There were many things Makoto could have expected after sacrificing himself to stop the Fall. Immediate death, a slow death, an agonizing death, or something equally as death inducing. He received none of the above.
He had attended the last month of his Senior Year at Gekkoukan High with the rest of the SEES members, though he seemed to be the only one aside from Aigis who could remember anything relating to the Dark Hour or Tartarus. Every day was a struggle for him as he could feel himself slipping away, his mind growing cloudier and cloudier as the Sea of Souls moved further and further from him.
It was on graduation day that he knew his time had come, having felt the energy within his body waning from a spark to an ember, no matter how much he attempted to rest or recover. The power of the Universe Arcana still pulsed just below the threshold of his mind, yet it did not sustain him in the slightest. If anything, the mere presence of the overwhelming energy that came with transcending past mere miracles was what laid him to rest quicker than ever.
Despite living on borrowed time, the Wild Card of SEES knew without a doubt that his last month was the most peaceful one he had experienced in his mostly apathetic life. His bonds with his ilk, group, family, had proven stronger than whatever power it was that stripped them of their memories, something he was immensely grateful for. While he did not regret his choice to sacrifice himself to keep Erebus from reaching out to Nyx once more, it would have crushed him to die alone after all he had sacrificed.
He didn't mind where he chose to lay for his final rest, the lap of Aigis more comfortable than her mechanical frame had any right to be. The sound of laughter and cheers could be heard from below, signifying the final moments the Senior Class would spend within the halls of the Academy. Makoto found it ironic, he supposed, that his final moments would only be after officially graduating high school.
"Don't cry…" Makoto mumbled out through dry lips, his throat feeling as if a desert chose to relocate itself to the inside of his body.
The tears that poured from the eyes of the machine were the most sorrowful thing Yuuki Makoto had ever seen, but her face would surely haunt him in the afterlife if his destiny wasn't to become the barrier that held back the Will of Man from Nyx. No afterlife awaited him, only the darkness deep within the Sea of Souls.
He would become the Bulwark between Erebus and Nyx, he would become the wall that the Darkness in Men's heart broke itself against time and time again, roaring out for its release from torment.
He would protect those cherished bonds he forged between himself and his family with every fiber of his being, physical or spiritual.
"I.. I am glad I got to spend my last moments with you." Yuuki Makoto confessed to the blond Android, uncharacteristically emotional in the face of his final moments. While no tears threatened to spill from his stoic eyes, the softness that had taken over his usually blank face broke the dam of tears that the artificial life form had been trying to hold back.
If he wasn't moments away from eternal darkness, Makoto would have questioned how she could cry. Instead, he engrained the image in his mind to be his final sight amongst the living.
The sweet lullaby that Thanatos sang to all of his cherished dead filled his ears, though it did not fill him with dread. Thank you, for staying with me this whole time.
The roar he received, so full of sorrow, let him know that the feeling was reciprocated.
The soft patter of feet echoed across the rooftop of Gekkoukan Academy as the SEES members raced to the sitting form of Aigis.
"Yuuki-san/Makoto-senpai!" The group called out desperately, having remembered the bonds they forged in the fires of Tartarus at the last moments, but they had come too late to say their goodbyes.
Yuuki Makoto passed into a deep sleep that day, and the next his body gave out and perished, no longer holding the precious soul that it so desperately needed to survive.
***
"My… it seems that I was correct in my assumptions." A nasally voice cut through the static that filled the bluenette's mind, a very familiar nasally voice. The soft giggle that accompanied the voice was equally as familiar, causing the resting body of Yuuki Makoto to stir once more.
Igor? Elizabeth?
Bleary, steel gray eyes glossed over the Velvet Room once more, even if his contract had been fulfilled to its utmost. He wasn't sure if he should be amused, or extremely concerned.
Humanity was safe from its own self destructive desires, the Dark Hour and Tartarus were no more, yet here he was once again. What held back Erebus, what held back the ultimate desire for release from reaching Nyx once more if he was here, and not within the Great Seal?
Panic began to set in. Had Makoto been a lesser man, one not blessed with an Aspect of Death from the tender age of ten, that panic would have been prevalent. Instead, he pushed the raw emotions away and his apathy returned once more.
"It seems, my favorite Guest, that your journey is not yet over." Igor stated, motioning to the Universe Arcana card that was floating above the table that Igor sat at. "I was not incorrect when I said that any Realization is no miracle to you, after all."
"What do you mean?" Makoto questioned with uncertainty in his voice as he rose from his resting position across from Igor, the plush chair he was resting in creaking as he did so. While comfortable for sitting, leaning sideways while sleeping… not so much.
