Author Notes: The finale has come. After working on this story on-and-off for the past four and a half years, "The Past is Prologue" is coming to an end. I told myself I would wrap this story before 2020 ended. It was a challenge, but I was happy that I was successful in that endeavor. While I'm proud of many things regarding this story, I have mixed feelings with how it ended up.

I have mentioned in previous chapters that the overall reception of the story was disappointing. While the reception may have been positive, it did not get a lot of reviews. It's ironically like how the initial release of God Eater had good reviews, but the marketing was poorly done which is why it took a while before Bandai Namco gave it a second chance which did far better by comparison. It is also similar to how Sega did a poor job handling the original release of the Yakuza series in the West before finally getting it right.

While both of those stories proved things can be turned around, I find it doubtful history would work in this story's favor. This was a contributing factor for this story being an on-and-off development rather than a somewhat more consistent one like I did with "The Kirita Chronicles" and "Into the Fog". I probably wrote more material for this story during this planned final year while I put my more successful stories on hiatus in order to ensure I accomplished the goal, and I don't regret that.

There are plenty of unused scenes that were partly written or planned out, but I decided not to use them in this story. One such sequence was Azumi's death scene. However, I decided it was not going to work out. Azumi's death was originally meant to be a story arc that lead to her downfall. If I did that in this shortened story, it was just not gonna work. It would have been a streamlined version, and it would not have felt satisfactory to me. As a result, the entire sequence was dropped, and I decided to focus on the aftermath.

If a sequel to this story would be made, it would as I described in the previous chapter's author notes. The story would be split between the present and the past with Yu and Azumi as the main characters. Part of the story would be focused on Yu's story in a loose adaptation of the original God Eater game while the other part would focus on Azumi's time as a God Eater leading up to her death.

The protagonists would keep getting switched in segments not too different from Yakuza 0 except instead of the stories happening concurrently, it would be a different times periods, but there would be connections. For example, Soma changes as a character, and you would see how he interacted with both Azumi and with Yu during the different eras in his life. Rather than focus all his development with how he interacted with Yu, you would see how Azumi had an impact as well.

/

Past is Prologue

Chapter Sixteen (Final): Prologue leads to the Future

/

We make decisions

They determine our future

The Past is Prologue

/

"Past is prologue." The words Yu heard his sister, Kannagi Azumi, speak as she sat on the hospital bed.

"Hm?" Yu looked over to his sister.

"Never forget our words, Yu." Azumi advised him, "We lost a lot. There is nothing we can do to go back, but to …" Azumi bit her lip before then saying, "We have to move forward. I'm sorry, but that's really all there is to it."

Yu told her, "It's not your fault."

"I …" Azumi sighed, "It's the only thing we can do is move on."

Yu repeated, "Past is prologue."

"Heh." Azumi chuckled, "It's annoying how differently that can sound from someone else."

Yu concurred, "Yeah … It kinda does …"

"In the end, I guess whether you can blame me or someone else isn't important." Azumi put her hand on Yu's shoulder as she told him, "What is important, is that we made it. That we're alive, and I'm going to do what I can to protect the people of Fenrir. That includes you as well."

"Sis …" Yu merely said.

"It'll be your time someday." Azumi assured him. "Don't forget that."

/

For over two years, Azumi and Yu both talked about how they would become a team once again after they were both God Eaters. A day when the 'Survival Duo' would be upgraded to the 'God Eater Duo'. Unfortunately that wasn't meant to be. It was something that was meant to remain a beautiful dream.

One day, it was only about a year before the promise could be fulfilled. Azumi went off on a mission, but only her weapon, parts of her bracelet, and traces of her blood came back. A sight that would remain in engraved in Yu's mind forever. He also knew it wasn't just his.

It had been a year since the day he learned of Azumi's fate. Her God Eater remained planted in the ground pointing toward the sky. He fulfilled his promise to Azumi. He was sixteen, and he remained resolved to become a God Eater. His mind had not changed in the past three years, but he remained certain that it was the path that he was meant to take. In a few days, he would enter God Eater Headquarters, and he would receive the bracelet just like his sister did before him. This would officially turn him into a God Eater.

