Chapter 38: Return of Resolve.
-Day 22 03/22-
-6:00 am-
[Morning has come- You recall carrying Rise to her mattress when she fell asleep in your room last night.]
When Seta slowly rose out of his own bed, with a lingering weakness, he heard Elizabeth's voice from within him…
"Excellent. It seems a light is restoring within you…" She stated as she surfaced into the real world.
"It's been quite some time, hasn't it? I couldn't materialize into this domain due to your torn Psyche, quite a hefty loss you've endured, isn't it?" Elizabeth did not sound so apologetic as she did inquisitive.
She continued, "Regardless, I believe I've missed a great deal since we last spoke, I'm sorry for your loss Mr. Seta... But fortunately Minato came to visit me to tell me many things… There is reason to be hopeful... Only time will tell you why." Elizabeth smiled
"I have one request," She added urgently. "Without your Persona you are more vulnerable and your death at this stage would be most inconvenient, either through depressive suicide, post-traumatic irrational behavior, Stupidity, probability of everyday morbidity, or perhaps even-"
[You suddenly remember Elizabeth isn't exactly trained in empathy.]
- "Elizabeth... Get to the point..."
- [Wait for her to finish.]
(Diligence and Understanding up)
(twenty minutes pass in which Elizabeth explains your reasons for potential death... To your horror, most mentioned were self-inflicted...)
"...Thus in summary, seeing the many reasons for which you may become deceased... May I use the accumulated energy from twenty days of inactivity to accompany you if you travel outdoors today?"
Seta was quiet. He was still wondering if she had really finished talking.
Also… Why couldn't she have just said that last bit to save time?
Seta decided not to argue with the many reasons why he believed taking Elizabeth absolutely anywhere was not a good idea... And instead simply agreed to her request.
He still feared that having Elizabeth nearby was just as likely to lead to an early death as some of her mentioned possibilities.
As Seta swung on a coat before thinking to go check on his friends, he noticed the T.V suddenly turned on without him noticing.
Looking over, he saw a rather serene view of a dojo atop a temple being advertised in a travel show.
"Come to the great Aiki-jujutsu dojo and 'bear' any kind of pain by mastering the art of Bushido!" Sang a familiar voice.
Seta instantly knew what that bad pun implied.
From the screen itself, out popped a well-groomed young man with striking features, cloudy blue eyes and blonde hair.
"Sensei!" Teddy cried out, running forward to hug his good friend. "It's been so long!"
Seta's eyes were still glued to the advertisement.
'Aikijujutsu?' That's the samurai style of martial arts... He was under the impression it was far too outdated now.
Perhaps it was one way of learning combat without the Personas...
It was nearby too.
Might be worth a quick visit, he thought to himself.
Seta made the introductions for Teddy and Elizabeth and invited them to come visit that temple with Rise and himself.
With a casual nod of his head, Teddy walked forward curiously in his usual pleasant demeanor to introduce himself to Elizabeth.
"It's nice to meet you! Are you a friend of sensei's?" Teddy asked.
"Sensei? What does Seta Seta teach you?" Elizabeth inquired.
"Many things… All the time. It's a title of respect I think he deserves! He even helped me change into this form from an empty bear skin!"
"A bear!?" Elizabeth pondered with eyes widening… "Does this mean I'm actually meeting a real life manga character?"
Seta's palm fell over his own face…
"Mmm, No," Teddy replied, "but now that you mention it, a lady I met at the supermarket two years ago told me my dashing good looks resembled her favorite yaoi character!"
Seta's face drained of all color with dread.
"What is... yaoi?" Elizabeth asked with great interest...
"I asked her as well!" Teddy stated excitedly. "She said they're masculine characters from manga who show a deep connection with one specific other male! Like sensei and I! So I told her all about the 'Yaoi' moments we've shared together. She said she became very wet but I saw no water nearby-"
"Alright that's enough!" Seta stopped Ted there.
Unfortunately Teddie continued. "I told her we had Yaoi moments at the hot springs... and on a T.V screen... Oh and even on a snow trip!" Teddy stated innocently.
