A/N: Apologies for the late update for this chapter - more on that in the closing A/N.
Note: For the sake of a more coherent narrative, the story has been altered a little bit from what happens in the game - at this point in the story, Joker has already awakened his Persona, and has already met Morgana.
"Kasumi!"
An excited Sumire Yoshizawa waved at a lone girl surrounded in white, quickly running up the steps and clasping the girl's hands into her own.
"I'm so glad I was able to see you again! I've been waiting for you here!"
"E-eh? Here…?" Kasumi asked.
Where was 'here', even?
'Paradise'?
It hadn't even been a week since Kasumi had seen her twin lowered into the casket. And yet - here she stood, waving her arm happily as if nothing had ever happened.
"Yes, here!" Sumire nodded enthusiastically. "Come, come!"
Without warning, Sumire pulled her forward by the hand, excitedly running towards the booth with Kasumi in tow.
"W-whoa! Wait, Sumire! Can you explain what's going on?!"
Only when they reached the end of the line that was forming in front of the kiosk, did Sumire slow down and turn around, addressing her.
"Oh, we're getting you admittance to Paradise, of course! We'll need to sign up at the kiosk first, though."
"Right, about this 'Paradise'…Wait no, before that!"
In all the confusion, she had forgotten the most important question that she should've asked when she first locked eyes with her.
"How're you...alive?"
Sumire tilted her head quizzically, as if that was a confusing question.
"Alive? What do you mean, Kasumi? I've always been here."
"Huh? But, just last week..." Kasumi objected. "There's no way! You got hit by a truck! I attended your funeral! I saw you get put into the casket and lowered into the ground, and-"
"Ahaha! Kasumi, what're you talking about?" Sumire laughed softly in response. "Did you have a bad dream or something?"
She twirled in a ballet circle, as to emphasize the moving parts of her body.
"As you can see," Sumire said proudly, "I am well and alive! I'm not really sure what you're talking about, but you don't have to think about that hard about it, right? I mean, I'm here, right in front of you. Isn't that all that matters?"
"But..." Kasumi trailed off abruptly, as the last phrase that Sumire said echoed in her mind.
'Isn't that all that matters'?
This was wrong. Sumire being here in front of her was wrong. This 'Paradise', whatever it was, didn't sit well in Kasumi's brain. Logically, she understood that - she wanted to reject it.
But she couldn't.
Because, if she was being really, really, honest with herself, there existed a tiny part of her that was okay with accepting this outcome.
After all, Sumire was here. Regardless of the circumstances, regardless of what she had experienced so far, Sumire was alive, smiling, right in front of her.
She had adamantly refused to believe that Sumire was well and truly gone from this world. And now, here she was, proving her right. That was all she needed, right?
This was the only thing that mattered...right?
...A dream, Sumire had said. True, if she thought about it that way, the things that happened over the last few weeks wouldn't need to make sense. And it would make it easy to accept this world as the 'reality'.
She looked up, and was greeted by Sumire's face. The face that she almost thought she would never see ever again.
As if reading her mind, Sumire extended a hand out to her, beckoning her over.
"...You just woke up from a bad dream, is all," Sumire said softly. "I'm here, in front of you. So choose this world with me in it.
"Choose me."
Those words pierced deeply into Kasumi's heart.
'Choose the reality where I am alive'. That was what Sumire was saying to her.
'If it means that Sumire can live, then…'
Hesitantly, Kasumi reached out to the paradise that was extended to her...
"The only thing we can do is to move forward. For the sake of carrying their torch, their hopes and dreams, we must."
"!"
...But then all of a sudden, she stopped her hand halfway.
Why had those words that Dr. Maruki said offhandedly suddenly pop into her head?
This hand in front of her - it was indeed a path to take. But...was it the path forward to what she wanted?
"Endure for the sake of moving forward". That was what it boiled down to. With her steadfast resolve to get to the bottom of things, this hand in front of her, this 'paradise' - was it really the answer she was looking for?
...That's right. What was she doing?
All of the raw, visceral emotions she had felt in these short, past weeks - the despair at Sumire's death, the emptiness at the funeral, and the resolve that she had found the second time around - would it really be okay to let it dissipate just like that, resolving it with an argument as simple as 'just a dream'?
...No. Kasumi wouldn't let it be.
Slowly, Kasumi pulled back the hand about to grasp Sumire's.
"...I'm sorry, Sumire," she said somberly. "I can't."
Sumire blinked, as if not at all expecting that answer.
"What?" she asked. "Why not? You can't choose me?"
"No. Not like this, I can't."
"B-but why?!" Sumire cried out. "I thought this was what you wanted! Didn't you refuse to accept a world in which I died? This is it! I'm right here, alive! Just choose this world!"
Kasumi just shook her head.
"I wish I could, Sumire - I really do. But this is what I've chosen for myself. For all that myself, and those close to me, have endured, I can't just throw it all away! Having the luxury of 'choice' - I don't get to have it!"
"W...Why…" Sumire took a step back, in shock. "Why do you cling onto that so-called 'reality' of yours?! Just think! Here, we could've gone to high school together! We could've reached the top of the gymnastics world! We could do that, and so much more...all you have to do is just choose me!"