Yu stared at his sister's weapon for a few moments before reaching out and touching it. Yu held onto Azumi's weapon tightly as he told her, "You promised to take care of me. A promise very hard for one to keep, but you did your best to keep."

Before Yu could finish, Fujiki Kota spoke to him, "I knew I'd find you back here."

Yu didn't look in Kota's direction as he answered, "Yeah …"

"You sure you're still up for this?" Kota then reminded him, "We can both back out of this you know."

Yu remained facing his sister's grave as he rhetorically asked, "Are you gonna back out of it, Kota?"

"Of course not!" Kota replied, "I just …"

"Then, you know my answer." Yu answered without hesitation, "I just came here to give myself a little 'clarification'."

"I see …" Kota then inquired, "What did you get out of it?"

"Nothing much." Yu then turned around and told him, "I just thought back to the past. I remember how my sister had made the resolve to become a God Eater. I also thought about how she wanted me to wait a year before jumping in. She was right."

Kota tilted his head. "You think so?"

"Yeah …" Yu put his hands on his hips as he answered, "She knew me better than I knew myself. I was just a little kid, and she's the one who basically raised me."

"Right." Kota then said, "By the way, there's someone who wants to see you."

"Is it Lindow or Minato?" Yu asked.

"No. Someone else." Kota replied, "But he seems really important."

"Really?" Yu couldn't help but feel curious over this mystery guest.

/

When Yu entered the Fujiki Household, he was greeted by a man in his early sixties. He was a man who Yu felt like he knew. He was certain they met before, and it was on the tip of his tongue. The man had gray hair with matching eyes. He had a red coat draped over his body, and he appeared to have his left arm in a sling. Similar to Azumi and Lindow, he had a large bracelet attached to his right wrist.

The man spoke in a deep voice, "Hey, do you remember me?"

"I think so …" Yu then asked, "You're a retired God Eater, right?"

"That's right." The man then answered, "My name is Momota Gen."

"Right, Gen." Yu then exclaimed, "I remember now! You were one of the first God Eaters, right?"

"First batch." Gen answered.

"Wow." Yu couldn't help but marvel as he bowed his head, "It's a real honor to meet you."

"Likewise." Gen seemed impressed as he complimented, "I see your sister taught you proper manners."

Yu stood up straight as he replied, "She did her best."

"All things considered, she did a fine job." Gen then said, "I actually came here because I owe a lot to your sister."

Yu inquired, "You worked with my sister a few times, right?"

Gen nodded, "Yes. She really saved me out there. She's the reason I managed to make it to retirement."

Yu mused, "Before my sister told me about you, I didn't know retirement from being a God Eater was a thing."

"When you live this long, it is." Gen then sated, "Of course, I still help out with the new recruits like you."

"Oh really?" Yu titled his head as he inquired, "Are you saying you're gonna be my mentor or something?"

"Somewhat." Gen clarified, "I'm here for something else too."

"Then, is there something I can do for you?" Yu asked.

"As a matter of fact," Gen took a step closer, "I came here to confirm something."

"Confirm what?" Yu took a step back.

"That you're about to become a God Eater for the right reasons." Gen told him, "I know your sister meant a lot to you, but I just hope you're not doing this for revenge."

Yu narrowed his eyes as he responded with his own question, "What makes you think that's what I'm gonna do?"

"It's happened before, and it's gotten people killed." Gen replied in no uncertain terms, "If that's your plan, you're only gonna get yourself killed. After what your sister did, I would rather not see her family end on such a tragic note."

"Hmph." Yu replied, "I'm sure my sister and you got along. She left me a recording asking me not to become a God Eater out of revenge either."

"Nor should you." Gen concurred, "I've got no love for the Aragami either, and I got pissed at them for all the other God Eaters they killed. I'm the only one from the first batch still alive, but I got out alive because I didn't do anything stupid. When I almost did, I got some help. Like from your sister."

"I appreciate the advice, Gen-san, but that's not what I plan to do." Yu told him, "It is more than that. I'm doing this to fulfill a promise. I told Big Sis how I wanted to take out Aragami. Long before we ever entered Fenrir, she would always tell me how I reminded her of heroes she saw on anime and other stuff. Big Sis knew I wanted to become a God Eater, and she made me promise to wait until I was sixteen because she thought I'd be old enough to know what I wanted to do in life. I've kept that promise. Now, I'd ready to go through with it."

