Chapter 4: Voices
uub: I'm sorry to hear that, but trust me when I tell you that I had something planned out for him from the start, and Orpheus is only the beginning. Read on, most of your questions is about to be answered.
KafeiDetour: Thanks for your support.
Warning: Spoilers, lots of violence, and language in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3. Still own Dark's personality.
Dropping the gun behind me and removing the knife from my left fingers, I plant myself between the shadow and the others.
"Oh? Mighty brave aren't we. Trying to protect your friends." Dropping his fighting stance he just gestures at me with his knives. "I like that. I respect that. Magician. That's my name." Winking at me, he taps the number on his spaulder. Rattling my brain for a connection, I nearly didn't hear his attack, "Come now! Don't make this too easy just standing there!" Slashing at me with his left, he quickly follows up with a jab with his right. Backpedaling, I was glad the others got out of way. What was it I learned about fighting a person with a knife? Isolate the hand using the knife and whoop him with everything you have. If he uses two... run...
"Fuck me!" Sidestepping toward him after another jab, I was able give him a slash across the chest followed by a quick thrust kick into his chest to push him back. C'mon, that be enough. Get out of here.
My hopes were crushed was he started laughing. Smearing the blood from his wound like he was dusting himself off. "What's wrong? This," Gesturing the wound on his chest, "There was no conviction behind it. It barely tickled me. And I'm already in this form for your advantage." Rushing at me again, he kept the slashes and jabs coming. While in terms of strength, I was probably a bit better off, he had two knives while I had the use of only one hand.
Round two wasn't better than round one, I spent most of it parrying and backpedaling with the occasional sidesteps, barrelrolls, and cartwheels. All that moving was finally wearing me down. Subsequently, rounds three through eight was getting worst for me, I was getting tired and was starting to look forward to those precious moment in between rounds where he would banter about how I'm weak and sucking and why I sucked. If it wasn't for the fact that I was given a chance to catch my breath, I'd've told him how fucking annoying he was. I was able to figure something out about him, he only had one sequence of attacks: a quick rush to get close to do a horizontal right-to-left slash with his left followed by a series of thrusting jabs with his right. My only hope was to interrupt him as he starts the slash.
Watching his shoulders as he rushed me, I dove low with my left hand outstretched. The moment I felt his elbow, my right hand went after his exposed spleen. The tip of my knife barely got him when an explosion of pain forced me to drop my weapon. Looking down, I could see his knife connected with my wrist. I never saw the butt of his other knife connect with my temple. Staggered and seeing stars, the fucker paid me back for the thrust kick from by laying me out with the same move.
Flat on my back, I caught some movement a bit behind me, I turned my head a bit to see what all the fuss was. It was Minato and Yukari trying to hold back a frantic Minako. Raising my head, I watch Magician bend down to pick up my knife and effortless begin to juggle it. I'm sure he was on about how I'm a failure and how his human-looking form was a disadvantage to him. Something like that. But honestly I was surprised with myself. I was about to die, failing to protect those three and yet, I didn't feel anything. In moments, he was standing over me, juggling his other knives with one hand while dangling my knife with two fingers over my throat. I wasn't going to look away, if I'm going to die, whatever is going to kill me is going to have my eyes burned into their's! Time slowed as I could see the muscles in his arm ripple a command to his hand. Bracing myself, I heard the noises I expected: cries and shouts from the girls.
What I didn't expect was Minato's voice, "Persona!"
This was quickly followed by Minako's, "Gimme! Persona!"
A ray of blinding light followed by a bolt of silver light whoosh through the air and buried itself into Magician's chest like an arrow. Accepting Magician's advice about seizing intitiative, I pull my right knee up to my chest and drove the heel of my New Balance as far as I could into his groin. Physically lifting him up off the ground, I rolled out of the way of my falling knife as he slips on a puddle of Minato's blood.
Amidst the chime of glass, I could see two figures standing behind the twins. Behind Minato and the first to speak was a man with flowing blonde hair ran down to the nape of his neck but was kept from his face by a laurel crown. Strapped across his bare chest was a quiver while a bow of gold with strings made of sunlight rested in his hand, the rest of his body looked like the statues of the Greek gods. Unlike the statues of the Greek gods, his junk wasn't swinging in the breeze, instead he went Roman gladiator, wearing a banana hammock. "Thou art I and I am thou, for the sake of those close to you, I heed your prayers. I am Apollo, the Illuminated God of Hunt." No fuckin' way...
