Memories of the Goddess's Blessing

Chapter 1: Oh Goddess, Have Mercy

When was the last time he felt anything? If anybody were to ask him what the current date was, he wouldn't be able to give a straight answer.

The passage of time marched on while he remained dormant. He had chosen this fate of his own free will. His purpose was to be humanity's barrier for eternity. The consequences of such a choice were succumbing to death itself and having his soul never truly move on to the afterlife. As awful as that fate sounded, he knew it had to be done. The alternative that was the end of the world was unacceptable.

His final moments were that of the irreplaceable companions he made during his journey. He endured as long as he could to fulfill a promise he had made: to meet with them on the day of graduation for third-year students at the roof of his high school as a way to celebrate their victory. It was the last thing he desired. If there was a god watching out for him, then he was grateful to have their blessing for the opportunity to be surrounded by his loved ones before closing his eyes forever. That was the last memory he could remember.

He shouldn't be capable of thinking or feeling anymore, but that wasn't the case right now.

He was conscious once more.

His eyes opened to a scenery foreign to him. His first guess had been the Velvet Room, but around him was a dark void and a floor with a checkered pattern. In front of him was a large white chair and beside it was a table drawer with a red book on top. Not the usual flair he had come to memorize from his past trips to the Velvet Room. It took him another moment to notice he was sitting on a chair, and then in the next he realized he was wearing his school uniform with no wear or tear.

Something was off. He shouldn't be here. What in the world was happening?

The sound of footsteps from behind alerted him. He was not alone here.

"Arisato Minato-san."

A gentle, feminine-sounding voice had addressed him by his full name.

He turned around and was greeted by a girl with long light blue hair and blue eyes. She wore a blue vest, detachable white sleeves, an unbearably tiny miniskirt, and thigh-high boots. There was also what seemed to be a pink hagoromo surrounding her body. Her whole appearance gave off an otherworldly vibe that he hadn't felt since Elizabeth.

Cautiously eyeing her, the girl walked past him and sat down in the white chair with her legs crossed. She remained composed as they made eye contact and began to speak again.

"Welcome to the afterlife. I've been expecting you for a long time."

Aqua was fully aware of who this human before her was. Despite the countless humans she encountered as guide of the afterlife, Arisato Minato was a very special case.

After all, he spared the gods the headache of dealing with the entire human population being dead.

For her role, she had to know the histories behind young humans that died. It was to ensure proper protocols were followed to assist those who entered the afterlife. For example, when a human died, usually his or her first question would be, "How did I die?" or "How were my loved ones affected by my death?". Giving the departed closure was a requirement for Aqua.

Now Aqua had learned about all kinds of sob stories from her occupation. From dying of illness, to being gruesomely murdered, to legitimately pathetic ways of kicking the bucket that could make her snicker, she thought she saw practically everything mankind could show her.

To say Minato lived a tough life for a human would be a massive understatement. His profile spoke for itself.

When he was 6 years old, he became an orphan after his parents died in a flaming car crash as a result of an android and Death fighting during the phenomenon called the Dark Hour. Death itself was sealed inside Minato, and the boy had been left with a traumatic scar on his psyche for over 10 years. In the year 2009, he became a member of a group of Persona-users whose objective was to terminate the Dark Hour. This journey continued into 2010 where he and his comrades fought against people who wished to bring forth destruction to humanity through Nyx, a living being that was the personification of death itself. If that wasn't enough, Minato had obtained the power of the Universe Arcana, a feat in which no human had ever accomplished before, and sacrificed his life to act as a barrier between Nyx and the embodiment of humanity's negativity that was Erebus.

All this, and what Minato really wanted for himself was to have loved ones again.

Aqua assumed she would be desensitized by this point, yet she admittedly couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"You... have lived a short and dreadful life," Aqua stated bluntly. "Coming here after your actions was only a matter of time. Now your soul has truly ascended beyond the realm of the living."

She waited for a response. This was the part where humans like him would ask her their first question.

"Who are you?" the blue-haired boy asked.

She blinked. Not what she believed he would ask at the start, but it was an understandable alternative.

"I am Aqua, a goddess," she introduced herself. "My role is to help guide humans from Japan who have died young, such as yourself, to the afterlife."

Minato didn't seemed to be very fazed, although considering the things he saw when he was alive she'd be impressed if her introduction got a strong reaction out of him.

"What's happening on Earth?"

Finally, they could get the ball rolling.

"Life goes on," Aqua replied. "Neither Nyx nor Erebus have caused the Fall to happen. Every now and then, some rogue god or goddess decides to wreak havoc on mankind, but they've all been defeated by Persona-users like you."

Aqua did get a reaction this time, albeit a rather subtle one. Minato's eyes widened just slightly.

"Surprised I know that type of information?" Aqua tilted her head. "Gods don't interfere with mortal affairs, but we're not turning a blind eye either. We just oversee what happens so that we can pass proper judgment when humans eventually die."

"I see," Minato said. He took that well. "Can you tell me why I'm here?"

"You have a friend of yours to thank for that. I believe her name is Elizabeth," Aqua answered. "She set off on her own journey to find a way to free you not long after you died. It took a while, but she finally did it. That's why you're here and not getting molested by Erebus."

That last remark earned herself an unamused stare from him. What? She didn't like to mince words.

"How long... has it been since I died?"

And now came the heavier questions.

