Being chained up to a door, Minato decided, was the most boring duty anyone could have in the world.

The problem lied in that it was an eternity of doing nothing, with no entertainment besides fighting Erebus. That wasn't really something he liked to do, but he had all the time in the world… universe? Sea of Souls? His biggest woe though, stemmed from the question: what better pastime for an eternity could there be besides sleeping or listening to music? And both those things were… what he couldn't do.

Sigh.

At least Elizabeth came now and then to speak with him. Not that he could reply or anything; he was a statue. It was nice to hear her voice though, besides when she would start singing about Igor's nose. Yes, Igor's nose was long, but Minato's ears really didn't need the abuse that was her horrendous singing.

In all seriousness, he was more than glad whenever Elizabeth came to see him. The swirling galaxies of the Sea of Souls could only keep one company for so long. It was only because he was used to not speaking to anyone and living in a state of near-death for all of his life that he was able to stay sane as the seal.

With the passing time, he could feel himself fading. It wasn't that he was getting weaker, or his bonds were disappearing. His friends would always stay in his heart, and he was sure he would always stay in theirs. It was just that life… or death? Limbo? As a statue wasn't so substantial. As the seconds and days passed, he found himself less and less Minato and more the Universe, the Messiah, the sole reason the world wasn't ending.

He didn't even know how long had passed since he had become a statue. There was no indicator of time in the Sea of Souls, a second could be a minute, a day could be an hour. Heck, it felt like years had passed, but at the same time it still felt like only days had gone by.

Then, he saw his friends. They were there, staring up at him with a wide range of emotions in their eyes. He could make out horror, sadness, surprise. There was also another android there. Aegis' sister? Then finally, grim acceptance as they all fought against Erebus, triumphant and brave.

Of course, Erebus would return, but he was renewed. For their sake, he would continue. He would remain chained for them to be free, he would hold back Death for them to live. They all had purposes in the world, and though not quite as… worldly, this was his.

What he thought was years had passed, with a few updates from Elizabeth on the state of the world. Erebus seemed to be gradually weakening, and he was glad beyond words that his sacrifice had not been in vain, that people were changing, that the infinite potential in humanity was finally pulling through.

Which is why his hopes were crushed when Elizabeth next came to visit.

While Elizabeth was technically a resident of the Velvet Room, she had told him of how she'd abandoned it, left it to go on a journey to find a way to restore him.

And now, she had finally found it. It was the perfect opportunity. Erebus was weakening, Nyx had been out cold for years, and the stars all seemed to align. Sadly to say, the circumstances in which she found the way… were not what either of them would've liked, no matter how happy Minato was to be relieved of his duties.

"Minato," she said. "I know this is unfair of us to ask of you once more… but the world is in danger again." Her yellow eyes hid an underlying storm of turmoil, her sadness at having to subject Minato to another tragic fate, her happiness at finally allowing Minato to return to the world, her worry for the Earth. For all she was angry at the humans for subjecting Minato to such a fate, she still believed in their potential, hoped for their survival.

"My master, Igor… he's been imprisoned, and an impostor is taking his place." Minato felt a surge of panic go through him. Igor was powerful, no doubt. Whoever had managed to imprison him of all people was likely not a force easily reckoned with.

Elizabeth continued. "As an attendant of the Velvet Room, even if I've abandoned it, it's my role to help the Wild Card. Especially so after what happened with…" she blinked back tears in her eyes. Minato didn't want to, nor could ask or push more.

"There will be a new Wild Card. A Trickster, no less."

Minato would pretend he understood the significance of a Trickster, though he knew the one bestowed with the powers of the WIld Card would no doubt play a large role.

"He will use the Velvet Room, which is currently led by the filthy impostor who dares take my master's form." Elizabeth clenched her fist, her eyes burning. Seems like she quite... disliked the impostor. "Igor didn't want him to blindly follow the enemy's words, so in exchange for telling me how to bring you down from the seal, he wanted you to help the new Wild Card."

There. Those were the terms of his return to the world. He knew it wouldn't be free, but even he could at least hope.

