Author's Note: *slides into home base* Managed to sneak in another update before 2022!
At this time last year in 2020, the most recently released chapter had been #33, which was the Sidestory focusing on Minato Arisato's tale...and the most recently completed 'day' had been July the 4th.
To go from that to only half of August the 16th doesn't seem like a lot...until I look at the word count and realize this story increased in length by about 200% (in terms of word count) from where we were at the end of 2020.
Hoo boy.
Here's to another year!
xxxx
Sokila quietly brushed her hands through his hair. "You...seem very tired."
He had turned on the blue SDAT tape before falling into a slumber; as such, he could respond. "I am..."
"...but you made me happy, though. You got me a Persona with a really big smile!"
Warily, he gazed towards the corner of the auditorium, where
Kuchisake-onna was...finger-painting? Yes; his Persona was following Elizabeth's instructions, using Theo's face as a canvas (much to the man's chagrin). "...I'm not sure it really counts as a smile though-"
"But it's really big! So my request is satisfied!"
"...if you say so..." Even the pleasant hymn wasn't enough to fully shake the doldrums.
"...what's wrong, Mister Ikari?"
What wasn't wrong? "...I feel like I'm not getting where I want to be," he murmured, staring at the various pictures recently drawn by Sokila: one showed a very grumpy caricature of Hirofumi Kurosawa, using a speech bubble as a bludgeon against him and his comrades. "And it...feels like there are so many things that are standing against me...and others..."
"Others? Like your friends?"
Shinji glanced at another picture; this one was decidedly more morbid, showing Mayumi crying over two gravestones. A helical halo was hovering over them both. "...yeah. It...it doesn't feel right..."
"What doesn't?"
"...to be with them, when my battle involves things they have no clue about..." For what could they do, ignorant as they were? It had already had drastic effects on Mayumi Yamagishi, who had had an Angel bound to her unknowingly; would something similar happen with Kensuke, Toji, or Mana? Would he find himself compelled to treat them as he had Misato: withholding knowledge 'for their safety'? Such a tactic had already backfired on him spectacularly before...so trying it again didn't sit well with him.
"...well...are ya gonna tell 'em?"
"...I don't know if I should..."
"Well, whatever you decide to do, I'm sure it'll be the right thing!" cheered Sokila, kicking her feet on the bed.
"...thank you..."
"Now...gotta think about my next request...and I'm startin' to run low on crayons again..."
As Sokila meandered away, he glanced towards the stage; Igor sat there, staring rather intently. "What do you think I should do, Mister Igor...?"
"One is certainly the more tried and true method...the other is unknown, with intriguing possibilities...both, fraught with their own forms of risk..." The long-nosed man's grin had a strangely foreboding quality to it. "Regardless of what choice you make...make a choice, my dear guest. For without conviction, can a choice be called as such?"
"...maybe..."
"Tell me: have you pondered the Sea of Souls to any degree? Your encounter with the soul of the Angel...did it rhyme?"
"...I'm not sure what you mean."
Igor leaned forward. "Perhaps, once you obtain the conviction to make your choice...you will be able to withstand that reality. It is my sincerest hope that you'll continue to live up to your self-chosen vow..."
"And that would be...?"
"To take a stand, naturally...and it is quite a fine vow indeed..."
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Sunday: August 16, 2015/
/Sojiro Sakura's Residence, Nishiawakura, Okayama Prefecture/
Shinji Ikari slowly sat up, wincing at the ambient light coming in through the window; the sun had already risen. Halfheartedly reaching for his phone, he noticed messages from two separate senders.
First...
HEROD: WE HAVE ANOTHER QUERY FOR YOU.
HEROD: WHICH MANNER OF DEATH DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE MOST UNPLEASANT?
HEROD: DEATH BY DROWNING? DEATH BY ASPHYXIATION? OR DEATH BY BURNING?
HEROD: THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER.
HEROD: PLEASE RESPOND WITHIN 96 HOURS.
...was a rather morbid question from HEROD. I think I'll skip that for now, he mused, skipping to the next message.
M. Katsuragi: hey kiddo
M. Katsuragi: whenever you wake up
M. Katsuragi: make sure to freshen up
M. Katsuragi: cuz you and the kids have to get a physical check-up!
M. Katsuragi: dont you dare run џ(ºДºџ)
...a doctor's visit, huh? At least it would probably be pretty normal, compared to the scans that Dr. Akagi liked to put him through...
xxxx
/The New Otani, Tottori, Japan/
Within a thirteen-story hotel near downtown Tottori, Junpei Iori yawned widely, stretching his arms to get the kinks out. "Egh..." Glancing towards the windows facing east, he could see sunlight coming through the curtains. "Morning already, huh...?" How late were we going at it...? The scratchy sounds of pencil on paper grabbed his attention; looking towards the front of the room — comprised of two twin beds, a sofa and two armchairs with matching blue upholstery, a coffee table, and a flat-screen television standing upon a wooden entertainment center — he saw his dear wife sitting in one of the chairs, the sunlight casting her long red hair with a mesmerizing glow; facing away from the window, her face was cast in shadow, paradoxically highlighting the intensity in her amber eyes as she drew on a large sketchpad. (The fact she was also as nude as he was was appreciated, but besides the point.) "How long have you been up?"
"Since sunrise," Chidori Iori calmly remarked, not even turning in his direction.
"Didn't even bother getting dressed?"
"Why would I?" she curtly answered, stippling her pencil to add some shading to whatever she was sketching. "I did not intend to leave the room, and I did not intend to paint. Getting dressed would have taken time I could have used to sketch."
Junpei couldn't help but chuckle at her no-nonsense point of view.
"I'm not sure what's funny."
"Eh, just keep being you Chi-Chi..."
"I cannot be anyone but myself." As she began scribbling with rapid strokes, she added, "also, don't call me Chi-Chi."
"Eh, you kinda vetoed my first choice of 'Chidorita' way back when, so I'm afraid I can't help it..."
Chidori briefly glanced in his direction with a severe frown that, mixed with her fair features, came across as an adorable pout. (Then again, Chidori had thoroughly changed his standards of beauty, so maybe he was just biased?) "Nicknames are entirely unnecessary, Junpei-kun."
He held up his hands in defense. "Hey, I've offered you the chance to use a nickname as well, you know?"
"But Yukari-san has already claimed my nickname of choice."
"Ooh, that's harsh," he said with mock pain, although his grin betrayed his own amusement. What a strange life we lead...
(Back in 2008, Ken Amada and Yukari Takeba had announced their nuptials, prompting a rather festive gathering with Yukari's old Featherman Z coworkers. His own disastrous introductions with Yukari aside, the event had provided a reason for two of the Bishoujo Senshi's significant others to come along: Hifumi's husband Yusuke Kitagawa, and Naoto's husband Kanji Tatsumi. Accompanying them was one of their peers from that hoity-toity art group called the Emporium: one Chidori Yoshino. All it had taken was one look at her...and he had been utterly defeated.)
...but hey, it's been one of my few bright spots amidst a bunch of crap...
(His attempts at wooing Chidori had failed fantastically. Yet whenever he had free time from his missions as an A.T. Agent, he would seek out the Emporium's events, just to see Chidori. At one point, it looked like that their managers were going to bar him from future events entirely...until, seemingly at random, the young woman had given him a sketch of his face, done with immaculate detail. "There. You have a piece of art from yours truly. You have no reason to keep trying to see me.")
"You ever wonder about how things could have gone differently? You know, with you and me?"
"No," answered Chidori. "Why would I?"
(He couldn't help but marvel at the detail, but also wondered why she had drawn his face so well. "...I am not sure," she was forced to admit. With an easy grin, he had said he was flattered by the portrait...but he could get a look at his face in any mirror at any time. Truth be told, her face was much more interesting. "...then the next time I see you, I will have a sketch of my face. That should be satisfactory, then.")
"I don't know...just wondering, 'case you're the kind of gal who could have anyone she wanted," he honestly said.
She shot him a curious look, even as her hand absentmindedly scribbled on the sketchpad. "What a strange thing to say. Most people are rather dull."
(The next few visits throughout 2009 hadn't produced any fruit, as Chidori had stated her attempts at making a good self-portrait were...unsatisfactory. Finally, driven to the point of frustration, she confessed, "I am unable to capture my likeness to the degree I would find suitable. I was able to capture such detail when sketching your face...but not my own. I don't understand why. It is...frustrating." Not to say he was an expert on the foibles of artists, but...well, her art...as good as it was? It was all secondary. She was what interested him: not her art. Chidori's utter bafflement in response was a look he would always cherish.)
"Oof, harsh as always..."
"But it's the truth," she simply said. "There are few who have been able to entice my imagination, to make art come alive in my mind. You...are the only one who has ever consumed my imagination to the point of distraction." Her amber eyes took on a hint of satisfied irritation. "I would have found it intolerable if I didn't find joy in it."
