Author's Note: RhymeWithRay on Twitter has a delightful commission of Igor and the various attendants. See the following link: i . imgur JbpQBYP . png
Now, on with the story.
xxxx
There was the strange sensation, once more: lingering in the depths of his subconscious.
Why was he floating?
Orange light, amidst a glass partition.
Red eyes were looking at him from beyond.
"This is the only way," said the woman.
She sounded so very sad.
"I do not know...how long it will take, subjectively speaking."
Yet...hadn't they agreed (to what?) that this was the only way?
"...I will do what I can...even if it can never be enough..."
The scene froze, as the sensation of plunging into an abyss overwhelmed him.
"You tread upon treacherous ground."
The Beast gazed at him, looming over the woman's shoulders.
"You will be forced to rely upon your hatred to survive..."
Their mouth was full of so many teeth.
"...I can't WAIT."
Reality came crashing back in-
xxxx
"-ister Ikari-?"
"Yo, Ikari!"
Shinji blinked, brought out of his sudden daydream (if such a thing were even possible in the Velvet Room) by Sokila and Toji's voices. "Oh. Sorry...guess I dazed off for a second...?"
"Your Guest is quite rude, little one," crooned Elizabeth, her eyes glimmering with amusement. "To dare and cruise away with his own imagination, whilst talking with our Master...a choice involving either supreme bravery or undeniable foolishness. I wonder what it could be~"
Shaking his head to clear the odd bout of doldrums, he said, "sorry...I don't know what happened." (It felt like he had been out of it for...a while. Why?) Looking back around to gain his bearings, he noticed that Kensuke was looking around the auditorium with intrigue; Mayumi was investigating the various crayon drawings littered about one particular corner, guided by Lavenza. Mana had gone for the kitchen (apparently for a snack), with Margaret and Theo accompanying her. That left Sokila, Toji, and Elizabeth to crowd about him. "I...don't know why I dozed off."
"Maybe you're just tired? Mister P kinda knocked us around," admitted Toji.
"Perhaps I could knock you around? I've been informed that my hands are quite invigorating." No innuendo could be gleaned from such a statement, seeing as how she cracked her knuckles with each word.
"...I think he'll be fine," wearily said Toji, backing away from the exuberant yet strangely intimidating woman.
Elizabeth pouted. "Oh, foo."
"I think it's okay!" cheered Sokila, tugging on the side of Shinji's pants leg. "I mean...he brought friends! That's cool, isn't it?"
"Very cool...and very reckless, some might say." Elizabeth twirled away, her cherub-like demeanor never ceasing in the slightest. "You are sure of the path you've chosen?"
(No; of course he wasn't. But did he even have a choice?) "They...they deserve to know."
"Ah, but what people 'deserve' can be a very curious idea...especially when yourself are ignorant of why we're all here."
Toji glanced briefly at Shinji before asking, "whaddya mean by that?"
"I believe it would be best if my Master handles that portion," advised Elizabeth. "I hope you can maintain the same strength, to see this through to the end," she finished, finally stepping back to observe in silence.
(Did he really even have a choice?)
After a few minutes, everyone was gathered near the front of the auditorium, sitting just far enough away that they could see the long-nosed man in his entirety. Sitting in a row were Toji, Kensuke, Shinji (with Sokila sitting happily in his lap), Mayumi, and Mana; looking down upon them in a row — from left to right — were Elizabeth, Margaret, Igor, Theodore, and Lavenza.
"So," said Mana, eating what looked to be baked Pixie wings (what exactly did they cook in that kitchen? Shinji couldn't help but wonder). "What's all this about? This whole...'Velvet Room' thing?"
"They're awfully impatient, aren't they?" wondered Theo.
"This place lies between dream and reality, mind and matter," explained Igor, even as the mysterious female voice wailed in the background. "This is a place where only those who are bound by a 'contract' can enter...although, as has happened on more than one occasion, it is not a strict rule: more of a 'guideline'," he added, ending with an amused giggle.
Elizabeth smiled, peering deeply at the gemstone in AIGIS. "Indeed: and oh goodness, she's rather compact, this time around..."
Mana blinked, impulsively looking by her chair; when had the woman grabbed her shield?! "Hey, give her back!"
"If you insist: I can only wonder what kind of enlightenment her current circumstances have forced upon her." She tapped her ears, a sly little grin on her face. "Tell me, little girl: does she whisper to you?"
Mana looked again; in the proverbial blink of an eye, AIGIS had been returned to her. She protectively wrapped her hands around the curved surface, looking with suspicion at the eccentric woman.
Ignoring the brief interruption, Igor asked, "young visitors, why don't you introduce yourselves?"
"...Kensuke Aida," he warily said.
"Toji Suzuhara," he gruffly answered.
"Mana," grumbled the irritable girl.
"Um...Mayumi Yamagishi." Looking around (trying to find the source of the music, probably?), she asked, "your answers...don't really explain much about what the Velvet Room is. Sokila-chan apparently came from this place...but why? What's it about?"
"A very inquisitive mind," murmured Margaret. "This place is bound to humanity, lying between consciousness and unconsciousness; throughout the course of time, there have been certain events upon which the course of destiny itself has turned. In those times, we of the Velvet Room serve as guides and helpers for those who become its Guests."
"And who decides that?" asked Kensuke, glancing towards Shinji. "I mean, becoming a Guest and whatnot?"
"A good question, young man," acknowledged Igor; in his hand were a pack of tarot cards that he was shuffling. "It is as much the individual calling to the Velvet Room as it is the Velvet Room calling to them. It is not our place to wonder or question who becomes a guest: only that we assist them in their journey, for good or ill." As he began shuffling the cards in more random fashions, he asked, "tell me, visitors: do you believe in fortune telling?"
"What the hell is that?" asked Mana out of genuine confusion.
"Um...well, the forms vary, but it's generally a means of trying to determine one's ultimate destiny," answered Mayumi. "But that's at its most extreme: in general, it's simply about predicting information about your future."
"Does it work?" she asked. "'Cause it sounds like a load of shit. Big Sis would have told us about it at least once if there was anything to it."
"Never got a single fortune cookie that fit my circumstances," grumbled Toji.
Kensuke gave Toji the stink eye. "Seriously? Those things are so general that you should've gotten at least
one through sheer chance!"
"I meant what I meant, Ken."
Shinji tried not to feel offended on Igor's behalf, because it just seemed so rude. "Um...personally...I'm not sure."
Igor smiled genially. "Fair observations: for there are multiple explanations of a given reading." Holding his hands up, the cards seemed to float around him. "Probability dictates that each selection will give a different result, but is there an unseen hand that changes the odds a priori? Does the fortune-teller provide a compelling story to enrapture the listener, or are they truly making sense of what they see in the cards? Are they merely observing the listener, and making educated guesses as to what would entice them? Does the fortune-teller truly lead the listener towards a new fate, or are they merely engaging in the art of persuasion to convince the listener to make different choices? Is it all mere parlor tricks, or is there truly an element of clairvoyance? Is it rooted in the power of the mind...the spirit...or are supernatural entities invoked to aid the fortune-teller...and if so, are those entities friendly? Or do they have a price beyond that which you can pay?" The cards seamlessly fell back into Igor's hands.
"...what do you believe, Mister Igor?" asked Shinji.
"Ah; what I believe, young man..." Igor shuffled the cards back into a single stack, sandwiched between both of his palms; with a theatrical gesture, his gloved hands flew out, revealing that the cards were gone. "...is irrelevant. For my task is simply to help our guests in whatever manner is most suited for them...and you, young man, have never been ignorant of the factors which control your fate, have you?"
