Memories of Us

I Conquered

So utterly decimated was the beginning of Makoto's journey, the desperation being sought so far into the future that the present agonized and withered.

"Makoto, you owe me an explanation."

Byakuya

How draining was to be on that edge of reality's crashing and retaliated memories? Still, the yells, the meanings all lost the mark as the beast of death became the only world's moment. Makoto was no longer in control as raged inflamed and eased into him. Why did it have to be easier to die in this manner than to survive? To live?

"MAKOTO! Please, come back...please."

Chihiro

But all that was heard was thrashing in Makoto's throbbing head and all that ever was, couldn't be. Couldn't ever be. Couldn't even stand anymore. So why did their voices of his boyfriend and friends infiltrate him? Pouring through his ever space between where his heart shattered, the blackness of a day gone by.

Nyx would bring the destruction and heaven's fury on them for death itself wasn't evil incarnate but a caricature of suffering. Of loneliness and what to do to end such a futile feeling. The words left in Makoto's body dissolved almost extending out further until more retorts and screams were ripping off the healing skin and there wasn't anything to be afraid of. Nothing because death claimed them all now with some solace, they could die together. Die in permanently agony.

"MAKOTO!"

Chant his name maybe again that hope or a happy blight would resound as the transformation rang complete and the outside all shuttered to a close.

He found the darkness, the ever-gentle hands of love.

Of a love sacrificed.

Of a love he once shared with people, humans in general.

He'd die.

He'd die in this spot though tenderness wasn't meant to be parting now and a day.

"I c-can't end this..."

"Why do you say that?"

Fluttered dreams of gentle hands and times of rain that dripped through the umbrella all brought some sense back to him but what was it then? Why was he changing full force? Why was he allowing Nyx or The Fall to bring back the beginning to humanity? Wasn't it enough to falter? He frowned but no one could guess what it meant with all the dark's grip.

"Naegi."

"Kirigiri?"

Why was she...? No, it was a product of his mind as she died a long time ago, but a sense of familiarity crept on to him and nothing could fathom the depths of his tears.

Of his breakage from humanity.

"What happened to your dreams, Naegi? What happened to the Persona-user that took up the Evoker? That didn't allow death to rein control?" Her voice was harsh, but it had always been for the best, right?

But the Evoker, it was useless now.

"Naegi. You conquered the fear of death as the Evoker was a way to face it. We face the mortality of ourselves, but this isn't the time for that. Allow life to flourish."

"KIRIGIRI! I never meant to-I just wanted it to end but what Nagito meant..." screeching at the top of his unfettered words, he never meant to, never meant to take the death by the hand so easily.

"What do you mean to hide in plain fear that you vanquished long ago? You certainly disappointed not only Togami but myself."

"The Evoker..."

"Was always a tool." She finished even if not visible but to him, Makoto Naegi, it was clarity that he sought to rectify. "You've come far without it, Makoto."

An admission of guilt-no, of compassion and empathy.

Embracing the feeling till the last of his life squeezed out as Kirigiri's disembodied voice urged him to offer the end of the reign of death, of Nyx but doing it was something he couldn't quite do.

Memento Mori

Remember you are mortal; Remember you will die.

"Don't be afraid anymore, Makoto, use the same will and drive out that darkness, please, Makoto, save Byakuya and the others...they need you."

"You loved him, didn't you?"

"I did but he loves you more and if you break his heart then..."

"It's okay, Kirigiri, I mean Kyoko."

Tears brimming but there was no peace in this darkness or even death for now, they didn't require the looming presence of premature death as they first had to live and share the memories.

He could.

He could reconquer the feelings of eternity because they needed something finite, nothing but eternity was too abstract for them, they needed the reality of humanity. The serenity, the ethereal of life and the majestic heroics of living, of existing and cherishing. The hubris had to be pulled aside and before he could have the chance to speak, the rushing blood in his ears yet it wasn't eternity they desired but a life like a human. A life as a human being. A life with exhaustion at the end and he couldn't wait to meet it when it was time, but this wasn't the place for the destruction rather the rebirth of humanity's crowning achievements-life and he thought of all his friends even his boyfriend Byakuya, and how their faces grew as they passed around memories.

Memento Mori.

Would he embrace the feeling? Would he embrace himself?

He would never leave them.

He wouldn't do that to himself either even if it was time to leave this dark grasp, he would rejoin later on, right?

"Kyoko?"

Her voice was gone. The guidance of a lifetime sheltered into his heart.

"I won't let myself down anymore." He muttered as he found himself floating upwards as his bonds were ripped and radiating above him. The bonds that shimmered with faces. The bonds that made up the world, the universe.

"I never dreamed of seeing that card with my own eyes... This is indeed a surprise... Behold the last power you and I shall unveil... It is the power to bring about a new beginning or the ultimate end. It may be possible now, with this newfound power... You may be able to defeat the one who cannot be defeated. What you have in your hands is the power of the Universe... ...Nothing is outside the realm of possibility for you now."

Igor's voice also shone in those cards and like before, they merged and brought a single card down and Makoto's life grabbed it.

The Universe Arcana.

So blank but like the Fool, the possibilities were endless.