September 8^th, 2019
Saturday
Cloudy/Chance of PM Rain

Morning

play song

Just as was expected, Beatrix had a fever when she woke up. It wasn’t as bad as Starlight’s, and since it was Saturday it was fine. Still, it did mean that any plans she did have were shot. Considering who said plans would have been, no one was upset about that.

“Try to get some rest, okay honey?” Celestia said caressing Beatrix’s cheek as she laid down in her bed.

“Thank you, Ms. Tia,” Beatrix said, “Um, about last night-”

Celestia placed a finger gently on Beatrix’s lips, “Later, after you’re feeling better. For now, just rest. I’ll have Starlight bring you something to eat in a bit.”

Beatrix nodded. As she snuggled in her bed, Starlight smiled seeing her roommate finally let go of all of the tension she’d been holding onto. She was actually really adorable when she wasn’t trying to be a bitch. So far, Starlight was really liking the real Beatrix.

The two of them left the room to let Beatrix rest, closing the door behind them.

“You did a wonderful job, Starlight,” Celestia said.

“Does this mean Beatrix isn’t going to die?” Starlight asked hopefully, her heart lifting when Celestia nodded.

“I had Twilight check her Akashic Records, and shortly after Beatrix woke up, at least one hundred new volumes opened. Later this weekend, I’d advise taking her into The Phase and letting her view some of her Akashic Records for herself.”

“That would be okay?” Starlight asked.

“I don’t see why not. It might help Beatrix decide where she wants to take her life,” Celestia said. Starlight remembered that Beatrix’s father had left her a gift for her “in the place where magic got it’s start”. Maybe she could find a clue or something in the Akashic Records.

Or maybe what she was looking for was in the Akashic Records. But, that would mean that her father would have known about them. Was he…?

play song

Celestia walked over to Starlight and wrapped her in a tight, warm, and highly maternal embrace, one that made Starlight feel funny. Again, like she wanted to cry.

“I’m so proud of you, Starlight,” Celestia said softly.

“Y-you are?” Starlight asked, her heart lifting for a reason she couldn’t place.

“Absolutely,” Celestia looked into Starlight’s eyes adoringly, caressing her cheek lovingly, “You followed through with your beliefs. Not just in terms of becoming a witch, but also in your desire to save your friend. Why wouldn’t I be proud to see one of my children succeed in such an endeavor?”

There it was again. That maternal gaze. Suddenly, in Starlight’s eyes, Celestia briefly turned into her mother, smiling at her in the same manner. Seeing that was almost too much for Starlight, and she averted her gaze.

“Is something wrong, Starlight?” Celestia asked.

“When I look at you, I can’t help but think of my mother. You remind me so much of her, and you’re so motherly. I don’t know, I guess when I’m with you, I… just miss her.”

“I apologize if I bring up such complicated emotions within you,” Celestia said, this time averting her gaze, “If I make you uncomfortable…”

“No!” Starlight cried suddenly, “Please, don’t stop being so close to me! I…” she caught herself, wondering where that outburst came from. It was as if her soul was screaming out to Celestia. She wondered if she was being needy, or if Celestia would feel uncomfortable.

Instead, Celestia pulled Starlight into her embrace and tightened it.

“It’s okay, honey. You don’t have to hold anything back. I accept all of your feelings,” Celestia said, voice gentle and filled with understanding. Before she realized it, Starlight was crying, and wrapped her arms around Celestia just as tightly. She wished she were being held by her mother, and part of her felt guilty for clinging to this woman she’d only met just a week ago, but something within needed this affection.

“Is it okay… if I see you as a second mother…?” Starlight asked.

“Remember what I said, sweetie?” Celestia said, now lovingly petting Starlight’s head as she held her, “I don’t want you to view me just as your homeroom teacher. I view all of my students as my children, and that goes especially for you as well.”

That was enough for Starlight. Hearing that, she completely relaxed into Celestia’s warm embrace, finally releasing tears she didn’t even know she still carried with her. She wasn’t her real mother, but it was enough. She could already feel a faint, yet powerful bond growing with her homeroom teacher.

There it was again. The same thing that happened in The Phase after she rescued Beatrix, only this time it was focused on Celestia. That gentle voice, one that sounded extremely familiar to Starlight, talking about her ascension. Starlight seriously wondered what this was. Maybe Igor had an idea.

Right now though, she just wanted to enjoy this embrace. Something she knew she desperately needed.

Daytime

play song

Beatrix was recovering quickly, but she still needed some rest. After getting her a bowl of chicken soup, which even Beatrix agreed was the best soup she’d ever had, Starlight left the dorm, choosing to take this time to ask Igor and Victor what happened to her.

When she walked to the park, she looked up at the clouds, happy she decided to bring an umbrella with her. It definitely looked like it was going to rain. Maybe she could find someplace to spend some time and enjoy the rain after she finished in the Velvet Room.