"Hmm … I see …" Gen took a breath before responding, "If you've fulfilled her wishes, I won't try to stop you."

"Could you?" Yu asked.

"I'd try." Gen then told Yu, "I also came here because I wanted you to know that I am really sorry I wasn't there when your sister needed me most. I truly regret it. I may have already been retired, but I regret it. She was a good person and a fantastic God Eater that should have had years ahead of her. I'm sure you can become one, too."

Yu merely told him, "I'm gonna do what I can."

/

Speaking with Gen caused Yu to think about the recording that Azumi had left for him. As soon as Gen left, Yu instinctively entered his room, and he immediately looked to the recording device. He stared at it for a moment before finally taking a step forward.

Over the past year, he made several attempts to listen to the recording in its entirety. Each of these attempts ended the same as the first. Failure. He knew that Azumi's last words were meant for him. He knew she had more words she wished to share with him, but he had failed to listen to them. If his sister was here, he knew he wouldn't be able to look her in the eyes as he looked away from the recorder.

Yu had to remind himself that in a few days he would be following his sister's footsteps. He would become a God Eater. He would bear a bracelet filled with the blood of Aragami that would become permanently attached to his right wrist. He resolved to do that. Despite having the resolution to become more than human to fight, he still couldn't listen to his sister's last words.

Knowing this, if Yu could not listen to what was left of his sister's recording, he had no business following the path she took. He took a breath and the hit the play button. He then placed the recorder on Azumi's chair as he let the recorder play out. He decided he would listen to the recording as Azumi intended. He listened the first part, and he finally let it continue on from there.

When Yu heard the part, "Live your own life," he came close to reaching over and stopping the recording, but he told himself to stop. He would listen to the remainder.

"I know hearing those words might sound a little contradictory. 'Live your own life' when you choose to be a God Eater." Azumi was sincere as she told him, "Believe it or not even though you are gonna be doing a lot of training and missions to take out Aragami, you do still have your own life. God Eaters have freedoms to do things just like any ordinary people. You may have to worry about going on a mission, but you get a decent amount of free time to what you want. That does include hanging out with friends and finding love."

Yu couldn't help but think, "Love? My sister really did seem to think a lot about that, huh?"

As if Azumi somehow knew Yu would be thinking this, her recording gave off a chuckle, "Heh. Love. I never really talked to you about this when I was around. It just never seemed like that big of a deal when you were trying to survive out there. But being in here gave me the time and space to really consider other aspects of life. There is a real difference between just surviving and living. Finding love is something that can help you live."

Yu reflexively said to himself, "Oh …"

There was a 'shyness' with a hint of shame in Azumi's voice as she told him, "This is a little selfish on my part, but I was hoping you could eventually start a family of your own one day because I cannot." That raised an eyebrow for Yu as he then heard his sister's explanation, "Remember that day you asked me about the Fenrir doctor?"

It didn't take much effort for Yu to remember that. It may have been three years ago, but he remembered the solemn look on the doctor's face, and Azumi assured him that everything was fine, but she lied. "He told me that based on the injuries I received, I could never have children of my own. I wanted to tell you right then and there, but I knew you would blame yourself."

As soon as Yu heard that, he immediately remembered when Estuko stabbed Azumi through her gut. They weren't able to get treatment for her injuries right away. There was only so much their doctor could do with their limited resources. Then there was the fact that Azumi exasperated her injuries on their little motorcycle getaway along with her subsequent decoy mission. She nearly bleed to death.

"I won't bullshit you. It was from the stab wound Estuko gave me." It was difficult for Yu to pinpoint the exact emotion Azumi must've been feeling as she spoke. He could definitely sense a bitterness as she spoke, "Estuko's knife pierced through certain internal organs that would have been necessary for reproduction. They were so badly damaged that being able to have children would be nearly impossible."

"It wasn't your fault. I don't want you to blame yourself, but I don't want to keep lying to you either." Azumi apologetically told him, "I told you that I was fine that day, and I lied. I have been lying to you ever since. My other injuries recovered, but I never could recover my ability to have children. Not fully."

