After walking out the doors of the Velvet Room, I found myself awake in the empty bedroom.
It was dark, as was to be expected in the middle of Winter, so soon after the solstice. Specks of snow froze onto the glass window, as the dull blue glow outside heralded the rising sun.
I rose from my futon and instinctively fondled for a light switch, only to realize that there wasn't one, just the candle from last night. I will admit, living without modern conveniences that you don't often think about, such as light, running water and whatnot, can be very frustrating. It really did seem as though I had gone back in time to Medieval Japan, and had no choice but to adapt.
With nothing else to do, I opened the door to the room, and found an orange glow coming from downstairs. Mr. Kirisame must be up, I thought to myself. So I went down to see what he was doing.
As it turned out, he was making his breakfast, and reading his book. When he heard me coming into the room, he put his book down and looked up at me.
"Good morning!" he said. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes," I bowed. "It was surprisingly comfortable and warm."
"This place has good insulation," he said. "Better than most homes in the village, strong enough to live through an earthquake, and I get the place blessed often to keep the fairies out."
I tilted my head. "Fairies?"
"Yeah, they're a thing here too," he told me. "Dumb, steal stuff all the time and play pranks. You don't keep wards around, they get into everything. You can't even really kill them, because they just come right back a few hours later. Just like flies, and mosquitoes. That's why my shop gets a lot of business: people love coming here, because they feel safe here, so they leave their old stuff for other people to buy." He looked around, and breathed out heavily. "This place is my pride, but I'm an old guy and havin' trouble keeping up. Glad I can have you around."
"It's my pleasure," I smiled. "I'm just thankful for you giving me a place to stay, as well as work."
Masato chuckled. "You know, you're a very polite and pleasant young man. I know at least a few people who could take a cue from you."
"Oh?" I asked.
"We have a saying around here, that common sense doesn't exist in Gensokyo. Of course, with all the weird stuff happening all the time for no reason, common sense wouldn't do most people any good. So you'd better be extra good about keeping up those good manners of yours, or else you'll probably end up as some belligerent drunk."
"I… see," I said awkwardly.
Masato then reached into a shelf, and pulled out some men's kimonos and garbs. "Why don't you head upstairs and try these on?" he asked me. "I'm sure those clothes you came here in are really dirty, and you'll look out of place."
"Of course," I said. I took the clothes and headed up to try them on. By now, it was a little lighter, and I could see the inside of the room better. I was busy tying the waistband of a navy-blue one, when I noticed a glint coming from the futon.
"Hm?" I knelt down and inspected where the glint came from. Picking it up, I saw it was an ornate, gold key. Odd, I thought. I didn't remember having something like this on me when I came here, nor did I recall it being in the room last night. Could it have something to do with that strange dream I had last night, in the "Velvet Room?"
I shrugged, and simply put it in a pocket for now. I went over to the closet next to hang up the extra clothes, as well as get my detective outfit so that I could wash it later. I noticed an old, dusty scrap off in the corner, and decided to pick it up as I had promised Masato I would keep the room clean.
"How did this get here?" I asked myself. Masato did say the room was recently cleaned, so maybe he just missed this scrap when he was cleaning up. I was just about to ball it up and take it to a wastebasket when I flipped it around, and saw that there was a drawing on the back of it. It was badly smudged, but I could make out two crude stick figures in front of a rectangle with a childish sun in the sky, one tall and one short with yellow lines behind it like hair, and the words "ME AND DADDY SIGNED MA-" and the rest of it was a carbon smudge.
I looked at the picture, then looked around the room. I had already noted that the floor had scuff marks, as if furniture had once been in there but had recently been moved. I wondered: had this room been a child's room at some point? Masato didn't mention having children, nor had he ever said anything about having a wife, which seemed odd given how he described himself as a ladies' man. I realized I could ask about it… but then, he probably had reasons not to mention those things, the same as how I didn't wish to tell people of my past. Besides, I didn't want to risk getting thrown out for angering him in case it was a touchy subject. So I crumpled it up, tossed it into the waste bin near the door and went back downstairs to start my day.
After breakfast, I washed myself by going outside and getting water from the well. Since it had snowed last night, Masato also gave me a shovel to dig a path to the well. This took a while, and once I had reached it I filled a bucket before going back inside to fill a wash basin. This took three trips, and then I had to wait a few minutes for the water to warm up before I could use it. Even then, it was very cold, but Masato insisted I wash myself, so I did my best to make it brief, sticking to washing my hair and everywhere else that was dirty. Fortunately there was a convenient drain in the washroom which I could simply dump the water down, lest I had to actually drag the basin outside and dump the water somewhere. Once I was cleaned up, I met Masato up front, just as he opened up the store, and he put me to work.