Shinji frowned at the insightful question, thinking heavily. NERV; the Angels; my father; Evangelion Unit-01.
xxxx
The Beast chuckled.
"I am always with you."
xxxx
Shaking his head, Shinji's introspection was interrupted by Igor. "Ah, forgive my manners: I've forgotten to introduce the other residents. You've already met little Sokila." Gesturing towards each Attendant in turn, he continued, "these are Elizabeth, Margaret, Theodore, and Lavenza; they are residents of the Velvet Room, assisting their assigned guests."
"So...what's with the silver hair? And the yellow eyes? Are y'all Shadows or somethin'?" asked Toji.
Lavenza pouted. "How rude."
"We are family," explained Theo, resting a hand against his chest. "Must it be any more complicated than that?"
"...then does that mean your dad's God?" Toji pointed a finger at Sokila. "'Cause that's what she told us when she visited."
Sokila suddenly began squirming under the stares from the other Attendants. "Uh...but it's true, innit...?"
Margaret lightly laughed. "A tall tale with a measure of truth to it."
"...so is that a yes, or a no?" asked Toji.
"So what kind of assistance do you offer?" asked Kensuke, trying to change the topic. "I've been trying to think about what exactly makes this place such a big deal...but what's the one thing Shinji's able to do that no other Persona-user can do? Multiple Personas."
"Very insightful," remarked Lavenza. "Yes; the fusing of new Personas is one of the duties we assist our Guests with."
"So how does that work? Is it something you can do with us?" he asked with genuine excitement.
Elizabeth audibly sniffed the air. "Hmm...is that the smell of greed? It smells like human teenager...teen. Tween. Tweed jacket? Hmm...not classy enough for such a look, I'm afraid."
Ignoring the woman's non-sequitur, Igor hummed thoughtfully. "Dear Sokila; would you fetch the Compendium? Perhaps a demonstration is in order."
"Okay!" cheered the little girl, sliding off of Shinji's lap.
xx
Minutes later, Shinji fidgeted nervously as his fellows watched the process of Persona Fusion occur: cards bearing the image of Apsaras and Ippon-Datara fell into twin pools of orange liquid, glowing blue and draining into a glass tank situated between them; with an azure flash, the essences became one, and the orange liquid mixed and morphed into a singular creature: a stylized wolf drawn in a classical style, formed of paper. "Me Makami! Me be mask to howl at your foes!" it yelped. As the glass tank opened and Makami transformed into a swirl of light, Shinji mentally thought of which Personas to fuse next. "Hmm...how about...Kinnara and Silky?"
As two cards bearing the image of the Archetypes in question floated out of the Compendium, Shinji couldn't help but notice how his friends were watching the whole process with...engrossed expressions. "Is...everything okay?"
"This all seems so...literal," remarked Mayumi with a blink.
"No kidding," said Kensuke.
"Is...that a bad thing?" he asked.
Mana shrugged. "Don't see why it wouldn't. It's how you get stronger, right?"
"I'm still not sure what exactly I'm looking at," complained Toji. "Why are your Personas turnin' into cards? And then into orange goop? How the heck do they combine?"
"Because they're fusin'!" exclaimed Sokila from up on stage, kicking her legs back and forth with a smile.
The process repeated: from Kinnara of the Star Arcana and Silky of the Priestess Arcana came a Persona of the Emperor Arcana: a muscular, anthropomorphic crocodile, clad in robes that looked like flowing river water. With ankh in one hand and staff in the other, the figure's crimson eyes glared at them from beneath a golden headdress. "I am Sobek," grumbled the bipedal crocodile, his scaly skin rippling with muscle. "Bring thy enemies to the shores of the Nile, and they shall be devoured..."
As the new Persona turned into another card (and he felt the shifting of personalities in his head), Shinji heard Mayumi ask, "what other ways do you have of helping Ikari-san?"
"Interesting that you should ask that," remarked Theo.
xx
"This seems like a parody," groaned Kensuke, staring with disbelief as Sobek — the newly-formed Persona that looked like it could tear his head off! — sat at a way too small desk, watching intently as Nekomata tried to explain the precise way to pull off a Terror Claw.
"That's just the way Apprenticeship works," explained an embarrassed Shinji.
"...good thing being Sakamoto-sensei doesn't make me do schoolwork," murmured Toji.
"But I suppose a mere glimpse at the services we offer Mister Ikari is not, in fact, why you were brought here." Igor turned the gaze of his ever-bulging eyes towards Shinji. "Is that not right?"
Shinji gulped, nervously clenching his hands. "Y...Yes. They...they wanted to know more...about everything. About the truth."
Mayumi raised her voice. "It was during the battle with the Angel called Armisael: they made references to the War in Heaven, and the Throne of God..." With slight hesitance, she asked, "were...I mean, were they being literal?"
"Such is the nature of humanity, to strive after answers to questions they may not even know." Margaret's expression was sober, and severe: the picture of an old teacher, dealing with yet another group of know-nothings. "For all intents and purposes, it is a truth of grand import."
Leaning forward, Igor asked, "dear visitors: understand that this is the sort of knowledge which will change your lives irrevocably. As I've told more than one guest before: all I ask is that you be ready to accept the consequences of your actions." The shadow cast by his nose suddenly seemed...menacing. "Is that acceptable?"
"...well, I've kind of been doing nothing
but dealing with the consequences of my actions," admitted Kensuke with a wan grin. "What's one more?"
Shinji couldn't help but feel that was a very poor rationale.
Toji huffed, warily looking around at his surroundings; the whole strangeness of the Velvet Room still seemed to unsettle him. "I guess...better to know than not know. Lack of knowledge could kill me one of these days."
Mana impulsively tightened her grip on AIGIS and LABRYS, muttering under her breath. Finally, she said, "I've already been changed against my will...and I can't go back. If it's that big a deal...then at least it'll by my decision."
Mayumi nervously glanced at the various Attendants before gazing at Sokila in particular; the guileless expression on the girl's face must have soothed her, for she said, "...that's acceptable."
Igor's smiled seemed to widen by just a smidge. "Hm-hm," he tittered. "A most intriguing destiny, that you've chosen...so be it."
At that moment, the wailing woman went silent, and the piano took on a different sound: more mysterious, less soothing.
Shinji looked alarmed. "What's going on...?"
"The song of the Velvet Room, neverending and everlasting though it may be, is the sound that soothes the hearts of our guests, and any visitors they may bring," explained Igor. "However, to consider the nature of reality...it is necessary to change the song, to let that tiniest sliver peer through. Do you not feel the foreboding intrigue, of those sounds?"
"It's definitely less welcoming, that's for sure," bluntly said Toji.
"There is a good reason for that," said Elizabeth, displaying none of her usual idiosyncrasies. (That by itself troubled Shinji more than he thought possible.)
"Tell me, Mister Ikari..." Igor turned his attention back towards Shinji. "The question I've asked as of late: have you pondered the Sea of Souls?"
"...I'm not even sure what that's supposed to refer to," said Shinji (even as part of him began to squirm). "What is it?"
Mayumi frowned, cupping her chin. "...I think that's something Armisael also mentioned," she said, as one recalling a memory. "Armisael...spoke of an Age of Old...a Fruit of Life...and...I think..." Grimacing, she held a hand up to her head. "It's hard to remember...but it's easier, here..."
"Yamagishi-san?" asked Kensuke with concern.
