Author's Notes: So I just recently finished playing Persona 3, and god I am sad. Brilliant game. Seriously. I haven't actually played P3P, but my friend has it and I've watched scenes on Youtube, so hopefully I didn't make too many mistakes with the differences when playing the FemC. Sorry for anything out of order and things that people know but aren't supposed to (?) and yeah… oAo

-For clarification, in the beginning where Minako recalls her "breakdown", I was going for that at the same moment; it was when Minato died in a parallel universe. Since they sort of have a 'connection', both being protagonists of P3/P.

-5/12/11: complexities has brought to my attention that a similar fic, "yes is a world" by cartoon moomba exists; I have read it and the ideas and general flow of the story are pretty similar...I had no idea that a similar fic existed. :S There was no intent to copy or plagarize cartoon moomba's work. D: Any similarities were pure coincidence, I swear. I was moping around after finishing P3, lying in bed one night, and was thinking about other fics where the game is 'reset' and either Minako or Minato see each other going through the same events. But since I have this symbolism thing for mirrors, I was like, "hey, if they met through a mirror, and they both go to Heaven together..." and bam, 'Mirror' was born.

I thought it was original work but I guess someone beat me to the idea? :'D;;;;
/awkwardawkwardawkward

Mirror

…:.:.:.::.::.::.::.:.:.:…

She saw him there sometimes, trapped by glass,

And she fell in love with someone on the other side of the mirror…

"Are you lonely?" she asked one time,

And he only looked at her with those painful silver eyes.

"…"

She didn't understand, but one day she would join him on the other side of the mirror.

April 7, 2009:

Strange.

Minako Arisato shuffled her way to the Gekkoukan dorm, glancing around as she avoided the puddles of what seemed to be blood (but it couldn't be…right?) around her. The coffins were an obviously unnatural occurrence, and the moon was so…different. Yellow-green, instead of glowing white. There seemed to be no one else around—nothing electronic seemed to be in operation either; her MP3 player had suddenly died, and she was sure that it had been fully charged. She looked around warily, especially at the red and black coffins.

But that wasn't the only thing that was strange. During the month her transfer had been decided, something shattered inside of her. Not physically—but she heard the sound of breaking glass and suddenly, tears were rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't understand why, and the only thing she could do was sit there and hug herself to try and stop trembling. Thankfully she was in her room at the time, so no one tried to ask her what was wrong or if she needed help. She stopped crying and everything went along as normal after that. She still never understood the reason why.

When she finally reached the dorm, she hurried inside, glad to finally have reached the place. Taking off her headphones, she glanced around again. At least this place seemed normal.

"You're late. I've been waiting a long time for you."

She blinked at the sudden sound, turning to face a young boy with the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. He looked at her amusedly, then snapped his fingers and gestured to a red booklet to his right.

"Now if you want to proceed, please sign your name there. It's a contract. Don't worry, it just says that you accept full responsibility for your actions. Don't worry. The usual stuff."

Oh, she supposed to needed to sign in since she was a new student and all. Picking up the feathered pen, Minako quickly scanned over the wording and neatly scripted her name on the line.

I, Minako Arisato, chooseth this fate of mine own free will.

She looked up at the boy expectantly, placing down the pen. She had to admit, the wording was a little strange, but who was she to question one of the most prestigious high schools in the country?

The blue-eyed boy took the little red booklet, smiling.

"No one can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end. You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes…"

Minako blinked again, having expecting him to tell her how to proceed next. But before she could ask him what he meant, a somewhat unnatural darkness began to fall over the room. The boy's eyes glowed, and he was still smiling at her. He held out his hand, but not for her to take.

"And so it begins…"

Oh, it did indeed begin.

And then she started seeing him on the other side of the mirror.

It was the next day that he appeared. When she had come back from school, she had gone straight to her room and was prepared to relax. She had begun tugging off her shirt, spinning around to find another shirt to put on, and then stopped dead.

There was someone else in her room.

Minako prepared herself to scream, letting her shirt fall back into place, lunging for the nearest object that she could find (which only happened to be a book, unfortunately). The scream died in her throat when she saw his image.