(Finally, out of the blue, Chidori Yoshino...had proposed. To him, of all people. When he asked why, her answer was blunt: "your presence is needed for the sake of my art. This would make it more convenient for you to visit me...you could even stay with me." When he sputtered aloud that such a move wasn't really necessary to keep seeing each other, her response had been equally blunt: "I don't foresee ever tiring of you. Why should I wait?")
"...eh, fair's fair," he said with a chuckle, finally rising from the bed. "So what exactly have you been sketching this whole time...?" As he stepped over towards her armchair, he leaned over...only to blink. "Eh?" There were numerous caricatures of children in diapers...but the faces had all been overshadowed by pencil scribbles. "Uh...what's with the kids?"
"Since you changed your mind, I have been wondering what the face of our child would look like. I have been...unable to find a satisfactory image that captures what's in my imagination."
"...man, you're something else, Chi-Chi," he said with a chuckle, kissing her on the temple. "Well, until it's confirmed, there's nothing to do but keep going, you know what I'm saying?"
"That is true," she said, missing (or intentionally ignoring) his innuendo. "Breakfast comes first. I find myself famished."
"No kidding," agreed Junpei, suddenly feeling peckish. I sure hope the guys are doing fine back in Nishiawakura...
xxxx
/Mimasaka Municipal Ohara Hospital, Mimasaka, Okayama/
With Kurosawa having paid for the up-front costs, as well as having charged his own Social Health Insurance for their procedures, Shinji, Kensuke, Toji, Mana, and Mayumi were seen to by the local internal medicine specialists.
(Even though the hospital's outdoor signage had clearly stated that treatments were for scheduling from Mondays through Saturdays only.)
(Kensuke had chalked it up to Kurosawa flashing his PubSec badge and persuading the local medical staff that these appointments were a matter of national security or something.)
So he resigned himself to going through all of the rigamarole: general appearance, blood pressure, stethoscopes, tonsils, teeth, gums, dermatology, extremities, reflexes, weight, height (149 centimeters? Sweet; he'd grown two more since his last health exam measurements at the Academy!)...all that jazz.
As such, he found himself rather bored...and alleviating said boredom took first priority. Thus, upon entering the day room on the third floor (where his four fellow teenagers had gathered), Kensuke dramatically pointed at his best friend, "TOJI!" Mayumi and Shinji actually yelped at his sudden shout. "149 centimeters!"
Toji flatly stared back. "One-fifty-seven."
Kensuke's face fell. "No...you've grown another centimeter..."
"...is this normal?" asked Mana, looking at Shinji and Maymi with a curious expression.
Toji shook his head. "Just ignore him. He only ever bothers keeping track when we have to do these physical exams."
"But it's proof that I'm not destined to be a shortstack forever! I'm still growing!"
"No one cares, Ken."
Kensuke and Toji's banter came to an abrupt halt as Misato, Ryuji, Kurosawa, and one of the local doctors walked towards the day room; the physician looked rather irritable (given that we had them work more than normal on a Sunday...can't blame 'em) as Ryuji said, "okay kids, so after going over the results...y'all are pretty dang normal."
"...for real?" said Toji.
"For real," echoed Sakamoto with a grin. "I mean, save for Kirishima having higher than normal muscle hypertrophy for a kid her age, you're physically fine."
"...and mentally?" tentatively asked Mayumi.
"This hospital lacks the equipment needed for anything more thorough," remarked Misato, giving Kurosawa a stink-eye. "And for that kind of scanning, we might as well skip back to NERV. You know, where the specialists can do their thing."
"And I'm sure we'll eventually get there," casually said the PubSec Agent. "But it's important to narrow possible explanations of unusual phenomena before conducting thorough investigations..." Turning towards the doctor, Kurosawa added, "thank you for your prompt assistance in this matter."
The doctor's response was so passive-aggressive that Kensuke instinctively tuned out the words; turning towards his friends, he asked, "hey. Shinji."
"...yes?"
"...what comes next?" he asked.
The boy frowned, his eyebrows furrowing with concern. "What do you mean?"
"...we've been through a bit. But a lot of what's happened seems...bigger. Bigger than we've been led to believe," he added with a quiet tone. "It just...feels like we need more info, ya know?"
At this, Kensuke couldn't help but notice the trepidation in the other boy's expression (which Toji, Mana, and Mayumi all saw). "...Shinji?"
"...I don't..." Gulping, Shinji's right hand began to clench. "I...I can't..."
xxxx
Elsewhere, amidst a white void...a certain individual was listening. "Hmm...you really want to take that step?"
He couldn't help but grin. "Such a step requires...fortitude. From all of you."
Cracking his knuckles, Mister P turned towards a tiny boy with silver hair and yellow eyes. "Jose; pull them through."
The little boy grinned. "Okie-dokie!"
xxxx
Kensuke barely had a chance to ask another question before he fell through the floor and into a shiny nothingness. WHAT THE-?!
xx
The white void was...distinctive. Incredibly so.
It was why, even out of her peripheral vision, Misato saw enough; turning away from the conversation that Ryuji, Kurosawa, and the doctor were having, she just managed to catch the heads of Shinji, Kensuke, Toji, Mana, and Mayumi fall into (through) the floor before vanishing from sight entirely.
As memories of the prior times she had encountered such a void came to mind (that was how he got us away from Tokita's island that's how he got me away from the Reaper that's Mister P where did he take them WHERE IS HE TAKING THEM), she impulsively screamed, "they're being taken!"
xx
Kurosawa blinked at Katsuragi's sudden shout, turning on his heel; truth be told, none of the five teens were present. "What happened?" he demanded.
The woman's response was to thumb her A.T. medallion and shift into the Metaverse.
Looking at Sakamoto, he demanded, "what's going on?! Where did they go?"
Ryuji scowled, gripping his cane. "Got me." He briefly sent a text message to Amada (who was helping Zenkichi Hasegawa sort out some leftover issues from the recent new moon incidents), telling him to keep an eye out for the kids, and that they were about to go into the Metaverse. "Let's follow her," he said, thumbing his own badge.
xxxx
At Sojiro Sakura's residence, Ren Amamiya was quietly watching television (because quite frankly, he had been in no mood to accompany the kids to the hospital, lest he also be poked and prodded at).
Little did he know that he had company.
Minako Arisato, who had been observing Amamiya in silence (because his actions yesterday had intrigued her Lord and Master), suddenly went still.
The One Who Sat Upon the Throne startled.
"...Ikari has disappeared from my senses. Where did he go?"
Snarling, they leaned forward.
"...he's in the Metaverse. Find him."
Minako dutifully vanished from reality.
xx
Ren shook his shoulders, feeling that odd tingle vanish. FINALLY, he inwardly grumbled. I thought that feeling would never go away.
But what had it been tied to...?
There was a sudden CLANG (of metallic instruments bumping against other) that abruptly cut off. "What the?" Rising to his feet, Ren left the entry hall and walked down one of the halls, coming to the source; sliding open the door to Mana's guest room, he looked inside. "...where did they go?"
AIGIS and LABRYS were gone.
xxxx
/Meanwhile.../
Shinji Ikari winced as he suddenly fell upon hard ground. "Ow..."
"What happened?!" yelped Mayumi, who had not taken well to the sudden dimensional shift. "Where are we?!" Looking up at the sky, her eyes went wide. "...why are we in the Metaverse?!"
Indeed; as Shinji got his bearings, he noticed Kensuke, Toji, and Mana looking around. They were on a very flat surface, surrounded by large stone walls...walls that bore damage in some parts, and were oddly 'fuzzy' (or perhaps 'staticky'?) in others. There were imprints in the ground as well, looking akin to spots where...buildings, must have once stood. Why does this seem familiar...?
Mana's eyes darted around with sudden realization and terror. "No...not again...they're not taking me back, they're not taking me back...!"
"Mana-san, snap out of it!" yelled Toji, trying not to look scared himself. "Ikari, is this some crazy Evangelion crap?!"
"N-no!" he responded, trying to think of what had happened. "I don't know how or why we got here!"
At that moment, a white void opened up besides Kirishima; dropping onto the ground were a very familiar pair of weapons. Mana, eyes focusing with laser-like intensity, scrambled over towards her axe and shield, gripping onto them as though they were a lifeline. "...I'm here...they're here...it's fine..."
"Mana-san," murmured Mayumi.
Rising to her feet, Mana placed AIGIS on her back, keeping hold of LABRYS with both hands. Her prior bout of panic had subsided into weary realization. "...Ikari. You remember this place, don't you?" Glancing wearily in his direction, she added, "it's where we first met."
...oh. With a sudden epiphany, his throat went dry. "...this...is where the facility used to be..." The facility where Misato had been taken. The facility that Koromaru had led him and Mister P too. The place where...