"...Armisael...the Angel spoke of many times. Of impossible memories. Of...different lives. But how is that possible? Is reincarnation...real?" Mayumi looked towards Igor with concern. "Is it?"
"An insightful child," commented Lavenza, as though she didn't appear as a child herself.
Igor chuckled with amusement. "The Sea of Souls...would be a name that, in a time long past, would have been deemed too simple; too lacking in grandeur. The most common phrase used to describe it would be the Chamber of Guf." Waving his hands, Igor summoned forth a holographic specter of light, floating in the air: it appeared to be a sphere formed of bloody stars. "For you see, when mankind was created, all of humanity's souls were born there, emerging to take part of the great cycle of death, and rebirth; each soul casting away much of its former self with each death so that it could experience life anew. Yet those experiences never faded entirely, seeding the metaphysical soil upon which humanity stood: thus did the world of man blossom with time, becoming richer and more vibrant. Even as trials and tribulations increased in variety, so too did the ways in which man could manifest their growth."
"...not quite reincarnation then," murmured Mayumi.
"But...what does it have to do with what's happening now?" asked Shinji.
"Everything," emphasized Igor. "The one who created the Chamber of Guf was the Progenitor of Man. This Progenitor had kin of her own...both bearing power beyond mortal conception...a proverbial Fruit of Knowledge, in the eyes of those who hungered." Despite his smile, Igor's tone was heavy. "So long as the Chamber remained empty, the cycle of death and rebirth would continue on. In order for the power of the Progenitor to be held in man's hands, they devised a plan to open the Chamber themselves...and reverse mankind's evolution, bringing humanity back to a primordial being, from whence it could be set on a trajectory more to their liking. Whether such a being could even be called 'man'...well, that's not for me to say."
The five teenagers didn't say anything; or rather, they didn't know what to say. How were they supposed to respond to something so esoteric, and so high-minded? The Velvet Room's Proprietor might as well have been describing science fiction.
"At long last, after numerous setbacks and difficulties...their plans reached the final stage." Igor looked past his nose at Shinji, without looking down on him. "Have you heard of the term 'Third Impact.'?"
"...um..." It was such a distinctive phrase that it only took several seconds for him to recall. "I think...I think Dr. Akagi mentioned it once, on the day after I arrived in Tokyo-3."
(As Ritsuko led him through NERV HQ, her blunt exposition continued without delay. "The number of Angel Syndrome incidents are on the rise worldwide, to the point where government officials are seriously beginning to consider the possibility of there being a Third Impact; we need as many weapons to stop it as soon as possible. That's where you come in.")
Kensuke nodded. "Yeah; it's not something that people really talk about in public, but there's enough scuttlebutt around NERV that people are really jittery about the possibility."
"A repeat of Second Impact?" Toji scowled. "Count me out!"
"Has it ever occurred to you, why the term 'Impact' was used?" asked Igor, looking at them all. "'Impact' denotes an explosion, akin to a celestial object crashing into the planet; not an incident of mass psychosis."
"...I don't know, I guess we just rolled with it?" admitted Kensuke, looking a bit perturbed now that he began to think about it. Why had the term Second Impact been chosen?
"Second Impact...Third Impact...they are terms that have been seared into mankind's collective memory...because they've already happened." Behind Igor, the wall of velvety curtains that blocked the view of the backstage began to rise...but instead of the shadowy expanse of an auditorium's backstage, there was only an empty void...within which floated a global model of the planet Earth, photorealistic in every sense. "On September the 13th, 2000: Second Impact occurred." Four wings of light flashed into existence above Antarctica; in fast motion, the globe seemed to transform, experiencing great tsunamis and warfare in equal measure. Within a matter of seconds, the shorelines of the world's landmasses had utterly changed. "Then...many years later...the fruition of many schemes came to be: Third Impact." A humanoid figure with strange wings (glowing with such a blooming sheen that it was hard to make out their features from a distance) emerged from over the islands of Japan. "January 1, 2016. The power of the Progenitors was now in the hands of a single individual...in their grasp was the proverbial power and authority of God...and their will was done." In a sudden flash, a tide of crimson light overtook the world, accompanied by a flurry of green crosses erupting over the entirety of Earth...and accompanying this phenomenon was a tide of joyous screams.
Mana hissed, impulsively raising her shield. "What the hell...?"
Mayumi shivered, raising her hands over her ears. "Make it stop make it stop make it stop..."
Kensuke and Toji were shivering, as their bewildering unconsciously gave way to terror.
Shinji stared, transfixed.
"Every single human body was reduced to its base components. Thus did the souls of man, return to the Chamber of Guf," continued Igor. Stars of orange light soared towards the hands of the winged giant, where they swirled around an orb that Shinji could not make out from his vantage point. "Mankind as you once knew it came to an end...and bereft of the self, unable to change or act of their own volition...that should have been that." Igor's smile suddenly took on a different air: one of expectation, instead of sobriety. "Then...something unexpected happened."
The song of the Velvet Room changed once more, this time into truly classical piece. "...Claire de Lune," murmured Shinji, recognizing the notes.
"The God created by Man looked upon their handiwork, and was not pleased. In their sorrow, God left...and without their will, the Doors of Guf once more opened. The souls of man spilled forth upon the base earth." The white giant seemed to dissolve into a bloody mess, and the world's oceans were stained by its crimson essence. As the crosses faded away, all that remained was a red Earth. "And thus did the Chamber of Guf truly become the Sea of Souls, in every sense of the word."
"...but...but I don't get it," sputtered Kensuke, who was starting to breathe nervously. "This...I mean, how are we here?! You mentioned January the first of next year; is that when this is all going to go down?!"
"Is Third Impact gonna actually happen..?" wondered Toji aloud.
"How do we stop it?" growled Mana.
(They didn't get. They didn't get it.)
(You can only pity their ignorance.)
"...no," whispered Mayumi, her eyes wide with disbelief; her prior experience with Armisael undoubtedly granted her insight not shared by the others. "It's...it's not a premonition...it...it already happened, didn't it...?"
Igor nodded. "Indeed," he said, as if praising her deduction. "However many lives you've experienced and forgotten is something beyond our knowledge...but what can be said for certain is that the world you know — the world you've experienced for your entire life — is a product of the collective mind and spirit of humanity, born from the very chaos of the Sea of Souls." Igor folded his hands together, resting his chin upon them. "And that, my dear visitors...is reality."
"...what the hell," growled Toji. "What the hell do you mean by this...? Different lives? Sea of Souls? What the hell?"
Mana looked more confused than anything. "So what, is this world...a dream? Is the world actually being changed over and over again? Because if so, it's one shitty dream!"
Margaret solemnly nodded. "It is akin to a dream...but such a word does not go for enough. The world you live in, the 'reality' you experience, is akin to a dream shared and experienced by every single human soul...and that's why it feels so real. Because to your mind and spirit, it is."
"...then...all this," said Kensuke, gesturing at his arms and legs and torso, "is just a figment of everyone's cognition? But it feels real because my soul is involved?" Shaking his head, he added, "no, that wouldn't make sense...the basic metaphysical biology that Dr. Akagi made me read doesn't jive with this! If we're all in this 'Sea of Souls', then that means there's no A.T. Field for us to differentiate ourselves! How then can A.T. Fields actually be used?!"
"Your rising panic is quite a spectacle," said Elizabeth with a sly grin. "Memories of a thing are not the thing in question: if mankind's cognition is convinced of the existence of A.T. Fields, then it stands to reason that any such world born from that cognition will allow for the possibility. Just as how some timelines possessed giant robots fighting giant monsters!"
