9/19/2009
Iwatodai, Gekkoukan High Dormitory, Evening
Sakuya stared in disbelief at the near-empty bottle of cough medicine that he downed over the past day and a half. He knew that he had gotten pretty sick, but was it really so bad in that he consumed the bottle with the same level of enthusiasm that he consumed a can of Dr. Salt?
"I guess it was. Aigis did say that my fever peaked at 40 degrees…and there's all that snot on my pillow. How many bottles of this stuff did I drink?"
No use in pondering about it.
He figured that some bed rest and time away from SEES would be good for his well-being, but it wasn't meant to be. The guys on his floor didn't know how to keep quiet. His fever had broken, but the cough and snot were persistent, and exhaustion overwhelmed him. At least he had a good excuse for more sleep. He reached for his cell and rung up Mitsuru, the unofficial den mother of the dorm.
"Kirijo-senpai? You around?"
"Ugh…" He heard Mitsuru sighing. He could see it: her hand on her forehead, hung low, looking like she wanted to pass out. "You caught me at a bad time, Shiomi. Is it urgent?"
"It is. My throat is killing me and my nose is all runny," He said softly. "Is there any cough medicine that can put me to sleep?"
"A cough suppressant? I believe I-"
*crash *
"Hah! I win, Shinji!"
"For cryin' out loud…"
"I win, dammit! Now apologize to the protein!"
"I swear, if you could marry a jar of that shit, you would!"
Those were Akihiko and Shinjiro's voices, accompanied by a loud shattering sound that made Sakuya cringe. No wonder Mitsuru sounded drained.
"Can I have a bottle when you have a moment to spare, Senpai?"
"Yes, yes, can you sit tight for thirty minutes – Akihiko, I swear, if you break those cabinets -!"
"I can wait," Sakuya responded.
"Thank you so much for being patient, Shiomi. I promise that it'll be thirty minutes at the most." Another thing broke in the background. "If you can walk, I advise you not to go into the kitchen…wait, what the…"
The sound of glass breaking rang in Sakuya's ears. Akihiko had broken a mug, and it sounded like another spat between him and his childhood friend began. Shinjiro knew better, though, and opted not to fight back in Mitsuru's presence.
Three swift stomps stopped Akihiko's onslaught. Even from his end of the phone, Sakuya could feel an icy air breeze through his room. He only got some vague hints from Akihiko on just what Mitsuru's executions were, but the chills that shot down his spine confirmed his suspicions.
Not that Akihiko didn't deserve it.
"Akihiko, guess what kind of punishment you're getting?"
"D-Don't get in between men having it out…"
Sakuya hung up his cell to the sounds of Akihiko's tortured cries of pain.
He flopped on the bed with a dramatic sigh. All of a sudden, he felt drained of energy. His eyes were downcast, seemingly blank and empty.
"They can be such a pain sometimes…I wish they'd just…"
His body felt heavy.
As sleep began to overwhelm him, something that glittered floated into his room, perching silently on his left bedpost. It was gold and shiny, and it reminded Sakuya of a firefly.
"Is that a butterfly…?"
The butterfly's wings slowed, letting magical sparks shower off of it. It turned to Sakuya, and he acknowledged it – barely – as its antennae twitched, seemingly in response to his presence.
The boy yawned like a cat, letting sleep overtake him…
Unknown location...
"There is no man alone, because every man is a microcosm, and carries the whole world about him…"
This was a quote that Terauchi-sensei had likely mentioned. Maybe. The memory was blurry, split asunder by blurred lines of light. He would retain only small fragments of whatever lessons of the day were given, filtering out whatever was irrelevant or plain stupid. The nutty math teacher, now there was someone who he'd set his filter to maximum to. The same could be said for Ono-sensei, a man so patriotic that the only person who could surpass him in that regard would be a truly raging foreign Japanophile. Bonus points would go to said Japanophile if he were either a naturalized citizen or, at least, fluent in the country's mother tongue.
Hey, wait; didn't that blonde French kid fit that bill? He didn't quite remember.
In fact, there were a lot of things that he couldn't seem to remember...
As his body, swaddled in light and stark nude, traveled on this seemingly kaleidoscopic road of parallel lines, he could see a swelling of pictures swathed in shadows appear before him. There was a picture of him at the kendo club. There was a picture of him at Wuck with a dark-skinned girl who was the same year as he. There was a picture of him the day that midterm scores were posted. There was a picture of him and Akihiko on the train, with Akihiko doing squats. Sakuya was banging his head on the window at how bizarre the whole act was. There was a picture of him eating Fuuka's lump of mush that she called food. He liked her and encouraged her, but in reality, he wanted her to give up. She was too timid for her own good. There was a picture of him meeting Aigis for the first time, her body ethereal in her sky blue sundress.
For all of his moments of aloofness, the possibility of losing those memories, mundane as they were, scared him. On the night of the August full moon, he realized why he decided to play hero with the rest of the super secret student organization.
He'd risk life and limb to never be alone again…
Never alone…
…
…
…
…Where was this?
He remembered floating in a psychedelic expanse of space and then –
…This place…His body felt coddled.
The cold, marble floor reminded Sakuya of a chessboard. In the very center of this strange, golden shrine that floated in space, a golden emblem of a butterfly was embossed on the floor. The shrine was serene, in the open air of a dimension that made Sakuya feel like floating. The "sky," if one could call it that, was a rippling green shroud, distorting and puckering every so often.
