Author's notes: This is the second part to the introduction chapter which is Persona FEStivities. Again, do enjoy the two-shot that I've made.
I do not own Persona it belongs to the Atlus guys, by the way…who made it a good idea to have Ken's age at 10 when he's dating Minako? You should have put him at 14, seriously that's no way to promote good morality at all man…
"Wh-What the hell?" Felice stumbled backward from the kitchen doorway a pair of eyes staring blankly at the coffin which stood in place in the middle of the room the ominous red becoming too much for him to bear, his hand slipping the plastic bags in his hand and let it tumble onto the ground behind him, the boy feeling his eyes blur slightly as a nauseous feeling came over his senses bile rising to the back of his gaping mouth. Stepping away from the doorway, Felice felt his limbs grow still once he had reached the entrance, the teen turning back to the kitchen door as he placed his shoes on his feet and walked out of the door sharply slamming it behind him before his calm façade dropped completely for ragged breaths and the loud thumping of his heart against his chest.
"Wh-What's going on here!?" Looking back at the main door with fear, Felice felt panic rising in his heart and the urge to just scream was tethering over the line of what sanity he had left from the sight in the home. Fighting it down as his voice was only making shivers and gasps, Felice staggered away from the source of his discomfort placing a hand out into the air as if he was pleading to the air for support a heavy foot crunching against the stone while his free hand trembled stuffing itself into his jacket pocket warily looking at the dark atmosphere that took over his surroundings. Staring at his phone screen, the teen's heart dropped further as he glared at a symbol of a phone with a strike across it the indicator seeming to taunt his attempts for a way for help.
No service
"No way, don't tell me this blackout's affecting the whole district?" That train of thought made him more nervous, no, it was beginning to terrify him out of his mind, and that was beginning to show by the paler shade of white that he was carrying as he turned to his right just where the main cityscape was visible over the horizon of houses…and lurched at what he was seeing, his breath hitched in his throat as he wiped his left eye which was bulging and throbbing from the shock of it all.
What he was witnessing was the arrival of a tall spiraling mass sticking into the skyline like a spear with misshapen edges which Felice couldn't make out due to the amount of darkness, however simply by staring up at it filled him with a sense of unmeasurable dread and terror at what was exuding from the structure. A chill ran down his spine while he noticed that the night sky once black and abyssal seemed to take on a darker shade of red and green, the combination scaring him half to death the more he focused on it and it took a force of will to tear himself away from the tower, pinching the skin of his palm to snap himself out of the bout of hesitance.
"Ow! Okay, I'm wide awake…and nothing has changed," Felice hoarsely said aloud before he realized the futility of making such a thought known to himself falling silent. And there is no service out here, maybe if I get closer to the city center there might be-wait, why am I heading towards the damn tower anyways? I should be walking to the north of it, hopefully I can get better forms of reception there instead of standing around like a fool…argh, I don't get any of this! Why's the damn sky red, what's that strange tower doing here?!
Shaking his head, the boy turned back to look forlornly at the house before he fought back his fears, Felice walking briskly towards the gate and unhooked it slipping outside into the dark streets which had lost all source of light adjusting his jacket by unbuttoning the top two buttons from their slots revealing a white undershirt. Strange, was it always this hot out here? It's supposed to be colder…
Giving a final glance around, the boy walked away into the dark streets feeling a ringing in his head becoming rather profound with what sounded like a chant luring him somewhere.
Meanwhile
"It is time," Igor said with growing interest while Margaret stoically closed the book she was holding in her hands hiding a page where a tiny memory was stored, locking it away as she stared up at the balding man with his grin unfashionably threatening to split his face in a horizontal cleave feeling no sense of discomfort at the man's expression. "Time, you mean for my guest to arrive towards us once more?"
Igor nodded, smiling as he raised his hand sweeping it over the table to create two cards, his grin still holding its place flipping one particular card out from the two and stared at a blackened image. "That is correct, and it seems that this time our dear guest, unlike before when he first came to us, is no longer on his own." Margaret shifted in her seat on the couch, her analytical eyes catching on to his words as she looked surprised at that, the woman turning her head towards the cover of her book which laid closed.
