to what I said?!" Kanji shouted in Yosuke's face, which then prompted to the two to start an argument as per usual.

Everyone was just about ready to begin their own conversations and start talking with Yukari some more. Considering how quiet she had been, it would've been a nice change of pace for them to begin talking to her some more. But just as some were barely about to open their mouths, the doctor cleared his throat loudly to remind everyone that he was still in the room. He appreciated that everyone was able to look past her blindness to reach out to her, but as a medical expert, he knew that she had some ways to go until she was fully recovered.

"It's great to see that you've made a significant recovery," he said to Yukari, returning to her side to give the diagnosis he was meant to initially share with Yu and Minato upon their arrival, "However, as you all might've guessed, the next thing I'm going to say is that Yukari will need her rest so that she can let her body repair her sight. For that to happen, I suggest that we'll all need to leave for her to do that. I know you've all been wanting to see her awake today, but the more rest she gets, the faster she'll recover."

He then turned to Yukari and bent down slightly for her to hear him better. "Remember to keep the blindfold on. It should stop you from exposing her eyes too soon."

"Okay, no problem." Yukari replied, adjusting the straps of the blindfold to make sure it was secure. She was somewhat frustrated that she only got to have a short moment with her friends, especially when it felt like forever since she had been around them. Not only that, but she would have to wait longer to even see them, but it was like the doctor said: the more rest she gets, the faster she'll complete her recovery.

"It was good to see you guys… Well, I can't actually see you all, but thanks for checking up on me." Yukari said with a small chuckle – the first one in a long while – prompting others to do the same.

"Get well soon, Yukari-chan!" Teddie shouted, also preceding others to say the same thing as they left her room with the doctor. Minato, who was the last to leave the room, turned himself back round to Yukari, watching as she yawned in the cute way he remembered it to be before descending back into her bed sheets, peacefully sinking her head into her plump pillows. Knowing that she was still blind only allowed him some time to think on how he would make his presence known to her, but it had to be a problem for another day.

As he closed the door behind him, everyone split up and began to do their own things. Some headed to their rooms for some much needed sleep after having dealt with a powerful Shadow for the last couple of nights, some just wanted to sit down to catch up with social media on their phones, and some needed to head out for some fresh air. For Akihiko, Naoto and Mitsuru, they could've easily had done the same things, but before they could even thinking about goofing off, the doctor walked to their sides.

"Akihiko," he said, "I managed to dig up some footage from the recordings back at the hospital; the ones I mentioned the other day. It might have some information for you all. Do you want to come down at some point to see it?"

"Ah, really? That sounds good," Akihiko replied, walking downstairs with Naoto and Mitsuru who were listening intently to their conversation, "Can't you bring them here though? We're a little beat at the moment."

"I'm afraid it's hospital security property. If you were an official policeman, I would give it to you, but you'll only be able to view it from our office. That's as much as I can give you."

"I see…"

When the talking began to die down between the two, Mitsuru emerged from behind them to enter the conversation. She knew that the Kirijo Group-owned sector of the hospital was her responsibility as their leader, so getting to the archives wouldn't be a problem.

"I'll go with you, Akihiko," she said, folding her arms as she spoke, "If I'm present, we'll be able to get full authorisation to the recordings with no problems from security."

Naoto then followed suit squeezing between Akihiko and the doctor. "And I can offer my services as well. I've been dying to learn the truth about those two doctors for a while now…" She said with determination.

The former boxing champion, however much he could potentially cope on his own, knew that he needed extra pairs of hands to decipher whatever information the doctor was providing to them. He may have been a trainee police officer, but second opinions were needed, especially when evidence such as camera footage was an easily misunderstood source if not looked at close enough. It was true enough that without Mitsuru, he wouldn't be able to even so much as see the footage, and Naoto would be the young and vigilant pair of eyes that he'll need to correct himself with.

"Yeah, it might be best if you both came. That good with you, doc?" Akihiko asked in confirmation, prompting a simple nod from the doctor.

"I'm happy with what security says, but with Mitsuru, that footage is as good as yours." the doctor replied, walking down with the three to sort out a day where they would be available to come down to the hospital.

While this was happening, everyone had already broken away from the group to go about their own day – something which they hadn't really had the opportunity to do ever since they all got together – but Minato and Yu were probably among the most tired and could easily have gone to bed as most had. But it wasn't until they both had reached the lounge and sank into their couches opposite each other that they started to feel the exhaustion kick in. All Yu could do was yawn and Minato couldn't help but blink a few times and widen his eyes to make himself feel more awake.