She looked ahead, and saw Victor sitting on the bench waiting for Starlight as per usual. The first thing she did when she approached the bench was greet Victor.

“Hello, Ms. Glimmer. You’re looking as radiant as ever,” he said, a slightly predatory smile appearing on his slightly effeminate features, “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.”

“I… actually came to ask you and Igor something,” Starlight said, her heart racing for some reason as Victor continued to admire her.

“Ah, well if that’s the case, perhaps I can be of assistance,” Victor said closing his newspaper, “We haven’t gotten a chance to get to know each other quite yet, so this might be a good opportunity.”

She was certain he wanted to get to know her very well. She was both drawn to him, but also terrified of him. She could tell he wanted her, and she was becoming increasingly aware that she might be attracted to her roommate. Still, something about the way Victor looked at her made her feel like something within her was awakening.

She thought about it for a few seconds, eventually choosing to sit next to Victor and ask him directly, as opposed to troubling Igor with something not related to Persona Fusions. The way Victor’s smirk widened made Starlight’s heart flutter in an odd manner.

Starlight brought up what happened in The Phase, how she felt something connect her to both Beatrix and Twilight, and how she felt that again with Celestia when she woke up. She also brought up how each one was connected to one of the Arcana.

“Ah, you refer to Social Links,” Victor explained.

“Social Links? What are those?” Starlight asked tilting her head.

“A social link is a special bond forged between the Trickster and the ones they trust. As your journey continues, you will find people that you feel you can share a piece of yourself with. Some of them will be your fellow Persona Users, and some will just be regular people you come to meet in your every day life. As you grow closer to these individuals and learn more about them, those Social Links will grow stronger, and offer you more power as well.”

More power? Well, Starlight did feel stronger when she thought about them, but she wondered what sort of power these social links could hold. She asked Victor to elaborate on that.

“Well, for one, each Social Link can offer you a new ability that will aid you in your battles in the dream world. Such as giving you new passive spells, or even ways of helping you in battle,” Victor explained, “Another use of Social Links, and possibly the best use for them, is stronger fusions.”

“Stronger fusions? Like Persona fusions?” Starlight asked.

“Yes. For example, you said you have a Social Link with the Empress now, correct?” Starlight nodded, “Then if you were to fuse two or more Personas, and the result was one of the Empress Arcana, depending on how strong that bond is, that Persona would get additional power.”

Huh, so in other words, don’t be a bitch to people, make friends, and genuinely get to know them. Who knew making friends had so many perks to them?

“A tip when growing your Social Links,” Victor added, “Try to keep Persona of the same Arcana with you when you’re with a Link you want to grow.”

“Why’s that?” Starlight asked.

“A sad truth about the world is that people are more comfortable with people that are more like themselves. When you have a Persona of the corresponding Arcana with you when near a Social Link, you’ll be reflecting back to that person a piece of who they are. This doesn’t mean those bonds aren’t genuine, but it does mean that they will be seeing more of themselves when they see you.”

"Well, that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing,” Starlight said looking down at her lap smiling, “I mean, a lot of people are coming to realize we’re all one consciousness split into multiple identities anyway, so maybe this is a way of reminding people of that.”

Victor looked at Starlight intently as she spoke, taking in her words before smiling softly, “You truly are fascinating, Ms. Glimmer. Quite the deep individual. Perhaps one day, you can consider me one you form a bond with as well.”

“Is that okay?” Starlight asked, once again looking back at Victor curiously.

“Of course. All Tricksters have their own personal Compendium holder, and each one forges a relationship of some sort with them. I haven’t figured out exactly what it is I wish to see from you, but when that time comes, rest assured I will approach you about forging a bond.”

Starlight smiled at Victor, telling him she was looking forward to that. In response, Victor took Starlight’s hand into his and gently kissed her knuckles, sending an odd vibration through her being.

“I look forward to that day as well, Miss Glimmer,” Victor said, his yellow eyes twinkling oddly as he smirked at Starlight. He then rose, bowed to Starlight, and walked through the door leading to the Velvet Room. Starlight had a feeling forging a bond with him would have been akin to forging a bond with the devil itself.

And oddly, she found she didn’t mind in the slightest. What did that say about her?

Evening

play song

Starlight didn’t stay out very long, as she wanted to make sure Beatrix was okay. She remembered how sick she was after she awakened, and while Beatrix didn’t seem too sick, she didn’t want to take too many chances. Also, she really wanted to talk to her about what happened last night.

The rain had started by the time she got back to the dorm. Right when she got inside and closed her umbrella, she heard laughter coming from the living room. She looked by the couches and saw Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Beatrix all laughing together.

“Hey Starlight!” Rainbow Dash called out to her, “You came back just in time! Beatrix was telling us embarrassing stories about Blueblood. Get this, when she’s not sleeping with him, he sleeps with a teddy bear!”