"If he can summon his Persona this quickly then…he may be a valuable asset to the journey of our primary guest." Margaret said softly while Igor gave a chuckle at her slightly tense expression raising a brow at her reaction as he did so, "It seems dear Margaret that you have underestimated the power of our guest once again…as have many others in my service have done before you. However, I would tell you that this time even with such an intriguing guest you would not find the answer to whatever question you're seeking now." The words seem to hit home for Margaret, the attendant shuddering as she looked away ignoring her master who just took pleasure in her avoidance before he lightly chided the woman.
"Dear Margaret do not worry, whatever it is you seek shall be made clear to you when the time is right. But for now, I need your focus to be solely on our guest for this time… he will need all the assistance he can get," Igor smiled as both occupants looked to the door where their guest was meant to enter, each minute ticking away before Igor continued as he eyed the blank faced card suddenly forming an image onto the surface, his eyes brimming with intrigue. "It is rather rare for such a young contractor to be part of our world even when he doesn't have that power within him to do it…this would be interesting indeed."
With Felice, near the Iwadatori dorms
"This is far from the city center but there's still no reception…" Felice murmured as he walked on by the row of buildings that were lined up his eyes trailing all over the windows with each passing second becoming a dim hope for his reception as a splash alerted him to the wetness which was forming on his feet and soaking into his shoes. "What the-is this…blood?!" Pulling his feet out of the puddle, Felice stood dumbstruck at the blood puddle which pooled like water the sight nearly sending his breath into raggedness while his heart pounded again, his head now searching unintentionally for other puddles only to retch at the sight of a small river trickling down the street Felice instead deciding to move away from his current position, instead breaking into a panicked sprint down the street his sense of direction being his guide.
Fifteen minutes of running around in a patternless sprint towards wherever north was, Felice found himself going nowhere after his brief panic slowing to a grinding halt when his burning legs gave out on him forcing him to quit, the teen placing his hands on his kneecaps breathing heavily while he slapped a hand on the stone wall for support. "What's going on here…first the lights, that coffin in the kitchen and now puddles of blood and a tower jutting out of the main city center?" Felice couldn't even laugh or think as he tried to register the amount of weird things that had just occurred in the span of an unspecified period of time, and concluded that his mind was drawing a complete and utter blank at the moment.
"I shouldn't be thinking about that, but yet something's…wrong with that structure." Felice said as he moved up the stone steps his mind in a light haze but aimlessness was the prominent expression he held now as he wandered to the left and took a seat near a playground, the teen deciding to rest after the mental taxation that this situation was beginning to create his eyes uplifted towards the greenish sky.
"Fate has made you a rather interesting guest," a familiar voice cut his thoughts off as he stood up pushing himself up while a look of recognition followed suit while he spun his head around the playground his instincts on high alert as he hesitated for a moment and spoke up to the air calling out the name which was lying on the tip of his tongue with a gulp. "I-Igor, is that you? How are you even-?"
The voice of Igor chuckled and Felice could immediately picture an image of the balding man giving him his unnatural grin under his long nose and arched intertwined fingers sitting at the table in his mind's eye, the teen feeling a bit uncomfortable then as the voice served as his distraction from the current dilemma that he had. "Well my boy, the reason I have called out to you is simply because it is time. Now, if you could please turn to your right, you'll see what I mean." Felice turned hesitantly, the sound of shoes scraping up small pebbles and the crunch of the sandy ground was heard as he noticed something beside the slide, a shining light alerting him to something as he walked past the slide coming face to face with a velvet door standing a little above his head, the entrance creeping the teen out a little-no, it was extremely frightening for Felice who noted that the door was literally in the middle of air floating slightly above the flimsy sandpit. Feeling a bit hesitant, Felice stared in wonder rooted to the spot as he heard Igor speak again in the back of his mind making the decision for him.
"Excellent, now if I can only have a moment of your time," Igor's voice was the last thing that Felice heard as his eyes were shielded by the door opening for him bathing the teen in a flash of bright light, the teen expecting to be knocked out before something tugged at his hand pulling him into the source as he stumbled halfway through his hands shielding the fall as he entered the Velvet Room nearly losing his balance while he scrambled to his feet. Igor in the meantime was grinning widely at the clumsy entrance during this time Margaret was standing next to Felice her right hand still gripping the invisible air where Felice's wrist was before he unceremoniously fell to the ground. "Are you alright?"
Felice groaned as he looked back at Margaret, the teen meeting her golden eyes for a moment before he felt his face brighten and grew hot at the cheeks the teen chuckling nervously out of reflex while he looked aside at the floor instead, "Huh? Uh yeah, I'm fine…thanks for trying to help me inside."
