Prompt: The Strength of Two Sisters (Persona) (Patreon)

Summary: There is only so much a person can go through alone. There is only so much even Makoto Niijima could take, before she snaps and lashes out. Thankfully, she is far from alone. Includes: Non-smut

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“Sae, wait!” 

Sae came to a stop as she turned around and looked at her little sister. The small girl almost tripped on her two feet as she ran to her sister. Makoto was trying to catch her breath as her older sister struggled not to laugh.

The silver-haired woman could hear their father’s laughter from the kitchen. He leaned his out so he got a better look as Makoto stomped her little foot down.

“You were gonna leave without me!” she pouted.

“Nonsense,” Sae replied. “I would have waited outside.” The taller girl crouched down and gently placed her hands on her sister’s cheeks. The brunette’s lower lip quivered as Sae smiled. “I would never abandon you, sis. Never ever.”

“You promise? Cause I saw you walking to the door!”

“I promise I was just going to wait outside.” Makoto didn’t seem that convinced, so Sae lifted her pinky and wrapped it around the child’s. “I swear to tell the truth, and only the truth to my little sister. If I don’t, I accept punishment of my sister’s choosing.”

“I want to do your makeup tomorrow!” Makoto beamed, and her sister flinched, showing fear in her eyes for a moment. The small predator didn’t notice or didn’t care as she grinned. “That’s your punishment if you ever lie to me! And cake! You have to give me cake!”

“Alright, alright.” Sae ruffled her sister’s hair, feeling the small, blue band she used to keep hair out of her eyes. “Do you believe me now?”

“Hmmm… I guess so,” the child nodded with a playful grin. 

“Good. Now, we should start getting to school before it’s…” Sae paused, glancing down as she noticed the small toy in Makoto’s hand. A white stuffed animal, with a blue hat on his head. “Makoto, were you planning on bringing Jack with you to school?”

“No…?” Makoto turned her scarlet eyes away, trying to hide the small, stuffed animal behind her back. “I just wanted to show him off to my classmates.”

“Is that so?” The brunette hugged her stuffed animal tightly to her chest, knowing she had been caught. “Have the other kids been picking on you again…?” she whispered. Her sister said nothing, only looking away. Sae frowned, before nodding her head. “Alright, Makoto. You can bring Jack to school. In fact, why don’t I walk you all the way there?”

“Huh? But won’t you be late for class, sis?”

“It’d be worth it just so I can spend a bit more time with my favorite little sister,” Sae promised. Makoto’s scarlet eyes lit up at that statement, and she nodded her head quickly. She held her stuffed Jack Frost doll in her left, before giving her right hand to her sister.   

“Really? Yay! Okay!” Makoto clung to her sister as the two said goodbye to their father. They closed the door behind them as they walked to the youngest child’s school. Neither said anything at first, giving Sae enoguh time to think about what she would say to Makoto’s teacher.

The silverette hoped the teacher could help her take care of this bullying problem. Sae would hate to step in, but she would if that was what her sister, and best friend, needed. 

000

Ren was arrested several days ago, but the wound still felt fresh to Makoto Niijima. The hole her boyfriend left behind had seemed to suck the life out of her, and now the battle to save her other half was only making it worse. 

Makoto rubbed her temples as the TV shattered her concentration.

“And protests arise as Shido’s trial continues. Despite confessions from the political candidate himself, many are questioning the truth to his statements, and the circumstances of-”

The brunette turned the TV off and sighed, taking a long, slow breath. She tried to enjoy the moment of silence, but her phone’s beeping shattered that hope. Makoto was tempted to just leave it alone. It was just a text message...

She sighed, picking up her phone on the table and looking it over. A text from Ryuji. ‘Hey, Queen! How goes the case for our leader? We’re counting on ya! Hit me back when you have a chance.’ Makoto groaned, dropping the phone and letting it fall onto the ground.

The scarlet-eyed woman fell back, resting on the sofa’s cushions as she took another long, deep breath. She knew Ryuji had good intentions, but the text alone was like another cinderblock on her back. So much was riding on her, so much had happened to her…

It might have been selfish to say, but no one in the Phantom Thieves was hurt as much as Makoto was when Ren was arrested. They were boyfriend and girlfriend. Lovers. He was her other half, and she longed to be complete again.

