Velvet Butterfly Persona

Book Zero

Prologue

Distorted Light within Time

Location: Mikage-Cho, St. Hermelin High School, Classroom 2-2

Date: Unknown, middle of the second semester

Time: Early Morning

Naoya Toudou stood with his twin brother Kazuya and their fellow persona users in their homeroom class. It had only been a month since the SEBEC scandal and the Dva system incident. From what his mother and father had told him that the government had been none too pleased with what they had learned from the investigation.

Not that he or his brother could blame them. He knew that they shared these feelings with them and that he could say that his friends felt the same way without asking. It could be seen in their eyes when the incident was brought up by other students of St. Hermelin high school. Kinda hard to blame someone for feeling the same way you do, when they went through the same things you did, and you fought beside them. True some of them were more affected than others Mainly Maki, Reiji, and Kazuya, but that didn't mean that they didn't share their feelings and Naoya's opinion.

He and his friends were now being questioned by police officers and other government officials frequently. Because of their involvement in exposing SEBEC's illegal actions, they counted as witnesses and therefore were the best people to ask. This wasn't the first supernatural incident in recent years, but they had been far less damaging before now. Because of this, many people were talking about it in various news outlets.

Right now because of their involvement it appeared that it was highly possible that they would be called to testify against some of the SEBEC employees. Because of this it would be a closed-door trial. But apparently SEBEC had some ties that the Japanese government wanted to investigate. He didn't know the details, but it sounded like SEBEC was being investigated because of ties to a potential terrorist organization called The Progressive Future Movement. Kazuya knew more about them but didn't like talking about them.

"Hey Kei-Kun I heard a rumor from some of the other students that's bothering me. Mind clearing it up for me?" Asked Hidekiko Uesugi with a frown he was a second year with brown hair and eyes. Like the others he wore the St. Hermelin Uniform.

"It depends on what rumor you're talking about. You know I haven't been able to be in school much this last week due to the incident like the rest of you. It better not be one of the outlandish ones. Honestly, where in the world do some of these people get the idea for some of these rumors? It never ceases to amaze me how a story can be spun into something so outlandish that it barely resembles what actually happened." Kei sighed in frustration. Being the heir to a prestigious company he was used to clearing up outlandish rumors and hearing them.

"Okay so, rumor has it from some of the richer students that the Nanjo group is planning on taking over SEBEC. Apparently they made some sort of deal with the government to monitor them and inform the government should they try and pull something similar to what they did last month. Apparently it was your dad that came up with the idea?" Hidehiko asked with a frown.

"That, I can at the very least confirm. However, I'm afraid that I cannot go into further detail due to the circumstances surrounding this matter. I can say however that The Nanjo group is in negotiations with the federal government to work out the best way that we can monitor SEBEC in such a way that will allow the federal government to intervene should they attempt something similar to what they did last month." Kei nodded softly.

"I see… By having another company with has much resources has the Nanjo's it'd be super easy for the government to keep tabs on them without using has many of their own resources." Maki nodded in understanding. Her mother had worked at SEBEC, so she knew a bit about how companies worked but not as much as a teen who had parents who worked has a higher up in a company did. Kei nodded and turned to Naoya and Kazuya.

"How are your parents handling things at home? It must have been a surprise to have Kazuya back home so suddenly." Kei asked with a smile softly. During their adventure Kazuya and Kei had become close friends. It was something that made Naoya glad has he knew that having friends in a new place made things easier.

"They've been happy that he's home. They also liked his idea of piercing his left ear like I pierced my right. We now have split every set of earrings I had so we have the match for each one. It's honestly kind of cool." Naoya smiled at his friends happily.

"Has for schooling they were glad that I decided to apply here because it meant I'd be close to Naoya if something happened. I also got to say, I'm not surprised that Saeko-Sensei's popular with the students. She's been a big help in getting settled in here. She's really nice to talk to when I'm having an off day." Kazuya smiled happily at his friends.

Kazuya's past was complicated to say the least. At the age of four he was thought to have died in an accident when in reality the local hospital had given him to SEBEC to experiment on. It was only during the scandal that he was found alive and had volunteered to help the group has a form of revenge on the mastermind of the scandal Kandori. Along the way he ended up becoming friends with the group and now attends school with them.

"I'm glad you're in her class Kazuya-Kun. In fact I'm glad that we're all in the same class next year. I don't think that I could take being separated from everyone if something like last month happens again…" Maki said softly has she looked at her friends. Naoya then spoke up next with a thought of his own.

