Persona 6: REM
Chapter 7: 9/7
Previous Chapter Next ChapterSeptember 7th, 2019
Friday
Sunny
Morning
Starlight was a bit concerned when Beatrix said she was heading on ahead of her to school, but she assured Starlight everything would be okay. As such, Starlight found herself walking to school by herself for the most part. It was a nice, quiet walk, which allowed her to gather her thoughts for what she had to do.
Right when she reached the school’s front gate, she saw Pinkie Pie waiting for her. Once the pink haired teen saw Starlight, she ran over to her.
“Hey Starlight, is everything okay?” Pinkie Pie asked, “I saw the way Blueblood was looking at you yesterday after class. I didn’t say anything then, but… you’re not getting involved in anything dangerous, are you?”
Well… technically she was. As far as she knew, Blueblood wasn’t the type to do anything directly to hurt either her or Beatrix, but the Shadow Blueblood had specified that he wanted to either kill her or trap her in the dream as well. Still, she needed to put her friend at ease.
“Blueblood’s being an asshole, but it’s not like he’s going to do anything,” Starlight said, “I’ll be alright. No need to worry.”
“I don’t want to worry, but I’ve seen what happens to people who get too close to Beatrix. It’s the reason I’m almost positive the rumors are true about them,” Pinkie Pie looked to the side, visibly concerned, “If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to take it. You’re my friend, Starlight.”
Starlight was touched to see how much Pinkie Pie cared. The sad thing was, she had every reason to be worried. Beatrix’s life wasn’t the only one in danger here. If she messed this up, she didn’t want to think of what Blueblood’s shadow would do to her.
The bell for homeroom rang before Starlight could say anything else. Starlight assured Pinkie Pie a second time she was fine, and made her way to homeroom. Right now she needed to get an opening to talk to Beatrix. A chance would present itself. She knew it would. She just needed to have faith.
Lunch Time
Beatrix was somewhat distant throughout the day, but she wasn’t pushing Starlight away, which was the odd thing. Starlight was beginning to wish she’d gone into her Dungeon last night to check on her.
So when Beatrix vanished at around lunch time, Starlight was really worried.
She carefully searched the school, heart racing more and more each time she couldn’t find them. After searching for a few minutes, Starlight stood in the middle of the hall tapping her foot and wracking her brain as to where she might find her friend. She then remembered something yesterday. Blueblood mentioned taking Starlight someplace “private”. Where was she going to find that place?
“S-sumimasen…” a soft voice called out to Starlight. She turned toward the steps and saw the tall girl with light pink hair standing there, still wearing that yellow and white sailor styled uniform. Seriously, she did not look like a High School student.
“You… um… tense,” she said, slowly and carefully, like she was trying to find the words, “Are… you… okay?”
Starlight reasoned that this student probably didn’t speak English as her first language. It was risky, because she wasn’t sure she’d understand her, but maybe she could help Starlight.
“I’m looking for a friend. Do you know where I could find someplace private?” Starlight asked. Naturally the student tilted her head confused, “Like… someplace students would go where they don’t want to be seen.”
The student thought to herself, probably trying to interpret what Starlight was saying. Right when she was about to say never mind though, said student perked up.
“Oh! I understand! Student go to back alley. Find friend there?” she said, speaking in a manner that told Starlight she was Asian, more than likely Japanese if her attire was anything to go by.
“Where’s that?” Starlight asked, speaking slowly and carefully, “I’m new, so I don’t know my way around.”
The student nodded in understanding and pointed down the hall, “Exit on left take you.”
“Thank you!” Starlight said, immediately running toward that direction, silently wondering what a student like that was doing in school. She clearly didn’t understand English very well, so that had to be frustrating, both for her and her teachers.
Questions for another time though. Beatrix came first.
When she exited, she saw the back alley in the distance. She carefully ran close to it, hiding against a wall and listening inside.
“I’ll forgive you this time, but you better lose the goth chick!”
“She’s my roommate! I can’t just-”
SLAP
“I don’t want to hear your excuses! Thanks to her, now I have both the President and No Fun Jackie on my ass! You got me into this mess, so clean it up!”
Starlight quickly hid behind a nearby recycling bin as Blueblood stepped out. He looked around, and then quickly walked off, after oddly zipping his pants back up.
Oh no… he didn’t…
Starlight ran into the alley, and saw Beatrix sitting helplessly on the ground, using the wall to prop herself up. She was breathing heavily, but Starlight could see that she’d probably been crying for a while, and still was.
She looked up at Starlight in anguish, “Starlight… I’m sorry…”
Starlight immediately ran over to Beatrix and scooped her into a tight embrace, letting the broken teen cry in her arms. And cry she did, harder than she’d cried since Starlight met her. She didn’t even need to hear it to know what happened just now. She was going to make Blueblood pay for this.
Times like this made her wish her Persona worked in the real world.
“There’s no end to this…!” Beatrix sobbed, “I tried… I tried to tell him… to leave you alone… or I’d leave him… but he… he…!”
“Shh… Don’t say anything, Beatrix,” Starlight said softly.
“I’ll never escape…” Beatrix said weakly, “This is what I am now… This is all I’ll ever be… My entire life… it’s been leading… to…”
“No!” Starlight said tightening the embrace, “That’s not true! Your life isn’t over!”
“Yes it is…!” Beatrix cried, breaking down into heavier sobs, “Starlight… I have it… the Nightmare Epidemic…”
“Beatrix…” Starlight looked at Beatrix devastated. She knew all of this already, but to hear Beatrix actually say it.
“I didn’t want to believe it… but… I’m sure of it now…” Beatrix closed her eyes tightly, “That’s why I kept pushing you away from me! That’s why I know I’ll never escape this! I’m dead! I know I’m dead!”
“Stop saying that…!” Starlight said, trembling as tears built up in her eyes.
“It’s true though! I… I’m going to-”
“I said stop saying that!” Starlight demanded glaring at Beatrix, who’s eyes were wide looking up at her, “You’re not going to die! I promise you!”
“S-Starlight…?”
Starlight helped Beatrix to her feet, “Do you need to leave? I can talk to Ms. Tia, and see if we can convince her to let you leave early.”
“No,” Beatrix shook her head, “I… I don’t want her to…”
Starlight sighed, “Alright, but I need to tell you something important. After school. Meet me on the roof after final period. If Blueblood tries something, tell him that you’re going to tell me to leave you alone.”
“Starlight, what are you-”
“Do this for me,” Starlight urged, “Don’t tell anyone that you’re meeting me, okay? And come alone.”