"You are my guest, it is not something in need of thanks if it is part of my duty as an attendant," Margaret replied oblivious to the effect she was having on the teen who gave her a shy smile hiding his face further by looking at the floor. Igor's chuckle brought him out of it as he shot the man a glance that told him not to say anything about what had happened, but Igor was clearly taking this without offence as he smiled at Felice's embarrassment speaking to the teen once more. "It seems that your destiny has come earlier than I have anticipated…it seems the most important guest is not due for about a week. No matter, this would mean that you would have one week to prepare yourself for what is to come in the future events…now if you would do me the pleasure of having a seat so we may begin to answer some of the burning questions that you have in your heart."
Igor gestured to the couch where Margaret sat on the right her wavy blonde hair facing him as Felice nodded dumbly, his body following the gesture and sat down on the couch nervously looking over to Margaret who noticed this and offered a light smile of comfort. Needless to say Felice immediately managed to get a grip on himself and his mind cleared almost instantly, the teen giving her a nod of thanks as he looked at Igor attempting to sort out his thoughts the room grew silent for a few minutes before he even managed to open his mouth. "Igor…I wanted to ask you a few things."
"Go ahead and ask, after all…we are here to help and support our guests in their endeavors as long as it does abide within the rules of the contract." The man urged him on as Felice nodded.
"Hey, about that contract…why do I not remember signing it in the first place? I mean, if this were a recent thing then I would have remembered but yet no matter how hard I think of it I can't place a single memory where I have stepped into this room much less have spoken with you about a contract," Felice admitted as he slumped in his seat resting his head against the comfortable cushion of the headboard, the wood creaking under his weight. "Igor-san, I wanted to know if…there might be something preventing me from remembering."
"I don't believe I would be able to tell you, only the person who has followed his true self knows the answer as to why he would sign such a life-changing contract and ask for our services…if you cannot recall it, perhaps it is due to fate that has blinded the reasons for you doing so. Of course, I cannot speak on behalf of Fate for it is a human concept that is rather vague as is destiny."
"I see, in that case then I'll forget about it for now," Felice replied as Igor nodded for him to continue as the teen pointed towards the door armed with his next question for the mysterious man, "so what was happening out there? What were those coffins, or even that tower in the distance? I was just a new arrival but even I knew there wasn't such a tower that existed in Iwatodai Port Island."
"Ah, I was wondering when you would get to that…but yet another thing I unfortunately cannot tell you in detail." Felice's eyes rose in wonder as he stared at Igor. "Can't, or won't, or you are unable to explain to me?" Igor didn't flinch as he chuckled in his seat at Felice the man silently praising the perceptiveness of that inquiry, Igor releasing the hand bridge he had formed to look at Felice his grin shrinking only by inches.
"It is your trial or the source from which the hurdles in your future are thrown at you…yet the unpredictable nature of the trial can both be terrifying and yet comforting to some, but it depends on what you think about it and feel about what is to come. Is it a burden for you to carry along so many other past trials you hold on your back," Igor noticed Felice tense up at this but continued on as if he didn't notice, "or are you going to stand as proudly as the first card of your future?"
Felice shook his head, "I told you beforehand that I don't believe in stuff like that. It's just cards and self-fulfilling prophecies with only the person's feelings and mentality guiding them."
"And yet here you are, in the throes of the mystery that is starting to form all around you despite your choice to avoid it. What is happening to your world, what is the significance of the tower…why did you even come here in the first place?" Igor spread his arms wide as he looked at Felice with a glimmer in his eyes while he spoke, Felice feeling a little irritated but did not rise from his seat and storm off instead giving Igor an impatient stare. "The truth is that while we of the Velvet Room act as guides, that is all we are in reality, guides to show the light in the darkness but not by much…you'll understand it one day, dear guest." Igor watched as Felice kept his mouth tightly shut, the boy looking a little disappointed but instead of gritting his teeth and clenching his fists Felice gave out a sigh. While it was true that he expected Igor to have some kind of answer to the question of his contract much less what was happening outside, he was tugging on a slim rope of hope that at least something could be said.
