03/05/2010, Iwatodai, Day
The Sun is shining bright, high in the sky. On the rooftop of Gekkoukan High lies a boy, Makoto Yuki Leader of SEES, who's resting his head on his Aeon's lap.
Aigis doesn't understand why she's feeling sad... this should be an happy day, right? Everyone will remember and SEES will be once again together.
She lifts her arm to the sky, touching some cherry blossoms then she looks down smiling at her leader. "The wind... it feels so nice" says Aigis softly with a small smile on her synthetic lips. "I'm finally noticing the beauty of spring, it's wonderful" she pauses for a second. "And yet, without exception, each and every season will come to an end" the android mimics a gulp. "We fought side by side, faced the world's end. And now... I'm finally beginning to understand: what it was I'd been searching for" the girl looks around herself, sighing in relief.
"I always wondered what it really meant to... live" she stares into Makoto's eyes. "Now, I think it's following your heart fighting for what you can change".
"And accepting the things you can't" says Aigis with resolve looking at the bright blue sky.
"Nothing on this earth lasts forever. Every life will one day fizzle out, that holds true for all of us. And as soon as you come to terms with it, you realize something".
"You see what really matters, and find out what it is that gives your life meaning. When I learned I wasn't strong enough... I was tormented by it" she closes her eyes, content of what she discovered: her meaning to live, all thanks to Makoto.
"Protecting others, protecting everyone was the duty I was given, but to me it was more than an obligation. It became something I wanted to do for myself. Once I decided to try and prevent the Fall, something inside of me clicked"
"When I thought I might not see you again, that's when I understood what mattered me the most" her gentle smile becomes wider.
"What I want... is to protect you. From now until the end of time" the girl gently grabs Makoto's hands.
"I want to stay by your side" says her while holding back her tears. why does she feels this way... this is supposed to be a happy moment, this is a happy moment. Are these tears of joy? What a strange feeling.
"If I do it for you then nothing will be a waste, my life will have meaning. So... thank you" Aigis and Makoto look at each other and then she starts crying softly.
"It's okay... don't cry" faintly says Makoto wiping out synthetic tears from Aigis' face. Aigis takes his hand with both hers "Sorry, what's gotten into me?" rhetorically asks the girl. "It's good... I finally found a reson to live, so why am I?" the robot questions herself.
"Ehy ehy ehy!" they hear a familiar voice from the distance calling them, it's Junpei.
Aigis smiles "They're here. I see it now, I have friends. We support each other through all of things" she gently pulls down Makoto's hand.
"Not everything needs to be for a greater purpose just caring about someone can be enough".
"I've found my path that is to protect you with my life" declares the girl. Makoto rests peaceful blinking slowly, he's tired... so much tired: he breathes slowly, he doesn't move a muscle, but he's at peace.
"You must be tired, go ahead and rest now, I'll be right here" says Aigis reassuringly brushing his blue hair.
Makoto closes his eyes, but he can still see something, a blue butterfly. The same butterfly he saw the night he arrived at the dorm back in April. It flies away leaving behind itself a trace of light. Makoto feels Aigis polymer hand holding him with care, it feels nice. Suddenly the rooftop's door opens, Aigis turns back smiling widely. They're finally here and they remembered, all of SEES run towards her and Makoto, their leader looks at them and smiles before closing his eyes. One. Last. Time.
03/31/2012, Sea of Souls, Unknown Time
The Great Seal. Two massive golden doors that block the path to Erebus for reaching Nyx and bringing the Fall. In between the two doors stands a statue made of stone in the shape of a boy. The seal itself is no other than this, a literal lock made by the petrified and still conscious body of the Messiah, Makoto Yuki. He's like this since that day on Gekkoukan High rooftop, the day when his soul was fully transported into the Seal. A lonely place, set in the Sea of Souls suspended in time between life and death.
Being the Great Seal is... peculiar to say the least. You could think that having your sould imprisoned is painful, excruciatingly painful; but it's not. It feels like when you wake up after a pomeridian nap. You don't quite understand what's happening around you and you don't even know how much has passed since you fell asleep, but you are mentally destroyed like you haven't slept at all and worst of all, you see... things. Hallucinations, but instead of being just that, fake views, those things are real, too real, even.
Sometimes Makoto feels the suffering of the people trying to reach Nyx, a random strike of pain hits him only to soon disappear. He hears agonized screams desperately searching for the Great Mother. He bears the negative emotions that stream through the Sea of Souls towards the Seal, feeding Erebus and making him stronger.
But Makoto does not yield, he can't.
'How much time has passed?' Makoto asks himself, in a rare moment of peace and consciousness.
'Erebus hasn't knocked for a while... or at least... I think so?' he looks around himself, when no memories of various people are tossed into his head by the Sea of Souls he's floating in an endless void inside the Seal.
'I wonder what they are doing...'
Time goes by. Minutes? Hours? Days? Makoto can't really tell, if you would ask him how much time has passed for him since he closed his eyes on March 5th he would probably answer a couple of weeks, maybe less. The only moments he truly felt were the ones when Erebus tried to break the Seal, but Erebus hasn't come for a while, hasn't it?