"Seta…this sounds deliciously devilish! Please tell me more!" Elizabeth blushed a little, "How fascinating! I want to see just how far this connection goes!"
Seta took three steps slowly towards the door.
"Sensei, what's wrong? You look pale," Teddy asked.
Elizabeth nodded slowly as she patted Teddy's shoulder softly, "I see… It seems your yaoi connection is unrequited… My sympathies."
"Sensei…" Teddy said with a frown of disappointment, "and here I was really looking forward to deepening our bond."
[You feel sick.]
-Tell Teddie that you'll have more 'moments' soon.
[You'd never pick this option anyway.]
- "Teddy, Yaoi means… Something else"
- Educate them both with full details and enjoy their reactions.
"My, my… Mr Seta you do indeed correct and inform your pupil! Why, it makes me miss my 'sensei'." Elizabeth said with melancholy.
"Really, you have a sensei too? I'd like to meet him one day!" Teddy excitedly exclaimed.
"It would be my pleasure," Elizabeth grinned cheerfully.
Despite the drastic potential for disturbing misunderstandings, it seemed Teddy and Elizabeth were so carelessly alike that nothing they could possibly say would be likely to bother each other.
-The Apartment living room-
Walking out of the room to the living area, Seta instantly, she wasn't in bed though. She was found on a sofa pulled up closely to the wall near his own room.
She had been keeping close to watch over him… while also respecting his personal space...
Seta wondered how long she had been sleeping like this, in worry.
Blissfully snoozing, though she looked happy now, her built up exhaustion was visible.
From the last few weeks of worry, a feint darkness had built under her closed eyes. She looked paler though still couldn't be denied of having maintained her degree of beauty.
With guilt building for how long he had kept to himself, Seta raised the blanket over her to warm her exposed shoulders.
He moved the hair falling on her face to the side and caught sight of a small jam mark along the corner of her mouth.
He smiled to himself remembering they shared a late night snack together like she wanted to last night before they both fell asleep. It was a good talk… One long overdue, and a relieving one from a very close friend.
Strangely enough… Seeing her sleep was the first thing that made him sincerely feel relieved since the Erebus crisis.
'We'll bring them back... And I'll need your help to do it.'
Walking out into the next room, having decided to let Rise rest. A somewhat confused Naoto nearly dropped the plate she was holding when she saw the three emerge.
Instantly asking for explanations as to why two guests had magically appeared from Seta's room. She honestly just seemed curious to know how they had managed to move Seta out of his room.
…
"Oh I see… So this is Elizabeth and she... resides within you?" Naoto repeated almost struggling to get the words out of her mouth as she scratched her head.
"Can't say it sounds 'normal', but if it gets you out of that room, I won't challenge it." Naoto sighed.
She then walked over to Teddy, "Teddy it's really good to see you again. I'm truly impressed you managed to convince Seta to go get some fresh air."
Teddy was thrilled from the praise and they began to chat. During this time Elizabeth had walked over to try and remember where she had seen Rise before... Most likely on an advertisement during her past outings with Minato.
Naoto approached Seta soon after to speak briefly in private as Teddy was asked to wait outside with Elizabeth for Seta who'd join them soon.
"Sorry, this will just take a moment. I wanted to talk about Rise just quickly." Naoto began as the two walked out. "She sleeps by your room wall most nights, you know?" Naoto said, correcting the sheets that were slipping off the side of the couch.
"Aside from your state, the one who's still enduring a crushing burden is Rise… I know it might be wrong of me to ask this of you but… You need to treat her better." Naoto added with a guardian's tone. "She thinks only of you despite the intense guilt she feels for helplessly waiting here while the others suffer."
Naoto's words were not harsh, they were genuine and factual...
Naoto was just being selfless and sympathetic by not mentioning her own sorrow and frustration which Seta had not made any attempt to ease... In reality his friends too had lost the ones they cared for and their paler complexions let stress and grief show visibly despite how strong any of them pretended to be.
[You have a chance to state your intentions, justify your past behavior, or ignore the pressing needs of your friends.]