"But surely there must be something despite your limitations to…"
"Felice-san," Margaret spoke up beside him grabbing his attention with her stern chiding tone as he flinched visibly frightened by her display, "if we knew all the answers ourselves, your journey would have been for naught…but there are many things that can change even when the outcome of your story is decided. And what would be the point of partaking the contract if you were going to have an easy way through, life is unpredictable like the cards and this is the same for your journey with its own multiple endings that can intertwine or divert from the proper path, this is the truth of the contract by which you have signed that speaks of your responsibility for your actions alone in the course. You have been given autonomy over your own destiny through that contract, one which many would yearn for but not realize it was given until signed in paper." Seeing Felice fall silent, the Velvet Room attendant watched as her guest blinked contemplating something for himself before he nodded reluctantly.
"…I do not agree, but that is a valid point as much as I would like to argue it isn't so."
"Much as I appreciate that you are finding your way past the surface of the fog, may I suggest that we get to our true purpose for summoning you," Igor announced as Felice nodded though half-heartedly as he watched Igor draw out two cards on the table, catching his interest as the cards were face up showing two blacked out images in front of Felice as he continued. "It is time to awaken to your power, the one that is now gifted to you."
"My power…?"
"Yes, the power that lies within you. Since you are very close to the unlocking of the door, I felt it was best that your awakening come swifter without much delay and so me and Margaret decided to fetch you as soon as we were able to though I must say, attempting to conjure a doorway into your world at this hour is…difficult," Igor explained with a wave of his hand as the two cards faded away into the palm of his white gloves, Felice watching the cards intently before he blinked. "Awakening of my power? How are you planning to do that, and what makes you think I am ready…"
"Readiness is not about the individual but the choice, as you are well aware." Igor stated mirthfully as he subtly threw the boy's words about destiny back at him though the subtle pass was mostly fallen on deaf ears as Felice tried to register what he was being told. "So what do you mean by that?"
Igor found a smile crawl further up his face scaring the teen a little before Igor gestured towards Margaret who was putting on a sterner face than he had seen her do previously just as Igor made his plans known. "Why, my assistant will be helping you to unlock your potential…by a duel of sorts."
"A d-duel?!" Felice sputtered out as he stared at Margaret who was not bothered in the slightest as she stared at her opponent. "Do not worry, in fact I would be more concerned with your own safety than mine especially without your abilities," Margaret interceded for Igor who kept silent observing the conversation as it unfolded in front of him not involving himself while Felice was staring with his mouth slightly open in protest but Margaret's glare shut whatever words he could prepare. "I will not take no for an answer, this is the only way that is the safest of the other options besides the more direct approach."
"W-Wait, you want me to fight her? That makes no sense! What does fighting her have to do with unlocking that power you were talking about…why can't you just wave your hand or something?" Felice turned to Igor who simply smirked in return. "I do not see why not and as I said before it is up to the individual on choice of how he uses his power, if this is meant to help develop your potential then by all means." Felice slapped a hand to his forehead while he heard chuckling from Igor his exasperation made known to the man who didn't seem to let it go, "I can't believe you are going along with this, but are you even certain this is going to help me?"
"As Margaret and I have both agreed upon, it is not a fight to the death according to the rules of the contract that you have signed so there is no reason to panic about being killed. Think of it as an exercise to help you train as well as unlock the untapped potential inside of you to bring out the well of power that still sleeps within you…do not tell me you have not been experiencing a voice calling to you from the depths of your own mind?" Igor asked, Felice about to protest when he felt a chime in his head just as he felt a sting in his brain forcing him to tense up in his seat the boy freezing in his position as what was a feminine voice calling out of him.
Thou art I…
"Didn't you hear the power calling to you just now? It is the depths of your soul crying out for release, and it is now or later that you unlock it." Igor addressed as he flexed his stiff fingers into the folded position while Felice felt his fingers dig into the skin of his scalp ignoring most of his surroundings. "I…"
"Do not tarry, guest…for time marches on in your world and the longer you wait, the dangerous the road ahead will be if you aren't prepared," Igor's words seemed to carry weight in them like he was pushing Felice forward as Margaret rose from the couch moving towards a velvet door that laid secure in the back of the room different from the one that Felice was entering and opened the door the attendant looking at back at him with the stoic expression that was present since Felice met her.
"Please, follow me."
Change of POV
As the guest reluctantly exited with Margaret out of the room, Igor turned his attention away from the door and began to concentrate folding his hands in a bridge for his nose while thinking deeply about what had happened earlier before he asked Margaret to find where their guest was and make the preparations. Indeed in his years as a guide never had he seen a marvelous and intriguing sight as he did while he was shuffling several mysterious cards which had appeared in his deck, their portraits blank and a dark fog obscured whatever that was held within them. While interesting, Igor had already guessed as to what they were and the imperativeness of sending for the most likely source of it all became paramount to a priority and upon explaining it to Margaret who normally wouldn't question his requests due to her overwhelming sense of duty, the attendant was surprised at the theory but kept her thoughts to herself the reaction being an expected one.
