Chapter 2
Entering the castle, Jolyne and Ryuji founding themselves within a massive ornate designed room that even had huge red rugs and staircase. "This is our school?" Jolyne questione dumbfoundedly as Ryuji looked among the room with awestruck eyes.
"It can't be…our courtyard isn't nearly this fancy…"
"Maybe a drama club's doing some kind of production?" She offered in attempt to make sense of what they were looking at, only for him to shake his head.
"I don't know. I don't think they have the budget for something like this, but I might be wrong…" Sakamoto answered, pulling out his phone. "What the…? No reception? What about you?" The green haired teen looked at her phone, only to see that the strange app had taken up the entirety of the screen, not reacting when she touched it.
"I got nothing." She replied, and they were about to discuss more when the sound of heavy footsteps began approaching them. They turned to see a man in large, bulky armor, holding a sword and a shield wearing a face shaped mask.
"Whoa, maybe this is the drama club after all…" Ryuji spoke with surprise, approaching the armor and inspecting it. "Dude, this thing looks legit! Seriously, this thing could give those American movies a run for their money!" The man in the armor remained silent, and Jolyne got a sinking feeling in her gut. "Cmon man, say something!"
"Sakamoto, something's not right here…" She started to warn, when another man in armor approached them. That's when Ryuji began to realize something was up.
"Uh, Cujoh, maybe we should get out of here…" Jolyne nodded in agreement, the two making their way back towards the door…when two more men in armor appeared, cutting them off. "The hell's with these guys?!"
"Shit, this isn't good…" Jolyne muttered, hands balling into fists as she prepared to fight, only for one to bash her blond acquaintance with his shield, knocking him to the ground. The Cujoh was about to start swinging, only to feel a hard impact against her back as another man used his shield on her, knocking her down.
"Take them away! Lock them in the dungeon!" One of them ordered. Jolyne was about to get up, when the one who spoke slammed the pommel of his blade at back of her head, knocking her out.
Jolyne's eyes slowly opened, her vision coming back to her to reveal she was in a dimly lit room that resembled a dungeon, and a splitting headache that confirmed that the ordeal with the men in armor wasn't a dream. "Look who's up." A familiar voice said, and Jolyne looked to see Ryuji sitting against the wall across from her.
"How long was I out?"
"Couple hours. You alright?" He asked, getting a nod. She felt the back of her head to be sure that there was no wound.
"Aside from the worst hangover of my life, yeah." She answered, looking around. They were in a small room with brick walls, dimly lit by torches, complete with shackles on the wall and bars over the door like the strange prison she'd dreamed the other day. "What is this place?"
"No idea. At first I thought it was some kinda movie set, but I'm starting to think it's something else." Ryuji answered, and Jolyne was about to ask a follow up question…when the sounds of screaming rang from down the hall, drawing their attention.
"What the hell…" The young green haired woman asked in shock as the two stood up, running over to the barred doors. "Hey! What the hell's going on out there?!" No answer came, only the sound of more screaming. Needless to say, Ryuji and Jolyne were freaking out.
"Oh man…shit shit shit shit shit shit…" Ryuji panted out, the two backing away from the bars. "What the…what the fuck is going on…"
"We…we need to find a way out of here!" Start looking!" Jolyne instructed and getting a nod, the two beginning to search the room. Looking for holes, gaps in the bricks they could pry apart…nothing. The craftsmanship of the walls were flawless, with no gaps or anything. "Dammit!" Jolyne cursed, slamming her hand against the wall, although she noticed something weird about her hand: a small string, similar to the one she pulled off her birthmark the other day, was coming out of her finger, around the part where the strange rock had pricked her finger. Before she could examine it further, both her and Ryuji were attracted by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching, turning to see several guards outside the door.
"Your punishment has been decided upon. For the charge of unlawful entry, you have been sentenced to death by his royal majesty." The guard stated, and the two's eyes widened.
"Are you serious?!" Ryuji blurted, while Jolyne's mouth went dry and her knees felt weak. Her head felt like it was about to split open.
"Foolish peasants. No one is allowed to do as they please in my castle!" A distorted, yet familiar voice called out, one that made Ryuji stop dead in his tracks. The guards parted, revealing the speaker: a man with a gold crown over his unkempt brown hair, wearing a dark red cape with red hearts printed around it, and wearing nothing but pink underwear underneath. The thing that left Jolyne and Ryuji speechless was his face with its unmistakable square jaw.
"K-Kamoshida?!" Ryuji gasped out, taking in the volleyball coach's bizarre appearance. "What…what the hell is this?! What are you wearing?" Kamoshida simply smirked.
"I thought it'd be another petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto…I guess you didn't learn your lesson the last time." "Kamoshida" taunted, and looked at Jolyne, grinning at her lecherously. "Ooooh, and you brought a friend! I might just have to bring you to my chambers…"
"Piss off, creep. Try anything and you'll regret it." Jolyne threatened, only for the self-entitled king simply laugh.
"Feisty! I like it! Do you fools even realize the position you're in? None can insult me, the king of this castle, and simply get away with it. For the crime of defying and insulting the king, I, Suguru Kamoshida, sentence you to death, Ryuji Sakamoto! Take him out!" Jolyne and Ryuji backed away from the door as the guard opened it, four of them flooding into the room.