(Mana — bloodied and beaten — looked up at him with eyes that were no longer wrathful, but fearful. "I don't wanna die..." Uncaring for her plight, he had raised his shovel to end it.)
...he had nearly become a monster.
The Beast sneered.
"Don't lie to yourself. You already are one."
Leaning down with wide eyes and bared teeth, its breath smelt of decay.
"You just would have let it out..."
"...so, we somehow got here," said Kensuke, nervously adjusting his glasses. "But how?"
"Ah, the impetuousness and audacity of youth: always asking questions! It's how you find your way through the world..." Everyone turned towards the source of the boisterous voice; stepping towards them with undeniable swagger (how had they not seen him?) was a mohawked bird-man in a purple tuxedo. "...it's always such a sight to see."
"...Mister P?" blurted out Shinji. "What's going on?"
"...starting to get odd vibes from this guy," groused Kensuke.
"Did you warp us here?!" yelled Toji. "What the hell, man? I thought you were cool!"
Mayumi fiddled with her fingers, staring at him with trepidation. "Um...why were we brought into the Metaverse...?"
"And why did you bring us here, of all places?!" demanded Mana, ready to swing her axe at a moment's notice.
Mister P ran a hand through his red mohawk, gazing at the walls around them. "It's interesting, how the cognitive world works: without the constant presence of humans, this place is beginning to fade away. Sure, the memories of those who worked in this wretched place will maintain its form for a time...but eventually, it will vanish. So I thought that it would be best to use it or lose it!"
"Use it? Lose it? What do you mean?" asked Shinji.
With sudden seriousness, Mister P pointed at him. "Your friends were always going to wonder, my little chickadee: especially after the craziness with Armisael!" Holding his arms wide, he added, "did you not think they would be curious when you mentioned terms like the War in Heaven, or the Throne of God?"
Shinji paled. What is he doing?! "Uh..." Nervously glancing towards his friends, he couldn't help but notice expectant stares from the others. "Well..."
"...we wondered why you didn't mention it during the debriefing," admitted Mayumi, blushing shyly. "But...we were sure you had a reason...?"
"Was gonna ask you about it later," admitted Toji.
"And how does he know about it?" asked Mana. "He wasn't even there!"
Mister P squawked with laughter. "You'd be surprised at what I know!" Turning back towards Shinji, he said, "they cannot help but wonder. Lacking an authority to direct them otherwise, such a curiosity is naught but tantalizing to them!" Mister P's eyes took on...a dangerous glint. "Would you maintain your bonds by leaving them in ignorance? Would you face the darkness alone, cutting away the legs from those who want to stand by you?"
"Getting real big 'test your might' vibes now," said Kensuke, suddenly looking nervous.
"...what are you saying?" asked Shinji, feeling an odd anxiety creep up from his gut.
"What I'm saying...is that you're all looking to tread new ground. And that's always fraught with peril. Some would you prefer you to take the path well-traveled...the easy path..." Cracking his knuckles and flexing his beefy neck, Mister P added, "...but I know the path you're going to take will never be an easy one. So I'm going to see if you've got what it takes."
With a sudden snarl, Mana — empowered by her weapons — charged, leaping at Mister P with a flying chop-!
The buff bird-man reached up for the hilt with his left hand, grabbing the hilt; his right hand, meanwhile, curled into a fist.
POW!
With swift and unexpected violence, Mister P's right straight plunged into Mana's gut. He released her axe, allowing her to fly backwards; her shield clanged loudly as she tumbled across the ground, until she finally used her axe to stop her momentum by cutting into the ground.
"MANA-SAN!" screamed Mayumi, impulsively kneeling by the girl's side.
"...ow..." growled Mana, her teeth clenched in agony. "...ow..." Even now, her grip on LABRYS was tight.
Shinji was sure his face must have looked as pale as Kensuke's and Toji's; though Mister P had always been a diligent (if undeniably quirky) ally before...he now gave off an aura of sheer, unadulterated menace.
"Summon your Personas if you've got 'em," challenged Mister P, his voice losing none of its brash volume. However...there was a note of steel underlying it, now. "Because you're going to need them to survive against ME."
Shinji was the first to summon a Persona, calling forth Shiki-Ouji. The paper warrior stood tall, arms held wide-
"HAH!" roared Mister P, his fist — gleaming a dark shade of green — plunging through the chest of the creature as though it were...well, made of paper.
Shinji gagged, nearly collapsing from the bolt of pain that rocketed up his spine. "Wha-?" I thought Physical blows were nullified-!
"Is that a Wind-type technique?" remarked Kensuke, adjusting his glasses as Ozymandias manifested in a flash of fire.
Grimacing, Shinji dismissed Shiki-Ouji. Then...I have something that'll handle Wind! "Ippon-Datara!" The one-legged blacksmith flashed into existence, glaring at Mister P. With a chuckle, the bird-man charged with a glowing fist, whilst Ippon-Datara raised his hammer. He'll reflect Wind, then-!
SMASH.
The shining green fist crushed Ippon-Datara's helm, forcefully dispelling the Persona; this time, it felt like Shinji's brain had been struck by a piercing migraine. "Agh-!" he shrieked, falling to his knees. I...don't...get it...
"It's not a Wind Skill!" exclaimed Mayumi; she was sitting upon the throne of Armisael, flipping through a black book with concern. "I'm...not quite sure what it is...!"
"Then I'll buy y'all time! RUN 'EM OVER, GILGAMESH!" yelled Toji, pointing his staff at the burly bird-man; his even burlier Persona charged, roaring "Speed Buster!"
Mister P chuckled, bending his legs as though he were a sumo wrestler; despite Gilgamesh being nearly two meters taller than Mister P (who was no little guy himself), the bird-man was able to use the giant's momentum to perform a belly-to-belly suplex, smashing Gilgamesh headfirst into the ground. "You'll have to do better than that!" Rolling away, Mister P thrust his leg backward, smashing a glowing foot into Gilgamesh's abdomen. Concussive waves erupted from the point of impact, launching the Persona into the wall.
Toji faltered, his legs going wobbly. "The hell, man..."
"Pulinpa!" yelled Ozymandias, lashing out with a wave of blurry distortion that clung to Mister P's face.
"Ah, a little woozy there..." said Mister P, who somehow sounded smug despite walking with a wobble.
Kensuke looked towards Kirishima, readying his energy crossbow. "Mana-san, now!"
Snarling, Mana — gaining a second wind — charged at the bird-man, swinging LABRYS at an angle-!
Mister P abruptly ducked underneath the swing, drunkenly stumbling away. "Ooh, looks like you missed..." He leaned back, narrowly dodging a horizontal slash by the tip of his beak. "And again...!"
"Stay still and let me hit you!" growled Mana, trying unsuccessfully to cut the damnably annoying bird-man.
"...I hit him with a Confusion ailment, that shouldn't give him 'drunken fist' powers," griped Kensuke, looking with worried eyes at Shinji, Toji, and Mayumi. "We'll distract him while you regroup!" (Under his breath, Kensuke added, "I hope...")
Shinji could barely process this as Toji helped him get to his feet, all but dragging over towards Mayumi. As Armisael's ring spun rapidly, Toji asked, "hey, can you pull off any of the crazy doohickeys you did against the Angel?"
Mayumi's voice — well, her voice if it were made by wind chimes — echoed from the shining helical halo. "It doesn't work like that," said her Persona Armisael.
"...whaddya mean?" wondered Toji. (In the background, Mister P could be seen backhanding Mana, his knuckles crashing against her shield; he fell over in a rather nimble roll, leaping up to perform a flying body slam against Ozymandias.)
"Well...stuff was easier, in the Angel's Domain. Now, I'm trying to analyze it as best as I can..." Mayumi held the book at an angle, her eyes narrowing into a squint. "...but it's...being...difficult..." Without warning, the ink characters she was reading actually leapt off the page, flicking her monocle. "Ack!"
"...dang it all, what's going on? Why's the bird-man giving us a hard time?!" snarled Toji. He reached into the pockets of his robe, pulling out a protein bar. "Here Ikari, you look like you need it."
"...thanks," he slurred, leaning against Toji's shoulder as he nibbled at the bar. Even as the pain began to alleviate, he said, "I'm...not sure exactly what he's doing...he's not using Wind Skills, is he...?"
"Definitely not," murmured Mayumi, tearing out an unruly page. "...the color's the only similarity. The principle is different...but in terms of what...?"
The sound of fists meeting a shield — and then flesh — accompanied Mana sliding across the ground, followed by Ozymandias and Gilgamesh. Kensuke hobbled back towards them, trying to get away from the bruiser of a bird-man; with his face now clear of the distortion, Mister P's green eyes could be seen: twinkling with amusement. "The path you seek to tread will likely throw problems with no context at you: you'll have to be quick on your feet if you're going to be able to handle them!" He reared his right fist, which began to take on that eerie green glow once more. "But perhaps you'll accept a hint..." With a gleam in his eye, he simply said, "Zandyne."