It wasn't surprising to them either; it felt like so many nights of worrying over the wellbeing of Yukari had passed that it had an impact on their sleeping pattern. Now with her safe and sound, they could relax easier, even though they had other worries on their minds including the two culprits and their whereabouts. They could even feel their muscles relax somewhat, which was a sensation they hadn't felt in a while.

"Boy, I don't think I've ever been this tired before…" Yu said as he rubbed his eyes with his thumb.

"Up until now, I forgot how to be tired…" Minato replied, collapsing his head on the back cushion behind him, "… It's not nice."

"You thinking of going back to your room?"

"Nah, I'm here now. You?"

"Same with me."

After a moment of peace and quiet – which they both felt blissful sitting in – Yu looked up to Minato and tried to read his neutral expression before leaning forward in his seat. There wasn't much worry anymore, but the vacant stare at the carpet just made him think that something was still up.

"How are you feeling now…? Apart from tired, I mean." Yu asked, immediately attracting Minato's attention to him.

"I'm fine, yeah," Minato replied calmly, slowly looking back down to the floor in thought, "I'm just thinking… about all this."

"What do you mean?"

Yu could see that Minato was having trouble. The slightly contorted look on his face suggested that he was really trying to think, but his silence only made Yu think that he couldn't find an answer. All he could do was patiently wait for him to find the words he wanted to say, but even that took a long while. Of course, Yu already knew from S.E.E.S that Minato wasn't a man who felt a great obligation to speak right away. He always took his time, and he was seeing that; he just didn't realise that he could take a good couple of minutes to even so much as utter a word. Eventually though, Minato's head was brought back up.

"This was something I've been asking myself ever since I talked with you yesterday…" Minato explaining before forming the right words in his mind, "… But… Why am I here? There's probably no reason for me being here, like you said… but it's just too convenient for me to be alive at this moment in time. The dream, the Shadows, the culprits… I'm now here where all of this has happened. I can't ignore that."

Yu found a lot of truth in what Minato was saying, and thinking on it himself, he even found that everything was timed too perfectly to call it a coincidence. He thought for a moment and thought that all of this might've even been orchestrated somehow. No matter how much he thought about this, he knew as well as Minato that there wasn't much evidence to prove this. No one – not even Minato – knows why, or even how he was resurrected, and that was the main thing that got in the way of the truth.

Himself and Minato – now admitting defeat to the thought – just slumped back into their seats, sighing as they reluctantly let the theory go. "I just don't know…" Yu mumbled in frustration, loud enough for Minato to hear, "… I hate not knowing."

"Those culprits must know… Now that they're a main priority, hopefully we'll know more soon enough." Minato said, somewhat with determination but not enough to make him more awake. If anything he was beginning to feel drowsier as the seconds flew by, as did Yu. It was like they could drop off into the land of nod at any moment.

With a wave of exhaustion coming over him, Minato rolled his laying head to the side and immediately noticed something on the wooden sideboard just on the other end of the room. On top of it were two wooden chests; one that was labeled 'S.E.E.S' while the other was marked as 'Investigation Team' in bold ink. The names of all members – apart from Minato – were written underneath their respective groups.

"Hmm…" Minato hummed to himself, immediately attracting Yu's attention.

"What's up?" he asked, almost urgently in case Minato was leading on from their last conversation. He eased a bit when he noticed Minato looking at the possessions chests.

"Nothing. I was just looking at the chests. The ones with everyone's names on them."

"Oh… I see. We're using them to store memoirs of ourselves for when this is all over… When we go back to Inaba…"

"Right." Minato finally said before turning back to Yu. All of a sudden, Minato just saw a sad look on his face, keeping a steady stare on the chests like he was worried about something. Yu just fell silent, and even his explanation of the memoirs had given so much of his expression away to Minato without him knowing. He kept his eyes fixated for a long while before he needed to be snapped out of it.

"Did you put anything in?" Minato asked, not getting any reply at first, "Yu?"

"Hm…?" Yu suddenly responded, blinking a few times before turning back to Minato who looked at him for an answer, "Oh, um… Sorry, did you say something?" He only knew Yu for a short amount of time, but this seemed so out of character for Minato. If anything, it just reminded him of what happened just earlier when they were both heading up to Yukari's room; it was like a role reversal and that only made him think Yu also had his demons.

"It's okay. I was asking if you put anything in." Minato asked again politely, hoping for a better response. However, it was Yu's eyes that were then drawn to the floor as he thought on his answer. Although it was a simple 'yes or no' question, it was taking longer than usual for Yu to say something. Eventually, Yu opened his mouth and moved his head to the side, somewhat avoiding Minato's eye contact.