"W-wait, hold on! W-we didn't even do anything!" Ryuji pleaded, as the guards moved between him and Jolyne.
"Stop it! Have you lost your mind?! Don't do this, please!" Jolyne begged, trying to push past the guards, only for them to shove her back. She tried punching them, but it was useless. The same result happened when Ryuji tried pushing past them, with one guard bashing him back with his shield.
"Restrain her! I want her to watch this. Should do a good job of breaking her in." "Kamoshida"ordered, and two guards shoved her back against the wall, holding her there.
"You'll pay for this, asshole!" Jolyne shouted, as a guard picked up Ryuji by his neck and shoved him against the wall.
"Please…don't do this…" the blonde sobbed out, tears streaming down his face as Kamoshida laughed.
"This is the price you pay for defying me!" "Kamoshida" sneered, and all Jolyne could do was watch helplessly as the guard raised his sword…
"What's the matter? Are you simply going to watch?" A voice said inside her head, that sounded eerily similar to her own. Immediately, Jolyne's mouth went dry. "So, do you plan on letting him die to save yourself? Tell me, was your previous decision simply a fluke? A mistake that you regret immensely?" The voice interrogated, causing Jolyne to think back to her actions that night in Nagasaki.
"It…it wasn't…" she gasped out, drawing "Kamoshida's"attention.
"What's the matter? You havin' a panic attack or something?" He questioned, but Jolyne ignored him as the voice inside her head laughed.
"Very well. I heed your resolve." The voice stated, and Jolyne was hit with an intense headache. Her birthmark began to throb, and she broke out in an intense sweat, panting and feeling like she was about to vomit. "Vow to me! I am thou, and thou art I! Thou who art willing to perform sacrilegious acts in the name of thine own Justice! Call my name, and release my fury upon those who would stand against you! Show the strength of thine will, to ascertain on thine own, even though thou art chained to hell itself!" Jolyne let out a scream, sending out a massive burst of pressure. It knocked back the guards holding her back and blew back "Kamoshida" and the guard threatening Ryuji. Jolyne slumped against the wall, panting heavily.
"Ouch, what the hell…?" The so called king groaned looking at Jolyne. She now had on a white domino mask, with black markings along the eyes. That was when Jolyne noticed the mask too.
Off…she had to get it off. She gripped the mask, trying to yank it off her face, but it wouldn't budge. She dug her fingers under the mask, screaming as she ripped it off her face. The bloodstained mask clattered to the floor, apparently having ripped off a good chunk of Jolyne's face. She slumped onto her hands and knees, heavily panting."Kamoshida" and Ryuji watched her, her form unmoving, when suddenly she looked up with yellow eyes and a maniacal grin on her bloodsoaked face.
"Come forth…Arsene!" She shouted, and the blood vanished as blue flames surrounded her. As soon as the blood cleared from her face, blue flames spread from the bridge of her nose and covered her entire body, what sounded like laughter echoing across the room as her eyes and mouth were covered by the flames, spreading into a demonic grin. Once the flames spread across her body, she rose up to her full height. The flames began peeling away from her body, standing behind her and revealing her new appearance: Jolyne now wore a black trench coat with a green star on each shoulder, over a grey collared undershirt that had a black spider-web design across it. She now had on black pants with a white spider web design, complete with red gloves. Chains materialized next to her, and she grabbed them.
Almost instantly, the blue flames began materializing into a humanoid figure. The figure had a predominately black body that appeared similar to a waistcoat , with white ruffles around the neck similar to old school Victorian attire, with what appeared to be a red half jacket across its arms, cutting off at hands that each featured a set of claws. The creature's legs were covered in red, with edged heels for feet. It's head was black with two red eyes and a glowing red, jagged mouth, and had two long protrusions sticking out like antennae, and was all adorned with what appeared to be a large black top hat. It had a distinctly feminine figure.
Jolyne released the chains, and a pair of wings emerged from the monster's back, blowing away the enemies and leaving Ryuji unharmed. "I am Arsene, the pillager of twilight! I am the manifestation of the spirit of rebellion that lies within you. If you so desire it, I shall grant you the use of my power!" The monster spoke, and all Ryuji could do was gaze awestruck at the sight as Jolyne looked at Arsene.
"Lend me your power." She ordered, and Arsene seemed to nod.
"Very well." At that moment, Ryuji found his voice once more.
"What…what the hell is happening…" he muttered out as "Kamoshida" and his guards rose.
"Who the hell do you think you are, huh?! Think you can come into my castle, disrespect me?! Kill them all!" He demanded, and the guards began to change. Their bodies darken and distort, before they exploded into a shadowy burst of energy. Where the guards had been now stood around four small creatures, all of which had a pumpkin head, witch's hat, dark gray cloak, and carrying a small lantern. Fireball began forming around their Lanterns. Jolyne turned to them, extending out her hand.
"Ravage them…Arsene!" She commanded, and Arsene put her hands together, creating a ball of red and black energy, before firing it. It hit three of the creatures, instantly wiping them from existence. Only one managed to dodge and charge straight for her. Jolyne clenched her fist, ready to pummel it, when a small dagger materialized in her hand in a burst of blue flames. Jolyne ducked under the pumpkin headed monster's swipe, and swung the dagger, popping off the creature's head, causing it to disperse into black smoke. Arsene dispersed into blue flame that soon vanished, Jolyne's mask appearing on her face in a flash of light.
