Chapter 11: The Dark Side

A/N: This chapter will be primarily about Minato, so don't expect to see too much of SEES. Next chapter will focus more on Aigis, Labrys, Mitsuru and the others.

SWS: ? ? ? Part 1

I was always weak.

I was smaller, slower, and weaker than everyone else. People always used to manipulate me, bully me, or simply disregard my existence. Those who ignored me were merely giving me mercy. When I would prostrate myself and apologize, they would rub my face in the dirt. When I asked them if they needed help, they would certainly rely on me. And then, of course, kick me out of the way when I was no longer usefull. I would, like the weakling I was, cry and beg their forgiveness while they laughed horribly. Such is the way of the weak. Eventually, I worked up what small semblance of courage I had and asked for help. When I asked my classmates, they ignored me. However, this time it was not out of mercy, but out of a selfish fear. When I went to the police, they thought I was playing pretend. There was no way they would give me the time of day. When I went to my parents... they were busy. Father, of course, was a heavy drunk and my kind mother had to work with certain "gentlemen" for money. But I'll go more into that later. When I went to the teachers for help, for such a thing is standard procedure at a school, they laughed at me, telling me it was all part of life. I didn't understand.

Why would suffering be a part of life? Why would evil be something mundane, something seen everyday? It made no sense. Isn't life supposed to be an adventure? Isn't life often called a grand thing? Isn't life supposed to be the most precious thing a person has? Why must we suffer because we live? Did I do something wrong? Did mankind do something wrong? Who's mistake could I fix to stop life from being like that? Where was the Answer?

As the loser I was, I was unable to understand or even accept the idea that life could be suffering. I merely went out on my happy way, trying to find joy in the little things. Secretly, I hoped to find the answer to my own doubts. I hoped to find a person that could answer my worries and fears. All I needed was one helping hand, one light of hope to cling to in the darkness I was surrounded in. I thought that if I could find that, then my whole world perception could be changed. In fact, it would have been fine even if I was drawn to something darker than the darkness I was in. As long as I could move from my state of unease, I would be happy. So while I waited for a hero or villain to appear, I hung out with my "friends", as they called themselves, who stole my lunch daily and beat me for looking at them oddly. I didn't resist. Even when I was on my hands and knees with tears streaming down my face, I smiled. They laughed and laughed like they always did. It took me a long time to understand why they laughed so much.

Because I was pitiful.

Because I didn't fight back.

Because I was smaller and slower.

Because I had no friends that cared for me.

Because I was the loser who never won at anything.

Because I was the one they could make suffer in a world that made them suffer.

Because I was weak.

SWS: Part 1 END

Junpei stared out the window of his room. He never got to really know Minato. It frustrated him. Minato didn't judge him, didn't call him stupid, didn't even so much as go out of his way to ignore him. Minato was a real bro. Junpei felt like the two of them would have become inseparable if given the time to grow closer. Junpei let out a sigh.

"This... sucks."

He had thought it would be easy being a hero. But it wasn't. Junpei had been too slow. He was too weak. He'd always imagined himself as the hero, but heroes always made it at the last moment, right? They didn't miss the chance to save someone completely. Heroes didn't even try to become heroes. They just... were. Maybe... Junpei needed to try harder to understand what it meant to be able to arrive at the last moment, what it meant to be a hero.

He'd have to get stronger.

Heroes were strong and brave. Heroes protected their bros and defeated evil, sword in hand. And they didn't let their bros down.

"Just you wait, Minato-senpai. When I see you again, you'll see a real hero."

And with that small resolution in his heart, Junepi was able to rest a bit easier.

Although, he had no idea how to become a "true hero".

Yukari stared at her phone as she sat at her desk.

"I never even got his phone number..." The fact that even though they fought risking their lives together and she never once even asked for his contact information was surprising. And now he was gone. For now, at least, that door was closed. And it was most likely never going to open again. The sting of failing somebody like that when they needed help opened her eyes.

"Was I just... so absorbed with myself? Did I never think he might have problems too?" Yukari asked the empty air. Ever since her father passed away, she'd been so concerned with getting to the bottom of things. So concerned about everything she was struggling with. Her concern with her problems never once hurt somebody before, did they? Did she ever ignore a cry for help to focus on her situation? Sure, she had problems with her mom and the empty void her dad left, but still...