"I agree… Which is why I have an idea that I'd like to share with everyone. We all know that if something like last month were to happen again and we were on our own we wouldn't be able to handle it unless we were able to somehow get into direct contact with one of the others for back-up." At this the others nodded. "Which is why I think it's best that we make a way for one of us to call for help should it be needed. We can make another group chat on our phones that can be strictly for persona related reasons." Naoya suggested with a smile. Everyone agreed with a smile and before they knew it they had to use it a few times before the year even ended.

Location: Sumaru City, Konan Ward, Lunar Palace

Date: 1999

Time: two months before the grand cross

Maya Amano, reporter for Kismet Publishing and student at Konan university has a journalism major. She was a young girl of 23 years of age who was kindhearted and seen as a bright, positive girl to almost all who knew her. She had short blue hair that went down to her shoulders. Her outfit consisted of a was a two-piece ensemble consisting of a two-tone brown jacket with hearts and a brown skirt of similar design minus the hearts.

She lived in the lunar palace apartment complex with her friend Ulala Serizawa, and she had a boyfriend who was a detective and was close friends with his younger brother who saw her his older sister. Right now she was on her way to work… Katsuya would be at work, but Ulala had an hour before she had to leave. She had just arrived when got a call from Her boyfriend Katsuya Suou a young man in his early twenties. He had reddish brown hair and brown eyes.

"Hey Katsuya, what's going on?" She asked with a smile. She knew her boyfriend was diligent when it came to his job, but she wanted to make sure that everything was alright. Afterall it wasn't like him to call her during work hours.

"Have you heard from Tatsuya lately?" Her boyfriend asked worriedly. This made Maya pause, she knew that while the relationship between the two brothers was strained they did care for each other greatly. So him asking about Tatsuya when he was meant to be at work and Tatsuya at school meant that something happened, and Tatsuya was involved.

"No I haven't, why do you ask?" Maya responded trying to keep her voice calm. She had an idea of what could be happening but hoped that she was wrong. Looking at her hand she saw that her butterfly mark that had shown up nine years ago was glowing again.

"Tatsuya hasn't been home since last night and hasn't been to school today either. I was hoping he might have gone to your place, but it doesn't seem like that's the case either…" Katsuya revealed softly.

That made Maya pause. What could have happened to make Tatsuya miss school? Looking at her mark she frowned if it was glowing then she might have an idea, but she didn't want to say anything unless she was certain. "Have you asked any of his friends? Maybe they know something…" Maya said trying not to panic. She knew that panicking wouldn't do Tatsuya any good and it wouldn't do her any favors either.

"I don't have any of their numbers… I know that you have them though, could you call them and ask for me? I'm very sorry but the boss isn't letting me look for him and wants me to focus on the Joker Case. Even when I told him that it was a family emergency too." Katsuya sighed sadly.

"Don't worry I can do that. I can call them at lunch time anyway so I should be able to call them, since Nana-Shimai and Kasugayama have the same lunch times has my lunch break. I can also see if I can catch them before class." Maya planed out has she took a look at the time on her phone. There was still five minutes before classes at Nana-Shimai would start.

"Thank you… Please let me know if you hear anything… I'll call you when I get my lunch break and let you know if I find out anything from here." Katsuya sighed before hanging up. Maya then dialed the number for Lisa Silverman a student at Tatsuya's school a year below him. Maya used to babysit the two and two other children when she was younger.

"Hiya Maya-nee what's up?" Lisa asked with a cherry voice. She was mostly American with an American father and Japanese mother. She had blond hair and blue eyes. She was a second year at the moment a year under Tatsuya.

"Hi Lisa-Chan sorry for calling you before classes like this but I need to know if you heard anything from Tatsuya lately… Katsuya called me earlier and told me he hasn't been home or at school since yesterday and I wanted to know if he told you anything about what he's been up to or why he might be away from home…" Maya explained softly while trying to keep her worry out of her voice.

"Sorry Maya-Nee I can't say that I have… What about you?" Lisa asked sadly in a worried tone. Maya took a deep breath in hopes of calming herself and maybe finding out something from the other two.

"No… but I'll tell you if I find anything alright? I'll call the others and ask if they've seen or heard anything." Maya said to the young girl. Lisa took a shaky breath and spoke once more. In a confident tone.

"I'll ask some of Tatsuya's friends here at school to see if they know anything about what he's up to. I'm sure that Mee-ho and Sheba will be more than willing to help. I'll let you know if I hear anything on my end. I got to go Maya-Nee class is about to start." Lisa said has she hung up.

Looking at the clock she realized that Eikichi and Jun would be starting their first class of the day right now so she couldn't call them. Thankfully her lunch hour overlapped partially with that of both Kasugayama's and Nana Shimai High School. So she could easily call them then.

Working on her currant assignment she smiled and tried to put her worries about Tatsuya out of her mind. By the time lunch rolled around she found that she had failed in that regard. Sighing to herself she simply got her phone out again and called Eikichi first.