"… Not yet." he said quietly, trying to act as neutrally as possible.

"Is something on your mind, Yu?" Minato asked again, homing into the problem at hand somewhat bluntly, but with concern.

"Huh? What is?"

"It's my turn to help you now. What's going on?"

Yu could see it in Minato's eyes that he could see the sadness in him. It was then that he realised that he had totally underestimated the blue-haired boy's ability to notice that someone was hurting. He may as well have been talking to himself; their skills in reading people were almost matched it seemed to him. Yu also realised that he wasn't going to be able to get one passed him and instantly gave a look of defeat. It wouldn't have been fair to keep the truth from him about his feelings when Minato had made his clear either. He gave a small sigh before turning back to Minato with as much eye contact as he could stand.

"Okay…" Yu said, as if he was even admitting to himself that he had his own issues to deal with, "… It was about a year ago when I first met my friends; the Investigation Team. We did more than just solve a crime… We did everything together; we went on camp trips, we went skiing—even visited Iwatodai once. We went through so many hardships together and that only made us stronger…"

It wasn't quite like he was pouring his heart out, but Minato could see that Yu values friendship greatly. He'd seen it before in the TV world and in other situations, but not on this level. He even compared his compassion and love for others to his own. This testimonial to his friends only made him think about what he would say next, but it didn't take long after a pause for thought to hear it.

"But I was only in Inaba for that year because my parents had to work oversees…" Yu continued, beginning to look around the room again, "… As soon as the crime was solved and the year was up… I had to take the train home. It was horrible leaving them because my hometown is really far away… And now I'm just thinking: what if I feel like this again when I leave here… and then when I leave everyone else in Inaba…? I hated feeling like that, and I don't want to leave here feeling like that…"

For the whole time Minato had known Yu – even though he had only known him for so much as a day or two – he could only see him as this great leader who had nothing holding him back. His outer exterior suggested so much of his power, value of friendship and life that – although they were great outward qualities to have – it made him seem more advanced than the ordinary human. There was the ability to use Personas, among other things, that made that a fact, but he was almost superhuman apart from that. But Minato realised, now that Yu had opened up somewhat about his feelings, that the qualities that made him who he is made him somewhat dependent on being that person. For what reason, he didn't know, but he needed to return the favour.

"I understand…" Minato said as he intertwined his fingers in thought, crossing one leg over the other, "… I felt a similar thing when I gave myself to the seal. The days running up to our fight with Nyx didn't help much either; all I wanted to do was to be with my friends. I had no choice, but even so, I wanted everyone to come out of that battle alive rather than dead, even if it was at the cost of my own life. And that's why I did it."

Yu already knew why Minato had given his soul to the Great Seal for obvious reasons of saving the world. But he didn't realise that it wasn't just an obligation simply because Minato was the only one with the power strong enough to achieve it. Rather, there was another underlying reason as to why he did it, and it was because of this story that Yu was realising what he was getting at.

Minato continued, surprising enough to Yu that he was still talking with such length. "Leaving them behind was the saddest thing, but knowing what I did for them, and for everyone else, made guarding the seal more bearable. So… what I'm saying is, it will be upsetting at first but it becomes easier when you know that what you did to make their lives better made them happier. Is that making sense?"

After Minato had said his piece, Yu could feel something alleviating from his chest. Not only did he have to admit to someone that he was, in fact, so tied to his friends that it was making him think the worst about his imminent departure from them, but he managed to confide in someone he hardly knew with not a lot of effort. The fact that he was given good advice from Minato was something that made him feel a little happier in himself. Knowing that he had gotten on so well with the members of S.E.E.S and had rejoined the Investigation Team as if he were with them all that time he was away, he knew that the moments he shared with all of them would make others happy. That in turn, would make him happy, and he was a bit less frightened when he thought on this.

"Yeah… You're right." Yu said, turning his eyes back to Minato in realisation, "It's not the distance that matters… It's the happiness I give them."

"Mhm." Minato hummed in reply as he nodded his head in approval.

"Hey, thanks, Minato. That was much-needed."

"Just giving back. You helped me, so it was my turn."

"Still though... I really appreciate it."

They looked at each other for a moment, and soon enough, a smile emerged on both of their faces; one that was warm, like two friends had just gotten through a small bump in the situation they were in. Just as this happened, they could both feel a sense of strength coming from the inside of their hearts and minds, as if something was blossoming. But they knew what that feeling was. It was all too familiar.