"It seems our dear guest has another kind of potential that isn't seen in other guests…" Igor hummed as he eyed the two black cards that were spread in front of him, the servant of Philemon waving a hand in the air gesturing to a point in the invisible swirl before a book emerged from the middle of air the dark brown cover falling to rest above the two cards and the front flap opened up to the page which was signed by Felice himself, Igor's eyes reading the lines carefully taking his time to peruse and poke around the lines before he paused over the signature.
Igor leaned back in his chair, the silence of the room save the ticking of the clocks were companion to his thoughts before Igor suddenly broke into a wry grin. "It appears as though there is no mistake…" Shaking his head, Igor eyed the sentence near the end which had caught his eye, the man looking back at the two black cards which now began to disappear from the table Igor relaxing his arms on the armrests looking at the front entrance to the Velvet Room.
"It seems that even that power has rejected our dear guest, the first I've ever heard of it. Could it be the terms of the contract that have refused our guest the power of the Card?"
With Margaret and Felice, Velvet Room section
"We're here," Felice looked up as he watched Margaret open another velvet door and entered the boy joining the attendant as the door shut closed behind them leaving them in an open air arena though what was the outstanding feature of it was that rotating blocks almost like they belonged to a Tetris game floating all around him giving an unearthly feel while Margaret watched his interested face. "This is the private arena that we reserve on rare occasions like this, I am afraid asking about your comfort with this would have to be ignored."
Felice looked around confused before his eyes fell on her. "What do you mean?"
Margaret's composure was like that of a steel wall unwavering or had any signs of faltering as she opened the book which she normally carried in her hand the sound of pages flipping incessantly filled the air while the attendant spoke her tone turning from sternness to a slightly more commanding than her usual voice. "It means that I am going to be your opponent for this round, rest assured I will make this as painless as possible," Margaret spoke as she drew out a card from within the book staring Felice down who had begun to pale at the implication of her words as she looked at him with glaring yellow eyes.
"You've got to be kidding me…I still don't believe what you and Igor are saying, I fight you? Is there no other method by which you can do it?" He desperately tried to worm his way out of this before Margaret shook her head decisively her frown growing deeper.
"The stress of being threatened should be more than enough to spur you into doing what Igor plans for you." Margaret tapped the ground with her feet as she grabbed a long handle with her hand drawing out what appeared to a long retractable baton tossing it towards the feet of Felice who was still standing mouth hanging slightly from the seriousness of the words. Shaking his head, the boy reached out and grabbed the provided weapon looking at it and back at her who had prepared two floating cards in the air standing ready at their master's call as Felice gestured with the baton towards Margaret non-threateningly while his mind attempted to work its way out of the situation. "Margaret what makes you so sure that this would even work, I've never been in a real battle before-"
"Agilao."
"Wait a minute-GAH, WHAT THE HELL!" Felice yelled out as a large pit of fire shot up in front of his face throwing him on his butt and back, the sixteen year old rolling away when another fire ball burst out of thin air where he once laid the smell of burning fumes choking his lungs. "*cough* *cough* WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
Margaret didn't stop however, the attendant throwing the second card out in concession with the first one, the creature that Felice could barely see thanks to singed eyebrows and lashes disappearing behind his interrupted vision before a chill told him to get up gripping his baton harder and tighter as he tried to use his ears to listen in on anything while his eyes regained their vision so he could concentrate-
"Bufu!"
Thud! Crack!
"Argh, DAMNIT!" Felice felt the ice crystals tear through his back and cheek, the icy shrapnel causing stings all over his back sending him to the floor as the rest of the temporarily formed ice block fell away into nothingness, Margaret in the meantime had switched back to the first card her golden eyes stern and watching with a measure of disappointment at the display. "It seems that you're not even putting up a good fight, how will you unlock your power if this is all you're going to do?"
"I seriously detest hitting anyone, and you're expecting me to change overnight…that's going to go over me fantastically," Felice scolded as he felt his breath fall short and his throat tightening from the chill of the Bufu spell his body feeling light as he eyed her dangerously, the baton in his hand once providing a security blanket around him was now shattered and broken unable to be used as he watched Margaret stare at him with those unnerving golden eyes. "Ever thought this is kind of an overkill, two monsters to do your bidding while you relax comfortably there never occurred to you how disturbing this is?"