Kasumi balled up her fists so tightly that she dug her nails into her palm. All that imagery, at this point, was just rubbing salt into her emotional wound.
"Don't get me wrong," Kasumi said resolutely. "This isn't me saying that I've given up on you and your death. But...this isn't right. A perfect world like this…"
A mental image of her and Sumire doing their gymnastics routine together flashed by Kasumi's mind, and she bitterly bit down on her lip.
"It...doesn't exist anymore," she lamented.
"Then...you would reject paradise?" Sumire asked.
"...Yeah. And besides, this, what you're offering, isn't Paradise - it's just an easy way out," Kasumi concluded.
Upon hearing those words, Sumire went silent. And when she spoke next, it was in a soft, yet slightly hostile tone.
"...I see. So...you have chosen the path of strife."
"?!"
Without warning, 'Sumire' exploded into a pool of black, and transformed into a yellow, humanoid monster with black wings and razor sharp talons. Kasumi took a step back in utter shock.
And when the thing in front of Kasumi spoke again, it was no longer with the voice of her beloved sister. Replacing it was a deeper, raspier voice that held no shred of Sumire's happiness, nor an ounce of emotion resembling compassion.
"For rejecting our lord's mercy - for turning away the Paradise that he so meticulously created for you...your ungrateful self is beyond redemption!"
The monster in front of Kasumi swiftly brought down their talon upon where Kasumi was standing.
"Agh!"
It was all Kasumi could do to tumble out of the way, barely landing on her feet.
"Look - how much you struggle in vain."
Despite missing, the monster looked unperturbed. Rather, it pulled back its talon, ready for another strike, all the while talking down to her.
"Had you just accepted the Paradise that awaited you, you would've lived the life of your dreams. And now, look - your miserable experience that you call 'reality', your pitiful attempt at right-ing things that cannot be righted! This is the path that you chose for yourself, because you hold such foolish beliefs!"
It lunged its talon out again, and once again Kasumi could do nothing except dodge. This time however, she wasn't as lucky as the first - the blow came down too fast, and she landed on all fours.
"Ugh!...Hah…True - I am indeed an idiot for choosing this path..."
On the ground, and out of breath, the monster slowly caught up and loomed over her menacingly.
"Then, Even knowing that, with how you struggle so, you would still reject Paradise?" it spoke to her.
"Even...even then…!" Kasumi replied bitterly.
She bit down on her lip so hard that it started bleeding. Looking defiantly upwards at the abomination above her, she showed no signs of wavering resolve.
"Even then, I reject this reality of yours!" she shouted at it. " 'Paradise' this, 'Paradise' that...who's to say you know what I want?!"
"Our lord knows all. He can grant you your every whim and wish, so that you need not struggle."
"Hah! Even more reason to reject that then!"
"What was that?!"
Inwardly, Kasumi thought about the one wish she had held ever since she and Sumire were kids.
"Your reality may give me what I want, as you say, but - there are more important things than just the end goal!"
Reaching the top of the gymnastics world - the experiences she internalized, the bonds she created, and the lessons she had learned along the way - all of those were absolutely irreplaceable and integral to her character.
In the same vein, Kasumi thought about everything that had happened these past couple of weeks. The intense sorrow and resolve. The image of her mom crying her heart out. And most importantly, the reason for Sumire's death, and the underlying circumstances behind why she sacrificed herself so…
All of it was important, no matter how painful. And if Kasumi wanted to take a step forward to the 'truth', then this was the treacherous path that she had to walk.
"I don't know who this 'lord' of yours is…" Kasumi said defiantly, "but I think you ought to tell them this: My name is Kasumi Yoshizawa, and I'll live my own life how I want! I'll carve out my own future! They can take this 'Paradise' of theirs...and throw it straight in the trash!"
The monster, for only a brief moment, was taken aback by Kasumi's words, but it quickly regained its composure.
"I-Insolence! For those like you...there is no salvation that awaits you!"
It brought back its talons down upon her once again, and Kasumi, on the ground knew that this time around, any attempts at dodging it would be futile. Instead, she watched it draw closer to her, unflinching, unwavering.
There was no winning this one, it seemed. And yet, Kasumi held no regrets - even if it meant putting herself at risk - there were just some things that she couldn't back down from.
But just when the talons were about to reach her, time slowed down to a crawl.
And then, from somewhere inside of her, she heard a voice.
'So adamant.'
"?!"
And then, out of nowhere, her head started ringing in pain.
"Nnh!"
'To resist the calls of your fate, and to carve out an obstinate path - perhaps the better word for it would be "stubbornness" '.
Kasumi didn't know what was happening to her, but slowly, her clothes started transforming.
'Still though, if those are the shoes that you have chosen…'
First, her shoes transformed into heels. Then, her school uniform gradually became replaced by a black leotard. Finally, her hair got tied neatly behind her, and she donned red gloves the shade of crimson.
'Then dance for eternity, to see your story to the end!'
