Persona: Life's Greatest Answer

Chapter 8: Old Friends

*gunshot* "Why do you continue to defy the Fall?" Takaya asked Makoto, they were to final two remaining humans left in Tartarus. Junpei, Chidori, Jin, Yukari, Mitsuru, Ken, Shinjiro, Aigis, Koromaru, Akihiko, Fuuka, they had all been killed either by shadows, or their attempt to follow their fate. This was the timeline Makoto had gravely messed up. "Surely with everyone of our friends dead it would be a far more easier task to just accept the fall." Makoto continued to ignore Takaya's comments as he rose to his feet.

"I take it you defeated Jin. You've been very troublesome for us for quite some time. Yet you brought about this Fall you continue to defy it." Takaya was now speaking to Kotone. A timeline she hadn't experienced before was now in her path. Akihiko, Yukari, and Aigis were by her side as they faced Takaya all by himself. "Persona" Isis, Ceasar, Athena, and Orpheus all attacked Takaya who summoned Hypnos. Kotone made quick work of Takaya as they fought very hard to defeat him. As he fell to the floor Kotone was furious over Shinjiro being put in the hospital thanks to him. "I hope you're ready to die!" She screamed at him. Aigis stopped her as she asked him if he was scared. "What a peculiar question"

Makoto was at his limit with Takaya as he summoned, "Thanatos!" Thanatos, the Greek god of death and Makoto's persona favorite persona. Takaya stood no chance against him as he fell. Makoto had enough of him as he drove his sword into his heart. Maki, Makoto's future daughter mimicked this exact action in another timeline. Takaya died as he lived, a worthless stain on the face of humanity. Makoto continued to push forward and he was once again facing Nyx. The battle was far more difficult as he was by himself. He was able to face Nyx's core in the end as he used the Great seal. Makoto was facing the hardest challenge though. As he returned to the land of living he only remained alive so that he could see the beauty of graduation day. As he laid atop the school by himself knowing only he survived the fight temporarily he was visited by his friends traveling throughout the multiverse.

Kotone and the rest of S.E.E.S. continued to the top of Tartarus as they all looked to the sky and saw Nyx. Kotone, Yukari, Akihiko, and Aigis all stood their ground as they faced Nyx head on. After a grueling battle of strength and will Nyx well to the gound. "Did we do it?" Mitsuru asked. Nyx then rose and the same events that plagued Makoto's timelines affected Kotone's. The moon began to come down trying to crash into the earth thanks to Ryoji. Kotone stood up as she floated to the moon and faced Nyx. As if to mimic Makoto they rose their hands in unison. Both timelines were occuring at the same time.

Makoto raised his hand as Kotone did her's. The Great Seal, a power both wild cards were bestowed as they sealed Nyx away. Both saved the world but gave their lives as a result. As Kotone found herself drifting through space she found herself being dragged into a new timeline. "Huh...? W-Where am I?" She rose to her feet and found that she was just outside Gekkoukan high. She felt a strange surge of power far greater than her own as she walked to Paulownia mall. There she found a boy in a Gekkoukan uniform with dark blue hair stepping out from the alley that housed the Velvet room. 12:00 Midnight. Kotone and the strange boy were both awake during the dark hour. Just then, out from club Escapade was another boy who looked exactly like the one next to the Velvet room. He had bright red hair though and had a scar across his right eye. "Orpheus!" he yelled as the blue haired boy yelled out, "Messiah!" the two personas clashed and the blue haired boy's persona easily overpowered the red haired boy sending him to the afterlife and back inside the club.

Kotone's fate was forever changed as she found herself within a timeline not of her own. She ended up finding joy in remaining in Makoto's timeline as he worked tirelessly to save everyone he cared about from death. She helped where she could as she became very close to Shinjiro, a man that Makoto was desperately trying to protect himself.

Makoto and Kotone were back in the current time as they found themselves getting coffee together as they talked about the past. "To think we're now in our 40s and in the future, I feel so old knowing that all that stuff happened so long ago. We've come so far from then." The two of them enjoyed their day as they continued to talk about the past.

Kotone was lying in Aigis' lap as she realized she was dying. Aigis was talking to Kotone about how she's glad she realized what it's like to live. She then heard one of the voices of her many friends calling out to her. "Kotone!" Shinjiro burst through the roof door as he ran to Kotone and put her head in his lap. As she died she was right by Shinjiro's side the whole way.

Makoto's heart ached as he had gone through a very similar thing with Yukari. The two of them realized they were almost identical in how their timelines normally panned out from beginning to end. They wrapped up their meeting as they went their separate ways.

Makoto, while visiting and walking around Paulownia mall saw Aigis. He was very surprised to see her walking around since she usually was out helping Mitsuru with her missions as a member of the Shadow Operatives. "Makoto-san!" Aigis said as she ran over to him. "It is so good to see you again. Have you been well?" She asked. Makoto gave a nod of his head as he saw two girls leave the shop Aigis was next to. "Sister, we found some very intriguing outfits to wear to the event, are you ready?" Makoto recognized one of them.

"Metis?" Makoto asked. Metis, Aigis' sister who aided her in defeating the hardship of letting go of his death. "Oh! Makoto-san, allow me to introduce you to my sisters. It would appear you know Metis already, but I would also like you to meet our sister Labrys. While Mitsuru-senpai was working on the two of us to restore our functions to a fighting capacity she managed to get her running as well." Makoto shook Labrys and Metis' hands as they told Makoto they were going to be returning to the old dorms. "Mitsuru-senpai has restored the dorms and turned the one we used to stay at into a full apartment complex. Most of us shall be moving there until we have put a stop to the reforming Strega. We hope you will join us in the fight." Aigis, Metis, and Labrys all walked off as Makoto was left thinking about what his next move should be.