His right fist crashed into the ground, unleashing torrential waves of green that blew them away with ripples of concussive force.
xxxx
Minako glanced around, feeling strange emanations of power coming from...somewhere. Somewhere far away...beyond a great void. She couldn't quite lock onto it...
A great presence loomed behind her; the cloaked girl turned, gazing at the gruesome visage of the Reaper. "Me feel something strong. Me want to EVISCERATE!"
Nodding wordlessly, Minako leapt onto its shoulder, standing firmly upon the broad frame of the murderous thing. Her eyes remained firmly on the horizon as the Reaper began traversing over utter emptiness.
Across the cognitive void of the ocean blue, the thralls of the Usurper flew.
xxxx
Mayumi Yamagishi was slumped over on her throne, rubbing irritably at her head. Ow. This whole battle (and why was it even happening to begin with?!) was...not going as swimmingly as the conflict with the Angel Armisael had been. Sure, the Angel had been more of an existential threat; true, its capabilities and overall threat had been more grandiose...but in the heart of the Angel's realm, she had also been stronger. Her foresight had practically bordered on clairvoyance!
Now? Predicting this 'Mister P' (seriously, why did he look like a humanoid penguin?) was an exercise in utter frustration; trying to communicate potential plans to her friends was shrouded by distortion; her total capacity was so much...lesser.
Why am I even here...?
Her Other closed a book shut. Loudly.
"Now is not the time to backtrack, my dear."
She then poked her forehead with a crimson pen.
"Writing your story was never going to be easy, after all..."
No, thought Mayumi with a shake of her head, looking back towards her friends. I can't think like that; not now! As they struggled to their feet, Mayumi summoned a protean orb from Armisael's helical ring; as the glossy material shifted into a pamphlet, she read from it aloud. "Okay...that attack's similarity to a Wind Skill is...only accidental. It's using a more fundamental form of energy...evoking an impact, or shocking power...maybe Force would be a better way of describing it...?"
"Well whatever it is, it hurt," groaned Kensuke as Ozymandias helped him rise; Gilgamesh pulled both Toji and Mana to their feet, while Shinji slowly pulled himself up under his own power.
All the while, Mister P was whistling jauntily, slowly strolling towards them without a care in the world.
Dropping the pamphlet, it instantly morphed back into an orb; as the shifting stone returned to its normal pattern of revolving about her throne, Mayumi adjusted her monocle with an analytic touch. The information that she had managed to glean (so far) about Mister P was displaying itself in rows of text and graphs. (How very neat, her self-image in the Metaverse was...) "...we have to change up our tactics."
"I'm open for any suggestions," growled Mana, resting the rim of AIGIS against the ground. "That damn bastard's too slippery..."
At that moment, inspiration struck. "...Mana-san, do you trust us?"
Mana blinked at the sudden question. "Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I?"
"I'm serious."
"...what are you getting at?"
When Mayumi explained her plan rather quickly, the child soldier looked...well, offended at first. Then, before she could retort, she looked down at her weapons with a sense of...disbelief, confusion...and then resignation. "Fine. If it works, it works."
Mayumi nodded gratefully, turning towards Shinji. "Ikari-san...please summon Hamlet, if you will."
xx
Mister P couldn't help but yawn theatrically as he continued to (slowly) close the distance. "I'm getting awfully bored, my little chickadees! We're on a time limit, you know; I haven't an eternity to test you, after all!" At that moment, two Personas stepped away from the group: Gilgamesh and Hamlet. However...they were doing something new. "Well well WELL! This ought to be interesting!"
In Gilgamesh's left hand was LABRYS, looking more akin to a hatchet in his grip than the giant battle axe it was relative to Mana.
Hamlet had left his familiar skull in Shinji Ikari's hands; for in his left hand was AIGIS, serving as a shield to complement the sword in his right.
"What a quaint approach you've chosen...and a great concession on the young girl's part, to let others hold her dearest possessions!"
At that moment, without warning, Ozymandias — hanging back in front of Shinji, Mana, Toji, and Kensuke — shouted "Dazzler!"
Mister P's vision was awash with stars, partially blinding him to the (suddenly, with swiftness!) rapid approach of the larger weapon-wielding Personas. "That's more like it!" he shouted with joy, as Hamlet lunged forward to stab, whilst Gilgamesh readied a mighty overhand swing. "Let desperation fuel your creativity!" Mister P raised his right hand, using the back of his glove to parry the broad side of Hamlet's sword; pushing the cloaked Persona away, he backstepped to avoid the downward swing of LABRYS. As the axe bit into the ground with a mighty crash, Gilgamesh immediately followed up with a punch from his gauntlet-covered fist; Mister P shifted to the side, leaning away from the blow, only to come face-to-face with AIGIS. Leaping up, the bird-man pressed his shoes against the umbo, using momentum to kick away from the shield that Hamlet had tried to brain him with. Landing in a crouch, Mister P looked at the taller Personas with a grin. "Not bad...Mazanma!"
Beneath the Personas' feet, concentrations of green energy manifested and erupted; Gilgamesh rolled to the side, whilst Hamlet leapt back with AIGIS at the ready. As the concussive force was sucked into the shield's red gemstone, the waves blasted Gilgamesh away. Hamlet, unimpeded, charged forward. "Why are you doing this?" inquired Hamlet, even as he roared "Giant Slice" and swung his blade.
Mister P leapt above the sword, landing on Hamlet's shoulders. "Because it's needed, my boy." With a glowing foot, the bird-man smashed the side of Hamlet's head, sending him reeling-
"Eiga!"
Mister P dropped and rolled, avoiding the Dark Skill as the bolt exploded in a burst of cursed fire. Turning towards Gilgamesh, Mister P couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you going to try running again? Show me something new!"
"...if you insist," growled the bronzed giant, digging his gauntlet-clad hand into the hard ground. "Speed Buster!" With a defiant charge, the aura of Sukunda covered Gilgamesh as he ran; however, instead of barrelling into Mister P, he stopped several meters away, scraping his right arm out of the ground. With it come a torrential rain of rock and rubble, coated by the agility-siphoning aura of Sukunda.
Mister P grinned at the incoming stone shower. "Intriguing!" He made a move to leap back-
"Cleave!"
Mister P immediately spun around, blocking Hamlet's overhand swing with his gloved hands. "Even better-"
A bolt of white energy hit his right calf from afar...
xx
"Nice shot Aida-san!" exclaimed Mayumi.
"Thanks!" answered Kensuke, holding his Pearl Phoenix crossbow with steady hands. (Even as he inwardly fretted: holy crap holy crap I actually hit him!)
xx
...and it was just enough unexpected pain to drive his right knee to the ground, minimizing his mobility just long enough for the rock shower to rain down upon him.
Hamlet, holding AIGIS above his head, blocked the stray rubble, thereby avoiding the speed-draining attack.
Mister P chuckled, feeling how his movements were noticeably slower. "A successful blow...but not a finisher." With a devastating gut punch, he drove Hamlet to his knees...
xx
"GRK!" groaned Shinji, impulsively clutching his stomach. "How...much...longer...?"
Mayumi hurryingly flipped through a black book. "Um...not much longer...!"
xx
...before turning back to face Gilgamesh once more. Bereft of his former agility, Mister P was forced to engage more closely with the bearded warrior, where the taller Persona's height and reach could have greater effect...theoretically speaking, that is.
Instead of dodging and weaving, he settled for parrying the axe and tanking Gilgamesh's punches, using the opportunity to deliver hard one-twos and combos to the giant's torso. Even when Hamlet began striking from the back, Mister P barely maintained separation from them both, dancing on the thin edge of territory where they couldn't risk swinging their weapons lest they accidentally hit each other. "A very invigorating spar, this has been...but let's level the playing field!" Kneeling down, he roared "Zandyne," unleashing a torrential wave of violent force that blew the two Personas away-
"Evil Touch!" cried Ozymandias from afar.
A hand-shaped orb glowing violet and crimson smashed into Mister P's head; the bird-man shook his head briefly, ignoring the odd chill running down his spine. "Fear, hmm? That just means...I need to choose a more fitting target!" With gleaming eyes, he turned toward the source of his current fear, grinning widely as he charged towards the cluster of humans.
Kensuke frantically fired his crossbow; the bolts blasted against Mister P's body without much in the way of lasting damage. "Oh crap oh crap oh crap he's coming this way he's coming for us HE'S COMING FOR US-!"
Mana stepped forward in front of them all...and with a brief act of will, summoned LABRYS into her hands. "Dodge THIS!" she screamed, swinging her axe at an angle and unleashing a ravenous blade of energy.