He was certainly handsome. His messy, navy blue hair fell over his left eye, revealing one bluish-silver eye peeking out mysteriously. He was dressed in the Gekkoukan school uniform.

The boy stared at her confusedly.

He was handsome, but that certainly wasn't going to stop her from knocking him out with her hardcover textbook unless he had a damn good reason.

"Who are you?" Minako threatened dangerously. "Answer me, now!"

The stranger stared at her, and then himself, and then reached out. She prepared herself for some form of assault. But he never came near her. There was a silence, and it took a while for Minako to notice that he wasn't even physically in her room.

He was inside the mirror.

She blinked at him, and then slowly drew closer, placing her fingertips on the glass. "What the...?" she whispered, feeling nothing but the smooth surface. She could not feel the warmth of his skin or the fabric of his uniform.

His eyes traveled over to her wall, and suddenly he slammed his hand against the glass. Minako was startled at the sudden violent motion, stepping backwards, but there was no vibration, no shatter, no sound of his fist against the mirror.

And suddenly, he disappeared as strangely as he had appeared.

School was spent thinking about the stranger in her room. She asked Yukari about a boy that might fit the description, since Yukari mainly knew everyone.

"Why, what's up?" the junior asked curiously. Minako shook her head.

"Oh no, I got lost looking for the café yesterday and he pointed me in the right direction," she lied. It was easy to come up with such a thing because even if this was where she'd lived ten years ago, it had changed quite a bit. She was the new girl, and it was easy to pretend she was lost. "He looked our age, so I wanted to thank him."

"Oooh. Were you thinking of applying for a job at Changall? It's a nice place, and they pay well, we should work together…"

The bell rang soon afterwards, so they returned to their seats. Of course she couldn't tell anyone about a mysterious boy in her room, how would that sound? They'd surely think she was crazy, even if her dormmates were a little strange about the previous night themselves.

She spent the day thinking about him, and for some reason she didn't expect to see him again. But there he was, inside her mirror, staring out miserably when she returned to her room.

Minako blinked at him, and he blinked at her.

"…Hi," she said unsurely. He tilted his head slightly in response. So he could hear her, although he was trapped inside the glass of her mirror.

"…Who are you?" she asked, setting down her bag and sitting down in front of the mirror. The boy looked at her skeptically.

…Minato Arisato.

She blinked again, partly because of his name, partly because she could hear him talking.

"O-Oh," she said, "I…I'm Minako Arisato. Strange similarity, eh?"

Minato looked equally surprised that they were communicating. But then his expression returned to a nonchalant, unreadable mask and he shrugged.

I suppose. Hey…

She followed his eyes to the calendar again.

Is that…date right?

"Hm? Um, yeah. It's April 8th, 2009. Why?"

His stare was blank now—blanker than before. A long silence passed between them, before Minako nervously asked him what was wrong. There was a slight shift in his expression, as if he was making a split second decision.

…

He focused his eyes onto her, but she couldn't read what he was thinking at all. It was strange, because she was usually good at sensing what others were feeling.

…It's a full moon tonight.

"W-What?"

When the time comes, pull the trigger.

"T-Trigger?"

Trust me.

And the mirror went blank.

April 9th, 2009 / (Dark Hour)

That night, when the time came, she did trust him. Her heart was pounding frantically, staring at the monster before her, wanting to do something but not sure what she could do. But she had seen Yukari put the gun to her head, and then she remembered his words.

She lifted the gun to her head and felt the cold metal through her hair.

Go on…

She also remembered that strange boy; and somehow, she felt him speaking to her…beckoning her to do what she wanted to do…

Minako pulled the trigger, heard the sound of shattering glass, and…

"I am thou, and thou art I…I am Eurydice, goddess dearly beloved…"

For some reason, when she fainted, she thought of his face. When her eyes closed, she saw his eyes open, and all she could think was, why does he look so sad…?

And so the circle of life continues…

As time went on, he merely told her things and disappeared.

Pull the left lever.

