Hello! Welcome to my humble work. Apparently, I have delved a bit too deep into Persona series, P3M in general. And I like Makoto, so :v
Hope you enjoy!
Chapter One
March 5th, 2010
The wind feels nice.
He echoes what Aigis had said in his head and agrees. His body is heavy, his mind is numb. He's so, so tired—
But not yet.
I have to keep my promise.
Makoto had always remembered — from the first moment the Dark Hour vanished, up until this very seconds. He remembers everything, and it seems the others have not recalled their promises just yet. So, even with all his life spent sealing away mankind's wish for death, he cannot die. Not now.
He keeps his eyes open, his ears trying to focus on Aigis's words through the increasing rings that grow ever more maddening. He wants to wipe away her tears, wants to say something to comfort her, but he can't.
All Makoto can do is watch. Watch, and wait. For them to remember.
For him to meet them, just one last time.
I wonder, He thinks, eyes looking up at the sky above. If I'll meet you up there, too, Ryoji?
Of course you would.
His breath hitches slightly, blinking. That voice is unmistakeable.
A small smile crosses his lips.
Then, the voice echoes softly, sadly, like the last winter's wind. Are you afraid?
No, He replies. I've lived my life with all its worth. I have no regrets.
A smile. A chuckle. Fondness. That's good. When it is time, we'll meet, and maybe we'll share stories. Like good old days.
Like good old days, He repeats. Those days might never return, but his memories of them will be remembered as long as his soul remains.
And then, he hears their voices.
One by one they run up the stairs, smiling, waving, calling out his name. He musters all that he had left and turns to face them, and as his visions start to blur, he manages a smile.
I've kept my promise.
Thank you.
And as the wind breezes, he welcomes the arms of Death that has been waiting for him.
"It's been a while, Makoto."
When he comes to, he sees the same landscape. Vast as the sea, black as the night sky. He sits on a blue couch, and next to him—
He smiles. "Good morning, Ryoji."
"It's morning?" The other questions, sapphire eyes looking at him curiously. He then winces. "Oh. Yeah. Graduation."
"Sad I didn't attend the ceremony," Makoto says dryly. There's stinging on his body, like he's been cut with barbed wires. Constantly. Painfully. He ignores it. "Looks like Mitsuru-senpai stumbles. Really wish I didn't miss that."
"Oh yeah," Ryoji says. He then pauses. "Nah, I really don't want to see her stumble on her words. Reminds me too much of the bath."
This time, Makoto winces, remembering Mabufudyne — or was it Nielfhelm? — that had been casted down on their still soaking wet asses.
"Ow."
"Exactly,"
There is a beat of silence, and they both laugh.
Like good old days.
"Welcome back, I guess, Makoto," Ryoji says, smiling warmly. "But I wish you didn't have to die, though. It's such a shame."
"You're the one who forces me to kill myself." He grumbles half-heartedly. "Well, not directly you, but still."
"Yeah," He echoes. A pause, then, "since you're going to be stuck here with me for who knows how long, do you want to do anything?"
The pain is stronger, something is slamming into him constantly. He coughs, gripping his chest. Ryoji simply waits until his pain has passed. Makoto exhales, the numbness replacing the scorching of the invisible chains around him.
"You know?"
That I'm sealing Erebus with my own life?
"Yes," Ryoji confirms, melancholy in his voice. "I'm sorry you have to suffer like this, Makoto."
He just shakes his head. "It's fine. So… what can we actually do in here?" He snorts. "Video games?"
Ryoji grins, this time. "Well, we can here. This is your own mind, so I think you can conjure things up on your own around here?"
"You think?"
"The hell am I supposed to know? I've been here for as long as you do. It's just my speculations!" He counters lightly, jabbing Makoto's shoulder with a certain level of care. His smile widens as he claps his hands together, and then a tome of some sorts appear.
Makoto just stares at it. "…What the hell is that?"
"Your bonds," He replies, opening the tome, revealing the moving pictures of everyone he has ever talked with, ever formed a friendship with—
Ever loved. Still does.
"We have all eternity, wasting some time looking at these might be good for your heart, you know?" Ryoji states. He slowly scoots closer to Makoto. "Do you want to?"
"Of course," He answers without missing a beat.
Dying might not have been so bad, after all.
There is a sense of dread in the air.
The floor is cold, and burning. Hard surface, cold enough to freeze your skin right off, but smooth as marbles. The air is stale, fogs covering the usually clear room.
He writhes.
"Makoto!" Ryoji says in a panic. He had never panicked once, even when he gasps and moans while Erebus pounds into the Seal constantly. This time is different, he surmises. Must have been, because this pain is not like the last thousand times.
Makoto opens his mouth, trying to say something, but all that comes out is a strangled gasp. He coughs and kicks, clawing at his skin to try to sooth the pain coursing through him. The pounding in his head gets louder, and before he realizes he is already screaming his lungs out.
He feels hands — Ryoji's, probably. Who else? — on him, trying to keep him grounded. He gritted his teeth, his screams becoming no more than occasional whimpers.
His body trembles weakly as the other grits his teeth and murmurs. "What the hell is going on? Makoto, what happened?"
His answer is but a whisper, so soft and quiet. "…I don't… I don't know."
Fear.
He realizes he's fearing something.
Something other than death.
Ryoji opens his mouth, but he suddenly pauses when the air before Makoto rips itself apart, and something black and menacing seeps out of it.
