"Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awakened, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man." – Zhuangzi

"Hey, have you guys heard of the Persona game?"

It was an innocent question in and of itself – and the fact that it was Hidehiko Uesugi who asked the question in the first place removed much of its credibility.

And, as it turned out, Masao Inaba didn't believe a single word. "I heard that was all just bullshit," he said as he spray-painted a canvas.

"C'mon!" Hidehiko said, slinging one arm around Masao's shoulders and creating an unintentional yellow line across the canvas that Akari was sure wasn't supposed to be there. "Maybe it's not anything big or flashy, but weird stuff does happen. I'll even bet you an all-you-can-eat dinner at the Peace Diner!"

"You're on!" Masao shot back.

Yuka Ayase, who was standing next to Masao, whooped in delight. "I'm with Hidehiko!" But really, it looked more like she was trying to get out of doing any work, if only for a short while.

"Me too," Eriko Kirishima said, smiling demurely.

"Wha—come on!" Masao yelled indignantly. "You guys can't be serious!"

"It's absolute bunk," Kei Nanjo said haughtily, not even bothering to look in Masao's direction.

"S-So you'll back me up here, Nanjo?"

"Not a chance."

"Yeah, I agree," Yukino Mayuzumi added, raising her eyebrows disbelievingly. "It sounds kind of stupid."

"Oh, come on!" Masao whined. "What about you, Akari-san? Kido?"

"Forget it," Reiji Kido muttered.

"I'll side with you, Masao-kun," Akari said earnestly, clasping her hands together. "I don't have any money on me, though…"

"Wait, so we're actually doing this?" Yukino asked disbelievingly. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"All right!" Hidehiko cheered, pumping his fist in the air. He practically skipped over to Yuka and Eriko and slung his arms around their shoulders, guiding them to a corner of the room. "Oy, Masao, get over here!" Masao sighed and rolled his eyes as he went to join the other three. "Okay, here's what we do: we stand in a circle, we say the magic words, and then we tap the next person. Got it?"

"I'll start!" Yuka volunteered cheerfully. "Persona, Persona, please come here." She slapped Hidehiko hard on the back. "Your turn, Hidehiko!"

"Persona, Persona, please come here," Hidehiko said before clapping Masao on the shoulder. "Your turn."

"Nah, I think I'll pass," Masao said fleetingly.

"All-you-can-eat!" Hidehiko yelled in Masao's ear, earning a sharp glare from everyone for his trouble. "All-you-can-eat!"

"All right, whatever," Masao muttered. "Persona, Persona… c'mere, or something." He tapped Eriko on the shoulder.

Eriko smiled as she clasped her hands together. "Persona, Persona, please come here." She placed a gentle hand on Yuka's back. Then…

"All that trouble for nothing," Kei said disapprovingly.

"Hidehiko, you jerk!" Yuka shrieked, smacking the taller boy on the arm. "You made me look like an idiot!"

"N-No way!" Hidehiko protested. "Masao did it wrong! We have to do it again!"

Masao grinned smugly as he clapped Hidehiko on the shoulder. "It's okay, dude. I'm sure a nice dinner at Peace Diner will make up for your epic fail."

"Help me…" For a second, Akari wasn't sure if she'd heard the voice at all. But, sure enough, a wispy apparition of a small girl holding a large teddy bear stood crying a little ways behind Masao. "Help me!"

"Wh-What is that…?" Kei whispered.

"Wh-What the hell…?" Masao said shakily.

But the girl looked familiar. Akari stepped forward and tried to ignore the blue electricity crackling among the lights on the ceiling. "What are you doing?" Reiji hissed at her, and for a second, Akari thought he was going to try and stop her.

The girl had shoulder-length hair, with a ribbon on top of her head. Actually, she looked a lot like… "Maki…?"

The girl looked up at her and gave a sob, and Akari wasn't prepared for the girl to completely phase through her. Akari's body felt cold as the world spun around her. Around her, people were shouting, and it wasn't until pain radiated through her body that she realized why.