“Are you serious?” Starlight asked, trying not to burst out laughing as she signed her name.

“It’s true,” Beatrix said, smiling just as brightly as ever, “And you should see how he is with his cat. He acts all tough in public, but when it comes to that little furball, he’s a big softy. He even speaks to his cat using cutesy baby talk.”

“Oh my God, that’s priceless!” Pinkie Pie cried through her laughter, “I’m never taking him seriously ever again!”

“I don’t know what happened, but it’s great to have you back, Beatrix,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I just had a really good dream last night is all,” Beatrix said, giving Starlight a subtle look and smile, “And it’s great to be back. And don’t worry, I’m here to stay.”

“Geez, what did you do to her?” Rainbow Dash asked Starlight, “It’s like since you entered her life she’s become a completely different person.”

“All I did was be her friend,” Starlight said, walking over and hugging Beatrix from behind the couch.

“And I just decided to stop being such a bitch and let her,” Beatrix said, holding Starlight’s arms returning the hug, “Speaking of, she and I need to talk about something in our room.”

“Ooooh~ Is it something suggestive? Maybe PG-13? Or is it rated R?” Pinkie Pie said, wagging her eyebrows up and down as Beatrix rose from the couch.

“It’s still early in our friendship, so no telling where things will go,” Beatrix said airily, causing Starlight’s face to suddenly feel incredibly flushed.

“She didn’t deny anything!” Rainbow Dash laughed, “Just make sure you keep it down in there if you two decide to get it on, okay?”

Starlight moaned in embarrassment, not helped when Beatrix stood by the stairs giving Starlight a truly seductive smile. Geez, first she had to deal with Victor’s teasing, and now more from her dorm mates?

Starlight sighed and followed after her roommate into their room, shutting the door naturally so they would have privacy.

play song

“So, how do you feel now?” Starlight asked her roommate, who sat down on the bed relaxing.

“I feel… better,” Beatrix said, “I took a nap at around 2, and that seemed to get rid of the fever.”

“And how are you mentally?” Starlight pressed. Beatrix averted her eyes to the side.

“Not… perfect, but definitely better than I was before,” Beatrix admitted, “I didn’t have the nightmare again, so you did rescue me.”

“I think in a way, you saved yourself,” Starlight said, sitting on her bed across from Beatrix.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Beatrix gave a saddened smile, but then wilted a bit, looking down somberly, “So in the end, he never really loved me.”

“Did you love him?” Starlight asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe?” Beatrix leaned back on her bed looking up at the ceiling, “Or maybe I was just so desperate that I deluded myself into thinking I loved Blueblood. Thing is, it wasn’t all bad with him, which is the fucked up part. Sometimes, he could actually be sweet.”

“You know what that was, right?” Starlight asked, hoping Beatrix understood what was really going on there.

“Yeah, I know. That’s what hurts, I think,” Beatrix laid back in her bed, still gazing up at the ceiling, “I used to try and convince myself that the sweet Blueblood was the real Blueblood. That he was just trying to fulfill my fantasy, that he was having a bad day, or he just liked it rough. Hearing his Shadow essentially call me his property, it hurt. Especially to know that was actually his Shadow.”

“You deserve better than him,” Starlight said almost immediately, looking to the side darkly.

“I… want to believe that, but I don’t know if I do yet,” Beatrix admitted, “When my Persona awakened, she told me to love myself before loving anyone else. But… I don’t know how. I’ve spent years looking down on myself for letting my Dad down, having to listen to my peers compare me to him and knowing I could never be as magnificent, having my Mom try and push her desires onto me and trying to convince myself I wanted that, and then having Blueblood just reinforce my lack of self worth. Starlight, I don’t see any reason to love myself.”

Starlight felt terrible hearing that. What could she say to that? Sure, she rescued Beatrix from her Dungeon, but the work still wasn’t done yet. Beatrix’s self worth as a person was still effectively shot. Still, as her friend, she had to say something to her.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but personally I just love the fact that you’re alive,” Starlight said. Beatrix sat up and looked at Starlight wide eyed, but then smiled.

“You know, you’re really a special person,” Beatrix said, “I can definitely see why Blueblood wanted to get me away from you. You just have this air about you, like you’re just able to bring out the best in everyone.”

“I don’t know about all that,” Starlight admitted looking at her ring, “When I tried to kill myself, I had an experience. There, I met someone who instilled within me the will to live. They told me, instead of searching for the light myself, I could be the light for someone else. When I help people, it makes me feel better about my life. I could spend this second life given to me crying about what I lost, or I can focus on bringing smiles to other people and see what I can gain from that.”

Beatrix nodded in understanding, “Yeah… I get that,” she looked at the ring that now rested on her finger, “Now you and I have the same power. Well, probably not the same. You seem to be able to use multiple Personas. Think I’ll get that myself?”