(Why did that idea strike such a chord?)
Kensuke, not dissuaded, pushed on. "Then what about the actual Sea of Souls? If there's no A.T. Fields, then how are we even able to differentiate between ourselves to the degree needed to even imagine this world?"
Igor chuckled. "Now we arrive at the crux of the matter: bereft of the God who ushered in this state of affairs, the natural tendency of man is to become an individual, ever cognizant of the bonds that bind them: voluntarily or otherwise. However...this has not happened. The Sea of Souls remains. What then, explains the current situation facing humanity?" Looking back at Shinji, he asked, "Mister Ikari: what insight do you have into this situation?"
Given everything that he had learned (given why he had brought his friends here to begin with), Shinji answered, "does...it have something to do with the War in Heaven?"
"You keep mentioning that. What is it? And how did you find out about it?" demanded Mana, gazing towards the holographic image of the red Earth. "Did you know about this as well?"
Shinji shook his head. "No...this is the first time I've heard about Third Impact like this..."
xxxx
The Beast laughed.
xxxx
"...but...on July the 27th, Mister P wanted me to meet someone." He decided not to mention Kaji's Shadow (for reasons he would have had difficulty articulating, given all of the emotional ambiguity involved with Misato). "I went to Aokigahara in the Metaverse, but I don't know where I ended up...I met someone named Marie. She said that she used to reside here, in the Velvet Room."
Margaret smiled, loosing a delighted titter. "A very rambunctious sort, for one whose circumstances rendered them a temporary amnesiac."
"And what did Marie tell you?" asked Igor.
Shinji gulped. (Here you go.) "...she spoke of how 'in the beginning', someone she called 'God' had all the power...until he vanished. Or left. He left behind a Throne...and without him, a War in Heaven began, to determine who would occupy it. The Mother of Humanity, LILITH, wanted to keep it empty; the Angels, born of ADAM, wanted to claim it; there were others involved as well, including one that Marie called...the Usurper. They were the ones who ultimately took hold of the Throne of God, ending the War in Heaven. ADAM was made a slave, and LILITH fled." (He had spoken the words aloud; there was strange solemnity in the unreal air of the Velvet Room.)
"And in light of what you've just learned, what conclusions can be drawn?"
The Sea of Souls. The War in Heaven. Third Impact. The Progenitors. ADAM. LILITH. So into his thoughts was he, that Shinji didn't even hear when the song had changed again.
After numerous seconds of silence, Shinji (drawing upon insight he didn't know he had) spoke. "If LILITH was the Mother of Humanity...then that means she must also be the Progenitor of Man who created the Chamber of Guf. More than one Progenitor was mentioned...which must be ADAM, as the one where the Angels came from. God had the power of both Progenitors...which means he had the power of ADAM and LILITH. But if ADAM and LILITH fought during the War in Heaven...then that means they're also part of the Sea of Souls..."
Lavenza smiled. "Quite insightful."
"My Guest is the smartest!" cheered Sokila, seemingly oblivious (or perhaps impervious) to the seriousness of the matters under discussion.
Mayumi audibly grimaced, holding her head. "Then..." She briefly squeaked. "Agh..."
"Yamagishi-san?" asked Shinji.
"Just...context...that's all." Speaking as one reciting from a script, Mayumi said, "flesh of my flesh before this time...before this very age...reincarnation; if only our state...were so simple...there would be a semblance of separation, of newness, of beginnings and endings..." As she continued to speak, the other four teenagers looked at each other with realization; Yamagishi was quoting words that the Angel Armisael had told them mere days ago, within its domain. "In this endless war, there was a time when we, born of ADAM, needed greater understanding of the lilim...a child was chosen...thus did we become one with the lilim known as Mayumi Yamagishi..." The girl hissed, as though she were experiencing a headache.
Kensuke raised a hand. "Hey, you don't have to remember-"
"Let me finish," she hissed, not even looking up. "...you speak as if anyone is free...as through we are bereft of chains..." Her breathing was harsh and heavy. "Though our experience...was unable to make a difference in the Age of Old...it has born great fruit...and that fruit will be the price for our freedom from this unending Hell..." With a squeak of pain, Mayumi fell to her knees, gasping audibly. "...ow..."
"...what was that?" demanded Toji. "Was that the Angel talking just now?!"
"No," murmured Mayumi, shaking her head. "Just...a memory...that needed to be said..."
"Weren't you kind of in that big Core thingy at the time? How'd you hear it?"
Toji's queries prompted Kensuke to put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy, easy!"
"...at the time...Armisael and I were one...so I guess it's not a surprise..." Mayumi sat back in one of the folding chairs, seemingly bereft of strength in her legs. "...and the things the Angel said afterwards..." This time, she spoke more hesitantly, as one in command of her faculties. "Those greater than any one of us have tried...and failed...what benefit has greater knowledge brought, other than new ways to fail? That is the story of humanity...that is the story of the Angels, on endless repeat...failure after failure, until the end of all things...is it so surprising, that our hatred would grow, that the rage would boil?" As one reading from a play, she continued, "how many forms did I take, in the Age of Old? How much experience was gained, facing the Memory of Shinji Ikari?" She paused to take a breath. "...how long have we been submerged within the depths of this unyielding Sea of Souls?"
After several seconds of silence, Mana asked, "is that it?"
"...I think so," whispered Mayumi, raising her head; several of her bangs clung to her sweaty forehead. "I don't know what came over me."
"If the Velvet Room is bound to the collective unconscious of humanity, it only stands to reason that the memory of one who bore such an intimate connection with your soul would be prominent," explained Margaret. "Especially in light of the circumstances."
"And such words bring additional context, do they not?" inquired Igor.
"...I think so..." Kensuke, seemingly trying to roll with everything, began counting at his fingers in an attempt to keep his thoughts in order. "...the stuff that Armisael mentioned...hey, quick question!" Looking towards Igor, he asked, "do we know if time passes at the same rate for those of us in the Sea of Souls compared to reality?"
"Lacking physical bodies to serve as constraints, it is only natural that unencumbered minds and spirits would experience events at a faster rate."
"Do you have a specific parameter?" Kensuke only received Igor's ever-present smile as an answer. "...fine, don't need an exact answer. But it seems like these events you and Armisael referred to...this 'Age of Old' must have happened before the War in Heaven ended."
"Untold lives experienced and lived," said Mayumi, eyes widening as her mind began to catch up with the implications. "While ADAM and LILITH fought...and before this 'Usurper' took hold of the Throne of God...humanity was still experiencing life, in some way...but after the Usurper won, we've all been experiencing these...timelines. Both humanity and ADAM and...LILITH..." Mayumi looked at her hand. "That phrase. 'Lilim'...Armisael kept using it...does it have something to do with LILITH?"
"A reflection of how humanity was apparently born from LILITH?" offered Kensuke, harping on her apparent title as the Progenitor of Man. "It...it would be reasonable. And if the Angels were fighting LILITH for as long as Armisael indicated...then them calling us that makes sense..."
"How are you keeping track of all this?!" demanded Toji.
"Do not test me Toji," griped Kensuke. "I'm barely keeping a lid on it as is..."
Shinji pitied his friends, in this moment. If nothing else, it made his emotional turmoil he had endured just a little bit lighter to bear.
"...well, I'm hearing a lot of words," said Mana, rising to her feet with hands on her hips. "What I'm not hearing is a point! What are we supposed to do about all of this? Are the Angels still our enemy? Do we have to take down this Usurper? And how exactly are we supposed to deal with being made of red water or whatever?"