"Dude, what…what the hell was that?" Ryuji asked, and Jolyne's attention was drawn by a sneering Kamoshida.
"You little…! I'll show what happens when you mess with-" "Kamoshida" started to say, when Ryuji launched himself off the floor, slamming into their foe's side and knocking him in the ground.
"How's that feel, you sonuvabitch!" Ryuji shouted, kicking him in the gut, when Jolyne noticed a keyring on the floor next to "Kamoshida."
"Sakamoto, grab the keys!" She instructed, and Ryuji noticed and picked up the keys. The two ran out of the room, slamming it shut and locking it with the keys they found.
"Alright, it's shut tight!" Ryuji declared, stuffing the keys in his pocket and turning to Jolyne. "Hey, what was all that? The thing with the flames, that demon thing, and…hey, what's with that outfit?" He asked, and Jolyne raised an eyebrow.
"My outfit? What are you…" she started to ask, when she noted her attire. "Whoa what the hell? I've never seen this stuff in my life." As soon as Jolyne touched it, the strange outfit vanished in a flash of light, leaving her in her school clothes once more. "What's going on?"
"I've got no clue, but we need to get out of here with before more of them show up!" Ryuji stated, and Jolyne nodded in agreement.
"Yea, let's move." She instructed, and the two ran off, heading away from the cell. They soon heard footsteps approaching and ducked into another cell.
"Shit shit shit! They'll definitely catch us at this rate!" Ryuji panicked, almost visibly shaking.
"Only if we let them. There's gotta be some sort of way we can escape." Jolyne reassured him, looking around the cell, when she spotted something: a hole in the wall, just big enough for a person to crawl through. "Maybe through there?"
"Uh uh, no way we can fit through there. Besides, we have no idea where it leads. Either we come out right in front of them, or they catch us in there and we're sittin' ducks!"
"We're sitting ducks right now! You got any better ideas?" Ryuji remained silent.
Jolyne approached the hole, bending down and crawling into it. Ryuji watched her vanish into it, listened to the sound of approaching footsteps, and begrudgingly followed her. Crawling through the path, it deposited Jolyne and Ryuji at another side of the dungeon, only this part had a small river running through it.
"Whoa, this place is massive. How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?" Ryuji asked, and Jolyne looked around, spotting a spiral stairwell on the other side of a bridge.
"When in doubt, go up." She suggested, running towards the stairwell with Ryuji behind her. The stairwell seemed to go up forever, until they arrived at a large wooden door. "Count of three?" Ryuji nodded at Jolyne, the two bracing their shoulders against the door. "1…2…3!" They pushed against the door, putting their weight against it until it swung open. They stumbled into an area that was similar to the one they had just come from, compete with a waterway.
"Dammit! Is this some kinda maze or something?" Ryuji complained as they looked around, walking along the path available and looking around.
"If this is Shujin's idea of hazing, I'm not amused." Jolyne stated, as they approached a raised drawbridge next to a bust of "Kamoshida." "Gimme a break…" she groaned out, and Ryuji began looking around the bridge.
"C'mon, there's gotta be some sort of lever or something around here. Maybe behind this creepy looking thing?" Ryuji examined the statue, looking for a button or something, while Jolyne walked beyond it, looking for a path over the water or some sort of door, but no luck. Not even a hole like they crawled through last time, only a dead end lined with empty barrels. "Any luck?"
"None. You?"
"Zilch." Ryuji called back, and Jolyne was about to express her displeasure in the most vulgar way imaginable…
"Hey! Bun hair!" A boyish voice called out from behind Jolyne, and she looked at the cell behind her, only seeing a shut cell door and a blank wall. "Down here!" Boyish voice ordered, and Jolyne looked down…
Ryuji had been looking around the bridge for a lever or switch that would lower the drawbridge, when he heard Jolyne scream. Looking back at her, he saw that the transfer student was standing with her mouth agape, an expression of sheer shock. Worried that she was face to face with a squad of guards, he ran over to her, and that's when he saw it. "Dude, what the hell's that thing?!"
That 'thing' stood at about 50 cm, with a primarily black body, some sort of belt on its hip with pouches on its hip. It's short arms and legs were black, each ending with white paws. It had a yellow bandana around its neck, with a white mouth and black head. It appeared to be wearing a black bandana around its head, showing only two large blue eyes and a pair of cat ears.
"Hey, who're you calling a 'thing?' You two aren't so normal looking yourselves!" The strange creature demanded, seemingly insulted. "Well what're you two just standing there for? Hurry up and get me out of here!" It demanded as the two students simply stared, mouths agape until Jolyne found her voice.
"A…a talking cat?" She asked aloud."
"This is getting way too weird for me…" Ryuji, and the creature got angry.
"How dare you! I am not a cat!" It insisted. "You two are the ones causing the commotion, right? Do you wanna get out of here, right? I know the way! Let me out, and I'll show you!" It pleaded, and Ryuji turned to Jolyne.
"You're not seriously considering that, are you? For all we know it could be another enemy!"