Behind Minako stood a feminine figure with long silver hair, her soft glowing robes did little to hide her modesty but accentuated her curves perfectly. Though her face was beautiful, the madness reflecting in her eyes made her perfect. Her quiver was strapped to her thigh (thank god there's a mark that tells me where her legs actually end. I thought it kept going for a moment) and in her hand was a silver bow strung with moonlight. While Apollo's voice was strong and melodic, her voice had a virginal softness that was contrasted with a bubbly playfulness, "Thou are I. And I am thou. I shall hunt down everything that wishes to hurt the ones I cherish. I am Artemis, Goddess of the Moonlit Hunt!"
Each sibling took a turn with the gun and with each trigger pulled, the twin archers fired at Magician, buying me time to rest up. With each pull of the trigger, they were looking more and more tired. I just need a way to beat this sumabitch. The moment the twins stopped their barrage in exhaustion, I tackled Magician as he tried to stand, his knives clattered loudly out of his hand.
Unfortunately neither of us got really far from the skid, but we were still close enough to the edge for me to be motivated. Getting to my knees, I start delivering as many rabbit punches as I could to the back of his head and neck. Getting him in a sleeper hold, I started dragging the two of us towards the edge as he started punching my lower ribs and kidneys. Struggling to my feet, I was only inches away when I felt my center of balance shift. Suddenly up and down swapped places as I landed on my head.
I was only able to watch as Magician scrambled towards a glint (Yukari later told me it was the knife from earlier when he was still in his monster form). Picking me up, Magician dropped me length-wise on top of the ledge with my left arm and leg dangling for the ledge.
Funny thing to notice at this point: the ledge was surprisingly cool and comforting and I just pulled a muscle somewhere in my ass from that feeling you get when you stare down from a really high place.
Stepping on my good hand, he straddles my chest with a knife pressed up to my throat. "You lose Zero. I, the Magician, has done what my eldest could not. I killed the Zero!" Is this how I die?
Eyes.
Come again?
His eyes.
You're not Orpheus, who are you?
I am someone you know all too well. I was the part of you that you so desperately kept hidden all these years. I'm the reason you moved to Japan to hide.
In a blink, I was no longer at the dorm but inside a massive building. Looking around, I could see a length of chain in my hand. Deciding the spend my death-hallucination following a length of chain into the bowel of some building wasn't the worst way to go. And boy, was I right about the bowel bit. I might have just walked the length of the Sears Tower going down, but I think I hit the bottom. It looked like those old fashion hallways you see in medieval movies, everything making up the hallway are just stones of random shape and size with mounted candlestick holders on the wall, and at the end of the hallway, a massive wooden door equipped with studs and metal bracing. The door was open and the chain lead inward.
Despite the fact that the room lacked any source of light, I could see him. He was bound from head-to-toe in massive chains that were bolted into his bones and suspend high off the ground. A dome locked over his head to deprive him of any sensation, but a massive crack has formed and I could now see a red eye staring back at me. "What's wrong? Not glad to see me?"
As usual, his voice was soft, civilized, and deceptively sweet, "I can't say that I ever will be."
"A badge of honor and a badge of shame only depends on the day you wore it. Let me out. Don't bother denying me any longer. I am you, and you're me. Doing this to yourself is unhealthy."
Turning around, I gagged as the air in the room started to smell of iron Turning to leave, I felt something under my foot. Bending down to pick it up, I found a crudely made weapon. It looked as though someone took metal of various sizes and riveted them together to form a machete with a serrated edge. "Oh? I see you found it. My little toy. If you want. You can take it with you. A gift." Dropping the horrible weapon in disgust, I started to leave, but stopped when I heard a groan. Turning to my right, I could see an old fashion iron maiden wrapped in chains. The eyes were cut out so I could see someone inside, someone with kind yellow eyes. Reaching through a small hole from within the maiden, a hand appeared. At first the person held their hand up toward me, almost inviting me over, but quickly they began to wave me away.
"Tsk tsk. Remember the deal, I only go away if he gets locked up too. Don't worry 'Dark' You'll need him soon. And me as well. For now. Aim for the eyes. With one eye gone, he'll be without all his special abilities. Two eyes blinded, and he'll be weaker than a normal human. Either ways, just treat him like a zombie and follow the order from the Queen of Hearts."