Beatrix swallowed nervously, but nodded. Starlight hugged Beatrix tightly, and got close to her ear.
end song
“The nightmare is almost over,” she whispered directly into Beatrix’s ear. Based on how she tensed up, that got the desired effect. Instead of saying anything else, she chose to walk back toward the school, allowing Morgana to move through her as she walked. If this was going to work, she needed to start bridging the gap. She needed Beatrix to start questioning her reality, and that meant Starlight had to embody what Beatrix saw in her dream. It was time for Starlight the suicidal teen to say goodnight.
And time for Starlight the Witch to come to the forefront.
“Just now… the way she was walking,” Beatrix said, heart racing, “And she said that the nightmare is…” she fell to her knees, trying in vain to process what was going on, “There’s no way though… That couldn’t actually be…”
After School
Starlight left homeroom right as the bell rang and made her way to the roof of the school, where she waited for her roommate to join her. Her heart was racing right now. On one hand, this was a dream come true. She was about to admit both to her friend, and to herself, that she was in fact a real live witch. Thinking about that made her heart feel funny, as part of her was elated to finally be at this moment.
But on the other hand, she was terrified. In order for this to work, Beatrix had to believe her. Hopefully she’d left enough signs throughout the day. She let herself be Morgana throughout the rest of the day, which at the very least made her feel more alluring. At random points throughout the day, she felt her witch’s gown hover over her regular clothes, and she could tell that her walk had become more of a confident stride like she did in her dream.
While most of the student were paying a bit more attention to her, it was Beatrix who’s reactions mattered to her. She never took her eyes off of Starlight, and seemed to be both drawn to her more, and at the same time a bit terrified of her. For this, that was good. She was a witch, after all. Beatrix had probably convinced herself that magic wasn’t real, and that her father was just very skilled at something she’d never quite grasp.
She was about to get a huge wake up call.
Starlight faced the metal fence surrounding the roof and held onto the bars, silently counting to ten to calm her nerves. She silently prayed to her Mother, hoping that she was up there watching her, and that she was proud of her for what she was doing.
I’m following my dream, Mother.
This is why I chose to live.
I’m a real witch now.
The door opened behind Starlight, making her heart leap out of her chest. Even more when she heard who it was.
“Starlight, I’m here,” Beatrix said softly, “I came alone, just like you asked.”
“Good,” Starlight said, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.
Moment of truth time.
“Your father, he was the famous magician, Balazar Lulamoon, wasn’t he?” Starlight asked, choosing to start easy.
“I… y-yeah, he was,” Beatrix walked over to Starlight, standing next to her and leaning her back against the gate, “Or as his stage name went, he was the Magnificent Balazar.”
“You want to be a magician like him,” Starlight said. Beatrix nodded sadly.
“I did, but that’s never going to happen,” Beatrix said somberly.
“Why not?” Starlight asked, “Ignore the Nightmare Epidemic for a second, and tell me why that’s never going to happen.”
“Ignoring the fact I’m going to die soon?” Beatrix asked skeptically before looking up at the blue sky above them, “I guess, it’s because I don’t have the gift.”
“What do you mean by that?” Starlight asked turning to Beatrix finally, “The “gift”.”
“Well, I can do tiny tricks, slight of hand stuff,” she showed Starlight her open palm, and then turned it around, making a coin suddenly appear in her hand, “You’ve probably seen me do those tiny tricks here and there a few times around the dorm, but that’s all I can do. Not like my Dad though. He could do things like make this coin disappear, and then sneeze out five more. He could reach into his hat, and pull out someone’s car keys from the audience, or swap places with someone sitting in the back. He could change his clothes with the snap of a finger,” Beatrix giggled, “One time when he and Mom were having a disagreement, he said he was going to get some air, and walked into the closet, shutting the door behind him. Mom realized what he was doing and opened the closet, but he wasn’t there,” she then looked up at the sky, a wistful smile on her face, “But I looked out the window and saw him hiding in the bushes. He asked me not to tell her where was, and when I went out to play, he gave me a private magic show.”
“Sounds like the two of you were close,” Starlight said with a soft smile. She could feel the love Beatrix had for her father.
“He wasn’t just my Dad. He was my idol, my best friend, and my…” she wilted looking down at the floor, “My hero.”
“Why did he disappear?” Starlight asked.
“There were people accusing him of crimes he didn’t commit,” Beatrix explained, “They claimed that he used his magic to rob a bank, but they couldn’t prove anything. But it was enough to cause everyone to turn on him,” she closed her eyes, tears of rage streaming down her cheeks, “Everyone started calling him a demon! The more people looked into his tricks, and the less explanations there were, the more the people were afraid of him! All he wanted was to show them that magic was for everyone, but instead they all treated him like he was the spawn of Satan!”
“What about you?” Starlight asked, “What do you believe?”
“I don’t know!” Beatrix cried, “I tried to learn magic! I tried to do what he did! But I couldn’t figure it out!” she fell to the ground and hugged her knees, still crying, “He said that he left a gift for me, in the place where magic got it’s start, but I don’t know where that is! I could never find it! I know he’s disappointed in me, but I’m not who he thinks I am! I’m no one special!”
Starlight looked away biting her lip. Hearing Beatrix talk, all she heard was herself. It was almost painful how alike they were.
“So I gave up,” Beatrix continued, “When I came to this school, I tried to just be Beatrix, but everyone kept calling me the child of magic. The “daughter of Balazar”. What a joke! I hated it! So when the captain of the football team showed interest in me, I jumped at the chance to be with him!”
And now we came to Blueblood. Starlight held her tongue, choosing to let Beatrix reveal the truth herself.
“The first night he and I had sex was in May of last year. I should have known something was up then.”
“What did he do?” Starlight asked, not even trying to hide the venom in her tone.
“I expressed how I was interested in trying out bondage, so he tied me to the bed, gagged me, and well, you know,” Beatrix hugged her knees tighter, “At first I was enjoying it. It was a distraction from all of the students wanting me to be like my father,” she closed her eyes and started trembling, “But after we finished, he ended up falling asleep before he untied me. I spent the entire night completely helpless laying next to him, all the while he kept touching me, groping me, and making me feel completely violated! I hated it, but he claimed it was an accident.”
Accident. Riiiiiight. This asshole was seriously digging himself a deep grave.
“He started pushing me to be his full time submissive. I eventually said yes, knowing full well that I was giving my freedom over to him, but I knew it was better than nothing. My Mom didn’t want me to become a magician, my Dad was gone, the students projected my father’s image onto me, Blueblood was the only person who actually saw me.”
This was it. Her opening.
end song
“And was that when Blueblood appeared as the Ring Leader of that circus?” Starlight asked. Beatrix slowly looked up at Starlight, eyes wide.
“How… do you know about that…?” she asked, a combination of hope and fear in her voice.