The first thing he had me do was take the shovel and clear out the space in front of the door so that customers could enter the store. This also gave me a chance to observe the street just outside the store, where people cleared the snow outside of their homes, and others simply made their way down the street while running their morning errands. Children dragged sleds down the street, covered in fresh snow from last night, and made even more snowmen and snow forts. Across the street, there was an odd, young orange-haired girl in a checkered dress shoveling snow in front of her door, which judging by the sign was a bookstore. When she noticed me, she smiled and waved. She seemed like a pleasant enough girl, I thought, so I smiled back. Not long after, a tall woman with glasses and a cat-smile came up to her, talked briefly, then the orange-haired girl let her inside. In the woman's company was a pink-haired girl with a blank expression and a mask on the side of her head, wearing thick winter clothes. Watching this girl was a little unnerving, since it literally seemed as though her expression never changed; even an exhausted salaryman on the subway on his way home from work will have subtle changes in facial expression, so hers seemed all the more unnatural. I swore, however, that the mask seemed to change to another mask as they stepped inside, and I took this as another example of Gensokyo's various oddities. Just what sorts of things and kinds of people lived here, I thought?
After I cleared out the rest of the snow, I went back inside, taking off the heavy jacket now speckled in droplets of melted snow and hanging it up to dry. Masato was across the store behind the counter helping a customer, so I took a broom and started sweeping.
Eventually, he finished up and looked at me. "Hey, thanks for helping to keep the store clean. Barely have the time or energy anymore to do it myself."
"It's a pleasure," I smiled. I looked out the window. "By the way, across the street there was this girl…"
"Oh, you mean Kosuzu?" Masato said. "Her family runs the bookstore. Nice girl, comes in here a lot, but she can talk your ear off about all the things she reads about in those books of theirs."
"They must have a lot of books to read if she's so into them," I remarked.
"Well, she has this ability to read and translate text of any language," Masato added. "They have all sorts of odd books in their collection, and Rinnosuke often brings them new ones that keep falling through the border."
"Who's Rinnosuke?" I asked.
"Rinnosuke Morichika. Keine mentioned him yesterday, if you recall."
"...oh, when she asked if he needed a lady-charmer to boost his business?" I joked.
"Yeah," Masato smiled. "Anyway, he's a family friend, and he knew my parents. He owns a junk shop just outside of town. Nice guy, but he gets cold and distant sometimes, which might be why he doesn't get a lot of business. Well, that and he's a half-youkai, so there's rumors about him."
"Wait… so, he's half-human, half-youkai?" I asked again. "I wasn't aware such people existed."
"It's more common than you'd think. Most of the time, it's because something like a mountain oni taking a woman out walking alone, or a wandering devil or yuki-onna seducing a man long enough to, well, you know. But, sometimes a human and a youkai just fall in love, which of course causes people to start talking about you, since the two are supposed to be enemies."
I looked down and closed my eyes. People being taken against their will so that the other side could do as they pleased…
"...something wrong?" he asked.
"Oh, sorry," I said, snapping back. "I was wondering…" How to change the subject? "I noticed this tall building just that way," I said, pointing.
"Oh, yes, the Hieda House. They're the richest family in town, and the oldest too. This village used to be an ancient plantation owned by them, in fact, and they offered it as a refuge to humans living here, which is how the town started. They have an odd custom: there's a person, usually a girl, who lives there called the Child of Miare. She doesn't live very long, but she reincarnates every century or so and can remember everything from her past lives. She maintains the Gensokyo Chronicle, which is a record of everything that happens during their lifespans here in Gensokyo. If you count her previous lives, she's been with us for over a thousand years."
I took this all in: a girl who endlessly reincarnates in order to take down a record of this land? That must mean an afterlife exists, too… which also meant that a judge of the dead likely existed as well. One who would see all the sins I committed, and not think twice about casting me down to Hell…
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bell on the door ringing. I turned around, and in came a girl in a red-and-white dress, a heavy jacket and a yellow scarf. In her hand was a long staff with a tassel on it - a gohei, like the ones the attendants at the Meiji Shrine used. She set it by the door and hung up her scarf and jacket, revealing that the sleeves on her dress were detached. My first thought was how someone could possibly wear such a dress in weather like this, but from her stoic expression it was clear she didn't care about that.
"Oh, morning, Reimu!" Masato said to her. "I didn't think you'd be down here this early."
Reimu sighed. "Well, it helps when the shrine is mostly free of 'guests' and I can actually get through my chores. Also helps that I can make Clownpiece melt all the snow in exchange for candy and letting her live under the shrine." She produced a set of ofuda, and started making her way around the store, placing them in specific spots and saying a short prayer each time.
"Who is she?" I asked Masato.
"That's Reimu Hakurei. She's the keeper of the Hakurei Shrine and the border," he explained.
I gave Reimu another look. For a shrine maiden, she sure did have a strange outfit that contrasted with the plain red-and-white dresses that mikos in Outside shrines wore. Perhaps this land, in its isolation, had developed customs separate from ours. I also realized she was the one Masato and everyone else talked about, who supported the barrier and put down 'incidents.' At first glance, she didn't seem like much more than a normal priestess, but there was a space between her shirt and skirt, and when she bent over it sometimes exposed part of a scar on her back. She was also noticeably more toned than most women that I knew, even the aikido-practicing Makoto. It was clear to me that she did quite a bit of work, even if it wasn't obvious.
Reimu soon placed her last ofuda before turning around to us. "Sorry, did I come in while you were helping a customer?"