Shinji paled at Mana's characteristic bluntness; Igor, nonetheless, seemed genuinely amused. "A very reasonable mentality...I suppose it would be best to summarize, now that you're all aware of the circumstances." Gesturing towards the image of the red Earth, Igor said, "the conflict over the empty Throne was such that it prevented mankind from reforming; the Usurper's hold over the Throne since the War in Heaven has likewise prevented the same. Although the Usurper still maintains control over ADAM, the Angels are of a state where their collective animus against humanity has only grown. LILITH, for all she desires to save her children, cannot do so alone."
"And where is LILITH?" Nervously glancing towards Shinji, Aida asked, "hey...Ayanami's Persona is Lilith. Does she...have anything to do with this...?"
Gulping in the face of Kensuke's earnest stare, Shinji (who had already revealed so much) felt his resolve crumble. "Ayanami-san...knows about the War in Heaven. But she hasn't said much about it. She's...withdrawn."
"...huh. So that's a thing." Kensuke laughed nervously. "Ayanami may have a connection with the actual Progenitor of Mankind...that would basically make her like the Golden Glider, herald of Galacto...heh..."
"Stay with me Ken," growled Toji, shaking Kensuke's shoulder. "If I ain't allowed to go crazy, neither are you!"
"...and where do you guys come in?" asked Mana with suspicion. "How'd you all come to be involved in this craziness? And why did you involve Ikari?"
Igor leaned forward. "The Velvet Room came to be in the aftermath of the War in Heaven's cataclysmic end...and our purpose, Miss Mana, is to assist our guests: to help them avoid a most unfortunate fate."
Mana frowned. "That tells me nothing!"
"...so why me?" asked Shinji. "I've asked before...but why am I the Guest, this time? Why am I the Wild Card?"
"It is not our place to ask who the Velvet Room chooses, nor why: only to aid and to guide. How the Fool's Journey concludes is often a mystery...and even from my position, your journey is quite a convoluted and treacherous one. And yet the Velvet Room will be here, nonetheless: no matter what trial you find yourself in."
As if signalling the end to a long and heady story, the unseen woman began her soulful wail once more.
"...so what now?" asked Mana, looking at her fellow teenagers with some bewilderment. "Where do we even start?"
"I'm still waiting for this crazy-ass story to actually hit me," grumbled Toji, scratching at the back of his head with some irritation. "It just...I mean, I kinda get it, but it doesn't feel real."
"Our exposure to the Metaverse has probably inured our minds to unusual phenomena," Kensuke offered as an explanation, shakily adjusting his glasses. "Thank heavens for small mercies..."
"I...I think we need time to process all of this," offered Mayumi.
Shinji nodded. "That's a good idea..."
"Should we bring more people into this?" asked Toji. "I mean, Sakamoto-sensei wasn't able to see the door to this place, but we'd still be able to tell him about this, right? And what about Katsuragi? If Mister P brought you to this Marie chick who filled you in on...this whole 'War in Heaven' thing...then shouldn't we tell her?"
(And there was the crux of the matter: the temptation to tell more people beyond their circle.) "...can we wait, at least a little bit?" asked Shinji. "The impression I got was that this kind of knowledge could be dangerous...simply by thinking about it. The Velvet Room apparently provides some protection, but I don't know how closely the Usurper is observing."
"...I'm feeling distinctly less comfortable with this turn of events," muttered Kensuke, looking nervously around. "Maybe I should invest in a tinfoil hat...?"
Mayumi blinked. "...really?"
"Hey, given how many conspiracy theorists use them, probability alone indicates they're probably onto something!"
Mana crossed her arms, a mulish expression crossing her face. "So this 'Usurper' is going to be a problem. The Angels are still a problem by themselves...and there's Strega as well."
"...aw crap," chorused Kensuke and Toji.
That's right, thought Shinji with a frown. Takaya Sakaki, Jin Shirato, and Sho Minazuki. There was so much to keep track of! "...maybe we should give it a bit?" he offered. "We just fought Armisael not long ago...and there's...other stuff that we're still dealing with Kurosawa-san about."
"...oh." Mayumi's face fell, as if suddenly remembering 'oh yeah my parents are dead'. "Right..."
"...I guess we'll play it by ear?" offered Kensuke.
Toji huffed, kneading his forehead out of sheer stress. "Guess that's all we can do."
Nodding, Shinji turned back towards the stage, where Igor and the attendants still watched them inquisitively. Sokila's eyes were open windows, portraying a lack of guile and utter concern for them all. "...I think we'll be leaving now."
Igor nodded. "As eventful as this meeting has been for you, know that it has been especially eventful for us; where your Journey will take you next, I can only fathom. The next time we meet, I will be sure to enlighten you as to a new service of the Velvet Room..."
(He wondered what Igor could have been referring to.)
"I'm glad you brought your friends!" exclaimed Sokila, watching curiously as Nekomata tried with frustration to sharpen Sobek's nails for the sake of performing Terror Claw.
"This has been a momentous occasion," acknowledged Lavenza. "May it bear good fruit for you."
"And may you accept the consequences of your actions with grace," stated Margaret.
"Until next time," said Theo with a soft smile.
Elizabeth, by contrast, simply raised her voice. "Little girl with the axe and shield!" When Mana turned back towards her with an irritated expression, the Attendant singsonged "the soul within AIGIS has a bond with this place. Empowered though that bond was by their association with my Guest, it was enough to utilize that Potential...perhaps you'd be wise to delve deeper in your spare time?" Elizabeth suddenly frowned. "Spare...stare...scare? A scary movie? Something along those lines."
Mana blinked, looking briefly at her shield with befuddlement.
"...she seems to like non-sequiturs," observed Mayumi.
"...speaking of which, they mentioned 'guests', as in plural." Kensuke glanced towards Shinji. "Any idea about who those might have been?" Shinji's expression must have been an open book, because Aida immediately snorted. "Man Shinji, you do suck at keeping secrets. You know who they are?"
"...sort of. It's...complicated? I don't even know if they'd want me to tell you..."
"Guess that's fair enough," Kensuke replied with a shrug.
"...any idea how we leave?" asked Toji, looking around with confusion. "I mean, I don't see that door we entered to get here."
"Um...I usually just think about it real hard, like trying to wake up from a dream-" Shinji's words were cut off as the transition began...
xxxx
...and just like that, they were back in the Metaverse, standing amidst an impact crater. The five teens impulsively looked behind them; the Door to the Velvet Room was gone.
"Boy, that was fast."
They all looked back towards the voice; Ryuji Sakamoto looked at them with an amused expression. "Fast?" echoed Toji.
"Yeah. It wasn't even five minutes."
Kensuke subconsciously pumped his fist. "More time dilation..."
Ryuji arched an eyebrow. "Okay, I take it was more than five minutes then...see anything interesting?"
The five teenagers looked at each other with bewilderment, as though silently communicating 'what wasn't interesting?'. Finally, as one unit: Kensuke, Toji, and Mayumi uttered, "...the Nose..."
"...the...Nose?" repeated Ryuji. "Do I want to know?"
"We're honestly still trying to figure it out, sensei," admitted Toji with a resigned shrug.
xx
Mana had not joined in the mentions of Igor's most prominent feature, because she was too busy staring at her shield; the red gemstone seemed to carry an unusual gleam. 'A bond with the Velvet Room'...what was that lady referring to?
xxxx
Her Big Sis stared questioningly at her younger sibling. "...are you okay?"