A mask appeared on her face out of nowhere, but strangely, as if the feeling came innately, she knew what she had to do next.
With her left hand, she deftly tore the mask off her face, and with the feeling of power surging from within her, a single word rolled off her tongue as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Per...so...na!"
A blue light emanated from beneath her, and time sped back to normal. But before the monster's talon could reach her face, a blond, humanoid figure in a spectacular dress appeared before her, parrying the blow.
"Hm?!"
Caught off guard, the monster immediately pulled back, sizing up the new presence.
"I am thou, thou art I…" the figure before Kasumi spoke. "Thou has found the resolve to decide one's own future through one's own hands - therefore, accept this contract, and take upon this spell that has been cast upon you!"
Slowly, Kasumi got up from the ground, and eyed the thing standing in front of her, blocking the path on the treacherous future she chose.
In that case, there was only one thing left to do.
This would be the first step, of many.
She drew the sword that had materialized by her hip, and pointed it towards the monster.
"Let us dance, Cendrillon!"
"Hmph! So she has unlocked her strength of heart," the monster said irritably. "But no matter. There are none who can defy our lord!"
It lunged its claws at Kasumi again, but Cendrillon quickly intercepted the blow, knocking it back.
"So that won't work anymore, huh? Then...how do you like this?!"
Switching up its attack strategy, the lifeform in front of Kasumi loosed a lightning bolt, which Cendrillon once again intercepted.
"Ugh…!"
But even Kasumi could tell that she couldn't maintain this for long. She had felt a surge of energy when she had awakened her Persona, whatever that was, but now, utilizing its power to survive, she could quickly feel her stamina fading. She couldn't win if this turned into a battle of endurance.
The monster, however, gave her no time to rest. After finishing with the lightning attack, he charged at Cendrillon again. The Persona blocked, but this time, was knocked onto the ground and quickly disappeared, returning back into her.
"Cendrillon!" Kasumi cried out.
With her Persona gone, the monster readied another lightning bolt, aiming it at Kasumi.
"This is the end for you!" it bellowed.
But just before it unleashed its attack…
"Arsene!"
Out of nowhere, an attack of black flames appeared from above her, hitting the monster straight in its chest and pushing it away from her.
"Wha?"
Kasumi, still on the ground, slowly turned back to look at where the attack came from.
There, she spotted a man, clad in black with a mask and red gloves like her...and a small feline like figure.
"Mona!" the masked man said, "Keep the shadow at bay!"
"Aye, you got it, Joker!" the feline said.
With impressive speed and reflexes, the figure known as Mona pounced, and in a blink of an eye, landed between her and the monster.
"Come, Zorro!"
With the utterance of those words, a black figure with a rapier appeared, and blew the monster back with what looked like wind magic.
'No way...does that cat have a Persona too?' Kasumi thought.
She didn't have much time to dwell on that though, before a hand appeared in front of her vision.
Looking up, she saw the man in black extend a hand to her.
"Need a hand?" he said.
"Eh?" Kasumi asked, still a little confused, but vaguely recognizing that he was offering to help. "Ah, yes please, thank you…"
Taking his hand, he helped get her on her feet, before all of a sudden he spoke again.
"Hm? Wait...You...Are you Yoshizawa-san?"
The abrupt mention of her name made her freeze up temporarily.
"Heh? Uhm, yes...who're you?"
Maybe it was the mask, but she seriously didn't recognize who this person was. Their voice sounded vaguely familiar, though…
Instead of answering, however, he just simply gave a smirk, which she could clearly see despite the mask being on his face.
"Hah. I'll explain later," he just simply said, with the slightest tease in his tone. "Right now…"
He faced the monster that Mona was still pushing back with their wind.
"Let's focus on getting out of here. From the looks of it, you just awakened your Persona, so you shouldn't use it anymore for the time being. It's too risky as you don't know how to fully control it yet, and you could potentially collapse. Mona and I will take care of the shadow - you just stay back and let us handle it, okay?"
"Eh? Wai-" Kasumi started.
The man didn't wait around to hear her reply, however, as he quickly ran forward, supporting the cat.
"Sorry for the wait, Mona," he said urgently. "Let's finish this thing off and get outta here."
"Heh, no objections here!" Mona replied.
"Arsene! Awaken!"
Just like with Mona, the man summoned a figure next to him, this time a red, humanoid-like figure with black wings.
"So he has a Persona, too…"
Without skipping a beat, Arsene unleashed black, fiery attacks upon the monster. The one called Zorro, too, summoned gusts of wind to attack.
"Uraagh!" the monster bellowed. "I will not be defeated so easily!"
Summoning power seemingly out of nowhere, it jumped back, and launched its lightning attack at the duo.
"Zorro!"
"Arsene!"
The two intercepted the lightning, but even with their combined power, the monster known as a shadow didn't relent, instead pushing them back with its own magic.
"Ugh! This one's tough!" Mona complained. "It's still not going down even after our combined attack!"
"It's definitely not like the other ones," the man agreed. "If only we had a little bit more power…"
Kasumi watched as the two in front of her struggled to push the monster back. She still didn't really fully comprehend what was going on, but she did understand that they needed to beat this monster in front of them, and soon. But the two in front of her were barely holding their own.