"Oh, no, he's my new employee," Masato told her. "He's helping keep the place cleaned and organized for me."
Reimu then turned to me, and stared at me with scrutinizing eyes. "Can't say I've seen you before."
I bowed. "My name is Goro Akechi. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hakurei-san."
Reimu giggled. "Wow, you're polite. You must be from the Outside, then. Nobody here uses honorifics very often." She paused, then spoke, "you from Tokyo?"
"How did you know?" I said, surprised.
"I can tell by your accent. Never doubt a shrine maiden's intuition, especially not a Hakurei Shrine maiden," she smiled. "Tokyo's a little out of the way for people who normally wander in through weak spots. I wonder if Yukari's fooling around again…"
"I was a detective in Tokyo," I added. "I narrowly escaped a building explosion while I was investigating a Yakuza triad, but it must have looked like I should have died. That's how I ended up here."
Reimu shrugged. "Well, I mean, this IS the place where things people have forgotten or disbelieve end up. I suppose a near-death experience that leaves people thinking you're toast would count."
It was then that Masato suggested, "why don't I make some tea for us?"
Reimu clapped her hands together. "You know me, I'm always down for tea."
"Excellent. Goro, would you mind steeping some tea in the kettle for us?"
I paused. Truth be told, if there was one area where I couldn't be called an "ace," it was cooking. When you've spent your life moving from one foster home to another and then on your own in a cheap (well, relatively speaking) studio apartment in Tokyo without a real kitchen, even something as simple as making tea was scary. That, and I was also convinced I was just that terrible at cooking. I still remember one day after we secured the treasure route to Sae-san's palace where we were all at Leblanc where Ren had decided to do a curry cook-off to see who could make the best. It was probably just an excuse for him to flaunt his skills, since even Sakura-san conceded it was better than the curry he made. I, on the other hand, made what could only be considered a bioweapon. I was sure I was doing everything as the instructions told, but in the end the curry had a sinister purple glow and when Ren took a bite of it, he fell onto the floor choking and gagging, which left me amused and highly embarrassed at the same time. The kicker, though, was that for some reason he made everyone else try it. They all had nearly the same reaction, and there were many expletives and jeers; even Haru, sweet as she was, was just barely staying polite as she told me how foul it was. After everyone else left, Ren told me that he often trolled them like that, and when I asked him why he didn't make me eat it he said "because I wanted someone to share the schadenfreude with." At the time I thought he was just mocking me for my poor cooking skills, but on the other hand he genuinely delighted in force-feeding his friends toxic curry, and it didn't seem to matter who made it. It again made me wonder just what sorts of thoughts went through his head, if he respected me enough to not subject me to my own cooking or just wanted someone to share the burden of torturing his friends with.
"What's wrong?" Masato asked.
"Uh, err, you see…" I said, before Reimu poked me.
"Oh, come on," she snided. "You can't even make something as basic as tea?" She giggled. "You're hopeless. Guess that's what you get for being a city boy who just buys everything." She walked toward the kitchen. "I can make the tea if you want, Masato."
Masato shook his head. "You really can't make tea?" he asked me.
"Well… the thing is, nobody ever taught me, since I was an orphan and all…" I shuffled my feet around.
Masato stood there for a moment, thinking, then snapped his fingers.
"Ah. I see." He smiled. "Well, I might not be a master chef, but I am a good enough cook; my parents did make me cook dinner back in the day, after all. A young man like you really should be able to cook for himself; I'm surprised you've gotten this far without knowing how."
I grinned. "Well, it's just as Reimu-san said. I've been living off instant noodles and 7-11 sushi for quite some time…"
"Now that's no way to eat," Masato chided. "I know food might be easier to come by in Tokyo compared to here, but food you make yourself is better for you than that chemical garbage. If you're going to live here, in Gensokyo and under my roof, you need to be able to make good, healthy meals from real grains, meat, and vegetables, and I'm going to help you as much as you need." He stuck out his hand. "Deal?"
...well, I guess I had no choice in the matter. He did have a point: there were no instant noodles or anything like that here, so it was either learn how to cook or eat fruit and nuts all the time. But not only that, he actively wanted to help me and direct me, something no adult would do for me before, least of all Shido, who didn't care about my well-being at all, or anyone's well-being for that matter. He wasn't just giving me work and a bed, but wanted to help me grow as a man, too.
So I took his hand, and shook it. "Deal," I smiled.
And so, I made a deal with Masato…
I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Hierophant Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power...
Once the tea was ready, the three of us sat around the table and talked about various things. For the most part, Reimu confided to Masato about recent incidents, including one a year and a half ago regarding an invasion of people from the moon, or how she received what she thought was a "dragon stone" but it was actually a "fish stone" that became two goldfish living in a pond behind her shrine. Somehow, given the nature of this strange, fantastical place combined with the Metaverse's existence, it didn't surprise me that there was a civilization on the moon as well. It made me curious about what other sorts of incidents she had dealt with in the past, and what sorts of hooligans she got tangled up with.
As we finished up and I got back up to do some more organizing, Reimu asked us a question.