"You've been dead for 7 years," Aqua stated calmly. She had a hunch she knew what he would ask next, and so she saved him the trouble of asking after briefly combing her red book. "Your friends still live to this day. When you died, they all had a hard time coping but together they were able to respect your sacrifice and promise you they would make the most of their lives in your memory. They even made a new organization called the Shadow Operatives in case any other Shadow or Persona-related activities pop up. You're always in their thoughts."

Aqua had started to think Minato couldn't display a variety of emotions, not that she could blame him, but his lips curving into a faint smile proved her wrong. A sign of relief and happiness from him at long last. This was actually refreshing for her. He had been pretty stiff so far.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Aqua smiled.

"Just doing my job. Let's move on." She raised two of her fingers at him. "You've got two options. You can either go back to Earth and start from scratch, or you can go straight to Heaven. But to be totally honest, Heaven isn't as great as humans may think it is. You won't have a physical body, and things like TV, books, and games are non-existent there. Literally the only thing you can do in Heaven is praise the sun forever."

Minato frowned. Most humans made that kind of face when told about Heaven's truth.

"That's... disappointing."

"I know, right?" Aqua jovially continued. "Anyway, we can just forget about Heaven. It also doesn't look like you're interested in restarting as a newborn either, so how about this? There is one more option we can offer you."

With the standard procedure finished, Aqua stood up and gave Minato the mini-speech she practiced for this last choice.

"A parallel world's peace is constantly threatened by the Demon King's army! The citizens fear every day may be their last! Monsters capable of causing mass destruction! A brave hero must rise up and defeat the Demon King and his minions to save the world, or else the parallel world's fate is sealed!"

She took a dramatic pause to let her words sink in.

"Plus the people in that world would rather not risk reincarnation because of the danger, so they may all die out in the future."

Minato remained silent, so Aqua assumed it was her cue to continue.

"Us gods and goddesses then thought of a last resort, which is reincarnating people from other worlds and sending them to this one. They get to keep their bodies and memories too."

"Why would people go though, knowing those conditions?" Minato countered, raising an eyebrow.

"Worry not!" Aqua placed her hands on her hips proudly. "Should you choose to accept, we let you pick one thing to take with you. It can be anything, like an unbreakable sword, magic-repelling armor, or even a talent for luck. For you, we can also make it easier to summon your Personas."

That suggestion intrigued him.

"You can do that?" He asked.

"Mhm!" Aqua assured. "Your ability is yours alone. It typically takes a lot of concentration to summon a Persona without those Evokers you and your friends use, but should you desire it, calling upon Personas can be as easy as breathing. That will certainly give you an edge in the parallel world. What do you say? Will you be that world's savior? If you manage to defeat the Demon King, the gods will grant you any wish."

The blue-haired boy looked contemplative. Aqua did just dump a ton of information on him, so he was considering his possibilities. Honestly, with Minato's unique ability he could very well overthrow the Demon King if he tried. But whether he wanted to do that or not after reincarnating into the parallel world made no difference to Aqua. She was simply performing her duties.

Aqua would be lying if she said he didn't interest her, however. She was feeling oddly generous today. Perhaps it was because of his background? Whatever it was, she had been motivated to peek into her red book to re-examine said background as he was pondering.

Starting with his birth, her eyes scanned detail after detail.

One specific event aroused her curiosity, and she went beyond his profile. She then discovered a noteworthy fact. And it was related to him.

This could persuade him.

"Normally I don't do this, but consider it a thank-you for saving humanity." Aqua walked forward and leaned in to whisper. "I'll let you in on something. There is one incentive in the parallel world you might want to know."

She had his attention.

"Oh?"

Minato had accepted Aqua's proposition.

He did have some concerns with the reincarnation process, such as being able to read and speak a new language. Her quick overview with a book explaining the details and blatant attempt to hide a disclaimer left him suspicious—something about going brain dead as a potential consequence—but basically his brain would automatically have the necessary information once he completely reincarnated. Sounded super convenient. That is, assuming in the off chance he didn't become a vegetable upon entry.

He steeled himself for the worst as the magic circle Aqua created transported him to this brand new world. To his relief, he was mentally sound when he found his bearings. His memories were intact, as well as the physical appearance he had when he passed away.

He soon learned he was in a lively town known as Axel. It was a part of a kingdom called Belzerg. He gathered that from reading the signs. The denizens surrounding him were definitely dressed in fantasy-like clothing. This all reminded him of video games he had seen Junpei occasionally play at their dormitory.

This place seemed peaceful, but how long would that last?

Gazing up to view the blue sky above, he lifted his arm and grasped the intangible breeze that welcomed him.

He really was alive again. And far from home.

"Pardon me, but are you lost?"

Snapping out of his trance, his eyes scanned the individual who had approached him.

The color yellow defined her. She appeared to be a knight, given the armor protecting her body, and young-looking too—maybe around his age? Her long, blonde hair tied into a ponytail with a braid complimented her feminine facial features. He personally never met any blondes besides Aigis and Bebe, so her presence had taken him aback somewhat. She exuded a mature yet gentle aura, reassuring him that she meant no harm.

And thus, boy met girl.

Author's Note: And so I bring you all another whimsical flight of fancy from my mind. The idea came to me roughly half a year ago, and to my surprise no one has claimed this specific crossover yet.

This is obviously a lot shorter than what I normally put out, but I want to gauge interest before possibly going further. I've had this document sitting around for a couple of weeks by now, so I thought I may as well just submit what I currently have.

Until next time, everyone. Take care.