"On that note of being honest, you were right." Azumi confessed, "I did have feelings for Lindow. I still do, but I knew Sayaka was in love with him. If that wasn't enough, she could have children, and I couldn't. I wasn't going to get in their way. I don't know when these two will finally get together, but believe me I'm sure they will someday, and it wasn't my place to complicate it. When they do, I'll be happy to see them have a family, and I would be fine with being the 'honorary Aunt' if they'd be willing to let me."

"Sis …" Yu sorrowful said out loud.

"Our father …" The bitterness briefly increased in Azumi's voice as she told him, "I would never agree with his way of thinking. While he did care of us, a part of me still resents him for some of hurdles he put us through and how inflexible he was. However, I do understand to an extent why he did what he did. He wished to keep us all together. He was attempting to keep the hope alive."

"In my entire life of living with our caravan, there were only a handful of people I can say I truly made a bond with." Azumi's voice sounded lighter as she told him, "One would obviously be you, but some of the others would be Minato, Yashiko, and the other kids. They always made me happy. They kept pushing me forward. During my time with the God Eaters, I was able to experience the same thing with them. In all the life and death situations we found ourselves in, we bonded. I was ready to put my life on the line to fight with them, so we can live another day. It was just like I would with you."

"When you become a God Eater, be open to forming bonds with the others. I can only hope you find another God Eater to form a bond on the same level as Lindow and Sayaka." Azumi's voice sounded like it was filled with hope as she said, "When you find that God Eater, do what you can. I wish I could give you advice on love, but that is a subject I truly am a failure at. I'm sorry your 'Big Sister' is incapable of helping you with that."

"The best I can say is get the know her. Try to understand her. Then, tell her how you feel. Maybe this advice will work. Maybe it won't. I'm just winging it here." Yu laughed at the thought of Azumi shrugging.

"I've come to understand that life can really throw you curveballs, but that's how life is." Azumi advised, "We all have to learn as we go on. The past is prologue."

Once again, Yu heard their famous words. He couldn't help but nod at them.

"I've been talking to you for a while now. I feel like …" Azumi briefly trailed off before then stating, "I feel like there is so much more that I should be saying, but it just … it just won't come to me. Sorry if this isn't good enough for you, but I guess I might as well just begin this like how I started. I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my promise to you. Leaving you behind like this is truly my greatest failure. I can only hope my failure will allow you to live."

Azumi attempted to sound happy as she ended with, "Goodbye, Yu. Live your life to the fullest and always remember that I love you. Fighting for your sake is something I can never regret."

/

As soon as the recording had ended, Yu played it back. He then played it back a third time. No matter how many times he heard it, it would always sound fresh to him. Afterwards, Azumi invited the only other person he was willing to share the recording with, Minato.

Minato remained silent until he heard the recording come to an end. He didn't appear to be too surprised based on his expression which led Yu to ask, "Did she tell you?"

"No." Minato denied, "But it does explain a lot. I suspected there was something off. She did tell me how she was hoping you'd find a girlfriend and have a family, but she always evaded the topic when I asked her about herself."

"I see …" Yu almost sounded disappointed.

"Azumi …" Minato attempted to reason, "She didn't want either of us to be burdened by her problems."

"I get that that, but I wish she still told us." Yu protested.

"Me too." Minato concurred, "If she didn't keep secrets, I'm sure there could've been fewer problems."

"I guess …" Yu replied, "But it's not like we can do anything about that now."

"No, but at least you can try not repeating her mistakes." Minato advised, "Maybe you can make sure others don't either."

"Hmm …" Yu nodded in response.

"Hey." Minato's eyes were drawn to the window as he asked, "Did you invite anyone else?"

"No." Yu replied on a confused tone.

"I think someone else is paying Azumi a visit." As soon as Minato said that, they both dashed to the back.

/

When Minato and Yu were outside, they saw that another God Eater was standing in front of Azumi's grave. Yu could tell by the bracelet that was attached to his right wrist. Yu couldn't see much of this God Eater because his back was to them. All Yu could see was the blue hooded jacket he wore. It wasn't until the God Eater turned around to reveal his tanned skin and white hair that Yu recognized him.

The God Eater standing in front of them was Schicksal Soma. The infamously quiet God Eater of few words that he briefly encountered before. The first words he said were, "The younger Kannagi."

