Chapter 1: Some Things Change

When Minato Arisato awoke, he did so with his sight being filled with the smile of Elizabeth. His head rested comfortably on her lap and his jacket, folded up. Despite the darkness surrounding them, he felt that the sight before him was radiant.

Slowly reaching his hand above his head, he slowly brushed aside her white locks to look her in her exotic yellow eyes. It felt oddly fulfilling being in this position and he allowed himself to indulge in it. If he kept this up, he would be completely spoiled.

"Dear Master, it's a relief to see you in such fine condition. All this with but a mere 27 hours of rest, just splendid", Elizabeth said cheerfully, her everything radiating with energy.

Minato simply chuckled at her behavior as he reluctantly got up from his position. He had troubled her enough as it was. Before he could even rise, she pushed him back down with considerably ease.

"I recommend that you do not push yourself too far. I for one am enjoying our position. This is the marvelous lap pillow I have heard of, yes? A lover's helpless form surrendered to the comfort of a beloved lap, it is subtly intense", Elizabeth noted.

A light snicker escaped his lips. It was fortunate that Elizabeth was the same as always. Opposed to him, she could find delight in observing such mundane activities. "If it isn't too much trouble, I shall keep my spot here. Oh and please drop the formality. After all our time together, I believe you can address me casually."

Elizabeth openly laughed at his statement, "How bold you are to get me to say your first name so assertively. I shall take this honor proudly, Minato. My, how nice to the tongue that feels."

Tiredly, Minato replied, "Thank you." Minato looked around for the first time, taking his eyes off Elizabeth's countenance. His limp form laid in a pew along with her. From the stained glass and cross, he figured that they were in a church, an abandoned church, that is.

Except for this front pew, the others were very much destroyed. Nearly all of the stained windows were cracked, letting in the cold night air. It was nearly pitch black. Below, the ground was cracked and weeds grew as far as the eye could see. All in all, it was a sad state of affairs.

If his eyes did not deceive him, then the walls were fairly destroyed as well. He wondered why Elizabeth had chosen this location. An air of depression and defeat reeked all around. A horrid backdrop to his awakening, but he didn't mind. Minato was sure she had her reasons.

Getting comfortable, nestling his head into the makeshift pillow of his jacket, "What happened?"

"Inquisitive even now, Minato? Prepare yourself for the tale is one of interest." She began, "We are currently in Japan, but not as you know it. Creatures of death and decay run rampant", she sounded too mesmerized for his taste.

This was alarming news. This conversation seemed to be getting serious. He attempted to rise again and he met the same fate once more.

"Worry not, Minato", she said. Her voice was soft and comforting, "This is not a sign of your failure. I dare say that this is completely independent to your efforts. You succeeded beyond anyone's expectations."

Minato held unto her words as a lifeline. He knew not if this was merely kindness or sincerity. He chose to believe it was both. Once he calmed down, he nodded for her to continue. This seemed to cheer her right back up.

"It is quite the sight. Like those horror movies you've told me about. An apocalyptic land with monsters beyond rationale. Monuments of man laid asunder and but a memory. It is all so very surprising."

"You sound like you're having fun. How about you tell me about these monsters. Are they shadows?" Minato questioned, trying to get to the core of the discussion. If he followed her pace, they might end up into a discussion about movies, enjoyable but inefficient.

She tapped the side of her cheek and pondered a moment, before shaking her head. "No, they do have a manifestation of humanity, but it's very minor. The monstrous beasts come in many forms. The most prevalent are those in full armor. It's a sight to behold, like some kind of unholy round table. Though, I don't believe the legends had hundreds of knights."

"So, Japan is destroyed?" From the corner of his eyes, he saw the outline of a gigantic creature on the horizon. It felt vile, putrid, and unnatural. Minato had little doubt that this wouldn't be the last he saw of such a creature.

"I fear that this great nation is lost. A tragedy I'm sure generations shall call it", Elizabeth cried with a hand dramatically curled into her chest.

The blue haired teen had to keep focus and not get lost in her levity. Seeing how dazzled she looked, he was tempted to allow her to have her way. It wasn't like rushing would reconstruct Japan to its former glory. So he allowed her to talk. Her nature and energy was oasis of peace for his mind. He allowed her to chatter away as he kept track of the vital information.