Without so much as a word, Elizabeth knew what he would say. His hard-headed stubbornness was what led him to become the Great Seal protecting humanity in the first place, and he, for sure, wouldn't let whatever plans the imposter had make his sacrifice go to waste, even if he had to be the tribute for humanity's lives again.

She brought him out of the seal, a fisted hand grabbing and pulling nothing towards her. It was slow, like there was some resistance, but smooth and somehow elegant. Minato felt himself being pulled, but staying still. It was surreal, like having two bodies and two difference senses of touch. Then, suddenly, one set of senses faded and he was no longer chained. His arms were freed of their aching, freed of the thorns that lacerated them.

He could move. His eyes could move. Granted, as he held up his hands in front of him to examine himself, he found that movement felt like moving through something less viscous than water. It was the slightest bit sluggish and slow, but he felt like he was floating. It was a surreal sensation, to feel like he was in water but at the same time in air, inhaling, breathing.

On his arms, he found the familiar sleeves of the Gekkoukan uniform, with the side zippers unzipped. He could feel the comforting familiarity of the cotton shirt he wore against his skin, the feeling of fabric tightened loosely around his neck by the blue ribbon substitute for a tie. Among his clothes was the familiar weight of the gun holster on his belt, with the trusty evoker tucked inside.

And best of all, as he felt around his shoulders, he could feel the cool metal of his round earphones hanging around his shoulders.

Slowly, he turned to Elizabeth and her bobbed platinum-silver blonde hair. Her yellow eyes were shining with warmth, with a mere tinge of the storm of emotions that the situation called for, but she wouldn't let her worry and anger stop her from enjoying the return of her guest. Watching his joy and incredulity had made her the most content she'd been since discovering those octopus balls.

Minato's wide eyes and half-open mouth slowly morphed into a smile, the likes of which even SEES had never seen on him. His eyes had unshed tears on them, his lip slightly quivering.

Elizabeth grinned. "Welcome back, Minato."

"... I'm back," he whispered out, tears finally overflowing as he pulled Elizabeth into a tight hug.

Oh, how he missed the sensation of moving, of touching his friends. That sounded weird. While he wasn't normally a huggie - or particularly touchy person, not being able to feel any warmth for… How long had Elizabeth said it'd been? 7 years? He was starving for the warmth of another human, even if Elizabeth wasn't exactly a mortal.

"Thank you so much, Elizabeth…"

"You're welcome, Minato. Are you ready to go?"

Minato looked around for a moment. This forsaken sea of stars held nothing for him; no affection, no warmth, no memories. He looked back and nodded. "But first…"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Minato deserved a request or two -heck, probably more, after being a chained statue for 7 years. She'd do her best to accomplish whatever he asked.

"Can you take me to my friends before I go to the new Wild Card?"

Elizabeth nodded. That wouldn't be too hard. With a nod and another smile, she walked away from the seal, Minato floating behind her.

Minato noticed this. "Hey, Elizabeth. How come you're walking and I'm floating?"

When Elizabeth didn't answer, Minato had an intuition of what it was, and his intuitions were usually correct. "Elizabeth. I've been here before, alive. There was a floor. Am I…"

"Yes, Minato." She turned around with a solemn expression. "Since you are dead, you're more like a spirit now."

Minato actually took it better than he expected of himself. Maybe it hadn't sunk in yet, or he was just desensitized to death after being a seal to it for seven years. In any case, all he felt was a certain twinge of disappointment that he wouldn't be able to interact with his friends.

After all, Memento Mori. Remember that you are mortal. Remember that you will die.

It was already enough that he was returning to the world. He was dead, and it wasn't his place to cheat death and revive wrongly all of a sudden. Besides, Ryoji would never stop nagging him if Minato encroached upon his domain.

Elizabeth was blinking, in half-surprise. She would've expected Minato to be sadder, given that he could finally return to the world but couldn't really interact with his friends. Given, he was always somewhat apathetic, so she didn't know if she should be surprised or not.

Minato seemed to be in deep contemplation.

"So, Minato," Elizabeth looked into his eyes. "Even knowing you are dead and your friends cannot see you. Do you still wish to see them?"