Rudely being slapped awake, I found myself back in my previous predicament, with Magician straddling my chest. "Wake up. I'm sorry if I'm boring you, but I need you to be awake when I slit your throat."
Fuck it. Slapping the edge of the ledge with my left hand, a metal spike erupts from my left index finger. Turning as much as I could, I jammed the entire length into his eye. In surprise and pain, Magician leaps off me, but not off the roof. On a positive note, he's off me and I didn't get pushed off the roof. Negative note, in his panic, he still ended up slitting my throat. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, it just felt like a fine hail of ice running across my throat. ... Another positive note, it's not a deep cut, probably just second layer, but damn it's bleeding.
Rolling back onto the roof, something scuttles by and stops right beside me, picking up my Bowie, I give Yukari a quick salute, I stood up to face Magician one last time. He was Sagat and I was bleeding out. Despite all of his pain and panic, he was still using that same boring ass combo of left horizontal slash and multiple right thrusts. My first duty was to stop the slash. Baiting him into the attack, I sidestepped with his attack and caught his forearm in between my left bicep and arm. Butting him in the nose with the handle, I slash downwards into his elbow. Gritting his teeth, he tries to counterattack with a jab only to stop when my handle rose up to meet his throat. As he gagged I turn my blade inward and cut through his bicep. With my right hand above my head, I twirl the blade and change to an underhand grip before driving the clipped-point into his forearm. Releasing his trapped arm, I dragged the blade until it would move no further into his wrist. Giving it a sharp twist, I elbow him in the face and left my blade in his wrist and he recoiled. Left with only his thrust, he lets out a warcry before charging toward me.
It was easy catching the jab, his jab to my wrist only caused pain, it didn't even leave a mark on the duster. With the same thought, I allowed my duster to act as a cushion, I caught him with a cross-block, smirking, "You lack commitment." Was all I said before my right hand slid down his arm and caught his wrist. Karate chopping his throat as hard as my left could muster. The attack caused him to take a step back, fully extending his arm. With a quick step back and a hard stomp forward, my palm strike obliterated his elbow.
Stepping under his arm, I twist it behind him. Holding it in place with the spike in my left hand, I caught his knife as it slipped from his grip and drove it through wrist and shoulder blade. Kicking the back of his leg, causing him to fall to his knees, I slowly reach into my coat to pull out another black pen, I shrugged off my duster. Twisting the cap to reveal a button, a small click and out sprang a spike from the tip.
He must have heard the noise, because he finally started sniffling. There were no more jokes or arrogance. Just fear and the knowledge of what was to come. "Drop the dome, and I won't put out your other eye."
"I can't."
"Drop the dome."
"I can't!"
"Drop the fucking dome or would you like to see it coming?! Is that it!"
"I can't! Please... I... can't... please... "
Right here, I would love to say I stop under my own volition. That I pitied him. But I would be lying. I was considering ripping out my Bowie and forcing him off the roof. There was a very dark part of me that enjoyed this position of power and wanted to hear him beg. But, sometimes it's the best part about being human that keeps you human. As I took a step forward, Minako plowed onto my back and wrapped herself around my arm. It wasn't the warmth of her body or the softness of her boobs that I felt first, and that is the honest truth. The first thing I felt was the growing wet spot where her tears collected on the sleeve of my shirt. Looking at her as she looked up at me, I knew what she wanted. I also knew that if she asked, I wouldn't be able to say no. "Let's go see if there's some rope. It might be four-ish stories, but in theory we should be able to get to a window." Smiling and nodding at me, I had barely taken a step before the boring sensation in my head dropped me to my knees. Dragging Minako down with me.
"Phatiamos-san. Phatiamos-san!"
I was hissing through my teeth when I saw my shadow slither in front of Magician and slowly Undertaker dragged himself out. Magician's eyes went wide with fear and recognition, "You... you... Why are you helping him! Why do you turn against us. I was trying to-"
Undertaker's clawed hand gently found its way to the back of Magician's neck and he instantly went quiet. For a while neither spoke, they only stared into each other's eyes. Even in my own blinding agony, I could see Magician was shaking in fear as tears ran down his eye. Leaning in, Undertaker took no effort to lower his voice or hide the fact that he was looking right at me, "Because. It's going to be fun." Straightening up, Undertaker gently ran the back of his clawed hand down the side of Magician's face, but the moment it stopped at his chin, I knew what was going to happen. I couldn't save Magician, but I could protect Minako from it.
