"Took you long enough." The boy chuckles as he looks down at Steven and Connie groaning and getting up onto their feet. "Now come on, I'll explain later but we got monsters to fight!"
"NO! You wait and listen!" Steven yells out in agitation, surprising both Connie and the boy. "First I see your dead body, then you come back and touch my shoulder but the gems didn't see it, and then you show up in my dream and now in the TV, I want answers...please."
"...Wow." The young man chuckles and smiles wide at Steven. "Well, I guess I would be mad too if I was in your place. And we still have time before the fog settles in… alright, where do you want me to start?"
"I… don't know, I normally don't get this far when it comes to getting a straight answer."
"I guess I'll start with my beginning.
My name is Maxwell Ignitus. I at first was just a regular human at the age of 16, attending school and living the average boring life, at least until rumors spread of a mysterious channel appearing at midnight while it was raining. I was skeptical at first, but when I tried it out for myself, I knew it was real. I didn't recognise the person on the TV at first, but then realised they were my next door neighbor, who apparently was interviewed about beating up a thief who broke into his home. I thought it was strange but did not think it was a big deal considering everyone was talking about him. What I didn't expect was that the next day, he was found dead hanging from a TV antenna.
I couldn't just wave this off as some kind of coincidence, a man near my home was murdered but the police were unable to find any cause of death. Thoughts of the TV haunted me the entire day until I finally decided to act. Looking at my wide screen television, I pressed my hand against the screen, only for my whole body to be sucked into the screen and end up here, in the midnight channel. I was lost and confused, with no way out. Then, these monsters came after me. Beasts of various sizes and shapes known as shadows hunting me down and trying to kill me. I thought I was a goner until I heard a girl's voice. She yelled out 'Persona!' and destroyed the monsters.
Her name was Rain, a self proclaimed investigator of the midnight channel. At first she tried to send me home, and I don't know what came over me, but I refused to leave. Whether it was the call of adventure or the desire to help those in need, I begged her to let me join her side and help in solving this dangerous mystery. To this day, I still don't know how I convinced her, but she smiled and agreed. Soon though, we came across my shadow. A shadow is essentially you, your darkest desires and thoughts incarnated. They taunt you by saying the dark truth to your face, and if you deny it all...they become a true monster.
I was powerless to stop it, but Rain put a hand on my shoulder and looked at me with kindness. She once again yelled out 'Persona' and a magical phoenix appeared at her side, raining down fire on the beast, and Rain managing to use a weaponized umbrella against the shadow until it was destroyed. It was difficult, but I looked to my shadow and accepted that what it said about me was true, it was a part of me that I must accept in order to move forward in life. In doing so, the shadow manifested into a new form, my persona, the personality I use to go forward in life. Rain's ironically was the Sun, and mine the Hierophant. She introduced me to moonstone, who I assumed was a shadow that had good emotions. Moonstone was able to transport us out of the TV and into safety, and helped us train our minds, as we cannot use personas outside the midnight channel. In the TV, moonstone looked similar to a human, a pink intelligent being who analyzed our enemies and helped us destroy them, but outside she was silent and in her corrupted form. The three of us aided each other in battling shadows and saving anyone caught in the midnight channel...however, one day the mastermind got to us.
He somehow tricked Rain into going into the TV alone, and I was unable to find her no matter how hard I looked. Shadows began to grow stronger and completely focused on killing me. In a desperate move, Moonstone pulled me out of the TV, but a shadow came out as well. Without my persona, I had to fight the shadow with only my physical strength and my bat, barely surviving. More shadows were trying to escape the TV and into the real world. Moonstone used her psychic powers to try and fend them off, but it was too much for her. With the last of my strength and my bat broken, I struck the TV with my fist and shattered it, closing the portal, but allowing a shadow to get a close attack and slash open my front. As I lay near death's door, Moonstone wailed in despair and ran away, possibly finding you and your crystal gem friends. Yet, I saw a vision when I closed my eyes, a strange looking man named Igor, saying my journey has hit a few bumps, but is far from over. I am to give my strength to aid the Fool and and put an end to this madness.