She felt so selfish. When she called Junpei "Stupei" even when he was trying to just be funny... Did it hurt him? Did he have problems too? What about Aigis? When they joined together to investigate about what happened in the past, whose problems was she concerned about? Hers? Aigis'?

She didn't know.

And what about Mitsuru or Akihiko? They seemed smart and strong... but surely they must be hurting somewhere too? Then, finally, Labrys... How many times had Yukari even spoken with her? Twice? Three times? She... must have the same problems as Minato, if not worse. Yukari barely even noticed Labrys. That's how absorbed she was in her own problems. Her friends at school... how well did she know them? They never talked about their problems to each other. It seemed so silly. But she could be hurting them unintentionally. She was careless. What did their problems mean to her in the past? Did she ever used to think they were as important as her own?

All she could do was try harder. Try to care for others first. Otherwise, she wouldn't know how to live with herself.

She decided to sleep. There was nothing more she could do for now.

Junpei and Yukari were the only ones able to gain some semblance of sleep.

Akihiko spent the night training until he could no longer feel his arms. He fell to the ground afterwards, weeping. Losing people was the one thing he was weak to. Despite all his strength, he couldn't use it for its one purpose: To protect those he cared about. Was he supposed to know to use words instead of fists? Conversation instead of strength? Maybe... this was why he failed to convince Shinji to come back.

Labrys searched relentlessly, though she never found him. She made it back to her room with a battery charge of one percent. As soon as she reached ten percent, she began to search again. She couldn't accept her failure so easily. She only had one purpose as far as she was concerned. She couldn't fail it. She couldn't fail. She couldn't.

Aigis lay on her bed listening to music as she stared at the ceiling. She thought of how to share her revelation about what Minato might be, but decided against it. She had no proof. If she told them now, they would doubt her or, even worse, feel even more horrible about not being able to reach him in time. She'd wait until he returned to them and ask him if it was okay. He would return. He wouldn't just leave them. If he signed the same contract as her, he had to take responsibility for his actions. He wouldn't just run away from his responsibility, would he? He wouldn't leave them permanently.

Mitsuru... didn't know what to do for the first time in her life. Because she knew that Minato didn't want to come back. She knew if he didn't want to be found, he couldn't be found. The worst part was she didn't know what to say, what to do, to show him that to all of SEES, no, to her...

He was not just a machine.

He was not just a tool or ASW.

He was her hero.

And he always would be.

Minato was floating in a sea of darkness.

'I'm dreaming?' Those words were the first to come to his mind. He rarely had dreams. Most often they were of the Velvet Room. It was odd how he could somehow dream like this with an inhuman body.

Minato tried to move or direct the way he was floating, but he was failing.

A figure emerged from the darkness.

It was a being similar to him, except for some striking differences. The "skin" on the face of this figure was dark and metallic with no trace of humanity at all. They eyes were a solid red with no pupils or even sclera. There was some sort of amp built into the stomach of the being as well as a silver lyre on its back. However, the rest, the hair, metal and even color scheme, were the same as Minato's.

"Who are you?" Minato asked that, but somehow he already knew the answer.

"I am thou. And thou art I. Orpheus is my name, remember?" Minato nodded. He knew very well that his current body and life was thanks to Orpheus saving him, but still... He didn't want to face him for some reason. He felt a strange terror in the pit of his stomach at the thought of it. He tried to move away from Orpheus, but he was stuck floating in the sea of darkness.

"Why can't I move?" Minato asked, frustrated. Orpheus' expression grew irritated. Orpheus was angry? He could move at least.

"You can't run away here. You cannot run away from yourself. By the gods, you are like a child. When faced with adversity, you flee." Orpheus wasn't using his usual old-fashioned style of speaking. Was this because of how long they had been together? Had Orpheus picked up this style of speech from him? Minato reigned in his straying thoughts.

"Why are you talking to me? How? We never have spoken like this before." Minato asked, curiously.

"Pay attention to me when I'm speaking, young one. Your recent surge of emotions set us more in sync. The pain, sadness, and anger you felt are emotions I know all too well, but enough about that. I called you here to speak to you about your recent cowardly actions." Orpheus was scolding him?

"Cowardly? I'm not a coward. I rush into battle with Shadows fearlessly all the time. If anything, it's more brave to do what I do." Minato responded. He wasn't acting cowardly. There was no way. Orpheus was wrong.