"Hey Masato," she said, "do you mind if I take Goro for a walk?"
Masato smirked. "Oh? Why so suddenly? Did he manage to steal your heart?"
Reimu jumped and blushed as red as a ground cherry. "Wha- no, it's nothing like that!" I rolled my eyes; that was the third time in two days girls were mistaken for having crushes on me, two of those times being because of something Masato said. Hopefully, my situation wouldn't turn into the plot of Love Hina or some other harem anime . The last thing I needed was to be surrounded by a bunch of girls and women with supernatural powers.
Soon, Reimu collected herself, and said, "no, actually it's because I want to talk to him about some things, including everything he needs to know about Gensokyo as an Outsider. I won't be too long, if you don't mind."
"Sure, go right ahead," Masato told her, putting away the dishes. "If anyone can tell him best what this place is like, it's you, after all."
"Thank you," Reimu bowed. She then collected her jacket and scarf hanging by the door and motioned me to follow her outside. Masato lent me a jacket to use as I made my way out.
Reimu led me through the town square, past more homes, shops and a statue depicting a large, horned dragon. Its eyes glowed dark blue, as if there were lights inside of it.
"Impressive," I mused. "Whoever created this must have been very skilled."
"That's the Dragon Statue," Reimu explained. "It was created and placed here in honor of the dragons who lent the sages their power to create the Barrier. It can predict the weather, and its eyes glow different colors based on the forecast. It's dark blue now because of all the snow. A lighter blue means rain, grey means clouds, and sunny is white. If it ever glows red, that means there's a major incident on the horizon. However, it's not always right, since the weather does what it wants and there are things here, like those dragons I mentioned, who can change it. But," she paused, "it's always right about the incidents."
"How common are these 'incidents?'" I asked.
"This place is full of youkai and gods and other things that get bored. So yeah, they happen a lot. That's also part of my job, to hunt down and nail whoever's causing the incident, especially if it threatens the land."
"Sounds like a lot of work," I commented.
"It is, but it's the duty that falls on every Hakurei Shrine maiden. And it's also my duty to keep the humans here safe, and that includes you." She looked at a path ahead of her, just past the town. "Would you like me to show you the shrine?"
"Of course," I smiled. "I'm sure it's a wonderful place."
Reimu froze for a second, then smiled. "Er, thanks."
The path was, predictably, covered in snow, and lined with what looked like wards held up by stakes. What was strange, though, was the lack of footsteps; Reimu herself told me she had come from the shrine down to the village, yet I realized if she had then there would be tracks left in the snow from earlier, unless she had taken another route.
"Reimu-san," I asked, "why are there no tracks in the snow?"
"Hm?" she said, facing me.
"You said you came down from the shrine?" I said.
"Oh, that. I flew down."
My brain froze for a second. "Er, what now?"
"I can fly. It's one of my powers. Well, actually a lot of people here can fly, but I can do it better than most. You can't, though, which is why I'm walking with you up the path."
"I see… would you mind showing me?"
"Uh… sure, I guess." She stepped back, looked up, and all of a sudden she lifted up from the ground, seemingly levitating in midair. Two spinning orbs which resembled yin-yang symbols appeared from behind her and orbited around her as she did this. After a few moments, she touched back down, and the orbs disappeared into her dress. Again, a normal person would have called her a witch, but I was amazed and impressed. I wanted to know all there was to know about this land of magic, having seen weirder things myself.
"Impressive," I complimented.
"It's not really," Reimu dismissed. "I'm sure anyone can do it if they practice."
"Well then, maybe someday I'll learn," I said.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Outsider," she frowned. "There's dangerous youkai out here, and you should stay in that village. The villagers don't do it, and if you fly you also need to fight. Leave the fighting to the incident resolvers."
"Understood," I nodded. But unknown to Reimu, I was a fighter, one who once commanded untold amounts of power fueled by my hate, sorrow and rage. Without those, without my Persona, my abilities were little more than a normal person's, but my spirit was still there somewhere. If only there was a way to channel it without calling upon my darkness and letting myself be scorned, without lying to anyone. I saw Reimu and realized she was very strict in maintaining Gensokyo's order; if she knew that side of me, it was likely she would deal with me in the same way as those monsters. If only I could be genuinely nice…
We continued up the path, making small conversation here and there. We came up to a rock spire, around the base of which was a trail. Off in the distance, I saw a purple spot at the base of a cliff.
I pointed to it and asked, "what is that?"
Reimu looked toward it, and said, "oh, that? That's a portal to the Netherworld."
"Come again?" I asked, wanting to know why a portal to a realm of the dead was doing on a random mountainside."
"It's kind of a dumb story," Reimu told me. "A few years back, a hole tore itself open in the sky, and started sucking in Gensokyo's 'Spring,' which caused it to still be snowy even though it was May. So I went up there, and discovered it led to the Netherworld. Turns out, one of Yukari's old friends, the princess of the Netherworld Yuyuko Saigyouji, was using that energy to cause a demonic cherry tree to bloom to see whose body was sealing it, only to find it was hers. I had some words and spell cards with them, she gave back the Spring, and all was well. Well, her gardener Youmu wanted to shop in the village, so we moved the portal to that mountainside, and it's been there ever since."