Without hesitating, he nodded. He'd have peace of mind as long as they were leading fulfilling lives. The more pressing matter on his mind right now was…

"How will I help the Wild Card if I'm a ghost?"

Elizabeth sighed. Minato was so duty-oriented as usual. "I'll explain later. You want to see your friends?"

Minato nodded. Elizabeth was being less straightforward than usual, and it was a bit concerning. Nonetheless, he'd wait. She did allow him to see his friends one last time after all…

After they left the Sea of Souls, Minato happily took in the fresh air of Earth. Though he wasn't as accustomed to the large city and all the skyscrapers and people, he hadn't had human contact for 7 years. It was… nice? He didn't even know how to describe it anymore.

The sudden change gave him some whiplash though, and as glad as he was, even knowing he couldn't really feel pain anymore (he was even more a ghost on Earth than he was in the Sea of Souls), he instinctively shut his eyes tight at seeing the bright blue sky and sun.

The air didn't feel as viscous to move in here, and he felt incredibly light. It was easy to float to his will. Minato liked it. As opposed to being stone, it felt like the weight of his duties and his fate were no longer hanging off his back.

The first person he saw was Mitsuru.

At the back of her tactical room, he stood… floated? While watching her, confidently strutting around and monitoring the cameras. Ever the courageous and firm leader, she gave orders into microphones. She didn't look bad with that white fur coat either.

-[]-[]-

Mitsuru was doing her best as the leader of the Kirijo group and the Shadow Operatives. To preserve his memory, his purpose, and protect them all. He had seen the hope in humanity, and he had sacrificed himself so altruistically, let himself be bound as the world's Messiah.

Why was she getting so emotional now? She sat down on one of the plush sofas in her room, and massaged her temples. Maybe the lack of sleep was getting to her.

Then, there was, for some reason, a kind of comfort coming from the left, where the entrance was. Yet, there was no telltale sound of pistons that came with the opening door. She looked. Nobody was there. Yet, if she closed her eyes, it felt like she could make out a white and blue butterfly in her vision.

The butterfly seemed to flutter its wings happily, before fluttering off with another bright, glowing blue one, leaving her with a renewed sense of warmth and happiness.

It almost felt like…

"Minato…?"

No, it couldn't be.

But regardless of what it was, she would continue to do her best.

With all the regality and grace of a queen but with the determination of a warrior, she stood and walked out the door to her new team.

Then, it was Fuuka, working in the same building as Mitsuru. Her awkward high schooler days had passed, and she had developed into a sophisticated woman. Her hair had grown out into a nice teal braid over her shoulder, and she had a determined look on her face as she typed away on her keyboard, which was attached to an incredibly sleek computer. Wow, technology had really changed a lot.

-[]-[]-

Fuuka sighed. Between being a part-time member of the Shadow Ops (which was more than a reserve member like Yukari or Junpei) and trying to get her programming degree on the side, she was busy as hell. Luckily, the Shadow Ops weren't getting as much action recently after their run-in with the Investigation Team, so she had an opportunity to rest a bit at last.

Sigh… not only did she have all this though, since opening up a bit, she had finally found friends outside the SEES and SO circle, and now had more social engagements than she could count! Did Minato feel like this back in the day?

Wait, Minato?

Why was she suddenly thinking of him?

She had the sudden urge to cry but smile at the same time.

She yawned. Maybe she'd get some sleep.

Then, Yukari. He didn't even need to go directly to her; he had seen her on the display boards all over the large building fronts. Feather Pink, huh? Good for her. She deserved it.

-[]-[]-

Yukari just finished up on a scene.

She placed down her bow and arrows and wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. Being her own stunts person was tiring. But then again, this would never compare to running through the bloodstained halls of Tartarus, with the sounds of rattling chains drawing nearer and nearer…

She involuntarily shivered at the thought.

"Takeba-san, are you alright?" asked the supervisor nearby.

She smiled as brightly as she could, though it was empty. "Yes, thank you!"

And then she collected herself.

Tartarus no longer existed. The Dark Hour no longer existed. Nyx and Erebus would never come again.

And besides, when she did run through Tartarus, the comforting presence of the blue-haired emo teenager that led them all had allowed her some peace of mind, some belief that despite all odds, all of them would make it out alive.

