Four in the Velvet Room
Note: Like Persona series, this fanfic is inspired by the ideas of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (who coined terms like Shadow and Persona – later his idea of Anima/Animus makes it to P3 Portable). Somehow I might get the concepts (whether on Jung's idea or Persona myth) wrong. If that so, I'm happy to hear your opinion or correction.
Tokyo, April 2012
Souji Seta entered his bedroom. It's been almost two weeks since his return to Tokyo, roughly the same period with the return of his parents from United States. They knew that their only son was a natural-born leader, but they were impressed that he didn't just cope with living in a small town like Inaba – he made it his second home. Souji's mother thought her brother would be never the same again after the death of his wife. Then her unassuming son redeemed him. They were impressed that Souji took several part time jobs, and even they couldn't imagine him working at Junes! They hope in Tokyo he doesn't do multiple part time jobs again. As with the academic performance, they have no doubt in him, plus it's no surprise that he could ace a provincial school.
Tomorrow he will enter his old high school as a senior. He wondered if he'll make great friends like he did in the countryside. He smiled, looking at his spacious bedroom – with Western-style double bed, bigger TV, and a 19 inch PC monitor on the study desk.
But it wasn't the room where he embraced Yukiko under the sunset, and making love with her on Christmas Eve. It wasn't the study desk where he planned tactics against Shadows and managing his very busy schedule of studying, going inside the TV, and saving people's lives. Granted, he was happy he didn't have to watch Midnight Channel again.
Souji Seta missed his adventures. He missed being called 'Leader' and acted like one. He missed Yukiko, despite the video calls and Yahoo! Messenger chats. Come on, it's been just two weeks. Souji knew that he's bound to study in America next year, getting farther apart from Inaba. His parents have made all the preparations and he really liked the idea before he fell in love with Yukiko. And even then, she said she was going to leave Inaba. Thanks to him, Yukiko determined to stay in her inn rather than chasing him to Tokyo. How will she cope with her boyfriend set to move across the ocean? Souji The Fool.
Souji woke up and aware that he was sitting on a blue velvet sofa. The Velvet Room. He was shocked. No. Not again. Something is wrong – here, or in Inaba, or with myself. He wasn't sitting in a moving limousine. He was sitting in a lounge.
Then two people appeared before him, sitting in front of him and to his right. The one to his right was a girl, dressed in Yasogami High uniform. She reminded him of his appearance for 'Miss' Yasogami, but she dressed elegantly, had a tidy haircut similar to Yumi's, and looked feminine. They shared the same height, hair color, and expression.
"Hi Souji, I am Sachiko. I am your Anima. Your soul image."
In front of him was himself, with fiery yellow eyes and evil expression. My Shadow.
"Hey," He greeted Souji sternly. The boy nodded. Who will be the fourth?
He felt relief. The European woman in blue dress came in, carrying the Compendium. The supernatural being who kissed him – Margaret.
"Good night Souji. Well, we meet again sooner than I expected," she smiled.
"Is there something wrong again in Inaba? Or here?" Souji asked her immediately.
"There is no something wrong in Japan at the moment. But we gather here to talk." She said in her English accent. "It's time for you to face your Shadow, and also your Anima."
"Why now? Why in here?"
"Well, that's a burden faced by one person dominated by The Fool Arcana. You contained the power and image of so many powerful deities and so many fearsome devils. Because your soul has Wild Card ability, all those Personae fit in. Unlike your friends, you didn't have to face your Shadow inside the Midnight Channel. But he's always with you. And unlike your friends, you haven't faced your negative side."
Souji looked at his Shadow. He frowned.
"Accompanying you is your soul image, your feminine aspect. Everyone, and even non- human like myself, has them. Most people meet their Anima or Animus, as well their Shadow, in their dream. Because your dream plane has been tied with your access to Velvet Room, you're lucky enough to be able to converse with them."
"You're a bastard…" Souji's Shadow showed anger. Ara Mitama. Choleric.