It wasn't so much that her consciousness faded, but rather that it shifted entirely to another place. The next thing she knew, she was floating down a long, twisting corridor, with nothing but a shimmering golden butterfly to guide her. At the end of the hall was a man dressed in white, with a white porcelain mask covering his face and a long brown ponytail blowing in the wind. "Welcome," he said pleasantly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

His voice was warm and gentle, and despite the strange circumstances, Akari still felt safe in his presence. "Wh-Who are you?"

"I am Philemon," the man said, "the dweller between consciousness and unconsciousness. And now, a simple test. Can you state your name?"

Akari wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered. "Akari," she said quietly. "Akari Saitou."

Philemon nodded once in what looked like approval. "Splendid. There aren't many who can remember their identity when in this domain. You have passed that test…" He pointed one finger at her before she could say another word. "But tell me this: are you aware of the many and varied selves that you harbor within you? The self suffused with divine love, the self capable of demonic cruelty…"

Akari took a step back. "Wh-What are you saying?"

Philemon seemed to relax, putting Akari at ease. "People live by wearing different masks," he explained. "Your current self may be only one of those innumerable masks."

"Why are you telling me this?" Akari couldn't help but ask. The whole situation was so strange and bizarre, and her head felt foggy, like she was in a dream. But you weren't supposed to be completely aware in dreams, were you?

A golden light appeared in Philemon's hands. "Because you possess a very firm grip on your identity. I respect your strong will. In return, I grant you this power – Persona." The light faded slightly, revealing the silhouette of what appeared to be a woman in loose robes with flowing hair. "It is the power to summon selves within you, the gods and demons you harbor."

The silhouette floated into Akari's outstretched hands, and she stared at it in awe. "Per…sona?" she said faintly. "I-I think you're exaggerating my… What was it you called it? My 'strong will'? I'm really not…"

But Philemon ignored her protests entirely. "The time is soon when you will need to use that power. Now, you must return to your proper time and place."

Then, it was as if she was being forcibly pulled away from him. "Wait! I don't understand!"

She gasped as her eyes flew open, and she saw her homeroom teacher's face hovering anxiously above hers. "Oh, thank goodness!" Ms. Saeko cried. "You're finally awake!"

Akari groaned as she sat up, pressing one hand to her forehead. "What happened…?" Then, all of a sudden, there was a sharp pain in her head and a shrill ringing in her ears. Thou art I… and I am thou… She couldn't tell whether the voice that echoed in her mind was hers or someone else's – either way, it felt familiar.

"What's wrong? Ms. Saeko asked worriedly, putting one hand on Akari's back to steady her. "Are you all right?"

The strange headache faded into a dull throb, and Akari exhaled slowly. "I-I'm okay. I just have a headache."

Ms. Saeko sighed. "I was so scared when I heard you all collapsed…"

"All of us?" Akari asked. "Wait, who else—"

"Well, you were the first to go down," Akari heard Masao say, and she gasped and jumped when she realized that he, Yukino, and Kei had been there the whole time, " and the rest of us just sort of…"

"Apparently, it was quite a scene," Kei said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Supposedly, Hidehiko dragged the monkey's body here."

"I'm not a monkey!" Masao yelled back.

Akari really didn't like the way Yukino was smirking at her. "And apparently, Akari, Reiji-kun had to—"

"Yukino!" Akari shrieked, her face turning bright scarlet.

"Are you sure you're all okay, though?" Ms. Saeko asked worriedly. "Maybe you should go to the hospital… I mean, to suddenly collapse like that…"

And at that moment, the door flew open, revealing two identical boys with messy dark brown hair. "We heard our sister collapsed," one of them said.

"So we came to check up on her," said the other.

"Is she in any condition—"

"—to have visitors?"

Kei pushed his glasses up his nose and frowned sternly at them. "Must you do that?"

"Wait, hang on," Yukino said as she approached the twins and crossed her arms. "I totally got this." She pointed to the one on the left. "You're Haru..." She shifted her finger to the boy on the right. "… and you're Haku."

