AN: I should say right now that this story won't update too quickly. The chapters are long by my standards and classes have started up again. That being said, I have a general outline of the plot and plenty of motivation, so I should be able to complete it eventually.
Edit: the hyphens in Futaba's PoV are to represent crossed out words, which apparently the website doesn't allow in stories anymore.
April 5 – Tuesday
Sojiro Sakura's PoV
"…And now back to today's top stories. A subway train has derailed, severely affecting the timetable across all of…"
Sojiro turned off his car's radio, eliciting a 'thanks' from Urano. He was surprised to hear that there had been another accident, although it did explain the traffic that they were currently sitting in. He had been hoping that finalizing Urano's transfer to Shujin would be a quick errand, but it seemed he wasn't that lucky.
"Sojiro," began Urano, surprising him. Up until this point, she had never initiated a conversation with him. The girl had been pretty apathetic toward the world around her. "Do you have any advice on talking to Futaba? I tried knocking on her door and talking through it, but I didn't get a response."
"Yeah, Futaba's pretty shy," admitted Sojiro. "It'll probably take a while before she's ready to speak with you face-to-face."
Urano slumped over, clearly depressed by his words. It bothered him to see her look down like that, though, thankfully, he had a way to cheer her up.
"Fortunately, that girl is practically attached to her devices," continued Sojiro. Urano perked up. "Once we get to Shujin, I can send you her phone number. She doesn't usually answer phone calls, even from me, but texts are a different story."
"Thanks, Sojiro!" replied Urano with a big smile.
Sojiro felt good, even if a part of him wished she would call him 'dad.' Those things took time, though, so he would just have to be patient.
Like with this traffic, thought Sojiro, the near-standstill dimming his good mood slightly.
Urano Motosu's PoV
"We don't normally accept such last-minute transfers," stated Principal Kobayakawa. "It would have been a simple matter to turn you away, yet we chose to give you a chance. Don't do anything to insult our generosity."
He was bald, fat, and acted like we were in his debt. I mean, he wasn't wrong, but the way he spoke about it was very rude.
"And we're thankful for that," responded Sojiro. Noticing my irritation, he put a firm hand on my shoulder.
"This is the teacher in charge of your class." Principal Kobayakawa gestured to a woman standing next to him. She looked to be in her thirties and was wearing a striped yellow shirt with a denim skirt.
"I'm Sadayo Kawakami," said the woman, introducing herself. "Here's your student ID."
She placed a card on the table, which I picked up and put in my wallet.
"Be sure to read the school rules," continued Kawakami. "Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office, so please don't cause any problems. Is there anything else, Principal Kobayakawa?"
"Just a few forms that need a parent's signature," he answered, gesturing to a stack of papers as thick as War and Peace.
"Just a few?" echoed Sojiro, his voice a mixture of shocked and sarcastic.
"None of those require my signature, do they?" I asked nervously.
"No, just your father's."
Sorry Sojiro, but I have no intention of just standing here and watching you fill out paperwork.
"Then I'll get going. Which way is the school library?"
Principal Kobayakawa and Kawakami gave me an odd look, while Sojiro sighed in exasperation. After a few seconds of silence, Principal Kobayakawa spoke up.
"The library won't be open until classes begin tomorrow. The keys aren't even in the building right now. I had to send a janitor to get a new spare key made an hour ago. Apparently, he made the foolish decision to store the previous spare directly next to a heater last winter, warping it. We only found out during a routine test earlier."
What!? Are you serious!? I felt a spike of hatred for whichever janitor ruined my chances of entering Shujin's library a day early.
"In this case, I guess I'll just wait in the courtyard," I grumbled, wishing I had brought a book. I'd been distracted by my concerns about Futaba and forgotten to grab my latest read.
As I walked to my destination I thought about the girl in question. I still wasn't sure why that Garuda lady knew Futaba's name or wanted to hurt her. Heck, I didn't even know what that place was!