“Sorry, but I think that’s a rare trait,” Starlight sat on her bed and hugged her knees, “You’re going to probably hear about this later, but apparently I’m something called a “Trickster”. To make a long story short, it’s up to me to stop the Nightmare Epidemic.”

“Seriously?” Beatrix asked, sitting up straight and looking at Starlight wide eyed, “Sounds like a big job.”

“It is. Apparently there’s a long line of these special Persona Users who saved the world a bunch of times, and I’m the next one,” Starlight looked at the Velvet Room key, “But since this Nightmare Epidemic is affecting the whole planet, that means I have to save everyone…”

“Christ…” Beatrix breathed out. She looked down in deep thought for a second, but then perked up, “Hey, you saved me, right? That’s a big step right there. Thanks to you, I’m currently the first person to survive the Nightmare Epidemic. That means there is a chance.”

Starlight thought about that. Beatrix did have a point. No one knew there was a cure for the Nightmare Epidemic, or even what it was. Yet right now Starlight had someone who had the Nightmare Epidemic and survived sitting right in front of her.

“Also, it’s not you who has to do this,” Beatrix got up and sat next to Starlight, wrapping her arms around her lovingly, “We have to do this.”

Starlight’s eyes widened. Beatrix said “we”?

“Why are you so surprised?” Beatrix giggled, “I have this power now, so I might as well use it.”

“It’s going to be dangerous,” Starlight said, “I think any injuries you sustain in the dream translates to the real world, so if you die in the dream…”

“So, just like what I had to deal with for five months, only this time I have super powers?” Beatrix asked with raised eyebrows, “I hope you’re not trying to scare me, because after what I had to endure, I don’t think anything realistically can,” she then closed her eyes pained, “Damn it, I think I jinxed myself…” Starlight tried not to, but soon burst out laughing, which prompted Beatrix to tighten the embrace, “See? That’s another perk to having me around. I can make you laugh.”

“I… I do want you to be a part of this, Beatrix,” Starlight admitted, “I just… don’t want to send you to your death right after saving your life.”

“Well, I don’t want you to go off to yours either,” Beatrix said, “At least let me tag along so we can die together.”

“Was that… another attempt at a joke?” Starlight asked.

“Yeah, I know. That was morbid even for me,” Beatrix admitted. The two girls shared a laugh though, which was nice. It felt good to have someone she could just laugh about this stuff with.

Someone who actually wanted to fight alongside her.

“So what do you say?” Beatrix asked, “Can I share the stage with you?”

Starlight thought about what Celestia said to her about how the Trickster attracts other Persona Users to them. Was this how it was for Joker and the previous Tricksters? Did they help people, their Personas awaken, and then they just decided to stay close to them? If so, she’d be crazy to turn down this help.

“Yes,” Starlight held Beatrix’s hand, locking fingers with her intimately, “Let’s stop the Nightmare Epidemic, together.”

As the two girls held one another, Starlight felt a faint bond form between her and Beatrix. One that was a bit more intimate than her other bonds thus far.

play song

end song

Starlight realized that she still didn’t have Beatrix’s number. She thought about using the investigation into the Nightmare Epidemic as an excuse, but she felt just outspoken enough to ask Beatrix outright. Just as she suspected, Beatrix’s cheeks turned a light pink at how upfront she was.

“Um… sure. Since we’re roommates, we probably should have each others numbers,” she pulled out her phone and traded contact information with Starlight, “Let’s show this world what magic really looks like.” she said with a confident smile.

Starlight smiled in return, happy that her new friend was able to smile so genuinely now. She knew she still had a lot of work to do for her, but for now it was nice to see such genuine happiness from her once dark roommate.

The two girls continued to laugh and gossip about random stuff all into the night.

Late Night

Once everyone else went to bed, Starlight brought Beatrix up to Celestia’s room on the fourth floor. Needless to say, she was floored by what she saw.

“Get out…” Beatrix breathed out looking at the complicated computer, “This is something straight out of science fiction.”

“I take it you like what you see then?”

Both girls turned to the couch, where Celestia sat waiting for them, the same pleasant smile as always on her face.

“I had no idea that there was something like this in our dorm,” Beatrix said.

“This dorm is also my base of operations,” Celestia explained, “I’m not just a History Teacher. I’m also a supporter of the Kirijo Corporation. Please, get comfortable. I have tea and cookies prepared for everyone.”

“Thank you,” Beatrix said, she and Starlight sitting down on the couch next to Celestia. A few seconds later, Twilight came through the door.

“Hello everyone,” Twilight said, choosing instead of the couch to sit at her computer, not before taking a few cookies though.

“You’re Twilight Sparkle, right?” Beatrix asked, “I remember Starlight said you were observing my Nightmares for a while.”

Twilight nodded, “I’m sorry if that seemed invasive. I was asked by Ms. Tia to keep an eye on your nightmare just in case we found a Persona User to dive in and rescue you.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Beatrix said smiling, “I’m really happy that I had people looking out for me. Speaking of,” Beatrix turned to Celestia, “Ms. Tia, did you know that Blueblood was abusing me?”