"Fearlessly? Fearlessness is not bravery, young one. Bravery cannot exist without fear. I went to the depths of the Underworld to save my love. I was afraid the entire time. Every step took me closer to death, closer to the place where I would end up if I died, but I did not stop. When corpses reached for me and Hades himself looked down upon me, I still struggled onwards. That is bravery. However, you ran away from home. You're like a spoiled child who can't deal with the fact that the world doesn't cater to him. Mitsuru, the little girl you promised to protect, is abandoned by your own actions. All your friends must be searching desperately for you. I've seen what you seen and I've also noticed what you missed. Each person in SEES cares about your well-being. Are you really so cowardly as to abandon them because you were called one name?" Minato grit his teeth at Orpheus's words. Soon, he found himself standing in the darkness, face-to-face with Orpheus.

"You... You don't know anything. It's not just that one name. It's every damn thing they've said to me. I've finally opened my eyes. They see me as a tool. They've always seen me as a tool. I'm not human to them... All the time we've been together has been a lie. So, shut up. You're not me." Minato said, frustration seeping into his voice. The sea of darkness surrounding them seemed to grow darker.

"I do know. I know everything you do because I am you as much as you are me. We are the same, and you know it. You know I've felt everything you've felt, gone through all the same pain, but even after experiencing the same thing I can tell you are being an idiot! It hurts! It hurts so much! I know! I know your pain because I feel it too! But still-"

"Shut up. Stop!"

"You can't just plug your ears and cover your eyes! This is reality! Listen to the people around you!"

"Shut up! I'll do what I want!"

"Boy, you have no idea what you're doing! There's no such thing as a real hero, so stop trying to be one! It's just a damn title!"

"I'm not a hero! I never was! I'm not even human! I'M A TOOL!" Minato was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"WHEN DID THAT EVER STOP YOU?!" Orpheus screamed back at him.

"...What?" Minato was at a loss for words.

"You never, ever called yourself human! You never expected anything in return for helping them! If they see you as a machine, then what's changed?! The answer, Minato, is you. You've changed. Look back at SEES. How do you see them? They're your friends, your comrades, the people you love and fight for! You should be proud to be able to fight for those that you care about, not asking for them to understand or accept you for it! How do you think Labrys felt? She must have felt the same as you do right now for longer than you even knew her. Fight for the people you love! Even if they never seem to see you as what you see yourself, you should be happy that you have the strength to protect them..." Orpheus suddenly dropped his head as his shoulders began to shake. If Orpheus could cry, Minato had a feeling he'd be doing it right now.

"Just... don't run away. Don't stop moving forward and never, ever look back. Life isn't perfect. You will get hurt. There is a degree of suffering to life. Sometimes suffering can overcome a person, make them into someone else who will do things they'd never do under normal circumstances. I know that much for certain. Life is... It's an unavoidable battle. But... Minato, you need to be able to bear the pain. And not just yours, but the pain of everyone you care about it and then some. That's how one earns that title... that title of hero. That's how one is able to truly live." Orpheus said, a sorrowful expression on his face. Orpheus was more expressive than Minato had ever imagined. But, then again, Orpheus had felt everything he had felt uninhibited. It felt... natural for him to be like this.

"I... I can't, at least not right now. I'm not like you... I'm weak... I can't even survive without your body to support me. I-I need to sort out my own feelings first before I do anything." Minato spoke quietly. The sea of darkness grew stronger.

Orpheus smiled gently. "Well, that's okay. Being weak is okay. The fact that you acknowledge your weakness means that you can grow strong, young one. Stronger than any who believes himself to be strong. However, remember: You and I are the same. My strength is your strength. The reverse is also true. You can't deny me because you've already accepted me. But... It would be too much to ask you to change after talking to you once. I can't force you to do anything. While you try to find out how you truly feel, don't stop moving forward. Don't give up on creating bonds with people. Try to create a few more bonds, just to test the water. If they end up causing you nothing but pain, I will never bother you again. In fact, I would endorse whatever actions you took afterwards."

"...And if I choose to kill mankind? To let them die... What will you do then?"

"Help you the best I can. Because the world won't be worth living in anymore if it always hurts. But there's no way it's like that. You have a lot of happy memories, right? There is good with the bad. You know it." Orpheus said, still smiling.