When I reached the courtyard, I sat down and pulled out my phone, staring at a certain mysterious app. It was possible that Futaba also had it, yet I had a hard time believing she would abandon her computers for exploring that desert. Not when the only reason I'd been considering returning to that place was because I felt worried for her.
"Huh, I thought there wouldn't be any students here until tomorrow," commented a young, androgynous-sounding voice.
"The principal just needed me to—" I began without looking up.
"You can understand me!?"
That was rude of the person to sound so surprised. Why wouldn't I be able to understand Japanese? I looked up from my phone with a glare, ready to scold them.
"Bwuh!?"
What the heck!? The person I was talking to was actually a cat!
"Is it possible…" began the cat, looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and hope. "Do you have a Persona too?"
"Yyyyyes?" I responded, still stunned by the existence of a talking cat. A moment later, I realized what he said and snapped out of my daze. "Wait, 'too'? You also have a Persona? Is that how you can talk, kitty?"
"I'm not a cat!" snarled the apparent not-cat. "I'm a human! An honest-to-god human!"
"Are you sure?" I asked, skeptical. "You look like a cat."
"This is, well…" started the cat, faltering. "It's because I've lost my true form. I think."
Seeing his (because I had realized I was talking to a guy) troubled expression, I felt guilty. Calling him a cat had apparently struck a nerve.
"But I do know how to regain my true form," declared the not-cat, his uncertainty replaced by determination. "Well, I've hit a dead end in my current investigation, though. But if you've got a Persona, then that means you've been to a Palace other than Kamoshida's, haven't you?"
"A Palace?" I repeated, recalling that Igor had used the term last night. "I've heard that term before, but what does it mean?"
"A Palace is another reality that the ruler's distorted heart projects," explained Morgana. "One could say it's a world in which one's distorted desires have materialized."
"Another reality…" I muttered, the pieces that Igor had given me falling to place in my head. "Ah! Then that desert must have been a Palace! Which makes that weird app that brought me there the Metaverse Navigator!"
"What weird app?" asked the not-cat, confused.
"This one," I answered, opening up the Metaverse Navigator. "Yesterday, it sent me to a desert after I said 'Futaba,' 'this house,' and 'tomb,' and then I got attacked by a woman who transformed into a large bird. But I was able to beat her after I awakened Liesel."
"Candidate already in navigation history," alerted the app, making me realize I had almost just sent myself and the not-cat back to the desert. Oops.
However, the not-cat didn't react to my blunder, a pensive look on his face. I watched him think for a few seconds.
"Ah!" I exclaimed, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Come to think of it, we haven't told each other our names. I'm Urano Motosu."
"You can call me Morgana," replied the not-cat.
"Nice to meet you, Morgana," I greeted him, offering a hand for him to shake. He accepted with a paw. It felt like the start of a new friendship, as well as an opportunity to finally get answers about yesterday's strangeness after Igor refused to give them.
"Hey, Urano, it's time to get going. I've got a café to op… en…"
Of course, the moment was interrupted by Sojiro's arrival. I suppose it looked pretty strange to him, me shaking hands with what looked like a cat.
"By the way," said Morgana. "I don't have anywhere to stay, so I'll be living with you for now. Oh, and people without Personas will only hear me meowing."
Once Sojiro got over his surprise, I discovered that he was a cat lover. It took less than a minute for the Sakura household to officially gain a new pet (not-)cat.
Sojiro Sakura's PoV
"Goodbye, and have a nice day," said Urano politely. As the elderly couple she had been serving – the last customers for the day – left Café Leblanc, Sojiro heard one of them say 'what a nice girl.'
"Damn, one day and you've already got them eating out of your hand," praised Sojiro as he flipped the open/close sign. In truth, after hearing about her obsession with books, he had assumed that Urano would be awkward around other people like Futaba was.