Feeling it erupting inside of them, they exchanged looks of realisation before they suddenly let out sharp gasps that called forth the power that sprang from within them. "Ugh!" they cried out as the sharp pain began to settle before subsiding in an instant. A floaty feeling filled their heads to the point of complete relaxation before a familiar voice of the soul called out to them.

Thou art I… And I am thou

The meeting of equal power; A bond measured to infinity

Both together, yet separate

The Fool evolves in you still, and with it, a new power awakens

May the truth be yours to take…

The power surge in their minds slowly faded, and the exhaustion suddenly amplified as a result causing them both to slip into sleep. They could feel themselves floating – almost in thin air – as their bodies hovered in an unknown space. There was a small feeling of descent, almost like they were falling slowly. Their limbs tangled peacefully, and their subconsciouses were blissfully oblivious to everything that was around them. The wavy feeling subsided after a while when they felt the weight of their bodies sinking into the gravity below them. They felt themselves sitting on a silky couch, and they could feel a cool air surround them as they opened their eyes to see each other.

"… Uh…" They both said opposite each other as they looked to one another, noticing the navy and indigo colours that surrounded them. The were both immediately drawn to the luxury, velvety sofas which they were sitting on and noticed the light blue glow that it radiated. The carpet was of a matching colour, but slightly differed in the shading and pattern.

Yu immediately recognised this straight away, even though these sofas were no longer a part of a limousine. There was also something different in the way he felt the force of gravity; instead of moving forward, he felt as if he was going upwards. This was instantly familiar to Minato who didn't recognise anything about his environment until he looked to his right to see what looked like a gigantic window that looked outwards towards what looked like an impossibly thick fog. There was a metal partitioning that extending across the whole window, but it looked so much like old elevator doors, which were also familiar to him. Yu also turned his head to the window and noticed the consistency the fog was in. It was strikingly similar to that of the TV world's, and it seemed more like clouds as they were ascending to whatever it is they were heading up to. But the strange thing was that Yu could remember some parts of this place, and it was the same with Minato, but there were parts they didn't remember.

However, they both knew where they were. It was none other than the Velvet Room in a completely new form.

08/11 – Morning – Velvet Room

"Do not be alarmed," said a familiar voice that emerged from only a few inches in front of the two, startling them as they turned their heads to see who it was, "You are both fast asleep in the real world. I took the opportunity to summon you from within your sleep."

They could recognise that long, peculiar nose anywhere. It was Igor, who was sat with his supported arms and fidgety fingers on the silky-clothed table that also suddenly appeared in front of them – slightly to Minato's right, and a little bit to Yu's left. Stood next to both Minato and Igor was Elizabeth with her usual kooky Velvet Room uniform, and Margaret was also stood next to Yu and Igor with her typical serious Velvet attire.

"My, my. This has been a fascinating turn of events," Igor said with an old man's chuckle, "I have never seen two holders of the Wild Card together with such equal measure in the same Velvet Room before. The power of one's soul – or in this case, two souls – is still a wonder to witness."

"You both have made such a wondrous Velvet Room as well! The chaotic clashing of two souls with equal power is very beautiful to see. Oh, how I could look at it forever…" Elizabeth said with her usual appreciation, dramatising everything she said with the flowing movements of her arms.

Minato remembered the awkward feeling he would sometimes have around her; she was not human – he knew that much – but there were times, like this one, that just made him think that she would probably be acting more strangely than she's letting on. However, like all those times as well, he just left it alone. Yu just watched her in awkwardness since this was the first time he had seen her acting like this. And that made him thought.

By now, he would've expected Elizabeth to feel some relief over Minato's return to the Velvet Room. However, it just seemed like the tears she had shed before and all the pain she was feeling never happened. That was suspicious to Yu, and it made him even more so when neither Igor nor Margaret was making any attempts to make it seem like Minato was lost to them.

He turned to Margaret, who then looked to him with a look of concern. "Is something the matter, Yu?" she asked, somewhat cautious of the confused expression that was written all over his face. Yu wasn't prepared to hide anything this time; something was fishy and he needed clarity on what was going on.

"Yeah, sorry," he said in apology as he looked between her, Elizabeth and Igor, as if saying it in advance, "It's just that… I thought you'd be more surprised to see Minato here." He had his own reasons for thinking this; the last time he entered the Velvet Room, something just seemed out of place. He could remember the exact words Margaret spoke before she cut herself off, and he knew that it had to do with Minato being present. Even though he handled his last appearance in the Velvet Room with more consideration for Elizabeth's emotions, she didn't seem all that upset. Something wasn't adding up, but Minato decided to speak up before the uncomfortable pause could take over.