The conflict with the so-called God of Control was still fresh in her memories. She remembered her body evaporating, She could feel the numb sensation as her limbs vanished, bit by bit… That same feeling had been haunting her dreams lately, making her even more exhausted. 

Not to mention Shido’s trial was still ongoing. Even with Ren’s sacrifice, the man could walk free…

And, of course, the Phantom Thieves looked to Makoto for support. To lead them in reclaiming their leader... It was exhausting, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take. 

“Makoto?” Her sister’s voice brought her back to reality, and Makoto looked at the older woman. “Dinner’s ready.”

“Right. Coming, sis.”

---

Sae wasn’t ignorant, or oblivious. In fact, she tended to think of herself as a highly intelligent, aware woman. Of course, that was a double edge sword. It made her powerful in the courtroom, but it also made her painfully aware of those she was around.

Like how she was painfully aware of her sister’s poor mood. 

Makoto was quietly eating her food, and there was a heavy tension in the air, mixed with silence. Sae tried to break the silence, speaking up. “The case against Shido is going well. I think we should have him soon.”

No response. 

“It hasn’t been easy, but it’ll be worth it once he’s behind bars. .”

“That’s easy for you to say…”

Sae blinked, lifting her eyes from her food. “I’m… sorry?” Makoto looked away, and the silver-haired woman tried to call out to her. “Makoto, what did you say?” Her tone came out harsher than she had wanted it to, but the damage had already been done.

“I said, it’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one in jail, Sae. You didn’t fight for your life against monsters trying to put Shido behind bars. You haven’t had to give up your freedom for your beliefs!” Makoto’s voice rose with every sentence, until she was practically shouting at her sister, clapping her hand against the table.  

“Makoto, calm down! You-”

“Why did you have to lock him up…?” The question was quiet, but it silenced Sae mid-sentence. The brunette looked up at her sister, fists shaking. “Ren was a good person. He was kind, and strong, and I loved him, but you stabbed him in the back...”

“I didn’t-”

But Makoto refused to let her sister speak. “He didn’t even tell me what was happening. I had to find out from Sojiro what happened to him. You didn’t even have the strength to tell me!” Her red eyes weighed with so much anger. Tears pooled in the corners as her sister put her foot down.

“It was the only way to win! To defeat Shido, Ren had to make a sacrifice. He understood that and agreed.”

Makoto scoffed, shaking her head. “Of course. You had to win.” Sae had never seen her sister so… broken. There was so much rage in her eyes, so much hate, and it was all aimed at Sae. It made the older woman freeze as Makoto continued her tirade. “That’s all you’ve ever had to care about. Even after everything we’ve done, it’s still all you want. You want to win, you have to win. You’re just as corrupted as Shido!” 

Sae felt like her heart had just been struck with a hammer. Her eyes widened as she struggled to say something. “I… M-Makoto, that isn’t true.”

“Save it. I don’t want to hear it.” The brunette stood up from her seat and left her food half eaten. Without another word, she walked to her room, leaving Sae alone at the table. The younger sister didn’t offer a glance, or stop to look at the older woman. 

Makoto just walked into her room and closed the door behind her. 

---

It was hours until Sae spoke to her sister again. Makoto laid on her bed, shame bubbling in her gut as she listened to her phone ring with messages from her friends. She just couldn’t take the sound anymore, so she took her phone and turned it off. 

The silence was blissful, and she closed her eyes, falling asleep to the thought of Ren’s arms around her, and his lips on hers. 

Then there was a low knocking, and Makoto lifted herself up from her bed. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was there. “Come in…”

Sae entered the room, a plate in her hand with a small sandwich on it. “You didn’t finish dinner. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t hungry…” She walked towards her sister, who nodded her head.

“Thanks,” Makoto mumbled, taking the plate and putting it on a small nightstand beside her bed. Her sister didn’t leave, quietly standing by the bed as if she wanted to say something.