Hold on, I thought. How could it be her body, I wondered? "Who is Yuyuko?" I asked.
"I told you, she's the princess of the Netherworld," Reimu told me. "She's also a ghost; in life she had the ability to kill people pretty much just by pointing at them. She killed herself instead to keep people from misusing her because of that power. After she died, she went before the yama to be judged, but since she also had the ability to manipulate departed souls, she was instead given a job. So, the Netherworld is where souls that don't qualify for either Heaven or Hell hang out until they reincarnate, and she's ruled over it for a long time. She rules it from Hakugyokurou, an old shrine filled with cherry blossoms. Some people call it the 'Castle of the Dead,' since-"
All of a sudden, there was a golden glow emanating from under my robes, where I had put the gold key I found that morning.
"What the heck?" Reimu said. "What's that coming from under your-" That's when both of us were hit with a sudden shock, as the world flashed purple and began to twist and distort. I understood immediately what was going on. Reimu, on the other hand, exclaimed, "what the heck is going on here?!"
Once we looked back up, we saw that the world had dimmed somewhat. More importantly, though, we turned around, and the mountainside where the portal was located had been replaced with a bridge leading across a ravine. On the other side was a massive, traditional Japanese castle, looming high above everything around it and with a gigantic cherry tree crowning a hill behind it, a black night sky cast around it.
We gazed out toward the distant castle. I realized now that we were in the Metaverse, which existed here within Gensokyo as well. The key had somehow taken us to this place, and we were staring off now at a Palace. I knew then that this 'Yuyuko' had a distorted heart. But to think that a ghost ruling over a realm of the dead had the ability to manifest a Palace within her heart.
Reimu, of course, was still hung up on a castle appearing out of nowhere. "What the- how in the… what is this place?!" She looked at me. "Do you have anything to do with this? What was that glowing on you just now?"
After a moment's hesitation, I pulled out the key. It now had a dull glow, and in front of it was a set of holographic keywords: "Yuyuko Saigyouji, Hakugyoukurou, Castle." I realized that this key acted in a similar manner to the MetaNav, which I couldn't use because I had no way to recharge my long-dead phone. Those two figures in the Velvet Room must have given me this so I could access the Metaverse without the Nav, but why?
"Where did you get this key?" she asked.
"I don't know," I answered. "I just woke up this morning and it was in my bed."
Reimu was skeptical. "Sounds suspicious. You sure you didn't have this thing with you before?"
"I didn't!" I insisted. "I honestly don't know how I got it!"
Reimu studied the hologram some more. "These words… did I say these words, and that caused the key to take us here?" She looked at the castle again. "That castle… that has to do with Yuyuko somehow?" She looked at her surroundings again, and asked, "what is this place? So strange…"
Her head then turned and she took a fighting stance. When I looked where she was looking, two figures came running down the bridge toward us. They looked like castle guards, with samurai masks obscuring their faces. Shadows, I thought to myself.
"HALT!" one of them shouted. "This is queen Yuyuko's castle! You are both intruders and we ask that you leave!"
I nudged Reimu and told her, "I think we should do as they ask."
"No," she said sternly. She walked up to the shadows, and demanded, "you will tell me what this place is, or I, Reimu Hakurei, keeper of the Hakurei Shrine, will force you to."
The shadow drew its sword and pointed it at her. "This is the queen's castle and you are a threat!"
"Threatening my life, huh?!" Reimu sneered. She spun her gohei, held out her hand and focused…
"...huh?" she said in confusion. "Where are my… why are my powers not working?!"
The shadow then knocked her down to the ground. "AHH!" she screamed.
I rushed to her side. "Reimu-san! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine," she grunted, "but… my powers aren't working for some reason!" We looked up, and the shadows had surrounded us.
"For threatening our queen, we will kill you where you lay," one of them said.
"Shit, this is bad," Reimu angrily grunted. "Goro, can you do something to get them off us?!"
Of course, I knew just what to do in this situation: call forth my Persona to dispatch these shadows. But neither of my Metaverse outfits had manifested on me, so I couldn't do that. Desperate, I took a breath, and focused, trying to call forth my innermost thoughts.
Nothing.
I thought about my feelings… my lies, my hate, my desire for recognition…
Nothing.
I thought about my relationship with the Thieves, Ren in particular. That time at the bath, at the Jazz Club, when he mussed up my hair to throw off my fangirls, the glove…
Nothing.
...how he was my rival… how we could have been friends…
Nothing.
...no, how we WERE friends…
"...So, you've finally manifested your true feelings," came a voice.
I jolted up, and found myself in a black void. In front of me, was… myself. My shadow self, the other me who dwelled within.
"...what do you mean?" I asked.
"I am you. I am the you buried underneath the crushing weight of your rage, sorrow, lies and deceit. The one who strives for absolute justice… that man, Ren. Your bond with him was what finally allowed me to claw my way out of the abyss. He was the one who showed you what it really means to be loved and appreciated, not the superficial adoration of your fans. He was the one who showed you what justice really was."