"How... How are you able to smile if you've faced what I have? Why are you so strong? Why are are you so human?" Minato asked frantically. Orpheus smirked as he was pulled away from the sea of darkness surrounding them and into a light that Minato had not seen before.

"Didn't I already tell you? It's because I'm you."

"I'm... you... And you... are me? But that's-"

Minato felt himself being pulled towards the light as well. In an instant...

The dream was over.

He'd be waking up in Strega's base and have a simple day in his room, alone. His new home was simply called the Base. It was, of course, underground and hidden. Nobody from SEES could find him there.

And that was what he wanted.

April 30th, 2009

Minato left his room for the first time since he had arrived at the Base.

Although the walls were plain steel, the living room was packed with all sorts of forms of entertainment. A pool table, large flat-screen television, gaming systems of all types, a computer, and a corner of it was covered in all sorts of paints, brushes, and pencils. That was Chidori's corner. She had sat there as soon as they had arrived at the Base and began drawing. Jin went on the computer and Takaya sat in one of the bean bags and began to watch some rather gory horror movies.

None of them talked with each other.

This... was Strega.

It was soothing for Minato.

But now he wanted just to try to form a bond... It wouldn't destroy him just to try, right?

He turned the corner and bumped into Chidori who had her hands full of paint brushes, pens, and her notebook.

Her stuff all landed on the floor, scattering everywhere. Minato immediately bent down to help without a second thought.

"Watch where you're going." Chidori scolded him coldly.

"I apologize." Minato took no offense. It was his fault for being so wrapped up in his thoughts.

Chidori sighed irritably as she bent down to help him pick up her things. This was the first time Minato got a good look at the being known as Chidori Yoshino. She had red hair brighter than Mitsuru's and dressed in the "gothic-lolita" fashion. Except her clothes were white instead of the usual image of black and white. She even had this strange needle sticking through the back of hair giving her the appearance of being stabbed in the head. She also had thick, metal, spiked braces around her ankles, as if they were restraints. But despite her odd ways and cold demeanor, she seemed to give off a sense of elegance with every action that was far different than what Minato had seen from Mitsuru. This girl was... like him. Of course, Ikutsuki had already told him that, but he never fully understood it until he could see them up close. Takaya and Jin... were they really the same as Chidori and him? Were they all weak like him?

"Could you stop staring?" Chidori asked frostily as she finished cleaning up. Minato thought about it. He really did. While he had given up his previous bonds for now, he could form new ones with people like him. Maybe this place could heal him...

"I apologize. It's just... I haven't formally introduced myself yet. My name is Minato Arisato. I hope that we can work well together in the future." Chidori rolled her eyes and stood to her feet. Minato stood as well. "Would you like me to help you bring this to wherever you are going? That way if you somebody else bumps into you, you won't drop everything again." Minato suggested. Chidori silently walked past him with her things. He began to follow her. Chidori began to speak to him without turning to face him.

"...You may assist me. My name is Chidori Yoshino, as you already know. And do not assume you are welcome here so easily. You are currently still an outsider. You should know your place." Chidori seemed harsh, but even then Minato felt a faint bond forming between him and here. Although she most likely hated bonds for fear of being hurt, at the depth of her being was a need to be close to someone. Minato knew that much. Because he just realized that he felt the same. Maybe... Maybe this one bond was okay... He hoped Orpheus was right.

"Thou art I… And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Lovers Arcana."

Chidori and Minato did not talk for the rest of the day except for Chidori giving Minato a quiet thank you before entering her room and locking the door.

Minato began to walk away, but a voice called out from a side hallway.

"Ah, you've finally left your room. It's been a week since we last saw each other, Arisato-san." Takaya Sakaki was there, as shirtless as ever. He was an extremely pale individual whose wire-like headband and long hair gave off the impression that he was attempting to pass himself off as Jesus Christ. Although his hair was platinum blond and he wore torn-up jeans and boots... His golden eyes were also strange... The hair and eyes strangely reminded Minato of Elizabeth.

"Yes. I've had much to think about." Minato replied honestly.

"Good. Would you mind letting me give you a little more to think about? I wish to tell you what we seek in Strega." Takaya said as he motioned for Minato to follow him down the hallway. Minato nodded and the two began to walk down the hall that, with the steel walls and lack of decorations, seemed endless.