"The Fall was prevented, and as of this moment, your Soul has been acting as the barrier between Erebus and Nyx for close to a decade. This world has lived in peace with only minor instances of shadows isolated to Japan, and life has continued to flourish thanks to you. However," Igor explained, a grim solemnness in his tone as he folded his hands beneath his chin, "The Collective Unconscious, the Sea of Souls that binds us all has been in extreme turmoil since your vessel perished."
Makotos' eyebrows furrowed slightly, belaying his concern as his normally stoic visage was broken.
"Explain." It was not a command, but a request stated as a demand. Igor knew that Makoto had no need for eloquent speech or useless chatter. He was a man of very little words, of many great actions.
It was Elizabeth who answered in his stead, as Igor looked as if he couldn't quite formulate the words needed to further elaborate upon his statements.
"Every soul, every being draws its essence from a singular place. This place is known as the Sea of Souls, where the radiance of light and the dredges of dark are pulled from. You have sacrificed much for this world, and your fate should be to hold back the Great Seal for the rest of time," Elizabeth explained, her voice dripping honey, "But this Axiom, which all worlds are connected to, is in grave peril from a presence threatening to consume a world closely connected to your own."
Makoto, ever expressive, rose his eyebrows a fraction further, letting the two know that he was indeed surprised and not merely mimicking the reaction as they knew he would often do.
"Just how many worlds are there?"
Elizabeth had a joyful inflection in her voice when she answered. "Too numerous to give you an accurate representation."
Makoto realized that the taste in his mouth was purely bitter, nothing sweet about it. Perhaps even slightly salty.
It made everything seem so… inconsequential. The more he thought about it, the less he cared, however. While more worlds may exist beyond the boundary of his own, it was the world he gave forfeiture of his everything for. His friends continued to live in that world, and thus it was more significant to him than any other he might learn of.
"Why should it matter to me?" Makoto questioned, his head tilting slightly to the left while he stared Igor down. It was more than just a simple question, Igor realized after pondering how he should answer.
There were no rewards that he could offer, no incentive to offer him. His death was to assure the survival of one world, and one world alone. He didn't quite like the idea of interfering in the business of a world that didn't hold his cherished ones.
"The thought of living once more does not appeal to you, does it?" Elizabeth questioned sadly, knowing the truth of Yuuki Makoto better than many. It was the presence of Death that left the lad emotionally stunted, and when he finally found a group of friends that could breach even the thick walls of apathy, the happiness he found was torn away from him and ripped to shreds.
Let it be known that Makoto was not selfless. Far from it, in fact. His life sacrificing ordeal could be understood as putting his friends above himself, but it was simply not the truth.
Makoto chose to give himself because he refused to allow his family to die. It could be the aspect of Death that he housed, it could be from childhood trauma, it could even be PTSD from the many near death experiences he had to deal with while climbing Tartarus, but he just couldn't bring himself to care about the large bulk of humans uselessly waging wars against one another nor the waxing and waning of nations. He wouldn't allow to see a child, woman or innocent harmed in his presence, but he would not put himself in peril should other options present themselves.
That said, however, did not mean that Makoto would not help out those in need. Many days of his were spent working around the town, doing odd jobs for those who requested favors from him. Let it be known that before his death, the bluenette had accumulated quite a fortune in physical commodities.
He gave himself for SEES and SEES alone, though, so that humanity's darkness could no longer threaten his family again. It was the ultimate form of selfishness, he supposed, to only consider death an option if it meant that his group could live the lives they dreamed of. If the rest of life on Earth reaped the reward of continued existence as well, he had no qualms.
"Without them, I have nothing. No meaning." Makoto admitted with an inclination of his head, feeling that the Velvet Room Attendants deserved a straight answer for once instead of vague hints or single worded replies.
Igor sighed, resting his forehead against the crease of his folded hands, his eyes downcast at the Tarot Cards spread out upon the table before him.
"Makoto, I am going to be honest with you…" Igor began, his eyes closed in contemplation, his face schooled into a passive expression, "Should you chose to not help, billions upon billions of lives will be lost, human or otherwise. SEES has no way to combat this threat like yourself, and the moment it finishes off the world it is bound to, it will jump to yours and continue its destructive rampage. Your family will experience a death beyond brutal, and it would be drawn out for this being's enjoyment."
Makoto slumped into his chair further, his steel gray eyes facing forward yet unseeing. The wooden arms of the chair splintered into thousands of pieces as his hands closed around the wooden shafts. A heavy weight settled on the room,
"Clever… to use them against me." Makoto murmured, A faint feeling over anger rolling deep within him, "I thought better of you."