At this rate, they wouldn't win this war of attrition. She had to help, somehow…
She tried to summon Cendrillon from within her again, and her body instantly protested as she felt her energy evaporate. It took all of her willpower to just stay standing and not keel over.
'You just stay back and let us handle it, okay?'
...Like hell she could do that.
A vague image of Sumire smiling formed in her mind again.
There was no way that she was going to let fate control her again.
"Come, Cendril- kuh!"
Again, she willed her Persona to form, but like the first time, it sapped the energy from within her. Her head started spinning; she felt faint, and could feel herself on the verge of unconsciousness.
"No...not...yet!"
Clenching her fists so hard that her fingernails dug into her palm, she willed the last of her energy to form and call forth the strength of her heart, incarnate.
"Only at midnight - only at the apex of the hour, do we get to disappear into the night; so until then, struggle - and dance! ...Cendrillon!"
With a burst of light beneath her, Cendrillon surged from within and emerged magnificently beside her, immediately throwing out a light attack at the monster.
The extra power behind the third attack was enough to tip the balance. Overpowering the shadow's lightning attack, the light pierced its body, rendering it immobile.
"Argh!"
The shadow quickly fell to the ground. The man and the feline, not missing a beat, quickly surrounded it, but it was already unable to battle, and on its dying breath.
"Ugh...it is no use," the shadow sneered at them, then looked directly at Kasumi, addressing her. "Defeating me will change nothing - our lord will win, in the end. After all, you are already in...the other's…"
Before it could finish its sentence, the monster disintegrated into dust.
And no sooner did the monster disappear, did Kasumi's adrenaline start to disappear and her knees give out. She collapsed to the ground on her knees, having used pretty much every ounce of her energy. It was a sheer miracle that she was still conscious.
"Yoshizawa-san!" the man said worriedly, quickly running up to her.
"Ah...kuh!" Kasumi coughed, trying to assuage his worries. "Don't worry - I'm okay. Just a little...tired…"
"Ugh, jeez, you're crazy…" he protested. "This is why I told you to leave it to me and Mona…"
"Aha, you know...in times like these, a simple thank you would suffice.
"Who'd go thanking you after seeing you reduce yourself to this state…" he complained in earnest.
Without so much as a mention about it, he quickly lifted her up onto her back. Kasumi, for her part, had no energy to complain.
"But still...thanks," he concluded. "I'll repay you one day."
"Yeah?" Kasumi said weakly on his back. "Is that a promise?"
Kasumi vaguely saw him turn his head towards her, with a gentle smile on his lips, unlike the sarcastic smirk she saw a couple of minutes earlier.
"...Yeah. Promise."
Kasumi could feel her eyelids getting heavy.
Ah...not good. She would pass out any second now. Already she was on the verge of unconsciousness, and could barely make out what the others were saying.
"Joker! ...can talk later!"
She tried to force her eyes open, but her body rebelled against her intentions.
"...out of here for now. Mona, lead the way!"
And when she passed out entirely, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of dejavu.
...
"Whew, we managed to make it out - Joker, there's a bench nearby. Let's set her down there."
"Got it."
"Mmm…"
On the man's back, Kasumi stirred, barely able to make out some voices next to her.
Where was she…?
She blinked twice to get a gauge of her surroundings. Presently, she was near a construction site surrounded by high rise buildings. She could make out the sound of traffic in the distance.
This was...Tokyo? Then, they had made it out of that weird world, it seemed.
"Oh, you're awake?" the man carrying her said, upon realizing that she had regained consciousness. "Don't worry, we're safe now."
Kasumi simply nodded in response. She was too exhausted to say anything else at the moment.
When they got to a bench, the man who was carrying her set her down, and then went to a nearby vending machine to grab a drink.
No longer in any immediate danger, Kasumi took a deep breath and exhaled to try to wake herself a bit. She was still a little exhausted, but now that she was resting, she could gather her thoughts and sharpen her senses a little.
She still didn't really know what had happened, exactly. First, there was that weird world, and Sumire was in it too. But, wait, it wasn't exactly her, after all? Then there was the matter of the Persona that she had awakened.
Speaking of Personas, that man and the cat also had them too. Maybe they knew what was going on...
She looked over at the man who had inadvertently saved his life, who presently had his back turned towards her as he put in a coin in the vending machine.
'Hm? Wait…'
That wispy hair...where had she seen that before?
He bent down slightly to pick up the can from the vending machine, and then turned back towards her, a can in each hand. He had a pair of squarish, round glasses sitting atop his nose.
'! That's…!'
When he got back to her, he offered her the can in his right hand.
"Sorry, I didn't know what you would've liked - I probably should've asked first," he said with a small smile. "Is coffee okay?"
"Eh? O-oh, yes that's fine…" she took the can from his outstretched hand, and then set it on her lap. "U-uhm…"
"Hm?" He looked up briefly, before opening his own drink in his left hand.
"Aren't you the guy from my sister's traffic accident? Uhm...Amamiya-san?"