The twins looked to each other and grinned mischievously. "Wrong!" they both said simultaneously.

"No, you're right," Akari said in a deadpan. "And you two need to stop doing that. It freaks people out."

Haru looked to Haku, his face deceptively blank. "Well, dear brother, it appears that we had nothing to worry about."

"I agree," Haku replied. "Our sister appears perfectly fine – or well enough to scold us, at the very least."

"No, she's not fine," Ms. Saeko said pointedly. "Actually, she and her friends are on their way to the hospital. Aren't they?"

"I-It's really not a big deal, Ms. Saeko," Akari said as she swung her legs out of the infirmary cot. Her legs shook only slightly when she stood, but she still felt weak and a little disoriented. "I'll just head straight home after work to rest."

"Looks like you're skipping it today, kiddo," the school nurse said, spinning around on her chair to face the group. "Yeesh. That makes five of your kids in the hospital, Saeko."

"Five?" Kei echoed. "But there are four of us here."

"Dumbass…" Masao muttered. "Maki's in there too!"

"Who?" Kei asked.

"Maki Sonomura," Akari elaborated. "About this tall," she held her hand slightly below the top of her head, "shoulder-length hair, wears a read bow all the time…"

"Ah yes," Kei said, pushing up his glasses. "I do recall someone of that description."

"Ah, Maki-senpai…" Haru said wistfully. "When was the last time we saw her?"

"Last month, I believe," Haku answered. "For Sis, it was at least another two months before that."

"So it would make perfect sense for Sis to visit her today," Haru said.

"If she feels well enough to do so, of course," Haku finished.

"That's a great idea!" Ms. Saeko agreed. "Why don't you all go visit Maki? If you're feeling well enough, that is."

"I don't think she'd…" Akari started, but exhaled slowly as she stopped herself. "Never mind."

"Phi-le-mon…" Yukino mused, carefully enunciating each syllable. "Yeah, I met him too." The four of them sat in the back seat of Kei's limousine, after his butler Yamaoka had insisted on driving them to the hospital, much to Kei's ire.

"So we all had the same dream…" Kei said slowly. "Odd. Very odd."

"What did he mean, though?" Masao asked, throwing his arms behind his head and leaning backward. "The 'dweller between consciousness and unconsciousness'? What was that all about?"

"Maybe…" Akari said slowly. "Is this what Hidehiko-kun was talking about when he said strange things happen after playing the Persona game?"

"Dunno…" Yukino replied, groaning in frustration. "This is all so weird…"

"We've arrived, young master," Yamaoka called from the front seat as the limousine drew to a halt.

"I thought I told you not to call me that, you dummy!" Kei yelled petulantly.

"I will remain within the vicinity, young master," Yamaoka said. "I do hope nothing serious is plaguing you and your friends."

Kei looked absolutely furious, but Akari, Yukino, and Masao managed to usher him out of the limousine before he could say or do anything he'd regret later. "So, young master," Masao said teasingly, smirking.

"Shut up!" Kei snapped.

Akari giggled. She let her eyes wander, and froze when she saw a familiar face among a group of middle schoolers a little ways away. "Miki!" She waved at her sister, smiling gently.

A girl with short brown hair glanced over in her direction, looking embarrassed and a little disgusted. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, um…" Akari mumbled. Haru and Haku knew exactly what was wrong with her at the moment, but would it bother Miki if she knew as well?

As it turned out, Akari didn't have to explain anything. "Don't tell me you're hanging out with your friends today."

"I-I'm not really—"

"And I bet you want me to cover your shift, right?" Miki persisted, glaring at Akari. "That's not fair! You always ditch for exams and stuff!"

"It's not that often," Akari retorted, crossing her arms and frowning at her sister. "And you skip work more than I do anyway, so you have no right to talk."

"Gee, if I'm going to skip so much work anyway, I might as well not get a job!" Miki said sarcastically.