"If it was our enemy, would it be locked up? Besides, you got a better idea? Because I don't know about you, but stumbling blindly around a dungeon hasn't been fun so far." Jolyne stated. "You still got those keys?" Ryuji looked between her and the creature, heard the distant sound of Armored footsteps, and sighed before fishing the keys out of his pocket. He tried one after the other, until he found the one that fit, undoing the lock and opening the door. It swung open, and the creature walked out, appearing to do some stretches.
"Ah, sweet freedom! How I've missed you!" The creature said.
"Hey, you mind hurrying it up? They'll be here any minute." Jolyne begged, and it sighed.
"Alright, fine. See that statue over there?" Creature pointed to the smiling bust of Kamoshida. "Pull down its jaw." Jolyne was skeptical, but she approached the statue anyway. Putting her hand in that stone perverts mouth made her almost throw up, but she persevered, managing to pull it down. Almost instantly, the drawbridge lowered, and Ryuji cheered.
"Alright! Let's get out of here and-!"
"Stop right there!" Voices ordered behind them, and the unusual trio turned to see two guards approaching them. "By word of King Kamoshida, you must die."
"Ah shit…" Ryuji cursed, and turned to Jolyne. "Think you can do the thing from earlier?" Jolyne nodded, and took a deep breath.
"Transform!" She yelled out…only nothing. "Transform…now!" There was no change at all. "And…now!" This time she tried striking a pose, bending her knees and bending her arms over her head. Still, nothing happened. "Flame on! …It's morphing time! …Shazam?" There was no change, not even a blue ember. "…uh oh."
"What the hell are you doing?! This is no time to be acting the fool!" The creature admonished.
"Kill them!" The guards barked, beginning to rush the group, and the creature stepped in front of Ryuji and Jolyne.
"Fine, I guess I'll have to do it myself! Come forth, Zorro!" The Creature declared, and blue flames swirled around it as a figure manifested behind it. The figure was a large black humanoid, larger than Ryuji and Jolyne, with a chest littered with ornate accents, an upturned collar, a belt buckle in the shape of a large 'Z', a bushy handlebar that reached its shoulder, and holding a small rapier in its oversized hands. Before the guards could transform, the figure, identified as Zorro, lunged forward. It swung its rapier in a stylized fashion resembling a Z, creating a gust of wind that blew back the guards. It had a light blue glow around its body. While they were off center, Zorro delivered a flurry of rapid fast stabs, skewering the guards and dispersing them into shadowy ash. The creature smirked victoriously as Zorro vanished, turning back to a slack jawed Ryuji and Jolyne. "Piece of cake."
"What the hell was that?!" Ryuji asked.
"That was my Persona, Zorro."
"Persona…" Jolyne ran the word over in her mouth, and the creature nodded.
"My Persona is the spirit of rebellion within me given solid form in this place." The creature explained, and Ryuji looked at Jolyne.
"So then back there, in the cell. Was that…?"
"Maybe it was. It certainly sounds right…" Jolyne mused, and the creature adopted a quizzical look.
"What're you two mumbling about?"
"I managed to do something like that back in the cell downstairs." Jolyne answered. "I heard a voice in my head, then my clothes changed and something like that Zorro thing came out. It all vanished right after, though, and I haven't been able to bring it back out yet." Jolyne explained, and the creature scratched its chin.
"So you awakened your Persona, but it sounds like the transformation's still unstable. That normally shouldn't happen. You must not have full control of your powers yet." It mused, when they heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching. "Time to talk later. We need to get out of here! C'mon, follow me!" The creature took off, its tiny feet almost a blur as it scurried across the drawbridge. Ryuji and Jolyne simply shrugged, and followed after it. However, Ryuji stopped in front of a cell, gazing at the occupant.
"Sakamoto, what's wrong?" Jolyne asked, looking at where Ryuji was staring. Inside was a young man around their age wearing a red sports uniform laying on his knees.
"That's a Shujin volleyball uniform…how'd he end up here?" Ryuji muttered to himself, and began reaching to get the keys out of his pocket.
"What the hell are you doing?!" The creature demanded to know, scurrying back over to them.
"What's it like I'm doing? I'm freein' this dude!"
"Wha…I don't…are you an idiot?! We don't have time to worry about other people right now! Besides, they're not even real!" Jolyne and Ryuji both froze at this.
"What do you mean 'not real?'" Jolyne asked, and the creature sighed.
"You really don't know anything, huh? I suppose there's no avoiding this…" the creature mumbled. "What we're right now is called a Palace, a sort of pocket dimension generated by its ruler's distorted desires and molded by their cognition." The creature explained, and the two just blinked.
"The ruler…hey, wasn't that Kamoshida guy dressed up like some kind of king earlier?" Jolyne asked.
"Look, as much as I'd love to stay here and explain everything, we don't have the time right now. Let's get out of here first, and I promise that I'll explain everything later." The Creature stated, Jolyne nodded.
"Alright, fine. Let's-"
"Screw that!" Ryuji cut in. "There's no way in hell that I'm going to just leave this dude in Kamoshida's hands! Just go on ahead. I'll catch up after I free this dude and-" he started to say, before stopping all of a sudden. "Oh crap."
"What now?"
"I uh…I might have dropped the keys somewhere back there." Silence hung in the air for a moment, before the cat-like creature spoke again.
"You idiot! Now how are we supposed to get out of here?!"
"Hey, it ain't my fault! Your weird wind thing back there must have knocked them out of my hand!"