Mister P, unable to stop his charge (and ever-so-slightly more fearful of leaving himself open than he normally would be), brought his hands forward to block the slicing wave. It fizzled ineffectively against his hands-
Shinji suddenly held up the skull that Hamlet so often carried. "PSIO!" he yelled, triggering the attack himself; a concentrated stream of white, yellow, pink, teal, and black flowed from the skull's empty eyes, collapsing around Mister P's face.
(Normally, it would have induced a minor headache at best.)
(Afflicted as he was by the Fear Ailment, it was a brief yet piercing migraine, lasting no longer than two seconds.)
(It was enough to make him falter.)
"Speed Buster!"
Gilgamesh slammed his beefy shoulder into Mister P from behind, digging in deep and low; the purple aura (the aura of Rakunda, this time...!) over his body transferred to Mister P, softening the bird-man's own durability. As he stumbled forward, his eyes fell upon Mana once more.
This time, she had summoned AIGIS back to her hands; with the shield held tightly in her right hand, Mana lashed out with an uppercut, using the defensive weapon as a bludgeon.
Metal smashed into the underside of his beak...
WHA-KOOOSH!
...and with a burst of power (augmented by the Force Skill absorbed earlier), AIGIS unleashed a column of energy that shot Mister P high into the sky.
As he sailed end over end through the air, the boisterous bird-man couldn't help but grin to himself. Impressive!A loud crash echoed as he smashed back into the ground a fair distance away. Most impressive...
xx
Shinji Ikari tried not to worry. (He was worrying.) He tried to steady his breathing. (Breathe.) "...did we do it...?" he muttered, noting that his hands slightly shaky. Why was that so intense?
"I...I think we did," answered Mayumi, peering intently at her back. "I'm not sensing any impending actions..."
Gasping for air, Kensuke collapsed to the ground, falling onto his butt. "Man, that was crazy."
"Good plan, Yamagishi," approvingly said Toji, leaning on his wooden staff for support. "Now, anyone want to explain why this guy suddenly kidnapped us?"
"And why he looks like Katsuragi's pet penguin?" added Mana, keeping a firm grip on LABRYS and AIGIS; her eyes were still firmly fixated on the dust cloud shrouding where Mister P had crashed.
"...huh, that is a good point," remarked Kensuke, looking curiously in Shinji's direction. "Now that I'm thinking about it...why did he seek us out?"
"...what do you mean?" he asked.
Crossing his arms, Kensuke glanced at Mayumi, Mana, and Toji before adding, "well, all the way back when you first manifested Hamlet, right? June the 9th: back when we were trying to find my Shadow around my apartment?"
"...weren't we trying to look for a way back into the real world?"
"T-T-That's besides the point!" sputtered Kensuke. "I'm talking about when the bird-man appeared out of nowhere!"
Shinji remembered, for the most part.
(Amidst their attempts at trying to get back to reality without getting into trouble, a strange voice had sounded out, echoing from all around them. Attempts at finding out where he was were for naught, as he continued to speak. "Naughty children normally get punished, but I'm here to be a teacher. A guide, if you will..." Suddenly, an avian figure leapt down from a statue, transforming in a flash of blue fire into a tuxedo-clad Adonis of a bird-man. "...and it falls to someone like me to teach you little chickadees how to fly!" All of his words were accompanied by grandiose poses and flexes. "Mere boys, that's what you are! But if you follow my wise counsel...then I shall teach you how to be MEN.")
"What about it?"
Kensuke frowned at Shinji's question. "He helped us get back to the real world...he came to help when I nearly got consumed by my Shadow on the 14th of June...I think he and Ayanami know each other, somehow...I fought an Acolyte's Shadow by his side during the June New Moon..." Aida kept muttering to himself, mentioning subsequent events under his breath. "...but why? Why is he so involved with us? Why is someone with power like his so interested in us?"
"Ha ha!" echoed joyous and amused laughter. "You see what I mean? Curiosity: truly a double-edged sword if there ever was one!" Out of the dust cloud formed by his impact, walked Mister P: somewhat tattered, with a less-than-pristine mohawk, and a bruise forming under the bottom of his beak. "And let's be honest, boy...you're not the kind who's able to keep secrets. Not for long, at any rate."
Shinji couldn't help but grimace at the stares coming his way. "...we're not going to keep fighting, are we?"
"I've seen what I needed! Besides, there wouldn't be any point: Diamrita." With a snap of his fingers, a cool and pleasant light washed over Mister P, restoring his previously immaculate and well-coiffed appearance.
"Because of course he'd have his own Healing Skill," groused Kensuke.
"...um...why exactly did you kidnap us?" asked Mayumi, somewhat hesitantly from Armisael's throne. "Why were you...testing us? For what purpose?"
Smiling, Mister P walked in a circle around them. "Kensuke Aida; Toji Suzuhara; Mana Kirishima; Mayumi Yamagishi: for various reasons, you've all become involved in Shinji Ikari's life. That life, as I'm sure you've noticed, comes with costs. It comes with danger, and oft of the mortal variety! And yet, despite it all, you've not chosen to flee or run from the struggles that such a bond entails...because it would seem the good things are more than worth it, in your youthful eyes!" Turning towards Ikari, he then said, "boy: do you remember our meeting during your string of tests at the end of July?"
Shinji blinked, casting his memory back to those days (hard to believe that was less than a month ago...).
(After briefly lecturing him on the nature of pawns and tactical retreats, Mister P added, "in the end, I won't tell you whether advancing or retreating is the right call in a given scenario...nor can I tell you that running away is inherently good or inherently bad. Life's too complicated for that. Only you can determine whether you'll be able to live with the consequences of your actions.")
"...sort of. You talked about how running away can be good or bad, depending on the situation."
"Good memory! Now...to build on that lesson, there will come a time where it won't matter if running away is good or bad...because you won't be able to." Suddenly, he vanished from sight. "Your adversary won't allow you that."
Mayumi shrieked; the other teens all balked, whirling around to see that Mister P had somehow appeared in their midst. "In times like that...you will need to dig deep. You will need to struggle. You will need to try new things, because your very survival will demand it!" With crossed arms, he looked down at them with all the imperious authority of a teacher. "Heed this lesson well...because the foes to come will not be as gentle as I."
("...he was toying with us," murmured Kensuke, eyes wide with shock.)
"...you talkin' about the Angels?" warily asked Toji.
Mister P squawked loudly. "If only! No: Ikari knows full well of what I speak of. And that is a question you kids will need to ask yourselves: to walk alongside Ikari is to step into a world far grander and more perilous than you can imagine."
("I can imagine quite a bit," whispered Mayumi under her breath.)
"I heard you, little missy."
(Mayumi squeaked out of mortified embarrassment.)
"So before you ask him to answer any of your questions...think long and hard. Because you won't be the same by the end of it."
Kensuke, Toji, Mana, and Mayumi all looked at each other, uncertainty ghosting across their features.
Walking past Shinji, Mister P leaned down and whispered into his ear. "Keep up the good work lad. You're doing just fine."
Shinji boggled, sure that he must have looked as confused as he felt. "But...we didn't actually defeat you-"
"That wasn't the point; those who have might can determine many things...but can it determine what is right? Remember that, as you ponder whether or not to inform your comrades about the truth."
Shinji, still unsure about the possibility (would it really be okay...?), settled for nodding; nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel grateful for Mister P's...unconventional lesson.
Suddenly, there was a loud caw; everyone looked up, seeing Mister P's Persona landing upon a nearby wall, yellow eyes narrow with warning.
"Ah, what perfect timing! Looks like our little detour has come to an end." Stepping away, Mister P flexed his arms, posing in a manner that caused the buttons on his tuxedo to nearly pop out. "It's been fun, my little chickadees! Off you go now."
Shinji barely had time to say "but" before the ground fell out beneath him, giving way to a white void.
xx
Mister P chuckled as the five teens vanished from sight (with Yamagishi actually falling through her Persona's throne as the void manifested underneath her); as Hamlet, Ozymandias, Gilgamesh, and Armisael dissolved into blue flames, he looked towards the walls, in the direction of the ghastly specters that were fast approaching. "Such an awful spoilsport you are...how blind you've become because of your pursuit of power." As Gryphon was dismissed, Mister P could only shake his head before he too vanished into a white void.
xx
Less than two minutes after Mister P's disappearance, a Reaper floated over the walls of the vanishing isle; Minako Arisato stared solemnly at the empty and desolate ruin. Whatever odd energy had been here...had vanished.
The One Who Sat Upon the Throne was...displeased.
"Hmm. I can already sense the ambient thoughts of Ikari; he's been returned to Okayama."
What a bizarre and unusual happenstance, this was.
"The trace cognition of this place...and that odd power...is it an interloper? Or something else?"