"...I...am not sure," admitted Little Sis, staring quietly at her hands. "But it felt...like a nostalgic dream..."
"...this seems pretty big stuff for Mana-chan to handle."
Little Sis looked at Big Sis with a solemn expression. "We will be by her side nonetheless."
xxxx
Mana huffed, resting AIGIS on her back as ever. Guess I'll find out one way or another. Because focusing on one thing at a time was all she could do.
xxxx
It was a rather subdued cluster of teenagers that were brought back to the Sakura Residence by Ryuji. Before they transitioned back from the Metaverse, Toji asked, "so...you're not gonna ask us about anything?"
"I figure I'll find out about it when the time is right," replied the older man with a shrug. "Besides, between yesterday's debriefing, this morning's medical exams, your brief abduction-slash-spar with Mister P, and now...whatever you just went through, you're probably beat."
"Can confirm," muttered Kensuke.
"...in that case, I'll go ahead and order us some takeout. Got a hankering for something other than curry. Just...try not to get into anymore trouble, okay?" With those words said, Ryuji hobbled away, leaving the kids on the side lawn of Sojiro's house.
The five teenagers were left alone, looking awkwardly at each other. A tiny mewl from one of the local cats caught their attention; as Mayumi knelt down to absently stroke the fur of a placid calico, the other four followed her lead, sitting down on grass that felt real in every single sense...except that it wasn't. "Kind of weird to think about how this grass is just a product of our imagination," muttered Toji, a strange little frown on his face.
"...tch," grumbled Mana, hands resting upon AIGIS and LABRYS as they lied upon the grass. "It's all so...dumb. Who would imagine a world like this? Why would people imagine a world like this?"
"...if it's based on cognition, it's probably because people remember that there was death, and suffering...and evil." Kensuke looked thoughtful. "...people remember that there's good and evil...so why wouldn't a world born from their cognition reflect that?"
"Well it sucks."
"Preaching to the choir," grumbled Toji. "...wonder what this means for my sister," he wondered aloud. "I mean, is her soul actually okay? If the timeline were to reset, would she be fine and dandy? Or is she just a figment of my imagination?" His voice broke off near the end, for the possibility was one he dared not take seriously, yet couldn't help but think of it-!
"She's real," answered Shinji.
"And how do you know?" he demanded.
Shinji looked down at the grass. "I..."
The Other read from a book of names.
"Even if you don't remember...you were connected. That will never change."
"...I just know. I can't explain it...but your sister is real."
Toji huffed, nonetheless accepting his words for the time being.
"...what do we do now, Ikari-san?" Mayumi quietly glanced at him, her eyes cloudy with emotional turmoil that she had yet to completely process. "It...it was one thing for you to be Persona-users, working with NERV and the Anti-Terror Task Force to fight Angels, and Ghosts, and Acolytes...but this is something...on another level. I would even go so far as to say apocalyptic. After all...if what Mister Igor said was true, then the world's already ended. What...what are we supposed to do about that?"
Mana frowned. "Does it matter? Everything feels real enough. I'm just trying to survive and get strong enough to find my brothers. Once I do that, I can focus on something else. Why worry about what we can't change?"
"From the way the long-nosed guy was talking, he made it sound like there was something that could be done about it." Toji shot Shinji a hard glance. "...why you?"
Shinji blinked. "Huh?"
"Why did they pick you to do all of this? I mean...seems like pretty daunting stuff to be putting off on a teenager."
"...I've wondered that a lot," muttered Shinji, looking up at the blue sky. Does the sky look the same in reality? "I honestly don't know why I was chosen...but I was. There's..." (Could he admit weakness to them? Would they judge him because of it? They'd be right to.) "...there's been a lot of times where I've wondered why it had to be me, and not someone else...but I wouldn't want this burden to be on anyone..."
"Damned if you do, damned if you don't, huh?" murmured Kensuke.
"...I just wish it hadn't happened to me. I wish none of this had happened." That was a sentiment he had no issue with admitting.
Mayumi slightly looked up, peering at him between the long dark curtains of her hair. "...so do all who live to see such days, but that is not within their say," she spoke, as if reciting something. "All we can do is choose what to do with the time that is given us."
"...that sounds like a quote," remarked Kensuke.
"It's from Duke of the Rings. One of the main characters was despairing over a burden that only he could bear, and a wise wizard gave him advice on how to endure."
Kensuke smiled. "Well, that's a pretty good quote."
"...how to endure," repeated Shinji. "...I...I wouldn't blame you, if you wanted to leave." (Running away was anathema for him, no matter how much he wanted to. But you wouldn't dare place that burden on them, would you?)
Mana scoffed. "Where the hell would we go?"
"Seriously dude, it's not like you asked for any of this," growled Toji, irritated by his self-deprecating behavior.
"Like I've said before, I'd probably be 'dead by dumbassery' if you weren't around," said Kensuke with an encouraging tone. "Have just a little faith in yourself. If anyone's earned it, it's you!"
"...I think it goes without saying what my situation would be, if I hadn't met any of you," whispered Mayumi. "What it would still be...to leave would be...cruel."
"...thank you." Gulping, Shinji impulsively bowed, pressing it against the grass. "...I don't know how to be worthy of the faith you've placed in me...but I'll keep trying...I know that what you learned wasn't what you were probably expecting...but...I'm grateful. I don't know what lies ahead...I wish I knew, but I don't...so the fact that you're still here is..."
"You don't have to say anymore," advised Toji, giving him a hardy pat on the back. "I think we've got it."
"...I feel like we need to come up with a team name," remarked Kensuke. "To make this whole thing more...'official'."
"Why would we need a team name?" asked Mana.
"I mean, because it's cool. The Feathermen do it, and they fight against evil and impossible odds all the time. So why shouldn't we have one?"
"...you make a good point," admitted Mana, suddenly looking inordinately pleased by the suggestion.
Thus began the process of throwing out ideas for team names; if nothing else, it helped lighten the mood after the revelations they'd just witnessed.
xxxx
From around the corner on the engawa, Ryuji watched quietly as the five kids (because despite being teenagers who had bizarre powers and had been involved in life-or-death battles, they were still kids) debated about something as innocuous as team names. At least they can still find the energy to do something so lighthearted...I wonder what exactly they saw, beyond that unseen door...
"So, how'd the trip to the hospital go?"
Ryuji looked behind his shoulder; Ren Amamiya was subtly leaning to the side, glancing around him to look at his five kouhai. "The hospital went well enough, you could say..."
Ren frowned. "What happened?"
Ryuji decided to be straightforward. "Not exactly sure of the ramifications...but let's just say that Ikari introduced them to a particular 'door' and led them through. Couldn't see it myself, but...well, what can you do?" Predictably enough, Ren looked rattled. "So...I wouldn't be surprised if they start getting curious with whatever you're involved with. Just sayin'." He promptly walked away, letting the high school student stew on it. I wonder what's going to happen next...?
xx
Ren found it hard to keep the frown off his face. So...you actually brought them into the Velvet Room?
That was actually...unprecedented, for a Wild Card to invite any of his Social Links into Igor's domain. What would come of it?
He had no way of knowing.
(Might as well start rehearsing on what you're going to tell those kids if they start getting nosey...)
xxxx
A number of suggestions for a 'team name' had been made and discarded.
xx
"Maybe we could go for something religious? We are fighting Angels, after all," remarked Kensuke.
"That would imply we're Demons though...and that has connotations I'd rather not be associated with," murmured Mayumi.