Starlight turned to lean her back against the fence, looking up at the sky, “I’ve been there a few times. The circus with those men in masks. The horrific games that make you into a spectacle. I’ve fought against the Ring Leader a couple of times. You remember, don’t you? When you were trapped in that water container. I used a hammer to set you free before you drowned.”
“Oh my God…” Beatrix’s started breathing heavier.
“Then again in the gladiator’s pit in the tent. I jumped in and saved you right before that demon in the red armor killed you,” Starlight looked down at Beatrix and smiled, “Your cheering for me really helped, you know.”
She lowered her hand, showing Beatrix her Channeling Ring. When Beatrix saw it, her eyes went wide.
“Hold on a minute!” she shot up and backed away from Starlight, “H-how are you doing this?! I never told you about the dreams! I never told anyone about the dreams!”
“Well, you did tell me that you dreamed about me,” Starlight turned to Beatrix and started walking toward her, “I couldn’t tell you back then, but it wasn’t a dream. I can prove it.”
“H-how?!”
“In that dream, right when Blueblood kissed you, I burst into flames, right?” Starlight asked, allowing an almost sensual smirk to form on her face, “My clothes changed into a Victorian styled gown, a scythe appeared in my hands, and behind me, was a spirit surrounded by flames, right?”
“You… you really do remember…”
“The next day, I had a fever. That’s because my powers had just awakened,” Starlight giggled, kind of surprised by how impish it sounded, “I should probably thank you, Beatrix Lulamoon. Thanks to you, I achieved my dream of becoming a witch. You were the catalyst for my powers awakening.”
“I… was…?” Beatrix backed up against the wall, and Starlight stood in front of her, lightly caressing her cheek. She felt like a true witch right now, and while she was still focused on saving Beatrix, she couldn’t help but feel slightly euphoric.
“And now, it’s my turn to return the favor,” Starlight continued, “I told you earlier, that the nightmare was almost over. I meant that. Tonight, I’m going to go back into your dreams, but this time I’m going to get you out of there.”
“You’re serious about this…” Beatrix said, relaxing a bit as Starlight lovingly caressed her cheek, “Okay, assuming you’re telling the truth, how are you going to do it? I’ve tried escaping before, but Blueblood always catches me.”
“If I have to go through him, I will,” Starlight said. Beatrix paled when she heard that.
“What?! B-but, he’s… I…”
“You don’t need him,” Starlight said, “You are the daughter of Balazar Lulamoon, the greatest magician of all time. Just as magic exists within me, I know that magic exists within you. Now, when are you going to start believing in the magic yourself?”
“I… I’m scared!” Beatrix closed her eyes, pressing herself against the wall as tears fell freely from her eyes, “What if it doesn’t work?! What if you can’t rescue me?! What if-” Starlight placed her finger gently on Beatrix’s lips.
“No more of that. No sister of mine will speak such words of weakness,” she said.
“S-sister…?”
“You and I are the same. Both of us sought magic, and both of us had our lives ruined by a world that’s stopped believing. It’s only natural that we’d become sisters afterward. What do you say, Beatrix? Will you believe in magic one last time?”
It looked like Beatrix was having an internal battle. One between her head that was probably saying that the suicidal goth chick was insane, and her heart that was trying to hold onto the tiniest bit of hope. Eventually, their surroundings went dark, and all Starlight could see was Beatrix in her dream attire looking up at her desperately.
“Help me! Please help me! I don’t want to die!” she changed back to her real world self as the world returned, but she fell to her knees still crying desperately, “I don’t want to die…!”
Starlight knelt down before Beatrix and held her lovingly, “No one is dying tonight, my sister. No one.”
Starlight told Beatrix to head back to the dorm ahead of her, as she needed to calm herself after what she did. She felt, relieved. Like in a way, she was confirming it herself. She really was a witch now. Both in the dream world, and in the real world.
As she walked through the park, her thoughts went to the key around her neck. She wished she could see Igor right now, so she could thank him for getting her this far. She still wondered what door the key actually-
She looked ahead, next to the bench she sat with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, and was really confused. Sitting on the bench right now reading the newspaper, was Victor! How was he here though?!
However, what really caught Starlight’s attention was the etheric dark blue elevator door next to the bench. It looked so out of place standing there, yet some how no one else seemed to notice it as they walked by. Starlight walked over to the bench, and Victor stood up and bowed to Starlight.
“Hello, Ms. Glimmer,” he said, voice just as deep yet youthful as she remembered in her dreams, “The Master would like to speak with you, before you head off into your friend’s Dungeon.”
Starlight walked over to the door and tried to open it, surprised to see that it wouldn’t budge. Just as she was about to ask Victor why not, she noticed the key was glowing. Her eyes widened. This was the door it opened!
She took the key off from her neck, inserted it into the lock, and turned it. The lock turned with ease and made a loud noise that echoed all around her, before the door opened revealing a bright light within.
Inside, she saw she was in the elevator/office, still rising up toward a destination unknown. Naturally, sitting in the middle of the room waiting for her, was Igor.
“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” Igor said as Starlight sat down before him, “My my, I must say that you have grown into quite the capable witch since we last met. Since you have now taken the first true steps toward your journey, it’s time that Victor and I explain to you our services.”
Services? She remembered Igor mentioning something like that before.
“I specialize in Persona Fusion,” Igor explained, “You see, as you gather new Personas in the dream world, you can bring them to me, and I will fuse them into brand new Personas for you.”
Persona Fusion? That sounded really useful to Starlight. The Personas she got on the field weren’t very powerful at first, but she figured that fusing Personas was a way to get better, stronger Personas.
“As for my assistant here,” Igor motioned to Victor, “He is in charge of the Persona Compendium.”
“Compendium?” Starlight asked tilting her head. Victor turned to Igor, silently asking permission to speak, before turning to Starlight.
“The Persona Compendium is a record of all of the Personas you’ve acquired,” Victor explained, “Once you register a Persona into the Compendium, it’s there for you to call it back at anytime, assuming you have the funds to do so?”
Wait, she had to pay? Oh well, nothing in life was free. Still though, where was she supposed to get-
Something told her to check her balance, and thankfully she had an app for that on her phone. Looking at her bank account, Starlight expected to see maybe a dollar if that. Instead, she saw $30.54! How in the world did that happen…?”
Igor laughed jovially, “Being a witch certainly has its perks, doesn’t it?” Igor asked. Wait, did that mean every time she defeated a Shadow, she got paid?! Where? How? What?!
Know what? Don’t think about it. Just accept that this is a thing now, and be happy. That’s what she resolved to do.
“Shall we offer you a demonstration?” Igor asked. Starlight nodded to Igor and Victor. First thing she did was register her Personas thus far, because she wasn’t going into Beatrix’s dungeon without a full party.