Since Minako was trying to haul me to my feet the whole time, I pulled my arm away from her. With her slightly off balanced, I lunged and to the floor. Holding her as close as possible, I allowed my pained hisses to muffle the sound of Magician's neck get snapped. Hazarding a peek, I watched as the coffins surrounding Undertaker spiraled around him wildly until the first in the chain stopped at the foot of Magician's body. I watched in horror as the coffin opened by itself while its owner ran his sword into the top of Magician's head and lifted him up like a grotesque puppet. Kicking the body into the coffin, it slammed shut, and the face of the angel carved on the coffin changed into Magician's blue mask. Flicking the blood from his blade, he taps the sword on his shoulder idly before stepping back into my shadow and vanishing.
Finally too much for me, my grasp on reality slips and I plunged into the darkness.
"It's so nice to see you again."
Bolting up, I slam gut first into a table. As my mind begins to race, a pair of hands rest on my shoulders and guide me back to my seat. Blinking a bit, I realize I'm back in the Velvet room. In front of me is Igor and Elizabeth as usual, but as the hands on my shoulders pull away, a new person enters my vision as he takes a spot to the right of Igor. He was in every way like Elizabeth, from the the blonde-white hair and yellow eyes to their blue elevator attendant attire. Granted his was the male version with the inclusion of the hat. Resting my head on the top of the chair, I just let out a tired groan before speaking, "Howdy. It's nice to see you too Igor. What in the name of all that is holy happened?"
Glancing up a bit, I could see his smile spread a bit, "You became unconscious after awakening to your 'Power'. It's nothing to worry about though, so just, relax..." Holding up my hand to stop him before he could start speaking, I slither out of my chair and wiggle a bit on the ground until I could see Igor's face from the right side of the table. This may be a dream, but it was my dream and goddamn did the combination of cold floor and velvet feel fantastic on my aching body. Giving Igor a thumbs up, I could help but notice the dude's slight scowl and Elizabeth's eye glint in amusement.
"By the way… I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling. That power is called 'Persona'… it is a manifestation of your psyche."
"No shit? Persona? Like dissociative identity disorder?" That drew various reactions from the room. "What? Just because I'm American doesn't mean I don't read. The word 'persona' is often linked with the psychological disorder commonly referred to as 'split personality'."
Chuckling in amusement, "Indeed my dear guest. A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli. You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships. But I don't need to tell you about that now do I? You have down well to reflect those around you to protect yourself."
Snorting somewhat rudely in response, "I'm not sure if I should be creeped out with how much you know me or start paying you to be my shrink." Ooh, that got the new guy ruffled. "I do have one question, why Orpheus?"
"Do you mean why he answered your summon or why did your persona take his form?"
"Are they mutually exclusive?"
This time I could see it, Igor's smile changed. Instead of the Cheshire smile, this one hand more substance behind it! "I suppose not. But have you actually give a look at him?" When I shook my head, Igor reached over and placed his hand on my chest. I wasn't sure what to expect, but him pulling out a card like David Copperfield wasn't one of them. Handing it to me, it looked like a tarot card, the back had the same two-face motif and the entire card was just various tones of blue. Flipping it to the face, it showed none of the suits or arcana. Instead it had a picture of something remotely humanoid. It's limbs were held together with types of wheel-sockets and had some white cloth rivet on to resemble boots and gloved hands. His torso resembled a pair of ball-and-socket joints, if the ball was a speaker. His head was the only thing organic, the skin was the color of charcoal, his eyes were glowing red with no discernible puplis, and white hair. The red scarf around his neck gave me a distinct impression that he either had no neck or his head was not attached to his body. Oh and he had a silver harp-thing on his back. Handing the card back to Igor, "It's cute. It really is, but if that's Orpheus, they got a detail wrong."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. In the legends, his lyre was gold. Come on, that's common knowledge! He was the son of Apollo, god of music. As a gift he was given a golden lyre. He was so skilled with it that it was said to could make the very rocks themselves dance, as such he was called 'Father of Songs' and 'Master of Strings'. With the death of his beloved wife Eurydice at the fangs of venomous serpents, he journeyed into the underworld, charming Cerberus, moving Hades, and granting a moment's reprieve to the tortured souls, that he was allowed to take his wife back so long as he never looked back at her until his first step back in the land of the living. Just like the Japanese version with Izanagi and Izanami, he looks back and loses her forever. The story ends with him turning his back on all the gods and goddesses save for his father Apollo, who's golden lyre he still greatly cherish. For this transgression Dionysus, the god of wine, festivities, fertility, and ritual madness set forth his furies that tore him into scrap. Leaving only his head and his lyre..." Facepalming, I just made a complete fool out of myself. For what? A small error on a card? ...