She saved them from crashing into another train. It was her, Yukari, and Junpei's first mission; it was already a little nerve wracking to be executing the plan (and all according to her instructions; while she didn't mind being the leader, she hadn't exactly conducted an operation like this before), and as the train sped up, it did nothing for their nerves. Even when they defeated that huge priestess, they only had about a minute and thirty seconds left before they and many other passengers would die from a massive collision.

Minako—no, Minato saved their lives. She told Yukari and Junpei it had been a lucky guess, but she had placed her trust in the blue-haired boy in the mirror and was certain that they wouldn't die.

And that was always a comforting thought to have.

The emperor is weak against magic; the empress is weak against physical attacks.

Fuuka's rescue was an almost desperate one. The girl had been gone for ten days in real-time; ten hours in Dark Hour-time. But ten hours was enough to get anyone killed in Tartarus, with shadows crawling all over the place. And who knows what floor she was on and how strong the shadows were.

Thankfully, Fuuka had found them soon after she, Junpei, and Akihiko met up after being separated. They were so immensely glad that the quiet girl was safe, and were surprised to hear about her scouting ability. Also thankfully, they made it to Yukari and Mitsuru before they were to critically injured by the Empress and Emperor.

Fuuka's scanning ability was highly useful in the battle, but having a little extra knowledge beforehand was still beneficial. The battle was finished quickly.

…Clear your mind. Break the red mirrors.

She was personally grateful to have a warning beforehand. Minako wasn't exactly comfortable going to Shirakawa Boulevard in the first place; plus, the look Minato gave her when he gave her that piece of advice was…she wasn't sure, but he just seemed the tiniest bit embarrassed. Anyway, she was glad she was awake before Akihiko-senpai came out of the shower in nothing but a towel.

She was really eager to defeat the shadow this time, so she was especially grateful for Minato's heads-up.

There's two. Just fight.

There was nothing special about his advice this time, but it comforted her. It made her feel like she was doing things right.

…Giga spark. Be prepared.

Minako had always hated getting shocked. She made sure to have an electricity-resistant persona backing her up. Shinji-senpai's Castor was pretty strong, too, so the fight went quickly.

She was happy to have such a strong ally.

…Good luck. And…stay strong.

She was confused at his lack of advice this time, but she understood later. Minako took a while chipping down at the Strength Arcana's health, but Fortune was easy enough. She, in fact, had very good luck. But she would have traded all the luck in the world to prevent what happened next…

Later, when she came back…she sobbed. She knew that Minato would understand because he had predicted this in the way he had warned her about all the other events. She leaned against the mirror as she cried, and his silent, understanding presence was comforting. But Shinjiro-senpai wouldn't be coming back to fight with them any more…she knew that fighting shadows was not a game, it was a serious mission, but perhaps idealistically, she had never expected one of her precious allies to be near death, with such a little chance of living because of the suppressants that he took…

…Strega…and, your final boss. Break the statues.

Once she heard his words, all she could think about was her final mission.

Yet, as she defeated the enemies that had put Shinjiro-senpai into his critical state, she felt pity as she watched them slip themselves over the edge of the railing…

But Mitsuru prompted them forward. The last shadow, and the end of the Dark Hour…

It's not over yet.

Finally, one, day, she decided to question him.

"Who…or what are you?" she asked one night before the full moon, once he told her that Ikutsuki was a traitor. He told her to prepare for another death, because the bluntness seemed to help keep her mind straight. But it hurt to know that for whatever reason, she couldn't prevent the deaths…"How do you know all this?"

…I'm dead is what I am.

Minako's eyes widened, and instinctively reached out a hand that he couldn't take. He put his hand against the glass to be polite.

You…

He looked unsure of himself this time, which was strange. He barely ever showed emotion, always a cool and collected composure. But he turned and began to walk away, into the depths of the mirror.

"Wait!" she called, then quickly falling silent in case someone else in the dorm heard her. When he turned, cool eyes on her, she hesitated. "Will you…talk with me?"

They had never actually held a conversation before. And he still didn't tell her how he knew the future, but she decided not to push it and simply follow his guidance.

