I would die here, no matter what happened. This was the end. It was certainly the end, there was no denying it. There was only one uncertainty, one single issue. The fate of humanity still needed to be decided.
I have lived a good life. Surely a great one when put in comparison to all the other lives that had been lived before me. Extraordinary, a wonderful tale for mothers to comfort their children with. Yes, there's a good legacy.
Ten years ago, I lost my family. The loss of my dearest possessions at the time heralded the start of my journey. For ten years, I waited for the next step to appear so that I could move ahead. At the time, I never realized that I would become the guardian of all life. I never realized that my life would become so complex, so complicated, yet so simple at the same time.
The life of an ordinary highschooler was the role I played during the hours of light, collecting knowledge and wisdom while also bonding with my new found companions. I had so many friends who trusted me and I them, yet I could never tell them why I had a limp, why I had bags under my eyes, why I lived. Not even her, my sweet Yuko, knew of the struggles and tribulations that S.E.E.S. and I had faced during coldest, darkest hour of night.
The life of a hero, a leader, was my act during my late-night excursions. I played the role so well, at least, that's what my battle companions believed. We fought constantly against true evil, both knowingly against the minor beasts of chaos but also unknowingly against the darkest and truest oncoming darkness. We did not know our fate then, but even we did, we came to become a family, one that helped us overcome our fears. We became the closest of individuals, yet I still couldn't tell them how I could be so extraordinary yet so human, why I could wear so many masks. It's odd how, even though they were so different, there were so many comparisons to be found between the dual lives I lived.
After facing the personification of eternal night, I had thought it was all over. No, there was another being, Nyx's lover. The being of eternal darkness, Erebus. He wanted to connect with her again. Yet even he wasn't the true villian of it all. No, it proved to be madness itself. The encroaching darkness, the crawling chaos, a god of a thousand forms. I had laid my eyes on this being and knew it would push Erebus to break the seal that held back Nyx.
I knew this would be my final choice. I had decide if life was worth preserving even if it required my very essence to be destroyed. I held the fate of all of humanity in my decision to be the final line of protection.
I was asked to judge them, and when I did so, the madness struck. It attempted to sway me away, to be believe that none were innocent of the sins of the past generations.
Yet I persevered, remembering my life. All my friends and companions, all of our sacrifices and rewards, all of victories and defeats. I couldn't allow all that to go to waste. I recalled my feelings, all of my bonds, especially my precious person. She was the strongest bond, she held my heart within her. If I had made my decision for only one reason, it was for her.
"I'll do it. I'll protect the Great Seal, to protect my bonds. For Junpei, Yukari, Mitsuru, Akihiko, Shinji, Ken, Fuuka, Koromru, and Aigis. For all my friends who didn't know my struggles nor would understand them. Even for Takaya, Jun, Chidori, and Ikutsuki. I will protect all of humanity for not only them but especially and most importantly for Yuko, the only girl I've ever loved. This is my choice, the right one. You may have wanted to destroy it all, but I will never fall to your attacks. I will not despair because I knew I would die eventually. I came to terms with that long before now because I knew it was going to be for the people I care for."
That was my declaration. It resolved the final issue, the final conflict, and I could die peacefully. A good life indeed, a wonderful story.