Amamiya Ren chuckled a little, but nodded all the same.
"Yeah, what a coincidence, huh? You can imagine my surprise when Mona and I found you in that palace. But regardless, glad to see you're doing well, Yoshizawa-san."
Kasumi nodded in response.
"And you, as well. Thank you again for your help, both last time, and this time as well. That being said...I'm still not quite clear on what exactly the situation is..."
"Ah, right. Well, that's to be expected - don't worry, we'll fill you in on what we know so far. But seeing as how the sun is about to set, and you seem exhausted, this might not be the right time or place for it…"
Ren pondered for a moment, but then quickly provided a suggestion right after.
"Ah, then how about at school tomorrow? We can meet during lunch. Mona and I often eat at the rooftop, and there's usually no-one there." A small smirk appeared on his face. "Well, that would make sense, considering students are allowed up there in the first place."
"Eh? School?" Kasumi blinked.
"Yeah? You're a Shujin Academy student, judging from your uniform, right?"
At the mention of the word 'uniform', Kasumi looked down at her clothes.
"Oh, they changed back to normal!" Kasumi noted. "Wait, but then, that means…"
She looked at the man in front of him again, and only just noticed that he was wearing the male uniform for her school.
"You're a Shujin Academy student too?"
"Mhm. I'm in class 2C."
"Oh, then that makes you my senpai. I'm in class 1A."
"Ah, you're a first year? I wouldn't have known. You seem mature for your age."
"I get that a lot," Kasumi sighed, opening her canned coffee and taking a sip. "Not sure if it's a good thing, but my parents always say I try to act too grown up. Probably cause I had a sheltered little sister."
At the mention of the word sister, Ren visibly froze a little.
"Oh, right...Yoshizawa-san, I'm so sorry…" he said softly.
"A-ah, no, it's fine!" Kasumi put up a hand in front of her quickly. "...It's okay. I'm okay with it now."
Upon hearing Kasumi's response, Ren's face turned serious, a face rarely seen on him.
"You don't have to force yourself, you know. It's only been a week. No-one would blame you for grieving or feeling down."
But Kasumi just shook her head slowly.
"Yeah, I know - thank you. But don't worry - I'm not forcing myself. For her sake - I've decided that I'm going to press on and move forward."
She didn't go into any more detail for the time being.
"...You're strong, Yoshizawa-san."
"Aha, no, not really, just stubborn," Kasumi finalized. "Oh, and also, you can call me Kasumi. Everyone calls me that."
"E-eh? Given name, just like that? No honorifics either?" Ren said, uncharacteristically caught off guard.
"Yeah, I don't really like the stiff stuff. I'd prefer if you'd call me that, actually."
Ren ran a hand through his bangs absentmindedly, but reluctantly agreed.
"Alright. You can call me Ren, then," he offered.
"Mmm…" Kasumi looked at Ren, pondering for a second. "Somehow, considering that you're a year older, and that you just basically saved my life, that seems a little too casual…"
"Ehh? What's with that?"
"Maybe 'Senpai'? No, but that's also kinda too casual…'Amamiya-senpai'?
"Who's stiff now?" Ren protested.
"I guess you're right. Then, 'Ren-senpai'," Kasumi concluded, nodding slightly in satisfaction.
Ren sighed a little in exasperation. Normally he could easily get the upper hand in conversations, but this girl seemed to effortlessly overpower him by seemingly blindsiding him out of nowhere.
"Hah...do whatever you want, I guess…"
Kasumi smiled victoriously.
"Then, don't mind if I do, Ren-senpai."
"A-ahem. Alright, so with that out of the way, let's meet at the school rooftop for lunch tomorrow?" Ren asked.
"Right, sounds good - let's talk then," Kasumi took another sip of her coffee, as if trying to get the caffeine to settle in faster. "To be honest, I'm still pretty exhausted, so any further talks will just wear me out."
"If you don't mind, Mona and I can escort you back home. Just to be safe."
"Mmm...I might take you up on that offer. Oh, and I've been meaning to ask this for a while now, but…"
"Hmm?" Ren tilted his head quizzically.
"Uhm...who's Mona?"
"Oh - Morgana, or Mona, for short," Ren said simply. "Remember? He was the one who was fighting with me in the palace. I also introduced him back at the hospital."
As Kasumi did recall, there was indeed a feline like figure at the scene.
"Ah, okay, gotcha...wait, what? That was your cat?"
Could she really call that figure a regular cat, like the one that was sitting in Ren's bag…?
"Yeah, he changes forms while we're inside Palaces," Ren said simply. "Here, let me introduce him to you again. Morgana!"
He called out to his left, and a few seconds later, a black cat emerged from the bush.
"What's up?" the cat said, before looking at Kasumi. "Oh, Yoshizawa-san, you're awake? Not sure if you remember me, but I'm Morgana! Pleased to meet you again!"
"Mmm? Oh, yes, pleased to meet you too-"
...Wait.
"EHH?! You can talk?!"
...
"Hey, wanna get lunch at the cafeteria today?"
"Yeah, I heard they're serving this awesome bread today, wanna check it out?"
