Summary: The cries of death have finally ceased, and the seal is no longer needed. However, as one boy descends back to the world, his world, all is not as he remembered anymore. "What happened to this world, what happened to my world?"

Chapter 1: The Beginning

There are many kinds of people in this world.

Those that are strong to survive the harsh world on their own, those that make an impact on the lives of others and as well as themselves, those who would make a difference in the lives of others…

Those who had the potential to change the world.

I have seen, interacted, and come to known many of the people in this world. People of all kinds…well, that itself may be an overstatement, since I never really left my country in the first place. However, it was through one place which I found myself, found what I really needed to do and found what it truly means to save others.

Sacrificing myself was all part of the deal, not that I'm complaining.

There are those who wish for death, those who wish to end their torment through eternal sleep. I have seen such things as well. Those who feel that their life has no meaning, those who see everything as an inevitable doom.

When you hang on this seal for God knows how long, you're sure to see the interesting stuff. As I said, all kinds of people and all sorts of attitudes toward life.

However, something had not been right as of recently.

Erebus has been getting quieter and less pushy these few days (if days could even COUNT, then I guess it would be). Occasionally, he still bangs against the door from time to time, but even that wasn't so frequent anymore.

Something was off.

Since Erebus was an incarnation of people wishing for death, there must still be people who are. Not that I want them to, but it was only human of people to feel some doom and despair now and then. As I said, however…

Erebus now…seemed to have stopped totally.

There was no frequent banging against the seal anymore. The damage marks on my body inflicted by the beast was slowly becoming less and less, almost to the point where my previous wounds could close up and HEAL themselves.

If the seal could make an expression, it would certainly be that of a scrunched up face and with one hand rubbing my chin (as what Junpei always did, but I never really cared). Have humans stopped wishing for death to come? Have humans finally seen that death is not always the answer, which means…have they finally come to a resolve?

I know that the Investigation Team had played a great part in this during those events.

Then…if that was the case, shouldn't I be free from this seal, free from this would be eternal torment I sacrificed myself to be?

Shouldn't I myself have the right to live again.

…

No…it cannot be. Humans will always sin, humans are not perfect, there is no way that I would be released from my position, tough as hanging here may be. Yes, I will continue to stay here, Erebus fighting back or not, for the sake of humanity…

*KASHACK*

Huh!

The…chains of the seal…are coming loose? I felt each chain tied around my hands and my legs slowly start to unbind themselves, as if hearing my previous pleads and cries.

Could this be it? Could I finally be free from all burden that hangs me to this thing?

"Master…"

…

Oh no…I know that voice all too well.

As if the area around me could not get any brighter, a small, white light discharged from nowhere as the last of my chains unshackled itself…

Velvet Room

"Nngh…"

I let out a small grunt as the light finally died down. Now ringing through my ears was seemingly some sort of light opera music. The area around me was nothing more than a simple room, with masks hanging of the walls and dusty looking portraits of people on it. A deep shade of velvet enveloped the room…

No…a deep shade of…velvet…?

"Welcome to the Velvet room," the familiar, creepy old voice said, "or I should say, welcome back to the velvet room, my dear guest."

Was that really…no it couldn't be. This must be a vision out of my own imagination!

"Remember, this place is between dream and reality, mind and matter. It can appear anywhere, but please, do look straight. Why have a proper body and then waste it?"

Proper…body.

I moved my fingers…and they moved along with how I wanted them to act. I craned my neck to look straight.

He was right, a physical body. I am no longer at the seal.

"My boy, it has been awhile."

The figure seated behind the table was a man with deathly pale skin and hair, his nose could have been the length of two long rulers. He had his hands on a cane, his chin resting above them.

"Igor…!" I blurted out on instinct. I touched my lips with trembling hands…

I could speak…

"As I have mentioned, a very warm welcome back to the velvet room," his smile grew even wider, "it has been awhile since we last had a chat like this."

"Awhile is an overstatement, Igor."

"So it seems," the chuckled lightly, "however, as you may have noticed, the circumstances around seemed to have drastically changed."

Circumstances?

I looked around the room, only to find one person missing, "Does Elizabeth have something to do with this?"

"I can assure you she does not. There is even a possibility that she knows not you are here right now."

I remember Elizabeth finding her way to my seal, but that was only once. She had sworn to "free me from my burden", but she never once came back after that. If Elizabeth had nothing to do with this, then what in the world could…

"You are curious as to why you are here, are you not?" Igor's smile lessened, even if ever so slightly, "why have you been freed from the seal, why has the manifestation of death stopped attacking the seal."

What a mind reader…

"Sadly, no details can be revealed to you as of this point. But there is one thing you can do for us here in the velvet room."

"And what might that be?"

As Igor snapped his fingers, a small puff of smoke caused some sort of scroll to appear on the table. As it started to roll itself out, a pen in its holder appeared by the side.

"This is…!"

"A contract, my guest," Igor continued, "it is not something you are unfamiliar with by now."

Yes…

I chooseth this fate of my own free will.

The familiar words rang through my head. The only difference was the signature.

There wasn't any.

"A new contract marks the start of a new journey," Igor chuckled again, "it is up to you."

No…another journey? Does this mean I have to go on another life of battle and fighting again? Do I really want to put myself in danger again, for the sake of finding out what was going on?

"I…"

Grabbing the pen by the side, the familiar feeling of wanting and curiosity entered me.