“I did,” Celestia said gravely, “I wanted to have that boy expelled for it, but your situation made things quite difficult.”

“Sorry about that,” Beatrix said somberly, “I guess now it’s too late to get him expelled, since it went on for so long.”

“It’s never too late to take action,” Celestia said sipping her tea, “If you speak up about it, they will investigate it. But that’s neither here nor there,” she set her cup down and took Beatrix’s hand gently squeezing it, “Just know that no one here is mad at you, okay? You have nothing to apologize for.”

“Right,” Beatrix nodded with a slightly forced smile, “T-thanks, Ms. Tia.”

play song

“So, if you’re here, I’m assuming you’re joining us?” Twilight asked.

Beatrix nodded, “Starlight saved my life. I want to do what I can to return the favor. Also, with how bad things got in my nightmare, I don’t want her to face that stuff alone anymore.”

Beatrix held Starlight’s hand as she said that. Starlight couldn’t help but smile hearing how dedicated her friend was to this.

“Well that certainly makes things easier,” Celestia said, “Unfortunately, we still don’t know much about the Nightmare Epidemic, but since you survived it, you can help clear up a few things. I hope you don’t mind if we ask you a bit about your experience.”

“I-if it’ll help,” Beatrix said, clearly uncertain.

“If this is too personal-”

“No, I want to help,” Beatrix said, cutting Celestia off, “I mean, I shouldn’t run away from this, and this might help other people survive too, so please, ask me anything.”

Celestia closed her eyes and smiled in relief before she got serious, “I’ll cut right to the chase then. Do you remember when the nightmares began?”

“Well, sort of,” Beatrix said, “Things didn’t start getting bad until just a bit before Blueblood and I started dating.”

“What do you mean “things didn’t get bad until then”?” Twilight asked, finishing one of the cookies, “You mean that they started out good?”

“I mean, I think so,” Beatrix said, “I don’t have the best dream recollection normally, so I don’t remember everything exactly. However, I remember having a reoccurring dream for about a week or so prior.”

“Go on, honey,” Celestia pressed lightly.

“From what I can remember, I was a stage performer, and I had the adoration of everyone in the audience,” Beatrix explained, “But I think… in one of the dreams I messed up a trick. As the dreams went on, I got worse and worse, till eventually I was just a laughing stock on the stage.

“Then, around the time I started dating Blueblood more seriously, he started appearing in my dreams. I guess he was already showing a few red flags then, but I had already convinced myself that it was better than being alone, so I didn’t fight back or anything. Also, in the dreams, he was a Ring Leader who took command of the show as a way to get the audience to like me more. At first, everything was fine, you know?”

“But overtime, things started taking a dark turn in the dream,” Starlight reasoned. Beatrix nodded to her before continuing.

“As time went on, the entire environment changed. I was still the main attraction, only now it was because everyone there was enjoying my suffering. At the same time in the real world, I’d started becoming a bit more resentful of my peers. I told myself, they knew that I was a hack with no talent, but they kept throwing it in my face that I was the daughter of the Magnificent Balazar. They must all want me to fail. The fact my boyfriend got off on my pain didn’t help matters.”

“Huh, this is interesting,” Twilight said thoughtfully, “From here, we can insinuate that the nightmares actually base themselves off of the victims thoughts on their reality. Beatrix here thought her peers enjoyed seeing her suffer, and sure enough that’s exactly what she saw in her dream.”

Starlight remembered something else about the dream that was really important that Celestia needed to be made aware of, “Wait, it wasn’t just Beatrix’s outlook that influenced the dream.”

“Hm?” Celestia asked raising an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“Oh right! I ended up going right to bed, so I forgot to tell you,” Twilight said, “Apparently, that Blueblood wasn’t just a cognitive representation. That was his actual Shadow!”

“Wait… you mean that Blueblood’s actual Shadow influenced the nightmare?” Celestia turned to Beatrix, “Is this true?”

“I… think so,” Beatrix admitted, “I don’t know what you mean by “his Shadow”, but I do know that after a while the dreams seemed to get worse on their own. Especially around the time Starlight entered the picture.”

“How so?” Celestia asked.

“Well, after the first time Starlight saved me in the dream, Blueblood started paying a lot more attention to the people around me.”

“Like when he came into the classroom on the first day of school?” Starlight asked.

“Yes! That’s exactly what I mean,” Beatrix said, “I mean, he would always call me to make sure I was coming to the spots he told me to meet him, but it wasn’t until the beginning of this year that he started coming into the classroom to pick me up. That’s why I was so caught off guard.”

“A person who hasn’t faced their Shadow can fall under the trap of being influenced by it,” Twilight said, “It’s highly possible that Blueblood was following subconscious cues from his Shadow to look for Starlight.”