"You obviously know mankind is suffering. In Strega, we seek The Fall. To give mankind what it wants. Death, destruction, and renewal. To bring forth into this world the deity meant to end it all. Nyx-sama..." Takaya trailed off with a strange shine in his eyes.

"That's a rather indefinite goal. How do you plan to do it?" Minato asked. It was a vague goal. How did they plan to do it? How could a few humans summon a deity? Takaya laughed.

"Arisato-san, the hard work is already done. We simply need to prevent your former 'friends' at SEES from interfering in our plans. They wish to eliminate the Dark Hour. We only need to stop them or bring them to our side. And that is only if they grow to be a threat. The world doesn't need selfish heroes like them." Takaya said, irritated. Minato tilted his head to the side in confusion. Selfish?

"What do you mean?" Minato asked. Takaya stopped in front of a door. They had arrived at their destination.

"I'll tell you inside." Takaya opened the door. It seemed to be a library. There were shelves everywhere, filled to the brim with ancient books and dusty tomes. In the center of the large room was a large circular platform made of metal. Minato and Takaya walked over to the platform. Takaya grabbed a book along the way and tucked under his arm. They stood on top of the platform. Takaya stamped his foot three times against the platform. It started to descend. 'We're already deep underground! How much further can we go? And how did they get the funding for this?'

"If you're wondering how we got this technology, I beg you to remember our goal. It is shared by many. We have funding from some of the wealthiest men and women in the world." Takaya said with a sly smile. He was enjoying showing off all this to Minato, the new recruit. To have a new and powerful believer such as him made him quite happy.

"Why are you trusting me with all this? This seems like it's... secret." Minato said, suspicious.

"Ah, well... If I don't, would you ever understand our pain, our goal? That's my thinking. You are like us, Arisato-san. You belong with us." Takaya said honestly. "And now would be the perfect time to explain what I meant by calling them 'selfish heroes'." He said it as if he had merely forgotten about it for a few moments. "Mankind is weak. We are weak. When somebody strong is born, they latch onto them. That person becomes their hope, their savior, their messiah, and their martyr and their scapegoat. They praise "heroes", but never stand for themselves. They are unable to. When mankind messes up, they wait for help, like a damsel in distress. The world doesn't need a hero that is unwilling to fight for what they desire. They need a messiah that will save them when they ask for it. However, there is no 'Messiah' to save them. So they... the world... ask for us. Not them. Not SEES. They want death, not decay."

The elevator reached their destination. It was a brightly-lit laboratory. There were three steel tables next to each other. Large glass tubes filled with a strange green liquid that were large enough to fit a person inside were present. In one of them was Jin Shirato, the final member of Strega. Ikutsuki was wearing a lab coat and typing away on a large computer near the tube. He noticed them and seemed to smile brightly.

"Oh, hello there. I'm merely finishing up the adjustment process. I'll be done in a little bit." He turned his attention back to the keyboard. Minato gave Takaya a look of confusion. Takaya noticed and answered his unspoken question.

"As a result of our Personae being forced to awaken, we go through an excruciating amount of pain when we summon them. We use suppressants which are essentially poison as they cause our lifespan to shorten, but we need them in order to stop our Personae from killing us immediately. However, even that is not enough. Every day we must go through adjustment. We bathe in a sort of medicine that helps to stabilize our conditions. This process needs to be done for us due to the extreme nature of the experiments that happened to us when we were children. It is excruciatingly painful. We are trapped in a paralyzed state where we feel all the pain as every nerve in our nervous system is stimulated. We cannot scream. We cannot cry out. We cannot move during this process. It is hell. And it is life. Do you understand even a fraction of our pain yet, Arisato-san?" Takaya asked.

Minato didn't know how to respond. They were slowly being killed and had to feel pain worse than death everyday to live. Their own Personae were killing them. It was as if they were forced into a slow suicide. And all these experiments that made them like this were done by people who wanted to save the world.

"I... probably could never understand. But, at the very least, I know that you suffer..." 'and it makes me want to save you.' For some reason, Minato could not finish his sentence. How could he possibly save them? Wasn't that the job of a hero? Sure, he was a unique existence with a deeper connection to his Persona than anybody else (he had Orpheus' body!), but that didn't mean he could do anything about it. However, he still had this feeling somewhere deep inside him that he could save these people. Just like they would save him.

Takaya smiled.

"Thou art I… And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hierophant Arcana."