"I suppose there's no use in hiding it…" the bluenette said, leaning forward in his seat, "… Well, you remember when I said that I didn't want you or anyone else finding out that I was alive? I asked these guys not say anything about me being back. Because I gained my original power when I returned, I had access to the Velvet Room again, and I even came here a few times. They told me about you and your ties to the Velvet Room… Knowing that, I didn't want to risk it… So there you are."

The Velvet Room assistants couldn't have put it better themselves. Minato felt responsible for many of the mysteries that had surrounded the group for the whole time they were together, so he felt like he was the one that needed to do the explaining. He'd done his own fair share of that, but he was the one that needed to put this mystery to rest. Yu felt satisfied with conclusion and he was also very understanding about it as well.

"Ah, that makes sense. I've been wondering about that, so thanks for clearing that up, Minato," he said, making a mental note of it before turning back to Igor, "Anyway, I got off track a bit… Why was it that you summoned us?"

Minato also turned his attention to Igor who just chuckled in delight as he usually did when something piqued his interest. With a quick flick of his wrist, a small deck of tarot cards materialised facing down onto the centre of the table. Minato and Yu could recognise the mask motifs that the cards always had on the back of them, so their summoning here had to be something to do with Personas, or at least the power to wield them. Using the same hand to support his head with, Igor then flicked his bloodshot eyes between the two, widely smirking as he did.

"I shall turn to you first, my friend," he said in his usual tone of wisdom to Yu, "Do you remember what I told you? About The Coming?"

"The Coming… Yeah, of course," Yu said after a brief moment of thought.

"I once said to you this prophecy: A corrupted miracle will be the aid that will guide you through the wars that will be waged, and in the end the final truth will be recognised."

Yu didn't know why Igor was bringing this up after not having heard about it for a long while, but then it wasn't until Igor motioned towards Minato when he finally knew why. The Velvet master waved a hand in the bluenette's direction, grinning.

"I also said unto you that your bond with this person will be the most important. But you already know this… And it seems that your power has already grown from this bond." He finally said before confusing Yu once again, just like he usually does. All Yu could do was look to the large nosed master with a baffled look, completely unaware of what he was trying to say.

"What? You mean I've already met them?" Yu asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Well, of course you have!" Elizabeth replied, also motioning towards Minato since he didn't get it the first time, "You're both here at this present time, are you not?"

It just then suddenly dawned on Yu, and the penny had finally dropped. With a heavily surprised expression, he looked towards Minato and eventually knew that it was him that they were talking about. Even Minato was somewhat taken aback by this, but all it took was a moment to think about what had happened before they ended up in the Velvet Room and could remember the sensation they felt when their bond strengthened inside of them. That call to power was enough evidence to convince them that their bond was the one that had been prophesied this whole time. It was Minato who would help him find this 'truth' that Igor had been telling them of; to fight the 'wars' that would need to be fought in the future.

Even though it was quite the surprise, Yu and Minato did nothing other than to just take it all in and nod in approval to one another, finally confirming another mystery. They could only think that a lot of their questions could be answered in the Velvet Room, and it certainly didn't disappoint this time around. Before they could think any more on it, Igor spoke up again.

"Before we digress any further, allow me to explain why this is important," he said, motioning another flourish of his wrist to call forth another of his mystical creations.

Two cards materialised into view in front of Minato and Yu, hovering gently in the air in front of their faces – one for each – and they could recognise the insignia that was presented on them. The male silhouette with the dog by his side indicated that these were their Wild Cards representing the Fool. An indigo aura surrounded the cards as they floated, giving off a warm light as they did.

"The power of the Fool – that you both possess – is empty but full of infinite possibilities. It's an arcana that spawns new beginnings… But you already know this." Igor said, reminding the two Fools of what their power meant to them. But with a wiggle of his index finger, the two cards suddenly turned into a horizontal formation before spectral images of the number '0' spawned from the face of their respective cards. They hovered there for a while before the two zeroes started to glide towards one another.

Igor continued, "Even though your powers were amplified by the bonds you hold in your heart, the result of a meeting of two Fools is something entirely unique… and something far more greater."

The two zeroes then began to intertwine with each other, dancing in the air like smoke from an extinguished candle. The frantic motions began to die down and it revealed a symbol akin to that of a figure of eight. But it was horizontal rather than vertical, and as soon as the symbols began to solidify, the zeroes became a symbol of infinity.

"Both Fools unlock a new kind of potential," Igor said once again, emphasising his words as he spoke, "The power is infinite still… but it's one that you are both able to obtain. You both have awakened this power—I've seen it inside you… It's a power that gives influence to others from the potential you hold. With it, you shall find the truth in amongst the chaos of your world… Please make note of this."