"Fair enough."
xx
"...our Personas have been based on literary figures...Hamlet, Ozymandias, Gilgamesh...maybe we could call ourselves the Literature Club...?" murmured Mayumi.
"Aren't you already the head of one Literature Club?" asked Toji.
"Um...I guess that's a good point..."
"And I don't have a Persona," offered Mana. "I wouldn't fit."
"...well, manga counts as literature, right?" asked Shinji. "If you've got Featherman manga, you'd still be doing Literature Club activity..."
Mana seemed thoughtful.
"...maybe this wasn't such a good suggestion," said Mayumi with a sigh.
xx
"...NERV is a German word, right?" said Kensuke. "Maybe another German word?"
"What about WILLE, for will?" offered Mayumi, looking at her phone.
"Ain't it spelled the same, though? It just seems too simple," complained Toji, glancing over at Mayumi's phone. "Pass."
"...hmm, given all of the stuff involving souls...how about SEELE?" suggested Mayumi.
"No," said Shinji immediately. "I don't like it."
Mayumi blinked with confusion. "...okay...?"
Mana, looking over at her phone, asked, "...it's spelled like that? Why'd you pronounce it like 'zee-leh'? Wouldn't it be...'seal' or 'see-lee' or 'say-lay' or somethin'?"
"W-Well, German has its own way of pronunciation that differs from English..." explained Mayumi.
Shinji sighed, leaning back. (He didn't know why 'SEELE' seemed so off-putting.)
xx
Ultimately, however...an insightful comment from Kensuke had been the key.
("...wait a second," said Aida, rising up like a shot. "I think Dr. Akagi said that 'Evangelions' were based off of a Greek word when being named, right?")
If nothing else, the Greek alphabet was...exotic, compared to English letters.
("How the hell are we supposed to read those?" grumbled Toji.)
("They translate relatively well to English letters," said Mayumi, mollifying him.)
("So what, we're just looking for Greek words that mean something?" asked Mana. "Like guts or strength or something?")
After going through a list of words, they eventually narrowed down on something...fitting.
"To be firm in purpose and resolute...to be unwavering in one's duty...steadfast. Or, in Greek: Statherós," explained Mayumi, holding up her phone to show the Greek word: Σταθερός.
"I can get behind that," said Mana.
"It sounds pretty cool," admitted Kensuke with a grin.
"Given everything that's happened...we got no choice but to be firm and resolute," concurred Toji, crossing his arms. "So are we 'Team Statherós' now?"
"...I think Statherós is just fine by itself," acknowledged Shinji, letting the word settle in his mind.
(To be unwavering, regardless of what happened...if he was endure to the end, he would have to be steadfast.)
(You mustn't run away...you have to take a stand.)
xxxx
The sun had almost set by the time Misato and Kurosawa returned to Sojiro's residence. Misato looked around warily; Amada and Sakamoto were watching the news (displaying long-range videography of South Korea's east coast; from what could be seen of the city of Ulsan, it looked like thousands upon thousands of people had collapsed from mental shutdowns) with grim expressions on their face. "Where are the kids?"
"In Amamiya's room, playing some card game," explained Ken. "They didn't need to see this."
xx
/Meanwhile/
Toji smirked as he put down four 7's. "Revolution is mine!"
Shinji winced, whilst Kensuke stared with an open mouth. "You traitor..."
Mana frowned, looking at her hand. "Card strength was reversed, right?"
"Yup! And all those tough cards you guys were saving are now worthless."
Mana promptly put down four 5's. "Counter-revolution. That's what it's called, right?"
Toji's facial expression contorted into one of sheer horror, whilst Kensuke loosed a laugh that sounded both joyous and sadistic.
"...I think I'm going to pass," murmured Shinji.
Mayumi, who was observing this round of Tycoon, giggled at the sudden swing of emotions.
All the while, Ren observed with an outward smile, even as he inwardly tried to process the trepidation he felt regarding Shinji's decision regarding the Velvet Room. I hope you know what you're doing...
xx
"They're going to hear about what happened in Korea eventually," remarked Kurosawa, taking an empty chair.
"From my understanding, they've had a pretty eventful day as it was...what with the medical exams and the kidnapping by Mister P." Ken glanced at his former Captain, saying, "I got a message from Junpei; he said that the Emporium will be travelling through tomorrow."
"...I wonder if Sakura-san would be amenable to hosting more celebrities for breakfast?" wondered Ryuji.
"You'll have to ask him when he closes his cafe for the evening," said Misato, briefly glancing at the television ("-the cognitive void in the Metaverse seems to cover the entirety of the Korean Peninsula; on a preliminary basis, the loss of human life has now been deemed total-") before looking away.
Ryuji grunted, leaning back in the chair with a complicated frown. "You two kiss and make up?"
Misato snorted. "Ha ha."
"Katsuragi was simply enlightening me as to all of her encounters with Mister P and her particular theories regarding his identity." The agent sighed, letting hints of exhaustion slip by his stern expression. "Just one more entity that the government will have to keep track of now..." At that moment, his phone rang; Kurosawa rose without a word, stepping outside to take the call.
While Amada continued watching the dreadful display on TV, Ryuji turned his gaze towards Misato. "You gonna let a vendetta take control of you?"
"When he stops kidnapping Shinji-kun and the others? Maybe," she sniped back.
Minutes later, a decidedly more irritated Kurosawa walked back in. Sitting with a palpable aura of frustration, the man said, "I just received word that Mayumi Yamagishi has a profile with the Special Custodial Service, created by one Sae Niijima."
"Huh, is that so?" remarked Misato with a complete lack of surprise. (It was hard for Ryuji not to snort with amusement.)
"My superiors are distinctly upset by the bureaucratic red tape being thrown in their way."
"What a shame," casually retorted Misato.
To Ryuji's disappointment, Kurosawa didn't fly into an angry fit; instead, he simply sagged with dissatisfaction and regret. "...I know what you're trying to do. I know you think that you're doing what's best by them. But look at what's happened," he said, gesturing towards the television. "A country that's been inhabited for centuries: wiped out in a day. And with all that's been uncovered through my debriefings, there are entities beyond the Angels we have to be concerned with now. And here you are, focusing your energy on trying to preserve some semblance of a childhood?" The man rubbed at his nose, loosing an explosive sigh of disgust and weariness. "What worth will their childhood be if we end up losing everything?"
At this, neither Misato, Ryuji, nor Ken could say anything.
xxxx
/Later that Night/
/Elsewhere, within the Metaverse/
Jin Shirato looked up with alarm as Moros suddenly chimed aloud. "They're coming."
Takaya Sakaki slowly rose to his feet, idly stretching his limbs as the presence of Iruel and Leliel began to pervade the cavern once more. First came a cloud of dust, manifesting from nowhere; the streams converged, forming a thick mass that eventually dispersed. In the place of the cloud of living dust was Musashi Strasberg, his messy purple hair now slicked back; his shirt was gone, revealing that his visible veins and arteries possessed a subtle orange glow: a sign of Iruel's presence within his body. Just like Takaya, his eyes gleamed a piercing yellow.
Moments later, an empty disc — blacker than night — manifested besides Musashi; the gleaming yellow eyes of Keita Asari were seen first, illuminating the darkness before he stepped outside. Just like Musashi, his shirt was also gone, highlighting how his pale body was dotted with abstract patterns of black and white stripes and lines: the mark of Leliel. The geometric flow lines all converged around his neck, leaving only a vertical strip of normal skin running from his chin to his hairline: to the right of it was flesh the color of coal, and to the left was skin whiter than ivory.