Eikichi Mishina was another child that Maya used to watch when she was a teenager. He was a young boy whose father was far too strict with him but his mother helped by making sure that he'd see Eikichi's side of the story.

"Hey Aneki, what's up?" Eikichi asked slight concern in his voice. Eikichi knew that she would normally not call during lunch hours so he knew something must have happened. "Oh wait a moment Aneki Jun-Chan needs to tell me something really quick… WHAT?! TA-CHAN'S MISSING?! SINCE WHEN?! Oh okay…" Eikichi shouted before calming himself. "Aneki, Jun-Chan just told me what's going on. Lisa sent him a text message about it just now. I haven't seen Ta-Chan around any, but I can ask the guys at rehearsal tonight if they can help us look for him. Or at least keep an eye out for him."

"Thank you Eikichi-Kun. Please tell me if one of them hears or finds anything. Could you hand your phone to Jun-Kun for a minute? I have some questions that I'd like to ask her regarding this matter since I know the two of them are close." Maya asked kindly has she took notes of who would be helping look for Tatsuya.

"Sure thing Aneki. I'll put her one right now. Be sure to tell me if you find anything." Eikichi said before she heard him pass the phone to his friend, Jun Kashihara. A young third year at the same school has Eikichi who was passionate about flower language and had knowledge on the occult from her father.

"Nee-San, Lisa-Chan just called and told me what happened… I haven't heard anything about Tacchi from anyone here, but I have noticed that he had been acting unusual as of late…" Jun mentioned with a concerned tone.

"What do you mean by strange Jun-Chan? Can you explain that in detail? Anything little thing could help us find out what's going on with Tatsuya and me and Katsuya want to make sure that we find him has soon has possible." Maya explained with a calm tone.

"Well… From what I understand he has been dealing with some pain in his left arm. When I was able to look at it there was a strange bruise on it. It looked like a hand with a face of some kind on it… When I asked he seemed startled and didn't say anything about it. I don't know when or how he got it, but I did ask… He said that it didn't matter and to forget about it but I… I just can't… It didn't seem to have formed naturally." Jun described it to the best of her ability.

"Okay Jun, can you tell me when you first noticed it?" Maya asked feeling relieved that she finally might have gotten a lead. Even if it meant that her suspicions were being proven correct. That, in her opinion, was better than having no lead at all.

"It was about a week ago… I also noticed that he has been quieter than normal has well since that time. Other than that he seems to be more… skeptical of his surroundings too. That and he also has been paying attention to rumors in the city a lot more. Specifically those about the Joker Case." Jun recalled in thought.

Rumors… that caught Maya's attention. One might think that Tatsuya could be paying attention to them because of his brother's assignment to the police case. But Maya knew of a number of other reasons that Tatsuya could be paying attention to the case. But she still needed more evidence to say for certain. With that being said, she also needed to see the "bruise" that Jun mentioned to gain a clearer picture of the situation.

Looking at the clock she realized that her lunch was almost up. "Thank you for the information Jun-Chan. I have to get now because lunch is almost up, but I'll let you and Eikichi know if me and Katsuya hear anything, alright? Be sure to let us know if you can think of anything else." Maya told Jun with a soft tone.

"Don't worry Nee-San, I will, I promise. I will also see if Himiko-Chan might be able to help with the search. Thank you for letting me and Eikichi know about this. I'll see you when I get the chance to come over. Farewell for now…" Jun promised with a soft tone before hanging up the phone.

Maya packed her stuff and made her way to meet up with Yukino. This semester, the two of them had classes at the same time so more often than not they carpooled so as to save money. Maya Liked it that way, it helped make thing easier for the two of them.

"What's wrong Maya-Chan? You seem worried today and that's not normally like you." Yukino Mayuzumi asked her close friend with a frown. Yukino was a young photography major who was a very outgoing and kind woman who was also experiencing great success despite being only two years out of high school.

"I got a call earlier on from my boyfriend Katsuya… His younger brother Tatsuya is missing. I called some of his friends earlier and one of them said that he hasn't been himself lately. None of the others have seen him either and I'm starting to get worried about him." Maya explained to her friend with a sad smile.

"I see… How about I get some of my friends to see if they can't find him? All my friends from high school live here in Sumaru now so I'm sure that they'd be happy to help you and your boyfriend find the kid." Yukino offered with a smile.

"That would be a great help Yukino-Chan. I'm starting to get really worried about him. So is Katsuya… He's gotten so worried that he actually called me during his work hours. He's never done that before now…" Maya told Yukino with a frown.