"If you can talk, I suggest you reach out to your spirit to survive. Agilao."
Thou art I.
Felice felt the voice grow a bit louder, as his panic was proven by the spews of fire which followed him like a hound on his tail Felice barely dodging and rolling out of the way while being hunted by Margaret who changed to the ice spells creating a chain combo which immediately threw him to the ground, small rivers of blood poured from his forehead which was the second victim to the dreaded Bufu which he was now growing to loathe. Getting up with his palm slapping the floor, Felice was about to try a running charge but failed as Margaret had already caught on to the glint in his eye and decided to show no mercy unleashing an unexpected Garu from the floor the force of the wind throwing Felice into the air and sent him crashing onto the marble floor that Felice could have sworn his arm was broken by then. This time he couldn't really get up, the force of the elemental attacks against a human being could only be dodged for so long without having singed clothes and various scratches and shards embedded in your skin after all, and for Felice whom the voice was echoing louder while gripping the baton lying on his back he was completely at the mercy of the attendant of the Velvet Room.
"Damn it, is she really going to kill me?" He asked himself as he saw Margaret switch out another card while giving him a stare that chilled him completely. He didn't need to ask apparently, Felice lifting himself up to sit on the floor as he saw the culprits responsible for his plight moving away from him as they disappeared, Felice feeling his energy run dry as he slapped a hand onto the marble. Damnit, first I get into this city and then I got myself into such a mess…now that I think about it, I never got the chance to fight back at all nor had the chance to do anything significant in my life so far. My life turns interesting the moment this happens…what a sucker life is.
"What the hell am I even saying? This isn't what I should be thinking right now," Felice asked himself aloud as he felt the voice inside him speak louder, the boy looking up at Margaret who was poised to kill him at a moment's notice. Staring at her glare which had not softened up in the slightest, Felice shook his head from the fear that was crawling down his spine while he knelt forwards leaving his right arm which had been injured with the sleeve burned off completely leaving burnt skin in its wake falling at an awkward angle the voice becoming more prominent.
You are I, and I art thou…
"Who…who are you?" Felice asked the air as his surroundings began to slow down, Margaret already calling the third card as the horseman Eligor appeared his red armor and sharp tipped spear pointing to the air staring through the visor of the helmet at Felice who was still dazed by the voice, the horse slowly making its way towards him before it raised the spear high in the air but not to strike down their foe with it.
"Megido."
Reach out…call out my name…
"Huh?" Felice asked as he felt the voice once disembodied becoming more distinct and more…feminine. Feeling a rush of emotions, the boy stood up as he suddenly took notice of the new creature in front of him with the uplifted spear pointing upward to show a large cataclysmic ball of destruction charged and ready to fall on him. Laughing, Felice brought himself to stand as he stared critically at Margaret feeling a sense of regret as he brought his baton and only working limb to hand, "Just when I started to hear voices and go crazy, this happens…life's kicking me in the balls like it always does."
Hear my call, and say the words…
"…" Felice felt the overwhelming fear of the charging Megido spell hanging above head, Eligor staring mercilessly in his eyes as it waited for him to make his move the boy feeling his forehead sweat profusely at the sight of pure untainted power, however instead of moving away he felt his feet take a confident step forward much to his brain's shock as logic injected into his thoughts demanding that he run as far from the place as possible, and each step brought him closer towards certain death.
You have taken the first step, now say it.
Stretching out his hand, the boy felt a warm sensation kick in as fear melted away while he took a confident stride raising his baton out towards Eligor who brought down the spear sending the Medigo spell collapsing down onto him, but not before Margaret could hear the voice of the boy rising as he yelled through the dark abyss of the spell's onslaught which had crashed into the boy, consuming him in the blackest pits and smoke.
"Come, Letho!" Felice's lips curled into a deeper frown, resisting the urge to smile as the battle steeled his mind the burst of power surrounding him in a fire pit in his stomach while staring down Margaret who had narrowed her eyes at the sudden display of power. From here on out, the attendant was beginning to focus on defense though Eligor remained on the battlefield for now…a strong urge to test this new power was intriguing to her, and she was not going to be wasting it. Giving a silent order to Eligor to continue the fight, the horseman reared the mount and prepared for a charge at Felice while Margaret looked at the new presence behind him, "So that is the strength of our guest…interesting."