Well, that was... it wasn't really that unexpected. Minato, having already made a bond with Chidori, resigned himself to it. This person... He felt they had things to teach each other. He wasn't going to expect anything out of this bond. He would make sure to be ready to be betrayed at any point in time.

"Well, as they say, knowing is half the battle. Unfortunately, you don't know enough." Ikutsuki said as he stepped away from the console he had been typing into. He motioned to Takaya who then handed Minato the book he had taken from the library. "This is the heavily annotated volume of Hesiod's Theogeny. It's previous owner was the founder to our cause known as Koutesu Kirijo. The grandfather of Mitsuru Kirijo and founder of the Kirijo Group." Minato took the book.

Mitsuru's... grandfather? He wanted the world to end? Minato looked over the book. It was old. The age it had behind it seemed to give it a mystical power over him. He really wanted to read it.

"Read it. Learn a fraction about Nyx-sama and then you'll see the truth. Oh and I want you to keep something in mind whenever you doubt our goals." Minato titled his head curiously at the smiling Ikutsuki. "If they want life, feel they deserve it, then they should stand for themselves. It should be something you see every day. So, I want you to think about something: What do people see everyday? Do they see people willing to live, or a slowly dying species?" With that, Ikutsuki turned his back and went back to his work.

Takaya and Minato went back to the elevator.

When he arrived back into his room, Minato opened the book and began to read the notes on the inside of the cover.

"I write these notes not for myself, but for every single person out there who is alone. For every single person who is weak, who has been betrayed. I write it for mankind. In this book are both truths and lies. I have spent my entire life pointing out which one is which, deciphering the truth hidden in this work. At first, you could call it a hobby. A game to see if I could show myself to be better than even the ancient Greeks.

I was out to disprove the existence of deities.

It was maddening, truly maddening, to attempt to do this. Because I couldn't prove everything false. I had no proof. Logic was one approach, but I could not disprove Nyx, who was the first deity I began with. It was when I was at the pinnacle of my frustration, that I had a dream. I saw it.

The Fall. The end of mankind as we know it.

It was glorious. It wasn't just a death. It was a rebirth, another chance. As a young boy, I had been forced to go into business. And business... was brutal. The amount of tears I shed and made others shed was ungodly. I watched men get beaten and broken by other men. Women were raped or forced into prostitution to feed their children. Children were left starving and dying in the streets. If they survived, they would become the men and women who would either get beaten or beat others down. "Heroes" came and went, but the people themselves never stood for change. They merely went back to their routines of beating and being beaten. The world was disgusting.

Mankind was a disease.

The dream awakened me. It opened my eyes, even in my slumber.

There is no salvation for us. There is no savior. There is no Messiah.

But Nyx, the primordial deity of the night, does exist. And her power can wipe the slate clean, allow us to start anew. That much I was able to prove.

To whoever is reading this, I ask you one question.

Do you look out into the world and enjoy the wars, rapes, and beatings that occur?

If you do, I suggest you close this book now.

But, if you don't... Then I beg you to give the world its second chance.

Give mankind what they desire in the heart of hearts.

Give them death, or let them fester and rot until rebirth is no longer possible.

The choice is yours.

To help the weak, one must get rid of the term 'weak'. To stop betrayal, one must create a world where such a thing is unfathomable. To save mankind, one must restart it... with all of the lessons of the previous world. Now... will you join me as you read this text? Will you create a new world with me?

~Koutesu Kirijo"

Minato closed the book and set it to the side.

He was completely silent as he dropped his head into his hands. He was such a mix of emotions. Everything that had happened came crashing down on him once again.

Bonds.

Betrayal.

Weakness.

Strength.

Life.

Death.

Love.

Hate.

He didn't know anything. If a hero defends the weak, no... Why does the hero defend the weak? Why do the weak even exist? Why are they weak? Why does the hero feel he has to defend the weak? Why doesn't everyone just defend everyone from everyone?

It was maddening.

"Life isn't perfect. You will get hurt." Orpheus' words echoed in Minato's head.

'Yes, but why can't life be perfect?' Minato responded to nobody.

"It's just a damn title!"

'Why does that title even exist?'

"Damn it... What am I supposed to do? Who am I supposed to be?"

And Minato, for just the briefest of moments, wished he was back with his friends at S.E.E.S. where he could simply go back to being naive...

"We should cancel the contract. He's running away." Igor said aloud. Philemon smiled at his old "friend".