I processed what my shadow was saying. I stated, "but… I already have two Personas…"
"Superficial manifestations of your lies and your hate," it dismissed. "A power granted to you by an evil god who only wanted to use you. To corrupt you. To drown you in the deepest, darkest pits of your despair."
I looked down. "...a puppet… heh, that's all I've been."
"Yes," it said. "A pawn in a rigged game you were never meant to win. And look where it's gotten you: a killer without remorse, driven by your own darkly distorted heart. Does that not enrage you?"
"...it does…"
"Pathetic!" my shadow shouted. "For how much your father turned you into an instrument for murder and quashed the hopes and dreams of thousands, how much he bastardized your justice and skills, that weak-ass admission is the best you can manage?!" He stamped his foot. "Say it like you mean it, goddamnit!"
I thought about what he was saying. He was right… I was right. I had a strong sense of justice, and yet allowed myself to be used as a tool for injustice. Not only that, but a tool for the injustice and evil of my sack of shit of a father, and apparently an evil god who saw an opportunity and played me like a fiddle. I should have guessed that, really. Who or what else would have just come in to seemingly grant my insatiable desire for revenge against a society who rejected me?
...no, that wasn't me. A crusader of justice and punisher of the wicked, THAT was the TRUE me. Here I was, a place where I could forge a new life, about to die at the hands of these shadows with a woman I barely knew. I wouldn't stand for it. Only a coward would embrace death at this moment. And I was no coward.
I chuckled. "I've been used and abused by wicked powers for far too long. I kept hiding behind my lies and fears, and using them as an excuse." I got up. "I'm done being weak. Done cowing to the orders of the corrupt. Today, the me who only pretends to seek justice has died. But the real me… the me who seeks the truth and smites evil… THAT me shall live on."
My shadow smirked. "I see. Very well. In that case, I shall become your strength."
It vanished. Not a moment later, I was hit with a piercing headache and my vision contracted and yellowed.
"Nnnggh… ghhhh!" I gripped my head and staggered about in pain, all while a voice called in my head.
"Swear to me. I am thou, thou art I. Thou who shall tread the path of knives to bring the hammer of judgement to the hearts of the wicked, whose tears shall pave the path to thy own salvation and the grace of others!"
The pain throughout my body hit a searing crescendo, and I screamed up at the sky in agony. Reality flashed back, and a wind pushed away the shadows, who staggered and fell onto the ground. Reimu shielded herself with her arm, and when the wind stopped, she looked up at me.
I slumped, then opened my eyes. I realized I had a mask on my face, one like my crow mask, but dark burgundy and with a much shorter "beak." I felt around it, and tried to pull it off of my face, only to find it tugging painfully. Gripping harder, and ignoring the pain, I gritted my teeth, and in a swift motion pulled it off, splattering blood everywhere as the skin around my eyes ripped off and I screamed in agony. My head dropped in shock, before I looked up with a determined look and piercing, golden eyes.
Reimu, still on the ground, backed away from me slowly, her expression aghast as blue flames and wind fanned around me, my traditional kimono and jacket giving way to a snappy, proper tuxedo with a cape. Behind me, the flames formed into a figure in a similarly snappy outfit, with long, spindly appendages, white gloves, and a face and head showing slick black hair and yellow eyes, with the rest of it obscured by a black gaiter.
"...what the…" Reimu said, still wide-eyed and in disbelief.
"Allow me to introduce myself," my new Persona proclaimed in a gentlemanly voice. "The name is Bond. James Bond. I am the will of justice who serves a higher order, strutting in flamboyant grandeur yet melding into the shadows, scouring the globe to crush crime and corruption! Call my name, and thy hand of justice will smite all foes!"
I clutched my now gloved hand, and looked up. "Yes. Lend me your power. All of it, it is my power as well!"
The shadows got back up, and started charging at me. "Of course," Bond said. Flamed flared in my hands before forming into a pistol in one and a knife in the other - just like the weapons Ren used. Now I was really carrying out and living up to his example.
I grinned.
I took off toward one shadow, dashing into it then performing a spinning bicycle kick to knock its mask of. Still spinning and upside down, I took aim and shot the mask off of the other shadow. Both shadows writhed and spasmed, melted into black goo, then finally burst and emerged into their true forms: a Pixie and a Jack-o-Lantern.
"Pfft, weaklings," I smirked. "This will take no effort on my part." I drew my pistol and shot the Jack in order to disorient it, before lunging at it with my knife. It got back up, then brandished its lantern. Instinctively, I rolled to the side, dodging the fireball which exploded where I had been.
It tried to cast Agi again, but nothing happened. "I'm outta magic, ho," it said.
"Works for me," I smiled, before jumping onto it, tossing its hat away and sticking my knife into its head, killing it instantly.
Once that was taken care of, I took aim at the Pixie still flying around. I shot at it a couple of times, but it was nimble and dodged them, and it flew out of range of my knife.
"My power is yours," Bond told me. "Use it however you like!"
I nodded. "Yes. Let it flow through me!" I snapped my fingers, and a dark wave - Eiha - engulfed the Pixie and knocked it down to the ground.