"Alright, I'll text them after class is over. For now if your boyfriend's on a lunch break maybe you should call him and see if he's gotten any updates or text that roommate and ask her about the matter. You could also call Sherizawa-San and ask her about this." Yukino suggested as it was her turn to drive today.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea… I should probably get to that now." Maya smiled as she pulled out her phone. Her roommate was named Ulala Sherizawa a young red-haired woman of Maya's age who was still trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.

Text: Lunar Roommates

Maya: Hey Ulala-Chan have you seen Tatsuya lastly? – Sent at 12:30pm

Ulala: I saw him at the concert hall in Aoba park on Sunday, why? – Sent at 12:31pm

Maya: He hasn't been home or to school these lately – Sent at 12:32pm

Ulala: Really? That's weird… He never misses school – Sent at 12:33pm

Maya: Yeah… we're worried about him… - Sent at 12:33pm

Ulala: I'll ask some of the regs if they know anything. – Sent at 12:34pm

Maya: Thanks! – Sent at 12:34pm

Ulala: No Prob! – Sent at 12:35pm

Maya then put her phone away hoping that she would find something to contradict her suspicions soon. More importantly, she hoped to find Tatsuya sooner rather than later. The sooner that he was found the better off everyone would be.

Location: Sumaru City, Rengedai Ward, Alaya Sherine

Date: 1999

Time: Two Weeks and one month before the grand cross

Maya sighed has she got up for another day, Today was her and Katsuya's day off. It had been two weeks since Tatsuya had gone missing and the only leads she had was her own suspicions which were now known to be nothing short of correct. Maya had dearly hoped that she had been wrong, but she knew that she couldn't deny it any longer.

Last night she sent a text message to Katsuya and Yukino to meet her at Alaya Shrine in the Rengedai Ward where she now stood waiting for him. She was wearing a different outfit that she had prepared consisting of a dark blue dress that went down to her knees with long sleeves that were cuffed at the wrist with buttons. Her hair was tied back, and she paired the dress with black leggings and matching blue boots. She also had a black jacket on what went down to her knees as well. Her hair was also slightly longer than normal as well.

What many people might not know was that she also had twin pistols with her. Both were fully loaded with a number of cartridges around her waist. She had the hood of her outfit up covering the majority of her face. Her license was on her, freshly renewed just the day before and would be legal for more than enough time to help settle things.

Maya stood facing the shrine. None one else was there at the moment but that was how Maya was hoping it would be… She didn't want anyone… unwelcome to overhear what she was going to tell her friends. It was better that way, and she knew it. She hoped that her two friends would understand and would agree to help her.

She had bumped into Tatsuya a week ago at the train station… After that a bruise had appeared on her chest and her butterfly mark had glowed the brightest it had ever had since the day those four children were born. Not to mention she had seen the mark on Tatsuya's arm and that was all the confrontation she needed now.

Soon enough, just as she expected both of them showed up. "Glad to see the both of you could make it. Sorry to call you here on such short notice but I'm afraid that I had no other choice. Please follow me and I will explain why I called you here." Maya greeted both of them happily.

The trio then went to the mountains behind the shrine known as Mt. Iwato. On their way they began to talk. "So Maya what made you decide to call us here of all places?" asked Katsuya with a frown. His girlfriend had been acting very differently than her normal self when Tatsuya went missing. It was like she was afraid of something. At first he thought it was her old boss, but it didn't stop even after two weeks after her arrest. Then there was her outfit change just today.

"I called you two here because I wanted to show you something… That, and there's something I need to tell the two of you. We're almost there…" Maya explained with a smile. They then entered the craven.

After walking for a while, something unexpected happened. They encountered a demon… Thankfully it wasn't a strong one. But it would still be a problem without a persona. Thankfully they had two persona wielders. Yukino smirked as she summoned her persona.

"It's been a while since I've had a good fight. Alright, come at me with everything you got!" Yukino smiled as she brought out her double barrel shot gun and summoned her persona, Druga. Katsuya managed to unlock a persona of his own in the midst of the battle after Maya summoned hers. Katsuya received Helios while Maya used Maia.

Overall, while the fight was unexpected, it went quite well. Not to mention they just gained another ally. Originally, she had only brought Katsuya along for information about the JOKER case and the fact that he was Tatsuya's brother but now that he had a persona he stood a chance against the one who she believed responsible for all of this. Suddenly they fell unconscious and awoke in a familiar blue room. But not before seeing a young child that looked a lot like Tatsuya when he was eight years old.

"Hello, you three and welcome to the Velvet Room. My name, for the two of you unfamiliar with me is Igor. I am the master of this room, and these are my attendance Marianna and Robert. I have been tasked by my master Philomon to inform you of a… situation that has arisen regarding one of our guest Master Tatsuya Suou." An elderly man stated formally with an uncharacteristic sad smile. At least to Maya and Yukino who knew him well from their pervious times within this space.