"Why didn't you put them back in your pocket?!"
"Hey, in case you don't remember, we kinda got distracted by those guards! I didn't have the chance!"
It would go on like this for another minute, Jolyne watching the two of them argue and hurl insults back and forth. Dumb blonde, stupid cat, useless monkey, etc etc…before she decided she had had enough, snapping her fingers.
"Shut the hell up! We don't have the time for this!" She shouted. "Ryuji, I promise we'll come back for him later. But we can't help him if we get caught now, can we?"
"…no."
"And you-" she turned to the creature. "-need to be patient. It's been a pretty stressful day for us, so give us a break, will ya?"
"…fine."
"Good. Now, which way is the exit?"
"It's just through here." The creature said, leading them towards a door at the very end of the walkway they were on.
"Oh hey, I just realized something. We don't even know what to call you." Ryuji stated.
"Huh, everything's happened so fast I must have forgotten to properly introduce myself. You may call me Morgana." The creature, now identified as Morgana, answered as they approached the door. Ryuji and Jolyne pushed it open into a spiral stairwell, the three beginning to ascend it. "We're close to the end now. Just a little more and…oh no!" The thing that made Morgana panic was a wooden door at the top of the stairwell…with a huge, thick lock on it.
"For real?! You gotta be freakin' kidding me!" Ryuji complained, slamming his hand on the wall. "Can't believe I lost those friggin' keys…"
"Of all the luck…can't believe they locked this. Shadows here are smarter than I thought." Morgana mumbled, and Jolyne was about to ask what a Shadow was…when she felt a strange itch in her finger. "We could get through if I had a lock pick or my sword, but they confiscated all my tools when I was captured." That was when they heard the soft sound of approaching footsteps from behind them.
"They had to have gone this way! Find them!" The voice of Kamoshida bellowed, and Ryuji cursed under his breath.
"Damn, they finally caught up with us…there any other way out of here?" Morgana shook his head.
"This is the only way out of here. I suppose we'll have to stay and fight." Morgana stated, and Ryuji was about to ask a follow up question when Jolyne approached the lock. She held her finger over the keyhole, and two strings began emerging from her finger from the spot she had pricked with the stone shard the other day. They began to enter the lock, and after a moment, it thudded to the ground, unlocked. The strings returned to Jolyne's finger, while Morgana and Ryuji stared dumbfounded. "I've never seen anything like that before. How did you do that?!" Morgana asked, and Jolyne simply stared at her finger.
"I…I'm not sure…" She hadn't consciously done any specific action or knowledge, instead acting on what appeared to be…instinct.
"Worry about that later! We gotta move!" Ryuji pushed the door open into an ornate hall, Jolyne and Morgana right behind him. Ryuji slammed the door shut, while Jolyne pushed a small table in front of the door. It wasn't a moment to soon, as slamming sounds originated from the other side as soon as she pushed the table in front of it.
"That won't hold for long. Quick, through here!" Morgana instructed, ushering them through a small door in the hall. They were now in some kind of storage room that had a large open window in it. "Good, they didn't seal it." Morgana said to himself, and turned to his two human companions. "This is where we must part ways. Head through that window, and keep running until you make it back to the real world."
"Wait, you're not coming with us?!" Jolyne asked, and Morgana shook his head once more.
"I still have unfinished business in this Palace that I need to take care of." He answered, when they heard the sound of a door breaking in the hall.
"Spread out and find them! They can't have gone far!" "Kamoshida's" voice barked.
"You need to go, now!" Morgana ordered. The humans shared a look, before approaching the window. Ryuji jumped out, landing on the ground below, and Jolyne began climbing over it. She cast one last look back at Morgana, before jumping out of the window. "Hmm, those two could prove useful. Especially the green haired one, if my suspicions are right…" Morgana mused to himself.
Jolyne emerged next to Ryuji in an alleyway. "You have returned to the real world from Kamoshida's palace. Thank you for your hard work." Jolyne's phone chimed from her blazer pocket. The two exited the alleyway, and looked around them. By all appearances, they were just outside Aoyame-Ichitome station. Some time had passed, as it was no longer raining.
"Dude, what…what the hell was all that?! With…with the flames and mask and the string, and…and Kamoshida?! Not to mention that weird cat thing…" Ryuji asked, and Jolyne slumped against a building.
"I…I have no idea."
"And what was that thing your phone said? 'You have returned to the real world'… what does that even mean?!"
"I don't know, Sakamoto! I know about as much as you do!" Jolyne answered.
"Hey, what's all the yelling about?" A new voice asked, and the two turned to see two police officers approaching them. "Shujin students? Cutting class to fool around, are we?" One cop questioned.
"What? No way. We were trying to get to school, and all of a sudden we were at this weird castle!" Ryuji answered.
"…what?"
"The castle, man! Had a drawbridge and everything!" The two officers exchanged a look.
"Hand over your bags, please. You two had better not be in any drugs."
"Why would you think that?!" One of the officers looked at Jolyne, who was standing up straight now.
"You his girlfriend?"
"No sir, we just met today." The two officers exchanged a glance.
"Head straight to school. Any more nonsense, and we'll be forced to contact your principal."
"Hey, I'm trying to figure out exactly what the hell's goin' on here too!" Ryuji protested.