He never felt so calm in his life. He felt like he was a child again, at home with his mother and father. They were ordinary people with ordinary jobs, but they both had a sense of curiosity and wanderlust that manifested with special trips and finding as many new hobbies and things to discover as possible. His parents were the ones who contributed to Sakuya's global taste in music from all parts of the world.
He missed them…
As he sat, soaking in his new surroundings, the golden butterfly fluttered in front of him, exuding a beautiful, warm light. I t was so delicate and small, but the aura that it projected, for reasons seemingly absurd, reminded Sakuya of his late father. Curiously, he slowly reached his hand out to it…
…And suddenly, in a flurry of light, the butterfly began to transform. It split into many butterflies, twisting and climbing into solid form. Their fusion hit a climax as it took the shape of a man – a man who wore a long white blazer, pants, a black turtleneck, and, pasted on his face, a mask. The mask was whiter than snow, with its right side decorated with purple decal that resembled a butterfly's wing. The starkness contrasted beautifully with his bark brown hair, tied into a thin ponytail.
The man's presence left Sakuya awestruck. He truly felt that he was in the presence of a god...
"Welcome…welcome to the rift between consciousness and unconsciousness. Before you speak, answer me this: what is your name?"
The man's voice was so tender and deep, compelling Sakuya on a level he had never experienced before. Though his mind and memories had splintered like tessellations, he concentrated, dug deep into that mind, seeking that one facet of himself. There was a lot of power in a name…
"My name is…" His voice was raspy. "…Sakuya Shiomi."
His splintered memories slowly sewed back together, whole again.
The man nodded in approval. "There are only so many who can retain their memories when they are bought to this place. You have passed my test."
"Test?" Sakuya raised a brow.
"I can sense that you're confused. I wouldn't be much of a guide if I did not answer the obvious, no?"
This place was like the Velvet Room, in a way. Curious at this familiar feeling, Sakuya positioned himself upright to lend his ear to this stranger…
"My name is Philemon. I am a dweller in this rift. You may not remember me, but I have always been by your side."
He gently gestured his hand. An illumination of a blue butterfly glistened – the same butterfly Sakuya had seen at his side from time to time. He was that…?
"As you are surely aware, the power you wield is called 'Persona.' Personas are your other selves…they are the gods capable of nurturing and protection…they are the demons that can be cruel and sinister. All humans bear these selves within them…these 'masks.' You, in particular, have masks that you can wear in virtually any given situation, so much so that my own servants have given it a special label."
With another gesture, a projection of Orpheus appeared in his hand. Following him was Jack Frost, a Pixie, Neko Shogun, Oberon, Hetaconchieres, Parvati, Dionysus, Decarabia, Samael…the stream of 'masks,' as this man put it, were nearly endless. All of Sakuya's Personas were "him."
"Are you referring to the power of the Wild Card?" Sakuya asked, still overwhelmed.
"Is that what they're calling it now?" For a moment, Philemon broke his façade, his voice taking a tone of disapproval. The façade rebuilt itself in a flash. "Your powers aside, please listen to my story."
Sakuya listened intently.
"For years, I have given myself the duty of observing mankind's evolution. Nine years ago, a band of adults overcame the scourge of humanity's darkest thoughts in its purest form, banishing it to the abyss. They have shown me that mankind has the potential to reach enlightenment, saving the world in the process."
"Enlightenment…?" Sakuya tilted his head.
"As one who guides those who desire growth and hope, I have granted the power of Persona to humans who have sought to reach a higher purpose for the greater good. On that night, when those five souls saved the world, I found it in myself to act as a wholly neutral observer, and keep my hands directly out of the fates of man."
This being was the one who granted the power of Persona…did he have command over Igor and Elizabeth?
"Alas, mankind can easily succumb to weakness as easily as it can gain strength. Because of this weakness, space-time has been distorted, and the most primitive thoughts and desires of humanity stalk the night, consuming the weak and feeble."
Thoughts? Desires?
"Are you…referring to the Shadows?" Sakuya's eyes widened. "Is that what they truly are!?"
Philemon nodded his head. "This world has reached a point where even mankind's inner demons and gods, which display their own level of intelligence, can no longer manifest. Many demons themselves have been reduced to what you call 'Shadows.' It is very fitting, insofar as they are a shadow of what they once were. Because of these Shadows and the distortion of space-time, mankind's yearning for death has dramatically increased."
It was almost too much. "Death…? The Dark Hour and the Shadows…they're consuming the minds of regular people…but death? How can that be?"
Philemon shook his head. "Child, I have taken it upon myself to only observe. I have bought naught but suffering to those I have interfered with. I believe that you and your companions will find that answer in due time."
"But…!"
"But your journey is not why I am here."
It took a lot of restraint for Sakuya not to snap at this being. He claimed to be almighty, yet he'd stand aside and do nothing?
"Sakuya Shiomi…as of now, you and your companions' very existences are at stake. Within the next day, you and your friends will be drawn to another time and place, drawn into two horrid battles…"
"Two battles?"
"Yes…one battle where something horrible has been long forgotten…and another battle where something horrible has been remembered…these will irrevocably affect your destinies. For this reason, your companions can no longer remain as they are now."
"What do you mean?"