Minato walked back after a moment, and sat down.

From then on, she saw the boy in the mirror more than just sometimes, and she enjoyed their time together.

December 2nd, 2009

"Are you lonely inside there?" she asked him. Minato looked at her, those silver eyes always unreadable. But this time, she saw the pain in his eyes, she saw the profound sadness. She almost expected tears, even though it was not like his personality to do so, so she leaned her forehead against the mirror as a sign of comfort. She didn't know how it would help him, but it felt right.

When Minako opened her eyes she saw that he was leaning against the mirror as well. If there was no glass between them, their foreheads would be touching.

…I was in your position once. I don't know why I'm here, unable to do anything.

"Do you think you were given a second chance? Do you think you could get out?" Minako whispered, accepting his explanation easily. It made sense, as to why he knew the majority of her future...

His head was still against the glass, looking downward.

No…I'm here to witness the second Fall. And to make sure it is sealed once more.

She wasn't exactly what the Fall referred to; he had only mentioned it once before as something bad, and that she was the savoir. "Oh, well…it will, won't it? I mean, after all, I'm here to make sure of that!"

She held her breath when Minato offered her a tiny small—so small, just the ghost of a curve on his lips, but it was enough to make her wish that she could hold his hand. She had to be strong, for the ghost inside in the mirror as well, who had been in her position once…

But the way his eyes looked, the way they were so desperately sad…

I…you are the messiah. You'll have to do what's right.

"Of course! I'm prepared to do anything."

…

The conversation fell silent, and Minato just stared at her until she shifted uncomfortably. He glanced upward, and then to the calendar. He kept forgetting that he couldn't see the sky.

…Fight hard.

He stood and turned. Minako watched him go, inside her mirror where she couldn't reach out to grab his arm even if she tried.

She wondered if this was the last time she would see him, and suddenly she felt cold.

But she couldn't call for him to come back because he was already gone.

December 4th, 2009

There was too much to deal with.

It was an overwhelming amount to take in, because while Minato had mentioned the Fall, the impact of what it would mean didn't hit her until the night with Ryoji. Her friend inside the mirror had understated the situation massively when he described it as something bad. It was his personality, she knew, but still.

Ryoji Mochizuki was Death, he was the Appraiser. He would call upon Nyx and the world would be destroyed.

She had to prevent it. Minako Arisato would do everything in her power to prevent it, because she felt that it was right, because this was her mission.

And…wasn't this what she was fated to do?

You're the messiah. You'll have to do what's right.

She wondered if Minato had felt this way, she wondered if he had been given this exact choice.

He didn't appear in her mirror for several days—a few weeks, and it made sense to her because she had to concentrate on what to do. She missed talking to him, though, because he was the only one who could understand what she was going through. She was strong, but she couldn't help but have her own doubts.

What if she wasn't strong enough? What if something went wrong? What if she couldn't protect her friends?

Standing here, in Tartarus, alone was a more domineering task than she'd originally thought…but she had to do this, she had to get stronger…

Fight hard. Just do what you always do.

Minako knew what her friend inside the mirror would say, and smiled. She clutched her naginata and prepared herself for a personal training harder than Akihiko's regime.

January 30th, 2009

The last day before the promised day, she saw Minato in her mirror again. He was leaning forward, forehead pressed against the glass, headphones playing music that she would never hear.

…Hey. He greeted.

"Hey yourself," she responded tiredly. "Long time no see."

…

"What's wrong?" She asked, plopping herself down in the mirror. She was happy that he was here. She was ready for tomorrow, but it helped to have someone to talk to.

…You good?

"I think so…the promised day is tomorrow. As the messiah, I've got to be prepared, right?" she smiled brightly, despite her fatigue. She had her strongest personas prepared, courtesy of Igor and Theo, and her mind was ready. Minato smiled, one of his tiny smiles that was barely perceptible but a smile nonetheless. But then he adapted one of his sad looks again.

Hey. When you think you're down, think again.

Minako raised an eyebrow at his obscure advice. He stared back at her.