Her voice rocked him just as well as any lullaby. She had that singsong quality to her voice that never failed to take the edge off the day. Still he was able to draw the appropriate conclusions.

They needed to find civilization and fast. He lightly tapped the side of her thigh to alert her of his intentions. Pouting, she offered her hand to help pull him upwards. The slight change in elevation had him unbalanced, but Elizabeth's supporting hand kept him steady.

His vision swam away from his focus and he could feel a headache coming to him. Perhaps she had been correct in keeping him from rising. When he felt the warm touch of her gloved hand on his forehead, he nearly snuggled into it.

She hummed momentarily as she took a feel of his head, "Your fever has gone down, but you still feel a bit warm." She perused the contents of her pockets as Minato watched her.

She still marvelously wore the attendant like outfit that she had in the Velvet Room. Seeing her in that uniform brought forth feelings of nostalgia, the rush of battle and relief of her welcoming him to the Velvet Room. She was a silver lining to that battlefield.

He was broken from his trip down memory lane as she brought up a sealed container. It was a special drink. She shook it lightly as though the rhythmic swishing of the liquids would further entice me into consuming it. To be fair, there was few that could resist the charm, more so of the person than the drink.

Slowly reaching for it, his palm engulfed hers and he took the drink. Sipping its contents, he felt so much more refreshed. "Thank you." He felt much more stable and was able to fully stand on his own two feet.

The Japanese teen was drawn to the pulpit. Brushing his hands on the water damaged hardwood design, he felt a hint of sadness. Standing fully behind the pulpit, he saw the ruined nature of the church from a higher viewpoint. It looked more depressing from up here. Minato dusted his hands as he noticed they were caked with ashes.

Grimacing, he waved the dust that was produced from the dusting. For a moment, he grew curious as to what had been burned, for he could not find anything that could be burned.

A bright green light escaped from a shelf hidden in the pulpit. Reaching into the light he felt a smooth surface. Pulling the object he found a blank expressionless white mask. There were holes for eyes, nose, and mouth. It held the power of light within it.

"What amusing circumstance to find a mask of power", she giggled lightly. "What facets of yourself shall you embolden or hide within this particular mask? Will you become a holy warrior of the church or shall you rebel and fall like a certain angel? Oh, the possibilities." She shivered at the thought, "I grow excited at the very notion."

Minato simply rose an eyebrow in response. From what he could see, the mask was pristine on both sides. Slowly, he donned the mask and heard a click in his mind.

"Before we go gallivanting on our next adventure. I feel as though I should claim my reward from my last quest. It is only proper procedure."

He eyed her with interest. There was little he could give her. He had money and items, but failed to see how they could be any use to one such as her.

She took the miniature steps up to the stage. When she reached him, she took possession of his mask and supplied, "This tasks shall be done with your true face. It will make this far more pleasurable."

Minato felt a wonderful softness press against his lips. A tart taste tickled his tongue. She deepened the kiss. She enraptured his lip into hers and wrapped her arms around his neck. Both closed their eyes as they relished in the sensation of each other's lips.

Breaking apart the kiss, she smiled radiantly. "My heart is pounding from such a sensual action. As we united our bodies through our lips I felt closer to you. Did you feel my beating heart from the kiss? I wonder how many times we must share this experience until this no longer rocks me so. Thank you for sharing this moment with me. What a suitable means to ending one's journey." Her playful voice tittered at the exclamation.

Minato caught his breathe from her bold actions. He felt little means to resist her proclamations. Though he was sure that warmth was spreading through his cheeks. That was a talent of his companion, able to make abrupt changes to his emotions. It was satisfying and frustrating all at once.

"Though I wish to continue exploring these actions, I fear that we have regrettably more vital things to do."

Having fully regained his composure he nodded. She brought up his folded uniform. Smiling in appreciation, he took it and wore it. Together, they exited the church.

…

The landscape outside of the church was like a wide awake nightmare. Deep was the darkness that draped the land. It was peering, everlasting, and seemed to swallow all those that dare to enter it.