“This certainly changed things,” Celestia said thoughtfully, “We were operating under the assumption that the Blueblood in your dream was just a representation of the real Blueblood. But if that was Blueblood’s actual Shadow…”

“Is this unusual?” Starlight asked, “I mean, the Kirijo Corporation has dealt with Shadows before, so something like this has happened before, right?”

“The only thing remotely similar was the Mental Shutdown case a few years back in Tokyo,” Celestia explained, “However, there were a number of striking differences between that case and this one.”

“Like what?” Beatrix asked.

“Well, for starters, the Palaces that the Shadows created were exclusive to the individual that the Shadow came from,” Twilight turned to her computer and pulled up information on a strong looking man with unkempt black hair, “For example, Suguru Kamoshida, a former athlete turned gym teacher, and a registered sex offender. He viewed the school he worked at as his own personal castle, since all of the parents and faculty there essentially let him do what he wanted, even in terms of abusing his students. As a result, his Shadow in the Metaverse created a Palace where the school was a castle, and he was an actual king there. The Palace reinforced this reality back to the real Kamoshida, but beyond that it didn’t directly affect anyone.”

“Also, from what it sounds like, the Palace represented a twisted outlook on a single place, while Beatrix’s Dungeon represented her outlook on a situation,” Starlight said, walking to stand behind Twilight so she could see the information she pulled up better.

“Exactly, which leads to another big difference. It wasn’t a Shadow that created Beatrix’s Dungeon,” Twilight turned to Starlight, “If it were anything like a Palace, then it would have made more sense for Blueblood’s Shadow to have generated it, but it seems more like Beatrix herself made the Dungeon, and the Shadow just capitalized on it.”

“This is quite different than what we’re used to dealing with,” Celestia sighed, “I need to discuss this with Mitsuru. For now, you two should get some rest. Since this situation is so unusual, don’t go into The Phase until after I see what Mitsuru wants to do about this.”

“Alright. I hope I was useful, Ms. Tia,” Beatrix said. Celestia scooted closer to Beatrix and hugged her.

“More than you realize. Now, off to bed with you two. Spend some time having good dreams for a change.”

“Yes Ms. Tia,” Beatrix said rising from the couch, “Starlight, I’m going to take my shower first, okay?”

Starlight nodded, “I’ll see you in our room, Beatrix.”

Beatrix walked over to Twilight and hugged her from behind her chair, “Thanks again for looking out for me.”

“Y-yeah. No problem,” Twilight said awkwardly, “I’ll see you later, Beatrix.”

Beatrix smiled at everyone one last time, and then left the room. Starlight asked Celestia if she thought Blueblood was okay after the defeated his Shadow.

“I’m sure the real Blueblood is fine,” Celestia said, “As long as his Shadow wasn’t killed he should be okay.”

“It wasn’t,” Twilight chimed in, “For better or for worse, that piece of shit’s probably fine. At worse he probably has a really bad feeling about the next time he sees Beatrix. If he hasn’t called her yet, expect to hear from him sometime tomorrow.”

Honestly, Starlight still wasn't sure how she felt about knowing Blueblood was okay. Not because she was worried about him, rather it was the opposite. She still didn't care if he lived or died.

“What should I do for Beatrix?” Starlight asked looking down, “I think Blueblood did a number on her psyche, and she wasn’t in the best place even before then.”

“For now, just be her friend,” Celestia suggested, “Maybe take Beatrix out into town tomorrow.”

Starlight liked that idea. She wasn’t sure if she’d invite Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, or just go out with Beatrix. She thanked Celestia, and said goodnight to both her and Twilight before heading back to the bedroom.

play song

Since she was alone, she decided to take advantage of the privacy and get ready for her shower. She wasn’t prepared to have a roommate initially, hence why she didn’t bother with a robe, but now she was definitely thinking of getting one. As it stood, the only cover she had was her towel.

She remembered reading that witches of old often did rituals naked, and were thus really comfortable with their bodies. Since Beatrix was still in the bathroom, Starlight took advantage of the alone time and stood in front of the shared vanity mirror, looking at her naked body and seeing how she felt about it.

She never really thought about it before, but she was pretty attractive. Maybe not as much as Rarity, who was built like a goddess, or that older student from Japan she spoke to a few days ago, but she could definitely see how people would be attracted to her. Her breasts were somewhat large, being at a high C-Cup, and turning around briefly she was definitely pleased with the size of her butt. She was attractive, pretty, maybe even beautiful. But was she sexy? She hadn’t ever thought about this stuff before, but ever since awakening Morgana, she noticed that people just seemed more drawn to her. Did something change when she awakened to Morgana? Was it an external change? Or was it more internal?