There was another long, painful silence, before Makoto broke it. “I’m sorry.” Her head hung low as she sat on her bed, feet on the ground. “I shouldn’t have… said what I said. I had no right to blow up on you like that.”

“It’s alright, Makoto.” Sae reached her hand towards her sister’s shoulder, but Makoto flinched away.

“No, it isn’t. Everything has been… It’s been too much for me to handle. I’ve tried my best to be strong, but between my time as a Phantom Thief, the others looking at me as the leader, to Ren’s arrest, it’s just… I’m not strong enough to deal with all of it. I just… I can’t do everything by myself. ” 

Sae heard something from her sister that hadn’t heard in a long time. Makoto squeezed her arms as she hugged herself, fighting back tears, but it was a losing battle. Sae watched as her sister began to crack…

“I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you. That was wrong, and stupid, and… and childish…” Makoto let out a shaky sigh. “I’m sorry, sis. It’s just...”

Sae tried again to place her hand on Makoto’s shoulder, and the younger sister allowed it this time.

“...I’m trying my best, but what if Shido walks free? What if Ren stays in jail? What if they pin other crimes on him, and he’s stuck there forever? I can’t… I don’t want to imagine a life without him. He shouldn’t be suffering for what happened! All he’s ever done is try to do the right thing, but he’s being punished for it!”

The words hung in the air, but Sae could connect the dots. Ren was a lot like their father. A good man who just wanted to help people, and who was punished for it. 

Makoto fell onto the bed, lifting her legs onto it as she curled up. “I’m sorry. I-I don’t want to come off as weak, I just...I need some time to acclimate. I can meet everyone’s expectations, I just-”

“You are stronger than most people twice your age. I’ve seen it for myself. Your desire for justice, your intellect, your passion… You are a good person, Makoto. Better, you are an amazing person. With strength I wish I had…”

Makoto’s eyes widened, even as she faced the wall. Her sister looked away, staring at the floor as she went on. “I’m sorry for Ren’s arrest. I truly wish there was another option. I wish I could have taken the punishment. What I asked from Ren is something no one your age should have to deal with, but there was no other option.”

“I know. I just… I hate that it had to happen,” Makoto muttered.

“On that, we agree.” Sae placed a hand on her sister’s arm, gently stroking it up and down. “I also want to say I’m sorry for how I’ve affected these last few years. You shouldn’t have had to go through that, but I dragged you through my anger, my rage. I brought you down, Makoto, and for that, I will always be sorry.”

Makoto let out a sob, and her cries began in earnest. She didn’t fight them, letting herself go as Sae firmly squeezed her arm. “I-it hurt seeing you like that. It was like you weren’t you anymore. It broke my heart to see you so angry at the world…”

“I saw the courtroom as a game of chance. I only cared for winning. I was stupid,” Sae admitted. “I wish I could have realized my mistake sooner.”

“What matters is that you realized it at all.” Makoto rose up from her bed, tears streaming down her face. She wiped them away, before surprising her sister with a warm, tight embrace. “You rose above who you were, and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I’ve always loved you, sis, but when I realized you were you again, I… I was so proud to call you my sister.”

Sae couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was silent as she was held by her sister. “I love you, sis,” Makoto’s tearful voice confessed. 

Hearing those words brought old, buried memories to the center of Sae’s heart. Her vision blurred for a moment, before she wiped her eyes and squeezed her sister in a tight hug. 

“I love you too, Makoto, and I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. How proud dad would be in you…”

Makoto’s cries continued as she buried her face in her sister’s shoulder, wiping away tears. Sae chuckled, squeezed her sister one more time, before slowly pulling their bodies apart. Makoto smiled through her shimmering eyes as Sae returned the gesture.

“I promise, Makoto. I’ll find a way to rescue Ren, and I will make up for all of my past mistakes. I swear, I will.”

“You don’t have to do it alone.” Makoto grinned at her sister, holding one of her hands with both of hers. “The Phantom Thieves will help you. I promise.”

The two hugged one another, sharing the responsibilities that fell on either of their shoulders. They were not alone. Together they would weather the storm, and make a better tomorrow.