- Apologize (Understanding restored)
- Argue (Corruption heightened)
- Justify (Expression restored)
Naoto suddenly looked guilty upon hearing Seta apologize…
"Please don't say that... It's just so good to have you back." Naoto smiled softly.
As Naoto stepped aside, encouraging Seta to head out, she had one final thing to add. "Oh also, it may be better not to tell Ted about everything just yet. He may get rather depressed judging by his innocent nature."
Seta nodded.
"Also, Rise has her final casting today to end the shooting of her new film this morning. It's probably better she gets her sleep for it now. The last few shoots she's been to she's been badly scolded for looking sick. The make up crews had been hammering her with products and the directors keep shouting out lines during her moments of drifting thought."
Seta grew only more guilty realizing how little he'd been there for her.
Naoto saw Seta's expression and decided to ease up apologetically.
"Oh, but she's alright. They're happy with the overall product now... After the movie's finished, we've been invited to the silver screening debut. Might make a nice outing if you feel up to it." She said with a smile.
Seta nodded and just as he was about to take his leave, Naoto recalled one final serious matter.
"Lastly, I have news on Marie and the attacks recently. We can go see her tomorrow according to the higher authorities. Until then just go get some fresh air and clear your mind... We'll save the discussions and rescue plan for then."
Seta nodded in gratefulness for her contributions. Naoto always worked ceaselessly when the rest of the team could do nothing in wait.
[You must save whoever you can. The thirty day limit will expire soon.
You have just over a week to prepare yourself.]
-Harino Temple, North of Isake Apartments-
-9:00am-
"Finally! Here it is, sensei! Look, the dojo I showed you!" Teddy said, puffed and out of breath after climbing one thousand steps of the vicinity's mountain with Seta and Elizabeth.
Seta was a little less out of breath than Teddy, but Elizabeth looked as if she hadn't even broken a sweat during the ascension.
Teddy excitedly ran up to the dojo entrance. "Let's go inside! I can't wait to lear-" Before Teddy could finish his sentence, the door swung open.
Teddy suddenly turned quiet with a sense of awe; as did Elizabeth.
"What do you people want?" Asked a calm and collected young woman who seemed vigilant and on guard despite her casual stance and stable eyes.
She looked to be close to Seta's own age, perhaps a fraction older. As she pushed out the two burgundy doors Teddy was paying close notice to her auburn hair and stylishly worn martial arts gi.
"S-Sensei… She's beautiful," Teddy adoringly stated.
Seta didn't speak. He simply looked inside to see the place had been badly trashed.
The temple's dojo was stunning, at least that of it which hadn't been destroyed...
Beautiful jasmine and jade colored ornaments stood on black pedestals along the golden dragon painted walls.
But the main destruction was seen on the disturbing sight of the main dojo floor. There were bullet holes and shattered floorboards everywhere...
There had clearly been an attack here...
...
She bluntly asked again their purpose for visiting, this time with a testing glare.
Teddy cleared his throat and strutted his A-game. "Well 'miss Iwatodai'… I just came to see if you were free this eve-"
He was interrupted by her shout, "You… You have their strength!" Suddenly the girl raised forward the weapon she had been carrying.
Seta and Teddie both took a step back defensively.
Elizabeth took a gentle step forward.
The girl spoke in a loud authoritative tone, "...This morning we were attacked by a group of men and women in black armor and helmets! Are you one of them!?"
Elizabeth looked unworried from the long bladed pole like weapon she carried (Nagitana). "… Mr. Seta, I believe she might be referring to the captors of your friends."
Seta finally walked forward and stood in front of Elizabeth authoritatively.
[Suddenly you catch sight of fear building in the young woman's eyes.]
-[Sooth] It's alright, let's talk… What happened here? (Expression)
-[Warn] I need you to lower that weapon. (Influence up)
-[Challenge] This how you greet visitors? (Courage up)
Without further resistance the girl sighed, almost disappointed with herself. "I'm sorry, my sensei taught me better than this…"
"Did they come and take your sesnei away?" Teddy asked now out of concern.