As such, it had surprised him how swiftly Urano adapted to her new job as a waitress. In a single shift, she had learned to take orders without error, serve customers without spilling anything, and win over his regulars without fail. Even when her obsession with books led her to ask patrons about what they were reading, they found her habit more endearing than anything.
"You don't have to exaggerate," replied Urano dismissively. "All I did was act polite and smile when I served them. Things any waitress does. I don't even wear makeup or jewelry, so I look less attractive than they do, too."
For a moment, Sojiro wondered how charming Urano would be if she actually put effort into her appearance instead of just relying on the natural charisma that she seemed to have inherited from him. He then thanked God that she was obsessed with books instead of fashion, as he otherwise would have to deal with his daughter being a guy magnet.
"Regardless, having you lend a hand is really a great help," said Sojiro, pushing the thought of Urano dating boys out of his mind. "I know I'm already paying you, but that feels more like years of missed birthday and holiday money. I'd like to do something else for you, too."
"What do you have in mind?" asked Urano, curious.
"I'll teach you how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Not bad, eh?"
"That sounds interesting," replied Urano, accepting his offer.
"All right. looks like we've got ourselves a deal."
With those words Sojiro felt like the distance between him and Urano had closed slightly.
Urano Motosu's PoV
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.
.
With the birth of the Hierophant Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
Shall lead to freedom and new power…
.
Confidant: Sojiro Sakura. Arcana: Hierophant. Rank: 1.
.
…Aaaand another strange thing to add to the list. Hopefully Morgana would answer at least some of them once Sojiro and I returned to his house.
Igor: 0. Morgana: 2.
Or maybe Morgana: 20 would be more accurate. After all, unlike the creepy long-nose, the not-cat actually gave proper explanations.
The Metaverse was the world of human cognition, inhabited by Shadows (like Garuda) born from human emotion. Palaces were locations in the Metaverse created by the distorted desires of individuals and ruled by their Shadow Selves. And Personas were the power of one's heart, essentially a controlled version of a person's Shadow Self.
I finally felt like I had a grasp on the situation, even if Morgana had no idea what a 'Confidant' was. However, my new awareness brought up another question that was much more concerning.
"If Palaces are created from distorted desires, then why does Futaba have one?" I asked, uneasy. A pit formed in my stomach as I remembered Sojiro's story about Wakaba Isshiki and the 'tomb' keyword from the Metaverse Navigator (which we decided to shorten to MetaNav), though I deeply hoped that Morgana would dispel my worries.
"…Wanting to die is a form of desire, one I would definitely call distorted," said Morgana somberly, confirming my fears. Fortunately, the not-cat gave me a ray of hope. "However, all Palaces contain a Treasure, a physical manifestation of the Palace Ruler's distorted desires. By stealing it…"
"…We can take away Futaba's desire to die," I finished.
"Exactly. The Palace will collapse, and Futaba will experience a change of heart… probably."
"Probably?"
Huh, I feel like I've been echoing people's words back a lot lately.
"Well, I've never successfully stolen a person's heart before," admitted Morgana, slightly embarrassed. "There's a chance that, instead of just her distorted desires, we'll be taking all of them when we steal her Treasure."
"What!?" I exclaimed, horrified. People were full of necessary and positive desires like eating, sleeping, and reading. "If that happens, Futaba will become an empty shell!"
Morgana winced at my reaction.
"I understand how dangerous it is, but do you have any other options?" said the not-cat. "Futaba is clearly a very closed off girl. You might not have enough time to get her to open up and help her out in the real world. It's your decision, though."
I frowned, thinking about everything Morgana had told me. Urgh, how could I make a decision! I barely even knew Futaba! I had no idea how long it would take to connect with her or how close she was to killing herself. I'd never even spoke… to… her…
"That's it!" I shouted, startling Morgana. "I'll go talk to Futaba and ask her if she wants me to steal her heart!"
"…What?" uttered a baffled Morgana in response to my declaration.