"Infinite power…" Minato said to himself as he took it all in before turning his attention back to Igor, "But… Why would we need this power? What would we need it for?" Yu looked to Minato as if he had asked the ultimate question. It was all truly amazing that they would even achieve that amount of power, but there was also the question of why such a power needed to be realised. They could take down any amount of Shadows they wanted to with the strength they had at the moment, but something as grand as that potency would need to emerge somewhere down the line for this power to be a necessity.

"I will answer this for you as much as I can…" Igor said before using the same hand again to call forth to the cards that were laid out in a deck on the table. As the cards of all the major arcana rose into the air, the two Fools faded away. The deck began to disperse, and the cards just hovered in a random fashion. Suddenly, with a swiping motion of Igor's wrist, the cards began to shuffle frantically in the air, weaving in an out and spinning almost uncontrollably. They were, however, careful to not let anyone – not even the Velvet Room attendants – see any of their card faces.

Igor then clenched his fist, and the cards immediately stopped their movements, as if they had been frozen in time. They all grouped back together into a new deck and they slowly floated back down onto the centre of the table. He swiped his index finger from one side to the other, picking out two random cards from the deck using an invisible force, and he laid them in front of Yu and Minato.

"These cards – now face-down in front of you – will show your fates depending on what is shown," Igor explained before shaking his head, "Although I am unable to see what lies ahead for you both, these cards connect with a certain event that will await for you in the near future." With one last elegant flourish of his hand, Igor turned the cards over, revealing the sequence of arcana for both Yu and Minato.

In front of Yu was a card that revealed The World Arcana, and the card in front of Minato depicted the Judgement Arcana. XX and XXI.

"World and Judgement." Igor said as he looked to Yu and Minato to search for their expressions. Both looked intrigued by what they were seeing, but it still begged another question from Yu.

"What does this mean?" he asked.

"As I have said, I cannot see any further to make sense of this," Igor explained, "It could mean a number of things. Or perhaps… it could be a number of things. Whatever the interpretation, you shall find this truth."

Yu and Minato nodded, although slightly frustrated at the fact that they were left with another mystery. Things that were left in the dark had been finally revealed during this visit to the Velvet Room, but another big mystery was still yet to be discovered. They asked no more questions and they could only look to Margaret and Elizabeth with the same look of determination.

"We won't keep you here any longer…" Igor said quietly with a quick snap of his fingers.

All of a sudden, a drowsy feeling came over them both; almost to the point of going into a complete sleep. As they drooped their heads, their surroundings became blurry, Igor and the attendants were fading out into black, and the navy colours around them flickered out of view. All they could here was Igor's last few words before their eyelids instantly dropped.

"Until we meet again," he said, "Farewell."

The sensation of weightlessness returned to their bodies, feeling as if they were ascending into nothingness. Their limbs dangled behind their bodies as they felt themselves surfacing. But it didn't take long until the numbness began to subside as they opened their eyes to each other once again.

08/11 – Late Night – The Real World

The first thing they immediately saw was that it was pitch black all around them. As Minato looked to the most nearby window of the hall, he could see that it was already nighttime. He swiftly pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open to look at the time, widening his eyes slightly when he realised how late it was.

"10 o'clock. It's late." Minato said to Yu, rubbing his eyes as he placed his phone back in his pocket to turn on the lamp from his side.

"I forget how much time passes when you're in the Velvet Room." Yu joked, also rubbing his eyes and yawning slightly as he did. Just when he was about to shift in his seat, he could immediately feel a small body pushing against the side of his. He looked down his arm to find that it was Nanako just when she was waking up.

"… Big bro?" she croaked as she turned her head towards Yu. Yu suddenly snapped his head toward Minato, only just realising that Nanako hadn't even met Minato yet, and he could only think about what her reaction might've been if she saw him alive. Minato was also caught off guard by this little girl's sudden appearance. Using his quick-thinking, the bluenette quickly grabbed a nearby sofa cushion and held it in front of his face, acting like he was still asleep before she could fully wake up to see him.

"Nanako…" Yu said as calmly as possible before turning back to her, "… What are you doing here so late?"

"Well, you were sleeping here and I was waiting for you to wake up. I didn't want to see Yukari just by myself." Nanako replied, still tired from her short nap.

"Oh, that's right… I was meant to take you up to see her. Sorry about that."

"It's okay big, Bro Bro. Can we see her tomorrow?"

"Sure thing. I'm sure she won't mind."

"Okay then… Erm, also…"

"Yes, Nanako?"

