"Here i am again ladies." i said to the angel yukari and fuuka in this red room i come to. Now i just got ready to hear the usual speech.
"Indeed. Tonight two more shadows have fallen. Strength and fortune. Strength in the upright position symbolizes an imagery beyond the Beast And Beauty, and is associated with the morality about the stronger power of self-control, gentleness, courage and virtue over brute force. In tarot readings, it can also represent creative or physical energy that needs to be or is about to be unleashed, but strength in the reverse. It represents the desire to protect only a single person instead of helping many others. As shown by how it rendered fortune unhittable during the fight. As for fortune. In the usual position, the Wheel of Fortune represents patience in order to achieve greater gains and changes, while the reversed card represents quick resolutions by any means necessary. As shown by it's roulette ability possibly aiding your allies if timed right." angel yukari said. The two arcana cards lied on the floor as my four horsemen collection becomes complete as two more skeletons wearing robes on horses come out of those cards. This time one carrying a scale on a black horse. And the other wielding a scythe and on a pale white horse.
"I am black rider…my scale will always tip in my master's favor." black rider said.
"I am pale rider…i live by the steel…i die by the steel. Nothing more nothing less. My steel is yours…for now." pale raider said. They both faded into me.
"We still have more gifts for you….after all. You managed to do the impossible. You changed shinjiros fate. Not only his. But also takeharu kirijo's fate has changed as well." angel fuuka said as three screens appeared in the red room. Two outcomes for shinjiro either to die or be comatosed. Either way he was taking takaya's bullet that night. The other screen showed everyone on crosses. Takeharu and ikutsuki shooting each other…neither surviving the bullet wound. This was avoided because my dad knew ikutsuki. He saw behind the mask of lame puns and knew that he was just like his boss kouetsu. A nihilistic cultist who believes death is salvation. That pisses me off something fierce. If you want to die so bad. Slit your throat! Hang yourself! Summon your persona with an actual handgun! Any way than the way that involves those of us who aren't insane nihilists and want to keep living. Anyway their gift was two extra fiends for two fates changed.
"I am alice…let's play together. To the wonderland we go!" alice said with a smile that was both cute and creepy.
"I am yoshitsune…you are my general from this point on! Come! War awaits us!" yoshitsune said as both he and alice disappear into me.
"You will need all the power you can get…after all. Changing the messiah's fate will require alot more than just stopping a bullet."
"I'm aware…if I want to save makoto. I have to find some way to defeat death itself…that's not going to be easy…" I said. The two angels looked at each other and turned to me.
"There is someone who can grant you that power…but you'll fight a battle against a powerful enemy…alone. Are you willing to take this risk to save the ones you care for?" angel yukari asked.
"Is that even a question…whatever awaits me. I will win! Tell whoever you have in mind that I accept his challenge." i said. The two angels smiled as the dream ended and I woke up.
October 5th.
It was just another day. Though after class yukari came up to me.
"Hey, have you seen sanada or aragaki today?" she asked.
"no...if i had to guess there at that ramen shop at the strip mall…they both probably have a lot on their minds…especially after last night." i said.
"Why did you say that to ken?" yukari asked. I shrugged.
"He said he hated getting sympathy…so I gave him a harsh reality check. He was planning on killing himself once he killed shinjiro. I know that's not what the mom he was trying to avenge would have wanted…the little coward will either man up or rot away in that alley. If he musters up the courage to keep going…he'll come back. If he doesn't…just proves that nemesis. chose the wrong one to lend his power to." i said.
"Skell!" yukari yelled as i walked away. I'm not exactly looked favorably by my fellow sees members right now by the stuff i said to ken. But it was a truth he needed to hear. I soon left school and got a text from akihiko to meet him. Which i did. The place was out in the boonies. It was a long trip but i soon found akihiko standing in front of what remained of a burned down building.
"This is…the orphanage right?" i asked, akihiko nodded. "So…where were you today? Pulling a page out of shinjiro's book of skipping class to go have ramen? So how was school skipping ramen?" i asked.
"It was surprisingly good…shinji could have invited me." akihiko said with a sad smile.