Just outside of the door and he could only stand doubting his very eyes. Evidence of decay laid every which direction. Pavements were cracked, buildings in shambles, and even the dirt look rusted. In the air was a thick miasma.

This was a land no mere mortal would dare to travel and yet he stood there astounded. What little Elizabeth had hinted, it paled in comparison to this reality. Questions raced to his mind quicker than he could rationalize or dismiss them.

Looking around he saw an abundance of ash being shifted in the wind. This was the most unusual since there were little signs of a fire having taken place. Destruction seemed varied from slashes to explosions, to water damage at some areas.

"It is as intense as always. This setting is a grand stage for a battle for humanity, is it not?" Elizabeth questioned brightly.

It was a touch jarring how she could joke about this. At times like this, he was reminded that despite her looks, she wasn't human, but a resident of the Velvet Room. Minato didn't quite know if he wanted her to grow more sympathetic. It eased him accepting this situation.

"Are there any others that could help us?" Minato questioned.

"You can ask, but I don't find them the kind of company you like to keep. I propose that we use tactical maneuvering to collect more data. Think of all the possibilities", she exclaimed as she pumped herself up.

Hearing a sound, he took immediate action. Taking Elizabeth's hand, he hid them at a closed off alley near the church. If what his companion's statement held true, that he would get into conflict with people he met here. Heavy metallic steps paused as voices began to speak.

"Admit it, you were seeing things", an armored green knight retorted. It stood several feet above Minato's height. It spoke to a slightly shorter blue armored knight.

"There was the light of an Innocence around here. I couldn't mistake that light for anything else", the blue knight sneered.

"No humans have lived here for centuries. If there was an Innocence, the masters would have found it. Do you believe yourself more perceptive than our masters, the Noah?" The green knight snarled. "Even if there was an Innocence, there aren't any humans to host it, making it a moot point. Soon enough, our masters will sense the raw Innocence and do away with it."

The blue knight silently nodded. "No matter, I await my turn to deploy to the field. It has been ages since I've crushed a skull between my claws. I'll evolve any day now."

The green knight didn't seem to agree as it made a hallow laugh, "You've been saying that for decades now. Just be glad you were able to evolve to the third level before being ordered here. There aren't humans just laying around for the pickings."

"Miracles happen. It's exciting to think that one day, the whole world will be just like this. Innocence wielders defeated, humanity culled, and us Akumas shall serve our wondrous masters."

"Glory to the Millennium Earl", they cheered as one, before they returned to their own business.

"Two lovers eloping from nefarious guards of a wicked Earl. This is just sensational. We must combat a vicious evil so fate has allowed us free exposition. We are now entwined in an elaborative narrative. May we work together well", the former attendant whispered in excitement.

He had little doubt that they could work well together. The conversation they heard had Minato narrowing his eyes. He was missing a lot of context. First thing first, he needed to gain information.

"Did you happen to see a library anywhere near here?" Minato questioned lowly. He kept his eyes opened. A shadowed from a flying figure had just passed them over.

In response to his question, Elizabeth tapped her chin and contemplated. She pointed ahead of their location, "A library is located to the north. Shall we try our luck going there?"

Minato nodded. Slowly he looked ahead and saw a cluster of Akumas to avoid. The pair spent the next several hours slowly trekking through the destroyed town. A task made even more difficult by the aerial Akumas.

Scoping the landscape as they traveled made the teen sink more and more into a morose state of mind.

Finally, they reached the cover of the library. Minato dared not use the front entrance in fear of lookouts. Instead, the pair were situated near the remains of a thick tree that retained its foliage. Just above their location, there was an opened window. Having estimated the height, Minato nodded his head.

"We're going through the window. Get on my shoulders."

"Then I shall take my position above, sir knight", she curtsied. Elizabeth sat upon his shoulders when he crouched. When she was slowly brought up, she declared, "What a marvel this is. Our bodies have joined to create a mimicry of the great bastions of engineering. But we should beware for even great structure meet their end. This is all so very exciting."

Minato didn't reply on account of him focusing on holding the woman up. She eventually grasped the open window and pulled herself inside. Minato used the tree as support as he jumped off the trunk and grabbed Elizabeth's out stretched hand.