I quickly dashed up to it and drew my weapon. "Well then," I said smoothly, "seems the tables have turned."
"I don't wanna die!" it pleaded. "I'll give you anything!"
I cocked my eyebrow. "Anything?" I smirked. "Alright then. Give me all the money you have."
"...er, I don't have any money," it said.
"Hmph. Then what about a powerful item? I'm feeling merciful, I'll even take any food you have."
"I don't have anything like that either…"
I sneered. "Well then, it looks like your number is up if that's the case. I'm kind of in a rush, and have no time to waste on a Pixie such as yourself."
The Pixie then perked up. "Wait a minute, I've heard that name before, but where… ah, I remember now!" It flew up into the air. "I'm not a guard of this castle! I'm my own person, born from the Sea of Souls! I'm Pixie, and from now on I'll live in your heart!" It then flashed, before turning into a mask identical to my own and getting sucked into it.
Silence, before I looked down at Reimu, who was still staring at me.
"What the heck was that all about?!" she shouted. "One second, we were surrounded, then your clothes changed and a man came out of your face, then those two things turned into fairies and you killed one and the other got sucked into your mask!"
I looked over my shoulder, and could see more shadows massing in front of the distant entrance. "We should get moving," I said. "I'll explain later." I went up to her. "Give me your arm." I helped her up, and together we dashed up the path to the shrine.
We very quickly left the distortion, which didn't extend far at all past that spot, and made it to the bottom steps of the shrine. As soon as we stopped, I bent over to catch my breath, and Reimu did as well.
"Haah… haah… haah…" she huffed. "That… that…"
"That was close?" I finished for her.
She grabbed my shoulders. "What the hell was that just now?" she shouted. "How did that place appear? What's with that key of yours? What were those creatures? And most importantly… what in the actual HELL was that thing you summoned?! And how did you suck that fairy in your mask?!"
I pushed her off of me. "Calm down, Reimu-san. It's a long story."
"Oh no you don't," she retorted, shooting me a glare. "I'm not letting you leave until you tell me what happened back there. Like, where did you get that key, why did it cause that castle to appear, and what that power of yours is!"
I hesitated to tell her about the Metaverse, since I feared it would eventually lead to her discovering the truth about my past. On the other hand, she had seen the palace, those shadows, me awakening a Persona and even taking one of the shadows into my heart as another mask. If I claimed ignorance at all, she would certainly call it out. So I had to explain it all to her, in a way that wouldn't give away too much. Even so, it meant having to do something I wasn't used to doing: telling the truth.
I took a deep breath. "That area we were just in was called the Metaverse."
Reimu widened one eye. "Meta what now?"
"The Metaverse," I explained. "It's another reality where humanity's cognition manifests into a physical realm. Those enemies we faced are called 'Shadows.' Basically, they are concepts, myths and legends common among humanity given corporeal forms, and who wander that world until they are drawn to 'Palaces.'"
"Uh… I'm not sure I completely follow you," said Reimu, puzzled. "So, basically, it's another realm where our thoughts become… things?"
"Essentially, yes. In addition to those shadows, each of us has a 'Shadow Self' which represents our repressed feelings, fears, hopes and desires. If one's desires become distorted enough, they form a location, called a 'Palace' atop a real-world landmark significant to them, which takes a shape based on what they see that landmark as. That castle is one such palace; it means that this 'Yuyuko Saigyouji' sees the place from which she rules the Netherworld as her personal castle from which she rules with an iron fist, thus it becomes a literal castle in which her shadow rules as an actual tyrant. And by saying those words to the key, it allows us to travel to that place."
Reimu thought for a moment. "I see… a place in which dark versions of ourselves exist and what we see and think becomes real…" She shook her head. "It's still hard for me to follow, but I think I get the basic idea. Now, what about that power you called up that looked like some secret agent?"
"That was a 'Persona,'" I added. "Should you travel into the Metaverse, you may encounter your own shadow, which represents the thoughts and feelings which you subconsciously bury. If you come to terms with those feelings and refuse to run away from them, stick true to your justice and vow to fight against the darkness, then you form a contract with that shadow, in effect forming a contract to not lie to yourself anymore. Once that happens, you fuse with your shadow and they become a form based on a figure impressed onto the collective unconscious, who represents your heart and the will you hold within yourself. That is your 'Persona,' and by using it you have a means to fight and survive in that world."
…
"...ah." It took Reimu a moment to process what I had just said. "So, what I saw there was you summoning that power because you accepted your faults and vowing to overcome them. That's what that power was."
"You're quite sharp," I complimented.
"...tell me, did you have this power on the Outside too?"
Oh great, another difficult question, one that could lead her to figuring out my past if I wasn't careful about how I answered it. But since I already told her I knew about the Metaverse, I felt obligated to disclose the truth in a way that wouldn't make my dark past immediately obvious.
"I was part of a group that all had the same power as I, although I was not the leader. I first gained my power while I was investigating them, following a string of unusual burglaries and the changes of hearts of the targets. I was caught up in a palace they were infiltrating, and awakened a Persona when I was attacked by shadows. Fascinated by this power, I had them prove their justice to me by following them around the palace. I promised not to indict them on any charges, on the condition that they help me take on a corrupt politician I had been investigating for some time."
