Minato looked out from his stone prison. He watched from the recesses of his mind as one of the darkest beings in existence loomed its ugly head once more. It lifted a great fist, in preparation to slam down on him once again.

Minato had long gotten used to the pain it sent through him. Each hit slammed against his soul, as well as his body. The very concept that would drive any man to madness, he took as though it was a bite from a mosquito.

How long had it been since he took the charge of being the only thing stopping the end of humanity? How long ago had it been since he last drew breath, living as a regular person?

How long ago had he died?

Minato didn't know. It could have been years, and it would matter not. Time was an illusion in the realm of gods and demons. Primordial beings needed no concept of time. Especially those who craved nothing but the end of all things, so that they may bask in endless darkness of their own design, wrought from the helplessness and despair of mortals.

Such as the one who slammed his fists against Minato.

The creäture had no true name. But, it was known as Erebus. It was but one of the facets of the dark side that all humans have. Erebus in particular represented the lost joy and single-minded monotony that life had become. Erebus, sealed inside the abyss of time as he was, could not wreck the havoc and bring about the end as it wished it could, or would have if it could even think.

No. Erebus would never escape the prison that they shared. He would be there, until humanity as a whole drew their last breath, all hope of ever coming back long gone as the light faded from the last living being's eyes. Only then would Erebus be free.

But it mattered not. Erebus was, while imprisoned, still a force that had allies. Erebus, while not being able to use the power it had to end humanity, had another do it.

Nyx.

Erebus used Nyx to end humanity.

Or it would have, if not for Minato.

And his friends.

Yes, on that fateful day when Minato gave himself to save humanity, Minato had taken himself from his friends. He had taken himself, leaving a spot empty in them. They were all parts of each other near the end. They fought against the fate that was dictated to them by ancient prophecies and the nihilistic wishes of the human race that lurked in the subconscious of every being.

They fought against the gods themselves, and emerged victorious.

But not without loss on their own front.

Shinjiro, who lost his life defending one of their own from a man who had given up on life.

Mitsuru, while not being dead, had lost her father, crippling her psyche in ways that no one should ever be crippled. She kept a mask of strength though, despite the pain she dealt with everyday after.

Chidori, a member of those that opposed them in their effort to save the human race. She gave her life, protecting the man she loved, knowing she would die from the effort. Though she was later revived, it was with a long part of her life missing, though she remembered that she did care for someone, even if only by the fact that she only remembered someone at all.

And, most recently, himself. Minato Arisato. The man who had given his life, to save humanity from ultimate annihilation at the hands of a being that had no means of truly knowing what it was like to live as a human does.

He had given his life to become the seal between Erebus and Nyx.

Nyx herself, being the maternal figure of death and night, was a neutral party, granting humanities wish for destruction as a whole, as told by Erebus.

Erebus, being the culmination of the lost joy and the subconscious wish for the end of it all, would tell Nyx she was wanted, craved even. Then Nyx, as the moon, would grant the desire, letting death run rampant upon the world. It would reap one life after the other, until there was only endless night.

But Minato and his friends had stopped it.

On January 31st, 2010. They had made it to the top of Tartarus, the tower of demise. Nyx would descend from the skies there.

Tartarus was an interesting experience for them all. It tested their will to find the truth, and the will to fight against fate. The journey up the tower over the course of nearly a year had made them experience things that made the mundane a joy to behold.

The shadows, the forces that Nyx had command over, attacked the living and stole everything, leaving only the knowledge of the end in their minds. This gave rise to the rumor of 'Apathy syndrome.' A state of mind, almost like a coma, where they would only mumble that 'it' was coming. They could not eat, nor drink, nor anything that a regular human could enjoy and take for granted. They sat where they had been taken, only moving if some one made them.

Twelve shadows were classified as the leaders of these forces, but only in strength. In truth, these twelve shadows were only fragments of the epitome of shadows.

Death.

Once, Death had been asleep, waiting for Nyx to call upon him. He slumbered, waiting for his time.

But, not even the gods had expected mortals to awaken him themselves.

In the year 1999, a large team of scientists had found out about the presence of shadows. They had started to collect them, running test on them in an effort to harness their power.

But, due to the madness of their employer after many years of working with the shadows, they began to collect them in large quantities. The shadows fused together, into the being that slumbered.

Death.

But, thanks to the bravery of one man who could not wish death upon the entirety of humanity, he had sabotaged their work, splitting the shadow into thirteen pieces.

Each piece represented one of the arcana used in tarot readings, all reversed and immersed in shadow.

The Magician, who was wild and uncontrollable in the madness.

The Priestess, who knew not what to do with the knowledge she had, nor wanting to do anything with it.

The Empress, who was selfish and hedonistic, seeking to use others for her own gain.

The Emperor, who knew not how lead or command effectively. He only sought power, not knowing how to use it to better the lives of those around it nor caring. It sought power for power's sake.

The Hierophant, who sought to use a false connection with the divine to control the people around it, instead of offering the comfort that was needed and guiding the people towards the true path that was life.