"Igor-San, Robert-San, Marianna-San… it's been a while since I've seen you last. How have you been?" Maya greeted pleasantly as she looked at the three people happily. Yukino glanced at her friend in surprise having not known that she had been a persona user herself. Katsuya glanced at his girlfriend similarly.

"We've been well Mistress Amano. It's a pleasure to see you again. I'm sure that you have an inkling to why you've been called here once again." Igor smiled politely at the young woman. Katsuya frowned has he listened to the young woman and elder man's conversation.

"I have been expecting to be called here for a long while now Igor-San. Ever since Tatsuya's disappearance I noticed the mark that Philomon-Sama gave me before my travel to this timeline has started to glow and the I got that bruise that appeared on my chest a while ago, I knew that it was only a matter of time until that I would be called here again." Maya smiled softly at the man who chuckled.

"I'm afraid you're right that it was only a matter of time ever since Young Master Suou returned to the velvet room that you'd be recalled here Mistress Amano. I was hoping to avoid this but unfortunately Lord Philomon needed to act as a seal to keep the crawling chaos in check, I'm afraid it has led to his power being weakened by a substantial margin. With that being said it has led to Nyarlathotep power slipping out in slight margins that are growing stronger as time goes forward. This precise factor is the indirect cause of Young Master Suou's disappearance." Igor nodded in acknowledgement of Maya stance on the situation.

"I had a feeling that was the case. I assume that I'm being called in to help then?" Maya asked with a frown. Igor nodded with a smile, glad that his newest charge was quick on the uptake. Guests like her were always the easiest to work with.

"Yes that is correct. Has you known, When Young Master Suou became the Wild Card in the previous timeline of which you hale From Mistress Amano. He has of a few weeks ago, He retook his position has a Wild Card. However due to certain circumstances of which you are already aware. The Crawling Chaos has been able to influence him despite the protective measures that Lord Philomon had taken in you and your comrade's case.

Thankfully, his presence remains undetected but at a cost that Master Philomon is far from pleased with. This, Lady Amano, means that you must take up your role has his Guardian Card. The question is, how to go about that without The Crawling Chaos's knowledge? You and your friends here might just be the key to this very matter." Igor explained with a smile.

"What do you mean by that Igor-San?" Maya asked in curiosity. Has Katsuya strode up to his side giving her a curious glace. Igor smiled sadly as he began to explain the situation to the group. Maya frowned has she had a feeling that she had an idea of what was to come.

"Before I explain I believe that I will need to explain to your friends here, the situation that they are about to enter into. That and we are expecting one more guest. I don't believe that you have meet him yet, but Mrs. Mayuzumi is close friends with him." Igor nodded to the two others in the room with a smile. Maya nodded with a smile and turned to them with a sad smile of her own.

"Your right, why don't I bring the others in on the loop, and you can get ready for the previous Wild Card arrival." Maya offered with a smile. Igor nodded with a smile of his own. It was agreed that Maya would fill in the two guest behind her has Igor awaited the arrival of the final guest of this meeting.

Maya led her two friends to a corner of the velvet room where a bar stood with Mariana manning it. "One round of round of water for the group, please. Make sure it's plane." Maya ordered with a casual look at the bar keep. Marianna smiled and poured some water into a flask for each member of the group. She then sat on one of the bar stools and gestured for her two friends to have a seat.

Taking a long drink out of her flask she sighs. "Well this was not how I was expecting this to go at all… But I guess this all works out in a good way… Sure makes things easier on my part at least." Maya frowned as she looked around the room.

"How long have you been a persona user Maya-Chan?" Yukino asked her friend with a smile. Maya took on a contemplative look as she sat her flask down on the bar. Katsuya couldn't help but not help but notice how much it fit in line with her resent behavior changes.

"That question is way more complicated than it should be Yukino-Chan. To answer though I guess the simple answer would for all intents and purposes be nine years. You've only been one for three years during the SEBEC scandal. You told me that once, in the other timeline…" Maya smiled wistfully.

"Nine Years huh… You got me beat in terms of experience. Wait when did I tell you about that and what do you mean in the other timeline?" Yukino gave her friend a suspicious glance as she felt the presence of someone familiar entering the Velvet Room.

"I'll explain after Igor explains his part Yukino-Chan, it will make more sense that way anyways. For now I'll just say that there are some… time related matters afoot that need to be taken care of. Just trust me on that for now." Maya smiled at her friend pleasantly.

"How do you know these people anyways? They seem to be familiar with both you and Tatsuya." Katsuya mentioned with a curious look on his face. Maya just smiled wistfully as if going through a bunch of bittersweet memories. Katsuya couldn't help but remember that he had seen that same look on his brother's face in recent weeks.

