For some reason, Jacob found himself waking up in the middle of the night. Blinking his eyes a few times, his mind began to awaken with each blink. Almost instantly upon awakening, he noticed that he didn't appear to have his head resting on the pillow Ryuji had lent him. In fact, he found that he also missing the spare mattress, sheets and loungewear Ryuji had lent him either. Pushing himself to his feet, Jacob found himself wearing his typical court attire, complete with the small image pendent in his jacket pocket.
"Ok... so has everything just now been a dream?" Jacob thought aloud. "Have I just been asleep in this..." Jacob took a look at his surroundings. "Court lobby?" Jacob questioned.
Despite being dark, Jacob was able to make out the basic outline of a courtroom lobby. For about a minute, he was about to call the courtroom pitch black. But then he noticed that the room began to fill with a faint blue tinge. Jacob's thoughts of confusion turned into shock as the blue tinge turned into a bright velvet blue light, the light flashed like a camera, before the walls and the floors of the room turned into the same blue velvet tinge that Jacob watched fade in.
"It seems your destiny shall begin unfolding." A voice rung out from Jacob's head. "You wish to save your friends, and numerous strangers? Then allow your heart to guide you on the true path to justice."
As the voice in his head finished its speech, A set of dark blue double doors suddenly opened.
"Come, to the room." The voice said. "And we shall show you the justice of which we speak."
Jacob obliged. Walking through the doors that opened. The room that he found himself confirmed all of his suspicions at once.
Jacob was almost certain that he was in his own Velvet Room. And if he wasn't convinced enough, The velvet blue courtroom he walked into sported a familiar long-nosed face in the judge's chair.
"Ah! It appears we have a new guest. A guest whom has an intriguing destiny." The man began with chuckle. The man turned his attention to Jacob, before saying something Jacob never thought he would ever have spoken directly to him.
"Welcome... to The Velvet Room."
*Play Song: The Poem of Everyone's Souls*
Despite hearing that quote so many times, having it said directly to him instantly caused a wave of goose bumps that Jacob had never felt before.
"My name is Igor... I am delighted to make your acquaintance." Igor continued, seemingly unaware of Jacob's surprise. "Please, come stand right here." He added, addressing the defense attorney's bench in the velvet blue courtroom.
As Jacob got behind the bench, Igor continued. "Now then, this place exists between both dream and reality, mind and matter... It is a room that only those who are bound by a "contract" may enter..."
As soon as Igor said the word "Contract", a sheet of paper and a feather quill materialised on Jacob's desk. "Please sign the contract that sits in front of you. It would greatly benefit me to know your name."
Jacob signed the contract. Once he finished, the contract vanished, and appeared in front of Igor. Igor read over the contract. "Pleased to meet you, Jacob." He said, before closing the folder that housed the contract.
"As I said before, only those who have signed the contract can enter this place..." Igor reiterated. "Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room." He added.
"You are destined to hone your unique ability. You will, as such, require my- and my assistant's help to do so." Igor explained.
Jacob was at a loss for words. Not only did he befriend two teams of Persona users. but he had just been told that he himself is a Persona user. And with the fact he has his own Velvet Room, he was even a Wild Card Persona user at that too!
"I only ask one thing in return..." Igor continued. "That you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices that you make."
Jacob bowed. "I understand, Igor sir." he said.
Igor chuckled. "Splendid." he said, before addressing the prosecutors bench of the courtroom.
"And this..." Igor began. "Is my, and your, assistant." He said as a young man, appearing no older than 19, stepped out of the shadows and made his way to the prosecutors bench.
"This, is Gabriel." Igor said. "He is a resident of the Velvet Room, alongside myself."
Once Gabriel made his way to the bench, Jacob was able to get a good look at the man. Facially, he looked incredible similar to a previous assistant by the name of Theodore. The most striking difference between the two was Gabriel's hair. Where Theodore had short hair, Gabriel had a hair style similar style to that of the MCU's Thor. (More specifically, the long hair style from the films before Ragnarok and Infinity War.)
Gabriel also wore a blue suit that looked similar to that of Miles Edgeworth. Completing the jacket with a white cravat with a golden edge finish. Finishing off the deep blue suit, a badge with The Velvet Room logo was pinned to the young man's lapel.
Gabriel placed his right hand just underneath his left shoulder, before slowly bowing. "Pleased to meet you, sir." He said to Jacob, his speech mannerisms being similar to that of Yusuke. "Welcome, once again, to The Velvet Room."