The lover, who only sought to make the lives of those around it miserable by acting as a matchmaker, only taking into account the gender of two parties, regardless of personality. It sought to make others hate in this regard. It craved the chaos that would ensue.

The Chariot, who sought only conquest for the sake of conquest, trampling all it its path to do so.

The Justice, who drove the chariot, sought only to rule, believing that only it knew what was just and unjust.

The Hermit, who only sought the absence of everything, secluding itself away from all others to wallow in self pleasure and contempt.

The Strength, who sought to protect the strong, unwilling to defend the weak, It used its power to bend the fortune of others to its favor.

The Fortune, who wasted all opportunities that it had been given to seek an end that was ill-advised.

The hanged man, who flew away from the problems it needed to face, ignoring the cries of those around it.

And, the last fragment, was Death itself, though nearly powerless compared to his true power. That did not mean that he was weak though.

No, he was still stronger than all the other shadows combined. But he could not fulfill his purpose, to signal Erebus that Nyx was wanted.

All the shadows scattered, not understanding the fact that they were separate now. Death was the only one to hold some state of mind.

The scientists, fearing such a thing occurring, had created machines to combat shadows. The humanoid weapons, these ASW's, were created in the event that the shadows ever broke free. The last one made, and the most powerful, known as Aigis, chased after death as it searched for the missing pieces.

However, Aigis underestimated how powerful death truly was. So, no other way to defeat the shadow, she sealed it inside a child.

Inside Minato.

Over time, death lost the memories of who it was and for what purpose it existed. It took on the form of a small child, who called himself Pharos. Pharos lived inside Minato for ten years. The battle between Aigis and Death had killed his parents. So, with no one else in the world, Minato had been sent to live in orphanage after orphanage, never staying for more than a year in each one.

Some how, by a quirk of fate however, he had returned to the place it all began.

Tatsumi Port Island.

It was here, that he would first encounter Pharos. It was here, that he would make friends that would last forever. It was here, that he would learn about the only thing that could truly fight against shadows.

Persona.

The manifestations of one psyche, given a physical form to combat the monstrosities. It was the mask that one had shattered, giving up ignorance for truth. In doing so, one had to give up innocence for knowledge.

These persona, these facets of the soul, were not merely tools however. Each persona was a living thing, only aiding those they found worthy to use their power. They had feelings, hope and dreams, histories and futures. Despite being called evil or good by humanity, they respected power, will, knowledge and drive.

Minato, however, was a special case. He was, by birth, the fool arcana. His was the number zero, holding infinite possibility within himself. This meant that he was able to wield multiple persona. The wild card was his to command as he saw fit.

Using his power, he helped end the presence of shadows. He, who had been bound to death, had returned death to full power by defeating the twelve shadow fragments. But, in doing so, he unbound death from himself, only a thread connecting them now.

And so, because he was bound to death even then, death had given him a choice. To kill death in his human form, a man named Ryoji, and forget about the struggles that he had gone through, forgetting all the friends he had made and the bonds they shared. Or, to let death be, until the promised day, living with the fear that it was all going to end soon, knowing that it was impossible to stop.

But stop it they did.

They had fought against him, as the avatar of Nyx, at the top of Tartarus. They fought him, emerging victorious. But, that was not enough.

Minato had to ascend to Nyx, who sought to end his existence, believing that was what he wished for.

But Minato fought against her. He fought against her for the sake of his friends. He would not let them perish without living their lives.

And so, he sacrificed his very soul to become the great seal. He drove Nyx back, sealing the connection between her and Erebus forever.

However, in doing so, all the memories that they had made together as a team were locked away. The promise they made forgotten.

To meet on the roof of the school on graduation day.

Aigis, who had joined them at some point through the fight, remembered though. She sat with him during his final moments. She caressed his head as death came for him. The last thing he saw as he died, was his friends bursting through the door to the roof, and Aigis, a robot who wanted to be human, crying over him.

He had seen them once more, but this time as the great seal. He saw them fight off Erebus for his sake, not wanting him to be in pain any more.

But they knew it was hopeless.

They knew what Erebus was, after defeating it and visiting the velvet room.

He remembered the Velvet room, with Igor and Elizabeth. He also saw how Elizabeth had made her way to the abyss of time, fighting Erebus constantly for his sake, trying to set him free. Truth be told, he was fond of her. While she was naïve of the human world, she was a welcome change to the air of seriousness that permeated the velvet room.

But now, Minato would never feel the touch of a human again. Now he would only know loneliness, despair at its finest. But, that was tempered with the thought of his friends safe, happy with their lives.

Mitsuru Kirijo, the new head of the Kirijo family. Her father had been killed by one that they trusted. She had a lot on her shoulders when Minato had left.

Junpei Iori. He wondered how he was doing now. Junpei had no long-term goals as far as Minato knew. Was he happy with life now though? Had he reconnected with the revived Chidori?

Akihiko Sanada. The man who had lost the only people he had cared about as a child. His sister Miki, had burned to death in the Orphanage that they stayed at with one other person who would be an important asset to the team. He was in training to be a cop last time he heard.

Yukari Takeba. She too, had no goals as far as he knew. Was she happy? Or did she still mourn his loss?