Scowling, they folded their hands underneath their chin.
"Interesting...yet no less an annoyance."
"Me wanted to kill," pouted the Reaper.
"...there is no need for this place to remain," murmured Minako, pantomiming the motion of holding a gun to her head. "Let it be forgotten..."
The Reaper giggled as he held up his revolvers. "Me can destroy? WHEE!"
"Come forth, Odin."
And thus was the cognitive island reduced to nothingness under an onslaught of multiple Megidolaons and Thunder Reigns.
xxxx
Hirofumi Kurosawa could honestly confess that this assignment had provided more uncertainties than he had expected.
The sudden disappearance of five teenagers — right after they had gotten a relatively clean bill of health, right from under their noses! — had only added to it.
Misato had all but gone into a full-fledged panic over how they had vanished, scouring the Metaverse in an expanding pattern from the hospital in Mimasaka. Ryuji Sakamoto had been...much less concerned about the whole situation.
("Well, getting frantic ain't gonna help," remarked Sakamoto as he prepared to ascend into the sky on Seiten Taisei. "I'll keep an eye out from above.")
Katsuragi's hysterical anger, combined with Sakamoto's relaxed nonchalance, left him feeling rather flummoxed. It had been less than twenty minutes since the children had disappeared, and he hadn't found it in himself to actually leave the hospital. The furthest he had gotten was the roof, pacing under the red and black sky of the Metaverse. What exactly is going on...?
"Ah, you wouldn't happen to be an associate of Katsuragi's would you?"
Kurosawa whirled around, raising his right arm-rifle; although Häyhä was ready to fire, he couldn't help but blink at the sight before him. A...bird-man..in a purple tuxedo...with a mohawk...? "Uh..."
Taking his confusion as an affirmation, the bird-man grinned. "Excellent! Give Katsuragi my regards." The stranger then sank into a white void, vanishing from sight.
"...what just happened?" he asked aloud.
At that moment, five white voids appeared two feet above the roof, unceremoniously dropping the missing teenagers in question. As the strange portals vanished, the quintet began to rise; Mana was the first to her feet, holding LABRYS and AIGIS at the ready. "Where are we?!"
"...in the Metaverse, on top of the hospital in Mimasaka," he answered diplomatically.
As if to add to the surrealty, a Sukunabikona floated by on a grain of millet the size of a basketball; the Archetype — a tiny clean-shaven dwarf clad in white healer's robes, carrying a medicine box on his back. and chewing on a blooming stalk of barnyard millet — peered at them with alarm. "Oh goodness, you all look rather tuckered out!" He grabbed the clay jug hanging on his hip, holding it out towards the kids. "A swig of this will do you wonders!"
"...um, we're not adults," murmured Shinji.
"Like that would stop a young punk like you!"
Kurosawa sighed, looking up into the sky; Sakamoto was already descending towards their location. Hopefully we'll be able to make some sense out of this...
As it turned out, sense would be made of it, once Katsuragi got back and demanded explanations.
Sense quickly gave way to paranoia, because apparently, this 'Mister P' had a penchant for abducting the Third Child at random!
"...so to summarize," idly remarked Sakamoto, doing his best to try and keep Katsuragi from blowing her lid. "Mister P just...yoinked you all to an island out in the middle of nowhere, to test you in some super serious spar...then he showed some weird kind of...'Force Skills'...he kicked y'all around a little until you landed a decent set of blows, at which point he told you all to be ready for...some vaguely ominous threat. That about sum it up?"
"...you know, you don't have to make it sound that unimpressive, sensei," grumbled Toji, crossing his arms out of frustration. "We did pretty well, I thought!"
Mayumi nodded. "He was...surprisingly intense, for such an odd-looking person."
"A person that looked like Katsuragi's pet penguin," added Mana.
"Who is Mister P, by the way?" finished Mayumi.
"That's a question I'd like an answer to," interrupted Kurosawa, looking towards Katsuragi with a sharp gaze; the woman's expression had become fiercer and more irritable the longer the kids' recollection of their brief abduction had gone. "Katsuragi...the reports I read regarding how Shiro Tokita was taken down mentioned another ally alongside Shinji Ikari who rescued you that day. Was that the same Mister P?"
Misato nodded grimly. "Yeah."
...well now. The reports hadn't been too specific, as this individual hadn't appeared with Katsuragi, Ikari, and Kirishima when Tokita had been arrested outside Tokyo-1; up until this point, it had been chalked up to a random Cognitive Freelancer that had simply gone into hiding, or was perhaps a secret cognitive agent in NERV's employ. For the individual to actually be a true wild card...raised all kinds of red flags. "I hope you don't mind if I inquire as to your observations about this...'Mister P'." The Angels, Strega, NERV...they were already enough of a problem for the government. For another individual with unusual powers to be going about as they pleased, alluding to catastrophic events? That just wouldn't do.
"...you know Kurosawa-san, I honestly don't mind," answered Misato, with some resignation. "The jackass has been enough of a pain in my backside that maybe getting another set of eyes will help me find out who he is."
Kurosawa hadn't expected to commiserate with Katsuragi over an anthropomorphic penguin in a tuxedo, but given how poorly his standing amongst the whole group as it was, he'd take what he could get. "...so, if what Kirishima was saying is accurate, he looks like your pet penguin?"
"...yes," grumbled Misato.
Kurosawa successfully resisted the urge to ask her about why she had a pet penguin. "Fascinating."
xxxx
It was a rather odd trip, back to Nishiawakura; instead of taking Misato's Renault (which had ferried Mana, Shinji, and Mayumi to Mimasaka) and Kurosawa's Corolla (which had likewise carried Sakamoto, Toji, and Kensuke) back to Sojiro's, Sakamoto had elected to accompany the five teens back via the Metaverse.
("You two seem like you have some notes to compare, so I'll just take the kids back myself," Sakamoto had offered, looking at him and his fellow teens with an unusual glance. "We'll be fine.")
Then, with the quintet clustered together on Seiten Taisei's cloud, and Ryuji Sakamoto casually (almost too casually!) perched on the Monkey King's shoulder...they had veered away, heading further eastward.
"Um...where are we goin'?" asked Kensuke.
"Not too far. You guys might recognize where we're headed," remarked Sakamoto with an almost forced nonchalance.
Sure enough, as Shinji risked peering over the edge of Seiten Taisei's cloud, he couldn't help but recognize the mountain they were flying towards: though the great, heavenly peak from August the 14th had vanished, the sheer immensity of everything that had occurred in the conflict with Armisael had left an impression, in the form of an impact crater in the very cognition. Why are we coming here?
As Sakamoto's Persona set down at the center of the impact zone, the older man hopped off, gingerly sitting down on the rocky slope of the crater walls. He looked warily at them all, as if wondering what to say.
"...so...what's up, sensei?" tentatively asked Toji.
"That's a pretty good question, Suzuhara-kun." Sakamoto slid his gaze over towards Shinji.
...why do I feel so nervous? "Um...sir...?"
"Had a very interesting conversation, the other day. Not gonna say with who or about what...but me and the other adults aren't blind, ya know? There's bigger things going on; things we probably haven't even scratched the surface of...and this little 'spar' with Mister P kinda confirmed it for me. S'why I wanted to get all you kids alone, away from Katsuragi or Kurosawa."
"How come?" asked Mayumi.
Sakamoto smirked, chuckling to himself. "For all the beef Katsuragi's given Kurosawa...they both have one-track minds, I've noticed. Kurosawa's is about his job for the government...and Katsuragi's is for this 'Mister P,' whoever he is. Me? I try to be more of a big picture guy...cause focusing too much on the particulars can keep ya trapped in a shitty situation. Learned that the hard way one time too many to repeat it again." As Seiten Taisei quietly hovered above Sakamoto — as the Monkey King rested his mighty quarterstaff against his shoulder — the Freelancer added, "and from the looks of it...you kids have gone through something unique. And you all went through it together. That kind of crucible changes you."
Mana huffed, resting the tip of LABRYS against the rocky ground. "What's your point?"
"Blunt as ever," said Sakamoto with a grin before turning back to Shinji. "I'll be blunt about it: you're in the middle of some real crazy shit, Ikari-san. For one reason or another, these four kids have all gotten wrapped up in it with you...and I have the strangest sensation that they want to be let in on whatever's going on. At least here, you're away from prying eyes...so go ahead. Tell 'em."
Shinji boggled at the idea, impulsively taking a step back. He...he wants me to tell them?
"Or don't tell 'em. It's your choice," he added with a halfhearted shrug. "But at least let them have a say before you make that choice."
Gulping, Shinji turned back towards the other four, feeling anxiety creep up along his back. "Um..."
"...well, it's like we were talking about earlier at the hospital. You know, before we got yeeted by Mister P," said Kensuke, nervously adjusting his glasses. "We're in the middle of something pretty big...and I'd like to know more. I think we all do."