"You know why you need one," Akari replied sternly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for being the family dead weight, Sis," Miki said. "You know what? I've had it. Screw you, Sis." And with that, Miki turned to leave.

Yukino stepped forward, her fists clenched. "Now wait just a minute!"

"It's okay, Yukino," Akari said sadly, wrapping her arms around herself. "It's fine."

By now, Miki and her group of friends were long gone, and Yukino huffed in annoyance. "Okay, fine. I know she's your sister and all, but you shouldn't let her push you around so much. You cover for her shifts all the time, so it's not fair of her to get so mad on the off chance that you want her to cover for you."

"She's only fourteen, Yukino," Akari said. "She shouldn't be working at all."

"I had no idea that young women could start working part-time jobs at such a young age," Kei said, effectively cutting through the tension.

"Come to think of it, doesn't everyone in your family work?" Masao asked. "I mean, if your little sister has a part-time job, then your brothers do too, don't they?"

"They work at the textile shop next to the department store I work at," Yukino answered.

"And you still can't tell them apart?" Kei deadpanned.

In the hospital lobby, Kei went to the front desk to explain the situation, and he came back to them within a few minutes. "They will be ready to see us in approximately twenty minutes," he explained.

"So…" Akari said slowly. "Do you guys want to visit Maki first, then?"

"It would be for the best," Kei replied. "Best not be idle."

"Cool," Yukino said flatly. "What room is she in?"

"Room 302," Masao answered promptly. When Yukino raised an eyebrow at him and smirked, and Akari smiled knowingly at him, his face turned red, and he fidgeted with his hat. "D-Don't look at me like that! A friend of mine told me! C'mon, let's just go already…"

They made their way to the room in question, and, sure enough, a brown-haired girl in a pink hospital gown sat in a cot there. "Thank you so much for coming to see me," Maki said sincerely as they entered the room and surrounded her. Her face was pale, and she looked much thinner than she was the last time Akari saw her, and not in a good way. She smiled gratefully at Masao. "You're so thoughtful, Masao-kun. You even convinced Akari to come."

"What do you mean?" Kei asked, ignoring Maki's thinly veiled jab at Akari.

"I told Masao I wanted to see everyone when he was here last time," Maki explained. "Isn't that why you all came?"

Akari wrung her hands together nervously. "Y-Yes, of course… Oh, um… I'm sorry. I forgot to bring your book. Gate to Paradise – the one about—"

Maki's smile tightened. "I've read that book so many times that I practically have it memorized," she said stiffly, "and you're avoiding the subject, I see."

"So," Yukino interjected, clapping her hands together. "How've you been? You doing okay?"

Maki smiled more naturally at Yukino. "Uh-huh. I'm doing much better. I wonder if it's because of that good dream… It's hard to remember, but I keep dreaming of a really nice man. He's like a father… not like the doctors here…"

"What?" Masao demanded. "They do somethin' to you?"

"No, that's not it," Maki replied calmly. "I just… don't like doctors."

"Oh, uh…" Akari piped up. "H-How's your mom, doing, Maki? She's at SEBEC now, isn't she?"

"She's not my mom!" Maki shouted suddenly, her fists clenching around her blanket. "She cares more about her job than me! She doesn't care about me at all…"

"That's not true!" Akari said on impulse. If there was anything she remembered about Setsuko Sonomura, it was that the woman was an incredibly kind and caring person. The only reason she was working so much was because Maki's hospital bills had been increasingly more expensive lately, and Akari honestly felt she could relate to Maki's mother on a more personal level now. "It's not that simple, Maki. Who do you think it is, paying for your hospital bills?"

"You would take her side, wouldn't you, Akari?" Maki asked in a low, dangerous voice as she panted heavily in anger. "You're just the same as her."

"You're acting like a spoiled brat!" The words were out of Akari's mouth before she could stop them, and she had to make a conscious effort to remind herself that she was talking to Maki and not Miki. She took a deep breath to calm herself and gripped her arm tightly. "Setsuko-san does care about you, Maki, even if she can't be here all the time."