On instinct, Makoto tries to get up, but his body refuses to move. Ryoji hurriedly grabs him and hoists him up, stepping back as the smokes of something other than death approaches them. Makoto could see only one side of his face from his arms, but he could tell Ryoji is as confused as he is.
"What's going on?" Ryoji grits out, his eyes narrowing. "This place shouldn't be affected by anything. So how—"
"That is Erebus's doing, I'm afraid,"
They both turn (or in Makoto's case, tries to) to the voice, and they are greeted by a lady in all blue. Her golden eyes are sharp and oppressing, but at the same time very, very kind.
"What the hell is going on today?" Ryoji says, but then he snarls at her. "And who are you? How are you here?"
"My name is Elizabeth," She introduces. Makoto tries to say something, anything, but all he could do is watch. "I'm a resident of the Velvet room. We'll talk in details later, but first, the Great Seal is no longer necessary."
"Whoa, whoa, wait a second!" Ryoji protests while keeping on eye on the seeping dark, the other on Elizabeth. Makoto tries to convey that she's a friend, but in his panic (which is also very fiercely protective of him, Makoto must say), he doesn't see it. "What the hell do you mean the Seal is no longer necessary!?"
"Because Erebus somehow gains enough power to descend to humanity on its own. It seems to gain its own "consciousnesses", and Nyx, being neither kind nor malevolent as it is, refuses to follow its maddened whim which aggravates it into descending down to try to devour humanity by itself."
Ryoji gapes. "It what?"
"We'll talk more later," She cuts them off. "Let's go."
And with that, he whites out.
When he comes too, he sees the same elevator. The similar faces. The blue.
"Welcome, to the Velvet Room."
He breathes. The pain is gone. He looks around. The room is almost the same, saves for the fact that he doesn't sit directly across from Igor anymore. Instead—
"Ryoji," He says, seeing a terribly confused Ryoji sitting beside him. The man turns to him, mouthing is name, then looks around. Makoto frowns. "How are you here?"
"Er… I shouldn't be?" He questions.
"I mean… I don't know?" He responds. Well, more like questions back, but still. He looks over the other side of the table, at the smiling Igor. Then, he smiles. "It's been a while, Igor."
"Indeed it has," He says, "It is quite odd, but I'm happy to inform you that you have received, from Fate itself, a second chance at a Fool's Journey, Makoto-san."
"A… chance at a Journey," He breathes. "But I'm dead."
"Yet, here we are." He says simply, eyeing a sweating Elizabeth. "I must say I'm intrigued your very person convinced a resident to go above and beyond to save you. With all the things that had happened in the past few years, you're quite lucky."
"Luck, and misfortune." Elizabeth supplies. "Mankind's malices had shifted and changed, and so has Erebus. That's why the Seal is useless, because it can now think, and thus rationalizes that it can bring chaos and deaths onto the world by itself."
"…Wow," Ryoji blinks and sighs. "Well, I suppose there's still some silver linings in all these. But why am I here? I'm Nyx's Avatar, after all."
"An Avatar only exists when its master has a purpose," Igor says. "You might not have realized. But you are free of Nyx's will, proved by the fact that you have been staying beside him all this time… Mochizuki Ryoji-san."
Ryoji remains silent. Makoto lets the words sink in, and when it does, he smiles.
"Thank you, Ryoji."
"…It's no problem," He says, meekly and kind of embarrassed.
"Besides," Igor says. "Nyx has now realized one thing, that it is not its job to bring the absolute end. Only to governs the balance between life and death, as it should have. From what I could gather, it seems Nyx intent to bring the Fall not just because Erebus awakens it, but also because Erebus has manipulated it to believe that bringing death is its sole reason of existence."
"That's preposterous!" Ryoji counters. "That means the Fall… isn't supposed to happen at all? But because Erebus messed with Nyx's very core of being?"
"Yes, but because of that, for a time, Erebus seems to have lost its conscience. But now that it has awakened fully, the Fool must Journey once more to do what must be done."
"And uh… why am I here again?" Ryoji questions. "I'm no Fool,"
"But you are him," Igor says. "And he is you."
Then it all clicks.
Why Ryoji could be there, for all the pain and suffering. How he has always been beside him, even after he becomes Nyx's Avatar.
Because of what happened on the bridge years ago—
"I am thou," Makoto speaks, and turns to look at Ryoji, who stares right back at him. "And Thou art I. We share the soul from the beginning… that's why,"
"It is up to you, Death Arcana, whether you want to join him in this Journey or not," Igor explains, waving his hand in Makoto's direction. "The choice is yours."
Ryoji stills for a moment before letting out a laugh. Genuine. Surprise. Relief.
"You haven't explained everything yet, but it seems to be the truth. Nyx is manipulated, huh…" Ryoji mutters, then he looks up. At Igor, and then Makoto. "Yes. I'll join him, this time as a friend… and family."
Makoto feels himself smile at that, and Igor claps his hands.
"Then the contract is sealed. I'll let you adjust to your new lives for now, and we'll meet again soon. Elizabeth will help you, since breaking one more rule might pose no problem to her (and boy Makoto could see the Attendant sweats bullets at that). The next time we meet, you might be invited to meet the other Wild Cards as well."
That gives him a pause. "What!?"
But before he could say anything else, unlike last time, consciousness is ripped out of him.
The wind is blowing, cherry blossoms littering the air.
He opens his eyes, and inhales.
The scent of spring fills his lungs.
He's alive.
So? Good? Bad? Lemme know!