Toji huffed, impulsively adjusting his white aku headband. "Honestly, in a perfect world, I'd really rather not...but we don't live in a perfect world. Ain't that right sensei?"
"For real," the older man echoed with a grin.
"Plus, you talked to the Angel about something called the 'War in Heaven', and the 'Throne of God.' That sounds serious," bluntly said Mana.
(Ryuji, not recognizing the terms, impulsively grinned to himself. So they HAD held something back from their testimonies...how interesting...)
Shinji's anxiety began to climb, because how was he supposed to respond to all of this?! Turning at last towards Mayumi, he said, "Y-Yamagishi-san...?"
The newest Persona-user of the group idly raised her hand, brushing it against the half-mask of avian bone: the mark of the Angel Armisael's former influence on her very being. "My horizons...have expanded a lot, these past few days...but if there's one thing I came to understand during the battle against the Angel...is that we're all a part of something incredibly grand and dangerous. To turn away...and not get to the ending...would be unsatisfying. At least, that's what I think."
"...and I think that about sums it up." Kensuke looked with a wary smile at him. "Whatever you're dealing with, Shinji...well, we want in."
He stared, utterly flummoxed.
His Other loomed over him, skull in hand.
"Now is a moment of truth. Will you lend them your hand, to pull them along the unbeaten path...?"
The Beast loomed over his four friends, ready to crush them.
"Are you going to invite them into your personal Hell, where the fires of your anger will inevitably consume them?"
Their eyes glowed a piercing yellow.
"Regardless of what may come...choose."
A nervous laugh slipped past his throat. "It's...it's so odd...because Misato-san asked me for more details as well...about...everything...and when she asked, I turned her down..."
(July the 27th: after so many revelations from Marie and Kaji's Shadow, he had been asked by Misato about what had happened. Even though he had mentioned Kaji's Shadow, he had refused to say anything more, for the sake of protecting Misato. Needless to say...the woman hadn't taken it well. "...you know, I'm a grown-ass woman. If I want to assume the risk for something, then I will: I'm not some damned kid who needs to have their hand held...and I'm tired of getting this kind of condescending treatment from children less than HALF my age!" Her voice possessed not an iota of friendliness or cheer. "Now you listen to me Ikari, I'll find out the truth, one way or another...but if you're determined to be an obstacle, I'll treat you like one.")
They had reconciled since that awful conversation, for the most part; but the sheer ferocity of her words still stung. And here he was now, in the same situation again. "...how...how can I tell you...without being a hypocrite? How can I?" How can I tell you when it'll only get you involved in something that could kill you?
Ryuji snorted. "Eh, that's honestly not such a big deal, kid. No one's perfect. It'd be one thing if you were tryin' to put on airs but did something that went against your own words. But if you're just doing your best, and screw up along the way? It happens to everyone. So if your decision now is a different one...that ain't a bad thing. Besides," he said, turning towards the other four teens, "for however capable Katsuragi is, she hasn't fought an Angel alongside you like they have. I'm pretty sure that counts for something."
It did. (Like he wouldn't believe.) The prospect of having someone else who knew, who could help shoulder his burden (you can't turn to Ayanami, because she has her own duties; the Second Child is so very far away; and your fellow Wild Cards are forbidden from acting as they would; who else is there...?), was so incredibly tantalizing...and so very selfish. "I...I can't accept...I shouldn't accept..."
BOP.
"GAH!" yelped Shinji, clutching his head where Mana had popped him with her fist. "W-What was that for?!"
"...our help is here, whether you take it or not," she growled. "It's fine for you to help us. Why can't we return the favor?"
"B-Because it's not about favors-!"
"EXACTLY," interrupted Kensuke, speaking with exaggerated swagger. "We've been through a lot as it is; what's a little bit more? Besides...if we're gonna keep getting pulled into this sort of crazy crap, I'd at least like to know the lore behind it all!"
"Same," chorused Mayumi.
"...it's all a pain in the ass, but my tolerance for your brand of weirdness has grown," admitted Toji. "So...if you want to talk, then go ahead. We're listenin'."
...you...all of you...? He lips briefly quivered, before he impulsively rubbed at his eyes with his left forearm. "I...well...it's a very long story..." Subconsciously, he reached for the waist bag strapped to his side. "...and...it might not make sense..." Reaching past the Bowie knife, he grabbed something else (something that he knew he hadn't taken with him today, but nonetheless knew would be there). "...but it has to do with the place that Sokila-chan comes from." With those words said, he pulled out the Key to the Velvet Room.
SHING.
And, as if summoned by his will, the translucent door to the Velvet Room manifested at the center of the impact crater.
"...uh, was something supposed to happen?"
Toji's comment elicited a startled blink from Shinji. "Oh." Right. They can't see it. (This was quickly becoming awkward.) "Um..."
Kensuke leaned in close, peering at the Velvet Room Key. "Huh. Interesting design..." The key itself was a pleasant shade of blue; its handle bore the mask of a human face, split down the middle in contrasting colors of black and white. "...mind if I see it?"
Not really seeing any reason to deny him, Shinji held the Key towards him; however, right when Aida touched it, several things happened in quick succession: Aida's eyes, bolting towards the door; his whole frame going rigid; an impulsive "WHOA" erupting from his lips; leaping back with stunned astonishment; finally, landing with an unceremonious thud on the ground. "D-D-D-D-Door!"
The whole display evoked surprise and bewilderment from the others. "Aida-san?!" exclaimed Mayumi. "What happened?"
Pointing towards the Velvet Room Door, he said, "a freaky blue door just appeared! Like magic! Or a sudden teleportation!"
Ryuji Sakamoto frowned, pushing down on his cane to stand up. "You can see a door, eh...?"
"...does it work with anyone?" wondered Mayumi aloud, creeping in closer. To her surprise, Shinji obliged by holding the Key towards her; with a nervous motion, Mayumi reached out with one index finger to touch it. The moment she barely brushed against the metal, she leapt back with a surprised yelp. "Oh my...it is a door..." Looking back at him, she asked, "you mentioned Sokila earlier: was this what appeared before she vanished on the 11th?"
Shinji nodded; Kensuke rose, finally over his brief bout of shock and surprise. "...if it was a door, then it'd make sense how she suddenly seemed to blink out of existence..."
At that moment, Mana — without saying a word — touched the Key as well. Her eyes darted over towards the Velvet Room Door as it became visible to her. "...huh. Freaky."
Shinji, almost expectantly, glanced towards Toji. Suzuhara grimaced, looking at the Key with some suspicion. "...well, no time like the present..." He grabbed the Key's handle; relative to the others, his surprise was much more muted. "Well...it's definitely a door."
Hobbling towards them, Sakamoto looked down at the Key with a curious expression. "You mind, kid?"
"No, sir." Shinji held up the Key towards Ryuji; when the older man touched it with two fingers, he expected Sakamoto to react with similar surprise or amazement.
Instead, there was only...resignation? "Nope. Can't see it."
"...really?" Shinji asked with a blink.
"Can't see any kind of door," he admitted. "Huh. Wonder if it's some kind of 'pure of heart only' kind of thing...nah, that'd pretty much rule out Aida-san and Suzuhara-kun..."
"Thanks a lot," chorused Toji and Kensuke.
Shinji looked at the Key with a bit of confusion. "Um...I'm not sure why it's not working for you..."
His Other counted four fingers, representing his four friends.
"Is it not apparent?"
He quietly tapped a facsimile of the Monkey King in the head.
"The others have a bond with you...and though you may not realize it, it can be felt, deep down..."
The Monkey King had a wild card, bearing the image of a joker, sticking out of the fur on his head.
"...however fond you may be of Sakamoto, his bond is with another Wild Card: not you."
"...but I guess this means you can't come along..."
Sakamoto snorted, limping back towards the slope of the crater. "Eh...not sure this is something I'm supposed to be seeing anyhow. Like I said earlier: you kids fought an Angel together. I didn't." Sitting back down, he rested his gun-cane on his knees. "I'll keep an eye on everything...but don't be too long, okay?"
"...I don't think we'll be that long." Especially if the Velvet Room worked the same as it did in his dreams. "So..." Turning back towards his comrades (his Social Links; your friends), he asked, "are you all ready?"
"Ready to walk through the mysterious doorway to another realm, presumably?" Kensuke nervously adjusted his glasses, adjusting the sleeves of his Metaverse outfit.
"At least it looks nice," offered Mayumi, fiddling with her outfit's monocle. "And...I'm sure it's fine on the other side. Surely."
"Eh, that Sokila girl seemed pretty nice enough. If this door leads to wherever she's from, it's probably fine." Toji glanced at Mana. "Uh...might wanna stow the weapons."
Mana frowned. "But what if there's a fight on the other side?"