Eventually in the dark space sorrounding Makoto a light appears, he tries to 'swim?' towards it and once again, floating in darkness he sees it, the blue butterfly.
'Again?' thinks Makoto looking at the blue insect illuminating the emptiness of the Great Seal's void.
He tries to reach for it when a man with dark brown hair tied into a ponytail materializes from the butterfly.
He wears a white mask with a design that resembles a butterfly wing on the left side. His clothes consist in a black suit with a white tie and white pants with black shoes.
"Greetings Makoto Yuki, I'm Philemon, a dweller in the rift between unconsciousness and consciousness" says the figure with a calm and tender tone.
"Philemon? How and why are you here?" asks Makoto confused, but with a stoic expression 'he doesn't feel dangerous at all... his presence makes me feel at peace' he thinks warching the newcomer.
"I'm sorry, usually I do not interfere directly in humans' lives even though I'm always watching, and I have to admit that meeting this way isn't the most appropriate" Philemon apologizes bowing his head and then resumes "I'm here because I need your help. You are the Universe, only you can do this" says Philemon staring at Makoto with a calm yet serious look.
"You need my help? I have made my choice, and even if I help you I must be here, this is the promise I made to my friends... and to the world" declares Makoto convinced without a second to ponder his answer.
"I know what you did, as I said I always looked over you, I was the one who gave you the wild card and I was the one to ask Igor to help you in your journey" Philemon says with his still kind almost fatherly tone.
"You know Igor?" asks Makoto, glad to hear the name of the bizarre looking old man.
"I do. I am the creator of the Velvet Room, and don't worry. This seal is no more needed to be powered by you" says Philemon, stunning Makoto.
"What? What does that mean? What about Erebus and Nyx?" Makoto asks. Question after another.
"Erebus is unable to sustain itself Makoto. Not because people don't desire death anymore, but because shadows as a whole are weaker" explains the dweller.
"How's that possible?" asks the Messiah, more confused than before
"Shadows are born from people's negative emotions, there is a being who's responsible for creating Erebus, that being is the collettive shadow of all humans: Nyarlathotep" says Philemon
"Because I am the collective Perdona of manking, Nyarlathotep is my counterpart. He represents the destructive intent of humanity, it's desire for destruction and suffering" Philemon pauses letting Makoto process his words.
"What does it have to do with me?" asks Makoto.
"You posses and at the same time are the Universe Arcana, you managed to stop Nyx. The being responsible for creating the Collective Unconscious on Earth, including me and Nyarlathotep" says Philemon before continuing.
"The universe itself has blessed you Makoto, you are the only one who can stop Nyarlathotep now, he's trying to do what Nyx has done eons ago creating a new Collective Unconscious and a new Sea of Souls, but in another world" the last part is said by Philemon with a tiny, almost imperceptible, tone of worry.
Makoto nods his head starting to understand and asks: "Why would he want to do that?".
"Nyarlathotep's only purpose is to make living beings suffer, he has found a way to access a new world spoiled by a Sea of Souls as we know it, his goal is to become a new Nyx bringing despair to it's highest" explains the Master of the Velvet Room marking every word he says, his voice slow and neutral, almost as he fears to say it.
"I understand, so this Nyarlathotep wants to create a sort of playground, right?" asks Makoto noticing the change in Philemon's voice.
"Yes, this could be a way to describe it" answers Philemon with a kind smile on his face not wanting to startle the boy in front of him.
"Can't you go there and stop him?" questions Makoto.
"No, I'm bound to this Sea of Soul, I have no idea how Nyarlathotep has gone into a world different from ours and without a Sea of Souls on it's own" says Philemon.
Makoto looks at the dweller:"And I could be able to go there thanks to the Universe Arcana, right?" asks Makoto remembering Igor's words before his ginal confrontation with Nyx's core in the Moon.
"Yes, you see, arcanas are perfect vessel of power. Used by the gods of the universe, just like Nyx as you know with her representing the Death Arcana. And you, Makoto Yuki, have the strongest of all of them, as Igor already explained to you, you have the power to make everything possible" says Philemon.
"I'll... do it" says Makoto with a bit of preoccupation in his voice.
'If I only can do it then I have to do it for everyone... even for Ryoji and Nyx, if this Nyarlathotep is really this dangerous I will do it whatever I can, I won't let anyone down' thinks Makoto remembering the adversities he faced during his year in Iwatodai, all the hopes, the fears, the battles in Tartarus and the fateful day on January 31st when he faced Nyx and performed the miracle, preventing the Fall. Remembering his adventures make Makoto smile giving him the resolve he needs to accept Philemon's mission.
"Don't worry Makoto Yuki, you won't be alone, your attendant will be by your side" says Philemon reassuring Makoto putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Elizabeth? Really?" asks Makoto hoping to see the eccentric woman again.
"Yes Makoto, she is in front of the Great Seal right now as we speak, our time is nearing it's end. I wish you two good luck, Universe. Thank you for everything" says Philemon before vanishing into a swarm of butterflies.