Futaba Sakura's PoV
Futaba was surprised to hear a knocking on her door. It was too early for Sojiro to be bringing her dinner.
"Futaba, are you there?" asked the bandit through the door. She sounded serious. "I need to talk to you."
The shut-in tensed up. What did the bandit want from her? Was this the part of the story where the antagonist made a declaration of war?
"You can respond by text if that makes you feel more comfortable," continued the bandit. "My phone number is…"
She proceeded to recite her number, not that it mattered. Futaba had already found it out during her initial 'investigation.'
-Why-was-she-being-considerate-of-Futaba?-
The shut-in, confused, chose to ask the bandit.
[Why are you here?] typed Futaba. Her finger hovered over the 'send' button for a moment as she braced herself for the harsh words that would inevitably follow. She pressed the button, then heard as the thief received the message and read it.
"I want to help you," -said- lied the bandit. She was trying to make Futaba drop her guard. "This may sound crazy, but yesterday I entered a cognitive world based on your distorted desire to die."
From all the anime she watched, Futaba knew better than to believe any of the bandit's honeyed…
Wait, what!? A cognitive world!? How did she know about Mom's research!?
"Oh, right!" exclaimed the bandit after a moment, like somebody had just told her something. All Futaba heard was a faint meowing, though. "A cognitive world is a place shaped by…"
[I know what a cognitive world is] sent Futaba, cutting the bandit off. After a moment, she typed another message. [Why are you telling me this?]
"Well, your cognitive world has a Treasure, which represents the distorted desires that created it… your desire to die," answered the bandit. "I wanted to help you get rid of those distorted desires by stealing the Treasure, but… There's a chance that, instead of triggering a change of heart, that will remove all of your desires. If that happens, you'll… you'll die. I thought that it should be your decision whether or not to accept that risk."
[Why are you doing this?]
"Well, I don't know any other way to help you. I mean, I haven't even heard your voice…"
[Not that! Why do you want to help me at all!?] texted Futaba, desperate to figure out the bandit's angle. But she didn't have a clue what was going through the other girl's head! [Don't you hate me for pretending to be Sojiro's daughter when you'd never even gotten to meet him!?]
"Huh?" went the bandit. "Why would I hate you? You clearly mean a lot to Sojiro."
Futaba felt her brain short-circuit. Did the bandit see Futaba occupying her place… as a good thing? It didn't make any sense to the shut-in, which only made her feel more agitated.
"…And also," continued the bandit, her voice becoming heavy. "I think I can understand how you feel. Ever since I was little, I had a friend named Shuu. He was always around, usually complaining about what a pain it was to look after me. But then, Shuu got caught up in that mental shutdown incident last month. Shuu… Shuu died!"
Futaba could hear sniffling outside of her room. Even with the door blocking her view, she knew that the girl on the other side was crying.
"After… after his death, I started to shut out the world around me. It had too many reminders that he was gone. Reading books just felt empty, but I buried myself in them anyway just to block out the pain. If… if it weren't for my mom sending me here, I'd probably still be like that, too."
-The-bandit- Urano's words resonated with Futaba. Hiding away… using her hobby as a way to try and forget the pain, at least for a little bit… Urano understood it. She truly wanted to help Futaba.
Certain of this fact, Futaba mustered all of her courage in order to do one of the scariest things she could imagine – try to live.
[Please, steal my distorted desires. Change my heart]
"I will!" declared Urano, her still-teary voice filled with a mixture of relief and determination.
Urano Motosu's PoV
On Morgana's suggestion, I decided to wait until after dinner (which was delicious) to enter Futaba's Palace. The not-cat in question also agreed to help me explore the place if I promised to help him regain his 'true self.' The deal was easy to make, especially since I would've helped him regardless. I didn't have the strength to refuse such a cute not-cat.
When we finally entered Futaba's Palace, it was just as hot and sandy as I remembered. My clothes transformed once again, becoming what Morgana had dubbed my 'phantom thief' outfit.