Meanwhile Felice's eyes had just opened when he felt no impact nor indication that he was being smashed into the ground, the boy looking around to see no trace of the large attack. A hand on his shoulders quickly tore his attention away as he looked behind, coming face to face with a tall woman about three heads above his height dressed in a dark cloak over her dress with a hood obscuring her face save for her mouth and eyes which gleamed dully at him while a small twitch of the lip was all he could focus on while his mouth ran dry. Whether this was real or not, Felice couldn't deny beauty when he saw it in front of him as he wiped the corner of his mouth which was beginning to drool, "Woah…that was close. Thanks a lot Letho."
You have done it, my power is now yours, the hooded woman spoke with what appeared to be a ghostly smile as she turned towards Eligor the horseman now on guard when he noticed the Megido spell had been completely absorbed before charging at the two, Felice felt the gears in his brain move a little as he instinctively called for Letho who looked sternly at her new opponent. "Hmm, Sukunda."
Eligor stumbled slightly as it felt the debilitating effects of the tactic impeding the charge from hitting Felice who moved out of the way and made his way over to Margaret who had already thrown another card into existence in front of him. "Cu Chulainn, Torrent Shot," Margaret ordered as the newly summoned Persona blankly held his spear outwards in both palms of his hands, before grabbing the shaft and immediately launched a hail of piercing strikes which Felice barely blocked and avoided as another name came into his mind just when the piercing strikes were overwhelming him. "Shadow Haven."
Immediately he felt his body sink into the ground the boy feeling a little fearful from seeing the effects of the skill but he was soon out of harm's way behind the Persona, his mind conjuring up another skill on autopilot as he felt Cu Chulainn flinch. "Mudo."
"Change, Eligor." Margaret countered as the horseman appeared in front of her and jabbed the lance at Letho the boy feeling his chest implode with a sick feeling of nausea as he stumbled backwards trying to focus his eyes on the target behind the tall armored creature. Looking to Letho, the woman gestured and cast Sukunda on the horseman again before the boy felt his body sink into the ground as he caught a glimpse of Eligor missing the strike. Rising from the ground he realized how close he was to Margaret who had already ordered Eligor to do another charge, the boy immediately scurrying to come up with another skill only to have one more option in his arsenal. "Bufu…" Eligor reared back as the ice attack suddenly came into his face forcing him back from his master as Margaret widened her golden eyes, Felice closing the distance and placed the baton at the base of her neck a pause in the middle of the arena came over both Persona-users, the two Personas pausing in mid-combat as they watched their masters a few meters away from one another as Felice relaxed his body his hardened glimpse becoming softer as he gave a weak laugh dropping the baton.
"I give up…this is rather pointless, I know I can't best you even if I tried as of right now." Margaret nodded at his conceding to the fight as she called back her Persona, the attendant looking at a fourth card which held Titan within it for a second but closed the book tightly as Letho came to her new master's side kneeling down at his broken arm while Felice felt the numbing sensation of his adrenaline leaving him and the result of the ice shards embedded in his arm and back stinging him with more intensity. "Ow…I guess those damn shards hit harder than they should, the bastards."
"I could fix that," Margaret said as she opened the book once more. "Leanan Sidhe, Diarama."
Felice felt his arm suddenly come to life as the deep gashes and holes that littered his back began to heal though the holes in his clothes remained, the boy standing up as he stared at Margaret in thanks Felice taking a step forward before he felt fatigue come to him. "Uh-oh, guess I really went all out for the first time huh?" Felice asked no one as he fell forward, Margaret grabbing his left arm and hooked it over her shoulder looking at him in concern whilst she guided him to the door her eyes falling to the tired boy. "I apologize if I was being a little too rough, but I had faith you would pull through this trial."
"Really?" Felice doubtfully spoke as he recalled the Megido spell nearly annihilating him on the go, the boy's sarcasm wasn't lost on Margaret who closed her eyes in some thought before she replied. "Well, there was a point where I figured it might happen…your future is only a prediction like the cards, there was the possibility of death and ending your journey. You wouldn't be the first to do so."
Felice shut his eyes tightly feeling sleep overtaking him before he got the last word out to Margaret who was becoming a blurry image. "Great…good to know I guess. Now if you would excuse me, I need time to rest up."
End of prologue part two