Once that was done, the thought about which Personas she’d want to use for her first fusion. She only had three on her at the moment, so a single fusion would have to do. The first one she chose was Morgana, after checking the price to ensure she’d be able to get her back. She then chose Pixie as her second, making sure of the same thing.
Igor waved his hands on the table, making two tarot cards appear before them on the table, he then swiped his hands over the cards again, and both of them turned over, showing pictures of both Morgana and Pixie. At the same time, Starlight felt both Personas leave her. It was an odd feeling, one that left her slightly entranced at the sight before her.
Igor held one hand over the cards, and seemed to concentrate as energy flowed into the cards. Both cards shot up into the air, and in a bright flash merged into one, revealing a familiar tiny green imp hiding in a golden vase.
“Heya! My name’s Agathion! Can we be friends?” he asked in an adorable voice. Before she could answer him (it was going to be yes, of course) the spirit vanished into a small card which flowed back into Starlight. She saw that her new Persona also had Dia and Zio, which meant she didn’t need Pixie right now. She did need Morgana though, as A) that was her default, and B) she had ice magic, and that was something she did NOT want to be away from just yet.
So before she forgot, she turned to Victor and requested to reclaim Morgana. He smiled, opened his book, and pulled out a card with Morgana’s picture on it. As soon as she took the card in her hands, it vanished, and Starlight felt more whole again.
“It seems you have a bit more of a psychological bond with your starting Persona,” Igor said, “I’ll see if Victor and I can come up with a means of continuing to strengthen that Persona.”
“You mean, so I won’t have to give up Morgana?” Starlight asked.
“There are ways of ensuring that your starting Persona can continue to grow. I’ve seen a few people who’ve wielded that power choose to carry their starting Persona with them all the way. You strike me as one of those types,” Igor chuckled, “I look forward to seeing how you and Morgana continue to grow as time progresses.”
Starlight thanked both Igor and Victor for their services, and then rose to leave the Velvet Room, feeling much stronger now than ever before.
Back outside, Starlight checked her phone’s clock. She still had a bit of time before it was time to return to her dorm. Since she wanted to make sure she could get right to sleep tonight, she decided to walk around town and explore. This was going to be her home for a while, so she needed to make sure she knew her surroundings.
Starlight walked through South Street, where she got to see just what Rainbow Dash meant by “fun” shops. While there were shops of all types, including a manga shop, Starlight saw a number of shops that sold… things she wasn’t sure she wanted anyone to find in her dorm.
But considering Beatrix’s interests, she wondered if she ever frequented those shops. Maybe one day, she and Beatrix could walk in together?
She hung out around South Street till the sun started going down, and then made her way back to the dorm to prepare for her mission.
end song
Late Night
Starlight stayed up with Beatrix, just to ensure that she was able to get to sleep. All the while she ensure Beatrix that it was going to be okay, and that tonight was going to be the last night she’d have to deal with any of this. Naturally it took a bit, but she eventually drifted off to sleep, once again laying her head in Starlight’s lap.
“I’ll see you soon,” Starlight whispered, moving Beatrix onto her pillow and moving the covers over her. A light knock on the door caught her attention. She opened the door, revealing a concerned Celestia.
“I take it everything went well,” she said.
“In the real world, yes,” Starlight said, “How’s Twilight?”
“She’s… concerned, but I think she’s on board,” Celestia said.
“I don’t think Twilight likes me very much,” Starlight said looking down. Celestia gently lifted her chin and looked her in the eyes lovingly.
“She has her own frustrations, and she’s just projecting those onto you. In time, I know the two of you will become best friends. That’s why I want you two working together on this,” Celestia smiled, “Do you need some tea before you head inside?”
Starlight shook her head, “Beatrix and I drank some before she went to sleep. I figured she’d need it, all things considered.”
“Very good,” Celestia hugged Starlight tightly, “Please be careful in there, my child. I want you to succeed, but I want you to come home alive as well. Promise me you will survive.”
“I promise,” Starlight said, returning the hug, “I won’t die in there.”
Celestia reluctantly released Starlight, and closed the door behind her leaving the teen and her charge alone in the room. She had so many questions for Ms. Tia. Why was she always so maternal with her? Why did she seem so familiar to Starlight? And how did she find out about the dream world?
Questions best saved for later, though. Right now, Beatrix needed her. She walked over to her bed, put her Channeling Ring on, and laid down under her covers, drifting off in only a few short seconds to a minute.
The Phase
Starlight appeared in the Akashic Records main plaza just as Twilight floated down to her side.
“So we’re really doing this, huh?” Twilight asked Starlight, “No time to waste. I checked the status of Beatrix’s Dungeon, and it seems that Blueblood’s waiting for you.”
“No surprise there,” Starlight said turning to the checkpoint, “Let’s get going then. I have a promise to keep, and a nightmare to end.”
Starlight opened the door, phasing directly into the Dungeon.
Immediately she could feel more tension in the atmosphere. The dream was angry. She expected to run into a lot of resistance this time around.
“Beatrix is being kept in a cage further back! Follow me!” Twilight said flying off. Starlight ran after her, at this point not even trying to stay hidden. She knew that the enemies knew she was there. They were expecting her.
“I see her! She’s over there!” one of the bouncers called out. Starlight looked to see three running toward her from another hall.
“Don’t worry about them! We need to get to Beatrix!” Twilight cried. Starlight continued her sprint through the tent, stopping at the gladiator pit. Inside she saw the black lion pacing around waiting for her.
“Shoot! That’s the only way to where Beatrix is!” Starlight stood on the edge of the pit, scythe ready, “Are you seriously about to fight that thing?!”
“Yes I am!” Starlight jumped down, not wasting any time running toward the lion. Once it saw her, it ran toward Starlight and raised it’s claws prepared to slash. Starlight jumped above it, landing on it’s back, and then jumping behind it.
“AGATHION!” Starlight shouted, summoning her new Persona and immediately casting Zio on the lion, knocking it to the ground. She was about to strike it again, but a scream caught her attention.
“Don’t worry about that thing right now!” Twilight cried, “We need to get to Beatrix now!”
“Right!” Starlight shouted running down the path leading to where the animals were being kept. Inside one of the larger cages was Beatrix, backing away from what was easily the most disgusting demon Starlight had ever seen. The only way to describe it, was it looked like the tip of a giant penis coming out of the ground.
“Oh gross! My database marks that demon as Mara, but it’s a weakened version!”
“I can only imagine where that thing came from,” Starlight said holding up her Channeling Ring, “MORGANA!”
Morgana appeared, and immediately flew over to the cage slicing open the bars with her claws. Starlight wasted no time getting in between Beatrix and the horribly phallic looking demon.
“Starlight!” Beatrix cried.