"Huh, that's strange," spoke the not-cat. I turned to get a look at him and—
"Bwuh!" I cried, startled by his new appearance. "A mascot!?"
"I am not a mascot!" snapped Morgana.
"Sorry. If it makes you feel better, you also look pretty cute like that."
"As I was saying," said Morgana in a sharp tone. I guess that, as a guy, he didn't like being called cute. "It's strange that your clothes have changed. That should only happen if the Palace Ruler sees you as a threat."
"Ah, that does sound weird," I replied, thinking back on my 'talk' with Futaba. "Maybe it's related to how scared she is of leaving her room?"
"Hmm… that could be it," replied Morgana, nodding. "She's afraid of the outside world, so she sees everyone in it as dangerous. And I guess that one emotional conversation with you wasn't enough to overcome that fear."
Well, I didn't think she saw Sojiro as a threat, but that wasn't really important right now.
"So, do you have any idea where Futaba's Treasure is?" I asked.
"Probably that way," answered the not-cat, gesturing toward the light on the horizon.
Oof… The light looked really far away. As an unathletic bookworm, the thought of walking such a long distance filled me with dread. Fortunately, Morgana had a solution.
"Morganaaa… transfoooooorm!"
Making a pose, the not-cat jumped into the air and transformed into a cartoonish cat bus.
"My Neighbor Totoro?" I murmured, earning a perplexed look from Morgana.
"What? No, never mind," he said, his confusion replaced with excitement as he bragged about his transformation. "This comes from the way cognition materializes in the Metaverse, plus a bit of extra training. It's not dissimilar to your own transformation. I can do this because, for some reason, 'cats turning into buses' is an extremely widespread cognition among the general public."
Huh, so he could transform from a cat to a bus because of a popular film. I wonder… what if I…
"Urano Mode Change to…" I shouted. I brought my right hand to the mask on my face and flung my left hand behind me in a dab. "…Tomb Mode!"
In a flash of light, my phantom thief outfit was replaced with a white, full-body robe with a blue line and trail of dots decorating its left side. My mask remained, though, completely unaffected by the transformation.
"Ahh," I sighed in relief. Not only did the robes shield more of my body from the sun, they were also lighter than my phantom thief outfit. "I feel cooler already."
"Wha–" went Morgana. If he wasn't a bus, his jaw probably would have dropped. "What the heck! How did you do that!?"
"I just copied what you did," I answered, not understanding why he was so surprised. "It's pretty common for characters to get new forms or outfits when they visit new locations, so I used that cognition plus a Featherman-style pose to transform my clothes."
The not-cat gave me an incredulous look and muttered to himself.
"…couldn't be possible… first time… wanted to show off…"
"Um, Morgana? Are you okay?"
"Just get in the driver's seat," he sighed. "I can't exactly drive myself."
Obeying the not-cat, I got behind the wheel and put my foot on the gas pedal.
We were finally on our way to Futaba's Treasure.
"Urgh, it's so hot!" I complained, tugging at the collar of my robes as I drove the Morgana mobile. As it turned out, the desert heat wasn't something I could escape with a simple change of clothes. "Morgaaana, is the AC really working? The air feels hooot."
"Quit complaining! This is the best I can do," he retorted. Like with me, the heat was starting to get to the not-cat.
I groaned again, wishing I had grabbed a bottle of water before activating the MetaNav. A part of me was tempted to take off my robes, just to feel a bit cooler. I refused to, though, around a… man? No, cat and bus stuff aside, Morgana felt more like a boy than a man.
"Wait a second…" I whispered, tensing as I realized that I have overlooked a very important detail. "…What I am wearing under my robes?"
I glanced at the Morgana mobile around me and, after deciding that he probably wasn't paying attention to me, pulled at the collar of my robes, giving me a clear view of the outfit I had on beneath it.
"Bwuh!?" I exclaimed, blood rushing to my face.
"Huh? Did something happen, Urano?"