Yu responded, "You're Soma, right?"

"Yeah." Soma crossed his arms as he said, "I heard that you're about to become a God Eater."

"That's right." Yu stated, "In a couple of days, I'll be getting my own bracelet just like my sister before me."

"Well kid." Soma stepped forward, "I hope you don't think you have what it takes to be a God Eater just because your sister was one."

Yu replied, "The test already proved I'm able."

"Being able and capable are two different things." Soma held up one finger, "Being able is just step one. Your sister understood that, so you should try to keep up."

"Fine." Yu nodded, "I'll be sure to do that."

"You better." Soma stepped forward and stood next to Yu as he remarked, "That is unless you want to get yourself killed like her. Try to remember this job can have a high turnover rate."

"So I've heard." Yu replied, "I'll keep that in mind."

"…" Without saying a word, Soma walked passed them.

Before Soma could leave, Yu called out, "Before you go, can I ask you one thing?"

Soma stopped, but he didn't turn around as he reluctantly replied, "Fine. What is it?"

Yu inquired, "Did you dislike my sister? She was never really sure."

"..." Soma didn't respond at first. He merely turned his head and spoke, "I didn't dislike her." He then walked away.

"Didn't dislike her, huh?" Yu almost sounded confused as he repeated those words.

Minato spoke up, "That's the closest thing to praise you'll ever hear Soma say. That probably means he liked your sister a lot."

Yu replied, "Azumi figured Soma was nicer than he lets on."

Minato replied, "Your sister knew him well. Do a good job as a God Eater, and he'll warm up to you. Just like he did with her."

"I'll do what I can." Yu replied.

/

Several days had passed, and it was the finally the day that Yu would become a God Eater. The first thing he did when he got up that morning was have a quick breakfast, and then he paid his sister another visit before he headed out.

Yu stood in front of the grave as he spoke to it, "Well Big Sis … I'm sixteen now. That means I've kept my promise to you. I'm ready to become a God Eater. This is my choice, and I've thought it through. I don't know if you'd believe me, but I have. You said so yourself that nothing will get done if we don't do anything. I'm gonna do something."

It was then that Yu reminded the grave, "You told me you weren't sure if you'd make a difference, but a lot of people here thought you were a great God Eater. I know you must've been because you were great at everything. But the things I remember you best for was being a great sister."

Yu then sat down in front of the grave as he recalled, "They told me how every day you had a day off, you'd come to visit me. They didn't give you that many, but you always came to see me. For my fourteenth and fifteenth birthdays, you made sure that you could be there. I was told how you'd sign up for a bunch of missions before and after, so they wouldn't complain. That dedication of yours is why you kept moving through the ranks."

"Heh." Yu chuckled, "I was so proud of you when you told me that you'd been promoted to a leader of your own squad. We may have seen less of each other, but I was happy. I know I would've loved to be a member of your team. I also know you wouldn't let me on your team unless I earned it, and I know you wouldn't have gone easy on me. If they thought you would, they would've had another thing coming. I do have to wonder if they would've let me." Yu sighed, "We'll never know now."

"You know …" Yu reached out and gripped the weapon as he remarked, "I still can't believe how heavy thing is. The strength they gave you was unreal. It's hard to believe I'll have that same strength soon. Its kind overwhelming that after all this time it's finally going to happen." Yu then looked up as he said, "I hope you'll be wishing me luck."

When Yu stood up, he then said, "Before I forget, there is something else I needed to tell you. "I finally got the chance to finish your recording. It only took me about a year to do, but I did it."

Yu patted the weapon as he stated, "You know I promised I'd live enough for the both of us. That I'd work hard enough for the both of us. That was a big promise to take on." Yu looked at his right wrist as he stated, "Soon I'll have the bracelet put on my wrist. I'll feel the Aragami blood run through my veins, and it'll be proof that it'll take a lot more than determination to make anything possible, but I will do it."

After taking a breath, Yu admitted, "I'm not going to lie to you. My reasons for becoming a God Eater aren't completely altruistic. Yes." Yu grinned as he boasted, "That's a word I learned from the school you wanted me to attend. It's pretty obvious to the others, but I do want revenge. The Aragami have taken everything and everyone from me, including you. I can't let that stand. I won't let that stand, but it's more than that. I'm not going to let the Aragami rule over this world." Yu shook his head, "I'm not going to let the Aragami have what they want. Never."