Philemon gestured again. In his hand was a familiar face: Io, Yukari's Persona, an ebony-skinned girl in a dress, chained to the head of a bull.
"Unfortunately for your friends, though they have tapped into the power of Persona, they cannot access the many potential 'masks' that they have within them." He gestured again, and in his palm was Hermes, Junpei's Persona. " Your friends are rigid in their thinking. They are so afraid of exposing their weaknesses that their masks remain the same. They cannot grow."
He then gestured both of his hands. In his left was Polydeuces, and in his right was Penthesilea. He gestured his left hand first. "This poor orphan is so afraid of his weakness and so arrogant that he truly embraces the passion for fighting that Pollux once possessed. Pollux cut off his own hands and replaced them with iron gloves so that he could box with reckless abandon. This young man has sides to him that you are only faintly aware of, because he will not expose them, nor will he come to terms with them himself."
He then gestured his right hand. "This regal young woman embraces the same rigid sense of honor that Penthesilea burdened herself with when she impaled Hippolyta with a spear. The Amazonian queen chose to die in battle honorably, just as this woman is burdening herself with atoning for her family's sins. The words of her father about the power of companionship have been lost to her, and she, too, cannot come to terms with certain sides of herself."
The rest of SEES' Personas illuminated on his arms. "The rest of your friends are much like that. They treat their masks like a tool…" When he paused, Castor's projection slid to the forefront. "…Or in some cases, like a parasite. While they must come to terms with their rigidness themselves, I implore you, Sakuya, to guide them. I swore to neutrality, and I cannot assist you with your current journey, but the battle that you will endure will be grueling. For that reason, I will break my oath this one time and implore you to send your companions to me."
A vaguely awestruck look was plastered all over Sakuya's face. This was too much to take in at once, and yet, it all made sense…his friends seemed to have one mandated role per person: Junpei was the happy-go-lucky pervert, Aigis was the stalwart robot, Akihiko was the passionate fighter, Ken was the child who wanted to grow up quickly, Koromaru was the loyal dog…as each day passed, they seemed to warp themselves into these roles, sometimes to an extreme degree (although he could chalk up Akihiko's protein addiction to a freak head injury). If what Philemon said was true, then they would need to change, and quickly, to deal with this foretold threat…
…He might as well throw his hat in the ring. When the seers of fate spoke, fate usually followed suit.
"How can I get SEES to meet you?" Sakuya asked, his resolve firm.
"For thousands of years, mankind has found its way to me via a series of rituals. They differ from culture to culture, but they find their way to me in the end. To have your companions meet me, they need to play a game."
Sakuya's face turned slack-jawed, brow upturned. "A game? Are you serious?"
"Quite." Sakuya swore that he heard Philemon snicker. "There is a ritual inspired by one of your urban legends that the Japanese have performed for a number of years, and that ritual has bought them to me. It has been lost in this period of time, however, and so, I shall explain this ritual to you…"
Sakuya raptly paid attention…
"…And that is how it goes. I recommend that you do this as soon as possible. Now then…"
A wave of sleepiness struck Sakuya like a punch to the head. He panicked a little, letting out a small gasp.
"Wait! There's still so much I have to ask…what are you, Philemon?" He shouted, his body fading.
Instead of responding, Philemon removed his mask…
The sight was enough to throw Sakuya completely off guard.
Before he could say anything, he was cast out of Philemon's domain, sleep overcoming him once again.
9/20/2009
Iwatodai, Gekkoukan High Dormitory Rooftop, Morning
"Well this stinks…"
Sakuya acted dutifully and chose to explain the Persona game to the rest of SEES after his cold died down. Before he could say "I've been getting all of my Personas from a sealed off blue room run by a crazy old man with a long nose," he was bombarded with suspicion and "concerns" that were poorly disguised interrogation questions. Mitsuru and Fuuka immediately went off to prowl the Internet for this so-called game, Junpei went off to see Chidori, Yukari and Ken dismissed it and took off, and Akihiko went off to train. Only Aigis, Koromaru, and Shinjiro stayed put – the former was all too loyal to Sakuya, which he appreciated for once, and the latter two had nothing better to do.
"This is just a dandy start, Sakuya. Just dandy. I swear, we might as well be working for the Prime Minister, acting all secretive and business-like…how old are we again?"
"Sakuya-san, your skin temperature has risen, and your muscles are twitching. Has your cold returned? Are you in need of assistance?" The robotic maiden Aigis inquired, ever conscientious.
"Ah hah…no, Aigis, I'm fine…just…peachy…"
"Your tone of voice and intensity of muscle spasms imply otherwise. I believe that you are, as they say, 'pissed off."
Sakuya whipped his arms up in frustration, snapping. "All right Aigis, you win. I'm pissed the fuck off. I ask this one favor from the rest of the team, and what do I get in return? I get interrogated, ignored, gawked at, and…and…a fucking preaching about protein! What the hell!?" He yanked his air, shouting profanities and angrish, much to the discomfort of the two people with him.
"If it makes you feel any better, Sakuya-san," Aigis began, placing a gentle hand on the ranting boy's shoulder, "I freely choose to play this game with you, Aragaki-san, and Koromaru-san."
Sakuya stopped mid-rant. "You will!?"