"Yes… Her name was Lisa Silverman. She's the master of this dojo." The girl replied putting aside her weapon.
"And you might be…?" Elizabeth asked.
"My name's Minako... I'm her apprentice."
(A.N: Minako = Female Protagonist from P3 Portable)
"Impressive…" Elizabeth gazed at her admiringly, "It takes a very strong woman to wield the Naginata."
She smiled softly. "Thank you… I'm still learning."
Teddy seemed a little depressed that Elizabeth was (unintentionally) a better flirt than he was, being able to make his target cheerful like that.
Something seemed off to Seta about this girl though...
She acted innocent and sweet… But the stance and aura she showed when she first greeted them was one of significant power and control.
Regardless, he needed to know more about the armored men.
"Where did the abductors go?" Seta asked.
"That's the thing," The girl replied hopelessly. "They just disappeared into thin air but they said something strange… 'Target eleven acquired, now tracking twelvth captive.'"
Seta suddenly felt uneasy. "Teddy, Elizabeth… We should go."
"Wait! I'm coming with you!" Minako yelled.
Seta's intuition told him he was not seeing the real girl behind the façade being worn… What was it that troubled him about this girl?
Before Minako could step out of the dojo entrance, something odd occurred.
...
Elizabeth raised a hand and stopped Minako in her tracks.
The group fell silent.
...
All of them froze as a stand-still came about between Elizabeth and Minako looking with sharp interrogating eyes.
...
"Tell me, and do not lie... Who spoke to you just now?" Elizabeth asked in a dreadfully ice-cold tone.
Ted and Seta almost felt a surge of fear being pressed into them from Elizabeth's aura.
Minako just stared back blankly at Elizabeth's threatening gaze. The poor girl was confused.
Seta and Teddy hadn't heard anything at all. They wondered what had Elizabeth heard?
"Do not test me... I heard a voice tell you that... 'this isn't our fight'," Elizabeth stated coldly.
Minako seemed to tense up a fraction.
Elizabeth continued to speak as her steel blue eyes scanned something deep inside of Minako. "You see, young lady... I can hear what others do not… Who is with you? It better not be who I think it is…"
Minako looked unsure what to say, only afraid of the viscous aura suddenly emanating from Elizabeth. Whether it was from nervousness or lack of alternative, Minako foolishly decided to step into a combat stance.
From the sudden movement alone, Elizabeth's temper snapped and she charged like lightning forwards with an open palm aiming to kill.
Until suddenly,
From within Minako a shining bright hand came out and halted the impact of Elizabeth's incoming iron palm with an echoing boom as the hands intertwined to halt the colossal attack.
"…So it was you." Elizabeth uttered in a stern anger.
To Teddy and Seta's surprise, an opaque man emerged from within Minako.
Minako shouted, "Theo, no! You can't show yourself!" she cried out desperately.
"It's alright… She's my sister." Said the foreign featured man as he stretched upon entering plain sight.
Elizabeth looked furious and without warning slapped the well-dressed gentleman with golden eyes and silver snow hair hard on the cheek.
"So this is what you're doing with your life now? Satisfying this girl's curiosities and enslaving yourself to her every wish?" Elizabeth scolded.
Theodore did not reply, he simply stood his ground firmly.
"Answer me, Theodore... I could tear her limb from limb in an instant. Do not give me an excuse." Elizabeth warned.
"You'd have go through me first," Theodore smirked challengingly.
"Oh, I would gladly do so," Elizabeth smirked bitterly. "Theodore... You betrayed our master for your delusional, misguided infatuations and-"
"As did you." Theo snapped back softly but sternly.
Elizabeth bowed her head in frustration, "I left the master's side because I earned the right to depart from the velvet room. Master Igor dismissed me proudly to pursue my life's purpose..." Elizabeth justified.
"Then you understand that I pursued mine!" Theo fought back.
"No! You can't leave your duties and expect to chase your impulses… You hadn't been initiated. You never fulfilled your duties!" Elizabeth scolded.
"I couldn't, Elizabeth..." Theo addressed calmly now. "Philemon ordered her to be killed..."