"I met them the same way every persona user before and after us will. When we awaken our personas we gain access to this place. If you're not a persona user you can't be here. That's the rule of this space. No one is an exception to this rule unless they are an attendant here or Igor-San who serves has the master of this room and works for Philomon-Sama directly. Philomon-Sama is the one who choses who gets the potential to wield a persona." Maya explained with a smile.

"Philomon… Is he a man with long red hair and a butterfly mask and white suit? If so I think I met him once. After me and Tatsuya played a game that he heard about from some friends at school called the persona game. But that still doesn't explain how these people know Tatsuya." Katsuya mentioned with a frown. Maya nodded and smiled at her boyfriend.

"Yeah that's him, Philomon chooses who he brings to his realm most of the time though there are ways to get there without him summoning you. But you have to be a persona user if you want to do that. At least that's my understanding of the matter. As for how they know him, he's one of their guest of honor. You see, unlike the rest of us, Tatsuya can use multiple personas, that's why they simply call him a wild card. They do the same thing here with anyone else that's able to use multiple personas." Maya smiled at Katsuya softly.

"I see… so their like advisors of sorts? But then how do play into this matter? You're not a wild card like Tatsuya. You said during the fight that you wished you persona had an ability called Megidolaon." Katsuya muttered in thought.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't have the wild card ability, but Tatsuya does. That's how they know him actually, Marianna was, or rather is his attendant. That means that she's in charge of making sure that all of Tatsuya's personas are ready for use when needed." Explained Maya with a smile at the woman who refilled her drink.

"Indeed, I am also responsible for ensuring that he is able to complete his journey or journeys successfully. Right now however, it seems that he will be needing your aid his currant journey…" Marianna sighed in a worried look.

"Has Tatsuya come by here since he got his powers back Marianna-San? Igor seems to be worried about him and I noticed you've been less focused than normal. Did something happen that made you folks worried about him?" Maya asked with a frown.

"Yes, he did come by briefly to renew his contract... but he spoke in an abnormally quiet manor for him. He barely spoke a word. I'll admit that he is a quiet man, but he normally will speak more openly with the people that he knows well, like myself or the master or my husband and our colleagues. He didn't even say a word to Elizabeth and Theodore, not to mention Margaret who normally sets him at ease he seemed to be more tense around." Marianna spoke in a worried tone.

"Who are Margaret, Elizabeth, and Theodor? And what's this about a contract?" Katsuya asked hoping to find a lead on his brother's whereabouts. Thankfully for him Maya was more than happy to answer.

"When a new wild card is chosen by Philomon-Sama they are given a contract which basically makes sure that they acknowledge that any choice they make on their journey, or journeys are theirs alone. It also serves to make sure that the attendant is aware of their responsibilities to their guest. As for Margaret, Elizabeth and Theodor they are the children of Marianna and Robert. Tatsuya is somewhat friends with them too. He sometimes watches them for Marianna and Robert while their working. Like how I used to watch Tatsuya and the others when they were younger." Maya smiled at her friend.

"I see… How old are they?" Katsuya asked curiously. Maya smiled at the softer side of her boyfriend happily. While he didn't show often he had a soft spot for children and pets. Maya loved it when he had an opportunity to show this side of him because of how rare of an opportunity it was that he got to show it.

"Margaret is the oldest and is about to turn 8, Elizabeth and Theodore are twins about to turn 6. That means Margeret is two years into her training to become an attendant and Elizabeth and Theodor are going to be starting soon." Maya explained with a smile.

"I see… there almost has old has Tatsuya was when he met you and the others… Speaking of when did Tatsuya become a wild card?" Katsuya sighed at the thought. His younger brother had changed so much since the days of his youth… Perhaps if things had been different then he would have had things slightly better than he did. If the Sudou family wasn't in power and hadn't disgraced his father then maybe things would have been better.

Katsuya wouldn't lie, he was sometimes jealous of his girlfriend's ability to understand his brother. But he also wished to know why despite all of their efforts he turned out the way he had. He was more closed off and some of his classmates thought that he was a delinquent just because of his like of motorcycles even with his homeroom teacher constantly proving them wrong and the fact that he got high grades.

"It's complicated Katsu, he awakened his persona at the same time I did, well… his first one anyways." Smiled Maya has she took another sip of her water. Katsuya frowned at this but didn't say anything more. Marianna then spoke up with a look of remembrance on her face.

"That reminds me Lady Amano, Master Igor wishes to speak with you in private in a few moments before he speaks to all of the guests he's gathered. It's about your status has a guardian card." Smiled Marianna softly has two people came over to the bar.