"No... Let us see how this all plays out. Maybe it will be a happy ending. Besides, think about Elizabeth. How would she react if you were to suddenly end it like this? Under no circumstances are we to cancel this contract. Even if he violates it to the most extreme measure, we must not cancel it." Philemon said with an air of finality.

"This is... odd. I've never seen you like this before. The closest I ever saw was back with Tatsuya Suou, but even then you didn't interfere as much. What's happening?" Igor asked with a slight undertone of desperation. Yet, he also felt excitement. In his heart, he had grown bored over the years. Nothing ever changed. Heroes came and went, simply fusing Personae. But now...

"Times are changing. Everything is." Philemon announced as he began to open one of the doors of the Velvet Room. He stepped through, leaving Igor alone.

'Why? Why are you changing the policies? Why did you come back so suddenly, Master?'

Two figures watched on, alone. They were surrounded in darkness.

"It almost happened. He almost succumbed to his Shadow. We need to tread more carefully. We won't get another chance like this. We have to make sure to push him in the right direction."

One of the figures was sitting down, a scowl on their face.

"Lighten up! C'mon, I doubt he'll fall so easily to something like that. Plus, he has me watching his back. He has nothing to worry about. And it's funny to watch him. He's so different, yet so similar, y'know?"

The other figure was cheery and wanted to bring the mood up. It was bad when the other figure would make the sort of expression..

"Yes. I know. It is just... he is the only one to have gained access to at least 3 of the doors. He is the only one to able to grant this selfish wish of mine."

"Selfish? No, you're not selfish. You're merely... changing destiny for the better. Trying to get the happy ending."

Omake: Stegadventures: Chidori's Free Time

"And then the blue-haired boy, Minata, drew closer to that golden-eyed lion, Taka. This was to be their fated meeting, their union.

'I-I'm not ready yet.' The boy responded.

The golden-eyed Taka stood up from the bed. In his deep, manly voice, he assured the boy, 'It'll be okay. It's just your first time.'

'Taka... I can always count on yo-"

"Chidori-san! We've got a job!" The sudden voice at the door made Chidori jump and spread her arms protectively over the monitor of her computer in her room. She turned her head to look at who was there.

Jin had just entered her room rudely. He tilted his head in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"I-It's not fanfiction!" Chidori exclaimed, blushing furiously. Jin laughed.

"I never said it was. But now I'm intrigued. What are you writing? How many fandoms are you in? Do you have a tumblr account?" Jin started to list off a series of websites and fandoms rapid-fire. Chidori had almost forgotten how much this guy was interested in the internet.

"It's nothing!" Chidori yelled as she tried to push him out of the door. Jin looked over his shoulder and slyly winked. He pushed up his glasses.

"Ah, so it's BL. You know... yaoi, slash, that sort of thing. It's fine... as long as me and Takaya are in it." And with a creepy smile, he left.

Chidori was left speechless.

"...What..."

NEXT: The Coming Battle

A/N: Hey guys... I'm back... Hope you don't hate me for the long cliffhanger... School is slowly dying off... Just a few more months and then there will be an explosion of chapters, hopefully. There's a bit of Wangst (well, a lot of it) with Strega, but it is intentional. Completely and utterly intentional Tropes Are Tools right here. EDIT: The mystery SWS in this chapter is not Minato. It is also not Junpei. Have fun guessing who is it.

Oh and thanks to The Shard of Flame Ice for betaing this chapter once more.

Anyway... I'll just generally address reviews instead of specifically right now. I'm not feeling up to responding to everybody's. I'm very tired. Long week. I do read every review though, so thank you for the support. I couldn't write this story without you guys (well, I could, but it wouldn't be as good or as fun).

One person asked about the Role of the Reaper. Well, the Reaper plays one of the biggest plot parts in the entire story. It will be revealed in time.

One person said to make Minato something unforgivable... Well, I'm not just going to make him do something like murder Shinji, right?

Minato: You better not.

Yeah... if it happens, it happens.

Minato will meet other NPCs in the future, so you peeps can look forward to that as well.

Also, I'm going to grey up this Minato so much. Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Oh and to the person who said they would bear my children: Keep in touch ;) Lol.

Question of the Chapter: Who do you want as Minato's Star Link? Not the default guy.

And with that...

REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW. Pretty please with crazy Koutesu Kirijo on top?