"What?" Elizabeth looked shocked.
"Minako never finished signing the contract… She only signed it halfway. Philemon regretfully issued her death absolute. A contract must either be complete or left untainted… You know this… Igor told us when we were only young. You know what happens if a wild card sways during the awakening. They are trapped in the midnight hour for eternity..."
"…" Elizabeth seemed at a loss for words.
Minako stepped forward and took Theodore's arm in one hand.
She silently showed she supported the man and seemed ready to protect him as much as he was committed to protecting her.
Finally after a long pause, Elizabeth spoke. "Theodore... You have committed treason against my master… You are no longer family."
Theodore sighed faintly but after closing his eyes in frustration, he focused on Elizabeth with a stern glare soon after.
With a gentleman's bow he regally addressed his last words. "I do not regret my actions… I thought of all people you would understand."
Elizabeth turned her back on him and readied to leave, "Mr. Seta, Teddy, let's go… They can not accompany us."
"Just so you know..." Theodore called out before they left earshot. "It was Minako and I who saved Margaret when the attack occured... Why do you think our sister hasn't contacted the young man standing beside you in so long? She's still recovering. You'll hear it all from her own words when she's healthy again."
Though Seta didn't understand the full story between Elizabeth and Theodore, he couldn't help but wonder...
If Minako too had the power of Persona, and Theodore was rivalling Elizabeth's power,
Could they be of help to their cause?
Could the both of them in fact perhaps one day help save the victims of Erebus' labrynth?
"We can help you!" Minako cried out. "This force is like no other. You will need everyone you can gather, please... We only want to end the chaos and-" Minako cried out but was silenced by a hand raised by Theodore who urged her to simply let them go.
"Let them leave, Minako..." He stated gently as Elizabeth lead Teddy and Seta in the opposite direction. "If we cross paths with my sister again... I have no doubt she will try to kill you." Theodore announced remorsefully.
Minako bowed her head in sorrow.
Seta turned back one last time... He hoped they would have a chance to meet again in the future. There was hope in their strength...
As the three of them were walking back towards the apartments, Elizabeth had not really spoken a word, nor had Seta, much to Teddy's distress.
"Aww, this is so awkward! I want sensei and his new friend to have a good time today, how about a magic trick. 1, 2, 3, and Ted-dah! It's a floating-"
As Teddy was performing his cheap act, Elizabeth's eyes widened with the detection of a nearby disturbance.
"Stop!" She whispered urgently. "I believe I can hear chaos...It's... coming from twelve seconds into the future." Elizabeth announced with a slightly befuddled glance towards a far off building.
"Seta, was Rise going somewhere alone today?"Elizabeth asked with a serious tone.
[You are pretty sure Naoto told you earlier today...]
- Grocery shopping. (Rise's capture initiates- Time lost)
- Shooting for a film. (Rise's capture initiates - Early rescue possible!)
- Can't remember. (Rise's capture initiates- Late capture possible)
Suddenly, in the distance a thunderous explosion went off without warning, causing a chain reaction of deafening screams and chilling chaos throughout the vicinity.
"S-sensei…" Teddy began in terror "Where exactly... Was Rise's shooting to take place?"
Seta was frozen where he stood as he watched a dark smoke cloud forming from the source of the explosion.
"It would seem that... Rise Kujikawa is the 'next target'." Elizabeth stated frankly.
Seta's sense of time slowed down as only the sound of his heartbeat magnified with intensity.
'Will you let her die too?'
[Minato's voice rang in your mind]
Feeling the sudden fear of what may happen, Seta desperately broke into a sprint without even thinking.
Elizabeth stopped him, "Running won't be fast enough… Let's traverse matter itself."
As she raise two fingers before her mouth, a blue aura began to flare around her and her lips moved in rapid motions as she chanted something.
The skies around him twisted and so did the land, but in reality it was his own body crumpling inwards for teleportation.
-Inside 'Koushu Film Studio's tower': 34th floor-
When Seta's vision cleared, he looked around to find himself in an office- like setting with people fleeing frantically towards the nearby emergency exit stairways.