"Oh, like you do?" Maki shot back. The girl was actually trembling now, and Akari noticed that her scowl was quickly morphing into a grimace. "You… You're horrible…"

Maki's body spasmed, and Akari realized with a sinking feeling what exactly was going on. "M-Maki?" It was just like back then, when Maki was in the middle of a particularly nasty seizure, the first Akari had ever seen – they were both eight years old, and Akari was so scared, because her mother and Setsuko weren't coming, no matter how loudly she screamed…

"This isn't good!" Yukino said, sounding alarmed. "Someone call a doctor!"

"I'm on it!" Kei called as he dashed outside the room.

"Maki—" Masao made a move to circle his arms around Maki.

"No, don't!" Akari cried, and Masao froze in place. Her body moved on pure reflex – she rolled Maki onto her left side. Maki screamed as she clutched Akari's hand tightly. "Hang in there, Maki…" Maki continued to scream.

Akari sighed as she leaned against the wall in front of the ICU, unable to stop thinking about her conversation with Maki. Sure, she hadn't visited her friend in a while, but she had a valid reason – she was busy with work and school, and… just busy in general. It wasn't like she didn't want to visit Maki… but it had been so long since she last visited that she was sure that visiting at all now would be too late.

"I do hope it's nothing serious…" Kei said, snapping her out of her thoughts. He stood next to Yukino by the opposite wall, both their expressions forlorn.

Masao looked absolutely torn, his eyes narrowed in sadness as he stared at the floor. "Damn it… Why didn't her mother pick up the phone?"

"How could this happen?" Akari whispered to herself. "She said she was getting better…"

Suddenly, the ground shuddered beneath their feet. "Just stay calm," Yukino said. "It's just an earthquake." But then the ground shook even more violently – so violently that Akari could see one of the chairs in the corner of the hall falling over.

"Get out of the way!" Kei yelled, grabbing her arm and yanking her out of the way of a falling frame from above her.

And, within a few seconds, the earthquake subsided. Kei still gripped her arm firmly, as if Akari was some sort of lifeline. "I-Is everyone okay?" Yukino asked shakily.

Akari wrenched her arm out of Kei's grip and ran for the ICU doors. "Maki!" But when the doors slid open, all that was there in front was a wall.

"Whoa!" Masao gasped. "What the hell? Wh-Where'd the room go?"

"How is that…?" Kei said quietly, striding forward and pressing his hand against the wall behind the doors. "No, I was positive that was the ICU a moment ago!"

Akari laid her hand against the wall and frowned. This really isn't a dream… Suddenly, a loud scream echoed through the hall. "M-Maki?"

"That scream came from downstairs…" Kei observed. "Let's go!"

Everyone else was left with no choice but to follow suit.

So this will probably (hopefully) be the longest author's note in this entire story. I promise, I'll shut up after this.

So thanks for reading this! Persona 1 and Persona 2 are the most underrated games ever, but they're so different from Persona 3 and Persona 4 that writing for them is an entirely different experience altogether. And this is the fabled Persona 1 with a female protagonist, something I have not seen anywhere as of today (and if such a story exists, PLEASE let me know, because I really would love to read it).

The Persona 2 and Persona 3 stories that I will eventually write are going to build on this one. So basically, there will be small changes to canon in this trilogy of sorts, besides the obvious one of having a female protagonist, that will accumulate as the stories progress and eventually change the entire continuity altogether. So this first story, modeled after Persona 1, will have the fewest changes to canon. The second story, modeled after both games of Persona 2, will have a few more changes. The final story, modeled after Persona 3, will be completely different from the original because of all the changes that have accumulated over the Persona 1 and Persona 2 stories.

I'll be taking a lot of liberties with the specifics of this story. In the game, you're only allowed five party members for each story route, but in this story, they'll all be present. Speaking of which, this story will cover both the SEBEC and the Snow Queen routes. And the final pairing… I'll leave that for you guys to guess. It's really not that important to the plot, but it's still there.

Please review!