"There won't be," assured Shinji.
With a grimace, Mana stowed LABRYS and AIGIS onto her back, where they hung snugly. "Well...lead the way Ikari."
With a nervous gulp, Shinji turned back to the Door to the Velvet Room: never before had it seemed so intimidating or foreboding. "...stay right behind me." The Door slowly opened, revealing a velvet void.
"...we're not going to fall through an unending abyss, are we?" wondered Kensuke aloud. "Because after our tussles with Mister P, I've kind of had enough falling for one day-"
Mana audibly scoffed. "Can we move?" Frustrated by their inaction, she held her arms out and bull-rushed them into the void, ignoring their protests-!
xx
Ryuji couldn't help but blink as the quintet of children completely vanished in an instant. "Just like with that Sokila girl..."
"No idea if this is gonna turn out well, hmm?" inquired Seiten Taisei.
Ryuji sighed, gazing up at the Metaverse's rhythmic sky. "S'what my gut was telling me was the right call." Time would tell if his gut feeling would pan out...
xxxx
The transition took a bit longer than Shinji Ikari was used to. Normally, it was instant.
Maybe it was a fact that four other people were coming along with him, this time.
Perhaps that was why he was able to hear voices.
"-it is imperative that we complete the poses," said a cool and no-nonsense woman. (Margaret.)
"Must we?" asked a long-suffering man. (Theodore.)
"That goes without saying!" exclaimed an exuberant woman. (Elizabeth.)
"I am unsure if the outfits you designed for us are practical. How is one supposed to put armor plating in them?" inquired a young girl with an air of maturity. (Lavenza.)
"Huh? I thought these outfits were s'posed to make us look cool! That's what 'Lizbeth-senpai said; I wanna put 'em on!" exclaimed a young girl with a tone of childish excitement. (Sokila-chan.)
It was these voices that Shinji heard as the transition finally came to an end; he and his friends stumbled forward onto the hard ground, falling into a pile. "Ow..."
"Get off of me Ken!"
"Sorry Toji...can you get off, Yamagishi-san?"
"Eep, sorry!"
Mana's voice cut through the confusion. "Who the hell are these guys? And where's the music coming from?"
Shinji grimaced, rising to his feet to look at the various Attendants. Sokila's face brightened with excitement, whilst the other four looked...stunned. "Mister Ikari! You brought your friends!"
"Yeah...I did," he said, looking warily at the other four silver-haired individuals. "That's...not against the rules, is it?"
"...not necessarily," said Margaret.
Theodore looked honestly amazed. "This is...unbelievable."
"And surprising," added Lavenza.
Elizabeth said nothing; she simply smiled toothily, as a predator who had just seen fresh meat.
Kensuke, Toji, Mayumi, and Mana looked warily at the group of yellow-eyed individuals in blue...until, at last, Toji's eyes trailed up towards the stage. "
Whoa, who's the dude with the huge nose?!"
Oh yeah, Shinji idly wondered, they wouldn't have expected Igor...
An amused chuckled came from the bizarre man sitting on the stage. "A very curious development," admitted Igor, hands folded under his chin. "This is not the first time that visitors have accompanied a guest...but for a guest to actually invite visitors of their own volition? Truly an unexpected occurrence...and indeed, a surprising one!"
"...that is a big nose," admitted Mana, caught in a stare.
Continuing on as if his most prominent feature hadn't been pointed out, the bizarre man added, "regardless: greetings, dear visitors. My name is Igor...and welcome to the Velvet Room."
xxxx
TO BE CONTINUED
xxxx
Author's Note: I know I'm cutting a day into two parts again, but this seemed like a fitting spot to end as a farewell to 2021: Shinji breaking Protagonist boundaries by actually *inviting* his party members into the Velvet Room.
Anyhow, some miscellaneous notes:
- Junpei and Chidori's relationship has always come across as strangely wholesome to me. Maybe it's because they're both earnest in their own ways.
- The kids have a clean bill of health! (Physically, at least.)
- So of course, Mister P thought it would be just fine to spar with them! (And, because he's just that kind of guy, he broke out Force Skills from SMT; since we already have the Garu line of skills for Wind attacks, I treated them more akin to concussive/impactful attacks, like the etymology of the word 'Zan' implies in the original Japanese)
- Shinji's SL with Mister P (Emperor) finally hit Rank 3!
- Fortunately, they all got out before Minako and the Reaper could eviscerate them.
- Misato and Kurosawa actually bonding over shared disdain for Mister P? Crazy.
- Ryuji continues to be the best supporting character.
- And, to conclude...Shinji brings his Party into the Velvet Room.
In like manner, let's do a brief recap on some major (or otherwise noteworthy) events that have occurred in SPE over the course of 2021:
- Toji gained his Persona Gilgamesh;
- Ryuji Sakamoto (being the truest of chads) took on Toji as an apprentice;
- Shido became Governor of Kyoto after Yoshida passed away (off-screen) from a stroke;
- Shinji and Mana met the power couple duo of Takuto and Futaba Maruki;
- The big July the 16th battles, where Shinji and Rei triumph over Ramiel (and Asuka crushes Matarael in a battle whose aftermath is the only thing we see); lots of other countries aren't so lucky; which ultimately resulted in Asuka getting reassigned to Japan by September (still in progress);
- Shinji attended Kaworu's Boxing Club (where we saw Akihiko and Shinjiro) where he got knocked out in one punch;
- Rei and Kaworu had the first of (at least two, so far) private meetings in Room 23, which had lots of underlying meaning about the backstory of SPE;
- We saw old lady Nanako at the hospital ( :( )before Shinji opened the Judgement Social Link with Yu (and Minato and Ren by proxy);
- Shinji was introduced to Marie and Kaji's Shadow...and proceeded to undergo a rather heavy amount of exposition (the War in Heaven, the Usurper, the fact that the final bosses from P3/P4/P5 were actually aspects of the Angels, etc.);
- Minako Arisato introduced herself to the main cast by dunking on Misato. Then we got her incredibly tragic backstory;
- We start getting more flashbacks from Rei that shows she was involved(to some manner) with both the casts of P1(!) and P2(!);
- SUMMER ROAD TRIP (with Ren Amamiya the driver, and Ryuji, Junpei, and Ken the escorts); lots of fun and frolic ensued over the first couple of days;
- Then we had the Ai Ferry Incident. (RIP Saori and Hidetoshi. But at least Joker looked cool!)
- PICKING US UP AFTER ALL THAT WAS SOJIRO SAKURA, COOL OLD MAN AND BARISTA EXTRAORDINAIRE (Ren had a bit of a panic first, the wimp. :p);
- oh and also we had Zenkichi and Akane Hasegawa (because why not make Ren's life even more uncomfortable?);
- on their way out of Europe; Mari took a brief detour to meet a Cardinal and the Pope (i.e. Bebe and Namatame);
- in the Persona tradition, we got a hot springs scene (that got crashed by Strega, but still); however, to Ren's despair at the unfairness of life, the scene didn't end with the boys getting thrashed by the girls;
- We saw multiple Persona characters show up as the cast of Featherman Z! Lots of conversations about important stuff happened;
- A boxing tournament ended up with Kaworu lookin' cool...and a trip to a yakuza fight club ended up with Kaworu lookin' cool;
- Sho Minazuki made his public debut as a member of Strega in rather bloody and chaotic fashion (in this battle, Shinji manifested his ability to use his A.T. Field to protect/empower his allies);
- BUT IT TURNS OUT THE WHOLE THING WITH THE OLYMPICS WAS A DISTRACTION SO STREGA COULD SPRING ADACHI OUT OF PRISON (don't worry, I'll eventually show exactly what happened when Takaya made his offer to recruit him);
- Sokila popped up in the real world in front of everybody at Sojiro's place! Unlike previously, Velvet Room mumbo-jumbo wasn't enough to keep Shinji from explaining more of the truth;
- Ryuji confronted Ren about his falsehoods; Ren gave justenough of the truth to get the old man off of his back;
- Gendo somehow kept getting worse;
- climactic battle with Kuchisake-onna that ended up with Shinji recruiting her instead of defeating her...as well as a minor bit of Kensuke x Akane shipping;
- The Battle against Armisael and Gaghiel, with all that that implies;
- Mister P deciding to provide a test of strength to our party of five, which served as the impetus for Shinji inviting his friends into the Velvet Room.
There was obviously a lot more than that, but these are the rather big ones.
To the readers: what events stick out in your mind as the biggest (whether in terms of story impact, awesomeness, emotion...or heck, if they just happened to stick with you for whatever reason) events since July the 5th in-story?
Personally, these are my top 3:
- Mayumi's Awakening scene
- Minako Arisato's Sidestory in its entirety
- The reveal of Taro Namatame as the Pope, if only for the sheer 'dude wat' of it all XD
/here's to 2022