“This will be over in a few seconds!” Starlight proclaimed, “MORGANA! RAKUNDA!”
Morgana appeared, pointing her claw at Mara and casting a new spell. This one seemed to weaken Mara’s defense, if the way it recoiled back was any indication.
Starlight then rushed at Mara with her scythe and slashed at it wildly. At times even summoning Morgana and letting her get a few hits in, somehow managing to coordinate her attacks with her Persona.
Starlight jumped away just as Mara tried to lunge at her, and rushed forward slashing at the green phallic demon as she passed it. As she did so, she summoned Morgana, having her come down on top of Mara and slashing it with her bladed feet, cutting it in half.
Now that the demon was dead, Starlight ran over to Beatrix kneeling before her, “Are you okay?”
“You came…!” Beatrix cried, “You really came!”
Starlight smiled, “I told you I’d end this nightmare tonight,” she looked at her wrists and ankles, seeing she was still chained to the floor of the cage.
“I don’t know where the key is,” Twilight said flying down to their side, “I looked around while you were fighting, but I couldn’t see it anywhere!”
“There isn’t a key,” Beatrix looked away sadly, “Blueblood’s the only one who can undo the shackles.”
“The shackles maybe,” Starlight stood up and raised her scythe, “But the chain is a different matter. Brace yourself Beatrix!”
Beatrix looked shocked, but then raised her arms as much as she could in defense. Starlight slashed through the chains with her scythe, surprisingly slashing through the chains with ease. She wouldn’t be able to run a marathon, and her wrists were still bound together, but she could at least leave the cage.
“Come on!” Starlight demanded, “Let’s get you out of this circus!”
Beatrix nodded to Starlight, who helped her up. The two of them ran back out to where the gladiator’s pit was, where the lion still waited for them, now joined by two bouncers.
“What do we do now…?” Beatrix asked, backing away in fear.
“If we fight them here, Beatrix will be wide open! They WILL recapture her if we’re not careful!”
“Not letting that happen! BICORN!” Starlight cried. Bicorn materialized next to Starlight and Beatrix, the latter of which was thrown right on the back of the black horse by the former.
“W-whoa! Um, do you know how to ride this thing?!” Beatrix asked as Starlight jumped on his back.
“I do now! Let’s go, Bicorn!”
Bicorn gave a triumphant whinny, and jumped over the bouncers and lion, through the halls of the tent all the way to the exit. Once they were out, Starlight felt Bicorn begin to fade, showing he could only stay out for a set amount of time.
That was okay. She knew the way from here anyway, and Twilight said she’d guide them.
“That was amazing,” Beatrix said as Starlight helped her off the magical horned horse.
“Despite it being a real place, this is still a dream,” Starlight said, “If you believe you can do something, you can.”
“Even… me?” Beatrix asked.
“Of course! This is your dream after all. You have more power here than even I do,” Starlight said with a confident smile, “Come on, before your “boyfriend” comes looking for us!”
Starlight took Beatrix’s arm and guided her back through the carnival, following Twilight as she flew ahead of them. Naturally bouncers and patrons were all calling out to them, trying to grab hold of them. Starlight was far too quick for any of them, though, and easily jumped, dodged, and flipped out of the way, not once losing sight of Beatrix or letting any of them touch her.
“Don’t let them escape!” another bouncer called, joined by two more.
“MORGANA!” Starlight shouted, once again freezing the ground with Bufu. Like last time the Shadows slipped and fell down, sliding right past them. Beatrix couldn’t help but laugh at that display.
“You’re kind of making fools out of them,” Beatrix said through her laughter.
“That’s the idea,” Starlight said, “The nightmare’s over now, so just relax and enjoy the dream. Tonight you’re going to be saved.”
Beatrix looked at Starlight intently, but then averted her eyes, “Starlight, about how I treated you before… I-” she was cut off by a sudden shift in the dream. Everything turned dark, and a sense of wrongness filled the air, “Huh?! W-what’s going on?!”
“Twilight? Talk to me!” Starlight said, moving Beatrix behind her and looking around.
“I think it’s the nightmare itself! The Shadows are reacting to Beatrix’s sudden change in mood!” Twilight said flying next to Starlight, “Take the shortcut to the exit! We need to get out of here, NOW!”
Starlight nodded, and pulled Beatrix in the direction of the door. Right before the left the carnival though, something thin wrapped itself around Starlight’s neck choking her.
“STARLIGHT!” Beatrix cried. Before she could try and get Starlight free, something threw her far away from Beatrix into one of the stands, “NO!”
“How many times do we have to go through this, Beatrix?” Shadow Blueblood asked walking in between Beatrix and Starlight, “You’re the main attraction of this circus. I can’t let you just leave.”
“You… bastard…!” Starlight rose to her feet, “Let her go, Blueblood!”
“Please, don’t even try it,” Shadow Blueblood taunted, “Beatrix knows where she belongs. Isn’t that right, my pet?”
“I…” Beatrix looked away unsure.
“Tell her where you belong, Beatrix,” Shadow Blueblood ordered, “Go on.”
“I… I… I…!” she shook her head and glared at Shadow Blueblood, “I don’t want to be your pet anymore!”
Shadow Blueblood was wide eyed, but then his gaze narrowed, “What… did you just say to me?”
“I… I like Starlight! And I want to be her friend! You don’t make me feel loved! You just make me feel owned! I… I want to be free! AHH!” she cried as Shadow Blueblood slapper her so hard she fell to the ground.
“You really think I give a damn what you want?!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, “You’re the hottest piece of ass in that school! There’s no way in hell I’m giving you up!”
“Wait a second! I was under the impression that this was just an apparition of Blueblood! You mean… is this thing connected to the REAL Blueblood?!”
“But of course I am,” Shadow Blueblood said spreading his arms, “I’m Blueblood’s Shadow. His true self, imprinted onto this helpless bitch right here!” he kicked Beatrix onto her stomach and placed his foot right on her back, “She’s made my other self her God basically, let him rule her life! Because she’s so weak, I had an easy time working my way into her heart, turning this nightmare into my ideal environment! A place where I can live out my true fantasy of owning this whore completely!”
“So… this is how he really feels about me…!” Beatrix tried to stand up, “When I… get back to the real world… you and I are through!” in response to that, Shadow Blueblood pushed her hard onto the ground.
“You stay down there, slut! I’ll deal with you later. But first,” he turned to Starlight and pointed at her, “You’ve stood in my way for the last time, witch! I promised that you wouldn’t leave this place here alive, and I plan on keeping that promise!”
He was engulfed in black energy, and his entire form changed. He now towered over Starlight and Beatrix, being at least four stories tall. His body was larger and more muscular, his head and feet were that of a bull’s, and he was still dressed like a Ring Leader, but now he had two whips, one in each hand.