"Your well-being is of utmost importance to me. If this serves to help you, then I will gladly participate." Aigis let off that charming, doll-like smile that, loath he was to admit, Sakuya found cute. He turned his head to the third member of "the Triad," as he mentally dubbed their Senpai. Said member snorted.
"I'll do anything to avoid Aki this week. This game sounds dumb, but then again, so is the idea of escorting a member of the student council who's in potential danger to school via helicopter." He rubbed his head furiously. "What the hell is Kirijo thinking?"
"Anything you'd like to share with the class, Aragaki-san?" Aigis asked with her seemingly clueless (?) charm. These days, it was hard to tell if it was her stunted social growth speaking, or if Aigis somehow understood sarcasm.
The target of her question sighed. "Can we just get this over with? I'll tell you later."
"Then we shall indeed get this over with. I have obtained suspicious data about that incident that I wish to inquire about, Aragaki-san. I also have proof that you are at least partially responsible for Sanada-san's current mental state."
"Sh-shaddup!"
The seemingly oblivious Koromaru barked in happiness.
Sakuya followed Philemon's instructions down to a T: The four of them were arranged in a square, positioned at the corners of the roof. According to the rules, they'd all shout the chant, and then tap the next person on the shoulder. After the fourth person made it to the first person's corner, the spell would begin to work.
"Did you guys get all of that?" Sakuya shouted from his corner.
"I am beginning to suspect that this is based on an urban legend of some kind…" Aigis shouted back.
"Don't think about it. All right…" Sakuya took a deep breath. "Persona, Persona! Come to us!"
He glided across the rooftop where Aigis was standing, at his distant right. He tapped her once on the shoulder, and she smiled in turn, a little too eager.
"Here goes…Persona, Persona, please come to us!"
Aigis then proceeded to bolt away from Sakuya with the jets located in her feet, kicking up dust and cement that sent him into a coughing fit. His body was charred, much to his shock. She glided her way to Shinjiro in the lower left hand corner and tapped his shoulder. Of course, Aigis being Aigis, that tap was more like a chop, nearly breaking the poor man's shoulder.
"What the hell!?"
"Did I not tap your shoulder sufficiently, Aragaki-san?"
No use arguing with a damn robot.
"Ugh, whatever…fuck, that's painful." He clutched his shoulder and sighed.
"Man, why did I volunteer…Persona, Persona, come here, I guess…"
He stumbled to Koromaru, who decided to mark his territory on his corner of the school roof. He tapped the dog's back. "Dammit Koro-chan, I thought we told you not to pee up here!"
The Shiba Inu did not seem to care. He was all too happy being in this ritual, his tail rapidly wagging. He took his party by barking three times loudly to the sky.
"Koromaru says, 'Persona, Persona, please come here!' He is enjoying this a lot."
"What does he have to say about marking up here?" Shinjiro asked, as Koromaru trotted to Sakuya's starting corner to complete the ritual.
"He says that he couldn't hold it in."
"Sheesh…"
The oddball group stood still, waiting for the game to take effect. All that Sakuya could hear was the wind. Already the regrets and feelings of stupidity were surfacing.
"…Soooo…Shiomi, what's supposed to happen now?" Shinjiro asked, clearly annoyed. "I swear, if Aki fed you protein, I'd understand, because the side effects of it practically turn you stupid."
It took effort for Sakuya not to snap back, because he himself was angry at the lack of results. Given that Elizabeth could be a troll worthy of the average thirteen year old online gamer under the right circumstances, he theorized that her master's master was the same. The man did mention that he bought misery to those he meddled with…huh. No wonder. He was snapped out of his reverie by Koromaru's furious barks.
"Koromaru, what are you…"
Sakuya stopped short, as though he were shot.
Standing in the midst of the rooftop was a specter of some sort…was it female? It looked female. It was too translucent to make out her features, but…
"What the hell!?" Shinjiro stumbled back. "Is that a Shadow!?"
"Analysis verifies that it is not a Shadow…" Aigis' robotic legs were bent, taking her battle stance. "In fact, I cannot get a sufficient reading on it at all…!"
Koromaru hunched over, ready to pounce.
Sakuya couldn't find it in him to fight back. The more he stared at the specter, the more his chest ached.
This specter seemed strangely familiar…why did his chest hurt…!?
*Bzzt*
Electrical currents swirled violently, stirring beneath their feet!
"What the hell's going on!? You have a lot of explaining to do Shi-"
*Bzzzt *
"Agh!"
"Aragaki-senpai!"
One of the lightning currents shocked Shinjiro right through the body, making him collapse. The sparks crescendoed and rose, violently shooting out at every direction. Getting struck by one was unavoidable – Aigis soon joined Shinjiro on the ground, and Koromaru right after. Sakuya reminded himself to curse Philemon out repeatedly once this whole debacle was over, his consciousness fading again…
…Was continuously getting blacked out going to be a theme for him tonight? He hoped not.
9/20/2009
The Entrance of Tartarus, Dark Hour
It was futile for Mitsuru Kirijo to wrangle any answers from the four people who were zoning blankly at a wall, despite the fact that it was SEES' time to resume their exploration of Tartarus after a few days off. Not even Junpei throwing a gum wad onto Aigis' face by accident stirred them from their reverie. The odds were stacked against them, but the rest of the team tried to rouse them, shock be damned.