And yet he hadn't, and she felt the sudden onslaught of tears, which she held back with the skill she had learned for doing so as a rising actress. But at the same time, a warmth bloomed in her, a certain assurance, which completely rid her of her phantom fears and traumatised thoughts.

Minato…

Thank you, she thought, as she smiled to the sky.

Her manager couldn't fathom why she looked so wistful staring into the blue expanse, but he let her be.

Junpei… Even to that day, he looked like an absolute dork. Seemed like his goatee had grown much longer, and so had his hair. His buzz cut was gone, but the cap was ever-familiar. He'd really become such a respectable man… Far from his old petty jealousy.

Then again… He saw a man get remotely close to Chidori and Junpei clenched his hands into fists. Maybe not.

-[]-[]-

Junpei cranked back his bat, and waited. For the moment, when the ball would fly towards him, and he would snap his arms forward, and hear the crack of the ball hitting the wood, and the telltale cheers of a crowd for a home run…

And Oh shit, it came! And he was too late to bat at it properly. The ball soared off to another part of the field, and he was able to make it to second base. Whew, he sighed in relief. Close save.

While he would've loved to be the hero of the people, winning the game, he was a rookie and it was a miracle he made it off the bench in the first place. He grinned with his million-watt smile towards his white lace-adorned, red-haired beauty of a wife, who was sketching in her journal while attentively watching.

She saw it, smiled back, and a corner of Junpei's heart melted.

Oh boy, he loved her. And it was thanks to Minato that they were together, that she was alive.

Man, Minato. He was always the better hero, always the better person, carrying out his duty and covering for him even when he was a bratty, jealous high schooler.

He'd even sacrificed himself for the sake of the world. He was the true hero, unlike him. He was the true selfless one, unlike him. And he no longer felt anything against him for it. He just… missed his best friend.

And Minato, Minato who led them so fearlessly, so admirably, he would make him proud, even if Minato was a… door and couldn't return to the world. He still got the feeling he was watching, beyond all reason.

Meh, he wasn't really one for reason anyways.

"Watch me win this… Minato!" He plastered on a smirky grin. The other team was going down.

Akihiko was ever the protein lover, of course. He hadn't changed much; his toned body was just as it had been seven years ago, and the only discernible difference Minato could find was that maybe his eyes were narrower and his face was more carved? It was an odd feeling seeing him in a police uniform though.

-[]-[]-

He'd finally done it. Akihiko had been promoted from the police force to become a detective. Now, he could do even more to help the people.

And he would. For his friend's sacrifice, he would watch the people, and protect them. It was his duty as a former member of SEES, and even more so a current reserve member of the SO.

Mitsuru had been so supportive of him becoming a police officer, though whether it was because of his intentions or his convenient position as an in to the rest of the police force (because the Kirijo group's influence could only go so far), he didn't know.

He was pretty glad regardless.

And Ken and Koromaru, oh god, by contrast Ken had changed. He was no longer a child, no longer the elementary schooler that they had reluctantly let along with them on missions to Tartarus. And now, without the weight of revenge for his mother and responsibility for the world on his back, he had grown up tall and fit. It seemed like he was continuing training his spear arts, and was even student council president. Good for him. He deserved it.

Koromaru was getting up there in age, but he was still as peppy of a dog as he was before. His loyalty to Ken was admirable, and he was smart. Koromaru helped Ken out.

-[]-[]-

Koromaru's intense red eyes were wandering around the street as Ken jogged with him. Then, they landed on the glowing faint figure of a boy in a uniform and long blue bangs covering half a face. He barked.

"Koromaru? What's wrong?" Ken asked his troubled Shiba Inu friend. Without so much as a warning, Koromaru ran, barking, to the opposite side of the street.

"Oi, that's dangerous! Koromaru!"

And he stopped in front of Minato. Could he see him?

Minato crouched down and ruffled the hair of the shiba inu the best he could while having his hand pass through him. His hand, not feeling Koromaru, felt cold and tingly. Minato decided it was uncomfortable.