"Ehhh, bread? Maybe I'll just get my usual…"
The start of lunch at Shujin Academy signaled by the bell turned the classroom of 1A into a cascade of multiple concurrent conversations about lunch plans, homemade bentos, and after-school activities.
"Kasumi-chan! Would you like to join us for lunch?"
"Ah, thanks for the invite, but I have somewhere I need to be today for lunch. Maybe next time?"
"Aw, okay. Next time then!"
...One redhead, however, already had her lunch plans figured out from the previous day.
One Kasumi Yoshizawa stood up from her desk, and pulled out her homemade bento. Well, when she said homemade, it was actually her parents that made it; she couldn't, for the life of her, cook, after all. In her opinion, their cooking wasn't as good as Sumire's, just because she in particular spent an exorbitant amount of time in the kitchen experimenting to cater to her own tastes, but she could hardly complain given the circumstances.
Walking out of her classroom, she merged with the crowd that was filing towards the central staircase. The cafeteria was on the first floor, so most students out and about were headed there; Kasumi however, took the staircase leading up.
When she reached the fourth level, she was greeted by a singular door and a sign on it simply saying, "No students allowed on the rooftop".
"Well, so much for that," Kasumi mumbled.
Ignoring the sign, she opened the door and sunlight flooded her vision. She had to blink a couple of times to get adjusted to the lighting.
When she got a clear picture, however, she found that Ren was already there and waiting.
"Yo," he said simply, a small smile on his face. "You're late."
Kasumi quietly closed the door behind her and walked to the middle of the rooftop, where there was a makeshift table created from leftover chairs and desks normally found in the classroom. There must've just been some extras lying around on the rooftop, for some reason.
"How am I late?" Kasumi protested, sitting down at the chair opposite of Ren. "Lunch just started, you know."
"Yeah, but you're on the third floor, and I'm on the second. Shouldn't you have gotten here before I did?"
"My classmates wanted to eat with me, so I was held up by them for a bit." Her mouth twitched upwards into a small smile. "What, don't tell me you don't have any friends to eat with, Ren-senpai?"
"Unfortunately, I think my reputation here precedes me," Ren said, not explaining any further. "Besides, I have Morgana; that's good enough for me."
"Morgana doesn't really count...he's a cat."
"I'm NOT a cat!"
From out of nowhere, Morgana pounced onto the table, clearly unhappy with his feline classification.
"I mean, I may look like a cat…" Morgana muttered, "but I swear, this isn't my true form!"
Kasumi couldn't help but laugh softly at that remark.
"Ahah, right; my bad, Morgana," Kasumi giggled. "Well, let's eat, shall we? I brought my own lunch."
She brought out the bento that she had been holding in her hand, and started unpacking it all onto the table.
"Oh, Kasumi?" Ren suddenly piped up, upon seeing Kasumi's large assortment of dishes. "You didn't have to bring food for us too, you know."
He waved a sandwich in his hand as if to prove his point.
"I have my own as well. And Morgana already ate some fatty tuna earlier."
Kasumi blinked, slightly confused by the implication that Ren was making.
"? What do you mean, Ren-senpai? This is all for me."
"..."
"...Eh?"
...
"Let's see, where to start…"
Ren took a bite of his sandwich, and pondered how to start off the conversation.
"Well, actually, let me turn the question to you, Kasumi," Ren finalized, passing off the responsibility. "You must have a lot of questions about the events that transpired yesterday, right?"
Kasumi stopped mid bite, then sighed a little internally.
'Hah, this guy...Making me do the work.'
She swallowed her tofu, and pretended to not notice that he was slyly covering up his laziness with consideration.
"Ahem...well, let's see," Kasumi said. "Then, can you explain where exactly that place was yesterday? You called it a 'Palace', right? How did I end up there?"
Ren nodded in response.
"Right, Morgana and I call it Palaces. It's hard to explain, but it's best to think about it like that place is another dimension - namely, the cognitive world."
"You mean, that dimension is like a manifestation of people's minds and cognition?"
"Yep, exactly," Morgana chimed up from on top of the table. "And Palaces are the manifestation of particularly strong emotions and desires from an individual. The cognitive world and our world aren't necessarily connected per se, but often one's perspective of the real world is reflected in how their Palace is represented.
"Hmm...so when someone's mind houses a particularly strong or twisted desire, they create a Palace in the cognitive world, almost like a visualization of how they view the physical world?
The edges of Ren's lips broke out into a small smirk.
"Kasumi, you're actually quite bright, aren't you?" he teased.
"What do you mean by 'actually'?" Kasumi quickly retorted back. "...Then? Whose Palace were we in last night?"
Upon hearing that question, Ren and Morgana fell silent and looked at each other, as if they had this conversation already.
"...The truth is…" Ren said a couple of seconds later, turning his head back to face Kasumi, "we don't actually know. From what Morgana tells me, in order to actually find a Palace in the first place, we need to know the name of the Palace owner, the place that he views as distorted, and what exactly they see it as. Without those three things, we can't navigate to it in the cognitive world. But yesterday as we were walking home, Morgana suddenly sensed a disturbance in the middle of Tokyo. When we followed it, we eventually ended up in that Palace. It was highly irregular, considering we hadn't navigated to it at all."