"Hey, Shinji…guess what, Shinji? I threw out all the veggies from the Stamina Meal that I got at Wakatsu today. I'm lacking in vitamins, and I ate ten protein bars in one sitting. Will you please lecture me now?" Akihiko shook his childhood friend, to no avail. "Please tell me I'm an idiot! Headbutt me, slap me, anything! You're scaring me Shinji!"
Nothing. Akihiko's worried tone rose to levels that the others had never seen, slapping his friend's cheeks to wake him up. Not even rendering his cheeks red and stinging could snap him out of it.
Yukari, ever worried for her leader (even if her attitude told her otherwise), crouched to her level, gazing upward at her leader. "He almost looks like something spooked him."
"Maybe he got spooked because he realized that the school festival got canceled? He realized that he'd never get to see a bunch of girls in maid outfit-"
*bonk *
"Ow-!"
"Ugh…Stupei…"
Mitsuru shook her head. "It had to be done. The typhoon was too much of a risk, so we had to cancel. I do feel bad, but the students' safety comes first, Iori."
"Hey, don't feel bad Mitsuru. It's just proof that we can't beat Mother Nature – hey, hey Shinji! I was gonna go out and run in the typhoon! My training is more important than my safety! Pneumonia!? Pfft, only weenies get pneumonia! I can punch pneumonia and it'll go away! Can you hear me, Shinji!? Hello!?" Akihiko became desperate, shaking Shinjiro's body with more vigor than before.
"This is pretty bad…did they play that game that Leader mentioned?" Fuuka, the nervous support member of SEES, suggested. "I couldn't find much online about the game, other than some blurb about the 'Square' urban legend…"
"Is that so? My own search was futile, Yamagishi…I can only assume it's some kind of coincidence. Then again, the term 'persona' has been around for two centuries…" Mitsuru pondered.
"Wait…there was the blurb about the legend, and, for some reason, there was an external link to the Nanjo Conglomerate's website, but I found nothing about the game on it," Fuuka remembered.
"Nanjo!?" Mitsuru was taken aback. How strange it seemed – the same group that her grandfather opted to split from and start his own years ago, being mentioned in tandem with Personas…no, it was too soon to jump to conclusions. "It may mean nothing, but thank you for mentioning that, Yamagishi. It seems as if I have a lot of research on my hands when tonight's operation is over…"
Junpei and Yukari glanced at one another, confused. Though Yukari was successful in prodding answers from their chilly Senpai two months ago, said Senpai still intimidated them. They mutually decided, with a nod, to not question Mitsuru's shock.
Ken Amada, the youngest of the group, remained quiet this entire time. Though he was afraid for their leader, he had no idea how to rouse them. In fact, if a particular, beanie-clad teenager were to remain that way for a while, he thought…
"…No, I can't think about that now…"
"Think about what, Amada-kun?" Yukari quipped, noticing Ken's staring at the floor.
"Ah, I can't think about our leader's new Persona! That's right, he said he was gonna go to that Persona-summoning place and get a new one! Yeah! Now I remember!" He feigned excitement, pumping his fist in the air. "Better not think too hard, because it's gonna be a surprise! I bet it'll look cool!"
"Ahaha, that's right! He did say that!" Junpei grinned, equally as eager. The rouse worked. "Remember that chick in the black bathing suit he summoned last time? I bet that he's got one with big bazongas lined up!"
"Bazongas? Seriously, Junpei-san?"
"Err…wait, how would you know-"
"ELIZABETH!"
Like a firecracker, Sakuya snapped out of his trance, panic and fear drawn madly on his face. "I forgot that I had to see her today! I need a new Persona! I'm late! Shit! Dammit-!"
With all the grace of a drunken man desperate to throw up, Sakuya shoved his companions away and bolted to the Velvet Room door. Since the rest of the team couldn't see it, it looked as if he ran into an invisible portal.
"I'll never get used to that," Junpei mused, still startled by their leader's disappearance. "Every time he goes there, it looks like he friggin' jump cuts out of existence!"
The Velvet Room
Out of reality Sakuya sped, and he wound up into the proverbial frying pan that was the Velvet Room. Gone was the sharp silence of Tartarus, which was now replaced with the ever-omniscient aria, sung by a disembodied soprano, never failing to shake his very core. He slowly looked up to see a smiling Elizabeth, Igor's oddball assistant.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room," the blue-clad woman spoke, professional yet coy. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter…how unexpected of you to visit while my master is away."
Sakuya surveyed the room, noticing that Igor was indeed missing. "So you're house-sitting?"
"I am! This is what historians call 'usurping the throne!'" Elizabeth giggled. To Sakuya, it sounded more evil than cute. "I distinctly recall that you wished for one of your so-called 'fusion sessions' today? I know of the process, but alas, only a Kusi Mitama is available for summoning at the moment.
"Sakuya could tell she was lying.
"In Shinto, Kusi Mitama is an aspect of the soul that brings good omens! It can cure the sick and provide great wisdom. You can tell it's so trustworthy and charming because it perpetually winks at you! I never tire of it…"
As she began the fusion preparations, a forlorn-looking man stepped out from one of the four doors that were propped up on the Velvet Room walls. He shared Elizabeth's lucid skin, golden eyes and platinum hair, and his crisply tailored bellhop uniform was decorated much like her dress. With a sigh, he threw down the Persona Compendium without a care.