"We just passed by Shujin. There was nothing out of the ordinary." Cop 2 stated. "Are you two sure you're not on drugs?" Ryuji was about to protest some more, when Jolyne grabbed the back of his head and forced him to bow with her.
"Sorry for troubling you, officers. Please, have a good day. C'mon, Sakamoto, I don't want to be late." Jolyne said in an almost sickeningly sweet time, before turning and dragging Ryuji with her.
"Ow ow, cut it out Cujoh!" Ryuji complained as he twisted out of her grip, walking alongside her. "What was with the whole routine back there?"
"Let's just say I don't want to risk pissing off the cops right now." Jolyne answered as they turned down the alley once more. They took the exact route they did before, only instead of seeing the castle again, they were greeted with the front gate of Shujin Academy.
"What the hell…we went the exact same way. What the hell's goin' on here?"
"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you." A stern voice said, and the two looked to see Principal Kobayakawa. "I just received a rather interesting phone call from the police. Would you like to know what it was? 'We just saw two students with dyed hair cutting classes and spouting nonsense about castles.' To think you've fallen this far already, Sakamoto-kun…" Kobayakawa scolded, before turning to Jolyne. "And you, Cujoh-chan. You're on thin ice around here as it is. What do you hope to gain by skipping your first day of classes?"
"I…we got lost, sir." Jolyne answered, and Kobayakawa crossed his short arms.
"Lost, hm? And where exactly did you two happen to get 'lost' together?" The portly man demanded to know, and Ryuji swallowed.
"A c-castle…" The principal scowled at Ryuji's answer.
"So, you have no intention of an honest answer?" He demanded, and the two remained silent.
"Someone mention something about a castle?" A familiar voice said that sent chill's up the duo's spine. Appearing behind the principal, wearing a t-shirt, track pants, and a stop watch around his neck…
"K-Kamoshida?!" Ryuji gasped out, and that's when the coach noticed him and Jolyne.
"Why am I not surprised it's you, Sakamoto? Y'know, you were never late when you had morning practice with the track team." Ryuji's face twisted into an expression of sheer rage that Jolyne had only ever seen one her Uncle Josuke whenever someone insulted his hair.
"And who's fault is that, you bastard?!"
"Enough! I won't stand here and let you blame and insult Kamoshida-san for your reckless actions!" Kobayakawa interjected.
"It's alright, sir. Looking back, I share part of the blame." Kamoshida said, and smiled at Ryuji. Jolyne saw that Ryuji was almost seething and visibly shaking, gripping his right knee. "I get flustered when I get lost in this city, too. Why don't we just leave it that, just this once?"
"…very well. Come with me, Sakamoto-kun. Cujoh-chan, report to your home room teacher at once." Kobayakawa ordered, and Ryuji followed him into the school, stopping to glare at Kamoshida. The volleyball coach turned to Jolyne.
"So, you're the transfer student. You wouldn't have gotten lost if you'd taken me up on that ride."
"…I'm sorry, sir. My grandmother warned me not to get into cars with strange men." Jolyne began to walk up the stairs, refusing to meet Kamoshida's eyes.
"Yknow, extracurricular activities can only help people's perception of you. If you want, I can always arrange a spot for you on my volleyball team." The way he looked at her…it was the exact same way that the other Kamoshida had looked at her in the dungeon.
"…no thanks. Think I'll pass." They went their separate ways, with Jolyne entering the school and climbing up two sets of stairs to the third floor, where the faculty offices were held. Soon, she found herself before a woman with short wavey dark brown hair and tired eyes, wearing a yellow sweater with red and white stripes and a denim skirt. This was Sadayo Kawakami, the woman in charge of teaching Japanese language and the homeroom teacher of class 2-D, which was Jolyne's class. Needless to say, she wasn't happy right now.
"Just what were you thinking, being late on your first day? You've missed half the day." Kawakami scolded, with Jolyne looking at the ground. "Can you explain yourself?"
"…I got on the wrong train. Ended up on the other side of the city. This place is a lot bigger than Nagasaki." Kawakami sighed at Jolyne's answer.
"Sheesh, why'd they dump such a troublesome student on me? A male teacher would've been better suited for dealing with this…" the teacher mumbled. "I'll have you introduce yourself to the rest of the class after lunch. We'll just say…you weren't feeling well, so we had you come only half the day."
"Are people really gonna buy that?"
"Would you rather them know you got lost? Word travels fast around this school, and there are already plenty of rumors flying around about you, especially once it gets out you were with Sakamoto-kun." Jolyne looked up at this.
"Rumors? Gimme a break…" soon, after lunch ended, Jolyne was standing in front of class 2-D on the second floor, noticing Takamaki from the station sitting near the window, looking out of it.
"Class, I'd like to introduce our new transfer student from Nagasaki.. Please introduce yourself, Cujoh-chan." Kawakami said, and Jolyne bowed.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Jolyne Cujoh. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope we can all be friends. Please forgive my tardiness, as I ate some bad seafood last night." And that's when the whispers started.
"That's the transfer student? She looks like trouble…"
"Not surprising she has a record when she looks like that."
"Quiet down, all of you!" Kawakami ordered, and looked around the room. "Let's see, there's an open seat…over there, behind Takamaki-chan. Would anyone mind sharing their textbooks with her, just for today?" As Jolyne walked over to her new desk, she passed Takamaki.