The large nosed man with beady eyes knew that he risked much, making his case the way he had, but if there was anything that could motivate the young man before him, it would be a threat to his family. While he seemed to understand that Igor wasn't making a threat, it could still be perceived as such.
"If ruining my relationship with you would convince you to give us your help, it would be well worth it." Igor admitted with no hesitation. Elizabeth also nodded her head in agreement with Igor when Makoto turned his gaze to her. "This goes beyond just the death of two worlds. This being is so far beyond Nyx and Erebus that it makes beings on par with Gods and Daemons seem like insects. I cherish my bond with you, but how can I cherish anything if existence itself is erased?"
Both attendants of the Velvet Room felt as if they were stripped naked when his silver eyes sharpened, though neither made any sudden moves. The way he continued to dissect them, disbar them, unravel their innermost secrets and lay them bare with just the windows to his soul unnerved them.
"If it means that SEES will remain safe, then so be it," Makoto finally acquiesced, "I will do it for them, and you."
The twinkling blue butterflies that the Wild Card vaguely recalled having seen only once seemed to dance with renewed vigor, their flight having been sluggish since he awoke.
***
The sound of an alarm ringing in his ear awoke Makoto for the second time, causing Makoto to give an irritated huff before rolling over to turn the contraption off. Being the first bit of comfortable sleep since however long he had been sealed away was hard to wake up from and not feel frustrated.
Where am I this time? He questioned, having never been in the room he awoke in before in his life. The walls were a bland white with nothing in the means of decoration. A small desk was placed against the wall in the far left corner of the room, a stack of books, two sealed envelopes and a wallet placed neatly atop it.
Quite frankly, there was nothing the apathetic member of SEES wanted to do more than to return to sleep, but he doubted he would be able to force himself back to sleep now that he was fully awake. Having suffered from Insomnia during the last month of his time at Gekkoukan, he had grown used to going on little sleep. Who knew that subjecting himself to an almost nightly time distortion of an undisclosed amount of time would leave horrible sleeping patterns.
Seeing nothing of importance in the room outside of the desk, Makoto trotted to the bathroom on slightly hobbled legs to go through his morning rituals and be done with the process.
He still had a hard time comprehending having a conversation with two people in a small pocket dimension within a different massive dimension to waking up in a small apartment in Japan in only his boxers. He deduced it was a small apartment by the furnishings of the bathroom, and that he was in Japan due to the brand of toothpaste and soap present on the sink counter.
Unless he was in some foreign country with an apartment with Japanese furnishings. He wouldn't put it past Igor at this point.
Makoto was sorely hoping that the envelope contained a letter that might further explain his situation a bit more, because everything he had heard from the two in the Velvet Room hardly explained anything. As far as he knew, there was some sort of malicious entity that was sealed away, and when the seal breaks, it will devour the world and use that boost in power to breach the boundaries of dimensions and continue along in a chain reaction of desolation.
That was worst come to worst, he had assumed, otherwise he wouldn't be pulled from the Great Seal holding back his own world's personal evil. He found the entire situation somewhat ironic, but only enough to hate it thoroughly.
What is it with evil beings needing to be sealed away? He questioned as he headed towards the desk, still walking around in his boxers like he owned the place. He really hoped this was not an occupied home that they dumped him in the middle of so much right now. He also wouldn't put it past Igor OR Elizabeth.
It turned out that whoever PHIL was had a cruel sense of humor, as he only gave the briefest of words within the letter, while the second envelope contained a slightly obscene stack of yen notes.
Dearest Wild Card,
I am putting my faith in you to fix this problem.
You are currently in Kuoh, a city of Japan that is rather famous, or infamous for many different reasons.
You will find that your abilities work differently in this world, as well as the Persona themselves. Fear not, for they still reside within your Sea of Souls and shall come when beckoned. The Universe Arcana has more than likely kept your body preserved in its previous condition, though you may feel the full effect of such awakenings now that you are not in a sealed state.
Train yourself as hard as you can, but do not neglect your life. You have enough time to be more than prepared for when the seal will break, so do try and enjoy it. Everything in the apartment is yours, including the apartment itself.
Elizabeth has taken initiative in the world you are in now and has enrolled you in Kuoh Academy, hoping that being around such a familiar type of setting would allow you to adjust at your own pace to the Japan you find yourself in, as it is not quite the Japan you left behind.
A Casual Observer,
PHIL
A severe frown marred the usually stoic face of Makoto as he finished reading the note, and for good reason.
But I just graduated!