"Excuse me?" Souji replied in his stoic, phlegmatic, stone cold manner. Kusi Mitama.
"You cheated on your girlfriend. You rejected girls who loved you. You neglected your friends inside the Channel for days. You made people quit their jobs. You lied to the authority. Finally, you slept with your lying girlfriend while your family was in hospital. What do you say?"
"What do I say? I saved people from suicide. I stayed loyal to Yuki. I made strategic decisions. I helped people deciding what they want to do. I restored justice and captured a murderer. I saved the world. I made love with someone I truly love...when my family was already safe."
"And thus you became the Savior. Bravo." The Shadow grinned. "Tell me, was it all fun? Being important? Having those powers from the Velvet Room? Being able to teleport, talking to everyone without being shunned, and pausing time?"
"I agree with you, it was fun." Souji closed his eyes and smiled.
"That's not what I heard. I heard you cursing those hicks. Those brats on the hill. Those annoying twins. That book freak. Your stupid teachers. Your classmate who never made his move. Some people – Chie, Eri Minami, Naoto-kun - really got into your nerves…and yet, you stayed nice to them because you needed their Arcana power."
Souji kept silent. He was right. Power tends to corrupt. Or in modern parlance, power makes people becoming dicks. "They gave things that helped me in the dungeons,"
"And that's why you helped them."
"For the better end."
"And you were happy that none of your friends can match your charisma."
"I don't deny it."
"And therefore, you think no girl other than Yukiko worthy enough for you,"
"She was the first to appear,"
"Because Chie and her kung-fu annoyed you. Yumi and her drama. Fickle Rise. Naoto and her own world. And yet, you were kind enough to play boyfriend to Ai."
Souji held his breath. "I wish you give more respect for Yumi. His father died."
"He died, blessed his soul," Souji's Shadow bowed, and then continued his tirade. "And yet…two weeks ago she was all smiling, talking about becoming a politician and complaining at you for rejecting her love."
"She had moved on. She has become a true Sun."
"I'm sorry to interrupt." Sachiko raised her hand. "Souji-kun…is it true Yukiko is your only love? You don't divide it to any other girl?"
"She's the one."
"Then, what about Ai?"
"That was my plan to help her being true and appreciating her inner beauty,"
"Yeah, too bad for her," The Shadow's chuckled. "Since then he played her, faced her to Yukiko to shame her, stood her up…"
"That's enough." Souji said firmly.
"Then, why did you accept her kiss?" Sachiko said in chocked tone, looking at Elizabeth.
"Because I want to feel the kiss of an older woman. A white woman." The Shadow answered.
Elizabeth raised her hand and smiled "You see, even I have my Shadow."
"I wonder how Yukiko will react if she hears about Sayoko and Margaret," The Shadow smiled earnestly. Saki Mitama. Sanguine. "Although, The Velvet Room is beyond her comprehension. And it's a secret for non-Fools, isn't it? That explains it…you kissed him because you know that for most human you don't exist, even if they can believe in Shadows, Personae, and even have seen Izanami,"
"I have to speak in defense of Souji," Margaret said. "We the Blue Dresses witness the resolutions and commitments of The Fools. We grow to love them, despite their human age and appearance, because we witness their enormous love for other humans. We se they transform from The Fool into The World – becoming a living Philosopher's Stone. There are different kinds of loves. Souji's love to his parents, his love to Nanako-chan, or to Kuma, and to Yukiko-san are all different kinds. So does my love for him."
"Pallas Athena was a Blue Dress," Sachiko commented.
"She was the greatest. Because she never fell in love with her Fool. She kept her commitment – even when it's rumored that she developed feeling for Achilles. That aside, I could never match the love of my sister Elizabeth to her Fool."
"Where did that happen?"
"That high school and coast you visited." Margaret bowed and frowned. "Souji, you were so lucky. When you went into Yomotsu Hirasaka, I feared I would lose you like Elizabeth lost his love. He has died but he hasn't reborn."
Souji looked at Margaret in disbelief. He knew the risk of challenging Izanami, but he just knew that it was a great blessing that he was still alive.
