[video]

[greatseal]

[The camera is slightly obscured - it's clearly Minako, but the watch's camera isn't being held at the proper angle to show her entire face. She's smiling, though.]

Hello, Hinoto-ri! I don't want to take up too much of your time, because I know a lot of people are busy right now, but I have a story to tell, if you're willing to listen!

Once upon a time, a girl grew up all alone. One by one, the people she cared about disappeared from her life. The girl kept smiling and trying to make friends, but deep down, she knew the truth. Eventually, those friends would leave her too. Her destiny was to be left behind.

Then one day, the girl was given a choice. Disappear quietly along with the world and the people you care about, or give up everything to save them - including her soul. Her sacrifice meant the world would live, but she would still be alone. Forever.

[She pauses, the cheerful smile still on her lips.]

Which choice do you think the girl made?

[and then she leans forward, finally opening her eyes to reveal bright, yellow irises.]

Which choice should I have made?

Comments

[greatsealed]

Looks like I struck a nerve... I'm sorry, Eikichi-kun. I don't mean to be trouble for you.

[Locked]

[themortalhalf]

[His brows furrow and he frowns. Things are definitely off. ...With everything that's been going on with the city, something else happening to affect the lot of them is just what needed to happen.]

...Then what's the point?

[deathboss]

[He's noticed your eyes by now. It's weird since the COMPS seem to accept this as Minako. Definitely a Zodiac effect of some sort. Already walking out, he adds in the most glacial tone.]

Yeah. No problem.

[He's gonna get to the bottom of this.]

[greyerrant]

There's no question. Save the world.

[greatsealed]

[Well she's just going to be hanging around over by the Moonlight Bridge... because that's clearly the best place to be, right?

Her other self might think so, too. If she waits long enough, maybe she'll arrive.]

[aurathread]

No. But Minako's kinder than I am. She would have made the right choice, rather than... than the selfish one.

[Though he's not as bad anymore... still.]

[greatsealed]

Even though it meant giving up your entire self for people who never gave you anything?

[greatsealed]

Oh, she made the 'right' choice. After all... You can't be selfish without a real 'self' to lose.

[greyerrant]

That's the entire reason i exist.

[Locked]

[greatsealed]

[The smile finally falters a little.]

The point? Aside from her need to play the martyr being entirely ridiculous?

I just want everyone else to understand exactly what they've put me through.

[greatsealed]

Well, then. That makes you and I the same.

[greyerrant]

[ The armored figure removes his helmet. ]

Is that so bad, really?

[Locked]

[themortalhalf]

[Ah. Is that how she feels most of the time, or is this just... a Zodiac effect doing the talking for her?]

It wasn't a choice you should have had to make.

[It was never really fair. He's sure most people would agree on that. He also thinks that, to those that matter anyway, they understand the last part plenty. There just wasn't anything they could have done to stop it.]

[Locked]

[greatsealed]

[Most of the time would be overstating it, but as it's a Shadow... these are repressed feelings, finally coming to a boil. And as she'd said, Minako is very good at repressing feelings.]

No. It wasn't.

But then, it wasn't really a choice at all.

[greatsealed]

'I' would say no.

[The Shadow, however, looks less than pleased. Not at Garviel, but her own situation.]

[greyerrant]

And yet... you hesitate when you say that. Why? [ His grey eyes will lock with her yellow, and a gentle look passes over his very, very stern-looking face. ]

Video, Private

[otakuro]

M-Minako...

[There weren't that many people in Hinoto-Ri who knew exactly what she was talking about, probably. Atsuro seems stunned for a moment that she would throw this out so casually.]

Did something happen? Are you sure you want to be talking about stuff like this?

Video, Private

[greatsealed]

[The real Minako doesn't. But this one is frustrated and determined to throw private matters public.]

What's the point in not talking about it? It won't change the truth.

[video]

[boxingemperor]

...

[Well, he certainly wasn't expecting to hear this. Leave it to shadows to tell it all. But that's what they do. They bare the soul, no matter how cruel the truths are.]

[otakuro]

That's true. ...I mean, if it were me, I might want to go around shouting for everyone to respect me as the Savior of the World, but...

[Well he had saved the world, just not the same way.]

But you never seemed to want to make a big deal out of it.

[video]

[greatsealed]

[It's good that Akihiko has more experience with Shadows than the rest of them. Minako's going to need the help.]

What about you, senpai? What do you think I should have done?

[greatsealed]

I only 'saved the world' from itself. Every person that I saved was part of the problem in the first place.

[otakuro]

...I never got the details on that, but I can imagine.

[The lockdown had revealed human nature for what it really was. A few shining points of hope here and there, but more than anything... chaos and despair.]

The people you saved... You decided then that it was worth it, right? You decided that even if you would never be thanked, it had to be done.

...Are you regretting it, now?

[greatsealed]

[that gets straight to the heart of the Shadow's conflict.]

What puts them above me? Why do they deserve to live when I don't? Why am I the one who has to be left alone?

[greatsealed]

Living day after day with people who have lives and homes to return to... With friends and family that disappear, too...

Wouldn't you regret it, Atsuro-kun?