"A rather telling transformation," remarked Takaya. "What have you learned?"
"...the truth," growled Musashi, his right fist clenched tightly. "This world...this reality...is nothing but a product of humanity's cognition."
"All that we suffered...the two of us, and our sisters...born from the imagination of man." Keita looked solemnly at his hands. "You were right, Sakaki-san: humanity's time is long past."
Takaya nodded. "And I assume you made peace with your Shadows?"
Without a word, the duo raised their hands; auras of blue fire whipped around them before flashing brightly; hovering above them were two Personas, shrouded in flame.
Jin adjusted his eyeglasses. "...impressive."
Takaya grinned. "And what shall you be doing now, with this power of yours?"
"Humanity chose to die..." said Keita, dismissing his Persona. "...but they keep holding on out of sheer stubbornness."
Musashi, doing the same with his own Persona, added, "...so it's up to us to finish the job."
Takaya felt the essence of Bardiel squirm upon his chest, and was pleased. "Then allow me to formally welcome you to Strega...my brothers-in-arms."
xxxx
END OF 8/16/2015
xxxx
Author's Note: ...so. That happened. At least Shinji got Fool to Rank 4! (And we finally have a team name, at last.)
It probably wasn't a surprise after Yu's Sidestory. But let's be frank: I'm sort of writing this out with the structure of a game and the plot revelations therein. A hypothetical gamer, having played through Yu's Sidestory, would have only known that he learned the 'truth' about Third Impact...but not what it actually entailed. It is only now, through the MC Shinji Ikari, that the player learns what actually happened during the end of the world. Only the plot savviness of those who know this is a crossover makes this revelation hit...well, not as hard. But it's kind of unavoidable, so we have to get through it. On a side note, with this in mind, Morgana's speech from the end of Vanilla P5 (when the Metaverse is disappearing) hits in an **entirely different way** now (and was a bit of a lowkey inspiration, IIRC, for the overall plot of SPE).
It's been a while, so let's have an update on Shinji's list of Personas:
ACTIVE PERSONAS AS OF 8/16
HAMLET: Mudo, Tentarafoo (causes Panic), Psi, Cleave, Mapsi, Giant Slice, Psio, Final Thrust (Unique: Light Physical. When enemy is below 15% HP, random chance of instant-kill. Probability increases based on Luck stat. Ignores affinities.) (Fool) *Resist Psy, Weak Dark*
TITAN: Mazio, Skull Cracker, Dekunda, Media, Terror Claw, Foul Breath (Strength) *Resist Elec, Weak Ice* (Formed from Kinnara and Andras)
INUGAMI: Pulinpa, Tarukaja, Giant Slice, Dream Needle (Hanged Man) *Null Gun/Fire/Dark, Weak Wind*
NEKOMATA: Magaru, Terror Claw, Evil Touch, Hysterical Slap (Magician) *Resist Psy, Weak Elec*
SHIKI-OUJI: Tarukaja, Taunt, Double Shot, Double Fangs, Null Dizzy, Dormin Rush (Chariot) *Null Phys/Gun/Bless/Dark* (Formed from Berith and Matador)
ORTHRUS: Agilao, Double Fangs, Maragi, Sukukaja, Garula, Growth 1 (Hanged Man) *Absorb Fire, Resist Nuclear, Weak Ice* (Formed from Matador and Koppa Tengu)
FUU-KI: Tetra Break, Tarukaja, Garula, Dia, Zio, Hysterical Slap (Star) *Absorb Wind, Resist Gun, Weak Elec* (Formed from Yaksini and Agathion)
KUCHISAKE-ONNA: Maeiga, Tentarafoo, Bloody Blade (Unique: Medium Dark+Physical attack, x2), Fatal End, Hell Smile (Unique: Heavy Dark, high chance of Fear or Despair), Decapitation (Unique: Heavy Physical damage, low chance of instant-kill) (Tower) *Absorb Dark, Null Psy, Resist Phys/Ice, Weak Bless/Fire*
MAKAMI: Double Fangs, Frei, Energy Drop, Mafrei, Tarunda, Tarukaja, Garula, Resist Dizzy (Temperance) *Null Gun/Bless, Resist Wind/Nuke, Weak Elec* (Formed from Apsaras and Ippon-Datara)
SOBEK: Feral Bite (Unique: 2-3 Medium Phys+Critical Chance), Diarama, Recarm, Mabufula, Agi, Dormina (Emperor) *Reflect Dark/Ice, Resist Fire/Nuke/Gun/Bless, Weak Wind/Elec/Psy* (Formed from Silky and Kinnara)
REGISTERED PERSONAS AS OF 8/16
PIXIE: Zio, Dia, Patra, Tarukaja (Lovers) *Resist Elec/Bless, Weak Gun/Ice/Dark*
AGATHION: Dia, Baisudi, Lunge, Rakukaja, Zio, Dodge Elec (Chariot) *Resist Gun/Elec, Weak Wind*
MANDRAKE: Pulinpa, Energy Drop, Lunge (Death) *Resist Elec, Weak Wind*
BICORN: Lunge, Tarunda, Garu, Ice Wall, Apt Pupil (Hermit) *Resist Dark, Weak Elec*
CAIT SITH: Agi, Cleave, Tarukaja (Magician) *Resist Elec, Weak Wind*
SILKY: Dormina, Bufu (Priestess) *Resist Ice, Weak Fire/Elec*
BERITH: Cleave, Rakukaja, Double Fangs (Hierophant) *Null Gun, Resist Fire, Weak Ice*
KOROPOKKURU: Makajama, Bufu, Dodge Ice, Sukunda, Fire Wall (Hermit) *Resist Ice/Wind, Weak Fire*
MOKOI: Tarukaja, Dazzler, Skull Cracker, Marin Karin (Death) *Resist Elec, Weak Wind*
KINNARA: Agi, Media (Star) *Null Fire, Resist Bless/Dark/Psy, Weak Ice*
JACK FROST: Bufu, Dormina, Energy Drop, Agi (Magician) *Null Ice, Weak Fire*
KOPPA TENGU: Garu, Sukukaja, Growth 1, Taunt, Rage Boost (Temperance) *Resist Wind, Weak Ice/Bless*
ONMORAKI: Eiha, Ice Wall, Agi, Evil Touch (Moon) *Null Dark, Resist Fire, Weak Ice/Bless*
MATADOR: Psi, Null Dizzy, Sukukaja, Double Fangs, Garula, Dormin Rush (Death) *Null Dizzy/Wind, Weak Elec* (Formed from Berith and Sandman)
YAKSINI: Hysterical Slap, Wage War, Counter, (Empress) *Resist Ice, Weak Nuclear*
SANDMAN: Dormina, Garula, Dormin Rush (Magician) *Resist Wind, Weak Elec/Fire*
ANDRAS: Foul Breath, Terror Claw, Zio, Bufu, Energy Drop, Counter (Devil) *Resist Ice/Psy, Weak Fire/Bless* (Formed from Pixie and Jack Frost)
ARA MITAMA: Miracle Punch, Freila, Taunt (Chariot) *Resist Phys, Weak Ice*
APSARAS: Rebellion, Ice Wall, Bufu, Tarunda, Eiha, Agi (Priestess) *Resist Ice, Weak Fire/Elec* (Formed from Bicorn and Onmoraki)
IPPON-DATARA: Sledgehammer, Tarukaja, Resist Dizzy, Agi, Garula (Hermit) *Reflect Wind, Resist Fire/Bless/Dark, Weak Ice* (Formed from Cait Sith and Matador)