"Akihiko…you wouldn't have dragged me out here unless you had something important to say…so clearly you have something really big…so let's hear it." i said. Akihiko gave a weak sad chuckle…
"Ever since i lost miki…power and getting stronger was all i cared about…but then. I find out that she's alive and lived a good life as your little sister...and while i was so focused on fighting that I didn't notice anything else. You saved shinji. I thought if i was strong enough…i could protect anyone…but i was wrong. If not for you…shinji would have…" akihiko said as he soon fell to his knees trying desperately to hold back his tears…once he realized what that night was. He must have been terrified of losing the closest thing he has to a brother. I put my hand on his shoulder.
"You've opened your eyes to that flaw…and now you will not run on ahead and leave those you care about behind…as long as you remember to not leave them behind…you will be able to protect those you care about." i said with a smile. Akihiko smiled back and got up wiping away his tears.
"Yeah…thanks skell. For everything." akihiko said. I wasn't sure at the time but i knew something within akihiko has changed. And it would only be when we went to tartarus later. That i knew that akihiko has found his resolution just like yukari did. "Come on…we still have a job to do." akihiko said. And so we got on the first train back to tatsumi port island. And thankfully we arrived just before the dark hour hit other wise we'd have to sleep on the train and that isn't comfortable.
October 6th.
I went to that alley again…and sure enough. I found ken standing there.
"Figured you'd be here…you know everyone minus me akihiko and shinjiro are freaking out trying to figure out where you went." i said. Ken was silent for quite a bit until he said in a quiet voice.
"when mom died protecting me…no one believed the truth. To this day they say she died in an accident that didn't even happen. That's why i wanted to clear the record…" ken said.
"Hate to break to you…but killing shinjiro wouldn't have done it. His death would have been hit with a cover story just like your moms death was. You would have accomplished nothing." i said.
"But i would have accomplished something! I figured it's what she would have wanted…that she would finally be at peace." ken said.
"Little idiot…if you want your mom to be at peace. Then killing shinjiro and then yourself would have only done the opposite! I never knew your mom ken…but i can tell she loved you very much and you loved her…you wouldn't be going all this way for revenge if that wasn't the case. You want your mother to be at peace? Then live. Live with a smile on your face. And when you do meet your mom on the other side. Tell her about how great your life was…that will allow her peace…when she no longer has to watch over you and knows you'll be fine." i said walking away. "No one at SEES can replace your mom ken. But everyone does care…you're not alone. You'll only be left behind if you allow yourself to be." i said as i finally made my exit. I returned to the dorm with everyone still worrying about ken. As fuuka was about ready to go out and search for him. He showed up not too far behind me.
"I'm not running away anymore…i'll continue to fight. It's like skell said. I hated getting sympathy. A reality check and getting my butt kicked…it's what i needed." ken said with a grateful smile.
"Glad you found your resolve kid. Now if you'll excuse me. I should let your would be victim know your back too." i said as i headed up the stairs and went into shinjiro's room.
"Haven't you heard of knocking?" shinjiro asked. He was wearing a school uniform and was filling in the reinstatement form that mitsuru had makoto give him.
"Okay…seeing you actually look ready for school makes me feel like i'm in the twilight zone. So you're actually planning on coming back?" i asked.
"It's you and your dads damn fault…i wasn't expecting to live. But then you drag me back into SEES and your dad makes a pill that undid the damaged those suppressants did to me. So now i don't really have a choice…" shinjiro said in his usual tough guy act before turning somber…"did aki or mitsuru tell you about our promise?" shinjiro asked.
"About how you were all going to graduate together…yeah. You weren't expecting to able to keep it considering you were going to be in the ground before then huh?" i asked. Shinjiro nodded sadly. My response was to walk up and smack him upside the head. "You really are an asshole, you know that? Did you ever think how they would feel if they lost you? Despite you becoming an edgy boy dying inside in the back of an alley. Mitsuru still considered you a friend. Akihiko is still the closest thing to a brother you'll ever have. And not just them. Think about how miki and kotone would feel. You three were just reunited. Miki was really happy to see you two again. Do you really want to make her cry at your grave? Also don't think i haven't noticed that you're dating kotone dude. I don't think ms bubbly can take losing another loved one after losing her parents. She may act like she's fine. But i assure you. She isn't so don't give her scars when the ones she has now haven't healed….if one person would mourn at your grave…then you owe it to them to keep loving…and you have quite a few people that would mourn at your grave shinjiro…never take that for granted" i said as i left the room. I'm glad he's at least trying to get his life back together. Something tells me what i said to him. He'll take it to heart. And become stronger for it…for now. Off to bed with me.