And then you know the rest from there" With Max's long story over, Steven and Connie look in awe and sympathy for what he endured. "I now reside in your mind Steven, as my physical body is ruined. In the midnight channel, I can come back and fight, but once back into the real world, I'll be back in your mind. I ask you both now, Rain may still be alive and I want to save her, will you both please help me?"
Steven and Connie look to each other before nodding firmly.
"We'll help, we can never leave someone in need."
"Connie's right...so um, how do we do that Persona thing?"
Max had a blank face as he looked at them. "I have no idea."
His reply caused Steven and Connie to fall over. "Okay let me rephrase that. Gaining a persona isn't simple, there are strange rules surrounding it. I only gained mine by facing a shadow of myself, I don't know how it will work for you two. You both seem to be well versed in fighting though, so you should be fine, just stick to me."
They nod as they follow Max as they make their way into the green house. In the center of the main room, it seems to be Rain with her back to them and giggling happily.
"Is that Rain?"
"...no, I knew it was too good to be true. Persona!" A card lit with a blue flame around it appears in front of Maxwell, only to shatter as he closes his hand around it. A demonic beast emerges, with the head of a lion and body of an eagle, Anzu roars loudly, summoning a gust of wind that reveals the figure of Rain to actually be a grinning shadow, only to vanish. "Someone is playing with us, show yourself!"
No one answers except for the shadows that emerge, monsters with no body, just a round mouth and long tongue flailing about. "Oh gross, never mind. Alright Anzu, Garu!" Max summons another wind spell to attack the shadows, but does little damage as they rush at Max and whip at him with their tongues.
With the dark creatures surrounding them, Steven clutches at his chest as he feels a strange sensation coursing through his body. Connie wields her sword as she tries to fend back the monsters. "Steven, what's wrong? Steven!"
A blue flame surrounds Steven as a large warrior appears behind him and speaks to his mind.
I am thou, thou art I. The time has come. Open thy eyes and call forth what is within.
"Persona!" Steven yells out before giving a swift punch to the card appearing in front of him. Revealed is Izanagi, the warrior of the Fool Arcana. "Zio!" Automatically Steven commands Izanagi to send out bolts of lightning at the shadows, then joining the fight using his own shield to bash the malevolent beasts.
"Alright Steven! You did it! The Fool has come."
"Hey that's rude to say." Connie yells out before slashing a shock weakened shadow.
"No, every Persona falls under a certain Arcana, like I mentioned before, I am a hierophant, and Steven is the fool arcana, it represents innocence and inexperience, but also freedom and creativity. He will be able to create several different personas in the future, making him the 'jack of all trades' of our group." Max smiles as he grabs his bat and starts swinging at every shocked shadow, making them dissipate and vanish.
Soon Izanagi vanishes and Steven pants softly with a smile on his face. "That was so cool!"
"Yeah it was, but be careful. Using a Persona drains you of your strength and spirit, so using it too much will leave you exhausted and weak. Make sure to mix in your own combat abilities."
"You said earlier that I can make new personas?"
"Yes, Izanagi is powerful at first, but unfortunately we may encounter new shadows. While mine will transform into a new one of the Hierophant class, you will need to fuse your current personas into new stronger ones. Rain never told me how that works though, just that I should know this information, maybe we'll find out later. For now we should get out of here before something worse comes."
"Like me?"
"Exactly...wait what?" The trio look to see another Connie with a strange black fog around her. This Connie however was dressed differently, in a modest sundress and large hat along with glasses.
"Oh what a fun ride this must be, going off on dangerous adventures and scaring your parents. I wonder how they would feel if one day one of the gems show up with your dead body in their hands."
"H-hey, knock it off! I'm different from you now, I'm a warrior!" Connie clenched her fists around the sword handle as she stares down Shadow Connie.
"Changed? Oh please, you're the exact same girl you always were, weak and scared with no friends. I bet Steven is only with you out of pity. Face it, this magical journey has nothing to do with you, and will leave you to die alone."
"Stop it! Y-you, YOU'RE NOT ME!"
"Connie no!" Max calls out, but is too late as Connie's declaration causes the shadow to laugh and grow in size, revealing a horrific manifestation of her fears and negative thoughts. A fleshy figure of lady justice, no longer blind with a protruding grotesque yellow eyeball looking around, her sword serrated and jagged, and her balance now a spiked flail to punish unsparingly. The real Connie is heavily weakened from the negative energy of her shadow, leaving the battle for Maxwell and Steven.