“This, is REALLY bad!” Twilight cried, “We’re not ready to face something like this! Not by ourselves at least!”
“I have to try!” Starlight said getting her scythe ready, “Beatrix, don’t give up! I’m getting you out of this!”
“Just try it!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, “I’m not letting anyone ruin my fun! Least of all some uppity bitch who needs to mind her own goddamn business!”
Shadow Blueblood charged at Starlight much faster than she thought he would, but she rolled out of the way just before it hit. She looked in the direction of the door and saw that it had a red lock placed on it.
“Looks like you’re not getting out of here until we defeat Blueblood’s Shadow!” Twilight said, “I sincerely hope you have a plan!”
“Keep hitting it until it dies!” Starlight shouted summoning Morgana. She cast Rakunda on the Shadow first, lowering his defense. She then rushed toward it summoning Morgana a second time, and having her fly up to Shadow Blueblood’s face and slash with her claws.
“Out of my way, you annoying doll!” Shadow Blueblood shouted swiping Morgana away. At the same time, Starlight felt an intense pain that knocked her to the ground too.
Shoot! How could she forget that! They were linked together!
“There’s nothing you can do by yourself, bitch!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, throwing both whips at Starlight, who managed to roll to her feet just in time to dodge the attack, “This isn’t your dream! This world belongs to me! You’d have been better off just staying out of things like everyone else does!”
Shadow Blueblood slammed his feet on the ground, creating a shock wave that raised the ground around Starlight, trapping her feet. Starlight tried to pull free, but Shadow Blueblood charged at her again at high speeds. This time Starlight took the full brunt of the attack.
“HEAL NOW!” Twilight cried. Starlight quickly switched to Agathion and used Dia on herself. It didn’t completely take away the pain, but it definitely stopped her head from spinning.
Starlight quickly rose to her feet and ran around the giant bull, “BICORN!” she shouted, this time casting Garu on Shadow Blueblood, once again doing little to nothing. Shadow Blueblood readied his whips, and tossed them out at Starlight continuously. She managed to dodge most of them, and used her scythe to block a few more, but the attacks kept coming, and soon they broke through her defense. She screamed helplessly as the whips lashed her entire body, undoing whatever healing she managed before as she fell to the ground, damn near falling unconscious.
“Starlight! Starlight, get up!” Twilight cried, “Ooooooh! I wish I had a Persona! Then I could do more!”
Beatrix looked at Starlight as she fell to the ground, only to be surprised to see her force herself right back up.
“Starlight…? Why…?” Beatrix asked, tears falling down her cheeks, “Why are you still fighting…!”
“Because… you’re my friend Beatrix,” Starlight said, giving Beatrix her best confident smile, “I promised I’d put an end to this nightmare… and I meant that.”
“Starlight…” Beatrix couldn’t believe it. Even now she was still fighting for her, despite probably being close to death. Even after all the times she was a bitch to her. She’d even told Starlight that she hated her, and yet even now, she still wanted to be her friend…?
“Aw, how touching,” Shadow Blueblood taunted, once again slamming his feet onto the ground, knocking Starlight off balance. When Shadow Blueblood charged at her, Starlight summoned Morgana again, this time both of them holding his horns back as much as possible, “But it’s all hopeless! Beatrix belongs to me!” he raised his horns, knocking Starlight and Morgana back and onto the ground, Morgana bursting into flames and vanishing.
“Starlight! Get up! Starlight!” Twilight cried, flying around Starlight frantically, “STARLIGHT!”
Seeing Starlight laying on the ground, Beatrix felt a fear unlike anything she’d ever felt. Not just because she might not escape this nightmare, but because Starlight was in danger. Someone… who wanted nothing more than to be her friend. Not because she was the child of someone famous, but because she needed a friend.
And when Beatrix looked within, she realized, she wanted to be Starlight’s friend just as much.
Come now, you aren’t seriously this helpless, are you?
That voice… Was it her voice? Or was it someone else…?
That boy just admitted that he doesn’t love you.
All he cares about is making you his plaything.
“He… never loved me at all…” Beatrix looked down, tears falling from her eyes as the realization truly hit her.
All of those months spent, trying to live up to someone else’s expectations.
Searching for someone who’d love you, just like how HE loved you.
I’m going to drop some news on you, honey. Something you desperately need to hear.
Your Dad… he’s GONE.
end song
Beatrix felt her heart shatter hearing those words. She’d heard them before, but for some reason, hearing them come from this dark voice hurt more.
“Dad’s… gone…?”
Whether he’s dead, or in some other dimension or something, either way, that’s the truth.
He’s gone.
You’re not going to find anyone else who’ll love you like he loved you.
So stop searching for other people to love you, and start loving YOURSELF!
“Loving… myself…?” Beatrix said, her heart racing a bit more now, as her temperature rose slowly.
If the world wants to see something that’s not there, then let them see what they want!
But right now, there’s someone over there who doesn’t give a damn who you are!
Someone who’s been fighting for you since she met you!
And here you are, still sitting here like some helpless damsel in distress!
You are the daughter of the Magnificent Balazar!
Say it!
“I… I’m the daughter… of the Magnificent Balazar…!” Beatrix said, her temperature rising so much that it was becoming all consuming.
Now, claim the power that’s rightfully yours!
Unleash the flame in your heart! Let it consume you!
Show Blueblood, nay, the entire world the truth!
THAT YOU ARE THE DAUGHTER OF A GREAT WIZARD!
SHOW ALL OF THEM WHAT TRUE MAGIC IS!
“Yes…! You’re right…!” Beatrix said, forcing herself to her feet, “I’ve been letting Blueblood run my show… long enough…! No one else… is going to give me… the love I’m looking for… So I’ll just… love myself…!”
Shadow Blueblood turned to look at Beatrix, “What are you babbling about?”
“Do you know… why parents tell children… not to play with fire…?” Beatrix asked, the rising temperature becoming almost unbearable, like she was about to explode, “Why don’t I show you…?”
“Don’t get cocky!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, about to charge at Beatrix.
“Beatrix… get out of there!” Starlight shouted, reaching for Beatrix.
“This is bad! She’s not moving!” Twilight cried!
Shadow Blueblood charged at Beatrix, but she closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the flame, which was completely unleashed, engulfing her entire body and forcing Shadow Blueblood to step away covering his face.
“What?! Not you too!”
“You’ve got to be kidding me… she had the potential too…?” Twilight asked. Starlight looked at the flame in awe.