"Tell me more about him," Sachiko said.
"He was an orphan returning to the place where he lost his parents. Like Souji, he was smart, disciplined, communicative, and quiet. Like him, both Light – us – and Dark – Izanami and Nyx – contracted him at the same time. Afterall, we've made wagers since the time of Job. We also gave him duty to save about a dozen people struggling with their lives, with the incentive of increasing Personae power. He was also a talented and skillful negotiator and seducer. Several girls – even his teacher – fell in love with him, but in the end he chose only one – his team mate. Finally, he also refused to kill a man he thought innocent."
"Because they know if they kill that man, the world will be destroyed," The Shadow commented.
"It's not out of altruism, but still out of noble goal, isn't it?" Sachiko answered him.
"And yes, he sacrificed his life to save others. Something people do throughout history. My sister wants to figure out how to free him from his death,"
"Hey, listen." Souji said in low, commanding, pitch to his Shadow. He looked at Souji.
"I accept that you are me. I cannot accept everything that you accuse, but I believe that they are true. I know that a good man is not a man of Light – it's a man of Balance. Light and Dark co-exist. I accept that my motives in Inaba were not totally pure, but also of self-interests and seduction of power. However, I believe the Velvet Room has designed my quest on this manner – I need to be closer to people to get more powerful Personae. I need powerful Personae to defeat powerful Shadows. I also need money to buy weapons, items, and fusing Personae. For that I need to hunt Shadows for cash and I take part time jobs, where I meet more lonely and tormented people. Then I saved them from their inner demons. It's all related."
The Shadow stared at him and smiled. "And thus I change into a Persona. But I am not. I have my own. You can't get rid of me."
"Lucifer?"
"Perhaps, Izanagi-no-Okami."
Souji sweated.
"But you will not able to hurt each other. You are one," Sachiko said.
"People hurt themselves." The Shadow retorted.
"But not those who accept their Shadow and control them as their Persona,"
"Control your fear, overcome it, and wear the mask of your bravery. Very good." The Shadow smiled earnestly.
"It saddens me that people let their negative side consumes them, and then denying it, making their soul withering," Sachiko said in melancholic expression. Nigi Mitama.
"Are you angry with me, Souji?" The Shadow crossed his arms.
"Everyone is bound to be angry with their Shadow, sooner or later. Even monks. Maybe even gods,"
"That's right."
Souji remembered something. "Margaret…it's 2012…would something big happen, where another Fool must fight an evil force?"
"There might be. Hmhm, the last two occurrences happened in Japan in April…I wonder if something else comes up. If it so, we have great expectations for The Fool. If it's in Japan, then I'm sure he or she will bound to cross path with somebody you know. You know, your predecessor's Anima met Yukiko before you knew her,"
"Wow."
"That's how linked we are. Ah, dawn is approaching. I suggest that you return to your conversation," she said to The Shadow.
"I'm happy talking to him for now,"
"I'm curious if Souji has dungeon inside the Channel, what would it be?" Sachiko said.
"Hmm…probably Junes, where everyone wants my help like they want to buy everything…" Souji chuckled.
"Everybody happy? If so, it's time for you to reunite again, becoming the whole Self."
Souji woke up. Six thirty. He sent a 'good morning' mail to Yukiko and encouraging her for her first day as a senior. The reply came before he left his bedroom for breakfast.
Souji came down and just noticed a white puppy which had been there for sometime. "How did you get the cub?" He asked his mother.
"He stood in front of our house for two days…and then he showed his fondness for me."
"He's got gorgeous white furs."
"Isn't he? I named him…Koromaru."
"Koromaru?"
"Yeah…haha…I had this weird dream in America…an emotionless boy about your age with messy hair and dark school uniform came to me carrying a white puppy exactly like him…and saying 'please take care of him. His name is Koromaru…like his father's name'."
Souji took a look at the dog. He barked proudly. Souji, without any surprise, saw the image of Yatsufusa above him.