"We actually hoped that you would know something about it," Morgana continued. "How did you end up there, Yoshizawa-san?"
"Eh? Uhm...I don't know either, to be honest," Kasumi admitted.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, yesterday, as I was going home, I suddenly became super dizzy and practically fainted," she recalled. "When I came to, I was already in that place."
Ren's eyes narrowed at that statement.
"Morgana, didn't you say you needed a nav to get into a Palace?"
"That should be the case," Morgana answered. "There should've been no relation or way for Yoshizawa-san to get into the Palace, at least by herself. Which means…"
"Someone must've taken her there," Ren concluded.
Morgana nodded in agreement.
Kasumi blinked, not exactly following the conversation.
"Taken? You mean...like kidnapped?" Kasumi asked.
"Err, well that seems like a crude way of putting it, but I guess so," Ren said. "Someone caused you to pass out in some way, and then took you to the Palace after."
"Wait, so does that mean that whoever took me there is the ruler of the Palace?"
"That would seem like the most logical outcome," Ren agreed. "But Morgana, that also doesn't make sense, does it?"
"Yeah; by nature of how a Palace works, the ruler shouldn't even know they have a Palace in the first place. If the person that took you to the Palace is indeed the same person as the Palace owner, then not only would they have to be aware of the cognitive world, they would also have to be cognizant of the fact that they have a twisted desire, not to mention being able to travel between the two worlds at will…"
"And seemingly having a power to cause people to pass out in the real world as well," Ren reminded.
"..."
The air went silent as all three considered just who exactly they were up against.
"...Agh, there's just too much we don't know right now!" Morgana finally said after a while. "There's something weird going on here; nothing is adding up."
"Mmm…" Ren took another bite of his sandwich as he thought. "...Hey, Kasumi?"
"What's up?"
"Do you have an idea of who might've done this? Someone who has a grudge against you, maybe?"
Kasumi absentmindedly tapped her chopstick against her bento box and pondered for a minute.
"Hmm...honestly, I can't," Kasumi said a little regretfully. "Sorry I can't really be of any help."
Ren shook his head, quick to say otherwise.
"Oh no, don't worry, it's not your fault. But in that case - maybe it didn't need to be Kasumi specifically?" Ren proposed. "Maybe whoever took her into the cognitive world just needed any one person."
Was that really the case…?
Thinking back to the events of the previous day, Kasumi recalled her journey through the Palace. The fact that she met her.
"...No - they were after me specifically," Kasumi said firmly.
"?"
The other two gave her an inquiring look, questioning how she was so sure.
Kasumi took a deep breath before recounting what happened before the two arrived.
"When I woke up...I met my sister."
"Wait, what?!" Ren exclaimed. "You mean, the one that…"
Kasumi simply nodded.
"Yeah...although, it wasn't actually her, I think. She kept on going on and on about accepting this world and choosing the world where she was alive, or something. When I kept on refusing, she turned into the monster that we fought, and that was when I got my Persona."
"Personas are the strength of heart made manifest after all," Morgana nodded. "They materialize as a way to resist the twisted desires of the cognitive world. The fact that yours awakened must've shown a real innate desire to not believe the words of that shadow."
"..."
Ren put down his sandwich, and looked at Kasumi with a serious look on his face.
"W-what? What's up?" Kasumi asked, acutely aware of the attention Ren was giving her.
"...That's the part that doesn't make sense to me," Ren said matter of factly. "Back in the hospital, you seemed absolutely shocked that your sister passed. And now, not even two weeks later, you push back so hard against choosing a world where your sister is alive, that you end up awakening your Persona. You were seemingly quick to move on from it after we exited the Palace yesterday, too."
"Ah…"
"You can't awaken a Persona with half-hearted feelings - you must've believed with every fiber of your being that you couldn't accept that world."
Ren scratched his head, as if suddenly aware that he was making the mood tense.
"Uhm...I guess what I'm trying to get at is - what's the driver behind those powerful feelings? ...Have you genuinely moved on from your sister already?"
Kasumi looked to the two inquiring for an answer.
"Haah…"
She breathed in, and let out a deep exhale.
She hadn't really told anyone yet, just due to the sheer absurdity of it all. Given all that she had learned so far though, about the cognitive world, Palaces, and Personas - maybe they would know something about it.
Retelling the entire story - how she had switched places with Sumire, how she had died and repeated the same week twice - it was mentally taxing to think about it, and she didn't really want to recount those events if she was being honest. But if this allowed her to take a step forward - she would gladly do it.
"Well...it's a long story," Kasumi finally said. "...Will you still listen?"
Ren leaned forward, giving his undivided attention under his squarish glasses. It was almost enough to make Kasumi's heart skip a beat.
"I'm all ears."
...Just almost.
...
"Mmm…"
"..."
Both Ren and Morgana said nothing after Kasumi finished.
...Well, that was to be expected of course. She kinda knew this would happen.