With a dizzy gaze he looked around at the interior of the building now in a partially flaming wreckage from the explosion.
Elizabeth had transported him instantly and right before their target, Rise... But she was in trouble.
Rise, trembling and breathless from the dense smog rising up, was being apprehended by a woman in black armor. From the exposed part of her helmet, her mouth showed she had a beauty mark near her mouth and her long hazel hair seeped through the rear of her helmet.
Even though she was relatively innocent compared to the other soldiers Seta had encountered, she was still holding up a handgun aimed towards Rise as a hostage.
Instantly beside Rise and her captor warped three other ominous figures.
All of which were male this time, wearing the same black armor.
One of them held up a pump-action shotgun aimed at Teddy.
The other a TMP Machine Gun Daring Seta to move,
And the last one in the middle scoped his rifle right between Elizabeth's eyes.
(A.N: These are all P1 characters with their specialized ranged weapons.
with Shotgun: Masao Inaba,
with rifle: Kei Nanjou
with TMP: Hidehiko Uesugi
with handgun: Maki Sonomura)
"What now? We engage, or what?" Said the one on the far right in a lax but dark tone.
"Denied… One of three targets poses too significant of a threat." Replied the middle figure closely analyzing Elizabeth behind glowing red shades. "Avoid confrontation."
The woman behind the three who held up the gun in one hand was now shaking for some reason.
Seta feared a sudden move might cause her to pull the trigger accidentally.
The third figure noticed his female ally's abnormal condition. "Kei, Masao... Maki's losing synchronization…Erebus' control is consuming her!"
At that moment a black portal opened beneath Rise and Maki who were being reached for by a dozen black Shadow like arms stretching out from the ground to pull them under into a pool of undead.
[Rise cries out your name as she screams in terror with her fading voice amidst the encompassing darkness.]
"No!" Seta roared as he charged forward.
The figure targeting Seta opened fire with a barrage of bullets.
Just in time, Teddy raised an ice wall before Seta with his persona for the gun fire to be blocked.
The one holding the shot-gun seemed more worried about the female ally being consumed behind him, and hence didn't fire.
But the middle figure did, and he shot an unstoppable caliber straight at Elizabeth's forehead with the precision of his rifle's scope.
The ammunition rocketed with a deafening sound and struck her forehead at light speeds.
...Elizabeth.
In a thunderous whip, Elizabeth's head snapped backwards from the impact and was left staring up at the ceiling.
Teddy froze as he turned her way in fear, until she slowly normalized her gaze, still not having been knocked off her feet despite the frightening force.
With a callous smile, standing unscathed from the bullet wound, she spoke in a quiet fury. "Oh my, you really intended to kill me… I suppose I might have died if my mind wasn't so recently fortified... I suppose this means I don't have to hold back." Elizabeth chuckled.
The middle soldier reloaded in haste, "Engage target! Do not let the resistance salvage Rise Kujikawa!" he ordered desperately.
The second the bullets took aim and were fired towards Elizabeth, she took hold of Seta's hand and clicked her fingers with her free hand in a flash.
All time slowed to a stand still.
Bullets were actually floating in mid air...
"Go on, go save her..." Elizabeth stated encouragingly with a cold smile. "Beyond that wormhole is the visualised subconscious of the one detained. If you get trapped in there… You will be lost between time and space for eternity." Elizabeth announced cautiously.
As Seta made a dash, Elizabeth had one last piece of advice.
A special hint for your survival...
"...The key to escape is not to find what is... But rather, what once was."
Seta looked over to the portal and focused.
"Quickly now… I can only cease the continuum of time for so long…" Elizabeth stated as she began to drip blood from her eye like a crimson tear.
Seta thanked her and dashed forward without hesitation between the frozen armored figures and dived into the black abyss.
He had to save her...
He had to thank her for so many unsaid things.
For a friendship that never gave up on him.
For caring when he didn't.
For returning hope when it was fading...
[You must save this friend above all others… The clock... is ticking.]
END CHAPTER.