"Is that… the blue-haired man from the news?"

Minato could only wince, startled by the little girl's perception. When they thought about it, Nanako would've been able to see Minato already if she was waiting beside Yu all this time. Yu was about make up an excuse, but before he could form any words from the amount of stuttering he did, Minato's slowly emerged from behind the cushion. He placed it down beside him with a defeated expression, looking towards Nanako with a nod of his head.

"Erm… Hi," Minato greeted awkwardly with a sad smile, "Nanako, was it?"

"Hi…" Nanako replied nervously, still not so good with first meetings of strangers, "Erm… I see you on the news a lot… But, didn't you... well…?"

Minato nodded his head again, but he just couldn't find the right words to say to her. From what he could tell, she looked about seven or eight years old, and she seemed like she was either Yu's sister or cousin. Nevertheless, at that age, the concepts of life and death were well beyond her, and he didn't want to scare her with the truth of his situation. Even Yu looked at him as if to say 'go easy', but he knew that he needed to simplify it. Minato knew death the hard way at that age; he didn't want Nanako being that fearful, let alone freaked out.

"Do you believe in miracles, Nanako?" Minato asked, leaning forwards slightly in his seat.

"Miracles? Sure I do," she replied with a smile, "I believed in miracles when my heart started beating again after it stopped for a long while."

Minato was quite startled at her reasoning. She explained herself in the way little children do, but he could grasp the fact that Nanako was also able to be resurrected from the dead. The time between her death and her journey back to life was shorter, but there must've been an incredible amount of strength in her to even accomplish that on her own. Minato never expected that, but that only made him admire her more. Nanako might even know what Minato had gone through if she faced death at such a young age.

"That's good," Minato said, also with a smile on his face, "It's good to believe in miracles. When you do, anything can happen, no matter how impossible it is. What happened to you, that was a miracle… and the same thing happened to me."

Yu could only grin at Minato's words. Although he had to cater them to Nanako's beliefs, it sounded as if he believed his own words himself. Minato could only think back on what he said, and it started to make a lot of sense to himself, especially when nothing in their world was ever simple or normal. The power of Personas, the ability to save the world, the will to fight an overwhelming evil; everything was possible even when it seemed impossible. He could only think that miracles, were in fact, a real thing and not just some made-up concept he just plucked out of thin air. If anything, it made Nanako smile even more as if her belief in miracles had amplified. Yu just smiled with her and Minato couldn't help but grin with her. Her happiness was always that contagious and it seemed that even Minato couldn't keep that dull expression on him forever if she was around.

"Heehee, that's right!" Nanako said as the sudden warm feeling inside her blossomed, "That's like something Big Bro would say. You're kinda like him as well!"

There has been many a time where some members from S.E.E.S had made comparisons between Minato and Yu, always saying that they were alike. Even the Investigation Team were on board with that when they got to know Minato better, but now that it was coming from Nanako, it began to feel like it was becoming a real thing. Yu and Minato could only look to one another as they chuckled a bit, but they did find some truth in what she was saying.

Eventually, the conversation began to die down and Nanako was starting to yawn quite frequently. Yu wasn't surprised considering what time it was. He budged her slightly in a brotherly way.

"Are we boring you already?" Yu asked in a jokey fashion, "Looks like it's bedtime for you."

"Awww," Nanako replied with sad puppy eyes, "Can't I see Yukari before I go to bed though? I know we said we can see her tomorrow, but I just want to see her for a little while. I'll be quiet!"

Yu saw her kindness and he knew that she was genuinely concerned for Yukari, but it was already past her bedtime and he didn't want to cause any disturbance. There was no real rush to see her since she was now on the mend, but before Yu could protest, Minato slowly stood up from his seat.

"I was actually going to see her before bed as well. Would you like to come with me, Nanako?" he asked, also motioning his question to Yu with an expression that searched for his approval. It was at this point when Yu realised that he had lost the battle before it even started, but knowing that Minato would keep Nanako in check, he couldn't help but agree to her request.

"Yay! Thank you!" Nanako said, almost like she was eternally grateful to Minato.

"Straight to bed after though, alright?" Yu ordered with a chuckle, rising from his seat and stretching before following them up the stairs.

08/11 – Late Night – Yukari's Room

With a slow twist of the handle and a very gentle push of the door to stop it from creaking, Minato and Nanako entered Yukari's room in the quietest way they could. Nanako walked on her toes and Minato made sure to make his steps as light as possible. Eventually though, they drew up a couple of nearby stools and sat silently at Yukari's bed, watching as she slept peacefully. Minato was at ease knowing that nothing could touch Yukari now, not even in her dreams.