"Now then." Igor said. "You are destined to hone the power of the Wild Card."
"Indeed." Gabriel said, following on from Igor. "You are to be bestowed a great power that only a few have been able to acquire."
"Absolutely." Igor followed up. "The power of the Wild Card is a great power only held by a few." Igor began to chuckle. "But as the old saying goes... With great power, comes great responsibility for your actions."
"The responsibility falls into the hands of those who sign the contract." Gabriel said. "So from this moment onwards, you are to abide by the contract."
"I understand." Jacob replied.
A set of tarot cards materialised on Gabriel's desk. "Now, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" He said.
"Do you believe in fortune telling?" Igor asked.
"It's something that I do find quite interesting" Jacob said. "Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different…"
"Exactly." Igor replied.
Gabriel began the reading, and turned over a card. "The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future." He added. Jacob already knew what the Tower was signifying, and his thoughts were confirmed when Gabriel continued. "It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent. The card indicating the future beyond that is..."
"The Moon, in the upright position." Igor said. This card represents "hesitation" and "mystery"… Very interesting indeed."
"It seems a great mystery has been imposed upon you." Gabriel said.
"The cards also seem to showcase that you're to hone your powers, and fight against the imminent catastrophe that follows this mystery." Igor added.
The cards disappeared from the desk. And Igor continued his speech. "The coming future is a turning point in your destiny... If the future goes unprotected, your world may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen."
The sounds of a slamming gavel began to echo through the room.
"It appears we've run out of time for now." Igor said. "But we shall be seeing you again soon."
"I look forward to assisting you on your journey, Jacob." Gabriel said. "Until then, pleasant dreams..."
As Gabriel wrapped up his speech, the room began to fade from Jacob's view. Eventually, Jacob felt his eyes force themselves close, before once again falling asleep.
*End Song*
"Ummm... Hazel?"
Hazel felt herself awake from light shaking of her body. She opened her eyes to see Nanako in front of her. "The food has arrived."
"Thanks, Nanako-chan." Hazel said with a yawn, before she got off the couch.
"There's space just in-between myself and Yu." Dojima said. "I just ordered in sushi, just to play it safe."
"Thank you." Hazel said. "Sushi is a personal favourite dish of mine."
Dojima smiled. "At least we know everyone is happy with the food."
Hazel knelt by the free space at the kotatsu, as Yu placed a plate at Hazel's spot.
The four began to eat, and engaged in idle chatter. About 30 minutes into the meal, Yu's phone began to ring.
"Excuse me, everyone." Yu said, as he stood up and moved away from the table to answer his phone.
Yu took a glance at the caller ID, and noticed the familiar number of his girlfriend, Rise Kujikawa.
With the line connected, Rise was the first to speak. "Hello Yu-Senpai." She said, a hint of stress present in her voice.
"Hi Rise." Yu replied. "Is everything ok?"
"I'm really sorry to call you out of the blue, Senpai. But I've got something on my mind." Rise said. "It's about Hazel-Chan."
"What is it, have you suspected her of something?" Yu asked.
"No." Rise replied. "But there's something about her that stuck with me." Rise sighed, before continuing. "She seems to know everything about us from when we started the Investigation Team, to when we defeated a god using instrument playing Personas whilst dancing on a stage made up by Himiko."
Yu chuckled. "I'm still amazed that she knew so much."
"That's one of the issues I have." Rise replied. "She knows everything. She's seen our struggle, our insecurities, our deepest embarrassing secrets. It worries me, Yu-Senpai. Everything about us, about our friends and our families, for someone like Hazel-Chan, it's all just out there on display."
Yu paused. Rise was right. As convenient as it was that Hazel knew everything, it was still concerning to think that their entire lives were on display as a form of media. Yu could almost guarantee that Hazel was not going to be a threat, in fact Yu seemed to sense that she had a power locked inside of her heart that was yet to come out.
"It's hard to put into words the current situation." Yu said. "Well, that and the fact I don't want to upset Nanako or Dojima with this information." Yu paused for a brief moment, before speaking again. "I'll call a meeting at Junes for tomorrow." He said. "We'll discuss these issues and gauge if she'll be a threat or not."
"Ok. That works for me." Rise said.
"Perfect." Yu replied. "I've gotta get back to Dojima, so I'll see you tomorrow."
"Talk to you then!~" Rise responded. "I love you, Yu-Senpai!"
"Love you too, Risette." Yu replied. "Take care."
The phone line disconnected, and Yu returned to the other three. "Sorry to disappear like that." Yu said.