"No! It's nothing!" I answered hastily. There was no way I was letting Morgana know what I had discovered! This was a secret I would take to my grave!
"But–"
"I said it's nothing!"
Fortunately, the not-cat didn't push me for an explanation. A few minutes passed, and I was able to calm down and think about my discovery rationally.
As embarrassing as it was, it did make sense that I was wearing something like this under my robes. I mean, the Metaverse is a world of human cognition, and basically anyone would think that 'girl' plus 'desert clothes' equals 'sexy belly dancer outfit.'
Of course, knowing that didn't make the thought of being discovered any less mortifying. I couldn't change back, either, since Morgana might get suspicious. Plus, my phantom thief outfit was too hooot!
Morgana's PoV
"We made it!" cheered Urano. She exited his vehicle form, allowing Morgana to transform back to his regular Metaverse appearance.
As his partner in crime said, the two of them had finally reached the source of the light – a large pyramid that undoubtedly held Futaba's Treasure.
However, the tomb wasn't where Morgana's attention was. He was focused on Urano herself, who had completely baffled him earlier.
Persona aside, the girl had seemed like a mostly-average girl with a bit of a personality. But then Urano figured out how to use the cognitions of transformation sequences and setting-specific costumes to alter her appearance. She not only combined two different (albeit related) cognitions, she did so without any training and with only a single example to draw from!
Honestly, Morgana wasn't sure whether to be impressed or scared by how well Urano was taking to the Metaverse. She had understood his explanations pretty easily, she didn't seem afraid of exploring this Palace with her only backup being a guy she had met the same morning (though part of that may have been from only fighting a single Shadow), and now this.
Her strangeness aside, Morgana was happy to have met Urano. Having another phantom thief to help him would definitely make exploring Mementos easier.
Urano Motosu's PoV
After taking a moment to admire the Palace, Morgana and I walked up the pyramid's staircase and found a doorway. Upon entering, we were hit with a blast of cool air that made me practically melt in relief.
"Ahh," I sighed, happy to finally be out of the desert heat. I looked around the entrance chamber and saw four sarcophagi ahead, with small staircases on either side. I also noticed sets of zeroes and ones flashing in the air.
"This pyramid is the cognitive version of Sojiro's house," commented Morgana. "It's comfortable in here because she sees it as a safe space. Well, either that or she has an air-conditioner in her room and uses it very liberally. Regardless, let's explore."
We continued up the stairs and deeper into the tomb. There was a section where most of the floor was missing, but several pillars remained that we hopped across without issue. The place didn't seem all that dangerous so far.
"You know, this place has a surprising number of stairs considering that it belongs to a shut-in," I said as Morgana and I reached another staircase.
"I'm just happy we aren't being attacked by Shadows," replied Morgana. "It seems like your decision to ask for Futaba's permission to steal her heart might've disabled the defenses a Palace usually has against intruders."
The not-cat then got a strange glint in his eyes.
"More importantly, I can totally sense the Treasure ahead. We're getting pretty close now!"
"Let's go then!" I declared, pointing forward. We began ascending more rapidly, making our way past several side chambers.
"Wait, there's someone there," cautioned Morgana when we got close to the top. The two of us slowed down, stopping in front of what appeared to be a cute young girl with bright orange hair and a fancy Egyptian-esque outfit. "Are you… Futaba's Shadow?"
The girl didn't respond. After a few seconds of silence, I took a step closer.
"Are you scared of us?" I asked. If this was Shadow Futaba, it made sense that she'd be afraid of people Futaba barely knew. "I know we've never properly met face-to-face, but I'm Urano Motosu. This guy here is Morgana, and even if he looks a bit odd…" "Hey!" "…he's friendly. You can trust us."
"Those who plunder my tomb," she finally said, her voice a bit echoey. Judging by her use of the word 'my,' this really was Shadow Futaba. "Why are you here?"