"Mother, Father, what are you two doing here?" Questioned Katsuya, surprised to see his mother and father in a place that, according to his girlfriend and her close friend, only persona users should be able to enter.

"Me and your father were persona users when we were a little younger than your brother is now. Igor's called us because of Tatsuya is still considered a minor in our country." Katsuya's mother Ayumi Suou answered softly.

"It's been a while since we've used our personas but I'm sure that we can handle this or at the very least subport you and your friends here on your journey." Karuto Suou smiled at his son softly, though Katsuya could see the worried look in his father's eyes.

"I see… and you've still haven't heard anything from Tatsuya?" He asked with a frown to which both of his parents responded with a nod of their own. They both knew how much Katsuya cared about his younger brother. "I see…" He trailed off in thought.

"Don't worry son, I'm sure that we will find him in due time. Your brother is strong, He wouldn't have gotten a persona otherwise. Philomon-Sama only chooses those he thinks are worthy of one after all. We just have to have faith in him." Mamoru told his son with a smile.

"I hope your right Father…" Katsuya sighed has he thought about everything that had happened in these last few weeks. He wished that he could agree with his father's sentiment, but with how Tatsuya had been acting lately it's possible that he was dealing with something that Katsuya didn't quite understand yet. He had only recently become a persona user after all.

Meanwhile Maya sat with Igor in his office as they talked about the current situation. "You do realize that by doing this Lady Amano you could be putting yourself in great danger from the Crawling chaos? Wild Cards are considered to be prime targets for him. And with you now becoming one yourself alongside Young Lord Tatsuya, you are aware that you'll become a target has well correct? The crawling Chaos is already targeting you due to you holding all of the fail safes that keeps the chaos of other side which you hale from, from returning to this reality." Igor asked with a concerned look on his face.

"You're right, I know well that I'm a target of his but as long as he's targeting Tatsuya I cannot stand by and let myself watch as he tries to bring the same chaos of my past life to this side. It my job has his guide card to ensure that if he starts to lose sight of himself that he can find it again, right? It's also my job to have the failsafe to make sure the other side doesn't merge with this one." Maya reminded with a smile.

"I understand, Lady Amano, but please think over your choice for a moment longer. Once you make this choice you may not reverse it." Igor nodded has he looked at the young woman sadly. Maya nodded with a sad smile in turn.

"Yeah… I will Igor-San. I understood that from the start. For now we should get ready to get everyone up to speed on the situation." Maya promised has she handed in a wild card contract with a wistful smile on her face and she took a key from Robert. Igor then called everyone else in.

"Thank you all for making your way here. I apologize for the wait, but we needed to make sure that everyone was here first before we explained why we brought you all here…" Igor began has everyone took their seats.

"Before you start, I'd like to know one thing…" Katsuya asked in a calm tone. "Igor you mentioned earlier that Tatsuya has been a guest of yours here before. I want to know when and why. Furthermore you mentioned another timeline which Maya is from. What is that about and how dose it relate to why you summoned us here?"

Igor just smiled and thought about how alike the Suou brothers were despite how strained their relationship was back then. It reminded him of a pair of guests within the velvet room records that lived centuries ago with the same surname.

"Yes, that is right… However the answer to that question lies in Young Lord Suou and Lady Amano's shared past. But first, I do believe that most of you are unfamiliar with one another so why not take a moment to introduce yourselves first?" Asked Igor since some of the guest didn't know one another.

The first introduction to stand out to Maya was Katsuya's father. "Hello everyone, my name is Suou Karuto, I'm a security guard at Nanjo memorial hospital and I became a persona user when I was a second year in high school with my wife and a few friends of ours." He was a man in his late forties that Maya knew well from her days of babysitting Tatsuya when he was a child. He looked a lot like his children.

Karuto's went next wife was next, her name was Akane Suou she had red hair and blue eyes. Like her husband she became a persona user in her second year of high school and fought alongside her husband. She worked as a fashion designer and owned a moderately successful brand.

The next set of people who went were the first who surprised her. It was her own parents Masaka and Miranda Amano. Her father was a reporter while her mother was a doctor. "Mom, dad your persona users has well?" Maya asked with a surprised smile.

"Yeah, me and your father became persona users when we were in high school. We actually were on the same team has the Suous. That's how we first met; I'd tell you the full story if we could but there are more important things to be talking about right now." Miranda smiled at her daughter who nodded in agreement.

The next person to introduce themselves was a dark hair youth of Yukino's age. He wore a white button up, dark purple pants and a matching sleeveless vest under a white doctor's coat. "Hello everyone, my name is Toudo Naoya. I'm studying to be a doctor at Konan university. I'm a wild card and have been a persona user for three years. Nice to meet you all." The man smiled has he looked around the room.