"Minato Arisato…"

I wrote down my name in full.

"Chooseth this fate of my own free will, and accept whatever consequences there are for my actions I choose."

As if on voice command, the paper rolled itself up and vanished as soon as I finished writing it.

"Very good, child," Igor nodded, "then there is nothing more of importance I wish to say here. Go forth, and fulfil your journey."

"And remember, visit us when you need our help…"

No…Igor, wait!

My body feels limp as the velvet room faded away from me. I soon find myself being transported elsewhere…

*thump*

The feeling of my head knocking back against something wakes me up instantly. Eyes still closed, I cracked my neck for moment.

"Where am I now…?"

It seems that this truly is the real world, and that I seem to be in some sort of empty room.

Leaning myself against the wall for support, I forced myself to walk. Hah, suddenly, even walking feels foreign to me, like a new born baby even. Being chained to a stupid door has dozens of disadvantages so it would seem.

Man, this room was huge, and for someone frail like me, its gonna take awhile to get across….

And was that…a hole in the wall.

Pushing my legs harder, I forced myself to move at an increased pace. I could feel an eerie aura emanating from all of this. I didn't know why, but all I could think of was about moving and getting out of where I was as soon as possible.

"Come on Minato…how did the school athlete become like this?"

As I pushed myself forward, I couldn't help but think to myself, "I'm in a body of a seventeen year old boy. If years have passed since THAT time, I wonder how everyone is doing right now."

That's right, my friends, I would find them all later once I get out.

Haha…I wonder what could have happened to them all while I was gone, THOSE were possibilities I never observed. Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka, Akihiko, Mitsuru and Shinjiro senpai, Ken, Koro…

Aigis…

I couldn't help but laugh a bit. Aigis couldn't age, she would probably look the same even now, so she should be the easiest to find.

Oh…

It seemed that through my little moments of reminisce, I seemed to have reached just a few steps away from the large gaping hole.

"Alright, time to see how much this world has…"

"Changed…?"

The sight that beheld me caused me nearly to stumble back in fear. I seemed to be in a city. How I knew was because of tall buildings and several dusty road signs by the side. Heck, I even saw several apartments as well.

But if all the things had one thing similar…

They were all destroyed.

Every structure seemed to be demolished halfway or a giant gaping hole at the bottom. This was even worse than an aftermath of a tornado or tsunami.

That's not all, I noticed that it wasn't just quiet, the land was barren. Completely devoid of life and human activity.

"What age have I come too?" I stared in wide eyed horror, "what happened while I was gone?"

"Agh…"

The sound of a person struggling made my head turn left. Indeed, there was an elderly man not too far away from me, just lying next to me in fact. His clothing was ripped and torn apart, and the look in his eyes were closed.

Bending down, I shook him, "Hey, are you alright? Who did this to you?"

"Run…young man…they're coming soon. They can smell you."

Smell me? What in the world was he talking about?

"Old man look, let me help you up! I'll get you to a hospital."

*ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR*

…!

What was that?

*ROAAAAARR*

Whatever the roar was, it was definitely getting closer. Should I help the old guy? I can't just…

"BOY, MOVE!"

Using whatever strength he had left, the old man shoved me to the side. As weak as I was, I stumbled and rolled away.

*ROAAAAAR*

As the roar reached an unbearable volume, I saw a shadow being cast over the old man. What happened next, I couldn't fathom. One moment I felt a mini quake as something landed in front of the old man, next I heard the old man screaming…

And the sounds of bones snapping and cracking.

"Wha…what the hell?"

I scrambled back as the figure stood straighter on all fours and turned and looked at me.

"What is this…!"

It was a light brown…gorilla so to speak. Its face was slightly redder and a huge body. Above its head, I could see something like pipes attached down to its back.

"Oh my…"

My mind screamed for me to run, run like the pathetic human I have become once again. This thing was dangerous, it would kill, it would eat me. The gorilla tilted its head as it looked at me, studying what could be done with me.

This world…what happened…

What happened to the world we worked so hard to save…?

"Now isn't the time to think about such things. Minato, you of all people should know better."

What I'm thinking about? To get the hell out of here and away from this!

"Have you already forgotten this voice?"

I don't know! What I want to know is what happened, what happened to my friends, where am I. What the hell is going on? I don't want to die!

What happened to this world…

"Cast aside your fear, Minato…"

How do I NOT be afraid?

"Close…your eyes…"

…

"Minato."

The voice, it was soothing, wherever it came from. I know I'm panicking so much I'm getting on-the-go amnesia. Just calm down…even in the face of death.

The gorilla roared, seemingly done waiting for me to act at all.

"That's right, remember your strength. I'm sure you can remember some of us…"

"Oh shut up…"

It took a stance, and then leapt at me.

"Remember that you are mortal, remember that you will die. Remember that…"

"I am alive, I know that already…"

As it opened its mouth to bite me, I smirked, uttering a word I haven't said in awhile.

Now…I just hope it works without…no, I KNOW it will work without it.

"Per…so…na….!"

*CRACK*

HAI HAI!

Well, I'm not gonna tell you what it is, you should already figure out.

I know, first chapter was rushed, I fished this from an old Microsoft word file, so this was done months ago...just the first and a bit of the second tho XD

Eh…just…*head slams and a pen appears*

Review, criticise and BAH XD