Starlight didn’t know when Beatrix was coming back, and right now she wasn’t worried about that. Looking at herself in the mirror, completely naked, she thought about how both Victor and Blueblood had looked at her. Blueblood was a pig, but he did express some form of physical attraction, and Victor… honestly Starlight could see herself being interested in a man like Victor. He had started showing signs of attraction after her Persona awakening. Was that sort of like a girl awakening to her inner woman? Starlight kind of felt like that might have been the case. She folded her arms under her bosom like Celestia typically did, pushing her breasts up a bit, imagining that she was presenting herself to Victor.

I wonder what he’d think if he saw me like this?

Her thoughts went to Celestia, and how top heavy she was. Did she have a boyfriend or husband? Was she searching for one? She’d have to be if she dressed the way she did, right? But no, she dressed that way even in school. That kimono didn’t leave much to the imagination with how she wore it, and she heard a lot of the male students making lewd comments about her when they thought no one was listening. She wondered if that was part of the reason why Cinch didn’t like Celestia.

In Principal Cinch’s defense, it was a really sexy look.

But still, Starlight wondered if she’d ever have the courage to dress like that. Her typical style of dress was more or less conservative, while still accentuating her figure tastefully. In hindsight it was really simple. But boys still noticed her. A few girls noticed her too, as she’d heard a few girls remarking at how pretty she was, and some of their comments did leave Starlight feeling rather hot and embarrassed.

Then there was Beatrix.

Ever since a few days ago, when Beatrix cheered for her in her Dungeon, Starlight had noticed her thoughts changing toward her roommate. She was really pretty, and the way she dressed normally showed off just how voluptuous she actually was. Starlight kind of felt guilty looking at her though, considering she knew Blueblood made her dress like that. While she did find herself looking at her breasts a lot in passing, it wasn’t Beatrix's figure that always made Starlight feel funny.

It was her smile.

The way her eyes lit up when she smiled genuinely, how wide and honest her true smile was, it wasn’t something she saw on Beatrix a lot sadly, but whenever she did it lifted Starlight’s spirits so much. Like that was how she was supposed to be. Hell, just seeing her bright eyed was enough to draw Starlight in. Seriously, she could get lost in those eyes forever, especially when they weren’t clouded by darkness and anger.

And she was funny too! That threw Starlight for a loop, honestly. She didn’t know that Beatrix had such a great sense of humor, since her first impression made Starlight think she’d be a bit of a downer, but no. She was actually a really upbeat and positive person when she wanted to be. She told funny stories, great jokes, was incredibly animated, and when she laughed it was such a genuine laugh Starlight couldn’t help but laugh herself.

Ever since Starlight had rescued her, Beatrix had expressed a lot of gratitude. Their friendship had quickly grown to one that was definitely more touchy feely, which Starlight didn’t mind. She knew that Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie teased them about them becoming more than friends, and Beatrix played along with the teasing, but… was she playing? Was it possible that… Beatrix might have been attracted to Starlight? Even though she had a boyfriend, that relationship was pretty much over now. Had Blueblood made Beatrix consider becoming a lesbian? Was Starlight the one that Beatrix was eyeing for a possible lesbian relationship? And did Starlight… want that? She remembered Beatrix mentioning that she was interested in bondage. Thinking about it, Starlight didn’t think she’d mind the idea of exploring that with her. Actually, Beatrix tied up did loo-

end song

The door clicking open startled Starlight out of her daze, and she frantically searched around for her towel. When she finally found it, she sadly didn’t have time to wrap it around herself before Beatrix came in, so she just held it over her body hoping she covered everything. The fact that she was wearing nothing but a towel didn’t help matters much.

When Beatrix looked at her, she giggled, “You know we’re both girls, right? It’s no big deal.”

“I-I know, it’s just,” Starlight looked away from Beatrix, her face feeling so hot with embarrassment at the moment, “I’ve never let anyone see me naked before. Male or female, so…”

Beatrix nodded smiling, “Well, I’m not sure if you know this, but your nipples do show through your nightgown, so I’ve seen a lot already.”

Yeah. She realized that. Thank you Twilight for pointing that out.

“So… you don’t mind seeing me… you know?” Starlight asked as Beatrix went over to her drawer and pulled out her sleepwear.

“Not at all,” Beatrix said, “I take it you’re a virgin then. Not that that’s a bad thing. Actually, I envy you,” she sighed, “I really envy you.”

play song

“Please don’t tell me you gave your virginity to him?” Starlight asked pained. To her credit, Beatrix laughed awkwardly as a response.

“Sorry Starlight,” she sighed pulling out a light blue bra and pair of matching panties, “I guess he’d probably carry that as an achievement. That kind of stuff really fucks with a girl’s head, you know? Her first sexual relationship being an abusive one.”

God, Beatrix had it bad. Not only did she have generally low self-esteem, but her first sexual experience wasn’t even a positive one. Calling her “damaged” was an understatement.