…Trust me.

She smiled. "You know I always do."

He held his hand up against the glass, and she put hers up as well. She could almost imagine the feel of his hand.

…I'll see you soon.

She nodded, not really understanding the meaning of his words.

…:.:.:.::.::.::.::.:.:.:…

Maybe he lied.

She didn't see him after the battle. Minako knew that it was right to trust him, because when she was filled with fear at the thought of losing everyone that was close to her because she wasn't strong enough, her friends gave her hope. She stood up when she thought that she couldn't, and in one blinding moment, sealed away Nyx.

She expected to see him that night, or the next day, but he wasn't there. A month had passed already.

Maybe he lied…

But she had been sleeping an awful lot lately. And early too; maybe she was missing his visits as she slept.

But she couldn't keep her eyes open; it was just so hard…

It was also hard to deal with the loss of her friends' memories. But she knew they would remember; they promised to meet on graduation day. And she trusted that they wouldn't forget her. Aigis had remembered in the morning, and Minako was so happy. The anti-shadow weapon had insisted on waiting on the rooftop with her, but the wild card insisted that Aigis sit in on the graduation ceremony for the experience.

Now, Minako sat on the rooftop waiting for them, feeling the breeze on her face. She let her hair down for once, letting it flow in the wind. It was so beautiful today, so sunny, so warm…

Laying down on the bench, she stared into the sky. It was so blue…she would never see the green sky of the Dark Hour ever again. After this, they would all just hang out and take vacations and talk together…

She was…so sleepy…

It…wouldn't hurt to…take a nap while…she waited…when they came…they would…wake her up…

Slowly, her eyelids blocked out the blue sky.

…:.:.:.::.::.::.::.:.:.:…

She woke up nestled in unfamiliar arms. It took a while to register this, and she opened her eyes groggily, eyelids fluttering open as she looked up to see who was cradling her so comfortably.

Silver eyes and blue hair…

"Minato-kun…?" she whispered, reaching up a hand. She cupped his cheek, and she could feel the touch of his skin.

"…Hey." He greeted, taking her hand with his own. "Good work."

"Ah…yeah…" Minako smiled, propping herself up slowly, waking from her dreamy stupor. "It's done now, then? I said I would do what was right, didn't I?" she said proudly.

He simply smiled at her (but what was the meaning behind that mixed expression?) and helped her up. Her legs felt shaky for a second, but he helped her stabilize. She turned to see where they were, because everything was just white and nothing else, and she never remembered a place like this…

…Behind her, she saw her room through a glass window.

She looked back and Minato, who didn't meet her gaze. He was staring straight ahead, as he had always done when he conversed with her in her room.

Ah…she understood now. This was her fate, this was what Pharos had meant when he said that time delivered us all to the same end…

Memento mori; remember that you are mortal, remember that you will die…

Yes.

Minako Arisato was indeed mortal. And she accepted it.

She smiled at Minato and grabbed his hand, turning away from the image of her room. He looked at her skeptically, as if he didn't believe that she could be so happy under the circumstances.

No, she wasn't happy about her situation per say. But it made sense to her. It made sense that in sealing away Nyx to prevent the end of the world, she had to give her life. She was the messiah, and she had prepared for death the moment she picked up her evoker.

Minato Arisato had gone through the same thing. She hugged him then, because it was something she had always longed to do; more than to just hold his hand and comfort him, she wanted to feel him and know who he was.

She felt his arms around her, and they stayed like that for a long time. She could feel the tears running down her face, because even though she did what was right and would never take back what she had done for anything in the world, she would still never see or interact with her friends ever again…

When the two broke apart, they leaned in to let their foreheads touch for a moment.

"…"

Even without words, Minako was comforted by the presence of her fellow messiah next to her. They shared the same thought for a moment as they stared at each other; for now that their mission was done, there was only one thing left to do.

She smiled through her tears, and they held hands again. They took slow, even steps forward, no shadows cast upon the pure white flooring. When they neared, they smiled at each other before proceeding together.

And they stepped into the light.