Reimu chuckled. "So, a detective who commits crimes to bring justice to corrupt men. That's very ironic."
"Indeed. But this politician was running for prime minister, and had he won he would have crushed the country in his iron fist and shaped it to fit his own twisted, brutal and ultra-nationalist views. He even solicited hits and blackmailed other politicians to achieve his level of status, often with the assistance of the Yakuza. So it was no surprise that he owned a palace. We infiltrated that palace until we reached the core of it, a 'treasure' which supports each palace and represents a real-world item which is the source of their distorted desires. Of course his shadow was there to defend it, and after a long battle the treasure was finally ours."
I looked down, my eyes closed. "But then, that's when things went awry."
"Oh?" Reimu wondered.
"Yes. Once a treasure is taken, a palace will start to collapse. Once it has completely collapsed, anything and everything inside of it at the time will be erased from the Metaverse, and cease to exist in the public's cognition. Usually, we would make it out long before that happened, but in this case, the chaotic crumbling of the palace caused me to become separated from the group. I tried my best to find my own way out, but it took a long time, and once I thought I had an escape route, a final explosion knocked me unconscious. The palace collapsed, and I faded out of existence along with it." I looked back up. "And that's how I came here."
For a few moments, all was quiet, the only sounds being the wind gently whipping up the snow and blowing around flurries.
"...I see," Reimu bowed. "That all must have been very scary for you."
"It was…" I paused. "You're not confused?"
"Not really, now that you've explained it all from the top," Reimu said. "As I said before and I'm sure you've been told, things arrive here in Gensokyo when humans forget about them. Youkai feared by humans are no longer feared, as other, more scientific explanations for the phenomena they cause, like the echoes of the yamabiko, become more accepted. Gods who lose faith as their followers scatter, religion dissipates, and who will come here rather than literally poof out of existence. Old items that people lose. And in some cases, people who society forgets. So I guess Gensokyo isn't too different from that 'Metaverse,' since they're both shaped by what humans believe."
I smirked. "I'm surprised, though I guess I really shouldn't be. This place does seem like a dumping ground for all manner of myths and legends. Out there, if I had ever told anyone of the Metaverse, they'd probably think I was a lunatic. But you just accept it as no more strange than the myriad things which must go on here."
"We have a saying here: there is no common sense in Gensokyo. Just repeat that to yourself and you'll stay sane. Maybe." She laughed. I chuckled a little myself, because I wasn't too sure how to take that advice, or if I should follow it literally, but it seemed lighthearted regardless.
Reimu then stood back up. "EIther way, you definitely have potential. I don't usually offer to do this, but… how would you like for me to teach you how to fight?"
My ears perked up. "Come again?"
"I created the spell card system as a way to easily resolve incidents and allow humans, youkai, gods and whatnot to settle their differences without death or there being a huge gap in power. And I can tell you're pretty special. Your talent would go to waste if you never left the village, and it'd be great to have another incident resolver around."
"An incident-resolver," I wondered aloud. "What would be up against, if you taught me how to use this 'Spell Card System?'"
Reimu shrugged. "Anything, really. In the past, I've squared off against hell ravens, revived saints, vampires, moon administrators, the literal judge of the dead and an immature celestial, to name a few. There's probably stuff even I haven't seen yet, either. If I taught you how to use spell cards, I ask that you assist me in facing those."
Those all sounded very dangerous, for sure. But Reimu seemed like she was a strong, capable fighter, and I've fought shadows in the Metaverse just as dangerous, if not even moreso, than what she had just described. For me, it was a chance to flex my detective muscles once again, solving incidents by making the right deductions, then beating the perpetrators once they were found.
"I'll accept your offer," I said, "if you agree to help me do one thing."
"What is it?" Reimu asked.
I looked behind me back at the path leading back down the hill. "That palace belonging to Yuyuko… I want you to help me deal with it."
Reimu was shocked. "But, weren't we almost killed back there? And my powers don't work there, for some reason. I'd just be dragging you down…"
"You solve incidents in this land, yes?" I asked, this time a little more harshly. "Surely you would consider this a potential incident. Palaces only exist because the owner's cognition is extremely distorted, and they're likely threatening those around them because of that. And her palace is likely not the only one - there could be many palaces in this place. So," I extended my hand. "Will you help me solve this case? In exchange I will assist you in putting down 'regular' incidents."
Reimu pursed her lips. My words were effective, it seemed. Both of us were the masters of our respective domains, and by joining forces we could help each other grow even stronger. Surely she saw this, and would be compelled to accept my offer, since in order to solve this incident she would need my help as much as I needed hers.
Eventually, she shook my hand and smiled. "Deal."
"Then it is settled," I smiled back.
And so, I made a deal with Reimu…
I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Temperance Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
I turned back down the path toward the village. As I started walking down, Reimu called out "tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow?" I asked.
"Come back here tomorrow! Tell Masato it's important business!"
"I will," I nodded, as I made my way through the snowy forest back towards town.