"Elizabeth, it's unbecoming of you to lie to our guests. I'd say that our current guest's Compendium is half-full. I believe that our guest can fuse whatever he…darn well pleases." The man stopped himself short of cursing.
Elizabeth turned her head to the man, surprised at his sudden appearance. It had been quite some time since she had last seen him. "Theo…how unexpected. How do you do?" She turned to her guest with a frown. "This man is my incompetent younger brother Theodore. I realize his name's rather lengthy, so you can just call him Theo."
The man in question, Theodore, let out an exasperated sigh, too weary to argue. He acknowledged Sakuya with a small bow, but still looked terse. "Thank you for bearing with my sister all this time. My name is Theodore." He slumped down onto a spare chair that had been laying around, not bothering to look up. "I'm sure that my sister's naivete can be infuriating to deal with at times, but you seem to be working well with her."
He could feel Elizabeth's glare beneath her saccharine smile. Punishment was coming. Normally, he'd be afraid, but Theodore didn't really care this time around. Before she could speak, he continued. "I've been summoned back here because our master is away, in case you were curious, Sakuya-sama."
"Is that so?"
"When our master is away, the Velvet Room's existence loses its stability, but you needn't worry. Still, the end of a storm is happening here right now…"
"You mean the typhoon?" Sakuya tilted his head.
"Storms shake things up," Elizabeth interjected. "It is not just the outside world that is affected, but mankind's souls become encroached as well. We avert our eyes when a storm appears. When a storm clears out, we face what we have shielded our eyes from during it…storms can even affect time itself."
Elizabeth faced her guest, serious for a change. "Tell me, my dear guest…when you were hunkered down during the typhoon, was your soul encroached by something? Did you avert your eyes from it? Or did you confront it?"
Sakuya gasped.
He did face something that struck his very core. Even though their meeting was brief and strange, he knew in his heart that Philemon foretold something drastic; the man said it himself after all. Did these two know about him?
"Actually, something did happen…"
He was cut off with the sharp sound of an ear-shattering alarm. The sudden noise threw off both him and the siblings.
"An alarm!?" Theodore shouted in surprise. "What could this be abo-"
*click *
Everything went dark.
Some time had passed, much to the dismay of the rest of SEES.
"If this keeps up, the Dark Hour will be over before we know it," Junpei sighed. "Come to think of it, I know we need to get back into the swing of things, but no one's wandered into Tartarus or anything…"
"This is true," Mitsuru agreed. "There's no new clues or things to find either." She pulled out her rapier and a small rag, cleaning it to a tee. "This may seem sudden, but if Shiomi doesn't come out in the next two minutes, we'll go ahead without him. I'll take the lead, Yamagishi will support, and we'll keep several people down here to keep her safe. I was thinking of trying a five-man team today, after going over some strategies with Akihiko. Let me give you an idea of what I'm talking about…"
The redhead sheathed her blade in one fell swoop, poised and polished as ever. The finality in her voice signified that there was no room for negotiation. No one said a word, agreement unanimous. Mitsuru took out a small sheet of paper and gestured everyone over to review the new strategy. Yukari looked on with a defeated look on her face.
"Why are you always like that, Senpai? I thought we were getting along better too…"
...
*bong… *
...
"Wh-what's that sound!?"
Yukari tensed up at the sound of an ominous ringing bell. Its low timbre echoed through Tartarus' ground chamber, sound waves rattling the room.
Mitsuru's body tensed. "Was that a bell?"
The bell rang four times before stopping. The echo that reverberated eerily shook.
"…It stopped." Akihiko took up a fighting stance. "We'd better be on guard!"
Fuuka, ever flustered, pulled out her evoker. "What's going on…? I'll summon Lucia to –"
*click *
The lights in the Velvet Room clicked back on in a flash. The music that permeated the room was cut short. Instead of one young man sitting patiently in comfortable silence, there were now nine others, shouting, confused, and fussing about.
"Wh-wh-what the hell!? Where is this place!? Why is it so blue!? Who are you people!? Is this an elevator!?" Yukari squirmed in place, clearly panicking. The rest of the lot were no better, all of them resembling deer in headlights. If for nothing else, Shinjiro, Aigis and Koromaru were functioning again!
The situation even threw the Velvet Room duo for a loop. Elizabeth took on the situation with her usual charm. "Uninvited guests in a private chamber? My my, how scandalous! The pervert is among us!"
"Ex-CUSE me!?" Junpei jumped back.
"Ahem!" Theodore cleared his throat, taking the courtesy to bow to everyone. "Please ignore what she said. I can only assume that this is a facet of fate…dear friends of our guest, my name is Theodore, and she is my older sister Elizabeth. This is the Velvet Room, and we are residents of it. We welcome you."
Only Aigis bowed back. The others were still reeling in shock.
"Velvet Room…? Is this the place where you get your Personas, Leader?" Yukari asked, still in awe of the atmosphere. Said leader nodded his head, surprised himself.
"Yes indeed," Elizabeth spoke. A small sharpening noise piqued behind her back, clearly intending to use the knife on Theodore later. "We residents provide assistance to our guests, which includes fusing and summoning Personas."
Akihiko was nonplussed. "Did you summon us here?"
Elizabeth sighed softly. "We did not…we are not sure why you are here, actually. Only our very special guests who have signed a very special contract can enter this very special room. In other words, the Velvet Room is like the mile-high club."