Inside the flame, the shackles melted off of Beatrix’s wrists and ankles, and that horribly humiliating outfit was burned away, replaced with a new shimmering red leotard that closed in the front of her with black buttons lining it, stopping right in front of her breasts. Over top of that appeared a blue and black magician’s blazer, the back of It falling past her hips. As the blazer closed shut, dark sheer stocking formed on her legs, and blue high heels appeared on her feet. On her head appeared a black magician’s hat with a blue trimming around the rim, and a Channeling Ring appeared around her left ring finger. She held her hand above her, and allowed some of the flame to swirl around her, turning into a deck of playing cards. She shuffled them with expert precision, clasped her hands together over them, making them vanish completely, and she then clapped her hands and threw them out, presenting herself to her audience.
As the flames dispersed revealing her new form, the remaining flame turned into a spirit similar to Morgana, except this spirit looked a bit more like it was once human. The spirit had long blond hair that was perpetually engulfed in flames at the tips, wore a fancy red magician’s blazer, matching pants, bladed high heeled boots, had one angel wing on it’s back and a devil wing next to it, a red magician’s hat, and a silver mask that completely covered it’s face, the mouth frozen in a perpetual smirk.
“Thou art I, and I am thou! I am Elenora, the magician that sleeps within you! Let’s show this fiend what a REAL magic show looks like!”
“Hey Blueblood, remember when I said we were through when I woke up?” Beatrix pointed at Shadow Blueblood, her Persona mirroring her motions perfectly, “I changed my mind! Consider you and I officially over as of now! Light ‘em up, Elenora!”
Shadow Blueblood threw his whips out at Beatrix, who elegantly flipped out of the way as if they were nothing. She then pulled out a single playing card and threw it right at Shadow Blueblood’s face, actually knocking him back a bit.
“What?!”
Beatrix used that as her chance to summon her Persona, casting Dia on Starlight. Somehow hers managed to actually heal more.
Starlight rose to her feet, but Beatrix ran over to her and helped her up the rest of the way, “Thanks.”
“Thank you for reminding me of who I am,” Beatrix said with a brilliant smile, but soon looked unsure, “Even though I was a bitch to you before, can we be friends still?”
“We already are, Beatrix,” Starlight said smiling gently. Beatrix’s smile returned, and the two of them stood back to back, their Persona’s appearing behind them in the same position.
Shadow Blueblood charged at the two of them, but both witches sprinted in separate directions. Starlight had an idea, casting Bufu on the ground underneath Shadow Blueblood. This time when he tried to charge at Beatrix, he slipped and fell.
Beatrix jumped straight into the air, landing on a moving roller coaster as it moved around where Blueblood was, “Elenora, Agi!” she shouted. Her Persona appeared sitting in one of the seats of the roller coaster, and threw a fireball down at Blueblood in a fashion that suggested it was almost mundane to her.
That attack knocked Blueblood off his feet just as he had managed to rise up again. Beatrix jumped off the roller coaster and landed elegantly next to Starlight.
“Let’s take this chance and wail on him,” Beatrix suggested, “I think you and I both need to vent a little bit.”
Starlight nodded to Beatrix, and got her scythe ready. She rushed at Shadow Blueblood and charged at him, slashing him wildly with her scythe. At the same time, Beatrix held both of her arms forward, shooting a continuous barrage of sharp playing cards out of her sleeves at Shadow Blueblood. Starlight jumped back right as Shadow Blueblood rose to his feet.
“You think… I give a damn?!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, “I told you bitches before, I’m the ruler of this dream! Leo! Come to me!”
The black lion appeared at Shadow Blueblood’s side.
“What does that connect to?” Starlight asked Beatrix.
“Leo’s his pet cat,” Beatrix said, “I always thought he treated that furball better than me. Not sure how I feel losing out to the cat.”
“I feel sorry for the cat,” Starlight said.
“Hey, um, I’m happy you two are finally friends now, but can we stay focused on the fight at hand here?!” Twilight asked, her wisp flying down to the two teenage witches.
“You sure are a fussy one,” Beatrix said. Twilight’s wisp jumped up and down, probably mirroring the operators anger.
“Fussy?! Ooooh just you wait till I get my hands on you! Be glad you’re in the dream world right now!”
“Wait, is that someone who’s awake back outside?” Beatrix asked.
“It’s a long story,” Starlight said readying her scythe, “But she’s right. I’ll fill you in on everything when we wake up!”
Beatrix nodded, pulling out another card and holding it ready, “I can live with that. You take the cat, I’ll deal with my ex-boyfriend.”
“That feels so good to hear,” Starlight said, charging at the black lion as Beatrix shot her card at Shadow Blueblood’s face.
“Come and get me~” Beatrix called out tauntingly running away.
“Get back here, slut! I’ll throw you back in your cage where you belong!” Shadow Blueblood shouted running after Beatrix.
Starlight and the lion, apparently named Leo (what a cliched name…) charged at each other, Starlight slashing with her scythe and Leo slashing with his claws. She jumped away from Leo, and held up her Channeling Ring, summoning Agathion. She had him use Zio on Leo, knocking him off the ground. Starlight then switched back to Morgana, and the two of them charged at Leo. Starlight slashed three times with her scythe, slashing upward and knocking Leo into the air. Morgana then followed that up by bending all the way back, opening her torso and unleashing shadowed blades that slashed wildly at the lion.
Leo landed on his feet and charged up a magic spell, casting Garu at Starlight. This time she remembered Morgana’s weakness and ran out of the way of the sharp gust of wind. She once again switched to Agathion and cast Zio again before Leo could jump away. This time however, she cast Zio a second time, the attack actually managing to disperse the black lion.
Starlight turned to Beatrix’s fight to see if she needed help, but was pleased to see that she more or less had it covered. Shadow Blueblood lashed wildly with his whips, but none of his attacks connected as Beatrix was too fast for him to hit.
“Stand still!” Shadow Blueblood shouted.
“You don’t own me anymore, so I don’t have to listen to you!” Beatrix replied, “Elenora, unleash your true power!” Beatrix shouted, summoning her Persona again. Elenora appeared spinning in behind Beatrix, and then snapped her fingers casting Agi again, knocking Shadow Blueblood off his feet.
“Starlight, you ready to end this?” Beatrix asked. Starlight nodded yes, and the two of them did their All Out Attack again, this time not ending until they heard Shadow Blueblood wail in pain.
“I… how can this be…?! HOW DID YOU DEFEAT ME?!” Shadow Blueblood cried.
“A true magician never reveals her secrets,” Beatrix said, tipping her hat to Shadow Blueblood as he fell to the ground, his large empowered form dispersing to reveal his true humanoid form underneath.
Beatrix stood straight up as Starlight ran over to her. The two girls looked at each other, and hugged tightly. It almost felt like a reunion they’d long waited for. Like their souls were happy to be in each other’s arms after being separated for a very long time.