“Well, like I said, you deserve better than that asshole,” Starlight said, venom entering her voice at the thought of Blueblood. A fresh wave of embarrassment replaced the venom when Beatrix took off her towel to change into the lingerie she chose for sleeping. Starlight felt slightly guilty for not saying anything, but at the same time couldn’t help but steal a few glances.

I know it makes me a pervert, but she has a really nice body!

“Like I said, I wished I believed that,” Beatrix said pulling the panties up, “I mean, I know I’m sexy, but I don’t know if I’m girlfriend material, you know? Like, what do I have to offer besides somewhat kinky sexual interests?”

“I don’t know, you’re funny, faithful, strong willed, you have pretty eyes, a great smile,” Starlight smiled to herself, her heart racing a bit as she spoke, “And while no one else knows about this, you’re really good in a fight.”

Beatrix turned to look at Starlight and smirked with a raised eyebrow, “Uh huh. Sounds to me like you have a crush.”

Starlight’s eyes widened, face once again flushed in embarrassment, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! I was just speaking about what I’ve noticed from getting to spend time with you for a week! Yeah! That’s it!” she laughed awkwardly, praying that Beatrix bought it.

“Mm hm,” Beatrix nodded, still smirking, “That’s why you made sure to highlight my “pretty eyes” and “great smile”?”

“I mean… you do have a great smile…” Starlight pouted. Beatrix laughed, that same genuine laugh that Starlight loved to hear.

“Seriously though, thanks for that,” Beatrix said, cheeks tinted pink as she smiled, “I… needed to hear that.”

“You’re welcome,” Starlight said, returning the smile despite her embarrassment. She chose then to just head to the bathroom and have her shower before she said something else to embarrass herself.

“Hey Starlight?” Beatrix asked before she left, “Think tomorrow, you and I could hang? Just the two of us?”

Starlight did not turn around. If she did, she was sure that Beatrix would notice how red her face was. She tried telling her heart to calm down, but it refused, and continued to beat so loud she was sure Beatrix could hear it.

“I was going to ask you if you wanted to hang out tomorrow,” Starlight said, “So yeah. Let’s do it. Just you and me.”

“Great,” Beatrix smiled, “I’ll probably be asleep by the time you get back, hopefully at least. Good night, Starlight.”

“Good night, Beatrix. Pleasant dreams,” Starlight said.

“Thanks to you, I’m sure they will be,” Beatrix said softly as she laid in her bed. Starlight smiled to herself and left to take her shower. Despite her embarrassment at her apparent crush she definitely felt great knowing that she rescued Beatrix. Tonight, she’d finally have a goodnight’s sleep, first one she’d probably had in months.

And it was all thanks to Starlight.

play song

“I see, that is suspicious,” a woman with a deep voice said over the speaker phone of Twilight’s terminal.

“Mitsuru, have you ever encountered anything like this before?” Celestia asked.

“Mmm, no, no that I’m aware. Normally Shadows just influence the hearts of the one they spawn from. A Shadow attacking another individual? This just seems too odd.”

“What do you want us to do about this?” Celestia asked.

“You mentioned you found the Trickster, correct?” Mitsuru asked.

“Yes, and recently another one of my students awakened her Persona as well,” Celestia explained, "She’s already been updated on the situation, and wishes to aid us.”

“Good. Then I’m leaving this operation in your hands, Ms. Tia. For now, I want you to investigate The Phase using these new Persona Users. Also, try to rescue as many local victims of the Nightmare Epidemic as you can. If any of them awaken to their Personas, recruit them. Is Twilight there as well?”

“I am, Mitsuru,” Twilight said.

“Even though you don’t have a Persona, you know the most about this incident. I want you to support this Trickster and her team as much as you can. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes Mitsuru,” Twilight said, smiling proudly, “I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t, Twilight. I have faith in you.”

Twilight looked away somberly when Mitsuru said that. She “had faith” in her. Even though she already disappointed her once.

“Thank you again, Ms. Tia,” Mitsuru said, “If you need any help at all, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I won’t,” Celestia said with a gentle smile, “Take care Mitsuru.”

“Bye Mitsuru,” Twilight said before the line went dead, “So, what are we doing tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, I think I want to take Starlight and Beatrix deeper into The Phase. See if they can find anything unusual there connected to the Shadows,” Celestia said thoughtfully, “I’m going to meditate before getting started with breakfast. See if you can find anything that stands out in The Phase, and report to me before you head to bed.”

“Yes Ms. Tia,” Twilight said, immediately getting to work. Celestia kissed Twilight on the cheek before leaving the room. Once alone, Twilight stopped typing and sighed to herself.

“So now my only use is supporting other Persona Users, huh?” she said darkly before resuming her search of the Phase. Even if she hated that she was moved to desk duty, she was determined to do a good job for Mitsuru. She wasn’t going to let her hatred of her current job stop her from being professional.

Even if she still had a lot of resentment at being replaced.

Link to my Patreon