"That was Big-Sis Rise, right?" Nanako asked.
"Yes it was." Yu responded with a smile and a nod. "She had something on her mind."
"Is she ok?" Hazel asked.
"She's ok..." Yu said. "However, I'm calling a team meeting tomorrow so we can discuss what she had on her mind. As such, we may need your opinion too."
"What for specifically, have I done anything wrong?" Hazel questioned.
"It's a little hard to explain at the moment." Yu responded. "So we'll have to touch on it more tomorrow."
Hazel nodded. "I understand." She said.
The four had finished their meal, and wrapped up conversation. Yu had led Hazel into his room, and helped her set up space for the night. With them being the only two in the room, Hazel took the opportunity to speak about tomorrow's meeting.
"Is Rise ok?" Hazel asked.
Yu decided to say the situation as it is. "Rise's fearful of you." he said.
"What?" Hazel said stunned.
"You know nearly everything about us, even down to our insecurities and secrets." Yu said. "Rise worries about how much of that is on display for, as well as the universes where we're just characters in a game."
Hazel paused for a moment. "Y'know... I'm amazed at the fact that this never crossed my mind." Hazel said. "Then again, I also never thought I'd be crossing dimensions. Hell, there was a point in time in which Jacob coming back home was something I never thought would happen."
Yu laughed. "You've certainly been in quite the adventure lately." he said. "All you need is a Persona, and then you're set for your own journey."
"Yeah, you're right." Hazel said with a laugh.
As the two continued to talk, Yu's trust in the teen began to grow. If he was almost certain before, now he could guarantee that Hazel would never be an issue or threat of any kind. And as if on cue, an almost nostalgic voice rang through Yu's head.
"Thou art I... And I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...
It brings thee closer to the truth...
Thou shalt be blessed when creating
Personas of the Empress Arcana..."
EMPRESS CONFIDANT (B): RANK 1
Yu was confused however. He hadn't been called to the Velvet Room for around a year, and if meeting Sho and The Shadow Operatives was any indication, Social Links seemed to be a thing of the past. But now, he found that befriending Hazel had formed the first Social Link in a long while.
However, Yu didn;t get to ponder this fact for long, as when Hazel and Yu finished making room arrangements, another jolt of pain that was stronger the than the previous, surged through Hazels head. The pain so strong, that she fell to her knees, while clutching her head with both hands.
Hazel let out a loud cry of pain, and Yu rushed to her side. "Are you ok?!" he asked in concern.
"I'm...really confused." Hazel said, still in pain. "I've been fine, but I'm suddenly being plagued by headaches." Hazel suddenly let out a huge yawn. "And wow, these are really wiping me out..."
Yu helped Hazel onto her bed. "I'll get you a glass of water, but feel free to rest up as long as you need. Nanako, Dojima and I will be willing to help if you need anything else."
Hazel sar on the bed, and smiled up at Yu. "Thanks."
Once Yu left, she changed into the loungewear she had gotten from Junes, and got into the bed. Yu returning with a glass of water, and staying the room until Hazel felt herself drift off to sleep even quicker than the last time.
Blinking her tired eyes, Hazel suddenly realized that she wasn't on the bed that Dojima had let her sleep on. Hazel found herself laying in an empty black void, until she suddenly found herself turned upright, and slowly descending towards a platform beneath her
"So much to do, so little time..." A voice said. "Take your time. Don't be afraid. The door is still shut."
Hazel was now close to the circular platform. As she landed the platform, a pair of sturdy, rose pattern black boots formed over her feet.
"Now, step forward. Can you do it?" The voice said.
As Hazel walked forward, she suddenly found that the floral pattern pyjamas she got from Junes replaced by a black woollen jumper, and black dungarees. A rose quartz necklace was present around her neck, and her Keyblade earrings were present too.
"Power sleeps within you..." The voice continued. "If you give it form...
As the voice spoke, three pedestals raised from the ground.
"It will give you strength."
Atop the pedestals, a shield, staff and sword materialised.
"Choose well."
Almost without hesitation, Hazel ran up towards the the shield's pedestal. She jumped atop the pedestal, and picked up the shield.
"The power of the guardian. The kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Is this the power you seek?" The voice asked.
Hazel slid the shield over her arm, and and jumped off the pedestal.
"Your path is set."
The voice continued, as the shield turned into a ball of light, and faded away.
"Now, what will you give up in exchange?"
Pausing for a quick thought, Hazel walked towards the sword.