“Thank you for saving me, Starlight,” Beatrix said softly.
“Thank you, for saving me, Beatrix,” Starlight said just as softly.
“You… you can’t… leave…!” Shadow Blueblood cried. The two witches looked at him as he reached for them desperately, “Please…! Don’t leave me…!”
“What should we do with him?” Starlight asked, “We didn’t kill him.”
“That’s probably for the best,” Twilight said flying to their side, “If he really is the real Blueblood’s Shadow, killing him would actually kill the real Blueblood.”
Starlight looked at her thoughts about that, and had to shudder a bit. What did it say that she honestly didn’t care if he lived or died?
“That’s fine,” Beatrix said, “I know the best revenge. Starlight, where’s the way out of here?” Starlight pointed to the white door ahead of them, no longer locked shut, “Good. Let’s go.”
Surprisingly, Beatrix started making her way to the door. Starlight had to admit, that was really strong of her. She nodded to Starlight, and the two of them followed after Beatrix.
“W-wait!” Shadow Blueblood cried, almost sounding like he was on the verge of tears, “Please don’t leave…! I… what am I supposed to do without you?!”
“You’ll figure it out,” Beatrix said, “Or not, I don’t care anymore. I’m going to find someone who’s going to help me find out who I really am. I’m done being the person you want me to be. And rest assured, your self back in the real world is going to hear the same thing, so if I were you, I’d brace him for that.”
Beatrix continued walking back to the door, actually flipping Blueblood the finger as she walked away.
“Stop! Stop walking! You get back here this instant! I own you! Do you hear me?! I OWN YOU! YOU’LL NEVER BE ANYTHING WITHOUT ME!”
Starlight shot Shadow Blueblood a look of pure venom, and tightened her fists. She had to stop herself from sending a Bufu right to his face, but Beatrix held her hand on Starlight’s shoulder.
“As touched as I am, let’s just go,” Beatrix requested, “I’m tired of this nightmare.”
Starlight sighed, nodded, and the two of them opened the door and walked through, holding hands the entire time.
“BEATRIX!” Shadow Blueblood shouted as the entire Dungeon broke apart, the one generating it no longer present.
Starlight, Beatrix, and Twilight emerged in the Akashic Records. As the door closed behind them, it completely vanished in a white light. Beatrix fell to her knees in exhaustion.
“It’s really over, isn’t it?” she asked, almost unable to believe it, “The nightmare, it’s finally over,” Starlight knelt down next to Beatrix, who smiled at her, “So… you really are a witch, huh?”
Starlight nodded, “You are now, too.”
Beatrix looked at the ring on her finger. It was similar to Starlight’s, but the gem in the middle was blue instead of indigo colored, “Persona. That’s what I heard when that spirit came out of me,” she then looked at her clothes, “Whoa! I didn’t even realize my clothes changed! This is… also because of the power of Persona, isn’t it?”
“More than likely,” Twilight said hovering next to them, “We’re still trying to figure all of this out ourselves.”
Beatrix turned to Twilight, “Okay, and who are you? Are you really someone back in the real world?”
“I am. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I live in the dorm as well, but I’m usually asleep when you guys are awake.”
“She really wanted to rescue you as well, but needed a Persona User to help her,” Starlight explained.
“I see, so you were looking out for me too. Thanks Twilight,” Beatrix said with a smile.
“Y-you’re welcome… I guess… Don’t think this makes us friends or anything though, okay?!”
“Funny, I remember saying the same thing to Starlight a few days ago,” Beatrix taunted, “You and I will be best friends before this year is over.”
“You know what? Just for that, I’m automatically putting you on my shit list JUST on principle!”
Beatrix placed her hand on her chest aghast, “What?! You’d put moi on your shit list?! Oh, you slay me, Twi-Twi!” she dramatically placed a hand on her forehead, “My heart… will never love again…!”
“Jesus Christ…” Twilight sighed. As Starlight and Beatrix laughed, she couldn’t help but feel a small faint bond form between the three of them. Something about this felt right to her.
Thou art I… and I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…
This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…
Thou shalt be blessed when developing Persona of the Fool Arcana…
Did something just happen? Starlight felt something, like something connecting the three of them. She shook it off, deciding not to focus on it for now.
“So… where is this place?” Beatrix asked rising up.
“Depends on what you’re referring to,” Twilight said, “Right now, the realm your in is what we call The Phase, which is the most primordial aspect of the collective unconscious. In terms where you are in The Phase, you’re in what we call the Akashic Records.”
“The collective unconscious…? Wait, I read something about that,” Beatrix said looking around, “This is supposed to be some sort of merged consciousness we’re all connected to, right?”
“You know about that?” Twilight asked.
“I read a book on Jungian Philosophy once, and it said that we all get our instructions on how to be human from here essentially,” Beatrix’s eyes suddenly widened, “Wait… if that’s the case, then…”
“Um, are you okay?” Starlight asked as Beatrix looked around frantically.
“Everything started here, so that would mean-” she cut herself off, suddenly holding her head, “Ahh… I feel really weak all of a sudden…”
“You should probably rest for now,” Twilight suggested, “If you’re anything like Starlight, you might feel sick tomorrow.”
“But… I have to find my father’s gift! I know it’s here! He…” right when she was about to fall out, Starlight caught her.
“You can get back here easily,” Starlight said, “I’ll teach you how when you’re better.”
Beatrix clearly didn’t like it, but she sighed and relented, “Fine. I’ll rest for now. Um, how do we leave this place?”
“Just take the ring off,” Starlight said, “It’s out connection to this place, so if we take it off, we’ll just have dreamless sleep until we wake up.”
“Just like that, huh?” Beatrix asked, “After having the same nightmare every night for five months, having dreamless sleep kind of feels like a relief,” Beatrix smiled at Starlight, “I’ll see you when we wake up, Starlight.”
Starlight nodded to Beatrix, who took off her Channeling Ring and vanished in a bright light.
“Okay, I concede defeat.” Starlight turned to Twilight, “You beat me. I didn’t know how to save Beatrix at all, but you figured it out almost easily. Not only that, but you actually did it.”
“Only because I had your help,” Starlight said, feeling a bit more sensitive after saying that. She couldn’t see Twilight’s face, but she was silent for a few seconds after that, so what she said did affect her.
“Well anyway, you should get some rest too. It’s almost morning, so I’ll be heading to bed shortly. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Starlight.” Twilight said. Starlight said goodnight to Twilight right before the wisp vanished. She did it. She saved Beatrix.
If she did that, could she possibly save the whole planet?
Starlight decided to think about that later. For now, she took off her Channeling Ring, allowing herself to fade into dreamless sleep for the rest of the night. Her body would know when it was time to wake up.