The sound of clapping hands pull me out of my embarrassment, "Very good my dear guest. A passionate retelling of a tragic love story. But surely you can tell me a bit more can't you. You know the story so well, what does Orpheus represent?"
Recounting the story again in my head I begin to tic off various qualities, "Talent, skill, misfortune, determination, the folly of looking back, depression, and conviction tempered with loyalty. All qualities I lack. He and I share only our love in music."
"If that is what you believe to be true, I will not tell you otherwise. That being said, your power is still weak. (Grumble). When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links- your emotional ties with others. The stronger your social links, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please remember that. While I would like to enjoy your company a bit more. There is one other person whom you must meet and utilize on your journey."
Following his pointed finger, I notice a glowing red door just behind my chair. Letting out a groan, I start to roll over on to my stomach.
"Before I forget. (*rolls back on to my back*) This gentleman beside me is another resident in this room."
The dude bows to me, "It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Theodore," Cool name, cool voice, polite, and seems collected if a bit too serious for my tastes. I think we can get alone just fin- "Elizabeth's younger brother." Fuck. What is it with brothers popping up and around all the cute chicks...
"Would you like to shake my hand now or the next time we meet where I can stand up and greet you like a proper human should?"
"The latter, if it is alright with you."
"Much appreciated dude. Actually. One more thing. Would you mind dragging me over to the door?" Not sure how he felt about the request, but he didn't grumble at least, and he dragged me over and opened the door for me.
"Would you like to lower yourself in or have me do it for you."
"I got it buddy. Thanks." Wiggling a bit, my intention was to go down head first while using my toes to hang on the edge before doing a small flip and landing with the Iron Man pose. Instead I went through headfirst, felt a lurch, and ended up lying down. Turning to look a the doorway, I could see Theo waving at me like he was my reflection in a pool of water.
"I wouldn't spend all my time staring like that. You'll become narcissistic."
The speaker reminded me of how most bartender dress; simple white dress shirt, black dress pants, vest, and necktie. The dude looked like he was from Brazil with the tan he was rocking, about middle age as well, clean shaven, blonde hair that kinda resembled Cloud from Final Fantasy 'cept less messy and more slicked back, but his blue-green-gold eyes looked waaaay too old.
Looking around, the room was almost like the Velvet room with the guest chair, table, poofy comfortable chair on the opposite side, no grandfather clock... but they had a bar! Everything was also varying shades of red and covered in... silk?
"Welcome to the Satin Room." And up goes my People's Eyebrow. "I'd introduce myself, but I'm pretty sure your iPod's been going nonstop with that Rolling Stones song since I spoke." Reaching toward my neck and realizing for the first time that I'm actually dressed, I pull an earbud from a button slit and plug it into my ear.
Just as every cop is a criminal.-Wait... what?
And allll the sinnas saints! -No...
As head is tail, -You're kidding...
...
Grinning as widely as Igor, the figure in front of me holds out an open hand, "Just call me Lucifer. My job is to help you summon demons."
"... Woo hoo!"
Author's notes: Wow. I can't believe I'm actually averaging 4000-ish words a chapter. I know some of you have picked up on various grammatical errors in the earlier chapters and I promise to go over them and edit them some day. Story-wise, I have plans for Orpheus and those other voices in Dark's head and the demon summoning thing has always been one of those things in my mind that I felt belonged in Persona, at least in some small way. Kinda hard for me to put into words, but I'll keep it going and we'll see how it turns out. Feel free to drop reviews or PM my way with some advice, critique, or even just to chat.
Thanks for reading.