"Liar…" the blonde girl whispered, causing Jolyne to stop. "I saw you at the station this morning." Jolyne met Takamaki's eyes for a second, intending to find eyes of someone confrontational, potentially a problem, but instead, the blonde girl's eyes seemed…sad, almost defeated. Jolyne took her seat behind her. As Kawakami taught her lesson, Jolyne could hear some of the students whispering about her.
"Dude, I heard she ran a gang back in America!"
"Didn't she get charged for assault or something? What's she even doing here?"
"Word is the school only took her in because her dad's some big shot professor."
"What's with that hair? It's so weird."
"Three-quarters American, huh? She's like a reverse Takamaki…"
It went on like that for the rest of the day, no matter where she went. People talking about her, and not always behind her back. After the school day was over, Jolyne exited her classroom into the hallway, only to get hit with a headache. For a second, the students and teachers in the hallway vanished, replaced with an ornate hallway. Jolyne blinked, and it was back to normal.
"Hey, you ok?" Kawakami asked, coming up behind her.
"Yeah, it's just…it's been a tough day."
"I'm sorry about the rumors. We tried our best to keep it a secret, with the staff and the student council president being the only people who knew, but someone leaked it online."
"Of course, because my life was perfect enough as it was…"
"I'd suggest heading straight home. Sakura-san sounded pretty angry when I called him." Kawakami explained, and Jolyne sighed.
"This should be fun…"
"Oh, and another thing. I'd stay away from Sakamoto-kun if I were you. Don't get involved with-"
"With someone as handsome as myself?" Ryuji stated, walking up to them, and Kawakami sighed.
"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear…" she mumbled. "I heard the police caught you cutting classes. I somehow doubt that you got lost like she did."
"It was nothing. Don't worry about." Ryuji said, and leaned close to Jolyne. "Meet me on the rooftop." She spoke no words, only nodded. Kawakami watched him walk up the stairs to the third level.
"That boy…I'm just glad I don't have him in my class. I don't think I could handle the two of you at once." She sighed. "Although, he wasn't like that when he did track last year…"
"Why'd he stop?" Jolyne asked, and Kawakami looked at the ground.
"It's…not my place to say. Just make sure you don't get into any more trouble, ok?" With that, Jolyne walked up the stores towards the roof, opening it to see Ryuji sitting in a foldable chair.
"So, apparently you're everyone's favorite topic today. All I could hear today were 'tales of the scary transfer student.' Explains why you were sucking up to those cops and the principal." Ryuji said as Jolyne set her bag on the ground, sitting on an air conditioning unit.
"Really? Didn't notice. Heard a bit about you though." She noticed Ryuji stiffen up a little.
"So, sounds like we're in the same boat, huh? Just a couple of delinquents with weird hair and a bad rap. For the record, I don't believe any of that stuff about you."
"Thanks, Sakamoto."
"C'mon, after everything we just went through, we can skip that formal crap. Just call me Ryuji." Jolyne smiled.
"Alright then, Ryuji, feel free to call me Jolyne."
"…so about today. Did all that really happen? All that stuff with the castle, and Kamoshida, then that weird demon thing and that talking cat…" Jolyne thought on Ryuji's questions, mulling over the day's events.
"He didn't seem to remember what happened today, although he did have that same expression on his face when he looked at me. Which…ew. Just ew." Jolyne mused.
"Thanks, by the way, for the dungeon. Saving my life, I mean. Not a lot of people would do that for a guy they just met."
"You're welcome." Jolyne replied, and Ryuji tapped his chin.
"The way that other Kamoshida though…you probably don't know about this, but there are a lot of rumors about him and how he treats the volleyball team. "
"I have a sneaking suspicion I know how he treats his female members." Ryuji nodded.
"In addition to…that…word is he puts the volleyball team through hell everyday, and he even beats them if they don't do well enough." Now that she thought about it, Jolyne had seen several students sporting bruises and casts, including a boy in her class. However, before she could think on it any further, Ryuji sneered and slammed his fist on the unit she was sitting on. "That damn bastard! Treats the school like his own personal playground…no, like his own castle, and the school just let's him do whatever he wants. Didn't you see how that fat bastard Kobayakawa bent over backwards when Kamoshida showed up? I can't stand it!"
"…I know this might be too personal too fast, but…why do you hate Kamoshida so much?" Ryuji froze for a second at his new friend's question, before he sighed, placing a hand on his right knee.
"I used to be on the track team here last year. Pretty damn good at it too, if I do say so myself. But our coach had to step down so he could take care of his sick mom or something, so Kamoshida took over. That's when things went to shit. He started pushing us hard, harder than a lot of us were capable of. Sprinting laps, withholding water from us…it was a nightmare. He told us that it was an 'Olympian method', but I didn't buy that shit. I knew he just wanted the track team out of the picture so that his volleyball team could take up the spotlight. So I went to his office, and called him on his bullshit. One thing lead to another, and…I swung at him. Turns out, that's exactly what he wanted. I gave that mopheaded bastard the excuse he needed to shut us down. After that, the track team was more or less disbanded, and any chance I had at a scholarship to a good college went up in smoke." Jolyne had been listening intently, hands clasped together.
"I'm…I,m sorry that happened to you, Ryuji."