"Huh? Don't you remember?" I asked, confused. "We talked about this with the real you before dinner. You gave us permission to steal your Treasure and change your heart."
"If you believe you can steal it, then try as you might."
Was I back in the Velvet Room? Because it felt like I was being talked to instead of talked with again.
"That's rather defiant-sounding," observed Morgana.
"Considering the state that my Palace is in, there is no way that you can steal it," said Shadow Futaba, still not responding to our words.
Suddenly, disembodied voice screamed out.
"Creepy child!"
"You killed her!"
"You're a plague!"
Shadow Futaba dropped to her knees. She covered her ears, as if trying to block out the shouting voices.
"Murderer!"
"Why won't you say something!"
"You're the one who killed her!"
"Futaba!" I cried, worried for her Shadow self. I tried to hug Shadow Futaba, only for her to pass through my arms and become translucent as if she was a ghost.
"Your fault!"
"Say something!"
"Don't come near me!"
"Die!"
"…That's right," said Shadow Futaba, standing up. Her previous fear was gone, replaced by a mask of emotionlessness. "I did it. I am the one who killed my mother."
The pyramid shook as if Shadow Futaba's statement had triggered an earthquake.
"My mother exists here," continued Shadow Futaba. "I will remain here. I will do so until I die."
With that cryptic statement, she vanished in a flash of light.
"Did you understand what she was talking ab—?" I began to ask Morgana. But I was cut off when a giant boulder dropped on the staircase a little further up. It seemed to be covered in neon green markings, though I didn't really get a good look since Morgana and I had to run away from it as the boulder started rolling down the stairs.
"Oh crap!" yelled the not-cat. "Bad, bad, bad! Ruuuuuuuun!"
We fled as fast as we could, not stopping until right before the section with the missing floor. There, we jumped to the side, allowing the boulder to pass us by. It hit the pillars in the missing floor section, shattering on impact.
"That… was… close…" I gasped. I didn't physically exert myself that often, and all of the stair-climbing earlier meant that I was already pretty worn out.
Unfortunately, the destruction of the boulder didn't mean we could move forward. A door slammed shut in front of us, blocking off the stretch of stairway we had just been in.
"This won't be as simple as we expected," stated Morgana.
"What's going on?" I asked him. "Doesn't Futaba want to have her heart changed?"
"She also wants to die," answered the not-cat. "If I had to guess, those two desires are at war inside of her. What happened just now was probably her desire to die resisting our attempt to help. Odds are that it'll happen again, too. I think we should go back for today and prepare a bit, then come back."
"What!?" I shrieked, feeling a surge of rage at the not-cat. "No! If Futaba wants to die that much, then she might try to kill herself! We have to change her heart immediately!"
"Calm down, Urano!" Morgana ordered. "The fact that Futaba want our help, even if she also wants to die, means she isn't in a bad enough place to commit suicide yet!"
"That still doesn't mean we should be letting her feel miserable any longer than we have to!" I retorted. In response to my words, Morgana sighed.
"Look, I get how you feel, but–"
"How would you?" I snapped.
The hurt look on Morgana's face extinguished the fire in me. I'd just crossed a line, bringing up Morgana's lost memories.
"Do you think I don't want to regain my true form and memories as soon as possible?" he said coldly. "But Palaces are full of danger and taking them on will kill us if we aren't careful. So, please listen to me when I say to stop here for today. If we die, then neither of our goals will be fulfilled."
The not-cat's voice softened as he spoke. I realized that his suggestion, which I had thoughtlessly rejected, was the best choice for helping Futaba. Even then, it still felt hard to just leave.
"Okay," I forced out, the word putting a bitter taste in my mouth. "And I'm sorry for what I said. I went too far."
"It's fine," waved off Morgana. "I know you didn't mean it. You're just worried about Futaba. But, if you really want to make it up to me, then there are a few infiltration tools I'd like you to make before we come back here tomorrow."
"I'll do it!" I replied enthusiastically.