Everyone caught that, save for the young Ken. Theodore sighed. "Sister, are you perhaps referring to an airline club for first class travelers? Because last I heard, the mile high club is-"
"The mile high club is a gathering for wealthy first class travelers for wining and dining before partaking in a trip on a massive flying eagle in seats that are no bigger than the average man's bottom. There is no other explanation, Theo." The last sentence was lined with venom. He sighed again giving up.
The elevator suddenly slowed its ascent, skidding to a complete stop…
…And before Aigis could calmly note that they were descending into an uncontrollable free fall that would render most people into spatter and mush, the Velvet Room crashed violently to the bottom.
Unknown location...
Sakuya never gave a thought as to where the bottom of the Velvet Room elevator was. He certainly wasn't expecting it to be a countryside high school.
He had once attended a school like the one they were standing in now. Its similarities were striking, from the wooden floors to the narrow hallways. The culture festival that his old school held even resembled the one in front of them to a degree. He could see a takoyaki stand, a "Half-Baked Kitchen," and a couple of kids playing guitar nearby. General consensus among the rest of SEES was mixed; the second years were apprehensive of their new environment, Shinjiro and Mitsuru were a bit bewildered, and Akihiko was pumped for some reason. He probably needs something new to beat up, Sakuya concluded.
"Finally, I get to witness a culture festival with my own two eyes!" Before anyone could speak, Elizabeth fluttered about with excitement. "Once a year, the students release all of their pent-up passion in this grand ceremony of excitement! Ah yes, this is when students work painstakingly hard by making every last decoration, every last takoyaki ball, every last sign by hand…and when all of this is said and done, the students all gather together, sweating and strained from their hard work, and gather together at the stroke of midnight, a student goes under a series of strenuous rites, and with great command, uses his or her will to summon a spirit from a great flame…! And then…and then…when the dead spirit is summoned –"
"Elizabeth, what you are currently describing is a ritual to summon a ghost from a tomb that is usually performed by Satanists," Theodore sighed, slapping his forehead. "Everyone knows that a culture festival ends with the students gathering around a fire and sacrificing their firstborn sons from each of their families. It's quite obvious."
The rest of SEES awkwardly stared at them.
"I guess her brother thinks that a festival ends like the first of Egypt's great misfortunes in the book of Exodus…should I explain that to him, Shiomi?" Mitsuru sighed. He shook his head. Obviously, he had dealt with the woman's antics before, at least. Ever the prudent commander, Mitsuru stepped forward to the still wound-up Elizabeth.
"Just to be clear, you did not bring us here on purpose, correct?"
"Nope!" Elizabeth sang, still excited. "We have no idea what this place is, and we certainly did not intend to see you off to it, since only Sakuya-sama is a guest of the Velvet Room."
As she spun, her line of vision stopped at the three little elephants in the room: the charming little Shiba Inu, the strange mechanical maiden, and the hunchbacked man wearing the suspicious-looking pea coat. Something was quite off about them…
"…In any case," She spoke abruptly, ending her little tailspin, "It was the will of the Velvet Room that seems to have bought you all here. The Velvet Room is inseparable from its guests' fate. There is a reason why you were all summoned here."
"So what you're saying is that us coming here was inevitable?" Akihiko scoffed. "Sounds like a load of bullshit to me."
"Believe that if you want. Destiny bought you here. And if I may interfere with my guest's journey a little…I dare to make a suggestion and recommend that you scout the area. Theo can go with you. He's been so lazy recently." She then turned her line of sight to Sakuya. "Would you come and inspect the Velvet Room with me, Sakuya-sama?"
He nodded his head. Not much else could be done now other than investigating. Before he could say anything, Elizabeth leaned into his ear, whispering:
"…And also, bring those three with you. I need to discuss something with them…"
Sakuya glanced over his shoulder to see that it was, indeed, the three members of SEES that he played the Persona game with that Elizabeth was referring to. It seemed to finally be time to address that issue. As the blue-clad woman found her way back to the Velvet Room,Sakuya gestured at Aigis, Koromaru, and Shinjiro to follow him.
They had entered the Velvet Room…or so it seemed.
"Hey Shiomi, wasn't this an elevator a few minutes ago?" A suspicious Shinjiro asked. True to his words, the room was no longer an ascending elevator, but a stationary little platform with a table and couch, floating off in a midnight blue abyss. A plethora of stairways criss-crossed one another in the air, some of them leading to nowhere, some of them brushing against sets of clockwork gears propped by large metal rods.
"My my, our shady-looking friend is correct…contrary to its purpose, the Velvet Room is now stationary…how unprecedented…."
What caught Sakuya's interest even more were the four doors propped near the couch. Sixteen weighty locks kept them shut, and each of the doors had a little light flashing over it – from left to right, the lights were white, red, blue, and yellow. Elizabeth stepped forward and shook the door with the blue light. Push or pull, the door wouldn't budge. She only succeeded in making the locks rattle more.
"Sixteen locks…and not even I, with my great physical strength, can budge them. I would have considered this a challenge too. What purpose do they have here?"
"My analysis indicates that all of those locks are made with materials that my data bank does not have information about," Aigis spoke. "An attempt to destroy them with my Albireo would likely do more harm than good."