He was easily pulled up.

…

It came as little surprise to the party when they found the insides of the library in major disrepair. Most of the doors had scratch marks and were pulled out of the hinges.

The implications were daunting.

Ash painted the floors and walls, leaving a thick coat that left footprints as they walked.

"There aren't any computers. Did they not have the resources?

"You lack imagination. Instead of simply lacking resources, they may have lacked the means. Power over the digital domain wasn't always inherent in the human psyche. Alas, it is but a simple theory with no means of verification."

Minato held Elizabeth by the waist and ignored her soft squeak at the action. Honing his senses, he heard the change in movement before seeing anything. Pushing her out of harm's way, he protected himself with his arms as a pair of armored purple legs slammed into his midsection. The teen was flung from the second floor, through a rotten railing.

Rolling his body on impact, he was able to avoid the Akuma bringing down its claw on his location. Getting to his feet, he ducked below a high kick and swept the remaining leg from under the monster.

When electricity began to gather on its gauntlets, Minato backpedaled. A surge of electrical power zipped just to the side of his face. Spinning, he kicked the beast right in its face, sending it reeling into a cabinet.

Digging into his coat, he pulled out the Innocence mask and donned it.

"Innocence! I will enjoy ripping your to shreds, human!" The electric Akuma snarled the last word as though it was a curse. "Scream for me." It slammed its fist into the ground and attempted to electrocute its opponent.

The blue haired warrior kicked off the wall and began running on bookshelves. This caused the Akuma to grit its fangs. Taking a deep breath, Minato blew out of his lips. Out of the mask's lip opening, gas erupted.

"*Cough* *Cough* Do you think this is enough to stop me, pathetic fool? You are merely delaying your demise." An orb of electricity began to form around his body.

Before its completion, Minato dropped from above it and slammed a foot down its head. While it was disorientated, he took the left arm and kicked right through the elbow, causing dark fluids to spew from the rupture point. A generous amount washed over Minato's hand before he could retreat.

Hissing, he flickered the blood off his hand. Daring to look down, he saw pentagrams appearing on his hand. The symbols dominated all the flesh on his hand in moments. Surging pain followed suit. Grimacing, he nervously shook his hand.

"You lose, fool. I shall take immense pleasure in your slow demise. After you've died, I'll have my fun tearing that woman a-" Its taunt was cut off as Minato kicked him directly in the mouth, breaking some of its fangs.

Innocence gas seeped into Minato's skin and began to fight off and eliminate the pentagrams from his hand. The Akuma was enduring a worse fate. It screamed in a high pitch as the gas forced its way into his mouth and the ruptured arm.

White dots appeared all over it and the Akuma was contorting wildly. "Curse you. You were damned since you entered this land." Filled with nothing but hate to the very end, the level three Akuma perished in a haze of Innocence gas.

Minato looked at his healed hand in relief. Gripping and releasing, he could feel no complications with mobility. Turning to the side, he addressed Elizabeth as she jumped to his location, "Thank you for restraining yourself. I got a pretty good feel for my capabilities with the mask and against Akuma in general. Still a lot of my knowledge can be summed up as educated guesses."

"I concur. Those ghastly creatures are still wrapped in mysteries that I fear may not be answered as quickly as we would like", Elizabeth finished with a touch of petulance. She appeared to be longing for something different.

Resting his back to the wall, he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow for her to elaborate on her mood.

"We stand on a stage known as a haunted house, though this is labeled as a library. Instead of a combination of ghostly frights and hijinks we were dealt with a battle. We did not uncover some nefarious economical scheme and unmask the perpetrator. I had prepared myself to take notice of any vital clue and laugh at the indignant cries of the very human schemer as he was escorted by local law enforcements."

Minato held her shoulder in support, "I'm sure you'll get your mystery run one day."

"Truly?"

He snickered to himself as he nodded. Personally, he hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with that situation. Minato was just plain baffled with the scope of her knowledge of the human world.

"Are there anymore Akumas in here?" He questioned cautiously.