"Hehehe," snickered the not-cat, making me worry that I was going to regret saying yes. "Then it's a deal."
.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.
.
With the birth of the Magician Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
Shall lead to freedom and new power…
.
Confidant: Morgana. Arcana: Magician. Rank: 1.
.
Huh, it happened again. I still had no idea what it meant, though.
However, I had a bigger problem. After the heart-to-heart with Futaba earlier, it was going to be pretty awkward to tell her that the change of heart was going to take a few days because of resistance from the part of her that still wanted to die.
A part of me wanted to just tell Futaba via text. Unfortunately, the rest of me knew that I had to do the right thing and tell her face-to-door.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room," greeted Igor.
That night, I wasn't even surprised to wake up in the Velvet Room. It was as predictable as the fact that Igor about to say a lot without telling me anything.
"I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you. What are your thoughts? Have you become accustomed to this place?"
"Is this going to be another one of those times where you don't actually listen to what I'm saying?" I replied. I knew I was being rude, but my patience with him was running dry. "You know, you could've just told me about the MetaNav and what a Palace was instead of trying be all mysterious about it."
Caroline and Justine gaped at me, not expecting my attitude. Igor, on the other hand, simply chuckled.
"It seems you have nerves of steel," he said before proving me right. "The goal of your rehabilitation is to thwart the fated ruin. However, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. Today, you entered a partnership with someone who possesses the same power, did you not?"
"You mean Morgana?" I asked. "Do you know how he can return to normal? Or who he used to be?"
I doubted he would give me any answer, but I still felt the need to ask Igor for Morgana's sake, just in case I was wrong.
"Involving yourself for others is an important foundation for your recovery. You've done well."
I was not wrong.
"That said," continued Igor. "I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships. It must not be a frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by moral or faith, lend you their strength. In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in turn, help you mature as well."
Ignoring my questions? Check. Cryptic 'explanation'? Check. Input by the twin wardens?
"Personas are the strength of the heart. The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain."
"There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn't. You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We'll change that into power."
Check. Was there anything else left?
"Indeed," confirmed Igor. "You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come into fruition."
Ah, right… how could I forget the shady comment?
"We have a deal then," he declared, chuckling. Somehow, I could tell that, despite his refusal to give a straight answer, he genuinely believed that I would be able to complete his 'rehabilitation' and prevent this 'fated ruin.'
.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.
.
With the birth of the Fool Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
Shall lead to freedom and new power…
.
Confidant: Igor. Arcana: Fool. Rank: 1.
.
"Oh!" I went, having a eureka moment. "Those bonds you just mentioned are those 'Confidant' things that keep popping into my head!"
Igor's grin broadened in confirmation. It looked creepier than normal, but it nonetheless made me happy. I still didn't understand how these Confidants would strength Liesel, though.
"Well… you will understand all in due time… Continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation."
"Now this conversation's over!" declared Caroline. It might've just been that I was in a good mood from figuring out the Confidant thing, but her voice didn't sound as harsh and judgmental as usual. "Get lost, Inmate!"
Once again, the world faded to black as I returned to dreamless sleep.
AN: Shuu is dead. For those of you who haven't read the Ascendance of a Bookworm light novels (or possible the web novel, which I haven't read), Shuu was Urano's only friend before her death and reincarnation. He had a PoV chapter at the end of Part 1, Volume 1 where he gave the readers insight into what Urano was like before she became Myne. I don't think he was ever mentioned again.
In this story, Shuu's death is what prompted Urano's mother to contact Sojiro and send her there. The woman saw how much his death affected Urano and realized that being in a house full of memories and reminders of Shuu wasn't good for her.
On a lighter note, like I said before, I'm not good at design. So Urano got Nami's Alabasta/Arabasta outfit, as that and Vivi were the only images I could find of a woman in a desert with a full-body cloak. Others probably exist, but I couldn't find them.
That's all for now. Bye!