Ah… He couldn't pet Koromaru. He couldn't touch him, he couldn't hug him, he couldn't snuggle into the dog's lush white fur…

As if noticing his woe, Koromaru let out a heart-wrenching howl, startling Ken, who was watching the behavior of his dog with confusion. There seemed to be nothing there, but Ken's battle trained senses could at least make out a presence.

It was warm, comforting. He was confused. There was nobody there, yet he felt inexplicable tears welling up in his eyes. It felt like years ago, the calm he felt despite being in a Shadow-infested labyrinth, always due to the blue-haired elder running beside him, leading them to victory with his composed and borderline apathetic voice.

Was it… Minato? Beyond all reason, Ken wanted to believe it.

Then, as if it were a fleeting butterfly, when he reached it, the presence disappeared.

Ken was left feeling as if something important had left him, but at the same time, had left him feeling renewed.

"C'mon." He looked to Koromaru with a smile. "Let's go."

As night fell, and eventually the time reached midnight, Minato was content, having seen all his friends. With the lack of the familiar but foreboding feeling that came with the yellow moon and green sky, he felt assured that his sacrifice had been worth it. They were all fulfilling their lives so happily… Even if he were to return living, he didn't know where he'd go. All of them had changed, developed, come so far. He no longer had a place among them.

And that saddened him.

It was them who unfurled him from the isolation he put himself into, who gave him a family. He was eternally grateful to them, to each and every one of them. He wanted to tell them how much so, he wanted to hug them one last time before he went on the new journey, he wanted them to stop being sad about his sacrifice - because it was absolutely worth it and he had chosen to do so - but…

He couldn't. He couldn't do any of those. All he could do was stand by, watching them go on with their lives, providing them the temporary comfort reminiscent of his protection over them in Tartarus, and even then, they looked so sad, so woeful over his loss, contradicting the happiness he was trying to bring them.

He was a ghost.

He was only a specter, not meant to interfere, meant to return to his final fate again after his new role was complete.

And it broke him inside.

He was so close, yet so far.

So… there, but not.

And yet he had accepted his fate of his own free will. Even if his contract was gone, the underlying principle was still true. He made his choice to leave them to protect them, and though he would do it again… He didn't want to.

He found himself with a tear running down his face.

And then, like an overflowing pot, they came. He quietly sniffled. It wasn't in his place to defy his fate, defy his role as a Messiah. And because of that, even in front of Elizabeth only, he wouldn't sob. He wouldn't show his agony.

Elizabeth couldn't turn back and look.

She let him do this. She brought this upon him.

It was required for the sake of the world… but when was the last time Minato had been allowed anything for himself? As a teenager, he had been forced to give up the family he finally found for the sake of their survival and the world's. As a door, he had been chained, lacerated by the thorns that secured him. And now, as a specter, he was the closest he had been for years to his family… and he couldn't interact, hug, talk with them.

And yet, he still had a duty.

With as blank face as she could manage, though her small frown belied her guilt, she wiped his eyes dry. "Minato… I'm sorry. I wish I could do more."

"Could you?" he looked at her, silver eyes reddened by his tears, glowing ever so slightly in the darkness.

She looked down, not wanting to see his disappointment. Her yellow eyes were shaded. "... I'm afraid not. They buried your body, and it's decomposed a bit in 7 years. I can't join your spirit or soul with it anymore."

As she expected, he looked down in disappointment. But he quickly wiped away the remaining stray tears with his uniform's sleeves, and looked back at her, empty. It wasn't a a sudden change; Elizabeth just hadn't noticed it until now. The light was dying in his eyes slowly with each friend he saw. And yet, he still convinced himself to be content. He still convinced himself that his sacrifice was fair, necessary.

She could only hope that being with the new Wild Card would help her Messiah, that nurturing new bonds would allow the light in the Messiah's soul to return.

The sun rose on a new day, marking the dawn of a new journey for the one who prevented the final hour.

My first attempt at a Persona fic (or at least the first one I'm actually publishing). I'm going to get to Akira and the Phantom Thieves soon, so be patient? I also really hope you review! I'm always open to feedback. (^^)

Also, this is meant to be a gen fic, so no ships or anything because I'm a wimp and can't write romance. :P