"The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. You give up this power?" The voice enquired.
Hazel nodded, and the sword disappeared in the same way as the shield did.
"You've chosen the power of the guardian. You've given up the power of the warrior. Is this the form you choose?" Asked the voice.
"This is my chosen power." Hazel replied.
"Your path is set."
The voice said. Before the ground beneath Hazel began to crack. The ground shattered, and Hazel fell into the void.
After a few seconds, a new platform formed. What Hazel noticed as she descended, is that a path was already formed.
This was strange to Hazel. She had played, and completed, the first Kingdom Hearts game numerous times. How she ended up completing something so monotonous and tedious nearly 5 times was beyond her, but she knew that the path would form as she defeated shadows in the area. This time though, the path was already formed, and the door was waiting for her on the third platform.
Hazel landed on the platform, and noticed that instead of Cinderella on the platform, Trucy Wright was represented on the platform. Hazel ran across the path towards the second platform, which was represented by Jacob Sholmes. She was surprised to notice that the voice hadn't returned either. However, reaching the third platform, the voice finally returned after she entered the door.
"Hold on. The door won't open just yet. First, tell me more about yourself."
She suddenly found herself in a recreation of the back garden of her fathers house. Around the garden, sat versions of Jacob, Trucy and Haru.
Hazel walked up to the Trucy. "What's most important to you?"
"Is friendship such a big deal?" She asked.
Hazel then went towards the Jacob "What do you want out of life?"
"To broaden my horizons." Hazel replied.
"To broaden your horizons, huh?" The Jacob said.
Hazel finally went up towards the Haru. "What are you afraid of?" The Haru asked.
Hazel paused. Normally, she would have answered "Being Different" straight away, but something about Haru asking that question made her pause. Even before meeting Haru, Hazel knew how she felt, but knew she wasn't ready to admit it to anyone. Not even her closest friends had been told, though she was sure at least someone had figured it out. She wanted to tell people, but there was something that kept her scared to do so.
She knew that pondering on this point wouldn't progress her any further. "B...Being different." She softly said.
The Haru giggled sweetly "Being different? Is that really so scary?" She asked.
The garden, and the people within, began to fade from Hazel's vision. With her vision fading to black, The voice returned.
"You want friendship."
"You're afraid of being different."
"You want to broaden your horizons."
Those three thoughts circled around Hazel's mind, before the voice returned yet again.
"Your adventure begins at next midday. Keep a steady pace and you'll come through fine."
"Sounds good." Hazel said, before feeling a wave of tiredness wash over her. As she suddenly fell back asleep. The voice in her mind took this opportunity to say one more thing.
"The day you will open the door is both far off and very near."
As Hazel was dealing with her own dreams, Yu suddenly surrendered to tiredness himself, but suddenly found himself waking up. Looking at his surroundings, he instantly recognised the car he was in.
A gentle chuckle was heard from in front of Yu. "My, what a nostalgic sight. The look of bewilderment upon your face brings back memories."
Yu suddenly looked at where the voice came from, and was surprised to see the woman he saw.
"Welcome, or should I say "Welcome Back" to The Velvet Room." she calmly said.
*Play Song: The Poem of Everyone's Souls*
"Margret!" Yu exclaimed in surprise.
"Long time no see, Narukami-Kun." Margret said, before sighing. "I know not whether to rejoice or bemoan this reunion."
"A new danger rising?" Yu questioned.
"Correct." Margret responded. "In fact, that explains why my master hasn't shown for this reunion." Margret giggled. "There's no need to worry though, he's currently tending to another Wild Card. A Wild Card that you are destined to cross paths with." She added.
"Kurusu-Kun, perhaps?" Yu thought to himself.
Margret continued her speech. "Our meeting today is only to be brief." she began. "In the simplest terms, this meeting signifies that you and the people you share bonds with are to fight against a new looming threat. As well as to signify that you are free to use the tools of The Velvet Room once again."
Yu nodded. "Understood."
Margret chuckled. "I'm glad." The woman bowed her head. "I believe that you have a young woman to assist, so I will let you get back to that task."
Yu simply smiled. "Is she Igor's new Wild Card?"
Margret shook her head. "She has a different power. One that is too unique for The Velvet Room to assist in nurturing."
"A different power?" Yu thought, as the room slowly faded away.
"You'll come to understand in a matter of time." Margret said. "Until then, sweet dreams..."
Yu's eyes began to close tight, as the Velvet Room left his view.
*Stop Song*
To Be Continued...