After all, switching places and turning back time? It was a little too extraordinary to be true. Still though, when they fell silent like this - Kasumi could practically feel the heavy atmosphere weighing down on her.
"...I'm sorry," Ren eventually said, breaking the silence.
Kasumi's heart sank a little after hearing those words come out of Ren's mouth. ...He didn't believe it after all.
"I didn't realize you were going through so much," he finished.
...Wait. What?
"E-eh?" Kasumi asked. "You mean, you believe me?"
Ren just blinked in response.
"? Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I? What about you, Morgana?"
"Yep! No reason not to believe you, after all that we've seen and been through already!"
Kasumi couldn't help but stare blankly at the two in front of her.
She had no evidence to back up her wild claims whatsoever, and yet they still full heartedly believed her.
'Heh...idiots.'
But still, she couldn't help but smile at the fact that she had found two genuine and caring friends. In this lonely path so far, where she had known only confusion and sorrow - she felt like they were people that she could smile with, confide in, and become close with.
"Kasumi?" Ren asked with concern in his voice. "Is something wrong?"
"Hm? Oh, no, no, it's nothing!" Kasumi quickly said, standing up to give a bow.
"...Thank you for your concern, Ren-senpai and Morgana. It was hard at first, but I'm okay now. I made my decision to move forward and figure out the truth. Now, I'm just more concerned with figuring out just what exactly is going on."
Ren ran a hand through his bangs. An unconscious habit for when he was thinking, it seemed.
"Hmm...Morgana, what do you think?"
"Erm...I haven't really heard anything like this before, to be honest," Morgana said, swishing his tail. "There's only so much change that the cognitive world can exert on the physical world - and I don't think time travel would be feasible - under normal circumstances, at least."
"Meaning?"
Morgana's face turned serious - well, about as serious as a cat could make, anyway.
"...Something's been bothering me - the fact that Yoshizawa-san inadvertently passed out without warning. It definitely could've been something from this world, like a drug or chemical - but if whoever did it used a technique from the cognitive world…"
"...! You're saying that the person who did so would have an ability to alter this world in some way, and thus, might've done something during the accident too!" Kasumi gasped.
"Well, something like that, yeah," Morgana concluded. "That kind of phenomenon, the one that has an ability to affect the physical world in such drastic ways, isn't something that can be obtained so easily. I find it hard to believe that it could be a coincidence. It's only a guess, though."
"Still though," Kasumi said excitedly, "It's a lead! And to think, that the accident and this Palace might be connected…I wonder what their connection is to me and Sumire though..."
At the mention of her sister's name, Ren sat up suddenly.
"...Hey, Kasumi," Ren said all of a sudden, "your sister's name is Sumire Yoshizawa, right?"
"Hm? That's right - what of it?"
"Ah, nothing- just wanted to test out something. Give me a sec."
"? Like what?"
Ren, however, didn't say anything else, instead opting to just pull out his phone.
When it became apparent that Ren wouldn't answer, Kasumi turned to Morgana.
"What's he doing?" Kasumi tilted her head quizzically.
"Who knows, to be honest?" Morgana said with a slightly exasperated smile. "He's kinda always been like that - being all cryptic and stuff. But even still, I can tell - he just wants the best for you, after all you've been through."
Kasumi smiled in response. "You two are pretty close, huh?"
"Well, I would say I'm one of his closest friends!" Morgana huffed proudly. "He saved me from a Palace he stumbled upon a while ago, and we've been partners ever since."
"Ah, I see. Then, what about-"
"Hey, uhm, Morgana…?"
But before she could ask another question, Ren cut her off, a sort of rising panic apparent in his voice.
"Mreow? What's got you so worked up?" Morgana asked innocently.
"This is going to be a really weird question, but..." Ren said, "...can dead people have Palaces?"
Morgana visibly creased his brows at this question out of nowhere.
"Huh? Uh...no? Palaces are created from twisted desires, and dead people can't have desires. Duh. Why would you ask that all of a sudden?"
"...!" Kasumi gasped, suddenly realizing what Ren was implying. "You can't mean…"
Ren simply nodded solemnly, and showed them a red and black app on his phone.
"Sumire Yoshizawa," he said out loud.
"...Name registered," the phone responded. "Palace owner has been confirmed."
A/N: I do want to first off apologize for the long time in releasing this chapter. Part of it is that I've been pretty busy doing other things, but the other thing was just that my perfectionist self ended up showing and I was overall unsatisfied with how I was portraying the characters and story as I was writing it; this ended up in me rewriting the same scenes a few times.
The main thing here is in how I write Kasumi's character. Given that I'm more used to writing Sumire's character (after all, we never actually end up meeting the real Kasumi in the main game), it felt like I defaulted to writing Kasumi like how I would write Sumire, which I didn't feel like would do Kasumi justice. Thus, I spent extra effort in trying to Kasumi feel more distinct and not just a clone of her twin.
In any case - I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far, and I would love to hear your theories on what's happening, if you have any! I'm not as busy as before, so the next chapter should be out faster than this one. Thanks for sticking around! Until next time.