Koromaru curiously sniffed the white and red-lit doors. "Koromaru-san seems intrigued by the scents that these doors are emitting. He finds these scents unlike anything he's ever known," Aigis interpreted. The Shiba Inu's sniffing intensified. "Why do you find these so intriguing, Koromaru-san?"
"There doesn't seem to be anything that we can do about them now," Shinjiro deduced. He turned to face Elizabeth, face stern. "Besides, I wanna know why Blue Lady here invited the three of us…"
The clash between Elizabeth's usual chipper demeanor and her current, serious expression was immense. She folded her arms, holding her scrutinizing gaze on Aigis, Koromaru, and Shinjiro.
"I can sense an immense change in you three…I have a suspicion that you three, in tandem with my guest, have done something that has been forbidden for nearly a decade…"
"She's definitely referring to the Persona game…" Sakuya's eyes were wide with shock. "She knows that we did it…"
"Huh…no one will answer my questions. I thought it was just them ignoring me, but I took that guitar player's takoyaki, and he didn't say anything. Anyone else notice how weird the students are?" Junpei asked, leaning on a wall.
"You're right…I asked where this place was," Yukari began, "and they told me the school's named Yasogami High. I ask where the heck it is, and this same guy tells me how fun the festival is. It's as if the question flew right over his head."
The level of uneasiness in the room increased.
"Has anyone checked outside?" Mitsuru asked. She was poised like usual, but her voice was lower and less stern. Even she seemed nervous.
"I did, Mitsuru." Akihiko brushed his pants, which had remnants of dirt on them. "I don't think we can get out."
"What do you mean?"
"I tried stepping past the school gate, but when I did, I found myself right back inside. The same thing happened when I tried hopping the fence."
"And I am afraid that none of us can go back the way we got here." Theodore stepped in, entering the conversation. "The Velvet Room is no longer an elevator. There is no way back."
The uneasy air exploded into panic within a few seconds. "Why!? It's one strange thing after another…" Junpei moaned, clutching his head. "What's gonna happen to Chidori!? I promised I'd visit her, but if she's left in the hospital alone…"
"Given that Strega is shockingly lethargic when it comes to dealing with us, I think she'll be all right," Yukari assured him. "I tried looking at my cell earlier. Calling for help is out too…"
"We're trapped here then…" Mitsuru actually sounded fearful. "Will we never be able to go back…?"
"Do you remember my sister's words? The Velvet Room itself bought you here. This indicates that something that only all of you can do must be done here. As for what that thing is, all of you need to discover it for yourselves."
"Is there any way you can help us?" Ken timidly asked. Theo, in return, smiled tenderly.
"As Elizabeth's current guest is trapped here as well, this situation shall affect his fate as it will all of yours. We will gladly lend our assistance to you, but we cannot do more than that."
"Assistance?" Fuuka piqued. It was just now that the rest of SEES noticed that she was tapping her head – something she did when Shadows were nearby. "I don't know how you can help us, but I have a strange feeling that Shadows are somewhere in this school. Am…am I crazy?"
"Hardly," Theo said. "It would be strange if Shadows weren't around. This place isn't reality at all. Time and space have no meaning here. They're in a continuous state of flux. This place could be argued to exist somewhere 'deeper' than the Velvet Room…your Tartarus only exists during an hour that was spurred by supernatural experiments, correct? In a way, it exists out of reality, just like this place."
"So it's just like Tartarus? Yikes…." Junpei's body tensed.
"And Fuuka senses Shadows here…" Despite the lingering fear, Akihiko's expression changed to eagerness. He snapped his fingers at this discovery: "This can only mean one thing!"
"Akihiko! You've been getting so zealous at the prospect of fighting lately! It's unhealthy…" Mitsuru shouted, angry.
"Well, what else is there to do? This man said this place was like Tartarus, right? There are Shadows here. Fighting is our only option." Despite his straight expression, everyone could sense the excitement laced in his voice.
The red headed girl had known of Akihiko's love of the thrill of battle for over two years now, but it had never quite reached this level before. This wasn't the time to address it, however. "I suppose you're right. There really are Shadows about…Yamagishi, could you lead the way?"
Second Floor, Class 1 Display, "You In Wonderland…"
"…Huh. This is a pretty elaborate display they have going on here," Yukari mused. "I wonder if it's interactive."
"The flyer says we can walk in Alice's shoes. Who would want to step in the shoes of a girl who nearly gets friggin' beheaded by some crazy-ass queen?" Junpei sighed.
"B-But it's every girl's dream…" Fuuka sounded disappointed.
"So is being a housewife, Fuuka," Yukari retorted. Fuuka looked crushed for a fleeting moment – that retort was an all-too-harsh reminder of her poor cooking skills.
Mitsuru clapped her hands together, garnering everyone's attention. "I would have preferred to avoid combat, but this is likely our only clue to getting out of here. Hopefully, our leader and the other three won't be much longer. I 've thought of a formation for this, but we'll need to –"
"Don't go in there. It's dangerous."
Mitsuru was cut off by a smooth, masculine voice. Turning around, she saw the source of it – an intimidating-looking man with unusually dark skin. Clutching at his side was a disarming young woman with long, blonde locks- quite the mismatched pair.
"There are monsters in there…" The girl pleaded. "You shouldn't go in…"
Unbeknownst to SEES, this duo was the crux of one of the two battles Philemon foresaw.