"Don't worry about it, it's in the past." He said. "Yknow, that cat never did tell is what the deal was with that place, did he?"
"I don't think that he did, no." Jolyne answered, when she realized where this line of questioning was going. "Wait, are you seriously thinking about going back there?" The blonde shrugged.
"Maybe."
"Are you serious? We barely got out of there alive!"
"They took us by surprise, that's all. Besides, now you've got that cool Persona thingy, right? And that thing you did with the lock and strings. Should be a walk in the park."
"I have no idea how to control that. Remember when we were cornered by those guards after we freed Morgana?"
"Yeah, but that was like, performance anxiety or somethin'. Got it at my first track meet. You'll do better next time." Jolyne was out of reasons to refuse Ryuji. The truth was, she did want to go back to the Palace, if only to find out how it was related to the strange visions and dreams she'd been having. And that kid in the dungeon…she strongly suspected it was related to the rumors about Kamoshida's abuse. If there was one thing Jolyne hated, it was those who used their power to hurt those who couldn't fight back.
"…let me think it over. I'll get back to you tomorrow!" Ryuji grinned.
"Alright! Oh, and while I got you here, let me get your number and chat ID, so we don't have to wait until school to talk." He suggested, pulling out his phone.
"Aren't guys supposed to be more subtle about getting girls' numbers?" Jolyne asked as they exchanged numbers and ID's, before bidding each other farewell and heading home.
Later
The bell clinked as Jolyne entered Leblanc, being greeted with the sight of a very upset Sojiro. "Mind telling me why your school called me today, saying that you showed up hours later on your first day?"
"I got lost on my way to Shujin. Got on the wrong train, and ended up all the way by Tokyo Tower. Took me all morning to find my way back." Jolyne said, and Sojiro stroked his goatee, mulling over her answer.
"…I suppose that makes sense. You are still learning your way around here." He muuttered. "Damn city's like a labyrinth. Take a wrong turn or get on the wrong train, suddenly you're on the other side of the country. Just don't let it happen again. Buy a map, if you have to. You get expelled from Shujin, and your life is essentially forfeit." Jolyne nodded.
"Yes sir." She answered, when Sojiro's phone went off.
"Hello? Yeah, I'm about to close up. Be there in half an hour." He said into his phone, when he noticed Jolyne staring. "What're you looking at?"
"Got a hot date lined up?"
"Yeah, her name's Noneof Yourbusiness. It's Russian, I think." Sojiro retorted, before holding the phone close again. "Hm? Oh, I just hired a part-timer. She's a bit of a mouth on her. …yes, I can afford one. Since when do you care?" As Sojiro talked into his phone and began locking up, Jolyne retreated up to her attic home, setting her bag down and collapsing face first on her bed.
"What a fuckin' day…" she groaned, when her phone chimed. Pulling it out, she saw she had a new message from Ryuji.
RS: hey, it's Ryuji. You still alive?
JC: for now.
RS: that's good.
RS: So, about that the Palace…
JC: I honestly don't have the energy to think about that right now. Talk to you tomorrow.
RS: K.
Jolyne sighed, getting up and changing into her pajamas, letting her hair down. Her head thumped onto the pillow, eyes drifting shut…
…only to be greeted with the sight of a velvet lined cell again. Sighing as she sat up, Jolyne saw the twin wardens and their creepy boss staring at her. "This is the second time I've woken up in a cell today, and it was starting to get old the first time". She stated, standing up.
"Our master wishes to speak with you, inmate. I'd advise you heed his words." Caroline said, and Igor touched the tips of his finger together.
"First, let us celebrate our reunion. It brings me great joy to see you survived your first foray into a Palace." The hook nosed man stated. "And I see that you have awakened to your Persona as well. Excellent. It shall provide excellent support to your rehabilitation."
"Yeah, mind explaining that? Because I got it to work once, and after that all I could muster up was the thing with the strings." Jolyne stated, and Igor chuckled.
"So, you believe those powers to be the same? I suppose they operate on the same basic concept, but I can assure you, they are different." Igor explained. "Personas are the armor of the heart, given shape when confronted with other worldly matters. It is an extension of yourself and your will of rebellion. Should you ever enter the Metaverse once more, it shall feel more natural, like using a muscle or a limb. Your other power, your birthright, is something entirely different. You shall come to find this answer in time."
"Y'know, you kinda suck at answering questions." Jolyne said, and Igor merely chuckled.
"You stand as the bridge between two worlds, Trickster. All shall make itself known as the gap between them closes. Oh, what did you think of my Meta-Nav?"
"You mean that weird eyeball thing on my phone? Figures that you were behind that. Creepy looking app, creepy looking guy…makes perfect sense." Justine slammed her baton on the cell bars.
"Mind your tongue, inmate!" She barked, and Jolyne merely stuck her tongue out, causing Caroline to sigh.
"I suppose it's only natural for two personalities such as theirs to clash. To think we'd have such a stubborn inmate…" she muttered, and Igor cleared his threat, drawing attention back to him.
"I believed it best to provide a way to access the Metaverse and palaces in a method that would be familiar to someone of your age. As your rehabilitation progresses, I shall also grant this power to any that you believe may aid you in your cause." Igor explained, and chiming rang throughout the strange prison. "It seems our time is up. Until we meet again, Trickster."