"Wow …" Yu marveled as he put his hands on his waist, "Lindow was right … I can't say everything I wanted to you in one shot. It's been about a year, and I still have a lot to say. I'll probably have lot to say in another year and probably beyond that. It's weird. Half the time I'm expecting some kind of response or a hand on my head. I know I'm not gonna get it, but I still expect it. If that makes any sense." Yu sighed, "I wonder if this is one of those examples of insanity or something." Yu shrugged, "Oh well … I guess a part of me must be insane for wanting to be God Eater even after what happened to you. I know you had mixed feelings on that, but I'm sure you would be fine with it in the end."

Yu held onto the barrel as he told his sister, "The next time you see me, I'll have a bracelet just like you did. I'll defeat the Aragami and continue where you left off."

"My past with you, it was what led me to this moment." Yu said, "It's just like you said 'The Past is Prologue' to this. I will forge my new path as a God Eater, and I will be successful. You better watch me because it's gonna be something you're never gonna want to forget. In case you miss anything, I'll be sure to stop by and tell you all about it later. Anyway, wish me luck Big Sis. Today is just step one."

When Yu said that, he felt there was a light breeze in the air. It felt cool and comforting, but it was also chilly. Yu couldn't help but look up to the sky as soon as it passed, but he saw nothing but the blue above.

It was then that Yu turned around to see that Lindow entered the area. He merely asked, "You, ready?"

"Yes." As soon as Yu said that, Lindow turned around and began leading Yu to his chosen path.

After taking a few steps forward, Yu stopped. He briefly looked back at the God Eater headstone before then looking ahead once again and continuing forward. He reminded himself, "Past is Prologue."

It was time for Kannagi Yu to begin his own story.

/

Author Notes: "Past is Prologue" has come to an end. The past of Yu's origin is his prologue to the events of the game. Or rather the events I had plans on loosely adapting. Whether or not that may eventually happen is another issue. While I doubt I will do it, there is always a chance. I do want to continue the story, but if the number of reviews mimics what happened in this, I might lose interest writing it, and I hate cancelling a story partway through. I was happy that I was able to find an appropriate stopping point to complete this story even if I left a number of planned scenes out.

Based on the amount of content I originally envisioned for this story, I could have easily pictured it lasting another ten chapters. Character such as Gen would have been more fleshed out, and you would have seen Azumi interact with Soma. Unfortunately, the lack of reviews made it not meant to be. Regardless, I was still able to end it the same way I planned to. I am pleased the ending remained the same. Maybe one day the left out content will come back to life in a potential sequel or maybe even a 'Director's Cut' of this story. You never know what the future has in store for us all.

The relationship between Azumi and Yu was inspired by the relationship between Zack and Cloud. This story was somewhat like Crisis Core with how Azumi would be the Zack and Yu being the Cloud. Having Azumi's weapon planted in the grave was a nod to how Cloud had Zack's sword used as a grave. Yu telling Azumi how he was trying to live life for the both of them was influenced by Cloud telling Zack's 'grave' something similar in Advent Children. The implication that Azumi was watching over Yu was a nod to what we see Zack do for Cloud. Both Azumi and Zack die at the end of their respective stories with Yu and Cloud taking up the mantle in time for their own stories to begin.

As I mentioned before, one massive difference is that we got to see Zack be a SOLDIER while we did not get to see Azumi be a God Eater. That was not always meant to be the case since I did plan on giving her a story arc in that regard, but it was not meant to be for this story. Here's hoping that might change one day, so Azumi's story can receive the closure I believe she deserves. There are scenes partly written in that regard that I hope to see come to life one day, and they just might. As long as the readers promise to support both this story and a potential sequel, I will see what happens.

Once again, I wish you all a Merry Christmas 2020 and a Happy New Year. I hope you all leave a review on your thoughts regarding the finale of this story. Please feel free to leave reviews for the earlier chapters as well. Every little bit helps, and it would mean a lot. Perhaps I will see you again another time. Maybe someday. It is possible. Who knows? It will be up to you.