"She looks so beautiful when she sleeps," whispered Nanako, admiring Yukari as she glowed in the moonlight "It's good that she's feeling better now."

"It is," Minato whispered in reply, "Hopefully we won't have to wait too long until she's at her best again."

"I hope so too."

Minato could tell that Nanako had a good heart. He had seen many children in his life who were either bratty or just downright ungrateful. There were a handful of good kids as well, but none of them could compare to the kindness that she had shown that night.

He then thought on Yukari's recovery process. All he could think about was the amount of time it would take for her to finally see again. It could be days, it could be weeks; he just wondered how long he would have to count those days before she could see him in the flesh. That sent his mind racing.

"If I had the power, I could cure her of everything. Nothing would hold her back then." Minato whispered again, focusing his eyes on the blindfold Yukari was wearing. Nanako could hear the sadness in his voice as he said this, and her innocence told her to do something about it.

"'Anything can happen, no matter how impossible it is.'" She quoted, immediately attracting Minato's attention.

"Hm?" he hummed, recognising the words he said to her.

"That's what you said. If you believe in miracles, she'll wake up soon."

Nanako had probably taken his words too close to heart for that to be true, but Minato felt that she was right in some way. He had no idea whether she would wake up a few weeks ago from that moment or if she would wake up much sooner than that. Anything can happen, and it could happen the next day.

"Hmm… You're right, Nanako," he said to her, still keeping Nanako's belief intact, "Yukari's a strong person, I know. We just need to let the miracle work its magic."

The little brunette felt good in herself knowing that she had cheered Minato up a bit, but it wasn't before long when she was starting to yawn again. The bluenette saw this and grinned.

"Am I boring you already?" he asked in jest, mirroring what Yu had asked her before, "Shall I walk with you to your room?"

"No, thank you. My room's only just down the hallway." Nanako replied, rubbing her eyes as she sat up from her stool.

"Okay then. Make sure you stay quiet on the way out, alright?"

"I will, no problem."

"Goodnight, Nanako. It was nice to meet you."

"It was good to meet you too! Nuh-night."

After tippy-toeing her way out of Yukari's room, Nanako gently closed the door behind her before making her way back to her room, which was only a few steps away. Before he knew it, Minato was left alone in Yukari's room. He continued to watch her as her chest rose and fall in steady movements; the soothing sound of her breath as it left her lips was all he could hear, and the moonlight that came in through her window just made her seem so radiant. He could see how two years had made her more mature in the face, but it was as Nanako had described her. She was just beautiful.

He then thought on what he said about miracles and he thought more still on how Nanako had harkened him back to those words of wisdom. The thought of miracles comforted him a bit, and he felt more hopeful the more he thought about Yukari waking up the next day. It was somewhat motivating for him, but he soon realised something else. His eyes widened when he remembered what was said in the Velvet Room.

"'You both have awakened this power—I've seen it inside you… It's a power that gives influence to others from the potential you hold.'" said the voice of Igor that echoed in his mind as he reminded himself of the power he now held.

"Infinite power…" he whispered to himself again, looking into the palm of his hand, "… No matter how impossible it is."

He then looked to the sleeping Yukari and realised what he was able to do. Her blindness that was holding her back from seeing him – without her knowing – could finally be cured, and all in time before the next day. All he had to do was to use his own potential to fix her.

Minato moved closer towards the bed and leaned over the mattress slightly. He found one of her hands laying flat in front of her and he proceeded to place his own hand on hers, gently so that she would not be disturbed by his touch. What happened next took him by surprise.

A faint indigo aura began to surround his hand and he could feel the power that was emanating from it. It lit the pink duvet that Yukari was sleeping in, and the more Minato focused on its potency, the warmer it felt. It floated in wavy motions, dancing around their hands as it swirled and weaved. The aura then began to settle into Yukari's hand, allowing itself to be absorbed into her skin. She never noticed this going on, but Minato could feel himself connecting with her as this was happening; he could feel her mind and the remedying effect his power was giving to her. It was like he was mending her piece by piece. Eventually, the aura began to fade with the last remnants of power entering Yukari's body.

"Get well soon, Yukari." Minato whispered to his lover as he softly rubbed her hand with his thumb, safe in the knowledge that tomorrow will bring good things.

And there you have it for Chapter Fifty-One! I dearly hope you enjoyed it. Sorry that these chapters are not coming out fast enough – you'll know the reason by now, but please do look forward to future chapters when they come out! Keep reading and reviewing and I shall see you again in the next chapter! CYA!