"While you did battle against our armored foe, I was able to gain ownership of a number of resources to aid us on our mission as well as scope out the perimeter. There shan't be another ambush tonight."

"Thank you for your hard work."

They sat down on the sturdiest chairs and tables they could find and looked over her collection.

…

Elizabeth had gathered a number of photographs, diaries, and old style films. They told the same story.

Japan had never had a chance.

Grey skinned Noah clansmen had appeared in broad daylight one day and had disrupted everything. The military forces had been little more than a joke. People just dropped like flies as the Akumas raged in. There had been super powered individuals fighting against them. But, they came and lost due to the sheer power and numbers of the opposition.

Once Japan was locked down, they 'cleansed' the population. Humanity was loathe by the human appearing Noah. This was growing troubling, not only the genocide of the Japanese, but also the time period.

Mannerisms and technology were around the 17th century and Japan had been decimated for centuries. Since he was fairly sure that this would've been discussed during history class, something dubious was going on. Had the battle with the shadows done damage to the time stream?

Elizabeth wasn't being much help. Ten minutes into the research, she had taken custody of his left arm. His arm rested between her chest and her head relaxed on his shoulder. The warmth of the air escaping her lips brushed the back of his nape. Her actions were far more distracting than the looming giant shadows he could glimpse out of the window.

The ease at which she rested on the nook of his neck, he felt as though that space was shaped for her figure alone. Minato almost wished to untangle and press her against himself more firmly. She was reading some odd books that he couldn't quite catch the title of.

The blue haired teen had no true desire to stop her, so he futilely tried to push it out of his mind. Closing his eyes for a moment, he made a solid decision. They couldn't afford to stay here. Easily enough, they, well mainly he, would be overrun and likely destroyed.

Turning slightly to the side, he found that she was now fully asleep. Gently, he brushed her hair aside and gazed upon her face. Seeing such an energetic mien being so calm was such a treat that he nearly detested awaking her. With much regret, he softly jostled her awake.

"Hmm?" She questioned.

"We need to plan how we're going to leave this country."

"Have you gotten your fill of this dystopia?"

He grunted, "If we leave Japan, I'm sure that there are far richer environments to explore."

Stretching her arms above her head, she sighed in contentment, "We are in a coastal city. While you were in your unconscious state, I saw a port. There are a fair number of boats for the taking. Most of them were in decent condition."

When Minato looked carefully at her book, he realized that she was reading a boat manual. She seemed to understand where his mind would lead to. Appreciation settled in his heart. She was near the end of the manual. Things were coming together.

"As horrifying as this experience is, I feel reassured that I'm here with you. More importantly, thank you for taking care of me." Minato wrapped his arms around her waist and found no resistance.

She smiled demurely at him and allowed her body to be so fully embraced into his. "Though we are no longer connected by the Velvet Room, I shall endeavor to support you to the best of my abilities, Mi-na-to~. Is that not the occupational responsibility of a lover?"

"I too shall continue to support you in your goals. Although, I have to ask you to take it easy on me. I'm not as durable as you."

Elizabeth was now smiling slyly, "Then I shall be sure to be gentle." She indulged in another kiss. Despite her words, the kiss was assertive and engaging. Her lips were tender and luscious.

From her kiss alone, he could feel an almost desperate need to connect to him. It was a kiss to once again welcome him back to her. Her kiss was the sunrise basking against a glistening lake, radiant and a spectacle. Tenderly, she pushed their faces as close together as possible.

Her affection coaxed a few concerns to his mind. How much did she go through to be reunited with him? How long were they separated? And lastly, what exactly did she do to free, him?

But feeling her want and sincerity through the kiss, he chose to wait. Those things would be revealed at her own pace.

Breaking apart, he rested his forehead against hers and join her in chuckling. Even as decay and madness reign supreme outdoors, they found solace with one another. Matters of escape were pushed aside for the morning to come.

Author's Note:

Hey readers, welcome to my newest story. This story is my excuse to use my favorite Persona 3 pairing: Minato x Elizabeth. There is a surprising lack of stories with this pairing. I can't fathom why, I find Elizabeth more intriguing than Yukari. Although, I found writing Elizabeth to be a challenge. I hope I was accurate in writing her character.

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