"That's Connie's shadow?"
"Yes, we need to weaken it with our personas, but whether it dies or not is up to Connie. For now lets throw down. Persona!" Anzu appears again and lets out a blast of wind, but does minimal damage. "Okay, so it seems to resist wind attacks. No matter, time to get up close and personal." Max readies his bat as he rushes up to the shadow, swinging his bat wildly to chip away at the beasts health.
"Don't forget about me, I won't let this thing hurt my Connie! Persona!" Izanagi is summoned to send bolts of lightning while Steven charges with his shield. Done with waiting, the shadow screeches into the air as it raises its sword to slash at Max, only for Steven to raise his shield to help block the attack.
"Is it normally this hard to defeat?"
"Yeah pretty much." Max jumps onto Steven's shield for a boost into the air to smash his bat into the monster's eye, making it scream out in pain.
"All this power, Connie was always jealous of it. If I can't have it, no one can!"
Shadow Connie began summoning a bright white light before sending it to Steven.
"NO!" Max pushed Steven out of the way as the light enveloped him.
"HAMA!"
Max cries out in pain before fainting immediately on the ground.
"MAX!" Steven runs over to him and lifts his head up,
"Sorry Steven, the hama spell can instantly defeat anyone without an immunity to light and has a high chance of missing, but the way it was coming at you, I knew I couldn't let you fall."
"D-don't worry...I don't know a lot about this Persona stuff, but I know I am a Crystal Gem, and I won't lose the people I care about, and that now includes you." Steven was about to try and using his healing spit, but then the shadow raised its flail and whipped it at Steven, repeatedly trying to hit him.
"Enough! I'm sorry for making Connie feel this way, but she isn't alone. You may be her fear and anger, but she truly shines through with her bravery and kindness. And you won't control or hurt her anymore!" Izanagi raises his blade in sync with Steven as he raises his shield. The two of them work as one as they rush toward the shadow, Steven bashing with all of his gem strength into the midsection of the shadow, while Izanagi drains a bit of Steven's health to use Cleave attack and slash through the monster. With one last screech, the chaotic lady liberty fell and dissipated until all that was left was a weaker Shadow Connie looking at the floor.
"...oh right, Connie! Max! Are you two okay?" Steven run over to check on both of them, helping Connie up while Max rubs his temples before getting onto his feet.
"Yeah, I'm better Steven...it was just a lot to take in. I'm sorry for not helping in the fight."
"Don't be too hard on yourself Connie, the exact same thing happened to me...facing your shadow is an extremely taxing moment. But to stand up to them and accept them...that's a different kind of strength."
Connie looked over to her shadow after listening to Max's explanation. She feels Steven put a hand on her shoulder and smile.
"No matter what happens, I will always be your friend Connie."
She smiles appreciatively at Steven's words before walking over to the shadow. "I can't deny it. In the back of my mind, I do get jealous of all the magic and adventures. And sometimes I fear that I'm too in over my head and will end up getting hurt...but I don't let fear control me. Instead I learn to build up from that fear and work myself into getting stronger to prove I can be a real member of the crystal gems too." The shadow looks to Connie before smiling softly, a bright light surrounding it and Connie before a card shines in front of her.
"Congrats Connie, you got your Persona. And from the looks of the card, the Justice Arcana. As you grow stronger, your Persona will transform into a stronger form."
"Wow, my own Persona." Connie smiles before wobbling on her feet. "Sorry, that was pretty draining,"
"It's fine, the first time is always rough...need to work on my phrasing. For now let's get back to the real world." Maxwell claps his hands and a bright light surrounds them before they vanish from the midnight channel.
Well here it is, a Steven Universe/ Persona 4 crossover. I just have recently finished Persona 4, planning on playing 3 and 5, and this idea got stuck in my head and wouldn't leave unless I tried it out. I doubt there are may fans of both series, let alone looking for something like this, but I thought I might as well just set up these two chapters and see what happens. As much as I would like to give these characters individual personas, I'm not creative or descriptive enough for it, and I don't wanna give them the personas of other characters, so I'll just have their Personas grow and 'evolve' into new stronger ones if I decide to continue. Hope someone manages to enjoy this.