There was two more person who stood out among the crowd. A dark blue-haired teacher with blue eyes. "Hello, I'm Takami Saeko a teacher at Nana-Shimai high school, I teach class 3-B. Toudo and Mayuzumi used to be in my class when they attended St. Hermelin high school." Saeko smiled as she looked at her two former students.

The final member of the group was a man Karuto's age. "Hello everyone, my name is Akinari Kashihara. I teach world history at Nana-Shimai academy. I have a daughter name Jun Kashihara, who's a student at Kasugayama high school." Akinari smiled as he looked around the room.

"Excellent, now that everyone knows one another, we can begin explaining the current situation. As I mentioned earlier the adventure that you are about to embark on is tied to the journey previous journey undertaken by Young Lord Tatsuya and Lady Maya. Now, while we could simply explain the details of the journey in question, it would be better for you to witness it firsthand. I have arranged for you all to venter into a part of this realm known has the domain of remembrance, so that you may see these events through Lady Maya's memories." Igor explained with a smile.

"The realm of remembrance… it's like what that place inside Mt. Iwato. You want us to see everything firsthand? Is Amano-San alright with this" Karuto asked Igor in concern. Igor nodded showing a contract page with Maya's signature on it.

"Yes… has you can see here; Lady Maya has given her written consent for you see her memories firsthand." Igor explained with a smile has he allowed everyone to see the contract. "The only memories you will see are the ones relevant to your journey. However the place you will be going to will be slightly different. It's called the Domain of Memories forgotten by time. Robert will take you took the Realm of Memories. If you have any questions or objections please share them now."

"What exactly is the realm of forgotten memories? I don't recall hearing about that during our time has active persona users…" Masaka asked has he looked over the contract his daughter signed. Igor frowned but nodded, nonetheless.

"There exists another realm within this timeline… One which your daughter Lady Maya hails from herself. She grew up in this timeline for quite some time until the world which you know was destroyed by the crawling chaos. This timeline which you live in now began ten years ago has nothing until then was different from the other side. When this "other side" was on the precipice of starting the path to destruction… A deal was made by our master and five people. One of them was lady Amano."

Masuka turned to his daughter in shock. "Is this true Maya?" He asked rhetorically knowing that nothing meaningless happened in the velvet room. Maya nodded sadly as he looked at his daughter and his wife gasped in shock.

"Yeah… nine years ago, nearly ten I awoke back in this timeline and met Philomon-Sama himself… He explained to me what happened then offered me a choice. Keep my memories or live without them… I choose to remember for a lot of reasons. I'd say it all right now but I'm sure that my memories will explain them better then I can…" Maya stated calmly has he looked around the room.

Igor nodded in agreement has everyone took a moment to process this new information. "Indeed… Now then unless anyone has any questions I will allow you all to leave. Robert will take you to the Realm of Memories. From there you will be guided to where you need to go." The group then entered a limo and began their journey in earnest.

Has the group of 10 people traveled in the limo the older persona users barring Maya shared some of their stories from their adventures. "So then we went to the hospital to get checked out like Saeko-Sensei asked and visited Maki while they were there. Maki got sick and we had to call a nurse and she was taken to the ICU. Then while we were waiting for word on her condition there was an earthquake and the whole ICU disappeared. After that we heard a scream and ran back to the lobby and found a bunch of zombis attacking the staff. After while fought them we managed to awaken our personas." Yukino smiled as she recalled how she and her friend awakened their personas.

"Interesting… certainly an ironic time for someone to awaken considering the fight took place in a hospital. Our situation was quite different from yours Mayuzumi-San. What about your situation Takami-Chan?" Akinari smiled thinking of his own situation.

"Oh, me? Well it started when I was in high school… I just made the theater club when..." Saeko began with a smile as she told her own story when Maya felt a pain in her chest. It was enough to make her gasp and curl in on herself.

"Maya?! Are you alright?" Katsuya, who sat next to her, asked in alarm as Miranda went to her daughter's side to see if she couldn't figure out the problem. That was when, for the first time, she noticed her daughter's bruise.

"Maya, how did you get this bruise? What happened." Miranda asked in a concerned tone slipping into native tung of Italian. Maya made herself look at her mother and took a deep breath. She knew what caused this bruise, but until the memories were shown she couldn't say anything.

"I'm alright mama. I'll explain this in a little while, I just need a little bit of rest that's all…" She spoke in Italian which confused those who didn't know the language. Thankfully Masuka translated for the group with ease, having known the language for a long time.

The rest of the ride was spent sharing stories of past adventures has Maya made sure to take it easy since she knew that she would being dealing with worse later. She silently hoped that the choice she made was the right one.