Fuuka Yamagishi. Without her, they had stood no chance. Her power had proved invaluable in their fight. He knew she had been having family problems. Were they on the mend now? Was she confident in who she was and what she could do?

Koromaru. The loyal dog that wielded persona had helped them through numerous tough spots. Was he being taken care of?

Ken Amada. The small boy had lost his mother to another Persona-user. He dealt with the grief for two years, contemplating suicide on multiple occasions. Was he free from the hate he steeped himself in now?

Aigis. Had she realized her dream? To become human, if not in body then in mind and spirit? He hoped so. Aigis deserved it.

He wondered, as Erebus continued to strike at him, if they were happy with their lives now. Knowing that the end was only held at bay by one of their own.

He wished them only happiness in their lives. After all they had done, they deserved it.

But, he couldn't help but wonder.

What would his life have been like? What would he have done with it?

Idly, he wished that he could go back to the beginning of the fight. The first day he arrived at the dorm, ignorant of the fate before him.

But, with that thought in his mind, he flung it away. He didn't worry about the what ifs and wishing. It did no good. He kept them alive, and that was good enough for him.

He thought on all of his friends. They unknowingly had helped him save humanity, just by being special in their own ways.

Kenji, the ramen loving teacher chaser. He wondered if Kenji had found a young teacher to bag, or if he had given up on it and gone after a nice girl.

Hidetoshi, the disciplinary committee's head at Gekkoukan. Had he begun making a difference in the community as he hoped to do, turning it to the better?

Bunkichi and Mitsuko, the owners of the used book store. Had they passed on peacefully? Or, were they living the last of their lives to the fullest that they could in order to tell their son, cut down in his prime, about life that were taken from him?

Kazushi, the track star of Gekkoukan high. After getting the okay from the doctors about his knee, which had been in jeopardy since day one of the school year, with a clean bill of health and a relief of the fear of losing the use of his leg.

Chihiro, the girl who he helped overcome her shyness. He wondered if she became student council president, like she said she would. He would have liked to see that. She was fierce in protecting what was right and wrong, and defending those she cared about.

Yuko, the team manager for the track team. With her motherly instincts and her care for the future generation, did she already start on fulfilling her dream?

Ms. Toriyumi, otherwise known as Maya. He knew she would be devastated by his passing. While she may have been his teacher, she cared about him in a more romantic way then was considered moral for a teacher.

Keisuke, the doctor to be. Minato wondered if he passed his entrance exams this time. He truly wanted to help people, and his knowledge of the medical field was already wide.

Maiko, the girl who he had helped deal with the divorce of her parents. He wondered if she even remembered him. She had made him promise to marry her when she was old enough. It was...strange, to say the least.

Bebe, the foreign exchange student from France. Minato wondered if Bebe had heard of his death. Bebe loved Japan so much, but he could not stay. He could not take funds from either his family or the kind people who had helped him study abroad. He also wondered if Bebe's career in fashion had taken off.

Tanaka, the shady business man. Minato knew that Tanaka had changed from when he first met him. But, how far had he changed his ways?

Mutatsu, the old monk who missed the family he pushed away. He had found them, years later, after he met Minato.

Mamuro, one of Japan's greatest and youngest athlete's. After taking the job in a car factory, which he had done to help his family, he had continued on his dream of becoming a star athlete to pay all the sponsors back for helping him.

Nozomi, the self-proclaimed Gourmet King. After Minato had helped him from the pits of self-hatred and from the path to ruin, he had set out to truly become the Gourmet King, going around the world to critique the foods of the worlds best chefs.

Akinari, the man who had his life taken too soon be disease. Minato had met with his ghost, before the end of the battle. In the end, he had accepted what fate had given him. He awaited his mother on the other side, wondering what she could tell him about life.

Minato wondered about them all. He wondered if they were living their lives to the fullest. He wondered if they were still alive, not knowing how long it had been since his friends had come and tried to save him.

If it hadn't been for them, Minato could not have succeed in his duty.

Without them, he would never have achieved the universe arcana.

The universe was the most powerful arcana, far more powerful than even the world. The universe allowed the wielder to form miracles, bending the universe just enough to their will that it allows even the impossible to happen to an extent that even gods fear.

So, Minato pondered on this for a long time. Those thoughts kept him, and the seal, strong. The will to live made Erebus weaker, even if by the smallest amount. The only way for humanity to ever be free from Erebus was to accept life as it was and enjoy every single bit of it.

And so, Minato kept thinking. Those thoughts made it all bearable in the end.

Sometimes though, Minato would let his conscious rest, almost sleeping.

And it was in these, that his wish would be granted.

His wish to be free. To go back to the beginning of it all.

But, he would not be ignorant. He would not be powerless.

No. He would have the knowledge that he did now. He would wield all the power at his command that he had gained, from the arcana to the bond with death, and even more.

He would change things.

For better or worse was yet to be seen.

End of Chapter One

AN: I am not sure if I want this to be a full story or not. Mostly I need time to get idea's and write them down in a decent way. So, until further notice, this is a one shot. I will make up a challange on my profile though.